The OMS Community Newsletter

We are excited to welcome students back to school on Wednesday, September 3rd!

As you prepare for the start of the school year, please read this Back to School Edition of the OMS Community Newsletter for important information.

Dear OMS Community,

I hope you are enjoying the summer break! Earlier this summer, I shared a personal update with you. In case you missed it, please read below...

I hope this message finds you well and that you’ve had a restful and enjoyable summer! As we prepare to welcome students back for the new school year, I want to take a moment to share a personal update along with the leadership plan for the start of the school year.

My family and I are overjoyed to share that we welcomed a new baby this summer! As I take time to be home with my family, I will be on maternity leave for the beginning of the school year, with plans to return later this fall.

In my absence, Assistant Principal Kellogg will serve as Acting Principal. She is committed to supporting our students, staff, and families during this time. Our admininstrative team will continue to provide steady leadership and work closely together to ensure a smooth start to the year. While I’ll miss being there to greet students on the first day and the beginning of the school year, I’m confident that our team is ready to ensure a smooth and successful opening.

Our school community is built on a shared commitment to student success and creating a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. I know these values will remain at the forefront while I am away. I am so proud of the work our team has done to prepare for the year ahead, and I know the school is in excellent hands.

Thank you for your understanding and support during this exciting time for my family. I look forward to returning later this fall and continuing the great work we’ve started together.

With appreciation,

Katrina Crowley
Principal

(From left to right: Mrs. Kellogg, Mrs. Crowley, Ms. Montembault)

The OMS Administration Team is excited for another great school year!

Learn more about each of their roles below.

Mrs. Crowley (Principal, k_crowley@stoughtonschools.org)

As the Principal, Mrs. Crowley works to ensure OMS is a welcoming, inclusive, and safe learning environment for all students. She works with department head teachers and the Curriculum Director on curriculum and provides support and feedback to new OMS teachers. She oversees academic and social-emotional student support systems and structures. She reviews the school's data and works with students, families, staff and community members on ways to improve our school.

Mrs. Kellogg (Assistant Principal, k_kellogg@stoughtonschools.org)

As the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kellogg works with all students at OMS in a variety of ways. Mrs. Kellogg works on providing academic support for students through a multi-tiered approach. She works closely with teachers and students in our sub-separate programs. Additionally, she is the master scheduler for our building and coordinates MCAS testing.

To Be Determined (Dean of Students)

The Dean of Students focuses on student support. The Dean of Students will be working with Grade 7 students and half of the students in Grade 6 (last names A through L). They work on supporting students in the classrooms and addressing students' behaviors, attendance, academic and social-emotional needs.

Ms. Montembault (Dean of Students, m_montembault@stoughtonschools.org)

As the Dean of Students, Ms. Montembault focuses on student support. She will be working with Grade 8 students and half of the students in Grade 6 (last names M through Z). She works on supporting students in the classrooms and addressing students' behaviors, attendance, academic and social-emotional needs.

ALL students will need a lock for their locker.

All bags and backpacks are required to be placed in lockers during the school day. There will be scheduled locker times throughout the school day when students can access their lockers. Students can also access their locker at other times during the day with a pass from their teacher.

Take a look at the pictures below for some examples of types of locks that can work for lockers. Talk to your child to see which type of lock would work best for them. Once you get your lock, your student can already start practicing how to open it so they are prepared for school! All students will be assigned a locker on their first day of school.

Check out the school supply lists by clicking the link below!

Please read the 2025-2026 OMS Student & Parent Handbook. The handbook has important information regarding school policies and procedures, grading, athletics eligibility, code of student conduct, school dress code, and more. View the handbook by clicking the button below or accessing it on the OMS website.

Student schedules will be available to view on the Parent Portal on August 26th at 3 pm. Parents/guardians will receive an email notification when they are available to view. Students will receive a printed schedule in their Period 1 class on the first day of school. If students would like a printed schedule before school begins, they can stop by the OMS office after August 27th and we can print out their schedule. Summer hours are from 8:00am - 3:00pm.

For more information about our bell schedule and types of classes, please read our Course Information Guide which can be found on the OMS website or by clicking the link below.

Parents/guardians can learn more about our schedule and classes by coming to our Back to School Night on September 16th (6:00-8:00pm). The event will begin with a presentation from OMS administration. Then, parents/guardians will be able to follow an abbreviated schedule of their student's schedule.

Attention new students in Grades 7 & 8! There will be an orientation for incoming new students in Grades 7 & 8 on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at the O'Donnell Middle School (211 Cushing St.) from 9:00 - 9:45am.

New students will learn about the O'Donnell Middle School and our school community. Students will participate in a scavenger hunt to become familiar with the building and receive a hard copy of their schedule (schedules are also available to view on Powerschool). Students will have the opportunity to meet other new students in their grade level, members of the OMS staff, and ask questions.

We are excited to continue our middle school athletic program this school year! Thank you to those who joined us on Wednesday, August 20th to find out more about the middle school athletics program, including how to register, what to expect, and eligibility requirements.

Eligibility requirements can be found on Page 12 of the OMS Student & Parent Handbook.

We will be offering the following fall sports: Cross country, Field Hockey, Boys Soccer (Gr.7 & 8 only), and Girls Soccer (Gr. 7 & 8 only).

Students who meet eligibility requirements in Grades 7 & 8 can try-out for any of the sports. Grade 6 students ARE eligible to try-out for Cross Country and Field Hockey. Eligibility requirements can be found on Page 12 of the OMS Student & Parent Handbook.

The registration portal for fall sports is OPEN. The deadline to register for the fall season will be September 5th.

Click the button below or use this link to register: https://students.arbitersports.com/stoughton-high-school/middle-school-fall-sports-registration-2025-27

The student drop-off/pick-up area is in the lot in front of the building, along the curb with the yellow stripes.

For morning drop-off, we ask that you pull your car all the way to the second crosswalk (towards the parking lot exit). The morning entrance for students is at the second crosswalk (see below picture for student entrance). As you enter this area, please drive carefully and be patient. There will be signs and OMS staff members in the parking lot to help direct the traffic in the morning.

Remember that students are able to be dropped off and enter the building as early as 7:00am. From 7:00 - 7:15am there is very little drop-off traffic, and we strongly encourage families to drop off at this time if possible.

The traffic is very heavy for afternoon pick-up, especially in the first few weeks of school before after school activities start. The dismissal bell rings at 2:12pm, but most students do not get outside until closer to 2:20pm. Most of the buses exit the front parking lot around 2:22pm. Please keep this in mind as you plan for pick-up.

THERE IS NO PARENT DROP-OFF OR PICK-UP IN THE UPPER PARKING LOT BETWEEN OMS AND SHS. This lot is for SHS student and OMS staff parking only.

Here is a visual of drop-off traffic patterns at OMS:

As summer winds down, parents/guardians can help prepare your child for the start of the school year by slowly adjusting their sleep routine. During the summer vacation, sleep schedules change and it helps to slowly adjust students' sleep routines to prepare for going back to school.

Parents/guardians can help students start off the year strong by encouraging them to come to school everyday and helping get them to OMS on time. Our school day officially starts at 7:35am, but our building opens as early as 7:00am. If you get to the OMS parking lot at 7:30am, you may run into traffic and your student could be late. We are serving breakfast for free in our Cafe from 7:00-7:30am so drop off your student early so they can get to their first class on time.

Some students might feel anxious about starting the school year or starting middle school. This U.S. News article, "Supporting Your Child's Transition to Middle School" provides information regarding how children developmentally change during their middle school years and shares some strategies for how to support them during this time.

Please make sure the nurse has a copy of your child's annual physical exam from their doctors office. It is MA state law and required in grades K, 4, 7 and 11 but best practice is to send it in yearly because it is needed for sports and field trips.

All medications needed at school must be given in the nurse's office including over the counter medicines like cough drops. All prescription medications (like Epipens and Inhalers) need a doctor's order and parent permission form filled out. We are attaching the 2 forms below.

Please contact our school nurse, Mrs. McDonnell with questions or about which over the counter medicines can be given at school. Documents can be sent via email to s_mcdonnell@stoughtonschools.org or faxed to 781-344-4065.

We appreciate your help in keeping kids safe and healthy at school.

We use Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports at OMS. During the first few days of school, we will have team assembly meetings where administrators and school counselors will review school-wide expectations. (Teachers will review their own classroom expectations for students during class.) Attached you can find a copy of our OMS Behavior Matrix which we will review with students during our team meetings.

As part of PBIS, we will be recognizing students who continue to follow school expectations in order to highlight positive behavior in our school. Students can earn positive recognition cards throughout the school year for demonstrating traits of respect, responsibility, and readiness. They can trade these cards in for various prizes on Ticket Tuesdays. Students who consistently follow expectations can be selected as Students of the Month. Each month, five students will be selected as Students of the Month and can earn a certificate and prize. Students will have opportunities throughout the year to earn grade-wide, team, and school-wide incentives.

Cell phones and other personal electronic devices should remain in students' lockers during the school day. If a parent/guardian needs to reach their child, call the main office. If a student needs to call home, they can go to the main office to call. Please read our cell phone rules attached below.

Lots of resources and information can be found on the OMS website! Go to https://oms.stoughtonschools.org/ or click the link below to go to our website.

On our website, you'll find a FAQ document for parents/guardians which can help answer frequently asked questions.

Here is some important information about our school. Please visit the OMS website for more information, including the most up-to-date school calendar.

Email: k_crowley@stoughtonschools.org
Website: oms.stoughtonschools.org
Location: 211 Cushing Street, Stoughton, MA, USA
Phone: 781-344-7002
Facebook: facebook.com/stoughtonpublicschools
Twitter: @katrinapcrowley