Dear Parents, Students, and Teachers,

Welcome to another fantastic week at Stone Middle School! We are excited to share some important updates and events with you. First, we want to remind everyone that the FAST Writing test is scheduled for tomorrow, April 1st. Parents, please encourage your children to get a good night's sleep before the test, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive at school on time. Remind them to read each question carefully and to take their time to plan their responses.

Additionally, we are thrilled to announce that this Thursday, we will be hosting a Skate Night at Galaxy Skate Way. This event will feature a neon theme to welcome our incoming 6th-grade students and to bid farewell to our 8th-grade students. It promises to be a night full of fun and excitement, and we hope to see everyone there!

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to making Stone Middle School a great place for learning and growth.

Go Gophers!

Lauren Feronti Williams

Stone MMS Principal

Facebook: @StoneMS

Twitter (X): @stonemms

Instagram: @stonemagnetgophers

Home | Stone Magnet Middle (brevardschools.org)

The Legacy Tile Fundraiser is now happening! This is your opportunity to be a permanent part of Stone's heritage and history. You can purchase one of two size tiles and have them engraved for yourself, in memory of a loved one, a current or former student, or whatever you can think or dream of! Tiles will be mounted on the front of the school to be part of a permanent dedication display.

The 2024-2025 ESE Parent Survey window is now open! Each year, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) surveys parents of children with an individual education plan (IEP) to determine how well districts and schools are partnering with parents and promoting parent involvement in their child’s education. All states must collect this data for reporting on their State Performance Plan, as required under the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA). Additionally, survey results will be used to help schools and districts improve services and results for children with disabilities. The survey is open to all parents of children with an IEP receiving ESE services from preschool age through grade 12. While demographic information must be collected in compliance with federal requirements, individual responses are confidential. The survey is accessible through June 30th, 2025. If you have questions or comments, please contact my office.

Florida is leading a first-in-the-nation approach that empowers students to persevere and overcome life’s inevitable challenges. The Florida Department of Education developed state education standards and resources to equip students with skills that build resiliency. Each month, Brevard Schools Foundation will be sharing a Resiliency Skill of the Month, along with parent resources from FLDOE’s resiliency toolkit. March’s skills are Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, April’s skill is Mentorship and May’s skill is Responsible Decision-Making. The attached parent resources will be shared in Peachjar and we encourage you to promote them in your school newsletter, as well. Visit www.buildresiliency.org for more information

Please take a moment to take the Title 1 parent survey. Stone Magnet Middle School is dedicated to creating the best school for our community. Your insight and input is valuable!

On 10/22/24, the Brevard County School Board approved Stone Magnet Middle School’s Schoolwide Improvement Plan which also serves as our Title I plan. Please take a minute to review our school’s plan at https://www.floridacims.org/districts/brevard/schools/2071. Copies of this document will be made available upon request and if you would like the document translated, please contact Jenny Gates at gates.jennifer@brevardschools.org or 321-723-0741 x35053.

Starting this year, two automated calls will be scheduled to families regarding students' attendance. A morning call between 11:00 am and 11:15 am will take place to alert families of an absence in the morning to help verify a student arrived to school. An additional call will be generated between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm to share with families a student's overall attendance for the day. Please remember attendance is crucial for a student's academic success.

Stone Magnet Middle School will adhere to the School Board Rules of Brevard County as cited in the Secondary Student Parent Handbook.

These are the portions most frequently referred to by parents, students, and school personnel.

The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the school during the days and hours that the school is in session.

School attendance is the responsibility of parents/legal guardians and students.

• A student who is absent from class with an unexcused absence may need to complete supplemental learning opportunities.
• Excused absences may include medical appointment of the student, pregnancy related issues, court dates, religious holidays, illness with medical documentation and chronic and extended illness, insurmountable conditions, death in immediate family, and appointments for a therapy service provided by a licensed health professional.
• For excused absences, the student shall have a reasonable amount of time, up to ten (10) school days, to complete make-up work. Principals or designee may grant extensions to the make-up time limit for extenuating circumstances.

To honor the instructional learning environment, cellphones are not allowed to be used on campus at any time. Students are expected to have cellphones turned off or on silent and in their backpacks throughout the school day. Students will need to place cellphones in their backpack before entering school campus. Students may not have their phones in their pockets. If there is an emergency need to use a cellphone, students may go to the front office to call or text with permission.

Students were issued a school badge during registration. If you did not attend registration, please come to the front office to get your student badge. For safety and security reasons, students are required to wear their school badges at all times on campus. Replacement badges are $3.00. Student badges must be on when entering school grounds.

Students forgetting lunch and needing an outside meal dropped off will only be accepted by an individual on the student’s contact list. No food delivery services (UberEats, etc.) will be accepted. Students will not be able to take the meal on campus.

Please review the links below to see some opportunities for clubs at Stone MMS.

BPS provides breakfast and lunch free of charge to students school every day. We still encourage parents to apply for Free or reduced (FRL) price meal benefits. Click here to fill out a FRL application: https://www.brevardschools.org/o/bps/page/free-and-reduced-lunch-applications

Families can also set up an online lunch account through the district system. Go to www.mypaymentsplus.com to create your account and add money for your student to use in our cafeteria. If you already have an account, you do not need to create another one for this year. This is a convenient way to keep lunch money in your child's account, so they do not have to carry cash to school. Your child's lunch account is connected to their student ID, so all they have to do to pay for lunch is scan their ID and go.

Please select the PDF below to see the amazing things we have on campus and to learn more about AVID! AVID is a research-based, in-school academic program for middle to upper- middle students designed to prepare them for admission to four-year universities and colleges. AVID targets the least served students in the academic middle, capable of succeeding in a rigorous, college preparatory path.

Principal: Lauren Feronti Williams

Feronti.Lauren@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Curriculum: Kierra Lang

Lang.Kierra@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Disciplines: Kelly Borck

Borck.Kelly@brevardschools.org