Sydney Giusti is one of the students selected to have their artwork exhibited at the new location for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education office.

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Happy New Year! I trust that each of you had a restful and enjoyable holiday season with your families. As we kick off the new year at Overlook, I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates and highlights with you in our January newsletter.

Welcome Back:

• I hope that everyone returned to school feeling rejuvenated and ready for the exciting challenges that the upcoming months will bring. Our dedicated team of teachers and staff continue to work with your children and to foster a positive and engaging learning environment.

Achievements:

• Celebrating the achievements of our students is always a joy. Please join me in acknowledging the hard work and dedication exhibited by our middle schoolers. We look forward to seeing continued growth and success in their academic endeavors. Citizen of the Month has started. Check out our Citizens of the Month for December. Several of our students and their artwork were also chosen by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to be represented in the Department's new building. See images below.

Upcoming Events:

• Stay tuned for information about upcoming school events, extracurricular activities (see our club list below), and community outreach programs. Your involvement in these events is crucial to our students' success, and we appreciate your ongoing support. This month grade 8 students will be touring Oakmont on January 11 during the school day and completing course selection on January 12. On the evening of January 11 at 6pm (will be rescheduled, date TBD, if snow/weather) grade 8 families can attend a presentation in the Oakmont Auditorium regarding Oakmont's Program of Studies and course selection process.

Reminders and Announcements:

• A gentle reminder about the importance of regular attendance, communication with teachers, and staying informed about your child's progress. Our partnership in their education is invaluable, and together we can ensure a successful and fulfilling school year. Please check PlusPortals regularly and do not hesitate to reach out directly to a teacher or make an appointment with your child's teacher or team. Additionally, we recommend getting the Parent Square application to keep up with communications as it will send notifications via text to your phone.

Safety First:

• As always, the safety of our students is our top priority. Please review and reinforce safety guidelines with your children, both at school and during their commute on the bus. Students need to be reminded to keep hands to themselves, even if they think they are just "playing around". This can sometimes end in a bad situation, unintentionally. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to our school office.

Parent-Teacher Collaboration:

• We encourage open communication between parents and teachers. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to schedule a meeting with your child's teachers or contact the school office. Working together, we can provide the best support for our students.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making Overlook Middle School a thriving and nurturing learning community. We look forward to a successful and fulfilling start to 2024.

Warm regards,

Kristina Bogosh

If you feel inundated with emails or have trouble keeping up with email, Parent Square has a great feature if you download the application to your phone. The application will allow you to receive text notifications on school information/updates without having to rummage through your email's inbox to find them.

Brayan is ready for winter!

Each week a Caught Being Good card is picked for each team. Students are given cards when staff notice a student being kind, responsible, or respectful.

For more pics check out our Instagram!

Coming prepared to school doesn't just mean bring a pencil and notebook - it also means making sure chromebook is charged. Please ensure your child's nightly routine includes charging their chromebook for the next day of learning.

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.

Students cannot enter the building before 7:10am as there is no supervision.

Breakfast begins at 7:20 (students can exit the bus at this time if eating breakfast only).

Classes begin at 7:35am.

Dismissal is at 1:50pm.

Please be sure to not park in the general parking areas to let students off or pick them up. Use the line that goes behind the school. This is a safety concern with students running through parking lots and parents disrupting traffic patterns.

Also, please pay attention to staff members directing traffic. Do not drive-by when they ask you to stop.

Passing busses with flashing lights is a $250 traffic citation.

Students should not be wearing pajamas or slippers to school. This is part of our dress code. We do on occasion have a spirit day where students are allowed to wear pajamas as a "treat" but appropriate, everyday school attire does not include pajamas or slippers. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for school. Thank you!

• If students come to school in slippers or pajamas we may ask that parents come and bring the appropriate attire to school for students to change.

Students are only allowed water for drinks in class. There have been some young business entrepreneurs at OMS that have been selling the popular "Prime" drinks (as well as other things such as candy and sneakers!). Students are not authorized nor allowed to sell anything at school. Moreover, these drinks are not allowed. Please ensure that your student is not bringing these drinks to school or buying or selling these drinks (or any items) at school or on the bus.

Through the SOAR committee and the grade level teams, students will be recognized each month for a particular skill or attribute. In December, students who demonstrated high levels of social awareness were celebrated during their lunch time.

Social awareness is being aware of other people and showing respect for them, including those from diverse backgrounds by being helpful and positive and understanding others. The following students have been nominated by their team of teachers as being examples of showing social awareness.

We see the school and home as a partnership. We ask to review these expectations with your child in an effort to create unified expectations from both the school and home fronts. Please see the matrix attachment below to review with your child.

• If your student requires an epipen or inhaler at school or during after school activities, they must have written parent permission and doctor's orders on file with the health office whether the medication is in the health office or they are carrying it. If you are not sure about the status of your student's paperwork or have any questions, please contact me at ntaylor@awrsd.org.

• According to the Massachusetts school immunization requirements, it is recommended that students receive the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and tetanus) vaccine at age 11-12. One dose is required in Grade 7-12. It is typically given at the physical before entering Grade 7.
• The meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) is also required with the first dose typically given in Grade 7 and the second dose given in Grade 11.
• Please submit documentation of these vaccines when your child receives them. This may be faxed by your physician's office to 978-827-4986, emailed to me or brought to school by your child (not recommended as frequently it is forgotten in the backpack).

• **In order to play sports, you must have an up-to-date physical in the last 13 months and must go to the Athletic website page and complete the online registration. Any questions please contact Athletic Director edawley@awrsd.org.

• Lastly, we want parents to know that if students call a parent/guardian to pick them up because they are not feeling well and a nurse has not officially dismissed them for medical reasons, this is an UNEXCUSED absence. We ask parents to discourage their child from trying to call home to be dismissed.

Mrs. Jensen, Mrs. Tobia, and Ms. Bennett hosted some after-school, holiday crafting sessions for 8th graders last month. Check out the fun below!

Students posing at the bookfair Under the Sea display!

• NIH Articles: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6449671/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27247125/
  
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4183915/
• VIDEO: https://youtu.be/kGZvNbfrNag
• WEBSITE: https://www.humanetech.com/youth
• https://www.humanetech.com/take-control
• https://www.humanetech.com/future-generations
  
• NYT Article: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PdtQZAuVsflH0SuM9E6BMNyDkq9NPcjq/view
• NYT Article: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zvHPmlIQios-a2llfLFyj6DbdMWB5h8S/view
• Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
• PEW Research: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/
• VIDEO: https://youtu.be/rv0g8TsnA6c
• TIME Article: https://time.com/5555737/smartphone-mental-health-teens/
• INFOGRAPHIC: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/technology-addiction-concern-controversy-and-finding-balance-infographic

• Smithsonian & NMAAHC WEBSITE (Race): https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race
• Anti-Defamation League WEBSITE: https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/talking-young-children-about-bias-and-prejudice
• Oakland Library Resources DOCUMENT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s0lCA3FlulVhK6DFE2d3uYCipc6ApY8Gn2rMwm6fYqw/edit
• PJ Library WEBSITE (Antisemitism): https://pjlibrary.org/beyond-books/pjblog/february-2022/how-to-talk-to-children-about-anti-semitism
  
• Nick Helps WEBSITE (Bullying Prevention): https://www.nick.com/nick-helps/bullying-prevention/

1. PTO next meeting January 9th at 6pm.

2. We invite YOU to become a MEMBER of the Overlook Middle School PTO.

We appreciate the support you’ve given over the years at your elementary school and hope you will consider becoming a member at Overlook to continue your Support of the teachers, staff, students and community at Overlook.

This past year was our first year of the new PTO at the middle school and we are proud of all we accomplished: Teacher appreciation week activities, Holiday Hot Cocoa, Concessions at Drama Club performances, and more. We have big plans for MORE this next school year and need your support to make it happen.

To become a 2023-2024 PTO member:

● Fill out the membership Google Doc: https://sites.google.com/awrsd.org/overlookmspto/home

● Pay the $5 dues with cash or check to “OMS PTO” and bring it to the office. Or Venmo @overlookmspto and comment “2023 membership for (your name).”

Take a look at our website https://sites.google.com/awrsd.org/overlookmspto/home or our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram OverlookMSPTO for all the latest information.

Please check the Portal regularly. Google Classroom is not an accurate indicator of grades. Please reach out to the teacher directly if you have any questions.

Registration information below.

General membership to the Ashburnham-Westminster Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is open to all AWRSD parents/guardians of children with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans and other interested parties. We are in need of volunteers to help plan workshops, staff tables at local school and community events, become future leaders, assist other parents, and plan new activities and projects. We welcome you to learn more about SEPAC and our work on our website, https://sites.google.com/view/ashburnham-westminster-sepac. You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ashwestsepac. Please contact Justine Muir if interested in SEPAC jmuir@awrsd.org.