OMS Pirate Press Newsletter

Due to a town scheduled event, Carbuncle Lot will not be available the afternoon of Monday, May 14th for parent pick-up, parking, or anyone staying late after school. Sports will need to use other parking areas, also. Thank you for attention to this.

Please help to support FOMS and OMS by participating in the Nothing Bundt Cakes Fundraiser. Proceeds from your purchases of these yummy treats benefits FOMS, who support OMS. FOMS helps to support our class trips, Spree Day, guest speakers, and much more!

• Sales : March 26 - April 9th
• Delivery: Thursday April 17th about 1pm
• Order Pick Up: Thursday April 17th 4:30-6pm at Gym Doors

OMS participates in the statewide middle school leadership program, Project 351. This initiative connects middle school students from across the state and together they work to develop leadership skills and focus on civic duties. Annually, Project 351 engages in a statewide community service project to make a larger impact for the Commonwealth. This year, Project 351 has organized a statewide clothing drive. Donations will go to Cradle to Crayons, which works to provide for disadvantaged children.

We welcome your donations of new to gently used clothing and shoes. We welcome clothing and shoes of all sizes, but especially to benefit teens and children.

Please see the flyer below with information regarding this community service initiative.

OMS thanks grade 8 student, Niko Coraccio, our student representative to the Project 351 board.

Support the 8th Grade Class – Flower & Plant Fundraiser!

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,
Spring is just around the corner, and with Mother's Day, Father's Day, and the growing season approaching, now is the perfect time to order beautiful flowers, plants, and gardening essentials—while supporting the 8th Grade Class of 2029! All funds will benefit their class activities fund to support end of year activities and and travel with them to OHS to plan for class activities there and beyond for class reunions.

We are partnering with Flower Power Fundraising, where up to 50% of all sales go directly to our students. These funds will help offset the cost of their end-of-year field trip, 8th grade shirts, and other special activities to celebrate their final year of middle school.
Shop Now: http://Grade8team.fpfundraising.com
Orders ship directly to your home—no need for pick-up!
Thank you for supporting our 8th graders and helping make their last year extra special!
Best,
Brandy Berube
8th Grade Science
Oxford Middle School

Don't miss your chance to own a piece of the school year! Yearbooks are just $20 each and quantities are limited — once they're gone, they're gone.

Order online at www.yearbookforever.com and search for Oxford Middle School — make sure to select the one in Massachusetts!

Capture the memories. Celebrate the year. Order yours today!

Spring pictures are now available on the Casson-Foster site. If you have not already ordered pictures and would still like to place an order you can do so here: https://www.cassonfoster.com/f117217984 You can also view all the pictures that were taken that day.

BRING YOUR CHROMEBOOK AND CHARGERS DAILY FOR MCAS TECHNOLOGY TESTS

Monday, April 7

• Homework Center Open after school. Students must have signed permission slips to stay after.
• No Drama Club today. Rescheduled to Tuesday, April 8th.
• Last day of Open Gym after school with Ms. Greenough for those with previous signed permission slips
• OMS Jr. Choral/Band Districts after school at South High Community School. Students depart 2:30 from OMS, rehearsal 3:30-7:30, return 7:50 Info below.

Tuesday, April 8th:

• Homework Center Open after school. Students must have signed permission slips to stay after.
• Yearbook Club. Permission slips are available in the main office and with Mr. Moriarty. Any questions, please reach out to Mr. Moriarty smoriarty@oxps.org or Ms. Borowko dborowGko@oxps.org
• Gaming Club with Ms. Berthiaume after school in the cafeteria. Students welcome to join week to week. Permission slips available in the main office and must be signed and submitted to attend.
• Dungeons and Dragons Club with Mr. Standrowicz in room 101 begins today and will run weekly on Tuesdays. Students must have signed permission slips to stay after.
• Drama Club after school with Ms. Nasis in the auditorium. Students must have signed permission slips to stay after. Auditions for the dinner theater will be held. Only those auditioning for scripted roles need to audition, but all club members should make an effort to be there.
• Hiking Club begins today after school with Ms. Greenough. Students must have pre-registered with signed permission slips. Club is full.

Wednesday, April 9th: MCAS ELA TODAY-STUDENTS NEED CHROMEBOOKS AND REPORT TO ADVISORY OR OTHERWISE ASSIGNED TEST SITE LOCATION.

• MCAS ELA Part 1 today first 4 periods. Students will attend periods 5,6,7 following MCAS
• Homework Center Open Today
• Therapy Dog Visit
• NO After School Band with week with Mr. Kim. It will resume on 4/15 and run through Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

Thursday, April 10th: MCAS ELA TODAY-STUDENTS NEED CHROMEBOOKS AND REPORT TO ADVISORY OR OTHERWISE ASSIGNED TEST SITE LOCATION.

• MCAS ELA Part 2 today first 4 periods. Students will attend periods 5,6,7 following MCAS
• History Club today with Mr. Moriarty. Students must have signed permission slips submitted in in advance.
• Homework Center today

Friday, April 11th:

• Homework Center Closed Fridays

• Jr CDMMEA Music Districts: Monday, April 7th, depart 2:30, rehearsal 3:30-7"30, return 7:50
• Pirates Cove School Store Open at Lunches: April 18; May 2, 16; June 6
• MCAS Dates: Please be sure students have charged chromebooks with them
• ELA: Grades 6,7,8 on April 9th and 10th
• Math: Grade 6,7,8 on May 13th and 14th
• Science: Grade 8 on May 19th and 20th
• Civics: Grade 8 on May 27th and 28th
• NJHS Induction: April 30th at 6:00 OMS Auditorium
• OMS Spring Concert: Wednesday, May 14th 6:30 p.m.
• Class Trips:
• Grade 6 to Worcester Bravehearts on June 4th
• Grade 7 to Ultimate Obstacles on June 2nd and 3rd (split by advisory)
• Grade 8 to Apex on May 29th
• Grade 5 Step Up Day at OMS: June 9th
• Spree Day: June 12th with raindate of June 13th
• Grade 8 semi-formal: June 13th 6:30-8:30
• Grade 8 Completion and Awards: June 16th at 8:15 a.m.
• OXPS School Year 2024-2025 Calendar: https://4.files.edl.io/4acb/01/24/24/145713-e7ec4bb5-ee84-4575-880d-b5dc3f62160b.pdf

Good Morning Oxford Chorus Families,

With the first rehearsal for the central districts concerts coming up, I wanted to send out an email to participating students and their families so everyone is informed and on board. My apologies, this is a bit of a long email as there's a fair amount of info.

The first rehearsal is on Monday, April 7th from 3:30PM to 7:30PM

The detailed breakdown of the day is as follows:

Schedule

After School (1:50PM) - gather in chorus room and run through each song/talk through the plan for the day

2:30PM - Leave OMS

3:00PM - Arrive at South High School (170 Apricot St, Worcester, MA 01603) and register students

3:30PM - Rehearsal begins, schedule as follows:

• Rehearsal 3:30-4:45

• Break 4:45-4:55

• Rehearsal 5:00-5:55

• Dinner 6:00-6:30

• Rehearsal 6:35-7:30

7:30PM - Leave South High

7:50PM - Arrive for pick-up at OMS

Forms

Attached are two forms that need to be filled out and returned prior to the rehearsal for students to participate, I will also be handing students a paper copy of these forms today. (The two necessary forms are the first two pages of the attached pdf file)

Dinner

Students have two options for dinner.

1. Dinner can be packed at home and brought for rehearsal (it is recommended that students bring snacks, as there is a shorter break in rehearsal in addition to dinner)

2. Pizza will be available for students to purchase (cash only):

-2 slices of pizza, chips, and a bottle of water -- priced at $7.00.
-Single slices: $3.00.
-Assorted drinks and other items for $2-3.

Concert Tickets

Concert tickets are $15 each. Each student has 3 tickets reserved for them, if any families would like more tickets, additional ticket sales will open up at our second rehearsal on Wednesday, April 30th.

To purchase tickets, students will need to bring the amount of money needed for tickets in cash to the rehearsal, where tickets can be purchased.

Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions, Mr. Sampson Chorus bsampson@oxps.org and Mr. Kim Band mkim@oxps.org

Student meals are free this year and available daily to students.

Our breakfast for the first day of school will be grab and go.

Students arriving late to school will be able to obtain a grab and go breakfast daily upon arrival.

The lunch menu is linked here: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/food_menus

After School Snack Program: As part of the free breakfast/lunch program, the state has approved a free after school snack program. In accordance with state guidelines, these snacks must be distributed at least 30 minutes after the close of the school day. Therefore, they will be available in the main office from 2:15-2:45 daily. Students will need to provide name to obtain snack for food services record keeping in compliance with the state regulations. A menu for the month of snacks is located in the food service section of the OXPS website: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/food_menus

OMS offers a wide variety of after school activities throughout the school year. We encourage your student to become involved in our community, join activities things they have an interest or passion in or to explore a new activity of interest. These activities keep kids engaged in positive activities while also helping them to develop numerous skills and build community.

Some expectations/protocols for staying after include the following:

• Free after school snack available in main office 2:15
• All students are expected to depart campus by their recorded departure means (bus or parent pick-up/walking). If a parent/guardian needs to alter the afternoon departure means, we must have a note on file.
• All students must depart at dismissal time unless we have written permission where the student will be staying for a supervised school activity.
• Students staying after school at OMS must have a signed permission slip to stay in a staff supervised club or activity.
• Students are not permitted to remain on campus to hang out before an athletic or school event that they want to attend later in the day.
• Students are not permitted to leave campus to go to store across street and then return.

Are you interested in hiking and exploring the outdoors? Hiking club may be for you! HIking club will be held on Tuesdays in April and May after school with Ms. Greenough. The club will explore trails surrounding OMS and OHS. The club will run April 8, 15, 29 and May 6, 13, 20). Students should wear comfortable clothes and sneakers or hiking boots to navigate the outdoor terrain. They should also pack a water bottle and pack long sleeves, pants, shorts, hats, insect repellent, sunscreen for safety reasons. Hikes will last about 45-55 minutes with minimal rests periods. Students should be sure that their fitness level will allow them to keep up with the hike. Please see the attached flyer for more information. This club is limited to the first 20 students who sign up. Preference will be given to those who were unable to join Open Gym earlier this year. Deadline to sign up is Thursday 4/3 for this club.

There is no Open Gym on Tuesday 4/1. The last Open Gym will be rescheduled to Monday 4/7. No change in permission slips are needed.

OMS will be beginning a Drama Club. This club welcomes all students of all levels and experience. The club will help those to work on dramatic skills and overcome stage fright. They will meet two Mondays per month through the end of the year. Permission slips are in the main office. See Ms. Nasis with any questions cnasis@oxps.org.

Drama club for this Monday 4/7 has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 8 from 2-3. Auditions for the dinner theater will be held. Only those auditioning for scripted roles need to audition, but all club members should make an effort to be there.

The History Club is starting up! Meetings will be on Thursdays in Mr. Moriarty's room, Room 102. All students are welcome, but please remember to bring a signed permission slip to attend. In this meeting, we’ll talk about what the club does, hear from returning members, learn about National History Day, go over expectations, and more. Meetings weekly on Thursdays.

Do you want to play or learn a variety of games with your peers? Then gaming club may be for you! Students will have the opportunity to learn and play a variety of games such as chess, checkers, board games, card games, and family style games. This is a great way for students to interact, socialize, and build community. Gaming club takes place weekly on Tuesdays. You can join by week, month or year. Students interested should obtain a permission slip, get it signed and return to the Main Office or adviser, Ms. Berthiaume. Questions, see Ms. Berthiaume mailto:dberthiaume@oxps.org See flyer below. Next meeting December 3rd.

Join your friends for a game of imagination and creativity as the club explores fantasy worlds, fights monsters and saves the day! Informational meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 10th after school with Mr. Standrowicz in room 101 from 2:00-3:15. No experience needed, students of all D & D levels of experience are welcome! Regular weekly meetings will be on Tuesdaysin the cafeteria with Mr. Standrowicz. Students need to have signed permission slips to attend.

After school band will run on Wednesdays after school from 2:00-3:15 with Mr. Kim in the band room 122. Students staying for band will need a signed permission slip to stay for this club. Students will be able to take late buses home. Students interested should see Mr. Kim or reach out by email with any questions mailto:mkim@oxps.org

• No After school band on April 9th due to Central Mass District Rehearsals.
• After school Band on April 30th will end at 2:45 due to Central Mass District Rehearsals
• Spring Concert May 14th with dress rehearsal after school on May 14th.
• Last day of after school band for the year is May 21st.

Need help, time, and resources with homework, research, projects, and studying? The Homework Center will run on Mondays-Tuesdays-Wednesdays-Thursdays after school 2:00-3:00, with the exception of the once a month faculty days held mostly on Mondays. Students wishing to stay will need a blue Homework Center form signed by a teacher with a specific assignment/project to work on and the parent/guardian signature. See or email Ms. Kennen for permission slips and with questions. mailto:akennen@oxps.org .

Are you interested in reading some great books? How about discussing and sharing your favorite books with other students? If so the Book Club may be for you.

The book club will run after school on the dates below from 2:00-3:00 in the OMS Library with Ms. Kennen.

Book Club Dates: March: 3/27 April: Thurs. - 3 & 17, May: Thurs. - 1, 15 & 29, June: Thurs. - 5 (Last Day)

See or email Ms. Kennen for more information about the club's next book and next meeting. akennen@oxps.org . Students wanting to stay will need to submit permission slips.

Are you interested in having a voice to help plan events and activities for OMS? Student Council may be for you. Students interested in pursuing student council must complete recommendation forms and submit to Ms. Granger. Please see or reach out to student council adviser, Ms. Granger with any questions mailto:cgranger@oxps.org .

• Please if you have not done so already, please return the health forms to the school nurse and send in a current physical with update immunization records It is important we have update information in our system.
• Those wanting to drop off medication for your child to take during the school year please contact me. You will need a doctor's order and a signed parent/guardian consent form when dropping off the medication. We cannot accept medication from a student. This includes students requiring inhalers and epipens.
• As we enter the colder New England months, we inevitably will have periods of cold and flu symptoms that will arise. Please see the attachment to help guide you with regard to protocols and suggestions for when to attend school and/or when students may need to stay home to recover.

Feel free to reach out anytime with questions or concerns: acronauer@oxps.org.

• Nothing Bundt Cakes Fundraiser

• Sales March 26 - April 9

• Delivery and pick up Thurs 4/17 at OMS

• Next FOMS meeting 4/8/2025
• Year round we have our apparel store open. We have all kinds of Oxford gear for families to choose from to show their Oxford Pirate Pride

FOMS Spirit Wear Fundraiser

Want to be ready for the with the latest Oxford and OMS gear? FOMS sponsors a year long OMS Spirit Wear Shop. You can order the latest in gear--t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts, outerwear, hats, and more! . All proceeds benefit FOMS, which in turn benefit our OMS students and programs. Please see the link below to order and the flyer below for more info. https://www.kerringraphics.com/customer_portal/login.html?ut=b174a64a-ac5d-43a5-bfa2-424393e5bc8d

FOMS Spirit Wear Shop has started to add club and team clothing as well, should your child have special interests. There are several options--short sleeve tshirts, long sleeve tshirts, tank tops, shorts, sweatpants, a variety of sweatshirts, bags and much more! Stay tuned for more clubs and sports to come, as they are being added every week!

Reminder about food/beverages brought to school: Please remember that we do not allow energy drinks, and we are a water only in classes and hallways. Please refrain from sending your students in with such things as Dunkin'' Donuts drinks to school as they are not permitted to go to class with them. Thank you.

Water Bottles: Please pack a refillable water bottle with your child daily and remind them to drink water throughout the day. With seasons changing and heat coming on soon, the air will be dryer and students will benefit from hydration. They are beginning to present with dry throats to the nurse yet are not consuming water. Please encourage this at home through discussions and packing a water bottle for them. Thank you!

Cell Phones/Earbuds/Personal Technology: As a reminder to families, OMS has an "Away for the day" cell phone/earbud/personal technology rule, which is outlined in our handbook and has been communicated to students as well. The expectation is that those personal technology items will remain in the student's bag or Chromebook case the entire day without coming out during the school day. Teachers have also been supplied hanging storage to store phones as well. Students are issued a Chromebook by Oxford Public Schools and do not have a need for personal technology in our building. Please know that students who are caught utilizing the technology have progressive behavioral responses from staff--store it as directed, turn over to staff and it remains in office for the day, repeated use will include only returning the device to a parent/guardian to pick up, and may include consequences if it persists. We recommend that the technology stay home or settings are set by you to disable the device during the school day hours so that it is not a temptation for students. If you have messages that need to get to students, please contact our main office at 508-987-6074 and we will get messages to students.

Parent Square:

Oxford Public Schools will be moving toward the free online app called Parent Square for all Communication. Please sign up now so that you don't miss out on any important communications from the schools or district, including weekly newsletters and weather related school cancellations, as we will be moving away from the One Call Now system this year. Go to the following link to get started: https://www.oxps.org/apps/news/article/1961166

Families who pick up in the afternoon: When arriving to pick up your child, please proceed to the student pick-up area, filling the lane that is curbside FIRST then go to the middle lane, then to the outer lane. This is important to not back up the rest of our driveway to other traffic as cars cannot see the other open lanes or get through when you park in the outer most lane first. Thank you for your continued assistance in following these guidelines to help us expedite student drop off and pick up and keep our students safe.

OHS will has a new school and community-wide fundraiser: Trivia Night! Trivia Night is April 10th at OHS at 6:00 p.m. This trivia will be hosted by Mr. Paul Frykberg and Ms. Lindsay Castonguay as they challenge each team with questions that fall under various school-related subjects (no, we will not be asking you to recall the formula for slope).

Please see the attached PDF for the flyer and registration form.

This past year, girls in grades 6-7 had the opportunity to join OMS Field Hockey club while grade 8 students had the opportunity to play with OHS student athletes on the OHS varsity team.

In the fall of 2026, OMS will have a middle school field hockey team. More information is below in the flyer. We share this information now so that students interested may seek out camp and learning opportunities in the off season. Any questions, please reach out to Coach Peloso dpeloso@oxps.org

Wondering what fun things your children might be able to do over April break? Oxford has some fun things planned for April Vacation. Check out the flyers below regarding the following opportunities:

• A mini-camp held at Carbuncle Beach House April 23-25th from 9a.m.-1p.m. for children ages 7-11. This camp will be filled with crafts, STEAM activities, outdoor activities and more.
• Confident Kids Workshop April 22nd at Carbuncle Beach House for children ages 6-12 from 10a.m.-12noon or ages 13 and older 12:30-2:30 p.m. Participants will learn how to become their own best friend, develop self-confidence through stories, games, and hands on crafts and activities.

See Flyers attached below for more information.

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce that our free Parenting Solutions Library is now available in English and Spanish. MPY is offering this valuable resource in partnership with Peace at Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit organization located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Through this partnership, MPY is providing 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 Parenting Solutions Library is easily accessed using the link on MPY’s home page. No log in or passcode is needed.

The Peace at Home Parenting Solutions Library is a free, valuable resource for PTOs, SEPACs, ELLPACs and other parent-oriented groups. Please see the attached handout for information regarding this free resource.

• Are you getting text messages of our automated calls/texts/emails? If you are not currently receiving text prompts about school and district news, please send a message to the number 22300 and type ALERT in the message in order to receive texts in the future.
• Our District Calendar can be found via the following links:
• District School Day Calendar: https://4.files.edl.io/4acb/01/24/24/145713-e7ec4bb5-ee84-4575-880d-b5dc3f62160b.pdf
• District Events: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/district_calendars
• School Hours The link to the school hours is here: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/school_times
• At OMS, doors will open to students (buses and drop-off) at 7:10--this is a change of 5 minutes from 23-24 school year. All OMS classes will begin at 7:20 a.m.
• At OMS afternoon dismissal will run as follows: bus riders' dismissal 1:50; walkers, bike riders, and private transport dismissal 1:55
• Electronic Backpack: Please be sure to remember to check the electronic backpack for forms, letters, community announcements as well. The link to the electronic backpack for OMS is as follows: https://oms.oxps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2070226&type=d&pREC_ID=2128528
• School Transportation Information: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/transportation
• School Breakfast and Lunch Menu: https://www.oxps.org/apps/pages/food_menus