Brown MS Weekly Update

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Dear Brown MS Community,

Last week our students engaged in advisory lessons on anti-bullying. Students and advisors talked about impact vs. intent and discussed conflict vs. bullying. The month of October is National Anti-bullying Month and while the month is designated as such, our mission is that we should be focused on taking care of ourselves and each other every month. Our Bear Belief to "Be Safe and Kind" is central to our success in building community. In middle school this can be complicated for students who are learning to navigate new social situations - new friends, new text groups, online gaming, social media apps, etc.

The responsibility that comes with technology at their fingertips is enormous. When a student is ready to have a phone varies based on maturity level and is a family decision. For many, they simply aren't ready and that is okay! Do not worry when they say, "You are the only parent who doesn't let their kid have a smart phone!" That simply is not true! When you do decide it is time, make sure you have clear and frequent conversations about your expectations around technology. (And keep those conversations going well into high school!) The best way to keep your child safe and help them to navigate the cyberworld is to stay involved and talk a lot about what they are encountering. Many times bullying and unkind words are shared digitally, and having talks with your child about what is and is not okay to say online is not a one time conversation. Even when they roll their eyes at you - they are listening and taking in what you say. I encourage you to come to our zoom NPS event on Oct. 26, where author Catherine Pearlman (First Phone) will share tips for how to help your tween/teen navigate the in's and out's of having a phone. More information is below.

On a personal note, family weekend down at Elon University was a success. The flight wasn't too bad despite the hurricane, and the weather actually cleared up enough that we were able to enjoy the football game and some school spirit. The funniest part of the weekend was when (perhaps in a moment of mid-life crisis) we had registered to rent a Ford Mustang for the weekend. When we got to the rental desk, they did not have one available and upgraded us - to a CONVERTIBLE 🤔 in a hurricane (🫤!?!?!?). We actually did get a chance to put the top down for a brief 15 minute drive on Sunday before we had to return it. Most important, we saw that my girl was happy and thriving - all we can ever ask for.

Monday is Indigenous People's Day and there are events in Newton from 11AM - 5PM (see below). It was a terrific event last year and promises to be even better this year. I hope you enjoy the long weekend!

Kim Lysaght, Principal

If you have not had a chance to provide feedback about last week's Back to School Night, please click here .

October is national anti-bullying month and Oct. 19 is Unity Day. A day to show unity for acceptance, inclusion and kindness because no one should ever be made to feel badly or experience bullying. To show our unity, we ask everyone to wear orange on Oct. 19.

Why the color orange? Unity Day is celebrated in October, and orange is a color commonly identified with the month and the autumn season. It is also a color that is associated with safety and visibility. It is a color described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes an impactful statement.

For more information and resources about anti-bullying, click this link to PACER.org.

Getting involved in after school activities is a great way for your child to make connections with other students and become involved in the Brown MS community. I encourage you to talk to your child about the options available to them. There are late buses (4:15PM) available for any children that have a bus pass. If your child is staying for after school clubs or athletics and they plan to take a late bus, please be sure they know which bus they should take. You can go to this link to find the Brown MS bus schedule.

• Please click here for a description of our after school Enrichment activities:

• Click here to view the schedule of after school activities.

Enrichment activities require a $60 one time fee to be paid which covers all enrichment activities for the entire school year.

• Fees can be paid through Myschoolbucks. Here is the myschoolbucks link

• Other fee information can be found using This Link

Athletics

Varsity sports have begun! Games/meets begin next week!

• Here is the link to the Game Schedule/Calendar

Last Friday we had our school picture day. There is still time to pre-order your pictures if you do so by this Saturday, October 8 (i.e. tomorrow). Please click here for the order information.

Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ) is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. You can find more information here: https://www.forj.org. The FORJ chapter at Brown would like to hear from you about what kind of resources would be most impactful, and around what topics you would like to see families organize. Please take 5 minutes to let us know your thoughts here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MFJ8D58

The joint PTOs from all four middle schools are sponsoring a talk by Catherine Pearlman, author of First Phone. Click here for more information about this book that is written for tweens and teens about how to be safe and appropriate with their first phones.

This talk will be on zoom the evening of October 26 at 7:00PM. It will be a helpful presentation on how to support teens and tweens as they begin to navigate the ins and outs of having a smart phone.

Catherine Pearlman is the author of First Phone which is a book written for kids to keep them safe and teach them what is acceptable and what is not.

Details and zoom links to follow.

There are still a number of openings for parents to take on a role (big or small) with the PTO. Please consider helping out this year. Getting involved is a way to get to know other parents in the community. Please click on the link below for more information about how to get involved.

Brown PTO Committees - Click Here to Learn More

Questions? Please contact Denise Dandrea at brownpto@brownpto.org

If you have not already done so, please be sure to update your student information on Aspen. It is important that we have correct contact information for school to home communication. Click here for Student Information Update instructions.

School Hours:

8:20AM - 2:50PM - Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.

8:20 AM - 2:05PM - Wed.

Click here for the NPS 2022-2023 school calendar.

Click here for the Brown Middle School 6-day rotation calendar for 2022-2023 with early release days and days of the cycle.

To report a student absence call: 617-559-6980

Brown Middle School

125 Meadowbrook Road

Newton, MA 02459

Absences: 617-559-6980

Main office: 617-559-6900