Fuller Family Newsletter

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At the core of Fuller Middle School is a sense of pride and unity in our diverse community, where students are innovators and architects of their own learning and future. ~ Fuller's Vision

Every day at Fuller, our CORE Values, or guiding principles, drive our school wide culture. These core values are taught and then reinforced daily with every student. We expect all students to demonstrate Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience towards everyone and in every situation.

Monday, March 10 - Fuller School Council (6:00pm) and PTO (7:00pm) - all are invited

Wednesday, March 12 - Field Trip for Jazz Festival

Thursday, March 13 - Early Release (11:40 - no lunch served), Caregiver Conferences make-up from February 6th

Friday, March 14- 8th Grade Field trip to watch The Outsiders at FHS

Monday, March 17 - Last Day of Trimester 2 (Date change due to snow day)

Thursday, March 20 - Rising 9th Grade (current 8th grade) Electives forms for FHS due

Friday, March 21 - No School for Students, PD for Teachers

This year's 8th grade promotion ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 18th from 6-8pm (students will need to arrive by 5:30)

Please use the table below to see when your child(ren) will be taking assessments this spring. Please be aware of these dates when scheduling appointments or planning trips.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Kerry Wood directly at kwood@framingham.k12.ma.us

Elective Selection Deadline: March20, 2025

Course Selection Process

1. Core Academic Class Recommendations will be available by mid-March 2025. Recommendations are available in your Aspen X2 Portal. Each student receives recommendations from their current 8th grade teachers for their core academic courses for 9th grade. Your teachers know you well and we encourage you to take their recommendations seriously and have conversations with them regarding any concerns or questions you may have. Incoming 9th graders will not be permitted to override a course recommendation to a higher leveled course. If you are looking to move to lower leveled course, please speak with your teacher. Students can initiate a level change after 1st Term Progress Reports if the student is earning a B or higher in the 9th grade subject.
*For more information, please see the Process for Schedule Change Requests.

2. Elective Courses

Elective courses are courses you take in addition to your core academic classes. To see all of your choices for elective courses, please see the FHS 9th Grade Elective Options / ESPAŇOL / PORTUGUÊS. Staffing and scheduling decisions are made based on the course selection of students in the spring. We will work hard to create a master schedule that serves all students based on their requests. We strive to give students their choices but it is possible that due to schedule limitations and numbers that students will be placed in other elective classes that will serve to fulfill graduation requirements.

March 20th: Deadline to selective electives. A GoogleForm to select electives if forthcoming.

End of August: Schedules for the 2025-2026 academic school year will be made available through your Aspen X2 Portal.

Some important considerations:

The transition to high school is exciting and challenging. We encourage you to think about the balance of your schedule (including extracurricular activities and out-of-school commitments) when selecting your courses and levels. For example, even if you are recommended for all Honors level courses, it may not be balanced to take all of them at once when you consider your other interests and commitments. We find that having a mixture of levels is often a good way to make the adjustment from middle to high school. Additionally, study skills such as time management, organization, and homework will be essential elements for success.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Erikson , Interim School Counseling Department Head, with any questions (rerikson@framingham.k12.ma.us).

If you are interested in becoming the next Fuller PTO Treasurer, please reach out to the Fuller PTO President Jonna Rubin at jonniker@gmail.com

Caregiver Conferences that were cancelled due to snow have been rescheduled for March 13th. We will send out a reminder and link on March 12th.

If you are unable to attend any of the dates/times available, you can reach out to one of your child's teachers to request a conference on an alternate date. We will also be having conferences on May 15, 22, and 29.

STAMP Testing Spring 2025

In June 2025, Framingham Public Schools will be awarding the Language Opportunity Coalition Biliteracy Awards to eligible students in grade 5 and 8.

The Language Opportunity Coalition Biliteracy Awards are pathway awards that celebrate students’ individual language development trajectory, promotes multiliteracy as an asset, and rewards students’ hard work and dedication to becoming multilingual and multiliterate world citizens.

The awards also:

• honor the skills our students attain and encourage them to continue their study throughout their schooling (and beyond!)

• strengthen intergroup relationships and honoring the diverse cultures and languages in our community

• prepare students with vital skills that will benefit them in the labor market and the global society

All students enrolled in a dual language program are eligible to earn the Language Opportunity Coalition Biliteracy Awards, but the awards are not limited to languages taught at Framingham Public School. Participating students will be required to take an assessment in the partner language–the STAMP test–at their school during the school day. More information on the STAMP test, including practice tests, may be found on the website linked here.

If your child is enrolled in a dual language program, they will automatically be signed up to take the STAMP test on the date shown in the table below. Parents who choose to not have their child participate in the assessment will need to email Jesse Rubio at jrubio@framingham.k12.ma.us.

If your child is not enrolled in a dual language program at Framingham Public Schools but you would like them to be eligible to receive the Language Opportunity Coalition Biliteracy Award, please complete the sign-up form linked here. Please note that only students in grades 5 and 8 may participate.

Fuller Middle School PTO is excited to be launching a fundraising effort to support our 8th graders this year. Funds raised will be used for end-of-year activities including: field trip, dinner-dance, yearbook & t-shirt signing event as well as other celebrations during the school year.

This is a great way to support students and get your car cleaned, just in time for the winter season (goodbye salt & sand on your vehicles)!

Thank you in advance for your consideration to support our ongoing commitment to our wonderful 8th graders!

Please note:

• The minimum donation is only $10!
• You will receive a car wash voucher for every $10 you donate!

Local ScrubaDubs:

• Rt 9 West Framingham: 1181 Worcester Road
• Rt 9 East Natick: 172 Worcester Street

Other locations in Massachusetts (15 in total), New Hampshire, Maine & Rhode Island

https://www.scrubadub.com/fr/campaign/fullermiddleschool8thgrade2024

1. Download the App

2. Select your school: Fuller Middle School

3. Start scanning / link your Walmart account

School doors open at 7:55 am. Please do not drop your child off at school before 7:55 am.

Please use the map above to see where student drop off/pickup is located. Please remember to only use the designated area when dropping off or picking up your child; this is for the safety of all of our students. Students should only cross Flagg Drive at the marked crosswalks.

If you will be dropping off or picking up your child, please follow the traffic pattern. For the safety of all students, vehicles are not allowed in the circle in front of the school from 7:30 - 8:15 and 2:00 - 3:00. This is to allow the buses to safely drop off and pick up students. Students will be dropped off and picked up in the large parking lot nearest to the fields. Staff members will be present to assist students.

We are asking anyone dropping off or picking up a student at Fuller MS to only make a right turn into the parking lot and a right turn out of the parking lot. We are hoping this will help with traffic picking up/dropping off at McCarthy.

Remember, you can only pick up and drop off your child(ren) in the main Fuller parking lot.

If you have not already signed and turned these contracts in, please do so as soon as possible.

The school day begins promptly at 8:08 every morning; attendance is taken in Homeroom.

Students must not arrive to school before 7:55; school doors open at 7:55.

Breakfast is served from 7:55-8:08.

The school day ends at 2:25.

We have ordered school supplies for all students at Fuller Middle School. Families do not need to purchase school supplies for their children who attend Framingham Public Schools. Teachers will not send a supply list out to families.

6th grade and new students will receive their newly assigned Chromebooks on the first day of school through their homeroom teachers.

7th and 8th grade students who previously attended any Framingham Public School must bring their fully charged Chromebook to school on the first day. Once a Chromebook is assigned to a student, the Chromebook is their responsibility throughout secondary school (grades 6-12). Students are expected to be responsible for their Chromebook, to bring their Chromebook to school fully charged every day, and to bring their Chromebook to the school office if their Chromebook is not working properly (we will have it fixed and give a loaner to the student while it is being repaired).

We have a very limited supply of loaner Chromebooks, so these are only given to students whose Chromebook is being repaired. Middle School students are expected to be responsible for their Chromebooks and to be ready to learn at school every day.

Cell phones can be a major distraction for many of our students. Please speak to your child about making sure they keep their cell phone, smart watch, and earbuds/AirPods silenced in their locker or backpack. Each classroom has a place where students can put their cell phones if they are not able to keep them in their locker or backpack. Cell phones are not allowed to be used in the classrooms, the hallways, or the bathrooms.

Additionally, it is prohibited for students to take pictures or videos of anyone (including themselves) in school.

• If a student has their cell phone out or have earbuds/AirPods in during the school day, we will hold the cell phone in the office until the end of the school day.
• If a student continues to struggle with following this expectation, we will require a parent or guardian to pick up the cell phone from the school. The school will notify home.

Please help us keep your child focused on learning by either keeping their cell phone at home or talking to them about putting away their cell phone and earbuds/AirPods during the school day*.

If you need to reach your child, please call the main office at 508-620-4956.

If your child needs to reach you, they can come to the main office to call or text you.

*Unless a student is using a cell phone for medical reasons.

1. Since the weather will still be warm when we return to school, we are asking that all students come to school dressed in school appropriate clothing. Fuller is air conditioned, so there should be no reason for students to come to school in beach wear. This includes sunglasses. We are asking for these items to stay at home. Students cannot wear clothing representing alcohol, tobacco products, drugs, or pornography. We understand that there are popular stores selling these items of clothing, but we will need to ask students to change or to turn the item of clothing inside-out if it is worn to school.

2. ID Badges: All students will be given an ID badge attached to a safety lanyard; students must wear their badges at all times and use the lanyard that they are given. If a student's badge or lanyard breaks, they should go to the main office for a replacement.

3. The following items are not allowed during school hours at school without permission:

• Coffee and Caffeinated Drinks: This includes all types of caffeinated beverages such as Monster drinks and Dunkin Donuts/Starbucks.
  
• We do not accept food deliveries.

• Cell phones, Airpods, and smart watches are not allowed during school hours. If students bring these items to school, they will need to be put away in lockers or backpacks before entering the school.

• Electronic games or devices, laser pens or pointers, cameras, video cameras. (Taking pictures or videos of students and staff is not permitted in school or on buses.)

• Pokemon cards or other trading cards

• Skateboards/sneakers with built-in wheels.

3. Bringing the following items could result in a suspension or expulsion, and in some cases will be reported to the police and/or fire department.

• Squirt guns, water guns, air guns, cap guns, etc. - anything that looks like a gun is not allowed in school.

• Lighters, matches or lighting devices, alcohol, illegal drugs, counterfeit drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco (chewing or smoking, such as cigarettes and vaping devices).

• Weapons, knives (including pocket or utility knives), fireworks, stink bombs.

• Other devices that may create a disruption or potentially be a safety risk (i.e. shock delivering devices).

Free breakfast and lunch is available for all students this year. Students will use their ID card when going through the cafeteria line. Students will be expected to wear their ID cards on their lanyard during the school day.

We love when families and caregivers become involved at Fuller MS. It takes everyone working together to support all of our students.

If you have any questions about the PTO or would to volunteer for the PTO, please reach out to Jonna Rubin at fullerpto@gmail.com.

If you would like to join our School Council or volunteer to help out at the school, please reach out directly to me at kwood@framingham.k12.ma.us. This year Fuller's School Counsel will be working on ways to enhance family engagement and two-way communication. I am looking for caregivers and students to join the School Council to help us with this work; your input and ideas are invaluable.

School Council Meetings: 6:00-7:00 PM

PTO Meetings: 7:00-8:00 PM

Monthly Meeting Dates (the 2nd Monday of the month):

October 21, 2024

November 18, 2024

December 9, 2024

January 13, 2025

February 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

April 14, 2025

May 12, 2025

June 9, 2025

Email: kwood@framingham.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/Domain/14
Location: 31 Flagg Drive, Framingham
Phone: 508-620-4965

"You cannot call yourself a 'culturally responsive' educator if your purpose is to raise test scores rather than to liberate young people's spirits and ignite their intellectual curiosity" ~ Zaretta Hammond