OPMS

Dear OPMS Parents, Students, and Staff:

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend! I apologize for the amount of information in this week's issue. Please take a moment to review the important events and time-sensitive information below.

Week at a Glance

This week, all OPMS students will have some important homeroom meetings where they will learn about the Code of Conduct, Say Something (the anonymous reporting system), and Securly (our electronic hall pass system). Please check below for more information about Say Something and Securly.

OPMS Fire Drills

This is to inform you the week of September 8 and the week of September 15, Orchard Park Middle School will be conducting multiple fire drills, or evacuation drills. The purpose of these drills is to ensure the safety and preparedness of our students and staff in case of an emergency. We conduct these drills regularly as part of our commitment to maintaining a safe learning environment. Please rest assured that this is only a drill and not an actual emergency. For any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the main office.

Picture Day Information

The schedule for school pictures is as follows:

Grade 6 – September 12 during Reading/WIN Class

Grade 7 and 8 – September 16 and 17 during Physical Education class.

A flyer with ordering information will be available on the OPMS website. Students were sent home with picture day information on the first day of school.

6th Grade Activity Night

The OPMS PTO is sponsoring 6th Grade Activity Night on Friday, September 19 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Please check out the flyer below for more information. Tickets will be sold this week and are $5 each. More information will be shared about tickets soon!

The PTO is looking for volunteers to assist with the event and will gladly accept OPHS inducted NHS members to assist. We need about 20 volunteers between the hours of 4:30 - 7:30 PM. Please help us with this amazing event! Any interested students or parents should click the link below to sign-up.

6th Grade Activity Night Volunteer Sign-Up Genius

PTO Meeting Dates 25-26

The OPMS PTO monthly meeting dates are included below. All PTO meetings will take place at 9:00 AM at OPMS. Meetings will take place in the OPMS conference room.

September 15, 2025

October 6, 2025

November 3, 2025

January 12, 2026

February 9, 2026

March 9, 2026

April 20, 2026

May 11, 2026

OPMS Code of Conduct

A copy of the District Code of Conduct is included in the Student Agenda. Please sign off electronically in the Parent Portal by Friday, September 26 that you and your child have read and understand the information in the Student Agenda and Code of Conduct. There is a link in the Parent Portal on the left-hand menu and in the forms section of the PowerSchool App. The Student Agenda information and district Code of Conduct are linked below.

OPCSD Code of Conduct

OPMS Student Agenda Pages 25-26

OPMS 6th Grade Open House - 9/16/2025

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming 6th Grade Open House event on September 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM. This is a great opportunity you to meet your student's teachers, learn more about our curriculum, and explore the various programs we offer. Our goal is to provide insights into the learning environment and the ways we are working together to ensure your student’s success this school year. We look forward to seeing you and sharing how we can support your student's growth! Below is some information about the Open House event:

Open House is for parents/guardians only.
During study hall periods, you may visit one of your student's cycle 2 day classes.
You will be following your student's cycle 1-day schedule that evening.
Please report to their student's 1st-period class at 6:30 PM.
You will have the opportunity to meet all of your student's teachers. Each period will be seven minutes with three minutes passing time.
A digital version of the schedule for the evening will be available on the Parent Portal and can be accessed by selecting the "Open House Schedule" link on the left-hand menu. Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 day schedules will appear. We will follow cycle 1. Cycle 2 is there in case you would like to visit a cycle 2 day teacher's classrooms. The schedule will be available on 9/16/2025.

*Information for 7th and 8th Grade Open House will be shared with families in the next issue of The Observer. 7th and 8th grade Open House is Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30 PM.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance. Our school office will be open, Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM to address any concerns you may have. Here's to another great week at Orchard Park Middle School. Go Quakers!

Thanks,

Mary Kate Graham

OPMS Principal

A note to our families at Orchard Park Middle Schools:

The OPMS Observer is the weekly newsletter that is sent to families. You will receive a text link and an email each time a new issue is released. This is the best source of receiving updated information weekly from the school.

OPMS and OPHS use the “Say Something” Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS) designed specifically for students in grades 6-12 and staff to report any type of serious or potentially violent concerns of unsafe behavior or threats of harm to self or others. Say Something is a youth violence prevention program from the national nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise and is provided and sustained at no cost to OPCSD.

“Tipsters” can send reports on anything from school threats they’ve seen or overheard to personal crises including sexual harassment, self-harm, and depression. The system enables school administrators and those in law enforcement to create effective interventions and intervene upon at-risk individuals to help prevent violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm, and other forms of threatening behavior.

All tips submitted receive an immediate response by one of the highly skilled crisis counselors at the Sandy Hook Promise National Crisis Center; this person then determines the necessary support steps. When credible tips are received that are life-threatening and require immediate attention, the crisis center will notify school-based representatives, even after hours. And, in cases of imminent threat, the crisis center will contact local 911 dispatch and involve law enforcement. Users can submit a tip by calling 1-844-5-SAYNOW or by visiting www.saysomething.net. The free app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play Store, where students can submit tips instantly.

Key Features of the Program:

· Recognize At-Risk Behaviors: Participants will learn how to identify signs of distress or harmful behaviors in their peers.

· Take Action: The program emphasizes the importance of acting immediately by either talking to a Trusted Adult or reporting concerns anonymously through the system.

· 24/7 Support: Students can access a Crisis Center at any time via a mobile app, website, or hotline for confidential reporting.

· Ongoing Awareness: We will promote safety through student clubs, in-school activities, and special awareness weeks designed to keep these conversations alive.

Empowering Our Students

Our students often have unique insights into the challenges their peers face. It’s crucial that we empower them to recognize danger signs and equip them with the tools to support one another effectively. The Say Something ARS program teaches them how to support each other during digital conversations and in-person interactions. This initiative is provided by Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a respected non-profit organization dedicated to improving school safety across the nation. With programs implemented in all 50 states and over 31 million individuals trained, SHP has a proven track record of success in preventing school shootings, suicides, and other violent incidents while reducing bullying and cyberbullying.

We will be training all students at OPMS on the following dates:

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

7th Grade See Something Say Something Training
8th Grade See Something Say Something Training

Friday, September 12, 2025

6th Grade See Something Say Something Training

We're Here for You

If you have any questions or concerns about the Say Something ARS program or any related initiatives, please feel free to reach out directly via phone or email. Your support is invaluable as we work together to create a safe environment for our students. Thank you for your commitment to keeping our community safe.

Say Something Parent Brochure

Say Something Parent FAQ

Toward the end of last school year, Orchard Park Middle School began using Securly Pass, an electronic hall pass system that replaces traditional paper passes. This year, we will continue with Securly as part of our regular daily routines.

Securly Pass allows teachers to issue and monitor passes electronically. Students no longer need to carry paper passes, and staff can see, in real time, which students are out of class and where they are going. This helps us reduce interruptions, better manage hallway traffic, and increase student safety.

Benefits of this system include:

Safety: We can quickly identify who is out of class during an emergency.
Efficiency: Fewer interruptions and less lost instructional time.
Accountability: Clear records of student movement help us support responsible decision-making.

We will be training students on the system on the dates listed below and will begin using Securly Pass schoolwide shortly after.

Thursday, September 11, 2025

6th Grade Securly Training
8th Grade Securly Training

Friday, September 12, 2025

7th Grade Securly Training

We are excited about the ways this tool will continue to enhance our school environment and support student learning. If you have any questions about how Securly Pass works, please don’t hesitate to contact the main office. Thank you for your continued support.

The Orchard Park Central School District is committed to partnering with parents and guardians to support strong student attendance, helping every child reach their full potential each day. We understand that absences can add up, often due to illness or other unexpected circumstances, and our goal is to work together with families to support students’ academic success.

To make the process easier, parents and guardians can now submit attendance notes and pick up information online. Simply log in to the Parent Portal, click on Attendance Notes, and complete and submit the form. Please view the video below for detailed instructions.

Here are some important reminders for our traffic patterns to help keep all of the OPMS community safe. We understand that the pick-up/drop-off traffic lines can be long, however, the safety of our students and staff is critical.

Drop off: Buses use the front loop on South Lincoln. Parent drop-off is not allowed in the front loop. Parent drop-off is behind the building, please enter the lot from 20A and follow the directions of the staff. Student drop-off is not allowed before 7:45 a.m. This is to prevent a potentially serious safety risk, as students aren’t permitted to go to homeroom before then, and there is limited supervision in the foyer.
Pick up: Parents should use the front loop for student pick up for early releases and normal dismissal at 2:30 p.m. The buses will use the lot behind the school for pick up.

OPMS AM/PM Transportation Procedures

Please check the Parent Portal throughout the year to receive information on your child’s academic progress. Information such as report cards are now solely on the Parent Portal. If you are having difficulty accessing the Parent Portal, please contact the Counseling Center at 209-6233.

Also, please update your contact information on the Parent Portal by selecting the "Update Information" page. Additionally, update your settings to continue to receive important communications from the Middle School and the District. If you have trouble logging into Parent Portal click the link below for more assistance.

PowerSchool Parent Portal Login Information