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Oak Middle School
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Dear Oak Middle School Families,
Congrats to all of the students who performed at the Woo Sox Game Friday night!
Just a reminder that 7th graders will be taking their Math MCAS test this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. 8th graders will be taking their Science MCAS test on Thursday and Friday.
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you to all of the teachers at Oak for all you do each and every day for your students. We appreciate it! On Thursday the PTO is sponsoring a lunch. Thank you to the PTO and thank you to all who have generously donated via Venmo to support the lunch. If you have not donated yet, it is not too late to do so. If you would like to contribute Via Venmo: @sms-pto-1, Note: "Teacher Appreciation".
Please reach out with any questions or concerns as our goal is to work together to make sure each and every child has a wonderful year at OMS.
In partnership,
Hallie Burak
Principal
508-841-1210
Scott Yonker
Assistant Principal Grade 7
508-841-1213
Michelle Dillon
Assistant Principal Grade 8
508-841-1205
Celebrate Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week with Us!
Join us in showing our educators and staff how much we value their dedication during Teacher Appreciation Week! Your contribution via check or Venmo will make a big difference.
To contribute:
By Check: SMS PTO, Memo: "Teacher Appreciation"
Via Venmo: @sms-pto-1, Note: "Teacher Appreciation"
Thank you for your support! Let's make this week unforgettable for our amazing teachers and staff!
Shrewsbury Middle School PTO
Congrats to the Oak Latin Club!
On Saturday, April 27, six Oak Middle School students and two Shrewsbury High School students attended the 67th annual Mass Junior Classical League Convention at Barnstable High School, where they competed with Latin students from around the state in academics, creative and graphic arts, and athletics. Students brought home individual first place ribbons in Roman history, Roman life, and vocabulary exams; mosaics and impromptu art; and Dramatic Interpretation, Sight Reading, and English Oratory. In whole school contests (which take place throughout the school year), we had second place finished in intermediate certamen and the worm race, and third place in our roll call skit. Our novice certamen team missed finals by only 20 points. The Latin club left Barnstable in good spirits, believing that they had finished in fourth out of 11 schools. However, some mistakes in scoring were later corrected and our final result was a third place ribbon for the Shrewsbury Latin Club. Congratulations to Olivia Asumeng, Arthi Kannan, Rajat Krishnan, Shreyas Pokala, Srishti Singh, Lucy Wang, and high school students Aahil Hasan and Stuti Sinha. Club members extend their sincere thanks to our administration, World Language director, and, most of all, the parents who support these energetic and team-driven students.
SHS Sports Information Night
2024-2025 Student Placement Information
Soon we will begin the process of creating team assignments for students entering grade 8 for the 2024-2025 school year. Student placement is a collaboration among all staff members that involves looking at the academic, social, and emotional needs of each child to ensure a successful year.
An important part of the process is parent input. We welcome any and all information that provides us with insight to better understand your child’s needs (i.e. learning styles, friend requests, requests to separate students, etc.). If you would like to provide input about your child that you wish the school to be aware of with regard to class placement, please click HERE. Please communicate with us even if you have submitted a similar form in the past. We do not assume that requests remain the same from year to year.
Congrats to the Oak Speech Team!
This past Sunday, the Oak and Sherwood speech teams traveled to Milton to compete in the Foley Festival tournament at Milton Academy.
There was a single round of Big Questions debate. The following entries (all from Oak) won their debate:
Pranav Gundu & Rajat Krishnan
Tanvi Badenehal & Pragathi Senthilkumar
Rayhan Shaikh & Sharan Veershetty
Akshaya Seshadri & Katherine Zhang
Sembiyan Poongundran
Kaushik Satheesh Kumar
The following students were recognized in regular competition events:
Children's Literature:
Honorable Mentions: Aarna Chug (Sherwood) and Keerthi Swaminathan (Oak)
9: Bilal Shahzad (Sherwood)
7: Vasudha Madhusudhan (Sherwood)
1: Annie DeFalco (Oak)
Declamation:
Honorable Mentions: Joseph Peng (Oak) and Lucy Wang (Oak)
8: Akshaya Seshadri (Oak)
7: Anish Gupta (Oak)
5: Jay Lambert (Oak)
4: Vaishnav Mohan (Sherwood) - Also Top Novice
3: Rajat Krishnan (Oak)
Demonstration:
Honorable Mentions: Roshan Anand (Oak) and Abrar Haq (Oak)
8: Jatin Talla (Oak)
7: Shriram Shenoy (Oak)
4: Rakshana Subramanian (Oak)
3: Ritika Chhetri (Oak)
1: Irina Biswas (Oak)
Dramatic Performance:
Honorable Mention: Shriram Shenoy (Oak)
5: Katherine Zhang (Oak)
3: Rajat Krishnan (Oak)
Duo:
Honorable Mentions: Pillai & Senthilkumar (Oak) and Badenehal & Swaminathan (Oak)
9: Akshaya Seshadri & Riddhi Patel (Oak)
7: Maansi Inavolu & Bhaviska Yadaparthi (Oak) - Also Top Novice
3: Arthi Kannan & Navyaa Ravi (Oak)
Free Verse / Poetry:
7: Pragathi Senthilkumar (Oak)
2: Dhruv Jain (Oak) - Also Top Novice
Impromptu:
Honorable Mention: Vaibhav Vinodhkumar (Oak)
8: Sharan Veershetty (Oak)
6: William Zhang (Oak)
5: Miftah Sifat (Oak)
4: Tanvi Badenehal (Oak)
3: Rishabh Mehta (Oak)
2: Rayhan Shaikh (Oak)
Original Literature:
5: Riddhima Aggarwal (Oak)
Original Oratory:
Honorable Mentions: Meena Lakshmanan (Oak), Rishabh Pillai (Sherwood), Navyaa Ravi (Oak), Anish Gupta (Oak), and Irina Biswas (Oak)
8: Abrar Haq (Oak)
6: Pranav Gundu (Oak)
5: Grahitha Sandeep (Sherwood)
4: Sembiyan Poongundran (Oak)
2: Kaushik Satheesh Kumar (Oak)
Prose Reading:
Honorable Mention: Varsha Veedgav (Oak)
6: Thaniska Praveena (Oak)
5: Arthi Kannan (Oak)
4: Sreshta Dittakavi (Oak)
3: Janani Arunachalam (Oak) - Also Top Novice
Storytelling:
1: Varsha Nannuri (Sherwood) - Also Top Novice
Team Improv:
6: Aditi & Mahati Jayendran (Oak)
3: Varsha Veedgav & Tani Mattu (Oak)
Congrats to the students Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Congratulations to all students who placed at the Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair at WPI on Monday. These students will advance to the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair, which takes place on May 11th at Worcester Technical High School.
Miftah Sifat - Grand Prize
Anoushka Nikumbh - 1st Place
Kaushik Satheesh Kumar - 1st Place
Shoubhit Murali - 2nd Place
Anish Gupta - 3rd Place
Ekansh Jain - 3rd Place
Rajat Krishnan - 3rd Place
Pratham Pai - 3rd Place
Preethi Sivashankar - 3rd Place
Divija Bontala - Honorable Mention
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Bus Registration
Save the Dates!
May
May 7: Grade 7 Math Session 1
May 8: Grade 7 Math Session 2
May 9: Grade 8 Science Session 1
May 10: Grade 8 Science Session 2
May 16: Cultures of Oak Night
May 17: Dress Rehearsal Little Mermaid performed Shrewsbury Kindergarteners
May 17: The Little Mermaid @ Oak Auditorium 7 PM
May 18: The Little Mermaid @ Oak Auditorium 2 PM
May 22: Harlem Wizards 7 PM @ Oak - PTO Fundraiser
May 23: Day of Awesomeness (Rain Date TBD)
May 27: No School - Memorial Day
May 28: No Homework Due
May 29: Oak Talent Show
May 30: Advisory Day
June
June 4: 8th Grade Team Celebration @ 12:30 PM- Teal
June 5: 8th Grade Team Celebration @ 12:30 PM- Blue
June 6: 8th Grade Team Celebration - Gold
June 6: 7th Grade Field Day
June 7: 8th Grade Team Celebration @ 12:30 PM - Red
June 10: 8th Grade Team Celebration @ 12:30 PM - Green
June 10: 7th Grade Field Day (Rain Date)
June 11: 8th Grade Field Day
June 11: 8th Grade Carnival
June 12: 8th Grade Field Day (Rain Date)
June 13: Last Day of School
Upcoming MCAS Dates
May 7 Grade 7 Math Session 1
May 8 Grade 7 Math Session 2
May 9 Grade 8 Science Session 1
May 10 Grade 8 Science Session 2
May 14 Grade 8 Civics Session 1 **
May 15 Grade 8 Civics Session 2 **
**Update on the 2024 Massachusetts Civics MCAS Test *Scheduled for May 14th and 15th
This spring our eighth-grade students will participate in the statewide MCAS Civics Field Test. The assessment allows students to use their civics content knowledge and skills to explain and describe civics concepts, support claims with evidence, and analyze sources and graphics. It is made up of two components: one state-level performance task and an end-of-course (EOC) test. At this point, because this is the state’s field test, students will not be receiving individual scores this year. For more information, please go to this Department of Education link: MA MCAS Civics Field Test.
-Rob Dunn
Social Studies Coordinator
Shrewsbury Public Schools
Clubs and Activities
Just a reminder that there are new clubs and activities starting often, and many of the clubs operate on a drop in basis. Check the clubs and activities page here for more information.
🏀📢 SAVE THE DATE! 📢🏀
Mark your calendars: The Harlem Wizards are coming to town! Tickets are on sale now for this electrifying event on May 22nd. Don't miss out – secure your spot today!
Plus, our Amazon registry is open for donations, as well as our Sign-Up Genius for game-day volunteers. Every contribution helps our schools thrive. Let's raise as much as we can for our schools!
Get your tickets, donate, and let's make this event unforgettable!
Photos of the Week
More Photos from Career Day!
The WooSox
Reminders
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 and your child's team teachers with either a note or email. Students are not allowed to call home to arrange for a dismissal.
iPad Use: Student iPads are a school owned device and should be used for learning purposes, not for personal use or gaming.
Cell Phone/Smart Watches: Student cell phones or other personal electronic devices (smart watches) are not allowed to be used during the school day. These are to be placed in a student locker or backpack when entering the building.
Late Bus Available: Mon/Weds/Thurs
We are now offering a FREE late bus services for students on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The buses will depart from SHS at 3:50pm and from the middle schools at 4:20pm. While there is no charge for this service, families will need to sign up for the late bus via the middle schools Google form. We ask that you sign up by noon on the day your child will take the bus. You will need to complete the Google form for each child in your family who will take the late bus. Go to the SPS website for more information.
The Oak Food Pantry
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
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:
SUMMER ENRICHMENT
SUMMER ENRICHMENT
Registration for the Summer Enrichment program will open Tuesday, February 13th at 7:00AM.
You can learn more about the program and preview the catalog here.
https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/extendedlearning/summer-programs
Location: Sherwood Middle School
For students who will be entering grades 1-8 in fall of 2024
Dates: June 24-27, July 8-11, July 15-18 and July 22-25
Half-day and Full-day options are available, with dozens of classes to choose from each week.
Each half-day class costs $100 per week. Students who meet the financial guidelines for the free and reduced lunch program can use the code SUMMER50 at checkout to receive a 50% discount off their total fees.
SUMMER ROBOTICS
Registration for the Summer Robotics Program will open Tuesday, February 13th at 7:00AM.
You can learn more about the program here.
https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/extendedlearning/summer-robotics
Location: Shrewsbury High
For students who will be entering grades 4-8 in the fall of 2024
Dates: July 8-12, July 15-19, July 22-26 and July 29-Aug 2
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30-3:30
Cost: $310 per week.
Students who meet the financial guidelines for the free and reduced lunch program can use the code SUMMER50 at checkout to receive a 50% discount off their total fees.