Principal's Weekly Report

Welcome to Week 23!

Good morning parents, students, and staff! As we begin Week 23, we hope everyone is staying warm and bundled up as we experience a chilly week ahead. Thank you for your flexibility and support during the colder weather.

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who attended Literacy Night. It was wonderful to see our families engaged in learning and supporting our students—your participation truly makes a difference.

Looking ahead, we are excited for our upcoming Valentine’s Dance on Friday, February 13th. Be sure to purchase your dance tickets and flower grams so your student can fully enjoy this special event.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We wish everyone a safe, warm, and successful week!

Go Gophers!

Facebook: @StoneMS

TikTok: @stonegophers

Twitter (X): @stonemms

Instagram: @stonemagnetgophers

Home | Stone Magnet Middle (brevardschools.org)

Parents of ESOL students: Rumika McKnight and Teyda James are Out-of-Field Teachers working towards their ESOL Endorsement. If you have any questions please contact Loren Merrill, ESOL Contact at Stone ext. 35057.

Starting the 2025-2026 school year, all K-8 schools are personal electronics free per state statue. Personal electronics include cellphones, headphones, tablets, etc. As Principal of Stone Middle School an electronic free campus is important to me. Cellphone and other electronics may be silenced in backpacks to not distract the learning. Students must secure all electronic devices in backpacks before coming on campus and may use their phones after the dismissal bell. This past summer, I read "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt and would like to share information from this book regarding teen use of electronics.

"By the early 2010s, our phones transformed from Swiss Army knives, which we pulled out when we needed a tool to a platform upon which companies competed to see who could hold on to eyeballs the longest. The people with the least willpower and the great vulnerability to manipulation were, of course, children and adolescents, whose frontal cortices were still highly underdeveloped. Children have been drawn powerfully to screens since the advent of televisions, but they could not take those screens with them to school or when they went outside to play." p 115-116

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.

Principal: Lauren Feronti Williams

Feronti.Lauren@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Curriculum: Shannon Sejeck

Sejeck.Shannon@brevardschools.org

Assistant Principal of Disciplines: Kelly Borck

Borck.Kelly@brevardschools.org