OLHMS Update (11/11/25)

Did you know that we welcomed more than 65 Veterans to our building this past Friday?

Our annual Veterans Day Tribute was once again a deeply moving and humbling experience, one that reminded us just how powerful it is when a school community comes together in gratitude. We could not be more proud of our scholars, staff, and the entire D123 community for uniting in such a meaningful display of respect and honor for the heroes who have served our great nation.

This event is monumental in every way, requiring tremendous time, coordination, and resources- worth every second. Through this tradition, we reaffirm the significance of our Veterans, celebrate their courage, and honor the sacrifice that protects the freedoms we cherish.

What an extraordinary day for our school and district! More importantly, what a profound privilege it is to stand together in tribute to those who have given us so much.

Did you know that we have been collecting candy?

Annually, we collect candy to be shipped to our military overseas. Thank you for donating candy to our troops. Our goal is 2,000 pounds of candy- we shall see! We are so appreciative of Jacky's Soldiers for continuing to partner with us!

Mustang Families,

We are so proud of our Mustangs and our entire school community! There is always something exciting happening here at OLHMS, and it all starts with our incredible scholars and the unwavering support of our families. Thank you for uplifting one another and living our mission each and every day!

As a dynamic and caring environment, we believe in the unique gifts each of us brings to our community, individually and collectively. Please take a moment to remind your scholar of our Mustang Musts: Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Be Respectful. These simple expectations help keep our learning community strong and set the stage for continued success as we wrap up Trimester One and look ahead to the exciting start of Trimester Two!

We are also filled with tremendous pride and heartfelt gratitude as we reflect on one of our most meaningful annual traditions. This past Friday, we welcomed more than 65 Veterans into our building for our Veterans Day Tribute. It was a deeply moving and humbling experience, one that showed the very best of our school community. Our entire student body demonstrated an extraordinary level of respect, appreciation, and unity as we honored the courage, sacrifice, and service of these heroes.

Events of this magnitude are only possible because of the remarkable dedication behind the scenes. We extend our sincere gratitude to our Veterans Day staff sponsors and coordinators, whose thoughtful planning and leadership brought this important tradition to life. We also want to recognize our outstanding Music and Band Departments, whose performances added depth, emotion, and pride to the celebration, as well as our exceptional 8th Grade Ambassadors for their leadership, courtesy, and professionalism throughout the event.

Together, these contributions created an unforgettable tribute truly reflecting the heart of OLHMS. Thank you for your continued partnership and Mustang pride. Here’s to a strong finish to Trimester One and an exciting launch into Trimester Two!

Our main entrance vestibule will serve as the visitor reception and waiting area. Guests will continue to be warmly welcomed, greeted by the staff member hosting them, and escorted to their meeting location. This update is part of our continued effort to strengthen safety and streamline visitor check-in procedures.

As we continue partnering with our local safety agencies, we remain committed to refining our practices and keeping safety at the heart of all we do. Ensuring a secure environment for our students, staff, and families is always our top priority.

To support this shared goal:

• Please bring a valid driver’s license or photo ID when picking up a student during the school day.

• For everyone’s safety, visitors may not leave the main office without a staff escort.

• All students, staff, and guests are expected to wear their designated ID badges while on campus.

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our Mustang community safe, connected, and thriving.

For current 7th or 8th grade scholars

1st Petitioning Meeting will be Monday, December 8th 7:30 AM in Cafetorium

1. Community Service Hours - minimum of 15 hours -Due April 6th.

2. Grading - A majority of A’s and B’s (Every C needs to be balanced with an “A”) during Trimesters 1-3 of the petitioning year in both Core and Encore classes. No overall “D” or “F” are allowed in any trimester.

3. Creating and maintaining a Digital Portfolio which highlights examples of the five NJHS pillars (scholarship, citizenship, leadership, character, and service) -Due February 2nd

4. Completion of a Capstone Project focusing on service on Service Learning Day April 25th

5. Regular attendance at NJHS meetings before school at 7:30 am in the cafetorium

Monday, December 8

Monday, January 12

Monday, February 2

Monday, March 9

Monday, April 13

Thursday, May 7- Mandatory Induction Ceremony Rehearsals (7:30 AM) & Ceremony (7:00 PM)

NJHS Sponsors Contact: Ms. Jen DiSalvo jdisalvo@d123.org

Mrs. Maggie Omiecinski mmomiecinski@d123.org

Mrs. Alyssa Zajack azajack@d123.org

We love having fans here to support our Mustang Athletes. Here is the LINK for our Spectator Permission Form and Code of Conduct for student spectators. Student fans unaccompanied by parents, must have an electronic or paper form on file to attend home games. Students cannot stay in the building for games unless they are part of a club or activity.

As technology continues to play a central role in our students’ daily lives, we encourage families to stay actively engaged in monitoring phone and device use. Research continues to show that excessive screen time and social media use can impact adolescents’ social and emotional health, leading to increased anxiety, disrupted sleep, and challenges with peer relationships.

We know that online interactions often extend beyond “after-school hours” and can sometimes affect students’ focus, well-being, and relationships during the school day. That’s why our partnership with families is so important. By setting healthy boundaries, fostering open conversations, and supporting positive digital habits, we can help ensure all Mustangs feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.

We’ve recently noticed elevated challenges on social media, so please take a few moments to talk with your child and check their online activity. Your ongoing support and proactiveness make a tremendous difference!

Here’s a helpful resource for families on preventing cyberbullying.

Retakes will be available for scholars in the Summative Assessment category (70%). Retake procedures for the Summative Assessment category include:

• Students will complete a reflection form, which will include the corrected test.

• Students are to ensure all classwork/homework/independent work for that unit is completed before the retake date.

• Retake dates will be established within 10 days of the graded assessment.

• Retakes will not be allowed once the trimester has completed.

• Retakes will not be completed during regular instructional time.

It is great to see so many scholars taking advantage of the opportunity to come in early or stay after school for additional time and support with academics. Please remind our scholars that this time should not be treated as a social opportunity and our school expectations of being safe, responsible and respectful should be maintained at all times. We appreciate everyone's support and partnership. Parents can check out the available times for each grade level on the student portal page!

• All parents/ guardians/ staff & students are highly encouraged to join the PTSA and attend meetings. This is an incredible opportunity, partnership and fun way to support our scholar’s experience at the middle school!

• If you are interested in supporting our school in a different capacity please reach out to our PTSA! Maybe you do not have the time to donate, but your contributions can still be made through your membership!

• Thank you to our PTSA Board members, families and scholars for joining us last night for a wonderfully informative first meeting of the year.

• Membership(Click Here) is $7.00 per student and $10.00 per adult

• PTSA Meetings are at 6:00pm monthly

• PTSA Meeting- January 12, 2026 at 6:00pm
• Reach out to Delecta Harris, our PTSA President for more information (olhmsd123ptsa@gmail.com)
  
• PTSA Facebook
  

We want to remind families that OLHMS does not allow student lunch deliveries from outside services (such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, or other vendors). This practice minimizes disruptions and contributes to a safe and structured lunch experience for all students. On the note of lunches, if a student receives a lunch detention, a brown bagged lunch will be delivered to the student. Students are always welcome to bring their own lunch.

1. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school. Read more...

2. The most recent federal data show that in the 2020-21 school year, at least 14.7 million students nationwide were chronically absent. This means that chronic absence has almost doubled from the more than 8 million students, pre-Covid-19, who were missing so many days of school that they were academically at risk. Read more...

3. Absenteeism and its ill effects start early. Read more...

4. Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back. Read more...

5. By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school. Read more...

6. Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence. Read more...

7. Students who live in communities with high levels of poverty are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care. Read more...

8. When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating. Read more...

9. Attendance improves when schools engage students and parents in positive ways and when schools provide mentors for chronically absent students. Read more...

10. Most school districts and states don’t look at all the right data to improve school attendance. They track how many students show up every day and how many are skipping school without an excuse, but not how many are missing so many days in excused and unexcused absence that they are headed off track academically. Read more...