Students are working hard in Mr. Pack's engineering class, using the design process, math, and creativity to build bridges!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we welcome October, I want to take a moment to reflect on the progress our students have made since the beginning of the school year. It's been wonderful to see their enthusiasm in the classroom, their commitment to learning, and their growing friendships.

October brings with it many exciting events and opportunities for our students to engage in both academics and extracurricular activities. From fall sports to the upcoming parent-teacher conferences in November, we encourage you to stay involved and connected with our school community.

Upcoming Events:

1. Walk to School Day; October 2 (details sent in previous email and on Parent Square)

2. Monty Tech Tour Field Trip (Grade 8); Monday, October 28 (9:40-1pm): Grade 8 will be heading off to visit Monty Tech to learn about its programs and have lunch. Monty Tech is providing the bussing. Please be on the lookout for details in the coming weeks from our counselling office. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Bradt at zbradt@awrsd.org.

3. Monster Dash; Friday, October 25 (12:50-1:50pm)- Get ready to show your school spirit and costumes for a "Monster Dash" where students can choose to participate in a walk or run on the cross-country trail or cheer their peers on from the sidelines. Costumes must be school appropriate and only allowed to be worn during the Monster Dash race -plan costumes accordingly :)

Important Reminders:

• Please ensure your child's Chromebook is charged overnight/before school.
• Don't forget to check parent square (and your email) for updates, announcements, and resources.
• Please ensure your child comes to school with appropriate clothing for the changing weather. Layers are a good choice as temperatures fluctuate throughout the day.
• If your child is experiencing any academic challenges or needs additional support, please reach out to their teachers as soon as possible - do not wait!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we can ensure our students thrive academically and socially.

Warm regards,

Kristina Bogosh, Principal

Lori Shattuck, Assistant Principal

October 1 Student Council meeting 2-3pm, room 214

October 2 Walk to School Day

October 2 Play Club 2-3:30pm (must be registered; see previous email & parent square)

October 7, 9, 10 Drama Club Auditions (Only need to come to one day)

October 7-9 Texas Roadhouse Dine to Donate for SOAR (Bring Flyer)

October 8 PTO Meeting 6:00 pm Library

October 9 Soar Meeting/ Library/ 2-3pm

October 9 Overlook Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest/2-3:30 pm

October 9 Play Club 2-3:30pm (must be registered; see previous email & parent square)

October 11 Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

October 14 No School Columbus Day

October 15 Flu Clinic/Oakmont/3-6pm

October 16 1/2 Day Professional Development

October 17 Monty Tech VIP Program (7th & 8th graders only)

October 18 District Marching Band Night 4:30pm Football Game (halftime performance)

October 22 OMS School Improvement Council 2:45-3:45pm Library

October 23 School Picture Retakes/Absent (students and staff)

October 23 Play Club 2-3:30pm (must be registered; see previous email & parent square)

October 24 Monty Tech VIP Program (7th & 8th graders only)

October 25 Monster Dash/Special Activity Schedule

October 28 Monty Tech’s Field Trip Tour date for grade 8 from 9:40-1:00, lunch will be provided

October 28 Monty Tech Open House from 5:30-7:30pm

October 30 Last day of Enrichment #2, End of Quarter 1

October 30 Play Club 2-3:30pm (must be registered; see previous email & parent square)

October 31 First day of Enrichment #3, Quarter 2 begins

In May 2025, OMS Drama Club will present Mary Poppins JR. The club held an informational meeting on September 25, where students learned about the show, collected an audition packet, and signed up for auditions. If any students want to participate in Drama Club this school year, they can still sign up for an audition date outside of Ms. Daigle's room (122). There are also extra audition papers outside her room as well. Auditions will take place on October 7, 9, and 10, and students only need to attend one day. After auditions, rehearsals will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays until 3:30 (and on Thursdays during weeks with half days on Wednesdays). The show itself will take place on Saturday, May 3 (at 2 pm and 7 pm) and Sunday, May 4 (at 2 pm). Please email Ms. Daigle (jdaigle@awrsd.org) or Ms. Arnold (sarnold@awrsd.org) if you have any questions.

Students in Grade 7 are required to have the TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) and the meningitis vaccine, per the Massachusetts school immunization requirements under the authority of 105 CMR 220.000: Immunization of Students Before Admission to School. These are typically given during the grade 6 physical. According to my records, 41 students are not in compliance. Please contact your provider if your student has not yet received them and send documentation of administration to the Health Office by October 31.

Reminder: Students who have EpiPen's for bee allergies or inhalers to make sure their child is all set with the Health Office this year.

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.

Also, please submit any doctor's orders for medications that need to be administered at school as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Nancy Taylor at ntaylor@awrsd.org

Thank you. Nurse Nancy Tayler, RN

Click attachment below for Flu Clinic details.

Westminster Cultural Council

Seeks Funding Proposals

“This year the Westminster Cultural Council will distribute approximately $11,400 for community oriented arts, humanities and science programs. Funds can be used for variety of projects and activities in Westminster, including exhibits, festivals short term artist residencies, workshops, lectures, performances, etc. These programs can service children, teens, adults, or our elderly.

Grant applications are currently available through the Massachusetts Cultural Council at:
https://massculturalcouncil.org/communities/local-cultural-council-program/application-process/

The online process must be completed by Wednesday, October 16, 2024.

For details about the Westminster Cultural Council and the results of the “Needs Survey” indicating the types of programs the community would enjoy please visit: https://www.westminster-ma.gov/cultural-council

Applicants are welcome to reach out to local contacts Sammi Dawley scdawley@yahoo.com and Pat Gendron pgendron@yahoo.com

The 2024-25 Overlook Yearbook is currently for sale and can be purchased online at www.buytheyearbook.com. Use the code 724394 to access the OMS yearbook. The cost of the book is again $25 this year, but will increase to $27 after Jan. 24, 2025.

Additional options:

• personalizing your child’s book with their name embossed on the front cover. This is available to all students for an additional $5. Ends 1/24/25

• 8th grade parents only option - create a student ad for your 8th grader using the tools on the yearbook website. The student ads typically include a photo or two of your child and a personal message of congratulations. These ads will be ⅛ of a page in size and will be included at the back of the yearbook for an additional $10. Ends 3/28/25

• 8th grade baby photo submission (FREE!) Parents are invited to submit a favorite baby pic of their child. A link for the google form will be sent home via Parent Square on Tue., Sept. 3. There is only room for the first 100 pictures submitted. So far 53 photos have already been submitted. Ends 11/22/24

Please pay close attention to the due dates as there can be no late submissions or refunds.

All yearbook sales will end on April 11, so that the book can go out to print. Yearbooks will be delivered to students during the final week of school in June.

Thank you for your support!

OMS Yearbook Club

Fall Sports Contacts

Middle School Field Hockey

Coach: Gina McCullin ginerm@aol.com

JV girls field hockey/8th grade girls only

Coach: Brittney Field bfield@awrsd.org

Cross Country

Coaches: Jason Young, jyoung@awrsd.org; Caitlin Grady cmiller@awrsd.org

Boys Soccer

Coach: Marc Theriault mtheriault@awrsd.org

Girls Soccer

Coach: Jared Quinn jquinn@awrsd.org

JV girls soccer/8th grade girls only

Coach: Jen Groncki jgroncki@awrsd.org

3-D printers are booming! Many of Mr. Pack's students have been working on their 3-D designs and they are coming out pretty awesome!

Also, students are working on other engineering projects like building bridges!

In Ms. Bennett's Visual Art class, students use air dry modeling clay to explore texture, shape, and form. Grades 7 and 8 create a sculpted Totem Tile that tells a personal story, while Grade 6 designs a Fantasy Creature Eye to highlight unique ocular characteristics. After curing, all students paint their finished pieces.

Students in grades 7 & 8 Digital Literacy/Computer Science enrichment class have been learning to use block coding to program VEX robots. In this challenge students were racing to pick up blocks using the claw they had built and attached to their robot.

See below for any upcoming events or resources for families taking care of their kin's children.

Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/ten-things-parents-can-do-to-prevent-suicide.aspx

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx

• 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/

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.

We are a phone free school. If a student brings a cell phone to school, it must be kept off and in student's locker for the entirety of the school day.

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 are only allowed water for drinks in class. There have been some young business entrepreneurs at OMS that have been selling things such as candy. Students are not authorized nor allowed to sell anything at school.

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.

Also, please be sure that shorts and tops do not expose buttocks, chest or abdomen. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for school. Thank you!

If your child is dressed inappropriately, we will require parents to bring a change of appropriate clothes to school.

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

Between 7:10-7:20, drive around the back of the building and have student exit by south side of building and walk up the front sidewalk to the front doors.

Between 7:20-7:30 drive around back of building and have student exit through the back door monitored by a staff member.

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

Students exit bus at 7:30.

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.

OMS does not have an extended day program. Students must be picked up after school or take the bus home at the conclusion of the school day at 1:50pm if not participating in a club/sport. Also, students must be picked up at the end of the activity. If students are not picked up on time, they will not be allowed to continue participating in the after school activity.

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.

OMS Orientations were a great time when parents got the chance to be students and hear from their child's teachers!

Lots of PTO stuff.....

1. Thank to all our donors and volunteers who helped make Overlook's Teacher and Staff Back-to-School luncheon a success. It was a big hit with our staff. We couldn't have done this without all of your generous contributions. And on behalf of the Overlook Middle School PTO and the entire Overlook Middle School community, THANK YOU!

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 2024-2025 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 “2024 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.

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 Jennifer Ramsdell if interested in SEPAC jramsdell@awrsd.org

Food service newsletter forthcoming. Please check back.

See attachment below for more information on renewing MassHealth coverage.