Dear OMS Community,
ELA MCAS testing begins next week. Students will not have any homework during MCAS testing. As a reminder, below is the testing schedule:
April 8 - ELA Session 1 (all grades)
April 9 - ELA Session 2 (all grades)
May 6 - Math Session 1 (all grades)
May 7 - Math Session 2 (all grades)
May 13 - STE Sessions 1 & 2 (Grade 8 only)
May 28 - Civics Session 1 & 2 (Grade 8 only)
Students are encouraged to try their best on MCAS. It's a chance to apply what they have been working on all year. At school, we use the information from the MCAS tests to see how we can support students academically at school.
Parents/guardians, please encourage students to go to bed early and get a good night's rest. In the morning, they should eat breakfast so they are not hungry during the day. They can eat breakfast at home or when they get to school. Breakfast service is free at OMS from 7:00 - 7:30am everyday.
As a reminder, cell phones should remain in students’ lockers during the school day and may only use earbuds and other electronic devices in class with the permission of a teacher (see page 26 of Student & Parent Handbook and OMS Cell Phone Rules on school website).
During MCAS testing, students are strictly prohibited from having cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, or any other electronic devices in the testing room. Students should keep these devices in their lockers. If any of these devices are found during the test session, they will be confiscated and taken to the office for a parent or guardian to pick up. Because these electronic devices are prohibited in the testing environment, they will only be returned to a parent/guardian. Additionally, an administrator will be reviewing the situation and the student’s MCAS score may be voided if a testing irregularity is found. (*Please note: If a student utilizes their cell phone or other technology as monitoring devices for medical purposes and has a documented plan on file, an administrator will reach out regarding the plan for testing.)
If your student is nervous about MCAS, encourage them to try their best and you can remind them that MCAS does not have an impact on their grades. In addition, there are strategies they can use during testing such as taking deep breaths or trying box-breathing. There are also testing strategies such as skipping the question and then returning to it later. If you are looking for strategies to support your student, here's a short article that discusses strategies for overcoming test anxiety.
Best,
Katrina Crowley
OMS Principal
