Dear OMS Community,

It has been so exciting welcoming students back to school! On the first day of school, students were smiling and excited to see their friends, meet their new teachers, and find their classrooms. A comment I heard from many sixth graders this week is "middle school isn't so scary." I am glad to hear that the transition to middle school is not a scary as they thought it would be. Our teachers and staff are here to support all of our students. If students have questions or need help, they can ask any teacher or staff member.

This week, teachers have been getting to know students and setting up classroom routines. OMS administrators and school counselors started team assembly meetings this week to welcome students back to school, review tips for success in middle school, and reviewed building-wide expectations. One of our themes for this school year is "Team OMS" and how we can all work together to make our school great! We met with Grade 8 teams on Thursday, Grade 7 teams today, and we will be meeting with Grade 6 teams on Monday.

Best,

Mrs. Katrina Crowley

OMS Principal

We have a brand new front entrance security system for our building!

This system was installed over the summer before the start of the school year. In order to enter the building, visitors will have to ring the bell in order to gain access to our vestibule. Once inside the vestibule, there is a second set of doors that need to be unlocked in order to let visitors enter the building. This double-buzz entry adds an additional layer of safety for our students and staff. As part of this new system, new cameras and a new intercom system was installed which allows the main office staff to communicate clearly with visitors before they enter the building. If you are visiting OMS, please be patient as we familiarize ourselves with this new security system.

The student drop-off/pick-up area is in the lot in front of the building, along the curb with the yellow stripes. The drop-off/pick-up line is ONE lane.

For morning drop-off, we ask that you pull your car all the way to the second crosswalk (towards the parking lot exit). Please pull as far forward as you can along the drop-off line. Once stopped, students can get out of the car and walk along the median to one of the crosswalks. The morning entrance for students is at the second crosswalk and to the left of the flagpole (see below picture for student entrance). As you enter this area, please drive carefully and be patient. There will be signs and OMS staff members in the parking lot to help direct the traffic in the morning.

Remember that students are able to be dropped off and enter the building as early as 7:00am. From 7:00 - 7:15am there is very little drop-off traffic, and we strongly encourage families to drop off at this time if possible.

The traffic is very heavy for afternoon pick-up, especially in the first few weeks of school before after school activities start. The dismissal bell rings at 2:12pm, but most students do not get outside until closer to 2:20pm. Most of the buses exit the front parking lot around 2:22pm. Please keep this in mind as you plan for pick-up.

THERE IS NO PARENT DROP-OFF OR PICK-UP IN THE UPPER PARKING LOT BETWEEN OMS AND SHS. This lot is for SHS student and OMS staff parking only.

A visual of drop-off traffic patterns at OMS can be seen here:

For students who ride a bike or scooter to school, they should wear a helmet for safety. During morning arrival, students should walk their bikes to the bike rack which is located near the student entrance. At dismissal, students walk their bikes towards the parking lot exit to Cushing Street or walk their bike around the building.

We are reviewing these expectations with students in school during our beginning of the year team meetings. Officer Bonda (SRO) has joined our team meetings to review the rules of the road and expectations for students who are biking. Parents/guardians, if your child rides a bike to school, please review these expectations with them as well. Students should not ride their bikes in the OMS or SHS parking lot during arrival and dismissal. There are a lot of cars and buses dropping off/picking up and students should not be riding their bikes in the bus lanes or drop-off lanes. It is a safety issue.

Cell phones should remain in students' lockers during the school day. If a parent/guardian needs to reach their child, please call the main office. If a student needs to call home, they can go to the main office to call. Please read our cell phone rules attached below.

ALL students need a lock for their locker.

All bags (ex. fanny-packs) and backpacks will be required to be placed in lockers during the school day this year. There will be scheduled locker times throughout the school day when students can access their lockers. Students can also access their locker at other times during the day with a pass from their teacher.

Starting next week, this policy will go into full effect. If your child does not have a lock yet, please get one this weekend. Starting next week, if students do not have a locker, we will have students store their backpacks in the locker room until they get a lock.

Below are some examples of types of locks that can work for lockers. Talk to your child to see which type of lock would work best for them.

In middle school, there are many teachers, counselors, and administrators. It may be confusing to know who to contact in a school with 100 staff members! We created a Frequently Asked Questions guide to help answer questions. Please see the attached document for help. We will be adding this FAQ to our OMS website.

We are excited for students to attend SPS events and become involved in our school community. Middle school is a time when students are maturing and gaining independence. If OMS students plan to attend SPS events unaccompanied by an adult, then they must present an SPS Event Pass. This is required for SHS home football games and attendance as audience members for OMS concerts, basketball games, and the spring musical. This pass signifies that the student and their parent/guardian are aware of the expectations for student behavior at SPS events. The permission slip must be turned in 2 days before the event in order to receive the pass in time for the event. The permission slip is attached and students can pick up the permission slip from the office.

The first SHS home football game is next Friday, September 13th at 7pm. Permission slips must be received by Wednesday, September 11th if students plan to attend the 9/13 game without a parent.

Please note: OMS students do NOT need the SPS Event Pass if they are attending an event with a parent/guardian

Here is some important information about our school. Please visit the OMS website for more information, including the most up-to-date school calendar.

Email: k_crowley@stoughtonschools.org
Website: oms.stoughtonschools.org
Location: 211 Cushing Street, Stoughton, MA, USA
Phone: 781-344-7002
Facebook: facebook.com/stoughtonpublicschools

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Back to School Edition Part 1

Back to School Edition Part 2