April Showers Bring May Flowers
Dear Overlook Families!
We have a jam packed spring ahead of us! We have information on several important topics to disseminate. Please read carefully.
First, Katie Miville is back! Her son is making great strides on his long road to recovery from his accident. She will have to take some time here and there for appointments. Mr. Uminski will continue to support the middle school throughout this Spring, as needed.
MCAS
Please keep note of the MCAS dates. MCAS is a state required test and students should do their best as it impacts our rankings and can impact funding. Moreover, it is good data for us to see where students are performing across other students in the state and helps teachers to inform their instruction. At the high school level, students are required to pass the MCAS with a qualifying score to graduate. In high school if they are in a top percentile, they can earn scholarships to Massachusetts universities. Middle school testing helps them prepare for that higher stakes test as well, so the more effort and seriousness our middle schoolers take it now, the better they will achieve on the high school tests.
Social Media
Inappropriate social media use continues to be an issue for many, many students. More often than not, it impacts the mental health of students. Please take time to monitor your child's phone and phone applications. Have conversations with your student regularly about online use and how to properly conduct oneself online and what and who they watch on TikTok and follow on Instagram. Below, I have added a Parent Education & Resources Corner. See some helpful articles and resources and latest research about teens and social media/phone use. Kudos to parents who have resisted getting their students SMART phones in middle school - yes, there are some parents who have not issued their child a cell phone! That is my biggest recommendation to incoming middle school parents - hold off on purchasing a SMART phone for your child.
Stereotypes and Inappropriate Comments
There has been a recent uptick in students casually using language or joking about stereotypes that are offensive to another's race, ethnicity, gender, and/or sexuality. This is not acceptable and consequences will be issued for offensive language. It is often difficult for students at this age to understand the complexities behind certain words, unless they are educated about it. We have found through several recent situations that students are following or watching inappropriate "influencers" on Tik Tok who use foul language and make derogatory comments. It is my belief that the exposure and frequency to which our children are now exposed to this language on social media is likely a reason we are dealing with this more so recently. We encourage you to have these conversations with your child about the impact of words and how it is never okay to joke or make derogatory comments about race, religion, disability, gender, or sexuality. See Parents Education Corner below as a resource to talking to children about these topics.
SMART Watches
SMART watches are considered a personal device. Teachers have found that they can serve as a considerable distraction to students during class. They are also banned by the state during MCAS testing. We ask that all SMART watches be left at home or in the lockers during the school day. Please and thank you.
Attendance
Please make sure you have documentation to turn in if your child is absent due to a doctor appointment. Absences are excused with medical documentation, otherwise they are not excused. This especially matters if your child is considering attending Monty Tech. Please note: you need to call to let the school know if your child will be absent; however, this call does not "excuse" the student's absence.
Schedule Change Quarter 4
After feedback from teachers, starting quarter 4 (on April 24) we are going to move the PALS/F block to first period as opposed to the last block of the day. The rest of a student's schedule will follow the same sequence.
Stay Well,
Kristina Bogosh
