OMS Pirate Press Newsletter

OMS Students and Staff came together as a community to Deck the Halls! In advisory, students worked together to choose a theme, create decorations, and decorate their advisory classroom door to share their holiday spirit.

Students also "wished upon a star," writing their New Year's goals or resolutions on the star to post in their advisory room to help remind them to work toward their goals.

OMS counselor Marybeth Karsok has retired and Ms. Abbey Gould will be joining OMS full time as counselor to students with last names that start with A through L, while Mr. Donahue will continue with those students with last names M through Z. Ms. Gould was a long term sub in the counseling office last year when Mr. Donahue was out on medical leave. She also was the Bryt teacher at OHS this fall as well as worked with some of our special education students this fall teaching SEL and doing some of their counseling hours. We are excited to have Ms. Gould join OMS full time! She can be reached at agould@oxps.org.

Grade 8 is holding a Flower Power fundraiser.

• This is an online store that will be open for the remainder of the school year.
• If you wish to have deliveries made by the holidays, you must order by December 1st.
• The flyer is linked below, but you may order at http://grade8team.fpfundraising.com or https://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/index.php/marketplace/seller/profile/shop/grade8team
• All funds will benefit their class activities fund to support end of year activities and and travel with them to OHS to plan for class activities there and beyond for class reunions.

NO SCHOOL DECEMBER 21, 2024-- JANUARY 1, 2025

Thursday, January 2nd:

• History Club with Mr. Moriarty. Students must have signed permission slips submitted in in advance

• Art Club Session 2. Students must have signed permission slips submitted in in advance for Art Club Session 2. Last session is next week 1/9
• OMS Basketball Practice: boys 2:00-3:30 and girls 3:30-5:00

Friday, January 3rd:

• OMS Basketball Practice: open practice boys and girls 2:00-3:30

Monday, January 6th:

• School Council Meeting 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
• First Ski and Snowboard Club Outing.
• OMS Basketball Practice: girls 2:00-3:30 and boys 3:30-5:00

Tuesday, January 7th:

• Gaming Club after school with Ms. Berthiaume in the cafeteria. Students must have signed permission slips to stay after.
• Dungeons and Dragons Club with Mr. Standrowicz in room 101 begins today and will run weekly on Tuesdays. Students must have signed permission slips to stay after.
• OMS Cheer Practice 2:00-3:15
• OMS Boys' & Girls' Basketball away @ Bartlett

Wednesday, January 8th:

• Therapy Dog Visit
• No After School Band today. After school band will resume on 1/15/2025
• OMS Cheer Practice 2:00-3:15
• OMS Basketball Practice: boys 2:00-3:30 and girls 3:30-5:00* (practice may be changed to a 2:00-3:30 practice for boy girls and boys today--please verify with coach)

Thursday, January 9th:

• Project Smile Mobile Dentist at OMS. Students need to have signed up by Friday 12/20 deadline
• History Club with Mr. Moriarty. Students must have signed permission slips submitted in in advance
• Art Club Session 2. Students must have signed permission slips submitted in in advance for Art Club Session 2. Last session today!
• Book Club meets after school with Ms. Kennen in the library today. Students must have signed permission slips submitted in in advance
• OMS Cheer Practice 2:00-3:15 then cheer at home OMS games 3:30- end of games.
• OMS Boys' and Girls' Basketball @ OMS vs. Northbridge. Student spectators are not permitted to stay after school through until basketball game; they must leave campus and may return at 3:15 for games.

Friday, January 10th:

• Deadline for Grade 8 Bay Path Applications.
• Pirates Cove Store open at lunches
• OMS Girls' Boys' Basketball away @ Leicester

• Ski Club Outings: 1/6, 1/13, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/24; depart OMS 2:00, return to OHS
• January 9th: mobile dentist at OMS
• January 10th: Bay Path Application Deadline
• Jan 10 and 24: Pirates Cove School Store Open
• Jan 14: FOMS meeting
• Jan 24 Qu 2 grades close
• January 30th: Bay Path Interviews at OMS. Students unable to attend interviews today at OMS will need to schedule their interviews with Bay Path separately for an alternate day/time to take place at Bay Path. Students are encouraged to review Bay Path Interview Questions (linked below) in order to prepare for the interview.
• Jan 31: Winter White Out Dance 6:30-8:30 at OMS cafeteria, sponsored by FOMS. This dance is for OMS students only. Tickets are $5 and will be on sale January 27-31, 2025 during lunches. Tickets are non-refundable and will be available at the door. A flyer is attached below.
• OXPS School Year 2024-2025 Calendar: https://4.files.edl.io/4acb/01/24/24/145713-e7ec4bb5-ee84-4575-880d-b5dc3f62160b.pdf
• Upcoming Calendar Notes for school closures/early releases:
• December 21, 2024-January 1, 2025 School Break.
• No School Monday, January 20, 2025 MLK Day

Student meals are free this year and available daily to students.

Our breakfast for the first day of school will be grab and go.

Students arriving late to school will be able to obtain a grab and go breakfast daily upon arrival.

The lunch menu is linked here: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/food_menus

After School Snack Program: As part of the free breakfast/lunch program, the state has approved a free after school snack program. In accordance with state guidelines, these snacks must be distributed at least 30 minutes after the close of the school day. Therefore, they will be available in the main office from 2:15-2:45 daily. Students will need to provide name to obtain snack for food services record keeping in compliance with the state regulations. A menu for the month of snacks is located in the food service section of the OXPS website: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/food_menus

OMS offers a wide variety of after school activities throughout the school year. We encourage your student to become involved in our community, join activities things they have an interest or passion in or to explore a new activity of interest. These activities keep kids engaged in positive activities while also helping them to develop numerous skills and build community.

Some expectations/protocols for staying after include the following:

• Free after school snack available in main office 2:15
• All students are expected to depart campus by their recorded departure means (bus or parent pick-up/walking). If a parent/guardian needs to alter the afternoon departure means, we must have a note on file.
• All students must depart at dismissal time unless we have written permission where the student will be staying for a supervised school activity.
• Students staying after school at OMS must have a signed permission slip to stay in a staff supervised club or activity.
• Students are not permitted to remain on campus to hang out before an athletic or school event that they want to attend later in the day.
• Students are not permitted to leave campus to go to store across street and then return.

The History Club is starting up! Meetings will be on Thursdays in Mr. Moriarty's room, Room 102. All students are welcome, but please remember to bring a signed permission slip to attend. In this meeting, we’ll talk about what the club does, hear from returning members, learn about National History Day, go over expectations, and more. Meetings weekly on Thursdays.

Do you want to play or learn a variety of games with your peers? Then gaming club may be for you! Students will have the opportunity to learn and play a variety of games such as chess, checkers, board games, card games, and family style games. This is a great way for students to interact, socialize, and build community. DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, GAMING CLUB WILL TAKE PLACE WEEKLY ON TUESDAYS. You can join by week, month or year. Students interested should obtain a permission slip, get it signed and return to the Main Office or adviser, Ms. Berthiaume. Questions, see Ms. Berthiaume mailto:dberthiaume@oxps.org See flyer below. Next meeting December 3rd.

Join your friends for a game of imagination and creativity as the club explores fantasy worlds, fights monsters and saves the day! Informational meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 10th after school with Mr. Standrowicz in room 101 from 2:00-3:15. No experience needed, students of all D & D levels of experience are welcome! Regular weekly meetings will begin on Tuesday, January 7th in rom 101 with Mr. Standrowicz. Students need to have signed permission slips to attend.

After school band will run on Wednesdays after school from 2:00-3:15 with Mr. Kim in the band room 122. Students staying for band will need a signed permission slip to stay for this club. Students will be able to take late buses home. Late buses begin September 8th and run between 3:15-3:30. Students interested should see Mr. Kim or reach out by email with any questions mailto:mkim@oxps.org

Homework Club will begin on Tuesday, September 10th!

Need help, time, and resources with homework, research, projects, and studying? The Homework Center will run on Mondays-Tuesdays-Wednesdays-Thursdays after school 2:00-3:00, with the exception of the once a month faculty days held mostly on Mondays. Students wishing to stay will need a blue Homework Center form signed by a teacher with a specific assignment/project to work on and the parent/guardian signature. See or email Ms. Kennen for permission slips and with questions. mailto:akennen@oxps.org . Homework center closed 12/2, 12/17.

Are you interested in reading some great books? How about discussing and sharing your favorite books with other students? If so the Book Club may be for you.

The book club will run after school on the dates below from 2:00-3:00 in the OMS Library with Ms. Kennen.

Book Club Dates for the Winter: 1/9, 1/23, 2/6, 2/27, 3/13, 3/27

See or email Ms. Kennen for more information about the club's next book and next meeting. akennen@oxps.org . Students wanting to stay will need to submit permission slips.

Are you interested in having a voice to help plan events and activities for OMS? Student Council may be for you. Students interested in pursuing student council must complete recommendation forms and submit to Ms. Granger. Please see or reach out to student council adviser, Ms. Granger with any questions mailto:cgranger@oxps.org .

Are you interested in art, exploring new art mediums, improving your artistic skills? Join Art Club! Art Club has limited space for 20 students per session. Art club will have 2 sessions as outlined below:

• Session 1 has ended.
• Session 2 will run on Thursdays November 7th through January 8th. Dates are as follows: Thursdays 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, 12/12,12/19, 1/ 2, 1/9. Session 2 sign up info is below.
• Art Club Session 2 Sign-ups is now full.

As a reminder, the 2025 Ski & Snowboard Season starts this Monday, January 6th. Our schedule for this season will be on the following (6) Mondays:

January 6, 13 & 27

February 3, 10 & 24

Our ski trips are scheduled to coincide with regular school days. If for any reason school is canceled, Ski Club is canceled as well. When a ski trip is rescheduled for any reason, it is made up on a Monday at the end of the season (03/03/25, etc. as needed).

Members will promptly follow directions when storing their equipment on the bus and board when it is ready. Because of this, students need to focus on getting their equipment and themselves ready for the trip as soon as possible. The bus typically leaves OHS at 1:50 and OMS at 2:00 arriving at the mountain at approximately 2:45.

**** VERY IMPORTANT !!!! We usually arrive back at the Oxford High School Parking Lot at approximately 8:00pm. On the bus ride home, all students are instructed to text/call their parents/guardians (15) minutes before we arrive. Please be prompt when picking up your student.

All parents/guardians should be in the parking lot when we arrive!

As a final reminder, If you have not already done so, please take the time to check that your Snow Suit/Clothes, Gloves, Balaclava/Scarf, Helmet, etc. still fit and are ready to go! Your boots still fit, bindings work, edges are good! Your Backpack/Gearbag is packed and ready to go! If you have your own pass, DON'T forget it!

If you do not have your own equipment, you should have already signed up for Rentals. Also, Helmets are required for every student while on the mountain and can either be rented or purchased reasonably at Walmart.

Again…what to expect on Monday!

1. All members should show up early for school that morning with their clothing, equipment, gear, etc. Storage will be provided at each school (OMS - Back Room of Cafeteria – OHS - Storage Room across from the Main Office) until the end of the school day. Whenever possible, all student gear for the trip should be in school and stored first thing in the morning with student arrival. Separate Backpacks and Gear-bags are great for keeping things organized and in ONE place!

2. At dismissal, Ski Club members should retrieve their gear and get ready to board the bus to the mountain as soon as possible.

Ms. Hoyt will be at OHS and students will gather their things and meet in the Cafeteria in preparation for boarding the bus. Attendance will be taken and students at OHS will board the bus at approximately 1:50pm

Mr. Vinzi, Ms. Tallis and Ms. Meneguzzo will be at OMS and students will gather their things and meet in the Gym Hallway in preparation for boarding the bus. Attendance will be taken and students at OMS will board the bus at approximately 2:00pm.

3. (6) Week Passes will be handed out on the bus enroute to the mountain. Because this is our first trip of the season, students will be given extra direction and guidance both during the bus ride and at the mountain this first week.

Chaperones and mountain staff are always there to help! However, students are expected to use and move their equipment without assistance and become more self-sufficient with each successive trip.

4. Two very important things will happen immediately after we arrive at the mountain (First Week Only). The first is that a representative from the Ski Patrol will board the bus to welcome us and remind everyone of the Courtesies and Rules of the Mountain. The second is that as soon as we are all off the bus, we will gather everyone for (3) group photos for yearbooks. One for OMS, one for OHS and one with the entire club!

5. SAFETY always comes first, and appropriate behavior MUST be maintained by all students! Please remind your student that listening skills and following directions are the most important things for a smooth and successful trip. Chaperones, Safety Patrol and Wachusett Mountain staff are always available to help or to answer any question during each trip to the mountain. If you have a question…ANY question…ASK!

6. Incidents at the mountain are very rare and usually minor. However, Parents/Guardians should have their cell phones ON and be AVAILABLE at all times should immediate communication become necessary.

7. Students should be prepared with their own snacks/dinner and/or money to purchase it at the various concessions available at the mountain. $20-25 should be more than enough for each trip.

8. VERY Important***Students are responsible for their own valuables. Please note that there is a strict unspoken code of trust and honesty regarding personal belongings at the mountain which is very rare in this day and age. You will see bags of belongings stowed along the walls and under every table, for the most part unattended. This is the norm. Everyone expects that their belongings will be respected and untouched and again, we have never had an issue. However, students should not have anything of value with them other than what they can carry on their person (small amount of money, cell phone, etc.). School stuff (Laptops, Books, etc.) should be left on the bus where they will be safe. Also please note that there are lockable lockers available in the Rental Lodge for a small fee. If you do end up using one of these lockers, do not forget your stuff!

9. The Return Home - Students should be in the Main Lodge at BASE CAMP at 7:00pm gathering their belongings (Please DOUBLE_CHECK that you have everything) and preparing to leave the mountain and ready to board the bus no later than 7:15pm. These (15) minutes give everyone plenty of time to gather their things, DOUBLE-CHECK and be on the bus in time for departure. Repeated tardiness to the bus for departure will not be tolerated. Attendance will be taken at 7:15 and we will depart immediately from the mountain returning to the OHS Parking Lot at approx.8:00pm where ALL students will disembark from the bus, collect their belongings, and dismiss with parents/guardians at OHS. Students will be told to Text/Call their rides 15 minutes before our arrival at OHS. It is VERY important that parents/guardians be in the parking lot upon our arrival to pick up their student(s) promptly! It is unfair to ask volunteer chaperones to wait unnecessarily for students to be picked up at the end of a long day!

Your promptness is appreciated!

10. Please know that Parents/Guardians are ALWAYS welcome to join us at the mountain to share the adventure with their student(s). This includes skiing, snowboarding or just hanging around Base Camp to watch the action! If you are there, please introduce yourself to Mr. Vinzi and/or any of the chaperones. We would love to meet you!

11. ***VERY IMPORTANT – Because SAFETY is the most important thing, NO student may leave the mountain or be dismissed from the trip for ANY REASON without a signed note delivered personally to Mr. Vinzi either prior to or at the mountain. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy. Any deviation from this rule may lead to dismissal from the club.

• Please if you have not done so already, please return the health forms to the school nurse and send in a current physical with update immunization records It is important we have update information in our system.
• Those wanting to drop off medication for your child to take during the school year please contact me. You will need a doctor's order and a signed parent/guardian consent form when dropping off the medication. We cannot accept medication from a student. This includes students requiring inhalers and epipens.
• As we enter the colder New England months, we inevitably will have periods of cold and flu symptoms that will arise. Please see the attachment to help guide you with regard to protocols and suggestions for when to attend school and/or when students may need to stay home to recover.

Feel free to reach out anytime with questions or concerns: acronauer@oxps.org.

• *New* 7th grade students SBIRT screening:
  
• Again this year all Massachusetts school districts are required to include a substance use preventive screening as part of their annual mandated universal health-screening program. Our district will use the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) protocol with students in grades 7 & 9. Screenings at OMS will begin the week of December 2, 2024. A letter with more information will be sent via Parent Square separately to grade 7 families. If you have any questions, please reach out to the school nurse, Ms. Cronauer acronauer@oxps.org

• Year round we have our apparel store open. We have all kinds of Oxford gear for families to choose from to show their Oxford Pirate Pride!
• January we will be hosting a Winter White Out dance (grades 6-8) on January 31, 2025.

• And in March, the delectable NOTHING BUNDT CAKES will be sold.

FOMS Spirit Wear Fundraiser

Want to be ready for the with the latest Oxford and OMS gear? FOMS sponsors a year long OMS Spirit Wear Shop. You can order the latest in gear--t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts, outerwear, hats, and more! . All proceeds benefit FOMS, which in turn benefit our OMS students and programs. Please see the link below to order and the flyer below for more info. https://www.kerringraphics.com/customer_portal/login.html?ut=b174a64a-ac5d-43a5-bfa2-424393e5bc8d

FOMS Spirit Wear Shop has started to add club and team clothing as well, should your child have special interests. There are several options--short sleeve tshirts, long sleeve tshirts, tank tops, shorts, sweatpants, a variety of sweatshirts, bags and much more! Stay tuned for more clubs and sports to come, as they are being added every week!

Reminder about food/beverages brought to school: Please remember that we do not allow energy drinks, and we are a water only in classes and hallways. Please refrain from sending your students in with such things as Dunkin'' Donuts drinks to school as they are not permitted to go to class with them. Thank you.

Water Bottles: Please pack a refillable water bottle with your child daily and remind them to drink water throughout the day. With seasons changing and heat coming on soon, the air will be dryer and students will benefit from hydration. They are beginning to present with dry throats to the nurse yet are not consuming water. Please encourage this at home through discussions and packing a water bottle for them. Thank you!

Cell Phones/Earbuds/Personal Technology: As a reminder to families, OMS has an "Away for the day" cell phone/earbud/personal technology rule, which is outlined in our handbook and has been communicated to students as well. The expectation is that those personal technology items will remain in the student's bag or Chromebook case the entire day without coming out during the school day. Teachers have also been supplied hanging storage to store phones as well. Students are issued a Chromebook by Oxford Public Schools and do not have a need for personal technology in our building. Please know that students who are caught utilizing the technology have progressive behavioral responses from staff--store it as directed, turn over to staff and it remains in office for the day, repeated use will include only returning the device to a parent/guardian to pick up, and may include consequences if it persists. We recommend that the technology stay home or settings are set by you to disable the device during the school day hours so that it is not a temptation for students. If you have messages that need to get to students, please contact our main office at 508-987-6074 and we will get messages to students.

Parent Square:

Oxford Public Schools will be moving toward the free online app called Parent Square for all Communication. Please sign up now so that you don't miss out on any important communications from the schools or district, including weekly newsletters and weather related school cancellations, as we will be moving away from the One Call Now system this year. Go to the following link to get started: https://www.oxps.org/apps/news/article/1961166

Families who pick up in the afternoon: When arriving to pick up your child, please proceed to the student pick-up area, filling the lane that is curbside FIRST then go to the middle lane, then to the outer lane. This is important to not back up the rest of our driveway to other traffic as cars cannot see the other open lanes or get through when you park in the outer most lane first. Thank you for your continued assistance in following these guidelines to help us expedite student drop off and pick up and keep our students safe.

Oxford Youth grades 1-8 are invited to register for the Auburn Worcester Youth Lacrosse League, which begins in March. Registration Info is in flyer below and link is www.banditsyouthlacrosse.org. Reach out by email to auburnbanditsyouthlax@gmail.com with any questions

• Are you getting text messages of our automated calls/texts/emails? If you are not currently receiving text prompts about school and district news, please send a message to the number 22300 and type ALERT in the message in order to receive texts in the future.
• Our District Calendar can be found via the following links:
• District School Day Calendar: https://4.files.edl.io/4acb/01/24/24/145713-e7ec4bb5-ee84-4575-880d-b5dc3f62160b.pdf
• District Events: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/district_calendars
• School Hours The link to the school hours is here: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/school_times
• • At OMS, doors will open to students (buses and drop-off) at 7:10--this is a change of 5 minutes from 23-24 school year. All OMS classes will begin at 7:20 a.m.
    
  • At OMS afternoon dismissal will run as follows: bus riders' dismissal 1:50; walkers, bike riders, and private transport dismissal 1:55
• Electronic Backpack: Please be sure to remember to check the electronic backpack for forms, letters, community announcements as well. The link to the electronic backpack for OMS is as follows: https://oms.oxps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2070226&type=d&pREC_ID=2128528
• School Transportation Information: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/transportation
• School Breakfast and Lunch Menu: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/food_menus