Principal's Weekly Report

Stone Middle Week 21 Update

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,

I hope everyone is enjoying a restful day off in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As we pause today, let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible influence Dr. King had on our society and the importance of his message of equality, justice, and service.

Important Reminders:

• FAST Track Saturday is happening this week! Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity for extra support and enrichment.
• Faculty vs. Student Game January 30th – Tickets go on sale this week. Don’t miss out on this fun event!

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to making Stone Middle a great place to learn and grow. Let’s make Week 21 a fantastic one!

Go Gophers

Lauren Feronti Williams

Principal

Facebook: @StoneMS

TikTok: @stonegophers

Twitter (X): @stonemms

Instagram: @stonemagnetgophers

Home | Stone Magnet Middle (brevardschools.org)

Starting the 2025-2026 school year, all K-8 schools are personal electronics free per state statue. Personal electronics include cellphones, headphones, tablets, etc. As Principal of Stone Middle School an electronic free campus is important to me. Cellphone and other electronics may be silenced in backpacks to not distract the learning. Students must secure all electronic devices in backpacks before coming on campus and may use their phones after the dismissal bell. This past summer, I read "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt and would like to share information from this book regarding teen use of electronics.

"By the early 2010s, our phones transformed from Swiss Army knives, which we pulled out when we needed a tool to a platform upon which companies competed to see who could hold on to eyeballs the longest. The people with the least willpower and the great vulnerability to manipulation were, of course, children and adolescents, whose frontal cortices were still highly underdeveloped. Children have been drawn powerfully to screens since the advent of televisions, but they could not take those screens with them to school or when they went outside to play." p 115-116

Starting this year, two automated calls will be scheduled to families regarding students' attendance. A morning call between 11:00 am and 11:15 am will take place to alert families of an absence in the morning to help verify a student arrived to school. An additional call will be generated between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm to share with families a student's overall attendance for the day. Please remember attendance is crucial for a student's academic success.

Stone Magnet Middle School will adhere to the School Board Rules of Brevard County as cited in the Secondary Student Parent Handbook.

These are the portions most frequently referred to by parents, students, and school personnel.

The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the school during the days and hours that the school is in session.

School attendance is the responsibility of parents/legal guardians and students.

• A student who is absent from class with an unexcused absence may need to complete supplemental learning opportunities.
• Excused absences may include medical appointment of the student, pregnancy related issues, court dates, religious holidays, illness with medical documentation and chronic and extended illness, insurmountable conditions, death in immediate family, and appointments for a therapy service provided by a licensed health professional.
• For excused absences, the student shall have a reasonable amount of time, up to ten (10) school days, to complete make-up work. Principals or designee may grant extensions to the make-up time limit for extenuating circumstances.

Principal: Lauren Feronti Williams

Feronti.Lauren@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Curriculum: Shannon Sejeck

Sejeck.Shannon@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Disciplines: Kelly Borck

Borck.Kelly@brevardschools.org