Cameron Family Newsletter

Important Dates

11/5: No School for students/ Professional Development for Staff- Voting Day

11/11: No School- Veterans Day

11/14: Early Release Day 11:40 Dismissal No lunch served

11/19: Picture Retake Day

11/27- 11/29: No School- Thanksgiving Break

12/12: Early Release Day 11:40 Dismissal No lunch served

12/23- 12/31: No School Winter Break

From StuCo (Cameron Student Council)

Thanksgiving Food Drive Donations Needed!!

Beginning October 28th, we are asking for donations of any nonperishable food item to put together baskets for our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. These baskets will help support families in our community during this holiday season. Students can place donations in boxes that can be found in each of their homerooms. The top collecting homeroom will be awarded 15 minutes of extra recess.

Examples of Food Donations:

canned corn
canned green beans
canned carrots
canned or packets of soup
canned cranberry sauce
canned or packets of gravy
boxed or bagged stuffing
instant mashed potatoes
any other nonperishable food item you have available to donate

The Cameron community will be collecting donations for our Thanksgiving Food Drive. We are also accepting $15.00 gift card donations from Market Basket.

Thank you for thinking of our families in need. If you have any questions, please email me at mcrisostamo@framingham.k12.ma.us! Thank you, in advance, for your help!

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phone use is not allowed at Cameron Middle School. Students are asked to put Cell Phones in their lockers or turned off and put in their book bag. Airpod/headphone use is also not allowed at Cameron Middle School. We encourage students to leave these items at home.

The Cell Phone Policy is in the Family Handbook and will be reviewed with all students over the first week of school.

Cameron Ski Club

Sign-ups for the Cameron Ski Club at Wachusett Mountain start on October 2nd. Skiing is after school for six consecutive Thursdays starting January 2nd, 2025 (with possibility of postponements due to weather or evening school events). Cost is $189 for the 6-week lift ticket if purchased by December 1st (then increases by $30). Equipment rentals and group lessons are also available. For more information, please complete the Ski Club Interest Form. If you have questions, please email John Reilly.

Chromebooks

This past month we have had an extremely high number of Chromebooks that needed to be fixed due to student misuse, such as intentionally breaking the screen or removing the keys from the keyboard. We have also had to replace a lot of devices and charging cords because they were lost. We reminded students that they all signed a Chromebook use agreement at the start of the school year. We will be teaching a booster lesson to all students this week reminding them of their responsibility with the school issued Chromebook. Each month I receive a report about which Chromebooks were fixed or replaced. I will be reviewing this list each month and will reach out to families if I notice intentional destruction. Thank you for your support with this.

8th Grade Keefe Visit Information

https://secure.smore.com/n/hc7sx

ATTENTION GRADE 7 PARENTS:SBIRT SCREENING

Please read the following letter regarding SBIRT screening which will take place in November. Massachusetts school districts are required to use a verbal screening tool to screen students for substance use disorder. Framingham Public Schools will use the Screen, Brief Interview, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) process to screen all students in grades 7 and 9. SBIRT is a quick, easy way to screen, identify and intervene with students to prevent or delay the use of harmful substances such as alcohol and marijuana.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Massachusetts school districts are required to use a verbal screening tool to screen students for substance use disorder. Framingham Public Schools will use the Screen, Brief Interview, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) process to screen all students in grades 7 and 9. SBIRT is a quick, easy way to screen, identify and intervene with students to prevent or delay the use of harmful substances such as alcohol and marijuana.

As part of the SBIRT process, we will use the CRAFFT II screening tool. The CRAFFT II is the most commonly used substance-use screening tool for adolescents in Massachusetts. Each student will be screened during their Physical Education class in a confidential setting through private one-on-one conversations with a school nurse, social worker, or school counselor who has been trained in the SBIRT screening process. Students who are not using substances will have their healthy choices reinforced. The screener will provide brief feedback to any student who reports using substances, or is determined to be at risk for future substance use. At the time of the screening, all students will receive educational information about substance use.

What your child tells the screener is confidential, and will not be shared with any other person without prior written consent of the student, parent/ guardian, except in cases of an immediate medical emergency or when disclosure is otherwise required by state law. No written record of the results of your child’s verbal screening will be kept with identifying information; screening results will not be included in your child’s school record.

You may opt-out of the screening of your child by providing written notification, any time prior to or during the screening period to Carol Brennan, cbrennan@framingham.k12.ma.us. Students may also opt-out at the time of the screening.

We encourage you to talk with your child about substance use/abuse. For helpful resources on how to begin these conversations and to view the CRAFFT II tool and other SBIRT screening information, please visit the links below.

Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or would like your child to opt-out of the screening.

Regards,

Michelle Melick

Cameron Middle School Principal

Resources:

http://www.masbirt.org/schools

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-Information for Teens: http://teens.drugabuse.gov/

Teen Safe: http://teen-safe.org/

“7 Ways to Protect Your Teen From Alcohol and Other Drugs”: http://files.hria.org/files/SA1011.pdf

Information from the Nurse

Please fill out this form to give permission to the nurse to give your child over the counter medication. If we don't have this form on file she can't give your child Tylenol or Ibuprofen

https://form.jotform.com/241495693650162

Drop Off and Pick up Procedure Reminders:

Students should be dropped off and picked up on Elm Street or Michael Road. Cars are not allowed on school property during arrival and dismissal. Students who are walkers or parent pick up are released from school after the buses have left. If we were to dismiss parent pick up and walkers prior to bus dismissal it would make it very difficult for our buses to get through the car traffic to pick up our bus students. We appreciate your patience during dismissal.

Every day I receive reports of cars making u-turns on Elm Street and Michael Road. Please protect the safety of our students and DO NOT make a u-turn on Elm Street or Michael Road.

Transportation

If your child did not receive a bus assignment please see below for resources.

1. Carpool to School - We have teamed up with GoTogether to help families find carpool options. This is an online tool where you can connect with other families to set up car rides or walks to school.

2. Bikes for Middle and High School Students - We have bikes available for free. If your child didn’t get a bus assignment and can safely bike to school, please contact me, and I can help you with the process.

3. Metrowest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) - Older students can use the MWRTA bus to get to and from school. Please check the MWRTA website for the schedule and bus stop information, as not all schools are covered.

We apologize again for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

Universal Free Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast is available each morning in the cafeteria. Breakfast and Lunch are free for all students!

Cameron Family Newsletter

November 3, 2024

Important Dates