OMS School Counseling Newsletter
April 2026
School Counseling Team
A message from the school counselors
Dear families and caregivers,
As we head into April, we wanted to share a few updates from the Ottoson Counseling Team. This is a busy time of year, especially with MCAS testing. While many students handle this well, it can feel stressful for some. If you notice your child feeling overwhelmed, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help.
Last month, students attended an assembly focused on understanding the difference between bullying and relational aggression. They also participated in a follow-up lesson during advisory the following week, which included conversations and tips around maintaining a healthy and responsible online presence.
We’ve also started the process of building learning communities for next year. Family input is really important to us, so if there’s anything you’d like us to consider, please take a few minutes to fill out the form.
We also want to share a quick safety reminder. We’ve had a few concerns come up for students walking, biking, or scootering to and from school. Please encourage your child to stay aware of their surroundings—this means putting phones away while crossing the street, using crosswalks, and wearing a helmet when biking or riding a scooter.
As always, thank you for partnering with us to support your child.
OMS counselors
Guiding Good Choices
We are back making meaningful connections and meeting in person
Spring 2026 Session:
Thursday nights (April 2, 9 & 16th) from 6:30-8:30pm in the parlor of the beautiful Whittemore Robbins House. 670R Mass Ave, Arlington, MA
Free parking on site.
Guiding Good Choices (GGC) offers techniques and tools to help parents improve communication with their children; develop healthy family values and clear behavioral expectations; control and express anger constructively; strengthen family bonds and trust; and prevent children from engaging in substance use and other risky behaviors.
CPS Parent Class Registration
Think:Kids and Arlington Public Schools invites parents, guardians, families, and caregivers to learn Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS), the evidence-based and trauma-informed approach for helping children develop the skills they need to manage their behavior. This class teaches parents and guardians how to reduce challenging behaviors by using the approach with their child.
Class materials, breakout sessions, and opportunities for questions and answers will be a part of this highly interactive parent class experience.
This is a class that has a cumulative curriculum so please plan on attending all 6 sessions. The class will meet in person on the following dates from 6:30-8p at Arlington High School: 4/2/26, 4/9/26, 4/16/26, 4/30/26, 5/7/36, and 5/14/26.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new MPY Parenting Solutions Library. The MPY Parenting Solutions Library is offered at no charge, in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Through this new partnership, MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students’ families thrive.
Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The trainings are presented by experts with advanced degrees and the trainings focus on child and adolescent development, including difficulties in school, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ identity formation, racism, and grief. These trainings present easy-to-use strategies for long-lasting change
Community Resources/Summer Opportunities
The Arlington EATS Market will be open for shopping for fresh kid-friendly groceries at Arlington EATS Market,117 Broadway, on Thursday 4/16 from 4pm to 6:30pm and Friday 4/17 from 9am to 11am. Residents are invited to make an appointment to shop at our market for free for fruits and vegetables, milk, snacks, and other kid friendly foods during these times. Vacation shopping hours are available to any family with children in Arlington schools who would like extra food support over the break.
Use this form to sign up for the program! Appointment time slots will open on our scheduling website (PantrySoft) one week before the program starts, and you will get a reminder email to sign up for a timeslot that day. If you have not been to the EATS Market and do not have a PantrySoft account already, we will send you instructions on how to make an account and sign up for a slot. There will be no pre-packed bags this year, sign up times are to shop for free groceries at our market to give you more choice in what you would like! If you are a regular EATS Market shopper, you can shop at the market in addition to the vacation lunch shopping time that week. If you have any questions, please contact Shalini at ssreedhar@arlingtoneats.org or 339-707-6757
Beyond the Likes is an opportunity for 14-19 year olds to join a conversation about creating safe digital spaces. It is a zoom (which is funny, though it makes sense) but, regardless, kids would register here.
Guiding Good Choices is a workshop for parents/caregivers of students ~9-14 that teaches skills for parents for how to build communication and trust with young people to prevent substance use and other risky behaviors. Register here.
Summit Education: 2026 Summer Programs
Summit Education hosts virtual summer programs for high-achieving students in grades 8-12 interested in STEM. In 2026, Summit will run two programs: the Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) and Summit Research Scholars (SRS).
- Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF): SSF helps students explore diverse STEM fields and career pathways. Students learn from 50+ mentors from Harvard, Stanford, and MIT and build core life skills for high school, college, and beyond. The program requires a flexible 10–15 hours per week, allowing students to attend alongside other summer commitments.
- Summit Research Scholars (SRS): SRS equips students with the tools to conduct original research. The bootcamp covers essential research methodologies and technical skills, such as research design, literature analysis, Python programming, and data science, culminating in a Research Capstone project. The program emphasizes using research to solve real-world problems.
MIT Educational Studies Program, a student-run organization at MIT runs educational programs for middle and high schoolers, and this spring they'll be running our annual Spark the weekend of March 14–15. They will have classes on a wide range of topics, including Glow Lab: The Science of Bioluminescence, History of Animation in Film, 3D Design for Makers, How to Build a Solar Car, and more, taught by MIT students and community members!
This year, the program will take place on MIT campus and is open to 7th graders through 10th graders. Classes will take place from 10 AM - 6 PM ET Saturday and Sunday March 14–15. Student registration is done through a lottery system, where students indicate their preferred classes and classes are then assigned by lottery. Registration is open at http://esp.mit.edu/learnspk26 through Sunday, March 1.
The District invites you to complete the APS Family Support Request Form. It is designed to give families an avenue to request support and helps the District and schools understand the needs and concerns of families in order to provide the most effective support and resources. Once you complete this form we will share your responses with the family engagement department and/or school social workers or counselors to support your child(ren)/ family.
Financial assistance for youth sports. (DK4) is committed to helping kids thrive by providing athletic opportunities for children of all ages, skill levels, and diverse backgrounds. We believe that sports can harness the power in kids by building character and confidence, teaching perseverance and teamwork, which ultimately fosters the development of skills needed for responsible citizenship
Financial assistance for Arlington residents living with cancer
Parent Support through PPAL (Parent/Professional Advocacy League) They offer workshops on a range of topics from navigating your child's IEP, to active parenting. The also have a series in Spanish.
Winter 2026 Brochures
Arlington Recreation Department
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health and Parent Supports
Ottoson School Counseling- many great resources are linked here, including previous newsletters.
Brighter Life Therapy - has locations in Arlington, Cambridge, and Haverhill, takes insurance, and offers in-person and virtual therapy for clients of all ages.
Charlie Health - is a virtual mental health care option, seems to take many insurances.
SAYFTEE - is a group practice committed to serving gender expansive and LGBTQI+ people and those who love them. They provide superbills and offer trainings and workshops for caregivers.
Massachusetts Launched a new Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) to serve as an entry point for timely, high-quality and evidence-based treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorders, including routine appointments, urgent visits, and 24/7 community-based crisis intervention as an alternative to hospital emergency departments. CBHCs receive enhanced state funding through alternative payment models to support flexible, person-centered treatment.
Community Supports (Food, Mental Health, Housing, etc.)
Greater Massachusetts Special Needs Events
Services are available to all Arlington Public Schools students and families.
Services are virtual and include short-term individual and group therapy, parent/caregiver
consultation. Following an initial session, additional services may include medication evaluation
and prescription, and longer-term outpatient referral support.
Referrals to Cartwheel Care go through your student’s school counselor