In the black box at the top of the newsletter, select Translate Newsletter to pick the desired language.

· Portuguese: Na caixa preta na parte superior do boletim, selecione Traduzir Boletim informativo para escolher o idioma desejado.

· Spanish: En el cuadro de Negro en la parte superior del boletín de noticias, seleccione Traducir Boletín de escoger el idioma deseado.

· Arabic : في المربع الأسود في أعلى النشرة الإخبارية، حدد ترجمة الرسالة الإخبارية لاختيار اللغة المطلوبة.

· Vietnamese: Trong hộp đen ở phía trên cùng của bản tin, chọn dịch ký nhận để chọn ngôn ngữ mong muốn.

· Swahili: Katika sanduku nyeusi juu ya jarida, chagua Jarida la Tafsiri ili kuchagua lugha taka.

We’ve had a very busy week upon returning to school from April vacation. More on that in a moment, but first a reminder that next week we begin math MCAS testing. Students have been working really hard in their math classes all year, so now is your chance to shine. Please remember the following small steps so you feel focused and confident when it matters most!

✅ Get a good night's sleep.
Try to go to bed a little earlier than usual the night before testing. A well-rested brain helps you think clearly and stay alert during the test.

✅ Eat a healthy breakfast.
Fuel your brain with a good breakfast! Choose something with protein, whole grains, or fruit to keep your energy up through the morning. We serve breakfast starting at 8 a.m.

✅ Arrive at school on time.
Give yourself plenty of time to get to school without rushing. Being on time helps you start the day calm and ready.

✅ Bring what you need.
Make sure you have your charged Chromebook, a book to read if you finish early, and anything else your teacher recommends.

✅ Stay positive—you’ve got this!
This test is just one way to show what you’ve learned. Try your best, take your time, and don’t stress. We believe in you!

We’re proud of all the effort you’ve put in this year. Keep up the great work—you’re ready!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Next week we also celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week. Our Peer Leaders have put together some simple activities students can do to celebrate OMS teachers this week and beyond. Can you please take a look at this slideshow and encourage your students to celebrate and thank their teachers this upcoming month? Our school counselors have shared these slides in their Google Classrooms, but a nudge from a caregiver would also be helpful! Thank you to the PTO for the lunch you have planned for staff on Friday!

Shining Examples of Students Living out Core Values

This past week, our Sister City from Japan has been visiting with families and students in Arlington and on Thursday, we had a chance to show them around Ottoson Middle School. OMS student tour guides partnered up with our visitors and spent the day with them at school so that they were able to experience what it feels like to be an OMS student. The OMS tour guides were so excited to meet the students and show them around for the day. The best part, our exchange students and OMS students are the same age, so it was so fun to see friendships form so quickly. As part of the visit, our Ottoson students were treated to a lovely performance from our visitors and the OMS Bel Suono and the OMS Chamber Orchestra performed for our visitors.

And finally, our drama students performed Newsies this weekend and what a show it was! I smiled ear-to-ear, tapped my foot and had to stop myself from singing along. It’s hard to believe that the students singing and dancing are only 12, 13, and (maybe) 14-years-old. Congratulations to all who played a role, whether on stage, behind stage, or helping out at the front of the house. Special thanks to - Nicole Antonakas, director, Randi Flynn, choreographer, Nathaniel Smith, music director, and Cori Smith, producer. Thanks for making OMS proud.

Please see below for photos from these events.

In other news…

8th grade families, please remember to return permission slips and money for 8th grade end-of-year activities. If you are dismissing your child after the moving-on ceremony, please also fill out this form and follow the procedures outlined below in order to ensure a smooth experience for all.

Dismissal Process: Since the Moving On Ceremony takes place during the school day, many families choose to dismiss their child following the event. If you plan to dismiss your child, please do the following:

• Fill out this Google Form.

• After the ceremony, please report to the tables outside the main door.

• The tables will be labeled with each LC. Please stand in line at the table that is assigned to your student's LC.

• One of the admin assistants will confirm your child’s dismissal and then you are free to leave.

Also, we do not have a specific dress code for the moving-on ceremony. We encourage students to dress nicely, as it is a formal event; however, that does not mean students need to purchase new clothing or all wear a certain color. If you are in need, please reach out to me and I can put you in touch with the Welcome Center as there are resources available. See below for our dress guidelines:

Freedom of Dress

Faculty and staff are committed to an environment that supports self-expression and mutual respect. We support our students' right to freedom of expression. We want our students to dress each day to be comfortable, confident, and ready to learn. We encourage students to express their individuality through their choices of clothing.

We also must acknowledge our responsibility to maintain an environment that is healthy and free from substantial disruption or harassment. Student clothing and shoes should conform to reasonable standards of health, safety, and cleanliness. Students should refrain from wearing clothing to school and school events that display words or symbols expressing prohibited behavior, illegal activities, obscenity, or targeting other groups and individuals.

We understand that standards of dress and expression are complex and these expectations touch on safety and self expression. The administration is authorized to take action in instances where individual dress does not meet the stated requirements. We are committed to approaching these standards with an attitude of learning and mutual respect.

As always, please remember our core values: Engage, Empower, Excel: We work hard; we are kind, we speak our truth. Have a great week!

Please read on for important information for this week and beyond.

This Week:

• Monday, May 5

• Math MCAS grade 7

• Tuesday, May 6

• School Council Meeting: 7:30 a.m.

• Math MCAS grade 7

• Wednesday, May 7

• Math MCAS grade 8

• Thursday, May 8

• Math MCAS grade 8

• Friday, May 9

• 7th grade dance; 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Saturday, May 10
• APS District-Wide Pride Celebration
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; AHS Front Lawn

• Tuesday, May 13

• STE MCAS

• Wednesday, May 14

• STE MCAS

• Friday, May 16

• All permission slips and money for 8th grade activities due today

• Monday, May 19

• Civics MCAS

• Tuesday, May 20

• Civics MCAS

• Thursday, May 22

• Memorial Day Assembly (9 a.m. in the Wood Gym)

• Tuesday, May 27

• Gibbs Move Up Day at OMS; 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

• All will start in cafeteria for overview of OMS

• Separate into new LCs for tour of building/LC area

• Wednesday, May 28

• Gibbs Move Up Day at OMS; 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

• All will start in cafeteria for overview of OMS

• Separate into new LCs for tour of building/LC area

• Tuesday, June 17

• 8th Grade Field Day & BBQ

• Rehearsal for Moving-On Ceremony

• Wednesday, June 18

• 8th Grade Moving-On Ceremony (Earth/Fire/Water: 9:15 a.m; Thunder & Air: 11 a.m.)

• 8th Grade Dance - 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at OMS

• Thursday, June 19

• No School - Juneteenth

• Friday, June 20

• 8th Grade Canobie Lake Field Trip

• 7th Grade Boston Field Trip

• Monday, June 23

• Last Day of School: Dismissal at 11:30 a.m.

• ALL 8th grade students report to AHS for orientation even if you plan to attend a private school or Minuteman.

Arlington Public Schools District Calendar

Tuesday, June 17 - Field Day & BBQ

Wednesday, June 18 - Moving On Ceremony & Dance (6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.)

Thursday, June 19 - No School/Juneteenth

Friday, June 20 - Canobie Lake Field Trip

Monday, June 23 - Last Day of School - ALL 8th grade students report to AHS for orientation even if you plan to attend a private school or Minuteman.

Dismissal Process: Since the Moving On Ceremony takes place during the school day, many families choose to dismiss their child following the event. If you plan to dismiss your child, please do the following:

• Fill out this Google Form.

• After the ceremony, please report to the tables outside the main door.

• The tables will be labeled with each LC. Please stand in the line at the table that is assigned to your child’s LC.

• One of the admin assistants will confirm your child’s dismissal and then you are free to leave.

April 30-May 30, 2025

Announcing our 9th annual APS textile recycling competition!

Please support our district sustainability initiatives and reduce waste by bringing your old, worn, torn textiles (clothing, shoes, towels, bedding, stuffed animals) to your school's collection bin from April 30th-May 30th. All donations must be bagged and go into the textile recycling bins located outside your school.

The volume of donated textiles at each school will be tracked by Bay State Textiles to determine the 1st and 2nd place winning schools.

For a list of acceptable donations click here. For questions about the competition or to report bin overflow, please contact Rachel Oliveri, APS Sustainability Project Manager at roliveri@arlington.k12.ma.us.

Did you know textiles are banned from disposal in Massachusetts?

Are you curious what happens to your recycled textiles?

Hello Ottoson Friends and Family,

Here are a few friendly reminders from the OMS Health Office:

We have welcomed the warm spring weather and with it has come seasonal allergies! The health office does not stock and can not administer allergy medications so if you know that your student suffers from pollen allergies, please provide your preferred treatment option at home before your student comes to school.

All students can carry a water bottle during the school day. With the warm days and some classes meeting outside, it is important for your student to stay hydrated. There are multiple water bottle filler stations throughout the school for students to replenish their water supply during the school day.

As the end of the school year approaches, several field trips are being planned for the individual learning communities as well as 2 larger grade level field trips. If your student has a health condition requiring emergency medications (epinephrine, inhalers etc.) please make sure the health office has a current action plan and a supply of the necessary medications so that they can be sent with the teachers on the day of the field trip. If you are unsure if a current action plan and/or the necessary medications have been provided for this school year for your student, please feel free to contact us.

If you have any questions please reach out to the Ottoson School Nurses at ottoson.nurse@arlington.k12.ma.us.

Our best,

Sarah Barker (8th grade) and Jillian Gomes (7th Grade)

Ottoson Middle School Nurses

Youth football is back in Arlington! With the support of AHS Football and head coach Frank Roche, Arlington Youth Football Club is a newly formed non-profit organization looking to provide grades 5-8 a fun and informative football experience. Check out our website for more information and to register by June 1st for an early bird special.

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce that our free Parenting Solutions Library is now available in Spanish. MPY is offering this valuable resource in partnership with Peace at Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit organization located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Through this partnership, MPY is providing proven resources to help students’ families thrive.

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The Parenting Solutions Library is easily accessed using the link on MPY’s home page. No log in or passcode is needed.

The Peace at Home Parenting Solutions Library is a free, valuable resource for PTOs, SEPACs, ELLPACs and other parent-oriented groups. We request your assistance sharing this valuable and free resource through school-based newsletters and school-based organizations. For your convenience, we have created this handout. Please contact MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels at margie@mpyinc.org with questions.

If your family is in need of support, please complete the APS Family Support Request Form. Once you complete this form we will share your responses with the family engagement department and/or school social workers or counselors to support your family.

Lost & Found items can be retrieved from Ms. Duffy at the main office. Please take a look and see if anything you are missing has been found.

Photo Gallery Link :

• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBlZCVjwomB0pHxObTkPqovawPv5lqqL?usp=sharing

What is SEPAC? The Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a volunteer group of parents, guardians, and caregivers that works to build a supportive community inclusive of all students, caregivers, educators, and stakeholders. It provides families with training and resources and collaborates directly with district administrators and the Arlington School Committee to promote effective family-district communications and appropriate service delivery and accommodations to students with disabilities. Learn more

Regular attendance is crucial for your child’s success. Please make every effort to ensure they are present and on time every day. This will be a focus of our administration and counseling team this year and you can expect to receive communication from the main office if your child is tardy or absent from school.

Please take the time to read through the handbook to review our policies regarding school attendance.

The best way to report any attendance issues (absence, tardy, or dismissal) for your child is by sending an email to the Ottoson absentee line – omsattendance@arlington.k12.ma.us

Please make sure to give us:

• Student Name

• a reason for the absence or tardy

• expected date of return

• for dismissal, the name of the person who will be dismissing your child

Students should arrive each day ready to learn, with all necessary materials and a positive mindset.

Ottoson does have AM/PM programming. Click here to register.

We encourage all students to stay hydrated throughout the day by bringing water bottles. Only water is permitted in the classrooms.

To maintain a focused and healthy environment, beverages such as coffee, energy drinks, or popular "pink drinks" from outside establishments like Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks are not allowed in the building.

At Ottoson Middle School, we are dedicated to providing an environment where every student feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their fullest potential. Our faculty and staff are passionate about teaching and are here to support your child every step of the way.

We are excited about the year ahead and the opportunities it holds for academic growth, personal development, and building strong, lasting connections. Together, we will create a supportive and vibrant school community.

We believe in open communication and encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns throughout the year. Our partnership with you is vital to your child’s success, and we are here to support you as well. Please reach out to your child’s teachers if you have any questions. You can expect communication from your child’s teachers and teaching team early on in the school year.

Your child’s grade-level assistant principal can help to provide communication and support. Ms. Lindsay Migliero will be working primarily with grade 8 students and families and Mr. Christopher Mahoney will be working primarily with grade 7 students and families.