Principal Rubino's Newsletter

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.

Congratulation to Ms. Brittany Scott and the OMS Drama Club for their stellar performance of "The Day the Internet Died." What a funny show and very relatable for this day in age!

We are moving very quickly through November and have many ways for students to engage with the OMS community this month including a food drive organized by the OMS Peer Leaders and a spirit week organized by the OMS Student Council. Please read below for more information on how your student can get involved and enjoy some friendly competitions while doing good for others in the community.

As a reminder, report cards will be live in the Portal this week on Tuesday. I will send an email when they are ready to be viewed.

Mark your calendar!

The second meeting of the OMS Caregiver Book Club will take place on Monday, Dec. 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. We are discussing “Middle School Superpowers: Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times” by Phyllis L. Fagell. We will choose the next book to read at this event.

This is directly before the APS Responsible Technology Forum. Consider coming to the book club and staying for the forum!

Arlington Community Resources is a list of organizations available in the community to support your family.

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:

• Tuesday, Nov. 19
• Quarter 1 Report Cards Available in PowerSchool
• Sea & Sun field trip to Bodaborg
• Friday, Nov. 22
• Earth Field Trip: Level 99

Looking Ahead:

• Monday, Nov. 25
• SPIRIT WEEK - Pajama Day
• Tuesday, Nov. 26
• SPIRIT WEEK - Twin Day
• Wednesday, Nov. 27
• SPIRIT WEEK - Anything But a Backpack
• Early Release at 12 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 28 - Friday, Nov. 29
• No School; Thanksgiving Break
• Monday, Dec. 2
• Caregiver Book Club - 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• APS Responsible Technology Use Forum - 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 3
• PTO Meeting; 6 p.m. at Gibbs
• Tuesday, Dec. 10
• Winter Concert; 6:30 p.m. at OMS
• Friday, Dec. 13
• 8th grade visit to AHS
• Wednesday, Dec. 18
• Early Release at 1:30 p.m.
• Chorus Concert at 6:30 p.m. at AHS

Arlington Public Schools District Calendar

Please click the photo for more information on the OMS Food Drive and see how your student can support Arlington Eats.

The OMS Drama Club performed "The Day The Internet Died" on Friday evening at the AHS Auditorium. It was a funny show, featuring hard working, talented students under the direction of Ms. Brittany Scott.

Students analyze Robert Frost's poem Nothing Gold Can Stay to prepare for Chapter 5 of The Outsiders. In this chapter, Ponyboy recites the poem, which serves as an allegory that highlights the novel's emerging theme.

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

No medication should be brought to school by the students. In order to protect all students, the following procedure is used when a student must take medication during school hours. Please find the full medication policy here.

The Learning Communities are planning some fun field trips for this fall. In preparation for a safe field trip, if your student has a life-threatening allergy requiring epinephrine (Epipen) or asthma needing a rescue inhaler and you have not provided the Health Office with a new action plan and the required medication, please do so as soon as possible. A new action plan is required at the start of every school year.

We are excited that all caregivers of Ottoson students are now able to access the SNAP Health Portal. The portal is a fast and easy way for you to communicate health information for your child to the school nurse and receive information from the school nurse. Please sign in to your SNAP Health Portal and update the standing order medications permissions for this school year so that the nurses can provide your student with necessary medications if needed when they visit the health office.

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

Are you concerned about your child’s screen time? Looking for effective strategies to promote healthy technology habits? Join us for a series of engaging discussions designed for parents and caregivers!

In this forum, we’ll explore practical ways to reduce screen time, delve into parental controls for various devices, and examine the research on how excessive screen use impacts student learning. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other parents, share experiences, and learn from experts and each other.

Meetings will be held throughout the year, fostering a supportive community focused on nurturing our children’s well-being in a digital age. Together, we can make informed choices about technology use and create a balanced environment for our kids. Don’t miss out—let’s navigate this journey together!

Interested? Please join us at the Ottoson Middle Cafeteria on Monday, December 2nd from 6:30pm-7:30pm.

RSVP today using the following link:

Join the APS Responsible Tech Use Forum!

For more information, please contact Dan Hammond M.Ed at dhammond@arlington.k12.ma.us.

Mr. Hammond will be leading these workshops as part of his Educational Leadership Masters Program.

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. Everything remaining will be donated after Thanksgiving!

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.

The staff list will be available on the website at the start of school. We are in the process of updating it to reflect the new learning community assignments and new OMS staff. I will feature our new staff, including photos, in a future newsletter.