I am sending my newsletter a little early this week in hopes that it might spark some conversations over the weekend. We were fortunate to have Dr. Meghan McCoy from the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) speak with our 7th and 8th graders about what it means to have respectful behavior as a member of the Oak School community, both in person and online. Dr. McCoy covered important issues such as bullying, cyberbullying, and relational aggression—small but hurtful behaviors. She emphasized that while everyone makes mistakes, how we speak to each other truly matters.

One of the key points from her presentation was how racial, homophobic, and gender-biased language used in online spaces, such as video games, can influence behavior in school. Dr. McCoy explained that online communication, unlike face-to-face interactions, lacks mirror neurons, which help us empathize by mirroring others’ emotions. This absence makes it easier to use hurtful language online, which can then spill over into in-person interactions.

Dr. McCoy also highlighted the relatively recent rise of social media. Facebook launched in 2004, Twitter (now X) followed, and selfies became popular in 2010. The long-term impact of this technology is still not fully understood.

Dr. Elizabeth Englander from MARC will be presenting a parent session over Zoom on October 17. This is a great opportunity to dive deeper into these topics and learn how to support our students in navigating both in-person and online interactions responsibly.

Many students appreciated Dr. McCoy’s relatable approach, and I hope it encourages meaningful conversations at home about being respectful members of both the Oak School community and their online communities.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions. We’re committed to working together to ensure a successful year for all our students.

In partnership,

Hallie Burak
Principal
508-841-1210
hburak@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us

Michelle Dillon
Assistant Principal Grade 7
mdillon@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
508-841-1205

Scott Yonker
Assistant Principal Grade 8
508-841-1213
syonker@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us

We will be offering a Ski Club for the 2025 winter season. The Ski Club is not a team. All skiers and snowboarders are welcome to join! Registration opens October 2, 2024 and acceptance will be on a first-come first-served basis. The earlier you get your pass the more likely you are to reserve a spot. Please note that we are limited to 100 students.

Dear Families,

One of the three commitments in the Shrewsbury Public Schools Strategic Priorities includes Enhanced Well-Being of All, "Shrewsbury Public Schools prioritizes the social, emotional, behavioral, mental, and physical health of all students and staff by creating safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments. This is accomplished by intentionally providing learning opportunities where all Shrewsbury Public Schools students and staff feel valued, supported, and empowered." As part of this ongoing work, the district gathers student feedback from students in grades 3-12 about the degree to which they experience belonging, equity, and inclusion in our schools. Student feedback informs the work in which we engage each day-at school and at home. Panorama is the survey tool that the district uses to accomplish this goal. Panorama's data tools help to ensure that we collect valid and reliable information.

Panorama’s student survey is brief. Students complete the survey in 10-15 minutes during the school day. School leaders and educators receive a significant amount of data that informs teaching and learning across the district. Panorama's survey tool components and related question sets can be reviewed in their entirety below:

• SEL survey topics

• Equity and Inclusion survey topics

• Click here to read an FAQ document that the company developed

Opt Out Option

While we seek to obtain feedback from as many students as possible, families may opt out if you do not want your child(ren) to participate in the survey. Students who opt out will be provided with an alternative task during the survey administration. To opt your student(s) out of the fall administration of the Panorama survey, please send an email to surveyoptout@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 11th.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Respectfully,

Jane O. Lizotte

Assistant Superintendent for Community Partnerships & Well-Being

We have recently given students the chance to recognize their teachers/staff members for going above and beyond, and now we would like to extend that same opportunity to families. If you would like to acknowledge a teacher or staff member for their amazing work, please fill out the form linked HERE. We will be sharing this recognition directly with the staff member(s) so they know how much their efforts are appreciated.

If students are interested in joining a club or activity, they should check the Oak Middle School Schoology page. This is where all up-to-date information about dates, times, and advisors is posted. They can also check the club and activity wall in the main office or the cafeteria windows. Many clubs and activities will be starting soon, and we encourage students to get involved beyond the school day!

Below is a PDF of the different offerings.

Starting Monday, September 16th, free late bus services will be available for students at Shrewsbury High School, Oak Middle School, and Sherwood Middle School.

The late buses will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with departures from SHS at 3:50 PM and from the middle schools at 4:20 PM.

Please note, this is a limited service with fixed bus stops, and it may not cover all neighborhoods due to financial constraints. There are three routes (red, green, and blue) with centralized stops for each campus. Refer to the schedule below to choose the best route and stop for your family. Be aware that the posted times are approximate, and actual drop-off times may vary. Families are responsible for making arrangements for students to get home from the centralized bus stops.

While this service is free, families must sign up for the late bus using the middle schools Google form or the high school Google form.. You can sign your student(s) up for regular use or on an as-needed basis. To sign up, you’ll need to know the route (red, green, or blue) and the stop number where your student will get off the bus. Please review the color-coded schedule before accessing the Google form.

SHS students can sign themselves up. We ask that all sign-ups be completed by noon on the day your child will take the bus. A separate Google form must be completed for each child in your family using the late bus service.

For more information, visit our website: https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/transportation/late-bus

If you have any questions, please contact April Yu via email at transportation@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us or by phone at 508-841-8363.

Attendance: It is important to remind families of the Massachusetts laws around student attendance and absenteeism. The Massachusetts’ compulsory school attendance law (G.L. c. 76, § 1) outlines attendance requirements for students between the ages of 6-16. Section 1B of this law outlines the requirements of the school principal to notify and meet with the families of any student who has 5 or more unexcused absences. You may receive a notification from the school regarding your child’s attendance thus far this school year. Massachusetts defines chronic absenteeism as a student who misses 10% or more of days they are enrolled- regardless of whether or not these days are excused or unexcused. Consistent school attendance is critical for many reasons. We will be reviewing student attendance and identifying steps to support our students who are trending toward chronic absenteeism.

Child Safe Procedures: If your child is going to be absent or late to school, we require that you telephone us either the night before or first thing in the morning on the day of the absence. Parents/guardians should call 508-841-1200 and select 1 at the prompt for the Oak Attendance Line. We ask that you spell your child(ren)'s first and last name slowly and clearly. If we have not received a call to report an absence, the school will be in contact with the parent or emergency contact to confirm the child’s safety. Please help our busy office staff by always calling us when your child will be absent or tardy.

Just a reminder that if a child is absent from school, they cannot participate in any afterschool activities that day.

Early Dismissal: Should be the exception; a pattern of early dismissal interferes with student learning, teacher instruction, and important end of day routines for students. If you plan to dismiss your child, a parent/guardian must notify the office (talvarez@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us) and your child's team teachers with either a note or email. Students are not allowed to call home to arrange for a dismissal.

Please enter through the water tower entrance, drive up the hill, and pull up as far as possible—ideally to the second entrance. This helps ensure an efficient drop-off process and is considerate of other parents.

Students should exit the car on the Oak building side.

The Food For Families Food Pantry at OMS is open! This year we are offering 2 different options for families as we recognize that every situation is different. Any family, no matter how big or small the need, can access the pantry. It does not matter if your need is short term or long term, the pantry is here for you. We understand that food insecurity is on the rise and we want to help our OMS families.

Option 1 is our Weekender Program: Each Friday, students can pick up a bag from the health office that will include individual portion size foods for 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches, along with a sleeve of crackers and 2 snacks. (Breakfast may be small cereal boxes, breakfast bars, instant oatmeal, small shelf stable milk, instant breakfast packet, small pancake mix. Lunch will be small mac and cheese or other pasta cups, tuna fish, canned chicken, soups). This is meant to help families who need support when school is not in session on the weekends.

Option 2 is our Biweekly Program: Every other Friday, families will receive 2 bags of groceries, one with a minimum of 12 lbs of food (including food items for breakfast, lunch and dinner and rotating staple items like peanut butter, jelly, cooking oil, condiments) and the other with household items (paper towels, napkins, toothpaste, dish soap, laundry soap, trash bags, deodorant, bar soap, etc.) This program requires that an adult family member come to school and pick up the bags during school hours. The bags will be ready by 9:00 A.M. Friday morning of the pick up week, located in the health office.

For both programs, pickup is in the Health Office. This program is confidential and no documentation of need is required.

If you are in need please contact the OMS nurses by calling 508-841-1204 or emailing them at oaknurse@shrewbury.k12.ma.us. Referrals can be made by anyone. Please reach out if you are in need.

The Locker is a donation based program housed at Oak that helps families in the district that could use support with clothing and personal care items. We are happy to help you in the most discreet way possible, information will be kept confidential. It would be helpful to have as much information you can provide in what you are looking for and what will be most useful to your family.

We recognize that each student has their own preferences in what they would like to wear as far as styles and colors. If your child would be interested in helping us select items, we can arrange for them to come to the neatly organized closet and choose their own items.

Items can be sent home with your student if they are comfortable or pick up can be arranged through the health office.

Please complete this form if you would like help:

https://forms.gle/tnuzo69hdmZXvNjA6

Thank you local small businesses!

Local small business sponsors stepped up in a big way to help fund this year’s Back to School Teacher Appreciation Lunch! We couldn’t do it without the support of amazing community businesses and neighbors like you. Your contributions make a world of difference, and we’re so grateful for your partnership in showing our teachers how much they’re appreciated. Supporting local means investing in the heart of our community, and together, we’re making it stronger!

Parent Survey coming soon.

The Sherwood/Oak PTO is looking for parent/guardian input on what you’d like to see and/or expect from our PTO team and if you have any interest in volunteer opportunities. Your input will help us as we continue to plan for this year and think ahead for the next! Stay tuned for the survey coming in the next few weeks.

Curious about the PTO? Join us on Zoom October 3.

Whether you just want to listen in and ask questions or want to get involved, join the monthly PTO Zoom meeting to get all the info you need. We meet on the first Thursday of every month.

Here’s how to join: https://app.zoom.us/wc

Meeting ID: 851 4598 4921

Let’s get social.

Follow the Sherwood/Oak PTO on Facebook @ShrewsburyMiddleSchoolPTO and Instagram @sherwood.oakpto for news and information.

Save the date! Oak Dance | Friday November 1, 6:00-7:30 pm

Stay tuned for ticket sales and more information.

October

2 - No Homework Due October 3rd, no quizzes,tests or other assessments on October 3rd

3 - Advisory Day

9 - Cycle 1 Ends

10 - No Homework Due Tuesday October 15th, no quizzes, tests or other assessments

10 - Advisory Day

11: No School: PD Day for Teachers

14: No School: Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day

17 - No BCOEI

17 - Zoom Parent Presentation of Elizabeth Englander 6:30-8:00

23- Fall Sports Team Photos After School

24 - No BCOEI - Community Meeting Day

25 - Make-Up Photo Day 9:30 Gym

31 - Advisory Day - Panorama Fall Survey

Fall Spirit Week - Organized by Student Council

31 - No Homework Due Friday November 1st, no quizzes, tests or other assessments on November 1st

31 - No BCOEI

31 - Community Meetings

Before the pandemic, screen use, anxiety, and social problems (like bullying and fighting) were top concerns for parents. The last few years have made some of these issues even more challenging. This talk will examine challenges in school, like bullying, friendship skills, and mental health, and how the ways kids use screens, gaming, and social media can impact these. Research will be summarized, and practical approaches to family life that can help children develop emotional resilience, healthy social skills and friendships, and sensible screen and social media habits will be discussed during this presentation. We will discuss how to move forward, how to partner with your child's school, and how to help parents be most productive in guiding their children towards optimal social and emotional health.

https://bridgew.zoom.us/j/97840259737?pwd=VXhTRFR3azRrbXAzNk8vWlZqT1Z1Zz09

Grade 7

Last Names A-L: Laura Candelaria

LCandelaria@Shrewsbury.k12.ma.us

508-841-1240

Last Names M-Z:

Jennifer Lencioni

JLencioni@Shrewsbury.k12.ma.us

508-841-1214

Grade 8

Last Names A-L:

Amy Wallace

AWallace@Shrewsbury.k12.ma.us

508-841-8761

Last Names M-Z:

Kristen Minio

KMinio@Shrewsbury.k12.ma.us

508-841-1212