Announcements are listed from the most recently posted to the oldest

Wanted: Bakers for Spaghetti Social (entered on: 2/7/2012 10:12:48 AM)

Wanted More Bakers!!

Thank you everyone that has signed up to help at the Spaghetti Dinner.  We are just in need for a few more desserts, if you could please sign up so everyone can have some yummy treats after the spaghetti dinner.  You can drop off your dessert anytime after 3:00 at the Ottoson and please have them labeled with the ingredients.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4BAFAA2D6-volunteer

Paint it Forward!!! Tech Room Makeover (entered on: 2/3/2012 2:08:54 PM)

Hi Parents,  My name is PJ Davey and I'm with the group "Paint It Forward".  As most of you have heard by now, Paint It Forward is working with the Ottoson Middle School to provide a classroom makeover for the Tech Class.   Over the last few weeks, we've been very ambitious with our vision of the room and we need everyone's help to make sure all of our goals for the space are met.  The space will not only have a different look, but we hope to make it a cleaner, safer and more productive environment for the students.  

Our goal is to raise $1,500 by Thursday February 16th, and we've come up with a great idea on how to achieve this.  Paint It Forward paints in order to have the opportunity to give back to schools throughout New England.  In the same fashion, we'd like your children to put a little work in order to gain a brand new classroom.  We came up with a challenge called "Chores for Change".  Ms. Oropallo and I explain how it works in this video.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZAHHAVku_M

We're asking each and every parent to encourage their children to lend a hand around the house.  This will not only have a great impact on their learning experience, but its a small effort that will impact many more students years after your child leaves Ottoson.  

Not only do we need their help, but we need YOURS as well.  With a project like this, it helps to have some skilled trades among parents.  Based on the projects that we'd like to complete during February break, and these are some key players we'll need to make this happen.... Floor InstallersCarpentersElectriciansIT TechsPaintersInsulators
MasonGeneral Handyman Beyond these key trades, there's many other small projects that we need to complete that are fit for any skill set and age range. 

Ms. Oropallo sent out a sign up sheet for the days that we'll be at the school working, so we encourage ALL of you to spend a day with us to make this project happen.  Our big reveal is set for February 26th and we cordially invite everyone to come down and check out the new Technology Classrooms. 

Sign-up here:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0844ABA622A75-woodshop   

  If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to myself or Ms. Oropallo.PJ DaveyOwner603.566.2642Paint It ForwardFollow us on Twitter!'Like' us on Facebook

Allison Oropallo
aoropallo@arlington.k12.ma.us
allisonoropallo.com  Allison Oropallo Engineering Technology TeacherOttoson Middle School YouTube - Videos from this email

Information for Grade 8 Parents - Course Selection at AHS (entered on: 2/2/2012 8:58:16 PM)

Budget Review of Next Year's Ottoson Budget (entered on: 2/2/2012 8:48:39 PM)

AHS Tour for 8th Graders -- Feb 7th (entered on: 1/27/2012 1:29:38 PM)

Intro to Ottoson for Incoming 2012 6th Graders (entered on: 1/26/2012 8:47:17 AM)

Get to know Ottoson before the first day of school!  Click here for information on a new introduction option.

Spaghetti Supper Update and Signup. (entered on: 1/25/2012 1:16:41 PM)

Not Your Avg Joes Robotics Fundraiser (entered on: 1/25/2012 9:18:30 AM)

Dear Ottoson Middle School Community,

The Arlington High School Robotics team has been selected by Not Your Average Joe's (NYAJ) for their Tuesday's in January "Not Your Average Cause" fundraiser. 15% of your bill (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity) will be donated to the AHS Robotics Team when you show this certificate: http://freepdfhosting.com/8a2d4a36aa.pdf.

AHS Robotics Club is composed of students who design and build a robot, according to the rules of the national FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) organization http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/2011-2012-game-info. Students compete at a regional, state, and hopefully, national level. Our team made it to the state finals last year.Two years ago we began the robotics club with help from MIT Lincoln Laboratories. Now we are on our own. We need to raise funds to host competitions, pay for registrations, travel to competitions, and purchase parts for the robot. Through competition we help students learn the skills that will help keep the United States at the forefront of technology.

On Saturday, we hosted an exciting preliminary competition at AHS. The first meet where our team actually competes is on February 4th in Bridgewater, MA. If your child is interested in robotics, this is the group to follow.  The public is welcome to come and cheer the team on!Our program at NYAJ's will run the remaining Tuesday of January: the 31st.  Please consider supporting this enthusiastic and hardworking team!

Thanks,

Linda Yee
Parent Volunteer

Wilson Farm Fundraiser January 24th (entered on: 1/19/2012 7:50:18 PM)

Hello Arlington High School and Ottoson Middle School friends & families,

And, please feel free to forward this to your friends, relatives and neighbors!

Thank you for your support

Spaghetti Dinner/Book Fair Feb 9th. Sign up form here. (entered on: 1/18/2012 9:24:53 PM)

Any questions feel free to contact Lori Pescatore at loripescatore@hotmail.com

Ottoson Dance, Friday 1/27/2012 (entered on: 1/18/2012 3:12:33 PM)

There will be a dance in the Ottoson Cafeteria next Friday, Jan. 27th from 6-9.  Tickets are $10 and will be sold Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after school in the Cafeteria.  If you have any questions, please contact Chris Mahoney or Alecia Serafini.

Ottoson Participates in No Name Calling Week (entered on: 1/18/2012 12:15:03 PM)

Ottoson Bookfair Feb 6-10. Volunteers needed. (entered on: 1/17/2012 9:11:18 AM)

SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0C49A9AB2FA31-bookfair

OPAC Principal Breakfast Friday! (entered on: 1/9/2012 3:26:21 PM)

Ottoson Parents,

We would like to invite you to attend OPAC’s Breakfast with the Principal, Tim Ruggere, on Friday, January 13^th from 9-10:30 am in the Cafeteria at the Ottoson Middle School!

Come and bring your ideas to our Parent’s Group! Meet some of Ottoson’s Excellent Teachers! Hear about our Biggest Social Event of the Year! We’ll be serving Refreshments!

Cindy Wells and Jo Anne Preston OPAC Co-Presidents

Ottoson Select Chorus Selected to Perform at Massachusetts All State Conference (entered on: 1/9/2012 12:18:40 PM)

Dear Ottoson Community,

Please read the message below from Pasquale Tassone regarding the Ottoson Select Chorus' selection to perform at the All-State Conference in early March.

The Select Chorus is comprised of 30 Ottoson singers in 6th, 7th and 8th grade.  I've attached a list of the young singers as I know you will want to congratulate your students-they are from all clusters!!

My congratulations goes out to the whole group as well as the director, Cheryl Christo.  Groups apply from all over the state of Massachusetts.  This truly puts our school on the map in a very positive way.

My best,
Cori Gaffny

From Pat Tassone:

Hi All:

Parent Forum - Mindfulness in Education (entered on: 1/9/2012 8:07:24 AM)

PARENT   FORUMS  2011-2012

Mindfulness in Education

January 11, (Wednesday)                           
Snowdate January 31, (Tuesday)
Ottoson Middle School                                
7:00-8:30 p.m.

 For parents k-12

This workshop is offered to parents to introduce them to this mindfulness based

Approach to inner resilience training and social /emotional learning. It uses mindfulness to enable parents to become more familiar with what students would be learning about their inner world. Parents can learn how to help their child pay better attention, stay focused, and be kind, generous and grateful.  They can also develop skills that enable them to separate their emotions from their behavior, as in, “It’s okay to be frustrated but not okay to hit my little brother,” and teaches them to pause before they act as in, “when my parents sent me to my room, I did my mindful breathing instead of punching the wall.” This workshop can introduce valuable skills to adults.  When we all speak the same language, we communicate more effectively and live more cooperatively. 

PRESENTER:  Adam Liss is director of of Cape Stress & Optimal Health.  He has lived on Cape Cod since 1977. As early as 1975, he was practicing some of the techniques that came to be part of the first stress reduction programs that he developed and started teaching in 1992. He began integrating Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction into his programs in 1995 and participated in the first Teacher Development Intensive offered at U.Mass Medical Center’s Stress Reduction Program in in 1997.

Cindy Bouvier
Director of Wellness and Counseling Arlington Public Schools
781-316-3570
cbouvier@arlington.k12.ma.us

Important Information for 8th Grade Families (entered on: 1/8/2012 11:07:45 PM)

Hello Parents and Guardians

Mary
--

Winter Newsletter (entered on: 12/21/2011 10:13:16 PM)

Cluster 750 Seeks Chaperones for Museum of Science Field Trip THURSDAY, December 22 (entered on: 12/20/2011 1:02:47 PM)

The Ottoson Student Advisory Committee (OSAC) is looking for new members!! (entered on: 12/20/2011 12:23:05 PM)

As members you will attend monthly meetings with OSAC Advisors to discuss things like dances, fundraising, and ways to strengthen the student experience at the Ottoson. As a member you will be the liaison between students and
staff.

OSAC members will also sell dance tickets the week before the dance, and get into dances for free!

If you are interested in becoming a member, please you’re your name to your homeroom teacher. We will announce new members on Tuesday, January 3rd. New members should plan to attend the next meeting on Wednesday, January 4th after school in Mrs. Serafini’s Art Room (Room 322).

OPAC Needs YOU! (entered on: 12/17/2011 12:29:01 PM)

Information for morning drop off (entered on: 12/17/2011 12:27:21 PM)

Painters Needed to (entered on: 12/17/2011 12:25:30 PM)

Sad Announcement (entered on: 12/17/2011 12:24:27 PM)

Information for Play Auditions (entered on: 12/7/2011 12:11:53 PM)

          ANNOUNCEMENT to PARENTS:

AUDITIONS FOR OTTOSON MUSICAL 2011-2012

This year’s musical will be ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (modified),

THE KING AND I (Jr. version), or the play,  Mother Goose is Eaten by Werewolves, depending upon the results of auditions. Once Upon a Mattress is a hilarious version of the fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea,”  featuring Princess Winnifred, the swamp princess who swims the moat to find her Prince, while The King and I  is the powerful story of Anna Leonowens, who is summoned to Bangkok by the King to tutor his many children and wives.  Both are Broadway musicals, while the play is a zany version of Sleeping Beauty and is written by Steph DeFerie, the award-winning author of I Hate Shakespeare!   Performance dates are Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9, 2012 at 7:30 pm, with 2 day performances.  Sixth, seventh and eighth graders are encouraged to try out! 

Listed below are the audition dates:

Thursday, Dec. 15 – Audition meeting – to teach audition song and give out audition packet; 2:30, Drama Rm.

Monday, Dec. 19 – Music audition; 2:30-4:30pm (approximately), Music Rm.

Tuesday, Dec. 20 – Absentee music audition; 2:30, Music Rm

Wednesday, Dec. 21 – Acting Auditions; 2:30,  Drama Rm; will go later)

Thursday, Dec. 22 – Callbacks (music and acting); 2:30, Drama/Music Rm.  (will go later)

Friday, Dec. 23 – 2^nd call-backs (if necessary); 2:30, Drama or Music Rm.

If you have any questions, please contact Leslie Kilgore at:

lkilgore@arlington.k12.ma.us.

Japan Trip Summer 2012 (entered on: 11/29/2011 8:06:49 AM)

Cheerleading Fundraising Dance -- Dec 2nd (entered on: 11/29/2011 8:05:28 AM)

Dear Ottoson Parents:

 Arlington Pop Warner Cheerleading is excited to announce that our A Squad is going to Nationals! The seven girls on this team are all Ottoson students and have come in FIRST PLACE at every competition so far this season! The girls are currently working very hard to raise the money for the trip and one of the fundraisers is a dance for OMS students. Please see the date, time and location info below. The Arlington Pop Warner organization takes your child’s safety very seriously and to that end, we will be requiring a Parent/Student contract. You will find this contract attached. Additionally, copies of the form will be available at the ticket sale table for your child to pick up, if you are unable to print the document. OMS students will NOT be able to purchase tickets without this form nor will they be able to purchase tickets at the door. The event will be chaperoned by Arlington Pop Warner parents and volunteers.

 We look forward to a fun evening for all!! We hope all the OMS students will join us!

 What: APW Florida Fundraiser Dance

 When: December 2, 2011,  6:30 – 9:30

 Where: The Gibbs Gym
              41 Foster St
             Arlington, MA

 Tickets will be available after school next week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

 Please feel free to contact me at apwcheer@gmail.com,if you have any questions or concerns.

 Thanks!!

Carrie Scribner

Cheerleading Director
Arlington Pop Warner

AHS Informational Meeting for 8th Grade Parents (entered on: 11/28/2011 3:40:38 PM)

Dear Gr. 8 Parents,

 On Monday, December 12, 2011 Arlington High School Principal and Department Heads will hold an informational meeting for all families that have students entering AHS in the fall of 2012.  Staff will present information about programs and curriculum offered to grade 9 students.  We will also explain the course registration and orientation process for incoming students.   The general presentation will take place in Lowe Auditorium at 7:00 PM.  Department Heads will then be available in the Media Center until 8:30 PM to answer individual questions about specific content and the recommendation process for AHS course levels.

There is no need to register for this program.

Sincerely,

Mary Villano,  Interim Principal Arlington High School 781-316-3591 mvillano@arlington.k12.ma.us

Happy Thanksgiving -- Latest Newsletter (entered on: 11/23/2011 9:43:21 AM)

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Please click here for the latest newsletter.  Lot's of interesting news from Ottoson!

PARENT FORUM - The Secret Life of a Massachusetts Teen (entered on: 11/20/2011 11:54:06 AM)

November 30, 2011 (Wed.)                  Ottoson Middle School

For parents grades 6-12                         7-8:30 p.m.

“The Secret Life…” is a high energy presentation for large groups which actively focuses on what teens are really thinking, what they fear, why they do not share their fears, and how parents can more effectively support their teen.  Parents will leave the workshop with strategies they can implement immediately, new ways of understanding teens, and innovative techniques for engaging teens. The Belmont High School PTO President had this to say about Jon’s presentation; “Jon’s many years of working with teens become quickly apparent by the insightful information he presents, in a very funny and on-target-way.  His connection with the audience was visible by the many heads shaking in agreement and the flurry of questions parents were anxious to ask. My only advice is to reserve a big room- we had close to150 parents attend on a cold and snowy night!”

PRESENTER: Jon Mattleman-  JonMattleman received his B.A. from Clark University in 1978 and his MS in Counseling from the Univ. of Hartford in 1981.  He has created programs for youth and parents addressing issues such as drugs/alcohol, internet safety, depression,suicide, bullying and loss.  Jon’s workshops and presentations are geared to give participants tools they can implement immediately, strategies that work with children and youth and approaches, which have proven to be critical to building healthy relationships.  Jon frequently consults with schools, parent groups, and mental health organizations and in workplace settings regarding the issues of stress, depression and suicide.  In addition he is a sought out speaker on topics such as “The Secret Life of a Massachusetts Teen”.             

--
Cindy Bouvier Director of Wellness and Counseling Arlington Public Schools 781-316-3570 cbouvier@arlington.k12.ma.us

Google Calendar Added to Website (entered on: 11/17/2011 7:12:28 AM)

Ottoson events will now be shown on a google calendar at the bottom of the main page.  This calendar has several features you can explore.  Here are some:

• It can be printed. 
• It can be viewed by month, week, or as a list of events. 
• Clicking an event gives more detail. 
• There is an option to download an event directly into your own calendar.

Picture Makeup Day -- December 6th (entered on: 11/16/2011 2:13:26 PM)

Picture make-ups will be December 6th.  

If students want to have their pictures retaken they should bring their old picture to the session, they won't owe any money they will just retake the picture.  

The office has envelopes available for anyone who did not have their picture taken.

Ottoson Chorus Concert December 14th Town Hall (entered on: 11/16/2011 11:04:13 AM)

The Ottoson Chorus will hold a concert on Wednesday, December 14th at 7pm in Town Hall.  It will feature the 7th and 8th Grade Chorus, the 6th Grade Chorus and the Select Chorus.  It will be a great concert for families.

The concert is free, but non-perishible items will be accepted as donations to the Arlington Food Pantry.

Please come and share the music in this lovely concert space.

Parent Teacher Conference Registration (entered on: 11/10/2011 11:58:07 AM)

As in past years, parents should use an online utility for scheduling conferences at Ottoson.

Instructions and the utility are found on the district site at:

http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/parentconferences/

The registration period will open at 10am on November 16th.  Conference dates are:

December 1, 7 and 8  (Afternoon)
December 5 (Evening) 

Information about Private School Applications (entered on: 11/9/2011 8:03:48 AM)

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Private School Information Sheet in PDF Format
Private School Information Sheet in Word Format

Private School Brag Sheet in PDF Format
Private School Brag Sheet in editable Word Format

School Dance Friday November 4th (entered on: 11/2/2011 8:47:41 AM)

Ottoson Middle School will be having a dance this Friday, November 4th in the cafeteria.  The dance will be held from 6:00-9:00 PM and pizza and drinks will be provided.  Tickets will be on sale Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday after school in the cafeteria.  The price of the ticket is 10$ and the money will go to help improve the Ottoson.

Flu Clinic Final Info for Oct 19 Clinic (entered on: 10/18/2011 1:35:29 PM)

Dear Staff, Parents and Guardians,
 
The flu clinic for Arlington Public elementary school students and their families ,and staff will be tomorrow October 19 at the Ottoson Middle School from 4 to 6 pm. Please  bring your flu shot form that was sent home, completed and your insurance card. See you there. 
 
If you are unable to attend this clinic please call the Arlington Flu Clinic Hotline at #781 316-3413 for up to date information on other clinics. 

Many Thanks, 

Donna 

Donna Bastoni, RN
Bishop School Nurse
#781 316 3797

Ottoson Newsletter - 2011-10-17 (entered on: 10/17/2011 8:18:37 AM)

Click here for the latest edition!

Parent Portal Information (entered on: 10/14/2011 3:08:11 PM)

Parents may access the "Parent Portal" to view student progress.

Please click here to access the portal at https://secure.town.arlington.ma.us/PowerSchool/public/home.html

Account and Password information were mailed to each family in a paper letter in September.  If assistance is needed to login, please contact Caryn Gillis in the Ottoson office -- cgillis@arlington.k12.ma.us

Minuteman High School Infosession and Tours (entered on: 10/6/2011 2:28:16 PM)

Message from Kate Vigil in the Guidance Department

Dear 8th grade Parents/Guardians,
 
I hope your family's school year is off to a great start!
 
I wanted to inform you of some upcoming dates/events.
 
On October 4th, from 8:15-9am Minuteman Technical High School will be presenting a short assembly for our 8th grade students.  Your student will receive a Minuteman folder containing information about the options at Minuteman.  While this assembly is for students only, parents can get more information about Minuteman by calling them directly at 781-861-6500 x289 or visiting their website.
 
On Thursday, November 17th, students who are interested in exploring options at Minuteman and seeing the school will attend a tour of Minuteman High School.  In order to attend the tour students will need to turn in their permission slip no later than Thursday, November 10th.  Permission slips will be handed out in homerooms in early November, but you can also find the permission slip attached to this email and/or on the 8th grade cluster websites.
 
For more information about Minuteman Technical High School, the options available there, or the application process, please contact Minuteman at 781-861-6500 x289 or visit their website.
 
Thanks,
~Kate

Parent Forum - Guiding Good Choices -- for Parents of children 9-14 -- Registration Required (entered on: 10/6/2011 2:26:36 PM)

 PARENT FORUM 
  “GUIDING GOOD CHOICES”
PARENTING WORKSHOPS

For parents and caregivers of children ages 9-14
Participation is free, but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Guiding Good Choices (GGC) offers proven techniques and effective 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.
 
Facilitators: GGC workshops are facilitated by professionally trained members of the Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition (AYHSC). Sheryl Cohn is a LCSW, who has worked with children and families for 20 years. She is currently a school adjustment counselor, and the mother of twin children. Mindy Davin is a LICSW with an extensive background in child welfare and in mental health/substance abuse issues. She has twin girls in the Arlington Public Schools.
 
GGC consists of 5 workshops, held once a week for five consecutive weeks. This is an evidence-based program that requires participants to attend all five workshops.  Please register with AYHSC Director, Colleen Leger at 781-316-3179, or by email at cleger@town.arlington.ma.us.
 
October Series*: Wednesday nights (10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16) from 6:15-8:15 PM at the Arlington Senior Center (27 Maple Street).
 
*This program is funded by the Elizabeth and George L. Sanborn Foundation.
 
Additional Guiding Good Choices series will be offered later this fall, and in the spring.
 
 
Colleen Leger, MPH
Director of Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition
27 Maple Street
Arlington, MA 02476
Phone: 781-316-3179
Fax: 781-316-3175

Parents Forum with Michael Thompson -- Homesick and Happy (entered on: 10/6/2011 2:23:38 PM)

PARENT FORUM 2011-2012

Another in an excellent series of Parent Forums:

 
HOMESICK AND HAPPY
How Children Grow and Change When They Are Away from Their Parents

 October 13, 2011 ( Thursday,)                           Ottoson Middle School
For parents grades K-12                                       7-8:30 p.m.
             
In the US today, we have a generation of adults who are dedicated to doing a great job of parenting.  They want to produce healthy, happy children who are athletically skilled, socially accepted and academically successful.  There is nothing wrong with these parental ambitions.  However, there is an assumption that this kind of embedded parenting always adds psychological value.  Yet, there are actually many times when parental absence is the magic ingredient for a child and especially for a teenager.
In this talk, Dr. Thompson will explain how the greatest maturation in childhood occurs when children are away from their parents.  It will describe the experiences, excitement, fears and growth of situations away from home, especially in summer camps, that bring him to his conclusions.
 
PRESENTER:Michael Thompson: The heart of Dr. Thompson's work is lecturing to parents, teachers and students about the development of boys, the social lives of both boys and girls, the parent-teacher dynamic, school culture, how to raise responsible children, and the psychological journey of children through school. He and his co-author, Dan Kindlon, wrote the New York Times best-selling book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys.   He is the author of Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions About Raising Sons   and co-author of Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Worlds of Children, Mom, They're Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems, The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Achieve Success in School and in Life and his latest book, It's a Boy! is a comprehensive guide for the parents of boys. Dr. Thompson’s new book, “Homesick and Happy”, is  about children’s experiences away from their parents,when they are at summer camps or years abroad to remind parents that children grow and change when they are away from home.  Dr. Thompson is a resident of Arlington.
--

Cindy Bouvier
Director of Wellness and Counseling
Arlington Public Schools
781-316-3570
cbouvier@arlington.k12.ma.us

5-2-1 Afterschool Activity Program Continues (entered on: 10/6/2011 2:20:59 PM)

The 5-2-1 Afterschool Activity Program runs afterschool, and is free and open to all.

Good Afternoon,
 
If anyone has questions regarding Ottoson's 5-2-1 program, please email Robert Bartholomew at rbartholomew@arlington.k12.ma.us.
 
Thank you,
Tim

UPDATED - See Page 2 Permission Form --Flu Shots -- Available 10/19 with Permission Form (entered on: 10/6/2011 2:16:51 PM)

Flu Clinic 2011

The Arlington Public Health Department and Arlington Public Schools are again offering
seasonal flu vaccinations. Ottoson Middle School students will be able to receive the
flu vaccine on Wednesday, October 19. A cover letter and parent permission form will
be going home with students starting October 6. Please fill out the permission form
completely on both sides, attach a copy of your child’s insurance card to the permission
form and return to your child’s homeroom teacher by October 13.

The permission form may be downloaded by clicking here.

Please also complete page 2 of the permission form which may be downloaded by clicking here.

The complete Board of Health Flu information page is available here.

Ultimate Frisbee at Ottoson -- 5-2-1 Program (entered on: 9/30/2011 3:32:10 PM)

Learn the exciting sport of Ultimate Frisbee! Ultimate is a game played with a frisbee disc, that has elements of basketball, football and soccer. You will learn the throws, the rules and the sport that will stay with you for a lifetime! All you need to participate is a pair of sneakers or cleats and some comfortable clothes.
 
This four week session will begin on Friday, October 7th and will be held on the upper field at Ottoson from 2:30-3:45.
 
There is no cost for this, just show up!
 
Anne Murray, Kendra’s mom
Steve Delbanco, Lucas’ dad
 
What is Ultimate?  Here are some clips/resources to give you a better idea:
 
Mass HS All Start game 2010 at Dilboy Stadium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2-D4aCNN0E
Amherst High School: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN5x4J9Kv4U
Best Ultimate Plays of 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24D8OgbqrV4&feature=related
Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance website: http://www.buda.org/j2/index.php
USA Ultimate website: http://www.usaultimate.org/index.html

Contribute to Media Center Book Drive at Open House (entered on: 9/27/2011 12:34:39 PM)

Dear Parents,

Even if you are familiar with this, please read the entire message.
Tonight in the Ottoson lobby there will be a "Sponsor a Book for the
Library" table. Here's how it works: you choose any book on the table
that will be catalogued and put on the shelves in the Ottoson
library. These are all books the librarian, Edith Moisand feels are
needed or that the kids would like. The cost is $15 cash or check
(made out to OPAC library fund), or if you forget your wallet you can
pledge a book and send in the money with your child. We will give you
all the info. you need. Your child gets the added advantage of being
the first one to take the book out!

This year Edith and I are trying to raise funds for 2000 new books
for the library. When I first started volunteering with her two and a
half years ago, she was replacing outdated books from 1915 through
the 1950s. Can you imagine your child doing geography or science
projects with books from the 1930s? (No, we did not throw these out.
And yes they were extremely interesting, but not helpful for current
projects). Edith has managed to add to all areas of the library such
as new science books, books for projects that all the kids have to do
like the biography and national parks projects, and many, many
fiction books. This year she would like to add to the poetry
collection, short stories, books on building respect, persuasive
speech, and of course new fiction. Last year in the first week and a
half of school students took out nearly 1000 books! If your child
does not read a lot and you would like to hook them on reading,
please stop by the table and meet Edith. She is a master at it. I am
often in the Media center and there are always lines of kids taking
out books. The other day I was there and this young boy with a big
grin on his face came up to check out a book. He said to her "I just
have to read the second one! (in a series), but I have to keep the
first one for a report I'm going to do."

If you can't make it to the table please consider making a donation:
please make checks out to OPAC media fund and have your child drop it
off to Edith in the Media center or the main office. $15 buys a book,
but because of the many discounts and special educational sales the
larger the donation allows us to purchase many more. With $50 we can
buy close to 5 books and so on. We get a big bang for $100!
I hope you will consider donating to the Library and Media Center at
Ottoson. It really is the hub of the school and we want to interest
all kids to use it, to learn to do research, and to find a love of
reading that will carry them throughout their lives.

See you this evening!

Nancy Lowe
OPAC Library volunteer

OPEN HOUSE Tonight! (9-27) (entered on: 9/27/2011 12:33:22 PM)

Tonight parents/guardians will receive student schedules on arrival.  Parents/Guardians will follow the same schedule that students followed today.  Grade 6 parents/guardians will report to the cafeteria, grade 7 parents/guardians will report to the grade 7 wing, and grade 8 parents/guardians will report to the media center.  Schedules will then be distributed and parents will report to their child's homeroom.  At this point, an announcement will be made, and parents/guardians will move to first period.  Each class will last approximately ten minutes, and announcements will be made signifying that it is time to move to the next period.
 
See you tonight.
Tim

First OPAC Meeting Friday, 9/30/2011! (entered on: 9/26/2011 10:57:40 AM)

Message from Tim:

Please mark your calendars - 1st parent meeting of the 2011-12 school year!

Date & Time:    Friday, Sept-30 from 9-10:30am
Location:       School Cafeteria

My goal is to make you feel welcome in the school, give you an update and have a question & answer period. In addition, I will introduce the current Ottoson Parent Advisory Council (OPAC) officers and committee chairs. This year I am looking for two dedicated parents to lead the strong and well-functioning organization that is already in place. OPAC supports the students, teachers and parents. It is a great way to become involved and make a difference in your child's middle school experience. I look forward to meeting you on the 30th!

Current OPAC Officers and Committee Chairs:
Tim Ruggere (Me!) - Vice President/Chair
Carol Chicarello - Treasurer
Rebecca Riccio - Annual Fund Coordinator
Nancy Lowe - Corresponding Secretary
Linda Magram - Building Respect Task Force
Anna Watson - LGBTQ Coordinator

Open Positions include: Co-Chairs, Recording Secretary, Special Events Chairs, Cluster Parent Coordinators, School Directory Chair, 8th Grade Recognition Co-Chairs

First Newsletter of the Year Now Available (entered on: 9/19/2011 10:48:56 PM)

Click here to see the first Ottoson Newsletter.  Information on Ottoson Gardening, AM/PM Program, Mr. Zierk's trip to Nicaragua and more!

AM/PM Registration form posted (entered on: 9/9/2011 8:59:05 AM)

The AM/PM form for the fall season has been posted.  It is available by clicking the link on the left side of the home page, or by clicking here.

Ottoson Calendar Posted -- Now with ABCD Days! (entered on: 9/8/2011 9:47:41 PM)

The Ottoson calendar has been posted on this website.  It can be found under the calendar links or by clicking here.

The rotating schedule is indicated by the A-B-C-D letter days on each date.

2011-2012 Staff List - Updated 9/14/2011 (entered on: 9/7/2011 1:04:58 PM)

The Staff List has not been updated as yet for the new year -- it will be soon!

In the meantime, click here for a pdf file of the current staff.

E-Mail addresses are generally the first letter of the first name followed by the last name.  For instance Frank Williams would be fwilliams@arlington.k12.ma.us

Cluster Lists (entered on: 9/6/2011 2:00:15 PM)

This is a message from Principal Ruggere that was written on Sept 2nd:

Hello,
 
I know that everyone is anxious to see the cluster assignments.  After I tweak the schedules one more time, I will send them out.  I hope to have them out by Monday afternoon.  I look forward to seeing you all next week and hope that you had a wonderful summer!
 
Have a great weekend!
Tim

Important Notice from the Nurse Regarding Immunizations (entered on: 8/29/2011 10:11:15 PM)

A Note from the Nurse:

A reminder to the parents of incoming 7^th graders that Massachusetts State law requires that all Massachusetts schools have proof of complete immunization for students to start school.  We are required to have the dates of students’ Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) and chicken pox boosters before they receive a homeroom assignment on the first day of school. If your child has not yet had the required shots, please call their doctor’s office to schedule a quick appointment for those immunizations before September 8. That information may be faxed to 781 641-5436 or scanned and sent as an email attachment to phassett@arlington.k12.ma.us.  Being excluded on the first day of school is upsetting for any child. Please ask your child’s doctor if their immunizations are complete and forward that information to school.

Thank you,

Pat Hassett, R.N.

School Nurse

781 316-3745x2107

Fall School Supply Lists Available - Updated 2011-08-24 (entered on: 7/28/2011 8:16:12 AM)

Supply lists have been updated for the 2011 school year as of August 24th, 2011.

Click here for supply lists for 6th and 7th grade.

Click here for supply lists for 8th grade.

Tour of High School for incoming Freshmen (entered on: 6/21/2011 10:29:16 PM)

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony (entered on: 6/20/2011 2:44:49 PM)

610 Trip to Ogunquit postponed to 6/22 (entered on: 6/15/2011 10:30:39 PM)

I just wanted to confirm that the sixth grade field trip for tomorrow
has been rescheduled to next Wednesday. An earlier notice was sent
out, but i've heard from some parents that it was not received.

Thanks,
Donna Dolan

Special Ed Informational Meeting RESCHEDULED (entered on: 6/14/2011 11:16:42 AM)

Special Ed Informational Meeting at Ottoson (entered on: 6/11/2011 8:34:09 AM)

New Electives at AHS -- Grade 8 Please Sign up! (entered on: 6/11/2011 8:30:11 AM)

Dear Gr. 8 Parents,

The passing of the override has allowed us to restore some of the electives at AHS that were cut this past spring. We would like to provide gr. 8 students an opportunity to choose an elective that was previously unavailable. If you and your child would like to change his/her elective choices for next year, please follow the link below and select your top three elective choices.   We will keep this link open until Friday, June 17.

Click here to select your new preferences.

https://spreadsheets0.google.com/a/arlington.k12.ma.us/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&formkey=dGFDVzE3YWdtNnZyVXl0Wjl5V2t3Nnc6MQ#gid=0

We will retain the original choices made by students who choose not to revise their selections.

Charles Skidmore
Mary Villano

Water OK on Hot Days!! (entered on: 6/8/2011 4:14:29 PM)

Summer Reading Lists (entered on: 5/25/2011 2:36:47 PM)

Summer reading lists will be posted on the district website.  Please click here to view them.

Instrumental Concert Thursday, May 26th, 7pm (entered on: 5/25/2011 2:34:53 PM)

There will be an Ottoson Middle School Spring Instrumental Concert on Thursday, May 26, at 7:00 PM at OMS in the wood gym.  This concert will feature, the Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, and the Select Chamber Orchestra.

Youth Health and Safety Coalition Survey (entered on: 5/19/2011 12:02:11 PM)

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 The Ottoson Middle School, The Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition and Northeast Health Resources are collaborating on a very important project to study health issues and risk factors among Ottoson Middle School students.  The survey was also administered in 2002, 2006 and 2009. Questions on the survey address issues such as student alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, in school and out of school activities, safety, coping with stress, gambling, sexual behavior (grade 7 & 8 only), diet, and exercise.  The information gained through the survey will help us to develop better prevention and intervention programs and curricula.   The information is critical in developing programs that meet our students’ needs. Students will not be asked to put their names on the questionnaire. 

 The purpose of this letter is to give you the opportunity to keep your student out of the study if you do not want him/her to participate for any reason.  If we do not hear from you, we will assume that you approve of your student’s participation.  The student is under no obligation to participate in the study, and he/she may decide not to participate at any time.

 If you do NOT want your child to participate, you must fill out this form and return it to the Ottosn Main Office by June 1, 2011.  Click here for the form.  The survey will be given on June 8th.

Calendar Revised, 2011-2012 Calendar posted (entered on: 5/18/2011 12:34:00 PM)

An updated calendar and the 2011-2012 district calendar have been added to the Calendar page under the "What's Up" menu selection at the top of the page.

Special Education Open House - May 12th (entered on: 5/4/2011 10:20:25 AM)

Dear parents and guardians,


As we begin the process of planning for your child’s 6th, 7th, or 8th grade transition to Ottoson Middle School for the Fall 2011, the Ottoson Middle School is hosting a special education open house. This open house is planned for Thursday May 12, 2011 from 6:30-8:00 at the Ottoson Middle School.

We have planned a wonderful program to inform you of the many different special education programs and related services offered at the Ottoson for Individual Education Program students. Our special education faculty will provide an informational overview and answer general questions regarding the Ottoson special education department and the programs offered for IEP students entering in the Fall 2011.

Please check in the main lobby between 6:30-7:00 for the location of child’s program review

Meet and Greet 6:30-7:00
Program Review 7:00-8:00


Sincerely,


Tim Ruggere, Principal
Steven Orloff, Assistant Direct of Special Education
Lisa Smith, Special Education Team Chairperson
Chris Carlson, Special Education Team Chairperson

Important Message Regarding Foreign Language (entered on: 5/4/2011 10:17:03 AM)

Information on Japanese Festival and Student Dance (entered on: 4/25/2011 7:32:40 AM)

Welcome our friends from our Japanese sister city, Nagaokakyo, and attend an Ottoson student dance.

For more information about the event, please click here.

For a program of activities, click here.

Revised Calendar for Rest of Year (entered on: 4/20/2011 11:17:42 AM)

Click here to download the latest calendar which has been updated as of 4-20-2011

April Newsletter (entered on: 4/16/2011 5:49:58 PM)

Click here for the Ottoson April Newsletter!

2nd annual Town-wide, Family-friendly Cherry Blossom Festival at the Ottoson! (entered on: 4/12/2011 2:37:33 PM)

2nd annual Town-wide, Family-friendly Cherry Blossom Festival at the Ottoson!
Thursday April 28th, 6:30-8 PM.

Come and try your hand at origami and calligraphy, see a Kendo demonstration, watch the Japanese Sister City Exchange students perform..and do not miss the return of Singing Sensei principals, Selectmen and School Committee members!

Information from School Nurse Regarding BMI (entered on: 4/12/2011 2:35:59 PM)

Dear 7th Grade Parents/Guardians:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health mandated BMI screening results will be mailed home at the end of this week. The families of all students in grades 1,4,7 and 10 will be receiving these letters. Before the screening results go home I wanted you to know that BMI might not tell the whole story about your child’s weight. Other factors can affect your child’s BMI. For example, BMI cannot tell the difference between muscle and fat. An athletic child with a lot of muscle may have a high BMI but not be overweight, although the screening puts the child in the overweight category. All the information is confidential and in no way shared with other school personnel. Please speak to your child’s primary care provider with any concerns you might have about the results of the screening. I can be reached at 781 316-3745x2107 or phassett@arlington.k12.ma.us. Enjoy vacation week.

Pat Hassett, R.N.
School Nurse

PowerPoint Presentation for Current 8th Graders (entered on: 4/8/2011 12:04:46 PM)

Click here for the PowerPoint presentation that was made at the meeting for 8th Grade Parents in April, 2011

Information about Grade 9 Course Selections (entered on: 4/7/2011 1:41:13 PM)

Here is information for 8th Graders heading to AHS next year.

Click here for the Course Listings

Course selections sheets will be sent home with students on Friday, April 8th.

Dear Parents / Guardians,
Course selection sheets will be coming home with your student this afternoon.

1.  Please review the teachers’ recommendations & keep in mind that
the teachers have made the recommendations that they feel is the best
fit for your student in each subject area.

2.  All students are required to take Physical Education.  You don’t
check any box in this area of the sheet—it will happen automatically.

3. World Language is strongly recommended (but not required) for 9th
grade students.  Students that did not take a language at Ottoson may
sign up for Curr. A (beginner) languages.  If your student has taken a
language at Ottoson we recommend that they follow their teachers’
recommendation for course level.

4. For students who receive Special Education services, the teachers
have made their recommendations if services need to be continued at
the high school level.

5. Next take some time to discuss the electives offered.  Each student
needs to pick 5 electives and mark them 1-5 in order of preference (1
being top choice).  The current budget allows for 1 elective per
student—but please label your top 5 selections in case there are any
changes in the budget over the summer.

Once you have reviewed the front side of the sheet you will find the
parent/guardian sign-off on the back side of the sheet.  You have 2
options:
1.	Check “Agree” and sign.
2.	if you don’t agree with the selections complete the changes you
feel are necessary and sign. OMS Guidance and Administration will not
override teachers’ recommendations; however, it is your right to do
so.

For your assistance you will be able to find the AHS 9th grade course
listing with descriptions at
http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ottoson/main/pdf_files/Grade_9_Course_listings.pdf
Additionally, for those that missed the informational meeting on
Monday, here click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

We hope we have provided you with all the information you need to
complete the course selection sheets.  Please return the completed &
signed sheet with your student—they will be collected Monday 4/11, and
Tuesday 4/12 in homeroom.  All sheets need to be returned by Tuesday
4/12.

Thanks,
~Kate


-- 
Kate Vigil, LICSW
Ottoson Middle School
63 Acton St. Arlington, MA 02476

Tele: 781-316-3745 x2112
Fax:  781-641-5436

You have received this message because you are a subscribed member of the Ottoson_news mailing list. To unsubscribe from this list or change your membership configuration, go to:
http://public.arlington.k12.ma.us/mailman/listinfo/ottoson_news

Parent Education Forums for April (entered on: 4/7/2011 8:08:28 AM)

There are two forums coming up in April:

EMPOWERING Children, Teens and Families Bullying in Childhood and Adolescence on April 13, 7-8:30pm at Hardy School 

and 

A Collaborative Problem Solving ApproachParenting, Teaching and Treating Challenging Kids on April 26, 6:30-9pm at Ottoson

For more information on these two evenings, please click here.

New Dates Added to Calendar (entered on: 4/1/2011 1:12:04 PM)

Here are some end of year activities:

Guidelines for Tonight's Dance (April 1) (entered on: 4/1/2011 1:10:26 PM)

The Dance is tonight -- Friday April 1.

Please click here to review the Dance Guidelines

Important Information for 8th Grade Parents (entered on: 3/29/2011 1:19:39 PM)

Dear Grade 8 Parents/Guardians,

 Your son/daughter will be receiving the Grade 9 Program of Studies and course selection materials during the next week.  The Program of Studies will also be available on-line (http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/home) as of April 4. 

 The process will start with Grade 8 teachers making recommendations for course levels for each of the core content area classes.  Sometime later next week or early the following week, your son/daughter will bring home their course selection sheets for you to sign before they are returned to us.

 We will be bringing a group of high school students and department heads to the Ottoson on Monday afternoon, April 4, to provide students with information about high school courses, extra-curricular activities, and life at Arlington High School.

 We would also like to invite you to a Parent Information Session on Monday evening, April 4, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, at the Ottoson Middle School. At this meeting, we will provide you with information about the course selection process and Grade 9 courses. We will also answer questions you may have about Arlington High and our programs.

 We look forward to assisting you and your children as they transition from middle school to high school.

 Sincerely,

 Charles Skidmore                                                      Mary Villano

Principal, Arlington High School                               Assistant Principal

From Principal Ruggere regarding Next Year's Schedule (entered on: 3/26/2011 12:31:07 PM)

Good Morning,

It seems that at the incoming grade 6 night, some of the teachers gave their interpretation of next year's schedule and intimated that we may have up to 11 directed studies per week.  Even though, with cut backs, we would potentially have more directed studies next year, I do not believe that the number would be anywhere near 11 studies per week.  We have not finalized any schedule for next year, so giving any number of studies at this point or to talk about any final cuts at this point would be premature.  I am sorry if any information given was upsetting to anyone.  The teachers did the best they could with the information that they had.  We will continue to work to provide students with the best possible educational experience that we can.  We will have a solid schedule with as few directed studies as possible.

Tim

Summer Algebra 1 Review (entered on: 3/25/2011 7:29:06 AM)

A review course for students who want to prepare for Honors Geometry (9th grade) or Algebra II (10th grade), this course is not a replacement for Impact 2B, but reviews important concepts in Algebra 1.  Course meets Aug. 15-26@Ottoson Middle School from 9am-noon, and is taught by Jane Martin, a subject-certified instructor.  Cost is $300.  Enrollment is limited; minimum class enrollment is needed for the course to take place, so please register early.  Send questions about this course to Mrs. Martin jmartin@arlington.k12.ma.us.  To register, call 781 316-3568.

REMINDER - OPENHOUSE TONIGHT - March 24th (entered on: 3/24/2011 2:07:28 PM)

The Ottoson Open House and Exploration Evening for incoming Grade 6 Parents and Incoming Grade 7 parents (in other words current Grade 5 and 6 parents) will be held tonight, Thursday, March 24th, from 7-9pm.

This event is not mandatory, and is not for students.

For more information, please click here.

Cluster 750 Seeks Chaperones for Japan Fundraising Dance (entered on: 3/23/2011 12:41:25 PM)

The 750 cluster students are sponsoring a school-wide dance on 4/1/2011 to raise money for children of Japan.  Students are taking most of th einitiative and are very excited.  They need about 20 parents to help with chaperoning and claeaning up.  Parents would need to arrive at 6:15.  The dance will run from 6:30-9:00.  They will also need five parents to supervise the clean up crew until 9:15 or so. (We will have lots of student volunteers.) 

For more information, please contact Nancy Lowe at nlowe@mit.edu

OPAC Meeting Minutes -- 2011-03-11 (entered on: 3/17/2011 2:01:41 PM)

Very full OPAC meeting this month.  Click here for the minutes of the meeting.

March 14th Newsletter (entered on: 3/14/2011 11:32:30 AM)

Click here for the latest edition of the Ottoson Newsletter!

Message from the Nurse Regarding Body Mass Index (BMI) (entered on: 3/14/2011 9:29:51 AM)

In the next few weeks we will be collecting heights and weights and calculating BMIs (Body Mass Index) for all 7^th grade students.  The results will be communicated to parents and guardians in a direct and confidential manner. Parents and guardians will also receive information that explains the BMI screening. This screening is mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (105 CMR 200.000) and applies to all Massachusetts students in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please contact me at 781 316-3745x2107 or by email at phassett@arlington.k12.ma.us.

Thank you,

Pat Hassett, R.N.
School Nurse

Important Parking Information for Musical! (entered on: 3/10/2011 2:59:37 PM)

Open House and Exploration Night Information (entered on: 3/9/2011 11:42:33 AM)

The Spring Open House and Exploration Night are being combined into a single evening on March 24th.

Click here for the full announcement.

Reminder: OPAC & Principal Coffee Meeting Friday 3/11 and Spring Update (entered on: 3/7/2011 4:18:35 PM)

Dear OMS Parents & Guardians,

Click here for the Spring OPAC Update!

Please join us for coffee & discussion at the next OPAC & Principal Coffee meeting this FRIDAY 3/11 from 9:00 - 10:30 in the OMS cafeteria. Agenda items include:

•  OPAC Updates - Annual Fund, Sub-Committees, Recent Events, Upcoming Events
• Teacher Question & Answer - Kirsten Silverman - 6th Grade Math and Julianna Keyes - 8th Grade Social Studies
• Principal Updates/Open Discussion

Thank you & best regards,

Nita Longo
2010-2011 Chair
Ottoson Parent Advisory Counci

Phones are Fixed! (entered on: 2/28/2011 1:00:59 PM)

The phones at Ottoson are working once again.

Ottoson Phones not Working 2-28-2011 (entered on: 2/25/2011 11:26:14 AM)

The phones at Ottoson were not working on Friday, 2/25/2011.  They are still not working as of 10am Monday, 2/28.  The vendor has been notified, and it is hoped that they will be fixed by Tuesday, 3/1.

If you need to contact the school, please use email -- Caryn Gillis cgillis@arlington.k12.ma.us or Pam Byrne, pbyrne@arlington.k12.ma.us

Ottoson Presents The Music Man (entered on: 2/18/2011 12:28:37 PM)

Harold Hill strikes again!

On Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11, the infamous con artist, traveling salesman, and self-proclaimed ”Music Man” Harold Hill, will sweep into town and fleece the “stubborn Iowans” of River City out of their money with the promise of establishing a boys’ band. Despite the fact that he doesn’t know one instrument from another, Harold is quite successful; that is, until he falls for Marian, River City’s staunch librarian, who unintentionally foils his attempts at skipping town with a roll of cash and instead transforms him into a respectable citizen. In the process he has unknowingly bestowed upon the staid citizens of River City a zest for life, a love of music, a belief in personal accomplishment… and a boys’ band.

With a large, talented cast, colorful dance numbers and memorable tunes such as “76 Trombones” and “Till There was You,” Music Man Jr. is not to be missed. Showtime is at 7:30pm in the Ottoson wooden gym.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.  Tickets will also be available at some lunches during the week of March 7-11.  If paying by check, please make payable to Arlington Public Schools, and put a memo for Ottoson Drama.

Opportunity to Travel to Japan this Summer (entered on: 2/16/2011 2:36:53 PM)

PowerSchool Portal Information (entered on: 2/14/2011 10:35:44 AM)

In order to access the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please visit this link:

https://secure.town.arlington.ma.us/PowerSchool/public/home.html

You will need an account id and password in order to log in.  If you don't have that information, please contact Caryn Gillis in the Ottoson Office:  781-316-3744 / cgillis@arlington.k12.ma.us 

Concert Tonight -- Friday 2/11 (entered on: 2/11/2011 11:50:00 AM)

Parent Forums - Talking to Kids About Sex, the Internet, Stress and Drugs (entered on: 2/10/2011 9:14:04 AM)

This Parent Forum opportunity was forwarded to me and I thought I would share with you since the speaker has come to Arlington in the past and parents have really liked her. There is a contact number below if you have any questions regarding Sharon Maxwell's series.

Cindy Bouvier

Dear Friend,

We are requesting your help in spreading the word about a series of important workshops for parents this spring.

The Karuna School is hosting a series of three evenings with Dr. Sharon Maxwell that promises to be extremely helpful to all parents.

The series is called "Talking to Kids About Sex, the Internet, Stress and Drugs" and it will take place on the first Friday evenings of March, April and May.  Dr. Maxwell is a nationally known PhD psychologist who works with parents and kids and is remarkably informed and inspiring on these critical topics. Dr. Maxwell is very skilled at sharing her experience, getting discussions going, and fielding questions.  We are confident that we will all learn a great deal from her and from each other.

Dr. Maxwell is an award-winning author, educator, and practicing clinical psychologist. Her work has been featured in TIME Magazine, US News and World Report, Working Mother, The Boston Globe, on NPR, Oprah and Friends, and Fox News. The Boston Parents Paper has voted Dr. Maxwell a 2009 Family Advocate of the Year.

We hope your school community will take advantage of this opportunity.

 We have attached a flyer about this event to this email so that you can spread the word to parents, parent groups, and teachers.

For more information or to register visit our website http://www.karunaschool.org, or call our office at 781-728-3355.

Thank you!

Warmly,

The Karuna School Team

Professional Day on Feb 28 now Early Release Day - no lunch (entered on: 2/10/2011 7:42:31 AM)

Dear Parent/Guardians,

 

This year we have experienced more snow days this winter than in the last three years combined.  In order to prevent (hopefully) the school year from extending into the week of June 27, the School Committee voted on Tuesday to change the district 's Professional Day scheduled on February 28 to an early release day with dismissal at 11:30  (no lunch served).  Teachers and staff will use the rest of the day for professional development. This change is supported by the Arlington Educators Association.

 

We realize that this is short notice and that many families have made vacation plans to return home on Monday, February 28. You do not need to change your vacation plans.  At all levels, teachers will use the morning to review and/or supplement or extend the curriculum.  If your child will  be absent from school on February 28 due to vacation plans, please inform your child's school of the absence before leaving on vacation.  Absences due to planned vacations will be excused.

 

Given the schedule change, the last day of school will be June 24 unless we have any additional snow days.  The school year cannot extend beyond the close of the fiscal year (June 30).  Given this restriction, we have four remaining days in June that can be used to make-up snow days.  If we exceed four snow days, then we will need to consider either shortening the April vacation or scheduling Saturday classes in order to meet the Department of Education's 180 day requirement.  Early release days count toward the 180 day s. However, schools must also provide 900 (elementary) or 990 (secondary) instructional hours, which we will.

 

I hope that there will not be a need for any additional snow days this year.  But, my first consideration will always be the safety of our students and staff.

 

Sincerely,

 

Kathleen Bodie

Superintendent of Schools 

Andrade Family In Need of Help (entered on: 2/9/2011 4:03:02 PM)

Dear Ottoson Families-
Please read important update below.  Donations will be accepted tonight
at the Spaghetti Supper.  Thank you for your consideration and generous efforts.


Over this past weekend an Ottoson Middle School Metco family lost everything due to a devastating fire in their apartment.  The family has 4 children, the oldest boy is an Ottoson Middle School student and another child attends 2^nd grade at the Dallin.  At this time, we are looking for monetary donations and gift cards to enable the family to obtain the most essential items.

A huge “thank you” goes out to the OMS staff, parents, students, Board of Youth Services, town agencies and members of the community who have already responded without hesitation to this critical situation requiring assistance on many levels.  

We are reaching out to all of you at this time to continue the momentum of good will, donations and heartfelt efforts to take care of our own.  Here are the immediate needs:

Monetary Donations:    A fund has been set up for the Andrade family

Gift Cards:   CVS, Walgreens, Stop & Shop, Target

Drop off locations:   

1. Spaghetti Supper on Wednesday 2/9/11

2)  Main Office at the Ottoson Middle School

      or send donation in to child’s  homeroom teacher

      Again, thank you for your acts of kindness.  Arlington is truly a great community.

February OPAC Meeting Rescheduled to March 11th (entered on: 2/7/2011 9:31:24 AM)

Because of the upcoming Spaghetti Social, the February OPAC meeting has been rescheduled to:

March 11th, 2011 -- 9:00-10:30am

Grade Portal News (entered on: 2/7/2011 9:27:41 AM)

No School Wednesday, Feb 2 (entered on: 2/1/2011 1:52:32 PM)

Superintendent Bodie has announced that there will be no school in the Arlington Public Schools on Wednesday, February 2.

Snow update -- Tuesday 2/1/2011 (entered on: 2/1/2011 1:06:33 PM)

Due to inclement weather, all afternoon and evening activities are CANCELLED for today, Tuesday, February 1st.

Ottoson Chorus Rehearsal - Feb 1st - CANCELLED (entered on: 2/1/2011 12:56:57 PM)

The Ottoson Chorus rehearsal that was scheduled for today from 12:30-2:30pm at the High School has been cancelled. Students will be dismissed regularly from the Ottoson at 2:30pm

Snow Day Thursday, Jan 27 (entered on: 1/27/2011 6:43:42 AM)

Due to heavy snow, Superintendent Bodie has declared that there will not be school on Thursday, Jan 27th.

Ottoson Budget Forum February 3rd (entered on: 1/24/2011 3:13:00 PM)

Budget Presentation on Impact to High School for Next Year (entered on: 1/24/2011 1:37:57 PM)

RESCHEDULED: Arlington SEPAC Hosts Basic Rights Workshop (entered on: 1/24/2011 1:25:51 PM)

(Please note, this event has been rescheduled)
The Arlington SEPAC is pleased to present The Basic Rights workshop, providing families with an introduction to their rights and responsibilities under:

- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) 
- Massachusetts Special Education Law and 
- No Child Left Behind (NCLB).   
 
This workshop is designed to help parents learn to be effective partners with their child’s school to decide their child’s eligibility for special education, and to create individualized plans (IEPs), make decisions and monitor their child’s progress in school.  
 
Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011       
Location:  AHS School Cmte Room, 6th floor   
Time:   7-9 p.m. 
Contact:  arlingtonsepac@yahoo.com 
 
This workshop will be a co-presentation by Mark Ryder, Director of Special Education, Arlington Public Schools, and Michael Levi, Chair of the Arlington SEPAC.  Materials have been provided through the generosity of the Federation for Children with special Needs.  All workshops are free to parents and open to the public.  You are welcome to attend any workshop in or outside of your immediate community.    Please register in advance atarlingtonsepac@yahoo.com so we have handouts for all attendees.     
 
Join Us!

2nd Annual OMS Spaghetti Social - Important info Please Read & Print Attachment Wed Feb 9th! (entered on: 1/22/2011 3:25:16 PM)

Subject:  2011 OMS Spaghetti Supper - Wed., Feb. 9th

Dear Ottoson Families,

It's back and it's BIG!  Bring the whole family to the 2nd Annual Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Spaghetti Supper and Book Fair!

Its cloudy...thank Goodness there's a chance of meatballs!  Indulge in comfort food, including spaghetti, meatballs, bread and salad by Chef Michael O'Keefe of The Corporate Kitchen (and OMS Parent).  Relax to the sounds of a live DJ and be delighted by the vocals of our very own Mr. Ruggere.  Catch up with old friends and meet new ones.  And, check out Ottoson's book fair, open til 8:00 pm on this night in the media center.

Date:   Wednesday, February 9th

Time:   6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (food served until 7:30)

Place:  Ottoson Middle School Trattoria - and OMS Media Center

Access:  OMS main doors. (From Mass Ave heading toward Lexington, make a left onto Appleton Street and another left onto Acton)

Reservations:  $7 each (with $30 family cap)- limited availability; put the attached form and check in an envelope marked "Spaghetti Supper Reservation Request"; either send with your child to school to hand to homeroom teacher or return to a special box in the main office no later than Thurs, 2/3!  You will receive an email confirmation indicating receipt of your reservation.  Last year's event was wildly successful with 350+ reservations made.  Please note that we will not accept walk in reservations so please send in your form ASAP! CLICK HERE FOR RESERVATION FORM

Proceeds: Any profit will fund benefit the Building Respect Task Force and the World of Difference Peer Leadership Program.  The theme is "Building Community, Building Respect".  Members of the Building Respect Task Force will be in the lobby to answer any questions.

Requests: A few extra hands are still needed for the day of the event. If you'd like to help out, email jagoodwin67@gmail.com and she'll put you in touch with the volunteer team of your choice.   This is a great and FUN way to get involved at OMS!

Reminders:  To help build a vibrant OMS community across generations, all OMS students and their siblings must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Bottled water will be on sale for $1 each. In case of snow, ticket price becomes an automatic donation to fund the Building Respect Task Force. Talk about a win/win. Also, the Spaghetti Supper attachment with this email has the reservation form on the bottom, so please launch it, print it and send it in! 

  Many, many  thanks to Co-Chairs Jennifer Goodwin & Diane Crowley for organizing this big social event and to Co-Chairs Edith Moisand & Nancy Lowe for organizing the Book Fair for the whole week!

We truly hope you can join us!

Best Regards,

OPAC Co-Chairs  Nita Longo & Sandy Stergiou

Magazine Sale Fundraiser (entered on: 1/21/2011 1:44:49 PM)

Good Afternoon,

No School Friday Jan 21 (entered on: 1/21/2011 7:21:00 AM)

Supt Bodie has cancelled school for Friday, Jan 21st due to snow.

5-2-1 After school Exercise Program -- Free to all (entered on: 1/19/2011 8:22:04 PM)

The new 5-2-1 program is up and going.  Click here for a full listing of available after school activities that are FREE.

Athletic Fee Survey (entered on: 1/18/2011 9:31:59 PM)

BASIC RIGHTS in Special Education (entered on: 1/12/2011 10:05:58 PM)

(Please note, this event has been rescheduled)

The Arlington SEPAC is pleased to present The Basic Rights workshop, providing families with an introduction to their rights and responsibilities under:

- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004)
- Massachusetts Special Education Law and
- No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  
 
This workshop is designed to help parents learn to be effective partners with their child’s school to decide their child’s eligibility for special education, and to create individualized plans (IEPs), make decisions and monitor their child’s progress in school. 
 
Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011      
Location:  AHS School Cmte Room, 6th floor  
Time:   7-9 p.m.
Contact:  arlingtonsepac@yahoo.com
 
This workshop will be a co-presentation by Mark Ryder, Director of Special Education, Arlington Public Schools, and Michael Levi, Chair of the Arlington SEPAC.  Materials have been provided through the generosity of the Federation for Children with special Needs.  All workshops are free to parents and open to the public.  You are welcome to attend any workshop in or outside of your immediate community.    Please register in advance at arlingtonsepac@yahoo.com so we have handouts for all attendees.    
 
 
Join Us!

No School Thursday (entered on: 1/12/2011 4:33:57 PM)

Superintendent Bodie has announced there is no school on Thursday due to the snow storm.

Enjoy another day off!

School Closed Wednesday, January 12 (entered on: 1/11/2011 6:18:18 PM)

Basketball is back! (entered on: 1/10/2011 1:34:39 PM)

ROBOTICS COMPETITION, Red Gym, AHS, Sun Jan. 16, 10:30 - 4:00, open to public free of charge (entered on: 1/6/2011 12:21:33 PM)

Robotics Outreach at Lincoln Laboratory (ROLL) and the Arlington HS Robotics team is hosting a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) First Tech Challenge (FTC) Massachusetts State Qualifier Tournament at the Arlington High School Red Gym on January 16, 2011. FTC is a program designed for high school students who design, build and program a robot to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Eighteen teams from MA will compete for the opportunity to advance to the State Tournament to be held March 12, 2011 at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, Palmer, MA. Advancement is automatic for teams on the winning alliance and the winner of the FTC Inspire award. The remaining slots are filled by lottery selection from the finalist alliance and the other judged award winners.

The object of the robot competition, Get Over It!, is to score more points than your opponent’s alliance by emptying baton dispensers filled with 6-inch long PVC tubes and scoring them in goals.  Two alliances composed of two teams each competed in matches consisting of a 40 second autonomous period followed by a two minute driver-controlled period.

Robot inspection and judging begin at 7:30 am, qualifying rounds begin after the opening ceremony at 10:30 am, and the final elimination rounds start at 3:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public. 

Spaghetti Social is Coming!!! (entered on: 1/6/2011 7:50:58 AM)

Save the Date!  Wednesday, February 9th for our second annual OPAC Spaghetti Social . This will be held again during the week of the OMS Scholastic Book Fair. OPAC is hosting this Community Building event in support of the OMS Building Respect Task Force. Thanks to Diane Crowley and Jenn Goodwin for stepping up to chair this great event. Stay Tuned for more details!

MCAS Dates for Spring 2011 (entered on: 12/30/2010 11:35:41 AM)

The following are the MCAS dates for this spring:

Holiday Greetings and Latest Newsletter (entered on: 12/23/2010 3:44:04 PM)

Good Afternoon,

Dance Info -- Need more Parent Volunteers (entered on: 12/8/2010 8:10:55 AM)

Hello,

Ottoson Winter Concert Tuesday December 14th (entered on: 12/8/2010 8:08:16 AM)

The Ottoson Winter Concert will take place at 7pm on Tuesday December 14th.  Please click here for more information.

Ottoson Announces Spring Musical Auditions (entered on: 12/8/2010 8:06:20 AM)

Please click this link for information on tryouts

OPAC Breakfast Friday 12/10 (entered on: 12/3/2010 9:47:11 AM)

We had a great OPAC meeting this morning and will be having our OPAC breakfast meeting next Friday from 9-10:30 in the Ottoson Cafeteria.  I hope to see you all there.

Tim

Athletic Fee Advisory Committee (entered on: 12/3/2010 9:46:08 AM)

Just a reminder that applications to be on the Athletic Advisory Committee are due to Karen Fitzgerald no later than Monday, December 6.  The application form in on the district website (http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us).  The task of the Committee is to advise the SC and Administration on a fair and equitable fee structure for athletics at the high school.

World of Difference Dance, Friday 12/10 (entered on: 12/3/2010 9:44:15 AM)

Next Friday will be the World of Difference Dance at Ottoson Middle School from 6:30-9:30 PM in the Ottoson Cafeteria.  We will be having a parent volunteer meeting on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30.

8th Grade Parents/Guardians ~ AHS Informational Session (entered on: 12/2/2010 9:15:34 AM)

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere -- 2010-11-23 (entered on: 11/23/2010 4:41:03 PM)

Good Afternoon,

Resolving Issues with Parent Grade Portal (entered on: 11/18/2010 3:20:32 PM)

Please note that the web address for the Parent Grade Portal is case sensitive.  PowerSchool has a capital P and S.

The grade portal is not open.  The only information currently available is Demographics and Attendance .  Parents will not be able to open grades yet.  Hopefully, parents will be able to access the grades by Monday.  Principal Ruggere will send out an email as soon as the grades are open.

Elections to Advisory Council (entered on: 11/16/2010 10:15:23 AM)

New AM/PM Registration form posted (entered on: 11/15/2010 11:01:36 AM)

The AM/PM registration form is available by clicking the AM/PM link on the left side of this page.

It is also available by clicking here.

Picture make up day - Friday 11/19 (entered on: 11/15/2010 9:49:04 AM)

Picture make up day will be Friday 11/19.  Retakes for people absent on original picture days, or those who would like a new picture taken.  

6th Grade Field Trip Cancelled (entered on: 11/14/2010 11:30:54 AM)

The 6th grade field trip to the new Harry Potter movie has been cancelled.

Minuteman School Field Trip -- Permission Slips Required (entered on: 11/9/2010 2:45:13 PM)

Guidance and Science Changes due to Leaves of Absence (entered on: 11/9/2010 2:10:24 PM)

Ottoson School Dances (entered on: 11/9/2010 2:00:26 PM)

Thanksgiving, Conference Sign Up, and PowerSchool Letters (entered on: 11/9/2010 1:59:02 PM)

Good Afternoon,  

1.Ottoson Middle School students will be joining the Board of Youth Services and the Arlington Youth Counseling Center in our annual campaign to provide Thanksgiving dinner to Arlington families who need community support this year.  Please see the attached file.  

2. Can parents please make sure that if parents have teachers to see outside of the cluster, can you set up an appointment with these teachers ten minutes after your appointments with the cluster teachers.  Sign-ups for meetings will be open next Tuesday.  If you have any questions, please call Caryn Gillis.  

3. The letters for the grade portal are all printed.  Rather than send them home with the students, we will mail them home to you on Thursday.  The letters should be arriving shortly after that.  

Thank you,

Tim

Parent Forum on Bullying - November 8th (entered on: 11/5/2010 11:28:43 AM)

An Act Relative to Bullying - How This Legislations Impacts Our Schools: Massachusetts has a new bullying bill.

For Parents of children, Grades K-12

Monday, November 8, 2010         7:00 –8:30 pm          

Ottoson Middle School

The new law is reviewed, with an emphasis on when bullying, which is prohibited but not a crime, becomes criminal.  The cyber component of bullying is also explored.  Additionally, this training outlines when off campus behavior creates a hostile environment at school, infringes on students' rights and/or materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of the school.  This in service training supports Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone's continuing school safety initiatives. 

Presenter: Nina Pomponio, Assistant District Attorney, Prevention and Education Coordinator

Nina has worked for the Middlesex District Attorney's Office since 2007 as is currently assigned to the Cambridge Juvenile Court.  Nina has prosecuted hundreds of cases of all types and has participated actively in the CBJ program.  This fall she has joined MPY as the Prevention and Education Coordinator, focusing on provided up to date in service trainings to Middlesex school districts.

Update Boy's and Girl's Club Dance (entered on: 11/4/2010 3:33:44 PM)

A/B Day Calendar Posted (entered on: 11/3/2010 9:04:27 PM)

The A/B Schedule calendar has been posted on the site.  It's under the "What's Up" menu at the top of the page.  You can also view it by clicking here.

Parent Teacher Conferences -- Registration Opens November 16th (entered on: 11/3/2010 7:47:54 AM)

Parent Teacher Conferences begin in November.

Evening conferences are available on these dates:

• November 30th
• December 6 

Day Conferences

• December 2, 8 and 9

Online registration for Ottoson opens on November 16th.  Click here to go to the online registration page, and for more information.

Fire Alarm Work at Ottoson Monday (entered on: 10/30/2010 3:25:54 PM)

While electrical work was being done on Friday, 10/29, at Ottoson, something happened to the fire alarm system at the close of school and is being fixed over the weekend.  The silent alarm was set as the default alarm, which means that the alarm goes to the fire station, but does not sound at the school.  We believe that we will have the problem fixed by the opening of school on Monday, but as a precaution, the Arlington Fire Department will have a presence at Ottoson Monday.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office on Monday.

A great way to say THANKS! and recognize outstanding Teachers! (entered on: 10/28/2010 8:07:50 AM)

A great way to recognize our teachers is with a STARS award.

Click here for a nomination form in pdf format

Click here for a nomination form in word format

Parent Forum on Emergency Preparedness (entered on: 10/27/2010 8:14:29 PM)

PARENT FORUM

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TRAINING FOR PARENTS

For Parents of children, Grades K-12

Wednesday, November 3,2010

A.H.S. Lowe Auditorium                                    7:00 – 9:00 PM

It is imperative that everyone has a responsibility to make our schools safe and secure. They need to know what to do when an emergency occurs.  They need to follow the instructions outlined in the “School Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Information “Bulletin for Parents.”  Kathy Kaditz will present you with valuable information on what parents need to know.

 Presenter:  Kathy Kaditz is the Project Director of the USDOE Safe and Drug Free Schools Grant.  Kathy coordinates a review of district wide emergency planning and response policies and procedures re: grant requirements.  She revises district policies to align with FEMA and Massachusetts guidelines, provides training to staff, parents and students.  She was a House Dean at A.H.S. from 2004-2009.

6th Graders - Transition Help (entered on: 10/27/2010 11:30:38 AM)

Dear Parents:

Forum on Bullying Tuesday Evening (entered on: 10/25/2010 10:09:13 AM)

Becoming an Ally:

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute’s Peer Training Program and

The Role of Parents in Helping to Prevent Name Calling, Bullying and Cyberbullying

October 26, 2010

Ottoson Middle School Cafeteria   7-9pm

For Parents of Students in Grades 6-8

With the implementation of A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute’s Peer Training Program at Ottoson Middle School, parents will play a critical in helping to support their children’s efforts to prevent name calling, bullying and cyberbullying.   This forum will provide parents with the opportunity to: 

•  Gain a greater understanding of the nature of name-calling, bullying and cyberbullying and the impact of these behaviors on young people and their learning       environment. 
•  Explore ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute Peer Training Program and how the Program empowers young people to interrupt and help prevent incidents of name-calling, bullying and cyberbullying.
• Identify strategies for parents to support their children’s efforts to promote a learning environment in which all individuals are respected and valued.

Presenter: Phil Fogelman, who has been serving as Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) New England Region’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE^® Institute. Under his leadership, tens of thousands of young people, parents and caregivers, educators and other professionals participate annually in proactive programs that are designed to increase awareness of and responses to bias-motivated behaviors. ADL’s Peer Training Program, in particular, which Phil introduced to the New England Region in 1999, empowers thousands of students every year through peer-led workshops to challenge all forms of bullying and harassment and actively promote inter-group dialogue, understanding and respect.

In addition, Phil has served as a member of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Safe Schools Initiative and is an active member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Wellness Advisory Board.  Educationally, Phil has a B.A. from Alfred University and an M.A. from Northeastern University.

Private School Recommendation Information (entered on: 10/16/2010 8:31:59 AM)

The Administration has prepared some documents to help the recommendation process for private schools.  Click the following links to access them:

Private School Recommendation Information Sheet

Private School Recommendation Brag Sheet (Word format)

Private School Recommendation Brag Sheet (PDF format)

OPAC Meeting Postponed to 10-22 (entered on: 10/7/2010 11:45:12 AM)

Parent Information Forums (entered on: 10/7/2010 9:30:31 AM)

Forums are held throughout the year.  To see this year's schedule, please click here.

Information about Parent Interaction with Office (entered on: 10/7/2010 9:28:27 AM)

Good Morning,   There is a letter regarding attendance attached and below please find some helpful information that will help my staff in the morning.  

• Please refrain from bringing items into the office in the morning, forgotten homework etc, it's very busy that time of day, if a student has forgotten a lunch you can put money on their account for this purpose.
• If homework is forgotten or PE clothes, have the student bring in the homework the following day.  We are attempting to encourage students to be more independent.
• Please refrain from texting your students, phones are supposed to be turned off and placed in their lockers during the day, if a student is caught texting or using their phones they will be confiscated as per the agenda regulations. 
• Dismissals must be written out in the morning and brought to the office by the student prior to homeroom, coming in during the day to dismiss students is disruptive to the classroom.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Tim

Flu Clinic Scheduled for Ottoson Students (entered on: 10/6/2010 2:49:34 PM)

Author Visits Ottoson (entered on: 10/6/2010 9:51:26 AM)

Author (Loree Griffin Burns) will be Visiting OMS on Monday 10/25 for all 6^th & 7^th Graders.  6^th grade will attend during periods 1 & 2 and 7^th graders will attend during 3^rd & 4^th

8th Grade Field Trip to MegaMaze postponed (entered on: 10/5/2010 1:26:23 PM)

Due to the predicted bad weather, the Mega Maze has advised us to reschedule tomorrow's 8th grade trip.  Therefore, students will be here at the Ottoson and will be going to the Maze on Wednesday, October 20th.  We apologize for the late notice and thank you for your flexibility.  

Pennies for Peace Campaign (entered on: 9/30/2010 8:02:27 PM)

Dear Students and Families,

This year, Ottoson will once again be participating in the Pennies for Peace campaign.  This program was started several years ago to raise money for schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  In conjunction with the Central Asia Institute, Pennies for Peace teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and educational opportunities to children in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

How can a penny bring peace? It doesn’t buy much in our community. However, in the villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan, a penny can buy a pencil, start an education, and transform a life. The Pennies for Peace program goal is to encourage our students, who are ultimately our future leaders, to learn the value of philanthropy by collecting pennies for global peace.  To date, the Ottoson has raised over $1300 in pennies, and many of the 8^th grade students read Greg Mortenson’s book Three Cups of Tea over the summer, learning more about the work of the Central Asia Institute.

Until October 30, 2010 collection containers will be present in Social Studies classrooms.  We are collecting pennies only, no nickels, no dimes, no quarters, no dollars: a penny is something that everyone can afford to give.

As we learn, it is important for students to develop a sense of connectivity with the greater world.  I hope this is a step toward that connection.  For more information, you can visit the campaign website http://www.penniesforpeace.org. 

Thank you for your support,

Ms. Keyes

5-2-1 After school Exercise Program -- Free to all (entered on: 9/29/2010 12:43:27 PM)

The 5-2-1 program is back!  This is a grant-funded program available at no cost.

Award Winning Program Jump up and Go, Let the Kids Play,

Free After School Activities with Mr. Barts

Monday:  Dodge Ball @ 2:34pm Wooden Gym

Tues/Thurs: Ice Hockey @ 3:00 pm Ed Burns Arena

Friday: Ultimate Frisbee @ 2:34 pm, Upper Field

Friday: Floor Hockey @ 2:34 Blue Gym – Big House

All Equipment is supplied & All Programs last an Hour

Welcome Letter from OPAC (entered on: 9/27/2010 10:26:26 PM)

It's a new year.  Find out about the Ottoson Parent Advisory Committee (OPAC).  To read the welcome letter, click here.

Ultimate Frisbee Returns to Ottoson - Updated (entered on: 9/23/2010 9:32:52 PM)

Calendar Updated on Website -- Note changed dates (entered on: 9/21/2010 11:24:36 AM)

The calendar for this school year has been updated online.  You will see events show up on the home page, or  you can see all events on the calendar page (under What's up).  There is also a pdf of all events available at the top of the calendar page.

Please note that evening conferences originally scheduled for 11/23 have been moved to 11/30.

OPAC Directory Site Now Ready for Your Input (entered on: 9/17/2010 12:17:27 PM)

The Directory website is now ready for you to update your family information for this year.

The site is: https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory

If you are updating information from last year, please be sure to update your child's school and grade -- that is what marks you for inclusion in the directory.

As you sign up, you will also be subscribed to the Ottoson_News email list, as well as ones for your grade and cluster.

There will be more information on these email lists shortly.

Thank you for your help in collecting this information for a quick directory publication.

Picture Days -- 9/21 and 9/22 - Schedule Updated (entered on: 9/9/2010 9:08:15 AM)

Picture days at Ottoson this year are 9/21 and 9/22.    

On 9/21 these clusters will be photographed:

• 620
• 630
• 750
• 760
• 770
• 800

On 9/22 these clusters will be photogrpahed:

• 610
• 810
• 820
• Makeups for people absent on 9/21

There will be another later date scheduled for retakes and those who are absent these two days.

Fall Open House - Corrected Date AND TIME -- 6:30-8:30pm (entered on: 9/2/2010 2:32:32 PM)

The Fall Open House will be held on September 28th from 6:30-8:30pm.  Please note this corrected date and time. 

Your children will bringing home a copy of their daily schedule.  If you do not receive one, we will provide them the night of the Open House.

Cluster Assignments (entered on: 9/2/2010 11:41:40 AM)

Cluster assignments have been made, and Principal Ruggere sent out emails containing the lists to all parents registered for the Ottoson_News mailing list.

If you didn't receive the mailing on 9/1, please check with a friend.  Alternatively, you may check with the Ottoson office staff.  Please note that the staff listings on the website have not been updated yet for the 2010-2011 school year -- this will be done shortly.

All parents may subscribe or unsubscribe to the Ottoson_News list on the school department website -- http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us.  Anyone registered for OttosonParents last year is automatically included.

In short order, the family directory site will also be available -- registering for the email list is a separate process.

Please note that when you sign up for the email list you will get a confirmation message -- please be sure to reply to that message to activate your subscription.

Updated Staff List for 2010-2011 School Year (entered on: 9/2/2010 11:31:39 AM)

The staff directory for the 2010-2011 school year has been updated.  Expect some corrections in the early weeks of school, but hopefully it is largely accurate.  Please send messages to ottosonwebmaster@arlington.k12.ma.us with corrections.

Welcome for 2010 Year from Principal Ruggere (revised 9/2) (entered on: 9/1/2010 10:06:15 PM)

The new school year is starting.  Click here for a welcome message and information from Principal Ruggere.

6th Grade Supply List (entered on: 9/1/2010 10:04:07 PM)

Welcome 6th Graders!  Click here to see a list of supplies for your year.

6th Grade Bus Schedule (entered on: 8/16/2010 12:40:22 PM)

Click here to see the bus schedule for 6th grade students at Ottoson.

Weekly Update - End of Year Message - Final Newsletter (entered on: 6/23/2010 1:47:55 PM)

Good Morning,

It is here.  The students have worked hard and deserve the rest.  I look forward to hearing all of your children's stories from the summer.  If you are around this summer, please feel free to drop by and see me.

Enjoy the break!

Click here for our final newsletter of the year.

Tim

Timothy R. Ruggere
Principal
Ottoson Middle School

1pm Dismissal on Weds, June 23rd (entered on: 6/22/2010 10:10:15 AM)

Just to let you know that dismissal for Ottoson will be 1:00 o'clock on Wednesday.  I will be sending out the final newsletter on Wednesday afternoon.

Thank you for a wonderful year.  Feel free to drop by over the summer.
Tim

AEC Afterschool at the OTTOSON is NOW ENROLLING For Fall 2010 (entered on: 6/21/2010 8:02:14 PM)

Summer Reading Lists Posted (entered on: 6/17/2010 11:19:57 AM)

Summer reading lists have been posted on the district website.  Click here to access them.

Summer Enrichment Programs by Ottoson Teachers (entered on: 6/17/2010 11:16:44 AM)

Want to get a jump start on the new year?  Experienced Ottoson teachers have teamed up to offer courses in Math, Reading and Writing.  Weekly sessions will be held July 6th through July 30th.

For more information, please read the following fliers:

Announcement for current 5th graders

Announcement for 6-8th graders

Registration Codes for all courses

Registration Form PDF  (print and fill out)

Registration Form Word (type in if you want)

OPAC - Last Meeting at Tryst!!! (entered on: 6/11/2010 7:40:11 AM)

Weekly Update - Message from Supt Regarding Budget (entered on: 6/8/2010 9:54:00 AM)

Good Morning,

Click here for a letter from the Superintendent explaining the cuts that will be made for next year.  In the face of a 3.9 million dollar deficit, we are faced with many difficult decisions and the Superintendent explains the reasoning behind many of the choices.  If for some reason you cannot open the attachment, please let me know.

Have a great day!
Tim

Raffle Winners! (entered on: 6/2/2010 10:40:18 PM)

Congratulations to the winners! Click here for the complete list.

Also, special congratulations to the 750's cluster for selling the most tickets. They will have a pizza party on June 18th to celebrate. We want to thank Andrina's pizza for supporting the raffle and for supplying all of the pizza's for this party. They are a great new addition to the Ottoson neighborhood!

Special thanks also to Nancy Lowe for organizing the entire event.

Weekly Update - 2010-06-02 (entered on: 6/2/2010 10:32:16 PM)

Click here for this week's newsletter!

Bridge the Gap -- Concert Announcements (entered on: 6/2/2010 9:18:58 AM)

Good Afternoon:

 I want to be sure you are aware two fun events benefiting the Bridge the Gap Fund which is raising money for the Arlington schools.  You probably know we are in the last few days of the Bridge the Gap campaign and the money raised so far (fast approaching $300,000) is a great testament to what makes Arlington and our schools thrive. 

I Hate Shakespeare! comes to Ottoson Middle School in Arlington - 6/3/10 and 6/5/10 (entered on: 5/30/2010 7:46:28 AM)

Ottoson Middles School's latest comedy, I Hate Shakespeare! will be
performed on Thursday, June 3 @ 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 5 @ 7:30 p.m.
in the Ottoson Upper Gym at 63 Acton Street.

Armed with a healthy dose of humor, the play puts Shakespeare's major works
such as, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and Midsummer Night's Dream in a new
context that students and adults will find highly engaging. Jerry
Springer, zombies and a talking cow add a new perspective to Shakespeare.

Tickets are $7 and are available at the door. Additionally 6/1 - 6/4,
tickets will be available to Ottoson students, faculty and staff in the
cafeteria from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

If paying at lunch, please provide exact change or a check made out to:
Ottoson Middle School General Fund - Drama.

8th Grade Students to Visit High School June 21st (entered on: 5/26/2010 2:37:54 PM)

To:                  8^th grade Students and Parents

From:              Tim Ruggere        

Date:              May 25, 2010 

Re:                   Visits to Arlington High School

8^th grade students will be visiting Arlington High School next month on Monday, June 21st. The students will be taken by bus from Ottoson at 12:00 pm.  They will have a tour of the school, picture I.D.’s will be taken and opportunities to visit classes in session. 

Students will be dismissed for the day from Arlington High School at 2:30 p.m.   Please make travel arrangements from Arlington High School with your student on the day she/he will be visiting AHS.

Sad News - parent Manny Morais (entered on: 5/24/2010 10:39:25 AM)

Sadly, Principal Ruggere lets us know of the passing of Ottoson Parent Manny Morais.  Click here for his message.

Newsletter Update from the Principal - 2010-05-21 (entered on: 5/24/2010 10:20:38 AM)

Click here for this week's newsletter.

Dance Date Changed (entered on: 5/17/2010 9:25:24 AM)

Good Morning,

It was brought to my attention that there are 2 Canobie trips.  Being new, I assumed that the trip at the end of June was the only one.  Because of this, we have changed the date of the last dance from June 4th to June 11th.  I do not think there are any problems with that date so we should be fine.

Enjoy your week,
Tim

Upcoming Dance and Update from the Principal (entered on: 5/10/2010 9:46:25 AM)

Latest update is that our final dance is Friday, June 11th (moved from original date of June 4th).  Tickets will be sold that week in the cafeteria after school.  The dance will be run by OSAC and the proceeds will be sent relief in Haiti.

Click here for the latest newsletter.

AHS Information for Rising 8th Graders (entered on: 5/8/2010 5:57:32 PM)

Arlington High School (AHS) has resources available for its students.  Click here for a link to the Guidance Department where you will find the Program of Studies which describes course offerings.

Water Update (entered on: 5/5/2010 8:29:18 AM)

Dear Parents/Guardians,

The School Department has been in constant communication with town officials and the Department of Health over the last few days to ensure the safety of your sons and daughters during this water emergency.  As you are aware, the pipe in Weston has been repaired and we will soon be able to drink water from the tap without boiling it first. 

The Department of Health has issued guidelines regarding how to flush water lines to ensure that the water is safe to drink.  Our custodians and food service providers began this process yesterday.  The water used by food services is now safe.  We will only allow students to drink from bubblers that have been properly flushed.  Bottled water is still available in each school while we go through this process, which should be completed by the end of today. Principals will keep teachers, staff, and students informed of progress in their buildings.

Thank you for your cooperation during this emergency.  The flushing instructions are copied below and are also on our website.

Best regards,

Kathleen Bodie, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
kbodie@arlington.k12.ma.us
781-316-3501


NSTRUCTIONS FOR POST-BOIL ORDER

Residents are advised to “flush” their water following the lifting of the boil

order in order to clear plumbing of potentially contaminated water.

Flushing your household and building water lines includes interior and

exterior faucets; showers; water and ice dispensers; water treatment units,

etc.

Please follow these guidelines:--

Cold Water Faucets: Run tap water until the water feels cold, 1 minute or

more, before drinking, tooth brushing, or using for food preparation.

Hot Water Faucets: To clear hot water pipes and water heater of untreated

water, turn on all hot water faucets and flush for a minimum of 15 minutes

for a typical household 40-gallon hot water tank and 30 minutes for an

80-gallon hot water tank or larger. Never use water from the “hot” faucet

for drinking, cooking, or other internal-consumption purposes. After this

flushing, hot water is then safe to use for washing hands, and for handwashing

of dishes, pots and pans, etc.

Refrigerators: Water dispensers from refrigerators should be flushed by at

least one quart of water.

Dishwashers: After flushing hot water pipes and water heater, run

dishwasher empty one time.

Humidifiers: Discard any water used in humidifiers, Continuous Positive

Airway Pressure (CPAP), oral, medical or health care devices, and rinse

the device with clean water.

Food and baby formula: Be sure you have discarded any baby formula or

other foods prepared with water on the days of the boil order. (If unsure

of the dates contact your water Department.)

Ice cubes: Automatic ice dispensers should be emptied of ice made during

the boil order. Then, discard ice made over an additional 24 hour period

to assure complete purging of the water supply line.

Due to the flushing of the lines by residents and the flushing of the

hydrants, some customers may experience a lack of water pressure

and/or discolored water. However, this is an expected result and does not

pose a health risk. Contact your local Water Department if you have any

questions.

OPAC Update -- Lots of News!!! (entered on: 5/4/2010 7:42:00 AM)

Dear OMS Families, here is some important OPAC news for this week:

v   It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week!

v   Desserts & Flowers needed on Wednesday morning May 5th

v   STARS Program to recognize teachers & support our schools

v   OPAC Meeting on May 7^th Friday 9:00am – 10:30am

Please Read Details below:

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week

In support and appreciation of our teachers, OPAC is hosting a catered luncheon at OMS on Wednesday, May 5^th from 11:30 – 12:45.  Michael O’Keefe, OMS Parent and Caterer of Corporate Kitchen will be providing an assortment of delicious wraps and salads. As in years past, we ask that OMS families bring in desserts and/or flowers to enhance the luncheon and festivities. Last year we had so many delicious desserts and beautiful flowers/plants generously donated that we had an abundant table and were able to raffle off flowers to just about every teacher and enjoy desserts for the rest of the week! 

Desserts & Flowers needed on Wednesday morning May 5th

Kindly bring in a homemade or purchased dessert (one that could easily be shared) on a disposable plate and/or a bouquet of flowers in a vase or a plant on Wednesday morning during drop-off time to the main office. Parents will be on-hand to receive your desserts and flowers and take them into the Teachers’ Lounge.

Use the Stars Program to recognize teachers & support our schools

STARS (School Teachers Are Really Special!)program is available to let Teachers and Staff know they are really appreciated. Use the attached STARS form.  How it works: Make a donation using the attached form.  Teachers will receive a certificate that they have been honored with a gift in their name (the amount of the gift is not noted on the card). Whether you give $10 or $100, the message to the teachers remains the same:  We’re grateful for all you do for our children! A minimum $10 donation per teacher is requested.  You will receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donation.    What it is: STARS is a program of the non-profit Arlington Education Foundation, INC., dedicated to enriching and augmenting the education provided by Arlington Public Schools. For more info visit: www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org.

OPAC Meeting on May 7^th Friday 9:00am – 10:30am (Don’t miss it!)

This meeting is the one to come to! If you have not been able to make one meeting yet this year – now is your chance! We have a rich agenda, topics you have asked for and guest speakers (and coffee!) Please note that the time of the meeting has been changed to 9:00–10:30am in the OMS Café. 

Agenda to include:

• OMS Media Center Celebration: Past, Present, & Future State by Edith Moisand
• English Curriculum by Deborah Perry (Director of English Language Arts, K-12)
• Math Curriculum by James Brown (Lead Teacher, Mathematics)
• Principal Update by Tim Ruggere
• OMS Media Center Raffle by Nancy Lowe
• Q&A 

·         OPAC Update by Sandy Stergiou

Best Regards,

Sandy Stergiou

OPAC Chair

Implications of Water Break in Schools (entered on: 5/2/2010 6:52:08 PM)

Click here for the latest update on the impact of the water break.

Bridge the Gap Fundraising Effort for Schools (entered on: 4/30/2010 8:00:33 AM)

The Arlington FY11 group and the Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) launched an aggressive campaign this week called the FY11 School Gap Fund.

This one year emergency fundraiser aims to 'Bridge the Gap' of $3.9M that Arlington faces in FY2011.  The Fund will support a priority list proposed by the principals and school administrators, which the School Committee voted to authorize on April 27^th. 

The campaign will close on June 7, 2010 in order to know which teachers and staff can be rehired for next year.

Go to http://www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/bridgethegap.html to get a full list of the FY11 proposed cuts as well as a list of programs that will be added back with the money the fund raises.

Donate today to help bridge the gap!

This Week!! Don't Miss the Ottoson Raffle - New Items Added! (entered on: 4/28/2010 12:32:08 AM)

Dear Parents,

DON'T MISS THE OTTOSON MIDDLE SCHOOL RAFFLE!!!!!

The OMS raffle proceeds will be used to purchase science DVDs, books, and other resource materials for the Media Center. These will be used by all of the science classes at Ottoson. The teachers are very excited about the new materials and have been helping with this effort.

We have over 100 raffle prizes from local restaurants, sporting goods, hardware, and other specialty stores. Most gift certificates range from $25-$100. Tickets are only $1.00 each so buy a few and increase your odds of winning! To see a complete list of prizes, please click here.   (Note that several items have been added since this list was published:

$25 gift certificate to the Book Rack
$100 gift certificate for Elephant Walk
Signed Jason Varitek Photo
$25 Gift Certificate to Punjab

On May 3rd, each student will receive two sheets with ten tickets per sheet to sell along with a list of prizes. The filled out sheets along with the money they collect will be due back to their Science Teachers on May 14th. The cluster that sells the most tickets will win a pizza party!

The drawing will take place on May 27th and all winners will be notified by email or phone in early June.  We are also looking for parents who could help out and sell tickets to co-workers, friends and family. If you are interested, please contact Nancy Lowe at nlowe@mit.edu.

If you still have not bought a T shirt with the new OMS mascot, the bulldog Otto von Ottoson, we will also have these available on Thursday night. T shirts are $15.

High School Open House for 8th Grade Parents (entered on: 4/26/2010 4:17:34 PM)

OPEN HOUSE

INFORMATIONAL EVENING

WEDNESDAY, May 5, 2010     

6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.

WOODEN GYMNASIUM - OMS

Presentation of AHS Programs

For all incoming 9^th grade parents

Questions and Answers

By Principal Charles Skidmore and the AHS Department Heads

For Flier - Click Here

Japanese Exchange Students -- Cherry Blossom Festival 4/29 - revised program available (entered on: 4/26/2010 10:17:05 AM)

Meet our friends from Nagaokakyo, Japan at the Cherry Blossom Festival

Experience Japanese culture, right here in Arlington!
Learn more about the cultural exchange program between Arlington and our sister city, Nagaokakyo, Japan and enjoy songs, games, origami, and a Japanese tea ceremony.

Thursday, April 29, 2010
6:30 – 8:30 pm Ottoson Middle School

Click here for the flier

Click here for the program (revised 4/29)

8th Grade Character Fair (entered on: 4/16/2010 10:30:23 AM)

Each year, 8th grade students do a biography project on someone they feel is significant.  The culmination of the project is the 8th grade Character Fair, where students appear as the character they have studied.

Japanese Exchange Students Visit Ottoson (entered on: 4/16/2010 10:28:01 AM)

Students from our sister city in Japan will be visiting Ottoson on Monday, April 26th.   Students from Arlington will visit Japan in July.

Congrats to 7th and 8th Grade Chorus!!!! (entered on: 4/13/2010 9:51:02 AM)

Hi all:

Please join me in congratulating the Ottoson Middle School 7th & 8th Grade Chorus and their conductor Cori Gaffny.  The chorus earned a Silver Medal at the MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental &Choral Association) Festival on Saturday.  We're very proud of their accomplishments.

Bravi!!

Pasquale Tassone
Interim Performing Arts Director
Arlington Public Schools

Ultimate Frisbee Comes to Ottoson! (entered on: 4/7/2010 9:54:10 PM)

I'd like to invite your child to attend the new program at OMS starting Mon. April 26th from 2:30-3:45 - Ultimate Frisbee!!! It's being taught by Steve Delbanco (parent of Lucas, a 7th grader) and I. It is a 6 week session.

Here's the description:

Learn the exciting sport of Ultimate Frisbee! Ultimate is a game played with a frisbee disc, that has elements of basketball, football and soccer. You will learn the throws, the rules and the sport that will stay with you for a lifetime! All you need to participate is a pair of sneakers or cleats and some comfortable clothes.

Here's the link to get an am/pm card: http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/Ottoson/main/ampm.htm

Here's a link to get more info on Ultimate Frisbee: http://www.upa.org/ultimate

Hope your child can join us!

Anne Murray
Steve Delbanco

5-2-1 Spring Programs at Ottoson Middle School (entered on: 4/7/2010 9:50:16 PM)

5-2-1 Fuel up to Play 60! "Spring Into Fitness"

Two new 5-2-1 programs are now being offered at the Ottoson Middle School.

• Every Tuesday and Thursday Softball Skills are held in the Turner Field section of the Blue Gym from 7:03am-7:52am. Throwing, catching, fielding, baserunning, hitting and pitching are all covered.
  
  
• Spring Training with Mr. Barts. Badminton will be held in the Wooden Gym on Mon. ,Wed., and Fri., from 7:03am-7:52am.

All 5-2-1 programs are free of charge and will run through the end of the school year.

Youth at Risk Behavior Survey Results (entered on: 4/7/2010 9:48:17 PM)

The Youth Risk Behavior survey is given on a regular basis to Ottoson and High School students.  The 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results have been released.  You may view the Ottoson results by clicking here.  The High School results are available on the district website.

Minutes of March OPAC Meeting (entered on: 3/31/2010 11:01:11 PM)

Click here to get to the minutes of the recent meeting.

Schedule Dates for 5th Grade Visits to Ottoson (entered on: 3/31/2010 12:01:41 PM)

All 5th grade students and their teachers will be picked up as close to 9:15 am. as possible and brought to the Ottoson for orientations. They will return to their school at approximately 10:45 a.m.

Below please find the schedule of 5th grade visits to the Ottoson,
Bishop                      Tuesday, April 13
Brackett                   Monday, April 12
Dallin                       Thursday, April 15
Hardy                       Wednesday, April 14
Peirce                      Wednesday, April 14
Stratton                   Tuesday, April 13
Thompson                Monday, April 12

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere - 2010-03-29 (entered on: 3/29/2010 10:42:06 PM)

Click here for the latest newsletter.

Some notes:
Students should be praised for their efforts on MCAS.  The teachers have been telling me how seriously the students have been taking this and how hard they are working.  We should all be very proud.

Also, we will have out school wide practice lockdown on Friday, April 30th.

I hope that everyone enjoys their days of celebrations this week.  Please note that we should be sensitive to  the fact that many students will be out this week and should be allowed all of the necesary time and materials to make up any missed work. 

Thank you,
Tim
Timothy R. Ruggere
Principal

Ottoson Announces Auditions for I Hate Shakespeare (entered on: 3/26/2010 8:02:27 AM)

  On the heels of a very successful run of 13:  A New Musical, Ottoson Middle School will be holding further auditions for a full-length comedy entitled I Hate Shakespeare, a clever play which serves up many well-known characters like Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and Desdemona, including some of Shakespeare's lesser-known characters, along with a generous portion of  cleverness and wit.  The up-dated plots feature Romeo, the skater dude, along with other unusual characters like Jerry Springer, a cow, and several witch puppets, to name a few.  The play is scheduled to be presented the first week in June.
     A short informational meeting will take place on Friday, March 16, and secondary auditions will take place on Monday, March 29, with call-backs on Wednesday, March 31.  ALL STUDENTS ALREADY CAST IN THE PLAY WILL BE ASSIGNED ROLES AFTER THE SECOND AUDITIONS.  We will, however, be adding students who are auditioning for the first time to the cast.  Leslie Kilgore may be contacted at lkilgore@arlington.k12.ma.us or by phone at 1-781-316-3745,  x 1227 for further information. 

Revised Calendar Posted (entered on: 3/24/2010 9:22:31 PM)

Click here to see the a revised calendar that you can print out.  All events will also be added to the online calendar below.

8th Grade Recognition Meeting and Open House this week (entered on: 3/22/2010 7:59:42 AM)

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere - 2010-03-12 (entered on: 3/12/2010 7:00:05 PM)

We had the two assemblies for grades 6 and 7 this week and the response from the staff and students was very positive.  More and more students have been comoing forward to discuss situations that they have been involved in or witnessed.  I feel very good about this.

Today students will be bringing home a mid-term progress report.  All students will receive one.  This progres report is being generated by administration, so if students do not give you a progress report, please call administration or guidance.  All questions regarding the progress reports can be answered by administration and guidance. 

Click here for the newsletter.

Be sure to come in tonight and catch the musical.

Thank you,
Tim

All Town Band Concert - March 16 (entered on: 3/12/2010 8:05:40 AM)

The All-Town Band Concert will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Ottoson Middle School, in the Wood Gym.  This performance will feature the Bands and Jazz Ensembles from Grades 4 - 12.

Grade 4 Band members should report to the Ottoson Middle School at 6:15 PM and proceed to Room 103.

Grade 5 Band members should report to the Ottoson Middle School at 6:20 PM and proceed to the Blue Gym.

The Ottoson Middle School Band and Jazz Ensemble should report to the Ottoson Middle School at 6:10 PM and proceed to  the Blue Gym.
 
The Arlington High School Band and Jazz Ensemble should report to the Cafeteria upon arrival to Ottoson Middle School.

Questions?  Please contact Ms. Paula Demetrio at pdemetrio@arlington.k12.ma.us

Spring MCAS Schedule (entered on: 3/10/2010 8:01:13 AM)

MCAS testing begins in late March and is scattered through until the end of May.  Click here for the complete schedule.

Ottoson Orchestra Selected to Perform at Mass Music Education Assoc! (entered on: 3/10/2010 7:51:21 AM)

Massachusetts Music Education Association

The Ottoson Middle School Orchestra has been chosen to perform at the annual Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) conference’s concert hour.

Every year, the MMEA committee listens to many audition CDs from schools all over Massachusetts. The whole process is done anonymously. They choose the best 6 performances and invite these groups to perform at the conference. The groups are presented as the model of a good music program. The Ottoson Orchestra is the only middle school group and the only orchestra selected this year!

The concert takes place at the Seaport Hotel in Boston on March 19th. Orchestra students have been working very hard and having extra rehearsals in room 215 in order to present a good concert.
At the concert, the OMS Orchestra will perform selections from Bach, Leory Anderson, Civil War them song by Jay Ungar, and a special arrangement of a Chinese folk song by Seth Hamlin. Our Fine Art director, Dr. Tassone has also composed a piece for Ottoson Orchestra to perform at this special event.

Please congratulate the orchestra students on this high honor and achievement! For any questions, please contact: Ms. Wei:  jwei@arlington.k12.ma.us

All-Town String Concert - March 18th (entered on: 3/10/2010 7:45:57 AM)

All-Town String Concert will be held on Thursday, March 18th at 7:00pm in the Ottoson Middle School Wood Gym. The concert will feature all string groups of Arlington Schools from grade 3 to 12.

Students who are performing at the All-Town String Concert should arrive Ottoson Middle School at 6:15pm for tuning and warm up.

 • Grade 3 string students should report to the cafeteria
 • Grade 4 & 5 string students should report to the blue gym
 • Ottoson Orchestra students should report to room 215
 • High School Orchestra students to room 102

Please email Jing-Huey Wei at jwei@arlington.k12.ma.us for questions.

Exploration Evening Thursday, April 29th, 2010 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (entered on: 3/4/2010 10:24:25 PM)

Exploration Evening 2010 will take place at the Ottoson Middle School on
Thursday, April 29th, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This school event is an
opportunity for students and their parents to visit and learn all about the “out of
cluster” programs offered at the Middle School. 

Click here for complete information on this event.

Current 5th & 6th Grade Parent Open House - Mar 25th (entered on: 3/4/2010 10:04:02 PM)

Ottoson Middle School will hold an Open House on Thursday, March 25th 2010, 7:00-9:00pm. This open house is for current 5th & 6th Grade Parents/Guardians.

Please view the below flyers for additional information.

Parents of Current 5th Graders

Parents of Current 6th Graders

Community Forum -- Health & Safety Coalition (entered on: 3/4/2010 8:14:09 AM)

How prevalent is teen binge drinking?

How many teens use drugs on a regular basis?

Do Arlington teens feel they are under too much pressure and stress?

Are they depressed, worried or anxious?

It does take a village to keep our youth safe and healthy and knowledge is power. Please come to this important forum and find out what the teens in your town are doing and how you can help to keep them safe from risk behaviors.

We need your help

Arlington Youth Health & Safety Coalition's 4th Annual Community Forum

WHEN: Thursday, March 18th, 2010 7:00-9:00pm

WHERE: Arlington Town Hall

Come participate in an interactive presentation & community discussion on the risky experiences of Arlington kids. **Refreshments will be provided This forum is sponsored by the Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition (AYHSC) which receives federal funding from SAMHSA.

Aligning the Internet with Your Family Values -- Parent Forum March 11 (entered on: 3/2/2010 10:20:55 PM)

For parents of children, grades pre-school – 12 -- next event for Parent Education Forums

March 11, 2010                                                                         Hardy School                    7 – 9:00 PM

“The Internet, Facebook, cell phones, texting, twittering, all the new communication technology provide us with amazing opportunities for information and connection. They can also be sources of danger and abuse. How are these technologies changing the way our children socialize and communicate? What impact do they have on our time together as a family? How do we set rules and guidelines for a resource that our children know more about than we do?

This presentation shows parents how kids are using and abusing communication technology and helps parents understand the social/sexual implications of Internet and cell phone use. Dr. Maxwell will give guidelines for safety and ethical behavior that aligns technology use with family values. Dr. Maxwell’s innovative way of talking about sexuality shares the positive health-focused approach found in chiropractic care.

Presenter: Dr. Sharon Maxwell  is an award winning author and practicing clinical psychologist in Canton, MA. Her work has been featured in TIME Magazine, US News and World Report, on Oprah and Friends, Fox News, The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald. She is passionate about the health and well being of children and families. Dr. Maxwell was named Family Advocate of 2009 award by the Boston Parents Paper.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2010-03-01 (entered on: 3/2/2010 10:18:37 PM)

Click here to read the newest newsletter.  Also, if you would like to be removed from this email list you will need to call the Arlington Public Schools tech. dep..  I do not have control over this.  (Webmaster Note: you can change your subscription at https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory or at http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us in the upper right corner)

As mentioned in the opening of the newsletter, I am going to have an assembly for both grade 6 and grade 7 as well as a follow up with grade 8 next week.  We are still dealing with instances of bullying and harrassment of different types.  In some cases, we are unsure if students even realize the harm they are causing.  Because of this, we will continue to educate students on thinking before speaking and acting.  We have had cases of physical bullying as well as verbal and cyberbullying bullying.  We are taking all of these cases very seriously.  We are educating students that they cannot say anything about how someone looks differently, acts differently or anything about someone's religious or ethnic backgrounds.  We need to be sensitive to these issue and continue to inform families while respecting the rights of all parties involved.

Thank you for your patience,
Tim

Timothy R. Ruggere
Principal
Ottoson Middle School

OPAC Meeting/Principal Coffee Friday March 5th (entered on: 3/1/2010 10:27:29 PM)

• WELCOME  by Principal Tim Ruggere
• COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TEAMS (CLTs) by OMS Teachers Lindsay Hubbard & Carol Feeney 
• PRINCIPAL UPDATE by Tim Ruggere
• JAPANESE EXCHANGE PROGRAM by Sue Sheffler
• OPAC UPDATES by Sandy Stergiou, Nita Longo, Anne Valeri
•    8th Grade Recognition Event by Diane Bronstein
•    5th Grade Outreach by Nita Longo

• OPEN DISCUSSION (all)

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2010-03-01 -- Japanese Exchange Program (entered on: 3/1/2010 10:26:19 PM)

Just a quick reminder. 

The Japanese exchange program at Ottoson is looking for students who would like to stay with  host families for 10 days in July.  The trip is chaperoned by AHS teachers, and is a terrific value as well as a chance to be an ambassador to Arlington's sister city.  Contact msheehy@arlington.k12.ma.us.

The program is also looking for families who would like to host exchange students for a week in April.  This is a fun and easy way to get to know students from a very different culture.  To learn more come to a meeting at 2:45pm on Monday, March 1st 2010 in the Media Center- Ottoson Middle School.  Contact andrea@gwosdow.com

Timothy R. Ruggere
Ottoson Middle SchoolPrincipal

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere - 2010-02-24 (entered on: 2/24/2010 9:05:07 PM)

Today, we will begin talking with students who have received multiple D's or F's on their report cards.  This is not a punitive tactic, but one of concern for our students.  We will begin with gradde 6 today, grade 7 tomorrow and grade 8 on Friday.  We are attempting to find out the reasons for this so that we can provide supports for struggling students.  If your student has recieved multiple failing grades and you would like to come in and speak with us, please call to set up an appointment.  If you have any other questions, please feel free to give guidance a call.

Thank you,
Tim

Ottoson Presents "Thirteen" The Musical (entered on: 2/23/2010 7:46:02 PM)

Ottoson Middle School presents "Thirteen", the musical, March 11th & 12th at 7:30 pm in the Wood Gym.

Come enjoy an exciting, high energy pop-rock musical celebrating the joys and challenges of turning thirteen. Over sixty talented Ottoson Middle School students will be featured.

"Thirteen" was originally produced on Broadway with an entirely teenage cast.

School dance Friday (entered on: 2/23/2010 9:54:41 AM)

School Dance Friday 2-26 from 6:30-9:30 PM.   Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday after school in the café’. Price of ticket will be $5.00.

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere - 2010-02-14 (entered on: 2/15/2010 9:02:59 AM)

Happy Valentine's Day to all!  I wish all of my students and their families a happy and healthy break.

One note: It was brought to my attention that there is a problem with the gmail accounts.  I have spoken to David Goode and he has explained the situation to me and has let me know that he will take care of it.  he will email all of you to let you know what is going on.  It seems that there was a request to open up more options for students and this in turn has caused the problem with GOOGLE.  I do not fully understand the situaiton so I will let Mr. Goode explain it.  In now way does the school system wish to open up our students to something that is unsafe.  I truly appreciate the emails that alerted me to this situation.  It is comforting to know that you feel secure enough with me to let me know what is going on.  Although I may not have control over everything that goes on in the school/district; if I know what your concerns are, I can find the answer for you.

Attached you will find this weeks newsletter.  (Click here)

Thank you,
Tim

Guidance Department Update (entered on: 2/10/2010 5:31:51 PM)

The Guidance Department would like to let you know about a number of upcoming events.  Click here to see their letter.  Also note that there is a link to the Guidance Department at the top of this page.

Thank You for Spaghetti Social (entered on: 2/10/2010 7:24:14 AM)

Invitation to join Technology Council (entered on: 2/10/2010 7:19:39 AM)

A Technology Advisory Committee for the schools is being formed, and community members are invited to apply for a position on the Committee.  Please click here for the full announcement and invitation.  Applications are due by February 12.

EARLY RELEASE -- Wednesday (entered on: 2/10/2010 7:13:22 AM)

Due to approaching storm, there will be an early release day on Wednesday, 2/10 at 11:30am.  No lunches will be served.

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere - 2010-01-31 (entered on: 2/1/2010 10:39:00 PM)

So begins the third quarter.  It is hard to believe that we are at the halfway point.  I have truly enjoyed the first half of the year.  Thank you for everything you have done for me the first half of the year.  We have an amazing staff and amazing families.

Thank you,

Tim

Click here for this week's newsletter.  Topics include:

• No Name Calling Week
• Chorus Concert
• Ottoson Mascot
• 5-2-1 let the kids play, Fuel up the Play
• Teen Reading Corner
• Visual Arts Corner
• Book Fair
• Book Fair Contest
• Principal's Challenge
• Spaghetti Social

Spaghetti Social and Book Fair (entered on: 1/26/2010 7:59:07 AM)

This Week's Newsletter -- 2010-01-23 (entered on: 1/25/2010 8:01:14 AM)

Click here for this week's newsletter.  Topics include:

• Ottoson Chorus
• Visual Arts Corner - 6th Grade
• When “Egypt Lady” met Ottoson 6th graders
• Media Center Corner
• Scholastic Book Fair is coming
• Free Gymnastics Clinic
• OMS Basketball and Pep Rally

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere - 2010-01-16 (entered on: 1/18/2010 10:36:18 PM)

It is hard to believe that January 29th brings us to the halfway point in this year.  The students are back into the swing and working hard.  I continue to enjoy meeting parents and I was extremely pleased with the turnout at our last administrative coffee.  The next one will be in the evening.  I hope that you enjoy this weeks newsletter.  Click here to read it.

Topics:

• Visual Art Corner: 7th Grade
• 610's Movie Posters
• Ms. Kilgore - 8th grade scene project
• Media Center Corner
• Book Fair Week
• Fish out of water
• OPAC Corner
• Ottoson Chronicles
• Wrestling Program

Reminders from the Principal - Coffee and Absences (entered on: 1/6/2010 2:05:27 PM)

Just a reminder to remember to call in students when they are going to be out.  This really helps us out.  Also, this Friday, we will be having the monthly coffee from 8:30-10:30 AM in the Ottoson cafeteria.  I hope to see you there.

Thank you,
Tim

OMS Basketball Schedule for Home Games Boys & Girls (entered on: 1/6/2010 9:47:33 AM)

OMS Basketball Schedule for Home Games Boys & Girls

Wednesday 1/6, Monday 1/11, Thursday 1/28, Wednesday 2/3 & Thursday 2/18.

Games will be played in the Wood Gym at 3:00 pm

Superintendent Search Focus Group - Monday, Jan 11 and Weds Jan 13! (entered on: 1/5/2010 1:59:21 PM)

ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH   

2010 FOCUS GROUP ANNOUNCEMENT

The Arlington Public Schools is seeking a new Superintendent.  The Arlington School Committee seeks a strong academic leader with the vision and the skill to effect positive change in the school system.

You are invited to a series of Focus Groups that will gather information from various groups in town to get their in-sights into the abilities needed by the future Superintendent.  

Focus Group times have been set up and will be held at Arlington High School, 869 Massachusetts Avenue, School Committee Room, 6th Floor, you are welcome to attend a session specific to your interests or to any session that fits your schedule.  If you have something to share or if you just want to listen and learn, please attend one of the following Focus Groups.

Monday, January 11, 2010
Parents and Community   9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Faculty and staff       2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Parents and Community      5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Parents and Community      7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Parents and Community      9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Faculty and staff                   2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Parents and Community      5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Parents and Community      7:30 p.m.

Weekly Update from Principal Ruggere - 2009-12-23 (entered on: 12/23/2009 11:35:19 AM)

8th Grade Talent Show on Wednesday 12/23 (entered on: 12/22/2009 10:41:42 AM)

8^th Grade Talent Show on Wednesday 12/23 periods 6 & 7 in the Cafe.  This is for 8^th Grade Students only.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-12-10 (entered on: 12/15/2009 9:33:36 AM)

Good Afternoon:

• The break is rapidly approaching. We have a full week next week and then only three days on the following week. The students are excited and with the current weather patterns, it looks as if we are going to have some wintry weather for the holidays. Speaking of wintry weather, we need to be cautious when dropping students of outside of school. Please try to avoid driving down Benjamin Rd. because then people must back up and this endangers students walking down Benjamin. Also, when dropping off students on Acton St., please try to pull up to the left of the crossing guard heading down Acton St. so that thru traffic and students walking up Acton street have access.

• Just to let you know, the new guidance website is up. If parents/guardians go to the main page and select the Ottoson page, the guidance website can be found there.

• It has been brought to my attention that many people do not know what OSAC is and where the proceeds go from the dances. OSAC is Ottoson Student Advisory Council and it is run by Alison Tikonoff and Todd Sundstrom. The proceeds from the dances go to technology and classroom supplies. The proceeds from the coming dance are going towards the girls and boys basketball teams. We will add the dates of the dance to the save to date sections of the newsletter.

• Today, police were called to Ottoson on a routine call. They then left and there was no incident. Students who saw the police became nervous that we were going to have a lockdown. We were not planning on having a lockdown. When we do have a lockdown drill, both parents and students will be notified.

• A special thanks to those students who participated in the Lego Competition. We had a great showing and the superintendent is very excited about future competitions.

• Another special thanks to the students and staff for Wednesday night’s concert. All of the students did a wonderful job and all of the parents should be very proud.

Click here for this week's newsletter.  Topics include:

• Tech Ed Grade 8
• Teen Reading Corner
• OPAC Info
• Ice Hockey
• Media Center Fundraiser Update
• Medieval Buildings Update
• Winter Concert and Art Show
• Lego Robotics Team
• Auditions for Musical
• Ottoson Wrestling signup

New Guidance and Media Center sites (entered on: 12/15/2009 9:30:22 AM)

Click on the links on the menu at the top of the page for new information from the Media Center and Guidance Department!

School Dance! (entered on: 12/15/2009 9:29:19 AM)

OMS School Dance will be this Friday 12/18/09. The Cost of the Dance is $8.00 Dollars and the proceeds from the dance will go to the Ottoson Girls and Boys Basketball Teams.  Pizza and non-caffeinated drinks will be served.  Tickets will be on sale after school in the Cafeteria on Thursday and Friday.

If you have any questions, please email Ms. Tikonoff or Mr. Mahoney.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-12-04 (entered on: 12/5/2009 8:49:44 AM)

The weeks are flying by and we are in the holiday mode.  The castle project was a huge success.  I was absolutely impressed by the budding engineers that we have in our midst.  I will keep my comments brief so that you can get to the heart of the email, the newsletter.  This weeks newsletter has the second of three interviews from Ms. Wall's ELL class.  The students worked very hard coming up with the questions and did a fantastic job in the interview process.  CNN watch out!

Click here for the newsletter.  Topics include:

• Winter Concert and Art Show
• What's happening in 7th GradeTech Ed
• AM/PM Program
• What's cooking in FACS
• H1N1 Flue Clinic
• OPAC News/Cluster Parents
• Medic Center Fundraiser
• Musical Auditions

8th Grade Parent Night at AHS Postponed (entered on: 12/3/2009 9:57:35 AM)

Please note that the Grade 8 Parent Night scheduled for December 7th at 7:00 p.m. has been cancelled. This program will be held at a later date in the school year. Arlington High School will send notification of the new date and time.

Winter Concert and Art Show December 9th! (entered on: 12/3/2009 9:10:31 AM)

The Winter Art Show will begin at 6pm on December 9th.  The OMS Winter concert will be Wednesday December 9th at 10am and 7pm.

7th and 8th grade Chorus parents, please check out http://www.ottosonchorus.blogspot.com for updated chorus information.

H1N1 Flu clinic (entered on: 12/2/2009 3:26:11 PM)

The Arlington Board of Health will be conducting an H1N1 flu clinic at the Ottoson on Thursday, December 10. An information packet and parent permission forms will be sent home with students from their homeroom teachers on Thursday, December 3.  The forms are now available by clicking here.

Please read all of the information in the packet and fill out the permission form completely. Forms are due back to your child’s homeroom teacher by Monday, December 7.

Pat Hassett - School Nurse

Conference Schedule (entered on: 11/30/2009 3:33:34 PM)

This is the updated conference schedule:

Wednesday, December 2nd-12:30-2:30
Friday, December 4th-12:30-2:30
Monday, December 7th-6:00-8:00
Monday, December 14th-12:30-2:30

Conference scheduling is done from the district website at http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/parentconferences

Spirit Day Wednesday! (entered on: 11/24/2009 11:41:06 AM)

Wednesday, November 25 is Spirit Day at Ottoson.  Wear your school colors -- Maroon!  Wear a hat for a $1.  Proceeds benefit the Arlington Food Pantry.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-11-13 (entered on: 11/16/2009 8:09:49 AM)

I hope that everyone is having a nice weekend.  I have spent mine trying to recover from a cold.  I would like to thank the guidance staff and Ms. Griffin in particular for writing the introduction for this weeks newsletter.  Don't forget to check the upcoming events at the end of the newsletter.  This week we will have two attachments on this email.  First is the newsletter and the other attachment is the notes from the bullying presentation that we had.  I hope that everything is going well for all of the families and I still invite people who have not stopped by to come in and say hello.

Click here for notes from the forum on bullying.

Click here for this week's newsletter.  Topics include:

• Notes from the Guidance Department
• Dia de los Muertos
• Successful Spanish Night Restaurant
• Return of the ACE Egg project
• Teen Reading Corner
• Media Center Fundraiser

Results from Youth Risk Behavior Survey (entered on: 11/12/2009 10:16:45 AM)

The Arlington Public Schools and The Arlington Youth Health & Safety Coalition are pleased to present the results of the Ottoson Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey.  This test was administered in May 2009 to our current seventh (then sixth), and eighth graders.  332 sixth graders, 302 seventh graders and – 287 eighth graders took part in the survey.  For the complete report, please click here. (The report is 28 pages, this link is the report in booklet form (printed two sided)

OPAC Meeting / Coffee Schedule (entered on: 11/10/2009 3:14:21 PM)

In an effort to get more parents to be able to take part in morning coffees and opac meetings at night, the OPAC Meetings have been combined with the Principal Coffees on an alternating schedule. These monthly meetings will alternate between the 1^st Friday of each month in the mornings from 8:00am – 9:30am in the OMS cafeteria and the first Thursday of each month in the evenings from 7:00pm - 8:30pm in the OMS Teacher’s Lounge.

 These meetings are a forum for the "voice of the parents" at the Ottoson Middle School. At each meeting we will have an update from the Principal and OPAC, open discussion time and time to socialize one on one with adminstrators and parents. Refreshments are also served.  

   2009 / 2010 OPAC & PRINCIPAL COFFEE MEETING SCHEDULE

                           Friday, November 6   (AM) (completed)
                           Thursday, December 3^rd   (PM)
                           Friday, January 8^th (AM)
                           Thursday, February 4^th (PM)
                           Friday, March 5^th (AM)
                           Thursday, April 1^st (PM)
                           Friday, May 7^th (AM)
                           Thursday, June 3^rd (PM)

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-11-6 (entered on: 11/8/2009 1:59:29 PM)

We had a nice turn out for the coffee yesterday.  The next coffee will be in the evening the first Thursday in December (12/3).  We are still attempting to improve the backpack situation.  Another topic of interest yesterday was water bottles.  If any parents wish for their students to carry water bottles, please call the school nurse and she will let the teachers know.  Attached is this weeks newsletter which it seems that some people did not know is more than one page.  Please scroll down on the newsletter because we have many wonderful things to share with you.  Click here to see this week's newsletter.  Topics include:

• Polyhedra Power from 610's
• Author Julie Mahnke visits Ottoson
• JR Midget/B Squad Cheerleaders compete in National Title
• Mr. Bart Phys Ed
• Lego League competition
• Spanish Restaurant
• Ottoson Chronicles
• Health Dept update on H1N1
• Halloween at Ottoson

Thanksgiving Food Drive Details (entered on: 11/6/2009 9:49:24 AM)

Ottoson students will be joining the Board of Youth Services and the Arlington Youth Consultation Center in our annual campaign to provide Thanksgiving dinner to Arlington families who may need some help this year.  Students are asked to bring in nonperishable food items and cash to purchase local supermarket gift cards. The canned goods and gift cards will be collected and redistributed according to family size.  Here is some detailed information about what is needed.

Collection

• Boxes are being donated
• Please do not decorate boxes
• Thanksgiving food items only (suggested items below)
• Cash collection to purchase gift cards to Johnnies or Stop and Shop

Pick up

• Ottoson foyer, 8:45, November 20th – an announcement will be made
• Place food cards in an envelope separately from box. Volunteers will be in the foyer to collect the envelopes.
• Please write the gift card amount on the front of the envelope

Thanksgiving foods

• Canned vegetables – corn, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes
• Canned gravy or mix
• Stuffing mix
• Boxed Pie Crust
• Pumpkin and cherry pie filling
• Condensed milk
• Cranberry bread
• Cranberry sauce
• Corn bread
• Bag of potatoes
• Turnip, squash

Parent Forum -- Michael Thompson on THE IMPACT OF THE LOSS OF FREE, UNDIRECTED PLAY IN CHILDHOOD (entered on: 11/6/2009 7:18:08 AM)

For parents of children, grades pre-school – 12

Monday, November 9, 2009                                               Dallin School Gymnasium 7:00-9:00 PM 

Play is what makes us human; it is the source of children's creativity and imagination.  Researchers estimate that in the past twenty years, children have lost nine to twelve hours per week of free, undirected play.  There is evidence to suggest that this loss of play is affecting children's weight, their social competence, their ability to focus and their brain development.  Dr. Thompson will address the loss of play, the role that schools have in promoting play to parents and what schools can do to protect the natural play of students.

Presenter: Michael Thompson: The heart of Dr. Thompson's work is lecturing to parents, teachers and students about the development of boys, the social lives of both boys and girls, the parent-teacher dynamic, school culture, how to raise responsible children, and the psychological journey of children through school. He and his co-author, Dan Kindlon, wrote the New York Times best-selling book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys.   He is the author of Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions About Raising Sons   and co-author of Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Worlds of Children, Mom, They're Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems, The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Achieve Success in School and in Life and his latest book, It's a Boy! is a comprehensive guide for the parents of boys.

A dedicated speaker and traveler, Michael Thompson has appeared on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC 20/20, CBS 60 Minutes, The Early Show and Good Morning America

Dr. Thompson lives in Arlington with his wife and is the father of Joanna, 23 and Will, 18

Picture Makeup / Retake Day (entered on: 11/3/2009 3:52:12 PM)

Picture make-up day will be Friday, November 20, 2009.  Students either return the pictures they do not want to keep or if they have not had pictures taken, they should bring in their envelope with their money.

Spanish Restaurant Night!!! (entered on: 11/3/2009 9:34:27 AM)

Courtney Miville's students have planned a cultural dinner as part of the coursework for Ms. Miville's grade 8 Spanish class.  It will be held next Tuesday night from 6-8 PM in the Ottoson cafeteria. The price is $5 for students and $8 for adults and all procedes go to The Home For Little Wanders.  We hope to see all of you there.  If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call at 781-316-3744 ext. 1336 (Ms. Miville).

There is a Spanish restaurant night the 10th of November from 6-8pm at OMS.

Tickets are on sale now. $5 students. $8 adults. All profits go to The Home for Little Wanderers.

Quesadillas, tacos, nachos, drinks and desserts will be served! Go to room 336 or contact Ms. Miville’s 8th Grade Spanish Students for tickets and details.

Contact: cmiville@arlington.k12.ma.us

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-10-30 (entered on: 11/2/2009 11:21:21 AM)

Another wonderful week! We have strung together one great week after another. I wanted to say that at the last faculty meeting, I spoke with the teachers about the weight of the children’s backpacks and asked the teachers to speak with the children about some possible strategies that they could employ to lessen the backpack burden. The following are some things that the students can do in order to make the trips back and forth to school more manageable.

• Many of the texts for the core classes are online. Check with teachers to find out which ones.
• Textbooks on disc.
• Use of GMAIL accounts to send information home so they do not have to carry everything.
• Teachers will tell the students when it is necessary to take the textbooks home and when it is not.
• Students seem to be taking textbooks home even when they do not have an assignment. Teachers are now reminding students, that if they have not received homework from particular teachers, they do not need that textbook.
• The problem seems to be the biggest with the grade 6 students, so these teachers are educating them to lighten the backpacks. As the year goes on they say the children will become better at packing their bags.

 Please keep an eye on things and let me know if you do not see an improvement or if I need to send out another reminder. The teachers have been great in working on this.

Finally, please click here for this week's newsletter.   Topics include:

• Greetings from Asst Principal Gonsalves
• 5-2-1 Free wrestling clinic
• OMS Cheerleading
• Ms. Miville's Spanish restaurant
• 6th grade author's visit
• ESL Class trip to Robbins Library
• Teen Reading Corner
• 750's students learn with cell phones
• Arlington Food Pantry
• Support Our Troops
• Ottoson Thanksgiving Food Drive

Teacher Conference Signup (entered on: 10/30/2009 10:12:54 AM)

Once again, an online signup system is being used to schedule Parent/Teacher conferences.  The site is available on the district website by clicking here.

This is some background information from that page:

OTTOSON MIDDLE SCHOOL - Registration Opens on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00am.

• Evening Conferences - Tuesday - November 24th - 6:00-8:00pm
• Afternoon Conferences - Wednesday - December 2nd - 12:30-2:30pm
• Afternoon Conferences - Friday - December 4th - 12:30-2:30pm
• Evening Conferences - Monday - December 7th - 6:00-8:00pm
• Afternoon Conferences - Monday - December 14th - 12:30-2:30pm

OMS Cheerleading Signup (entered on: 10/30/2009 9:47:48 AM)

OMS Cheerleading sign-ups and meeting for students and their parents on Thursday November ^12th  @ 6:00 pm in the Blue Gym.  Practices begin week of 12/14.

H1N1 Vaccine Information (entered on: 10/30/2009 9:35:54 AM)

Please click here to see the latest information on the H1N1 Vaccine from the Health Department.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-10-23 (entered on: 10/24/2009 8:47:43 AM)

Another week has flown by. I just had a meeting with my Grade 8 council and they keep coming up with great ideas for the school. One idea was to add Project Adventure to AM/PM. Although we don’t know if we can, it is still great that the students are thinking of ways to improve existing programs. Another tremendous idea was to buy a mascot for the school. The students also told me that we are the Ottoson Bulldogs. That will be an imposing mascot for visiting teams to face. It is wonderful to see the students take such an interest in school spirit.

Our new assistant principal, Mr. Jack Flood, began this week and he has had a wonderful first week. He has some comments about his start in the newsletter. Thank you for giving some suggestions for the newsletter and we will try to get them into the newsletter. 

Also, in the future, we will let parents know ahead of time when we will hold dances. Chris Mahoney runs them and he teachers in the 760’s. The money from the dances goes back into materials for the school.

Again, please feel free to continue to come in and see me.

Click here for this week's newsletter.  Topics include:

• Hello from new Assistant Principal, Jack Flood
• 5-2-1 Activity Program
• Author visit: Mitali Perkins, author of The Not-So-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, Rickshaw Girl, Monsoon Wedding, The First Daughter Series and Secret Keeper
• Teen Reading Corner
  

Food Pantry Collection (entered on: 10/23/2009 11:19:29 AM)

The Ottoson Middle School community is collecting food for almost 400 Arlington residents, many of them families and senior citizens, who use the Arlington Food Pantry.

Please bring non-perishable food and personal care items to school.  A bin for your donations will be in the front lobby near the cafeteria.  The following is a list of foods and other items to consider:

At this time, the Food Pantry is in special need of personal care items (soap, shampoo & conditioner, lotion, mouthwash).

Please: No glass containers, perishable foods, or items past their expiration date

Patriots Team Day - Friday, 10/23 (entered on: 10/21/2009 9:11:22 AM)

In honor of the New England Patriots' football game being held at Wembley Stadium in London, England, this Sunday... Friday will be Patriots team day at the Ottoson. On Friday, students and teachers are invited to wear Patriots shirts, or red, white, and blue, to cheer on the team. In addition, for a one dollar donation, students will be allowed to wear baseball caps or hats during the day on Friday (money will be donated to the Jimmy Fund). More information will be coming. Go Pats!

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-10-19 (entered on: 10/20/2009 10:36:45 AM)

Update is contained in the newsletter -- which can be viewed by clicking here.

Topics include:

• Pennies for Peace Fundraiser
• Chorus
• 5-2-1 Activity program
• Spanish Restaurant evening -- November 10 - 6-8pm
• Girl Scout Registration
• Teen Reading Corner
• Free School Supplies

School Dance! (entered on: 10/15/2009 10:22:29 AM)

There will be an Ottoson Dance on Friday, October 23rd.  It runs from 6:30-9:30. 

Tickets will be on sale Wed, Thurs. & Friday after school in the Café. Cost is $5.00

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-10-09 (entered on: 10/9/2009 3:56:55 PM)

Good Afternoon,

I will make my update brief this week.  I will attach my first News From Arlington.  This was another very successful week.  I made it around to quite a few classes and the kids are doing wonderfully.  I was able to listen in to the Orchestra this week and it brought tears of joy to my eyes.  They are truly quite accomplished.  I just think of how amazing they will sound years from now if they are this good in middle school.  I was also able to sit it in and listen to the Jazz Band and they were eaqually impressive.

Just one important message from Ms. Bouvier.  Tuesday, October 13th 2009 at Ottoson Middle School in the Cafetorium from 7:00-9:00 PM there will be a Parent Forum, Bullying and Cyberbullying by Dr. Elizabeth Englander.  She is a nationally recognized Cyberbullying and the founder of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College.  We hope to see you there.

Have a nice long weekend,
Tim

Timothy R. Ruggere
Principal
Ottoson Middle School

Author Visiting Ottoson (entered on: 10/8/2009 7:54:53 AM)

On Wednesday, Oct. 21^st, 2009 , Author Mitali Perkins will visit Ottoson to talk about “Life between two cultures” to all 8^th graders (1^st & 2^nd Period) & all 7^th Graders (3^rd & 4^th Period).

Minuteman High Visit (entered on: 10/8/2009 7:52:44 AM)

Minuteman is coming to visit & speak to the 8^th grade students on Wednesday, October 14th and Friday, October 16th.  Clusters 800 and 820 will be with Minuteman second period on the 14th and cluster 810 will be with Minuteman on the 16th.  Minuteman is available as an alternative to Arlington High School.

Parent Forum on Bullying (entered on: 10/5/2009 4:44:38 PM)

Do you know what your children are doing online?????? ???????

For Parents of school age youth

Tuesday, October 13^th, 2009 Ottoson Middle School Cafetorium 7:00-9:00 PM

More than half of teenagers report having received hurtful online statements or threats and most times these incidents go unreported. Cyberbullying or repeated electronic based bullying via IM’s on computers or via cell phones has become an increasing problem. This program will cover current issues of bullying, cyberbullying, preventative measures parents can take and options in the event that your child is being cyberbullied.

Presenter: Dr. Elizabeth Englander, a nationally recognized expert on Cyberbullying is a professor of Psychology and the founder of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College. The Center delivers anti-violence and anti-bullying programs for the State of Massachusetts.

“If you want the climate in school to change, you must change the climate in community.” Dr. Elizabeth Englander

This presentation is one of a year-long series on Parent Education.  For a complete list of forums, please click here.

Pennies for Peace -- Collection during October (entered on: 10/3/2009 11:00:38 PM)

Dear Students and Families,

This year, Ottoson will once again be participating in the Pennies for Peace campaign.  This program was started several years ago to raise money for schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  In conjunction with the Central Asia Institute, Pennies for Peace teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and educational opportunities to children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A penny in the United States is virtually worthless, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy and hope for the future.   Last year the Ottoson raised over $700 in pennies.

Until October 30, 2009 collection containers will be present in Social Studies classrooms.  We are collecting pennies only, no nickels, no dimes, no quarters, no dollars: a penny is something that everyone can afford to give.

As we learn, it is important for students to develop a sense of connectivity with the greater world.  I hope this is a step toward that connection.  For more information, you can visit the campaign website http://www.penniesforpeace.org.

Thank you for your support,

Ms. Keyes

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-10-02 (entered on: 10/2/2009 3:54:15 PM)

Good Afternoon,

Just wanted to drop everyone a quick note to let you know how things are going.  They are going very well.  It was another wonderful week at Ottoson.  Your children continue to impress me.  I have been around to many of the classes and they are doing great work. 

I would just like to give you some brief snapshots.

-It was great seeing the parents who were able to make it to the breakfast today.  We had about 50 people show up and we had some great conversations.  I will be doing this monthly and hope that we have an even bigger crowd in November.

-We did have an issue with texting this week.  Some grade 6 students received a disturbing text.  I had the students return to homeroom and the teachers explained that it was a very bad practical joke and that the students should delete the text immediately.  I then sent a letter home to grade 6 parents.  I found out this morning that the grade 7 and grade 8 students were receiving something similar via email.  Please have your children let me know so that I can have this checked out.  The police are aware of the situation.

-Grade 8 parents- Minuteman is coming to visit and speak to the grade 8 students on Wednesday, October 14th and Friday, October 16th.  Clusters 800 and 820 will be with Minuteman second period on the 14th and cluster 810 will be with Minuteman on the 16th. 

-The chorus and the band are off to a great start.  I have been around and have heard all of the wonderful music.  It really brings something special to the school to have this.  Our musicians are truly special and I look forward to this years performances.  Our other artists are doing well also.  I have seen many students in the halls working on their perspective drawings and other students are working on portraits.

We have alot to be proud of here at Ottoson and I am truly happy to be a part of it.  Please feel free to come in and see me.  Drop by's are welcome.

Have a nice weekend,
Tim

Date Change on Evening Conferences (entered on: 10/1/2009 9:52:58 AM)

Evening conferences which were originally scheduled for November 23rd, from 6-8pm have  been moved to 11/24, 6-8pm to avoid a conflict with the High School.  More information about the conferences will be available as the time approaches.

Date Change on Evening Conferences (entered on: 10/1/2009 9:48:55 AM)

Evening conferences which were originally scheduled for November 23rd, from 6-8pm have  been moved to 11/24, 6-8pm to avoid a conflict with the High School.  More information about the conferences will be available as the time approaches.

Election for Parent Advisory Council (entered on: 9/30/2009 7:34:33 AM)

From Principal Ruggere:  It was wonderful meeting all of you last night.  I think it was a success and I know that the teachers were happy to meet you as well.  It is important for the children that we talk on a regular basis and get to know one another. 

On another note, anyone who is interested in being put on the ballot for School Council parent rep. should com to the main office at Ottoson and place your name on the ballot list.  We will then have an election next Monday (10/5) from 9:00-12:00.  If you are interested on voting, please come by at that time.  OPAC will then count the ballots and the School Council members will then be announced.

Open House Update (entered on: 9/28/2009 2:00:45 PM)

Your student has a copy of his/her schedule for tomorrow night (9/29).  If your student does not bring a schedule to follow for tomorrow night, we have copies that we can give you when you arrive.  At seven p.m., an announcement will be made to go to your student's first class and every ten minutes another announcement will be made to change classes.  Students will be available to act as guides for parents who do not know the building.  We look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow night.

Thank you,
Tim

AM/PM Whiffleball (entered on: 9/23/2009 1:36:19 PM)

AM/PM Whiffleball is now available as follows:

AM/PM Blue Gym, Wiffleball, Basketball @ 7:00 am/ 2:35 w/Mr. Bartz

Parents are Invited to "Coffee with the Principal" Friday, Oct 2nd (entered on: 9/22/2009 12:13:18 PM)

Fall Open House -- Tuesday 9/29 (entered on: 9/17/2009 3:25:31 PM)

You are invited to meet your child’s teachers at our Fall Open House.  Your child will bring home a copy of his/her schedule for you to follow for that evening.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and receive information about all of the programs at Ottoson.

Tuesday September 29, 2009 -- 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Picture Schedule (entered on: 9/17/2009 8:42:32 AM)

The following is the schedule for picture taking:

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2009-09-16 (entered on: 9/16/2009 11:44:16 AM)

It has been a pleasure getting to know the children and parents of Ottoson Middle School. We got off to a great start and the schedule is complete.  Now we can focus on hitting our stride. The after school programs have begun and students are easing into their new situations.  I am very glad that parents have been taking me up on my offer to come in and chat and I will be having a coffee for Ottoson Families at the end of September.  It is wonderful walking around the building and seeing excitement in the students as well as the teachers.  We understand that the students are still getting into their routines and we are trying to help them with their transitions into new grades.

 For their safety, we are now in the process of having our code meetings in which we explain the expectations that we have for our students.  For example, students were rambunctious in the cafeteria yesterday and I had to remind them that we have expectations in the cafeteria and that we need to keep things at a reasonable level. I then explained that in previous situations I had been forced to sit students by cluster and have quiet lunches and that this early in the year, I was hoping that I did not need to resort to that. I am sure that I will not. Lunch is a time for the students to relax, be with friends and enjoy themselves. They work very hard during the day and deserve this time. In no way do I mean to alter this. I merely want students to realize that we have reasonable expectations of behavior in the cafeteria. I also want them to understand that it is a matter of building safety and not punishment.

Also, the Lego Club Teams have been chosen and we will be letting students know who has been picked and it will begin soon. We have selected twenty students for two teams of ten. I am looking for a third coach so that we can select a third team. We have received so much interest that I am trying to make the Lego Club part of a SOAR so that more students can take part. I have had some offers for volunteers and I am still attempting to figure out how that will work. Hopefully, this is something on which we can continue to expand.

5-2-1 Afterschool Programs Starting (entered on: 9/16/2009 10:07:35 AM)

5-2-1 Activities begin 9/29/09

5-2-1 programs are sponsored by a grant to encourage fitness, and are free and open to all.

Monday – Dodgeball (Wooden Gym) @ 2:34 pm

Tuesday/Thursday – Ice Hockey (Arlington Rink) @ 3:10 pm

Friday – Floor Hockey (Blue Gym) @ 2:34pm with Mr. Bartz

OPAC Meeting Thursday 9/17 (entered on: 9/14/2009 1:05:48 PM)

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our first OPAC Meeting (that is the Ottoson Parent Advisory Council or OMS PTO) will be held this Thursday, 9/17/09, at the Ottoson Media Center from 7 - 8:30pm.

Ottoson parent advisory council meetings are somewhat different than elementary school pto meetings in that they are more of an open forum for parents to gather, get an update from and then have a dialogue with the Principal.

SO - please come to our first meeting this Thursday, meet other parents and get your questions asked and answered!

You will have the opportunity to meet, greet and hear from our new Principal, Tim Ruggere.

The agenda will also include:

An AEC (Arlington Enrichment Collaborative) after-school program overview by Executive Director Diana Weisner

OPAC Updates

Refreshments!

Fall Open House - DATE CHANGE (entered on: 9/14/2009 10:38:45 AM)

Due to scheduling conflicts, the Fall Open House has been changed to Tuesday, September 29th, 7-9pm.

Be a Part of Arlington’s Inaugural Season in the FIRST® LEGO League! (entered on: 9/4/2009 10:00:50 PM)

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an exciting and fun global robotics program that ignites an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in kids ages 9 to 14. On Arlington’s FLL team, with the help of the Coach and mentors, up to 10 students in Grades 5 through 8 will:

Weekly Update from the Principal - 2009-01-05 (entered on: 1/5/2009 2:47:14 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. Getting to school this morning was a challenge for all of us, but we are here, picking up where we left off before the break. As you know, weather in New England can be unpredictable, and the geography around OMS makes arrival and dismissal times tricky even in sunny, clear weather. Again, I ask that you take great care in dropping off and picking up your student. This morning we extended homeroom and did not mark any students tardy who arrived late.

Principal Search: Superintendent Kathy Bodie has scheduled a meeting regarding the Princiapl Search Committee with OMS parents this coming Thursday, January 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the media center. Please come to find out the time line for the search and to give your input about this process.

SOAR: We will be offering SOAR activities to students beginning during the third marking period, beginning January 29. A list of activities will be distributed to students who will choose what they'd like to do during 7th period on Thursdays.

5-2-1 activities: wrestling with Mr. Cummings on Tuesdays from 5-6:30 p.m. in the "Pit" at Arlington High School; rollerblading on Wednesdays in the Blue Gym from 2:34-3:49 p.m. with Ms. Martorana; and floor hockey in the Blue Gym on Fridays from 2:34-3:49 p.m. with Mr. Bartholomew. All equipment is provided and there is no cost.

The boy's and girls' basketball teams' schedules are in place. Our first home game is this coming Thursday Jan. 8 against Weston. Go teams!

The second marking period ends on January 25--still plenty of time for students to improve academic performance. Please continue to have those conversations about school with your students. They need to know what your expectations are. . .

Happy New Year!!

Dr. Malone Neville

Book Group Information (entered on: 1/5/2009 8:17:54 AM)

The boys and girls book groups, run by Kim Holt of Arlington Enrichment Collaborative, will be starting again. For more information, please click here.

Middle School Parent Forums (entered on: 1/4/2009 9:02:02 PM)

January 8, 2009, 6:00 - 7:00pm at Ottoson Middle School

A Middle School Parent Forum has been scheduled for Thursday evening, January 8th, from 6:00 - 7:00pm at the Ottoson Middle School in the Media Center to discuss qualifications for the next Middle School Principal.

January 13, 2009, 9:00 – 10:00am at Arlington High School

For those who are unable to attend the January 8th meeting, an additional forum has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 13th, from 9:00 – 10:00am in the School Committee Room at Arlington High School.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-12-23 (entered on: 12/23/2008 12:22:08 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. Thank you all for your flexibility for the past few school dayss--early dismissals and late arrivals are hard on a family's routine.

Civil Rights History Tour: 8th grade students from Ottoson are invited to join AHS on its third Civil Rights History tour of Atlanta, Birmingham and Montgomery. The tour dates are May 22-26. Some highlights include visiting the The Rev. Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violent Social Change and Martin Luther King's childhood home, 16th Street Baptist Church and the site of the Birmingham Children's March, Rosa Parks Museum and Alabama State House as well as may othe sites such as the Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center, and Centennial Park. The cost includes airfare, hotel accommodations, two meals per day, entrance fees, pribate coach bus, overnight security and full-time tour director. For the complete itinerary, please see Mr. Colosi or got to www.smithsonianstudenttravel.com and enter tour number 528652.

From the nurses: "Thanks to the many parents who have called to let us know that their children have been diagnosed with strep, stomach viruses and pneumonia. All of these illnesses are prevalent in the building, along with colds and the flu. As always, thorough hand washingis the key to preventing the spread of these infections. Please encourage your children to wash their hands frequently, use tissues if they are sneezing, and cough into the crook of their elbows. Several parents have also notified us that they have treated their children for head lice. Your child may return to school as soon as he/she has been treated and his/her hair has been combed to remove lice and nits. If your child has had head lice we encourage you to notify the parents of your child's close friends so that they may check their children. Manual removal is the key to treating this very common nuisance among school age children. Please call us at 781-316-3745 x2107 if you have any questions or concerns, or need more information about treating lice."

The 810 cluster is going to the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester on January 9. Should there be a weather related problem, we will let you know.

The Boys and Girls Book Groups will meet in January (Girls' Book Group on the first Wednesday of the month--Jan.7 and Boys' Book Group on the third Wednesday of the month--Jan 21). Students are asked to get their own copy of the book, to go to the media center for a copy of they don't own one, to bring their lunch, to check in with their 5th period teacher ahead of time, and to remain in Book Group for the entire 5th period. The Girls' Group is reading An Na's A Step from Heaven and the Boys' Book Group is reading Airborne by Kenneth Oppel. If you have questions please contact Kim Holt at kim@arlingtonenrichment.org.

Unless your child is on crutches, please do not drive into the driveway in front of the school to drop off or pick up. It is way too dangerous to have cars and students in the driveway. We have one bus that picks up students in front of the school at 2:30 p.m. It is far safer (and more convenient for you) to park in a designated spot away from the school and ask your child to meet you there. Sidewalks, crosswalks, and roads are slick.

School will reopen Monday morning, January 5, 2009.

From all of us at Ottoson, we wish you happy holidays and a new year full of good things. . .

Dr. Malone Neville

Inclement Weather Cancellation Alerts (entered on: 12/18/2008 9:58:29 PM)

When the schools have a change in their schedule -- delayed opening, cancellation, or early release, they notify the media.

Some stations, like wcvb, will send you an automatic email or phone text alert letting you know of the schedule change.

To sign up, visit http://www.thebostonchannel.com/closings/index.html

SNOW - EARLY RELEASE FRIDAY (entered on: 12/18/2008 12:12:41 PM)

Interim Supt Kathy Bodie has just released this announcement:

Recent weather reports indicate a significant snowstorm will arrive in our area some time during mid-day tomorrow, Friday, December 19th.

Due to concerns about the reported severity of the storm and the safety of our students and staff, the Arlington Public Schools will dismiss students and staff at 11:15 a.m. No lunch will be served.

For information about after-school programs, parents should contact their after-school providers. Thank you.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-12-16 (entered on: 12/16/2008 10:05:05 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families.

Congratulations to Mr. Condakes, Ms. Gaffney, Ms. Cristo, Ms. Wei, Ms. Demetrio, and Mr. D'Agostino and all our students who performed last Thursday in the winter concert. Thank you to Mr. Singer and Mr. Sylva who accompanied the chorus. I think that you will agree that the performances were excellent!!

Congratulations also to Mr. Corey and Ms. Serafini and all of our students who are displaying their wonderful work in the the Art Show, ongoing in the main lobby.

Try-outs for the spring musical are being held this week. The musical is scheduled for March 12 and 13 and promises to be a big production involving many students.

This week, ELL classes will be visiting the Museum of Fine Arts, the 760's cluster will be at the Museum of Science, and Odds Bodkin will be performing at OMS. Many thanks to OPAC for making Odds Bodkin's performance possible.

AEEF grant: We are very excited to have received a grant from the Arlington Educational Enrichment Fund to create a mural for the outside of the school! Mr. Corey, Ms. Serafini and students will be working on this project this year.

Please be in touch with your student's teacher(s) if you have questions regarding a mid-term progress report that your student may have received this past week.

OPAC is meeting tonight at 7 p.m. in the faculty dining room.

On Monday, January 19, 2009 there will be an observance in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. Professor Hassel McClellan, Associate Professor of Statistics and Management at Boston College is the guest speaker. Tapas begins at 6 p.m. Participants are asked to bring finger food or dessert to serve six.

Middle school principal search: Kathy Bodie has posted on the website an invitation to those interested in serving on the middle school principal search committee. If interested, please send a letter of interest to Superintendent Kathy Bodie c/o Arlington Public Schools, PO Box 167, Arlington 02476 or email a letter of interest to Judi Chebator at jchebator@arlington.k12.ma.us by December 23. The committee will be meeting several evenings in January, the dates to be decided.

School will close at the end of the school day on Tuesday, December 23 and will reopen on Monday morning, January 5.

Dr. Malone Neville

Auditions for Ottoson Musical (entered on: 12/12/2008 4:35:10 PM)

Ottoson Announces Auditions for Musical This year's musical at Ottoson will be either Disney's High School Musical or Fiddler on the Roof Jr., depending upon the results of auditions. The play will be presented on Thursday, March 12th and Friday, March 13th at 7:30 pm. Auditions are open to 6th, 7th and 8th graders.

The schedule for auditions is as follows:

• Monday, December 15th - Informational Meeting
  To be held at 2:30pm in Rm. 101 (Music Rm). Audition packets will be given out, and a song will be briefly rehearsed for singing auditions.
  
  
• Wednesday, December 17th - Singing Auditions
  To be held at 2:30pm in Rm. 101.
  
  
• Rescheduled - Monday, December 22nd Acting Auditions To be held at 2:30pm in the Drama Rm. Snow date: Tuesday, December 23rd at 2:30pm in the Drama Rm.
• Rescheduled - Tuesday, December 23rd Callbacks To be held at 2:30 pm. in Rms. 101 and 103. Snow date: Monday, January 5th at 2:30 pm in the Drama Rm.

If there are any questions, please see Ms. Kilgore in Rm. 233.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-12-01 (entered on: 12/1/2008 8:27:38 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families. It was nice to see so many 8th grade parents at the Medieval Fair last Wednesday morning. The projects were very well done--and each was unique. Congratulations to all our students and to their teachers. Many thanks especially to Ms. Keyes, Ms. Conroy, and Mr. Sundstrom.

On Wednesday, December 3 students will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m. No breakfast or lunch will be served that day. Remaining conference days are December 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. (regular school day) and December12 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. (students will be dimissed at 11:45 a.m. and no breakfast or lunch will be served).

The winter concert and art exhibit will be on December 11. The art exhibit opens at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Wood Gym.

Reminder: A community discussion on bullying sponsored by the Arlington Human Rights Commission will take place on Wednesday, December 3 from 7 to 9 p.m in the Community Room of the Robbins Library. Representatives from elementary, middle and high schools are panel members and will lead a discussion on how home and school can address bullying.

Please check the lost and found in the main lobby for items that may belong to your family.

December 10 is the mid point of the second term.

We welcome Helen Wiseman to Ottoson. Ms. Wiseman will be teaching 7th grade English in the Language-Based Program.

We were all a little drowsy today-- there must be some truth to the "turkey syndrome."

Dr. Malone Neville

Mandatory 6th Grade Chorus Rehearsal (entered on: 11/25/2008 2:18:57 PM)

Attention all 6th grade chorus members:

There will be a rehearsal and sound check in the wood gym on Thursday, December 4 immediately after school. The rehearsal will last approximately one hour, ending at 3:30 pm. Attendance is mandatory.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-11-24 (entered on: 11/25/2008 9:03:48 AM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. Tomorrow students will be dismissed at noon (12 p.m.). No breakfast or lunch will be served in school. School will be closed at noon tomorrow and reopen on Monday, December 1.

We are looking for Arlington families who will partner with Boston families. If you would like more information, please go to the METCO link on the APS website or contact Mr. Colosi at 781-316-3745 x 1509.

Over 70 Thanksgiving boxes were collected for area families. Many thanks to Ms. Dolan and Ms. Packer for organizing this project.

Let's hope that tomorrow is a better day for our Medieval Festival. Today's rain could ruin our student's good work. Eighth grade parents are invited to wander through the castles, cathedrals, mosques, and villages in the cafeteria between 9 and 11 a.m.

On Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. the Arlington Human Rights Commission will present a community dialogue on bullying in the Community Room at the Robbins Library. Patrick Lareau of the Massachusetts Aggression-Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College will be presenting, along with Cindy Bouvier, Director of Health, Wellness and Counseling for APS, Brian Gallagher, Resource Officer for APS, Molly Simmons, Guidance Counselor and Health teacher at OMS, Sherri Donovan, Principal, and Siobhan Foley, 3rd grade teacher at Thompson Elementary School. Questions may be addressed to the Human Rights Commission at 781-316-3250.

A word from the guidance office: If your child is applying to private school, you may ask your child's guidance counselor or any of her/his teachers to write a recommendation. Transcripts will be prepared by your child's guidance counselor.

Even in these uncertain economic times, we have much to be thankful for. From all of us at OMS, best wishes for a good Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Dr. Malone Neville

Castles on Display for Parents (entered on: 11/20/2008 11:24:22 AM)

Greetings, Ottoson Grade 8 Parents!

On Wednesday, November 26, eighth grade students will be presenting their medieval building models in the Ottoson cafeteria. You're all invited to visit and view the finished products. Students have been working hard to create models of castles, religious buildings, and manor farms. It's always a wonderful day seeing all of the projects gathered together.

Parents are welcome to view the building models from 9-11 a.m. Please remember to check in at the main office and get a visitor badge. This is an important safety precaution.

We anticipate close to 150 models will be on display. If you cannot attend on Wednesday, don't worry: buildings will be on display during parent-teacher conferences, in the Ottoson Media Center and throughout the building.

Thank you for all of your support during this project. We hope to see you there.

Mr. Sundstrom, Ms. Keyes, Ms. Conroy, Ms. Mason, and Ms. Mudd Ottoson Grade 8 World History Teachers

Addendum to Weekly Update (entered on: 11/18/2008 9:53:34 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families. This week is American Education Week. If you would like to drop by to visit a class, please call our main office 781-316-3744 and let us know which class you would like to visit.

Arlington will be celebrating a 25-year relationship with its sister city, Nagaokakyo, Japan in 2009. Students from OMS and AHS have an opportunity to visit Nagaokakyo from July 6-July 16, 2009. They will stay with host families and visit the city hall, schools, temples, shrines and surrounding cities of Kyoto and Osaka as representatives of the town of Arlington. This exchange is open to students grades 7 through 11. If you are interested in learning more about his wonderful opportunity, please contact Rieko Tanaka at riekopiano@gmail.com or School Committee member Sue Sheffler at ssheffler@aol.com.

The OMS lunchtime girls' and boys' book groups will be beginning soon. The girls' book group will meet on December 3 and will discuss A Step from Heaven by An Na. The OMS media center has several copies of the book. The boys' book group will meet on December 17 to discuss Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. Students are asked to bring a bag lunch. Sign-up procedures will be explained in the bulletin and morning announcements.

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-11-17 (entered on: 11/17/2008 3:40:51 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families. We are still working on formatting the first term report cards. Report cards will be going home with students on Thursday, November 20.

Last Thursday was "mix-it-up day" at OMS. During lunch, the expectation was that students eat at tables according to the color of their clothing, not necessarily with their friends or usual lunch buddies. We plan to have more "mix-it-up" days as a way of meeting new classmates.

The one-act play School Daze will be performed at OMS on Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21 at 7:30pm. Tickets cost $5. We hope that you will join us. The play is a well-done snap shot of middle school life.

OPAC (Ottoson Parent Advisory Council) will meet tomorrow night from 7 to 8:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Conferences begin on November 24 (6-9 p.m.). If you have not already done so, please sign up electronically by going to the Ottoson link on the APS website (http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/parentconferences). Conferences will also be held on December 3 (12:30-2:30 p.m.), December 10 (6-8 p.m.) and December 12 (12:30-2:30 p.m.).

Basketball try-outs for both girls' and boys' teams are ongoing. The league season begins on December 18.

Several homerooms are assembling Thanksgiving baskets for local families. If you are interested in making a donation of non-perishable food items or a gift certificate to Stop & Shop, please stop by the office with your donation by Friday, November 21.

When you receive your student's report card, please sit down with her/him to discuss her/his first term work. Report cards are only one measure of a student's development. If you have concerns, please contact your student's subject teacher and/or guidance counselor.

Dr. Malone Neville

Picture Retake Day (entered on: 11/10/2008 5:21:10 PM)

Picture retake day is Thursday, November 20 at 8 a.m. Pre-paid envelopes are available in the main office.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-11-08 (entered on: 11/10/2008 1:19:46 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. Last week, we sent home with students a notice (half sheet, green paper) regarding parent conferences. Beginning Wednesday, November 12, 2008, at 9 a.m. you will be able to access the conference schedule on the district web site http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/parentconferences). Directions for signing up are on the website. Conference dates are December 3 and December 12 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and November 24 and December 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. On December 3 and December 12, students will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m. and no lunch will be served in school on those days.

If you are interested in following up on the presentation on cyber-bullying that our 6th grade students attended, please go to the MARC website, http://webhost.bridgew.edu/parpub.html. The website contains links to free downloads for parents and upcoming conferences and events.

Our one-act play, "School Daze," will be presented on November 20 and 21 at 7 p.m.

Basketball tryouts for girls will be held this week, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 2:45-4 p.m. There will be an organizational meeting for the boys' basketball team on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

Report cards will be going home the week of November 17.

Please remind your students to dress for the weather and to use crosswalks while walking to and from school.

Judy MN

Weekly Update from the Principal - 2008-11-03 (entered on: 11/3/2008 3:17:15 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families. The last day of the term is this Friday, November 7.

Parent conferences are scheduled for November 24 (6-8 p.m.), December 3 (12:30-2:30 p.m.), December 10 (6-8 p.m.), and December 12 (12:30-2:30 p.m.). Online registration will begin the week of November 10.

Tuesday, November 11 is Veterans Day. There will be no school that day.

OPAC is sending out the last call for the OMS directory. The directory is going to print at the end of this week. There are many families who have not yet registered. Please take a moment today to update your information https:www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory If you are unable to register online, a paper form may be found here: https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory/parentform.pdf.

A message from guidance: If your 8th grader is planning on applying to private school, please send application forms to Ms. Udovicki by the end of November.

From Minuteman Regional High School: "Minuteman Regional High School in Lexington is having its annual Community Open House on Sunday, November 16 from 12-3 p.m. Come learn about our Academic and Career Programs, view student demonstrations and displays, talk with Minuteman staff and parents. For more information, please call 781-861-6500 ext. 219 or visit our website at www.minuteman.org.

Staff and students from Minuteman will be visiting OMS on Thursday, November 6 to present a program to 8th grade students.

You may be interested in the results of the election held in school today.

For President--John McCain (175)
Barack Obama (853)

for Senator--John Kerry (868)
Jack Beatty (140)

Question 1--Yes (368)
No (624)

Question 3--Yes (745)
No (255).

We are so fortunate to have the right to vote. Please remember to vote tomorrow. . .

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal - 2008-10-27 (entered on: 10/27/2008 12:27:42 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. By all accounts, last Friday's dance was a huge success. Many thanks to our OSAC students and advisors (Mr. Mahoney, Ms. Serafini, Ms Sundstrom) for planning and to many faculty members for chaperoning.

After a 34 year career as a social worker and guidance counselor in Arlington, Ed Rogers will be retiring on October 31. Mr. Rogers has been instrumental in providing social/emotional support to children and families and has been a resource for all of us who work children. We will miss him and wish him well.

The workshop for 6th grade students on "cyber-bullying" was well received. The presentation (by MARC--Mass Aggression Reduction Center-- at Bridgewater State College) was interactive, direct, and accessible to young adolescents. The roles of victim, bully, eggers-on, and bystanders were explored. Please talk with your 6th grade student about this presentation. One of the most interesting aspects of the workshop is that 3/4 of the students raised their hands when asked if they thought bullying incidents would be decreased if adults in their lives talked with them about bullying.

Reminder: November 7 is the last day of Term 1. Two weeks remain to get work completed and handed in.

Please check the "Lost and Found" in the main lobby.

There is no school for students next Tuesday, November 4. Secondary staff will be at AHS for professional development, while elementary staff will be at OMS. It is election day as well.

Park/Paul Revere/Wollaston is a dangerous intersection. If you live in that neighborhood, please remind your student that crossing at Park Ave and Paul Revere is not a preferred route to school. Students are asked to walk a block to Park Ave and Mass Ave or to Florence at Park to cross where there are traffic signals.

Ron Colosi our METCO counselor is gathering a group of parents who may be interested in joining a "host family" group. You may contact Mr. Colosi at rcolosi@arlington.k12.ma.us

Halloween is this Friday. We do not expect students to "dress up" for Halloween. In school, we will be reminding them about safety while trick or treating and about being good citizens of OMS in the community.

While driving to school one morning last week, I passed a flock of about 15 wild turkeys peacefully grazing on the lawn of the historical society in Belmont (across the street from town hall and the police station)--a reminder that we share our urban life with the birds and the beasts. . .

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-10-20 (entered on: 10/21/2008 9:02:21 AM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. The air has chilled. Please remind your student to dress for the weather.

The first Parent Education Forum is tonight (11/20)--Dallin School Gymnasium from 7 to 9 p.m. "Adolescence is Hard Work" presented by Dr. Michael Thompson. Looking ahead, the next forum for parents of middle school students is December 9 at AHS auditorium--"What's Going On with Substance Abuse and What is Arlington Doing About It?" Dr. Michael Furstenber will be the keynote speaker.

School dance, Friday, October 24 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at OMS. Tickets will be sold in school in advance for $5. Pizza, drinks, and snacks will be served.

Coats for Kids (all coats accepted) boxes are in the front lobby. OSAC is sponsoring this activity and appreciates your help.

The father of one of our students has deployed to Iraq. Having had this experience as a parent in the Gulf War when our son was deployed, I know how difficult a time this is for families. Please keep this dad and his son in mind.

Dr. Malone Neville

Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Information (entered on: 10/18/2008 8:32:58 AM)

The Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) serves Arlington families and friends of children with special needs. Click here to see a brochure about them and the current year's calendar of activities.

Parent Ed Forums for 2008-2009 Year (entered on: 10/18/2008 8:08:17 AM)

Each year the school department sponsors an excellent series of Parent Forums. The complete list of forums may be found in this brochure.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-10-14 (entered on: 10/14/2008 5:18:37 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families. This week we are having our annual "code meetings" with all students by grade level. In these meetings, we review expectations printed in the front of the agenda book. We would really appreciate your sitting down with your student(s) to review this information so that we have a common understanding of expectations and procedures at OMS.

Progress reports have gone home with students. Questions regarding student work should be addressed to your student's teacher. The term ends on November 7, still plenty of time for students to improve academic performance. Teachers are available to students after school. Please encourage your student to stay for extra help or just a conversation with her/his teachers.

Christine Carney has volunteered to coordinate Box Tops for Education. The goal for this year is to raise $1500 to purchase educational tools such as a laptop computer and LCD projector. Since September, our school has raised $485.55. Christine will be emailing you information about Boxtops for Education at OMS. You may click on btfe.com to learn more about the program.

Reminder: The Arlington Parent Forum is sponsoring “Adolescence is Hard Work” on October 20 at 7 p.m. in the Dallin School Gymnasium. Dr. Michael Thompson will speak on the five developmental challenges that every adolescent must meet. Dr. Thompson has written many articles and books, including Raising Cain; Best Friends/Worst Enemies; Mom, They’re Teasing Me; The Pressured Child; and It’s a Boy!

Next week Dennis Mercurio will speak briefly with 7th grade students about LINKS, a volunteer opportunity in Arlington that brings together adolescents with senior citizens and others in the community who may need assistance with household chores. Look for information (application and informational flyer) from your 7th grade student.

On October 23, Bridgewater State College will present a program on cyber-bullying to 6th grade students.

The first dance of the year will be held on October 24. Tickets are $5 and will be sold in school in advance. All OMS students (and only OMS students) are invited to attend. Specific information regarding ticket sales will be announced in school and printed in the daily bulletin.

Arlington is at the top of the list of communities that take walking seriously. The number of students who walk to school and parents who walk to work is impressive!!

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-10-06 (entered on: 10/6/2008 3:33:21 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families. Please look for mid-term comments from teachers this week..

School Council will be meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

We have a complicated schedule this week. Yom Kippur will be observed from the evening of October 9 to the evening of October 10. Columbus Day will be celebrated on Monday, October 13. There is no school on Monday. On Tuesday, October 14, students will be dismissed at 1 p.m. so that teachers may participate in curriculum work. Lunch will be served before dismissal.

Please check the lost and found in the lobby. We do our best to reunite students with lost items when they are labelled.

OSAC is sponsoring the Coats for Kids Program. All adult and children's coats in good condition are accepted, with thanks.

Save the date--October 20 for the first in a series of parent forums "Adolescence is Hard Work." The presenter is Dr. Michael Thompson. More details to follow.

Have a restful and renewing long weekend!

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-09-29 (entered on: 9/29/2008 1:43:30 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. It was good to see so many families at Open House.

OSAC (our student government organization) is sponsoring our annual Coats For Kids Program. Coats of all sizes for children, adults, and babies that are in good condition are welcome. There are big, labeled boxes in the front lobby.

School Arrival: School begins at 8 a.m. We generally open the doors around 7:55 a.m. In bad weather (heavy rain, driving snow, very cold temperatures) we invite students into the front lobby around 7:30 a.m., as we did last Friday morning. Students who have an am/pm card may come into the building when they arrive and go directly to their activity. The am/pm program is self-supporting and pays for the supervision of that activity. By contract, teachers have time in the morning to prepare for the day and are not available for supervision of students who arrive before 8 a.m. From time to time, however, a teacher may ask a student to come to her/his classroom before school to make up a test or get extra help.

The mid-term period ends this Friday, October 3.

Many thanks to Mr. Carta and Ms. Moisand for arranging Jennifer Anne Kogler's visit to OMS last Friday. Ms. Kogler's presentation was perfect for a middle school audience. We are very fortunate to have had this opportunity to meet with a published author. Copies of The Otherworldlies are available in the library. The cost of the hardbound book is $14.00.

We are thinking of our families who are observing the holy days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan.

Dr. Malone Neville

Play Callbacks (entered on: 9/26/2008 10:09:50 AM)

Call backs for one act play will be @ 2:30 today (9/26) in rm. 233

Jazz Ensemble Tryouts (entered on: 9/23/2008 9:36:10 AM)

Jazz Ensemble auditions are going to be held on Sept 29 from 2:30 - 4 and all those interested in auditioning to please sign up on the sheet posted on the stage door, just outside of the wood gym.

Picture Schedule (entered on: 9/22/2008 4:26:09 PM)

Tuesday, September 23rd
Period 1: 810
Period 2: 800
Period 3: 820
Period 4: 750
Period 6: 760


Wednesday, September 24th
Period 1: 610
Period 2: 770
Period 3: 620
Period 4: 640
Period 5: Make-ups for grades 6, 7, and 8
Period 6: 630
Period 7: Make-ups for grades 6, 7, and 8

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-09-22 (entered on: 9/22/2008 2:17:55 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. This is a busy week. We look forward to seeing you (parents, grandparents, guardians) at Open House on Thursday, September 25. You will be following your student's Monday schedule from 7 to 9 p.m. Teachers will present an overview of their curricular areas in 10 minute intervals. The 760's cluster will be sponoring a bake sale (goodies and coffee) in the front lobby during the Open House.

School pictures (see schedule in separate announcement) will be taken on September 23 and 24 (Tuesday and Wednesday). Your student should already have brought home a brochure regarding school pictures.

Parking: parking at OMS is difficult at best. When you are visiting during school hours, please use on-street parking. We've been asked by our neighbors at Arlington Heights Nursery School to let you know that their parking lot is private property. Please do not park or "cut through" there.

Message from the OPAC directory committee: "Due to a great response, we will be able to publish the AHS and OMS directories very shortly. If you would like to be included, please be sure to update your information online ASAP. Even though all of your information is maintained from year-to-year, you must choose the new grade information (plus cluster and homeroom for OMS)--otherwise you will not be included. To update your Information, please visit https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory. If you cannot do this online, you may download instructions and a paper form at https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory/ParentForm.pdf.

Try-outs for the school play "School Daze" are taking place this week.

We are grateful to our staff who have assisted with scheduling our students this year. It has not been easy, given that the task fell to people who have never done it before. At last Monday night's OPAC meeting, I addressed questions parents had, especially about the 6th grade program. When we met last spring with parents of our present 6th grade students, we explained what we knew at that time. During the summer, we have had changes in staffing and program. The differences in program include a pilot program in literacy, Monitored Self-Selected Reading; the resignation of a tech teacher (replaced by business/finance/keyboarding) resulting in tech being available to fewer students; changing ACE and keyboarding to half-year rather than a third of a year (in order to make the school-wide schedule work); and the addition of "options", a once a week opportunity in the arts rotation for 6th grade students only (also in order to make the school-wide schedule work). If you have any further questions, please contact me.

A correction in last week's update--some honey bees (not native to North America) are solitary bees. Thank you, parent entymologist!

Looking forward to seeing you Thursday night. Wear comfortable shoes. . .

Dr. Malone Neville

Performing Arts Group Seeks Parent Members (entered on: 9/22/2008 12:54:28 PM)

OMPAPA (Ottoson Middle Performing Arts Parents Association) is looking for Drama and Music Parent Members. Please email Cori Gaffny at cgaffny@arlington.k12.ma.us if you are interested.

Thank you.

Student Charlie Cards Have Arrived (entered on: 9/22/2008 12:46:14 PM)

Student Charlie cards are now available in the Ottoson office. These cards may have money added to them, and will provide a reduced fare for students.

Before they may be used, they must have cash added to them, which can be done at any train station, e.g. Alewife.

Directory Update -- Please Register ASAP (entered on: 9/18/2008 8:11:36 AM)

As of 9/18, we have over 500 children in the system. This is great. If you haven't registered yet, you are delaying the printing of the directory.

All of your information is retained from year to year, but you must update information about your children. Please click here to register.

If you are unable to register online, you may complete a paper form here.

Thanks!

Weekly Update from the Principal - 2008-09-16 (entered on: 9/16/2008 1:24:51 PM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. The first OPAC meeting of the year will take place tonight at 7 p.m. in the faculty cafeteria located through the main office.

We are continuing to adjust student schedules to meet their needs as well as program and staff changes. We are interviewing for a part-time Spanish position as well as in-building substitutes and hope to have these positions filled this week. There are always schedule adjustments in secondary schools at the beginning of a school year. Our goal is to complete necessary changes as soon as possible. Our current enrollment is 1049.

The parking lot at St. Athanasius Church is private property. In a generous arrangement with the pastor and board, staff and visitors at OMS are permitted to use the parking spaces closest to the school. Please do not drop off or pick up students in that parking lot at any time.

Unfortunately, one of our neighbors on Benjamin Road told us this week that student(s) from OMS kicked back into her yard a pile of pinecones that she had raked. Please support us at home by reminding our students that they must respect peoples' property on their way to and from school.

School pictures: Tuesday, September 23 and Wednesday, September 24. (schedule forthcoming)

Tryouts for the one act play will take place during the week of September 22. Interested students should see Ms. Kilgore, listen for announcements, and read the daily bulletin.

As I was competing with the bees (and trying not to be stung) for the last of the blueberries at the farm this past weekend, I was reminded of what amazing creatures bees are. They know and understand what it is to live and survive in a community. There are no solitary bees. As we build community here at OMS, please know how much we appreciate your support.

Dr. Malone Neville

MBTA Charlie Cards - Bus Transportation (entered on: 9/16/2008 8:38:24 AM)

The MBTA will be providing Student Rate Charlie Cards to students. The cards should arrive at Ottoson by Friday, Sept 19th -- students will be notified as soon as they are available.

OPAC Meeting on Tuesday, 9/16 and Annual Letter (entered on: 9/14/2008 9:48:57 PM)

The first meeting of the Ottoson Parent Advisory Council (OPAC) is on Tuesday, Sept 16, at 7pm in the Ottoson Teacher's Lounge. Parents are encouraged and welcome to come.

Click here for information about the coming year's meetings and the annual donation.

5-2-1 Activities “Fantastic Fall Fitness Fun” 2:34 – 3:49 (entered on: 9/12/2008 9:54:24 AM)

These activities have no fee and are open to all:

Monday - Dodgeball – Wood Gym
Wednesday – Floor Hockey Blue Gym
Friday – Flag Football (7th & 8th grade) upper Field

Email List Subscription Information (entered on: 9/8/2008 9:33:39 PM)

As the new year rolls around, families may want to know more about email lists available for the school, and how to subscribe and unsubscribe to them.

Ottoson has several email lists. The primary ones are OttosonParents@arlington.k12.ma.us and ArlingtonMiddleSchool@yahoogroups.com.

There are also parents lists by Grade and Cluster -- e.g. OttosonGrade7Parents@arlington.k12.ma.us and OttosonClstr630Parents@arlington.k12.ma.us. Here is information about the various lists:

OttosonParents@arlington.k12.ma.us

This list is used for whole-school communications from the school to parents. Typically the messages are from the Principal, who provides weekly updates. They contain the kind of information that might go home in backpacks. Messages to this group are governed by School Department Polices (see http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/eforms/parent_forms/E-Mail_Distribution_List_Policy.pdf). All families are encouraged to subscribe to this list. OPAC would appreciate it if you could do that via the directory site -- https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory. You can enter information there for the family directory, and modify your email membership at the same time. If your children have all moved on from Ottoson to the Arlington High, use the same site to enter your information for the High School Directory. If the OPAC site does not work, you may also subscribe/unsubscribe via the main district site - http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us.

OttosonGrade7Parents@arlington.k12.ma.us OttosonClstr630Parents@arlington.k12.ma.us etc.

These email lists may be used by teachers or members of that group to send messages -- both faculty and parents. They exist for each cluster and grade. Although not designed for extensive discussion, they are often appropriate when information specific to a particular group is addressed. They are also governed by the School Department Policies. To subscribe/unsubscribe, you must use the OPAC website -- https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory

ArlingtonMiddleSchool@yahoogroups.com

This group is not managed by the school department and has more latitude about subject content. It may be used for discussions relevant to the middle school. Messages are not moderated, and this has not been an issue in the past. If discussions do get out of hand, (as happens on some lists), it may be necessary to moderate it. You may subscribe to this list via yahoogroups (you do not need a yahoo id), or by sending a blank e-mail message to:

ArlingtonMiddleSchool-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You may unsubscribe by sending a blank message to:

ArlingtonMiddleSchool-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Website

The Ottoson website is updated regularly with announcements and events about Ottoson. For suggestions, send a message to ottosonwebmaster@arlington.k12.ma.us

Weekly Update from Principal Malone Neville -- 2008-09-08 (entered on: 9/8/2008 3:27:31 PM)

Hello Ottoson Families. We've had a good opening to school--eager students who seem happy to be here. We are still addressing some schedule conflicts due to program and staff changes and hope to have them resolved this week.

For the safety of our students, please follow the drop off/pick up and parking expectations printed on the reverse of the letter you received from me. What works best is to pick a spot not so close to the entrances and ask your student to walk to meet you (using the freshly painted crosswalks). There are several entrances and exits at OMS (Acton Street, Appleton Street, and Benjamin Road).

Before and after school activities will be beginning next week--the morning activites include wiffleball and basketball; the afternoon activities are dodgeball (Monday), floor hockey (Wednesday), flag football (Friday). The p.m. activites are from 2:34 to 3:49 p.m. All activities are open to all students and are free of charge. The scrabble club meeds in room 212 on Wednesday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Each spring OMS sends a team to the National School Scrabble Tournament. The Math Team meets in room 212 on Thursdays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. The math team will be preparing to compete in MathCOUNTS at the national level.

Please put money in your student's lunch account, even if your student usually brings lunch from home. Sometimes students forget or lose their lunches, and we want everyone to be eating.

For parents of 6th grade students: The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) must be signed by all students in order for them to have access to computers at school. Please download the AUP form from the APS website, fill it in and send it with your student to her/his homeroom teacher. (English and Spanish versions of the AUP -- Acceptable Use Form are here. Note that the signature page is a separate document.)

Our new assistant principal, Meghan Branco, will be joining us on September 15. Currently, she is under contract in another school district that began school a week before we did. Ms. Branco was able to be at OMS last Thursday (the first day of school) and she, Mr. Gonsalves, and I visited all homerooms.

I hope that you had a chance to read the books assigned to our students for summer reading (6th grade--Crash, Rules; 7th grade--Belle Prater's Boy, City of Ember, Flush; 8th grade--Tangerine). In all of these novels, the young heroes and heroines have been failed in some way by adults. They are faced with dilemmas that require creative thinking, risk-taking, determination, and hope to resolve. They make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. They try to do the right thing. These young heros and heroines are very much like our students.

If you are still on our emailing list and your child has moved on, please unsubscribe by following the directions posted on the APS website. (ed note -- even better, visit https://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ptodirectory to update your information for this year's directory. This includes families who have graduated to high school. You may edit your email subscriptions on that page too.)

Dr. Malone Neville

Information on Prepaid Lunch System (entered on: 9/7/2008 9:07:50 PM)

Ottoson has initiated a new pre-paid lunch system. You may learn more about the program by clicking on this announcement from last spring.

Features of the computerized lunch system

Faculty Directory Update (entered on: 9/2/2008 2:16:05 PM)

The Faculty directory has being updated on 9/2/2008. All staff should be correctly listed.

Welcome Greeting from Principal Malone Neville (entered on: 8/26/2008 10:23:35 PM)

Hello Ottoson Families!! I hope that you have enjoyed this lovely summer. The first day of school for students is Thursday, September 4. Please look for a letter from me with information regarding the first day of school, including your student's homeroom assignment. We are looking forward to a challenging, busy, and exciting school year! See you soon.

Dr. Malone Neville

School Supplies (entered on: 8/24/2008 9:12:52 PM)

Each year at the end of August, parents ask what school supplies are needed. On the first day of school, the cluster teachers will tell the students what supplies are needed for their cluster.

First Day of School Approaching (entered on: 8/23/2008 10:36:22 PM)

Only a couple of more weeks until school starts.

Shortly before school starts, families will be sent a letter with cluster assignments for their children. Once they have been sent, this announcement will be updated so you'll know when to expect the letters.

Please make sure your children have looked at the summer reading lists and done what has been requested of them. It's not too late!

Clarification on Summer Reading (entered on: 7/9/2008 11:07:35 PM)

Summer reading clarification Some people have asked about a summer reading list. This year, each grade has one or two required books. They are:

6th Grade:	Crash by Jerry Spinelli and Rules by Cynthia Lord plus 4 "choice" books
7th Grade:	One of the following three books: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, Flush by Carl Hiaasen or Bell Prater's Boy by Ruth White plus 4 "choice" books
8th Grade:	Tangerine by Edward Bloor plus 5 "choice" books

The choice books may be any books that interest you. Specific readings lists are not being provided. We encourage a visit to the library, where the librarians at Robbins or Fox libraries would be happy to suggest books based on your interests. The YA sections at the libraries have many books to choose from.

To download the reading log and questions about each required book, click here

Orientation for Next Year's Freshman (entered on: 6/19/2008 11:02:18 AM)

Good morning everyone.

8th grade students are invited to go to Arlington High School on Friday, June 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for an orientation. Students will hear about next year's program from Principal Charlie Skidmore, have another tour, and get their id photos taken. If students are not able to attend tomorrow's orientation, they may attend another orientation to be held in early September. Mr. Skidmore will send more specific information about that orientation during the summer.

Dr. Malone Neville

Parent Survey -- Please Fill Out (entered on: 6/18/2008 6:17:20 PM)

The Ottoson Advisory Council, which is composed of administrators, teachers and parents, has created a survey to gather parents' and students' thoughts about their Ottoson experiences. The OPAC has also contributed to this effort.

As the year draws to a close, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take five minutes to complete the survey. You can do it online via survey monkey by clicking here, or a pdf version is also available by clicking here. If you would like to think about the survey before filling it out, take a look at the paper version first. However, it would make our lives much easier if you could complete the survey online!

If you fill out the paper version, it can either be mailed to Ottoson at 63 Acton Street, Arlington, 02476, or may be dropped off at the office.

Please fill out the survey ASAP, as we would like to compile the results quickly. Your students will be filling out a paper version of a similar survey in class.

Thank you for your time!

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-06-16 (entered on: 6/17/2008 9:35:46 AM)

Good afternoon Ottoson families. 8th grade students have completed two sessions of recognition night rehearsal and they received their yearbooks this morning. Tuesday, 6/17, they will go to the Boys and Girls Club for organized activities and lunch (rain or shine). Tuesday (6/17) night at 6 p.m. 8th grade students need to report to cluster area in preparation for the recognition ceremony in the Wood Gym at 6 :30 p.m. Following the ceremony, 8th grade students will go to the cafeteria for a party, ending at 10 p.m. Students know what to wear and have been asked to give their certificates to family members before going to the party in the cafeteria. We are grateful to all the families who donated time and money to making this ceremony and party a success!!

Canobie Lake: Most students and faculty will be traveling to Canobie Lake Park on Wednesday, June 18. If you plan to pick up your student from the park, please send in a dismissal note to the office Wednesday morning and see Mr. Gonsalves, Mr. Saum or me at the park when you arrive to pick up your student. No student may be dismissed to anyone but her/his own parent. All others (according to the permission slips we have received) are obliged to ride the bus from school to Canobie and back to school. OMS will be open and lunch will be served to those who remain at school.

Thursday, June 19, is the last official day of school for the 2007-2008 school year. We will follow a special schedule of periods 1 through 6 with dismissal at 12:15 p.m. Lunch will not be served. Report cards will be mailed home.

Summer study: Arlington Public Schools is offering two math courses for students this summer. A two-week Basic Math Skills Review Course for any student entering 8th or 9th grade will integrate class work, computer lab, and projects. The tuition for the course is $130. The class will meet from 9 to 11 a.m. five days a week from August 4 to 15 at Ottoson. An algebra course for students entering grade 9 will also be offered.

Summer reading: entering 6th grade students are expected to read Crash by Jerry Spinelli and Rules by Cynthia Lord as well as one choice book (a total of three books); entering 7th grade students are expected to read one of the following books, City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, Flush by Carl Hiassen or Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White as well as 4 other choice books (a total of five books); entering 8th grade students are expected to read Tangerine by Edward Bloor as well as five choice books (a total of six books); and all departing 8th grade students are expected to read Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar and a choice selection (a total of two) and in addition, students entering honors and advanced English are expected to read A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. All of this information is available on the APS web site (www.arlington.k12.ma.us. Research shows that students who read at least 6 books during summer months improve their literacy skills. Please encourage your students to read!!!

We're still looking for library and text books. Please help your student search all corners of the house for OMS materials. We'd rather have the books than the money!

(I began this email Monday afternoon and finished it Tuesday morning.) It was an honor to speak at the 5th grade recognition ceremony at the Bishop school last night. Bishop students as well as those at Dallin, Pierce, Thompson, Hardy, Stratton and Brackett are ready to move on to grade 6, and we welcome them.

This is the last official weekly update for the year. We wish our 8th grade students much success as they face the challenges ahead and hope that all our Ottoson families have a restful and renewing summer.

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-06-09 (entered on: 6/10/2008 7:29:22 AM)

Hello Ottoson Families. This morning I told students on the pa that they could carry water during these hot days and I asked teachers to monitor the use of water bottles. The water fountains at OMS are available to students as well. Classes proceeded as usual today, although some met in the cafeteria, lobby, media center, and hallways that have air conditioning. As I walked around the building this morning and this afternoon, I visited classes where great work was happening, not easy on a day like today. The 650 cluster had an interesting trip to the Museum of Fine Arts. We will do our best tomorrow to keep everyone comfortable and focused.

8th grade students have been asked to wear light and comfortable clothing tomorrow (6/10). The "character fair" will take place during period 7 in the cafeteria, which is air conditioned. We have asked students not to wear their costumes (unless they are light) but rather to carry them. 8th grade teachers have modified expectations, and will continue to make modifications in the day as conditions warrant.

The new electronic lunch system went very well Friday and again today. Students know their id numbers and are efficient at punching them in at the new computerized registers. The payment system remains the same. You may send a check to school in any amount for lunch payment in advance or you may give your student cash. Next fall, you will be able to pay in advance on line and will have access to your student's lunch account. Specific information regarding the new system will be mailed home in August.

Please continue to help your student find classroom and library books to be returned to school. We'd rather have the books than money to replace the books. Also, come by to check the "lost and found".

8th grade parents, thank you for your generosity!! We are very grateful for the contributions you have made for the 8th grade celebration on June 17.

Dr. Malone Neville

Message about Dealing with the Heat (entered on: 6/9/2008 7:52:37 PM)

The following is a message from Nate Levenson, Supt of Schools:

Today was hot, and we anticipate more of the same on Tuesday. After visiting the schools during the peak period and having talked throughout the day to principals, teachers, and our nursing director, I am pleased to report that we coped well with the situation.

Like any large building, each school has hotter and cooler areas. Most buildings have at least a few air-conditioned rooms or spaces. Throughout the day, students in the hottest areas were transferred to the cooler spaces. Everyone was kept well hydrated, and activities and expectations were adjusted for the heat. The few children who did have some difficulty with the high temperatures were brought to the air-conditioned spaces, and their parents were notified.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 10th) will be a regular school day. Any parent who feels that for health or safety reasons their child should stay home, may do so. This would be an “excused absence,” with no negative consequences for the student. Please call the school office to report an excused absence.

Students should dress appropriately and may bring water bottles to school. If you have any specific concerns, please contact your child’s principal.

Some have asked, “Why not just cancel school or have an early release?” I have considered this and discussed the pros and cons at length with our administrators and neighboring superintendents. In the final analysis, we believe it is prudent to have the schools open, but allow parents the right to assess the situation for their children.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Try to keep cool!

District Adds Teaching and Learning Pages to website (entered on: 6/5/2008 10:16:11 PM)

The school department has added quite a bit of information regarding curriculum, assessments and professional development on the district website. Click here to view the pages.

Summer Math Program Info (entered on: 6/5/2008 10:03:25 PM)

This summer the Arlington Public Schools is sponsoring a two-week Math Basic Skills Review Course and a two-week Algebra I Review Course. The courses are Aug 4th-Aug 15th.

Click here for more information.

640's fieldtrip postponed (entered on: 6/4/2008 10:04:33 AM)

The 640's field trip to the Blue Hills has been postponed to Wednesday, 6/11.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-06-02 (entered on: 6/3/2008 7:32:13 AM)

Good evening Ottoson Families. We have a busy couple of weeks ahead of us. 7th grade teachers are looking for parents to accompany 7th graders to Boston on June 13th. Please contact any one of your student's cluster teachers if you are interested in participating in this exciting culminating activity.

Notice for 8th grade families: OPAC is going to videotape the moving on ceremony on June 17 and is going to offer a copy of the videotape to parents (a fundraiser). There is a release form on the website. Please fill out the release form, copy it, and send it in to your student's homeroom teacher with the permission slip for Canobie Lake Park.

8th grade students have been seen in school dressed as "their character." They have taken this project seriously, have done careful research, and have thoroughly practiced their oral presentations. Kudos to them (and to you!!). We're looking forward to next week's Character Fair.

This Friday we are launching the pilot program, electronic pass cards for purchases in the cafeteria. Students will be asked to use their student id numbers. They will receive copies of their numbers in homeroom later this week. We anticipate some glitches as we get the system up and rolling, but we will really appreciate the new system when we are fully operational.

Summer math course: APS is offering a two-week math basic skills review course for any student entering 8th or 9th grade. Some topics covered include fractions, decimals, percents, variables, graphs, lines, probability, data interpretation, exponents, area and volume. Tuition is $130. The course will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. from August 4 to 15 at Ottoson.

Lost books: Please help your student check at home for text and library books that need to be returned to school. We would rather have the books than charge your child for missing books.

Sad news: Unfortunately, we have had a rash of "missing" items during the past few days--student art work, ipods, cell phones. We continue to remind students not to bring items of value to school. If they do, we ask them to lock items of value in their lockers (making sure that the lock is secure). Today, someone removed my palm pilot and its cord from Ms. Gillis's desk. This is an "old" piece of technology, valuable only to me. In my 40+ years of working in schools, I've never had an item taken or damaged. We've had a pretty decent record of "finding" items that were "lost" this year. I remain hopeful . . .

Good news: Our son Jim graduated last Friday from the Plymouth (MA) Police Academy. At the age of 39 with 4 children and a wife in Martha's Vineyard, Jim began the Academy the first week in January. He "moved in" with Jack and me, arriving in Newton every Sunday night and commuting daily to and from Plymouth Monday through Friday morning, returning to his family Friday afternoon. He wrote over fifty 2 to 6 page papers and book reports, ran countless miles in all weather conditions, and completed training in such diverse subjects as emergency medical response, firearms, communications and driving. He was selected to speak at his graduation, attended by Governor Patrick. All of us, Jim's family and friends, are very proud of him as he begins his new career--proof that learning is a life-long endeavor.

Dr. Malone Neville

Summer Reading Lists Available (entered on: 6/2/2008 9:35:21 PM)

Each year the school department asks that students read certain books during the summer break. The lists for this year are now available here The link is also available from the top menu under Learning.

Permission Slip for Release of Student Information (entered on: 6/2/2008 7:52:00 PM)

From time to time, the Ottoson administration has published student information. This might include honor rolls, cluster assignments, videos of concerts/plays, etc. In order to do this in the future, it will be necessary for parents to sign a release form. Click here for a pdf form or here for a MS Word format

Prepaid Lunch Cards Debut June 6th (entered on: 6/1/2008 9:20:43 PM)

A new program for paying for meals at Ottoson will begin on June 6th. Students will be able to use a prepaid card to pay, speeding payment at the register, and eliminating the need for cash.

For details, please see the information sheet by clicking here.

Cluster 770 Fieldtrip Cancelled (entered on: 5/30/2008 9:51:43 AM)

770’s cluster has CANCELLED their field trip for Monday 6/2.

Major Kudos to Art Teacher Brian Corey (entered on: 5/29/2008 1:43:44 PM)

Hi All:

I am thrilled to announce that Brian Corey has just been awarded a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship. We are all proud of his accomplishments and wish him the best. Bravo!!!

Pasquale Tassone
Fine Arts Director

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-05-27 (entered on: 5/27/2008 9:10:31 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families.

A word about last week. On Thursday night, our student musicians and singers performed magnificently in presenting a range of challenging and lovely pieces. Many thanks to them, their teachers, and their families who have encouraged and supported them through the years. There is a beautiful exhibit of art works in the front lobby and media center. Please stop by to see the exhibit.

On Friday afternoon, many veterans joined us in a moving all-school assembly during the last period. The Arlington Fire Department Color Guard presented the flag. Student speakers included James J., Erin H., Cordelia B., Carolyn W., and Nicholas S. The OMS band played several pieces, and taps were rendered by Matthew D. and Alex T. Many thanks to all participants and to Mr. Martinez who organized the program.

Yearbooks are on sale this week in the main lobby after school. Friday, May 30 is the last day to purchase a copy. Yearbooks are $12.00. Cash and checks made payable to Ottoson Middle School are acceptable. Students have been working hard on the yearbook!

Students in the 650 cluster entered the math fair recently held at Arlington High School. Ellie P., Ariel L., and Lea C. won awards for their mobius strip project and Laura Q. and Erika P. won awards for their card trick math project. Our students' award winning projects will be displayed at the Museum of Science on June 14. Congratulations to our students and Ms. McDaniel!

MCAS testing is completed--a relief for all. Thank you again for encouraging and supporting your children through the weeks of testing.

At school, we're expecting students to work diligently through the next few weeks to meet all academic and behavioral expectations. The end of the school year is always a rush. We expect students to be dressed appropriately for school (I know how hot it can be in this building in warm weather) and are looking for your support in enforcing the dress code. I hope that you have discussed summer plans and that all students will be involved in physical activity, reading, and a job or two at home or in the neighborhood. As much as they complain about school, students like coming here and breaking that pattern is not easy. There are great opportunities offered by the Boys' and Girls' club, the recreation department, Fidelity House, and summer programs at Minuteman, Belmont Hill, the Museum of Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts. We will soon be sending a summer list of required reading. A resource from the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English can be found at www.thinkfinity.org.

Safety note: Please insist that your student continue to wear a helmet while biking, skate boarding, and roller blading to and from school.

This weekend we planted tomatoes, lettuce, marigolds, zinnias, day lillies, primrose, a rhody, and a rose bush (yellow). I'm sure many of you did the same. On my ride to and from school through Newton, Waltham, Belmont, and Arlington, I've enjoyed the colorful flowering trees and shrubs, spring flowers, and multiple shades of green. We live in a beautiful part of the world. . .

Dr. Malone Neville

Canobie Lake Park Fieldtrip Information (entered on: 5/27/2008 10:23:08 AM)

The Ottoson Middle School is planning the end-of-the year trip to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH on Wednesday, June 18, 2008. The cost for the bus (round trip) with park entry fee, including unlimited rides, will be $30.00 (make checks payable to Ottoson Middle School).

Any student in need of financial assistance should see his or her homeroom teacher. Students should plan to bring extra spending money to cover the cost of lunch and any extra games they might wish to play, (about $10.00 to $15.00 is recommended). Students may bring a bag lunch, however, NO GLASS CONTAINERS are allowed!!

Students will be asked to report to homerooms and will board the buses by 8:15 am with departure scheduled for 8:30 a.m. We are scheduled to return to Ottoson at approximately 3:30 p.m. that afternoon. Please note that any students failing to follow park rules during the trip will be returned to Ottoson earlier by a faculty chaperone.

Write the following on the front of the envelope Name·
Homeroom ·
Whether there is a check or cash in the envelope. If your students name is different than yours, please put that on the check

****All slips must be returned NO LATER THAN THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2008****signed and accompanied with the $30.00 in cash, or check made payable to Ottoson Middle School.

Please be aware that some students may be EXCLUDED from this trip based on chronic attendance/discipline problems.

** If your student needs an epi-pen or inhaler, please make sure that they bring one from home.

Cheerleading Tryouts (entered on: 5/27/2008 9:30:05 AM)

AHS Cheerleading tryouts (Blue Gym AHS) On Wednesday 5/28 from 2:45 – 4:45 & 6:00 – 8:00 pm and on Thursday 5/30 from 3:45 – 6:00

Madrigal Singers Tryouts (entered on: 5/27/2008 9:29:20 AM)

Attention all eight graders: Auditions for the AHS Madrigal Singers will be on Monday, 6/9. There will be a help session to learn the music on Wednesday, 6/4 after school at AHS. The required song and sign-ups are on the bulletin board in the music area. Please check it out this week to be included.

Yearbooks on Sale (entered on: 5/27/2008 9:28:23 AM)

Yearbooks will be on sale Tuesday 5/27 – Friday 5/30 in the main lobby after school. Sales will take place until 3:00 pm and the yearbook will cost $12.00 (cash or check made payable to the Ottoson Middle School)

OPAC Parent to Parent Flier (entered on: 5/22/2008 8:06:36 AM)

OPAC (Ottoson Parent Advisory Council) has created a flier filled with information for Ottoson parents. Click here to view it.

Concert and Art Display (entered on: 5/22/2008 8:00:32 AM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. In addition to the concert tonight at 7 p.m. in the Wood Gym, there will be a display of artwork from terms 3 and 4 in the main lobby and in the media center. Please stop by to view the amazing work our students do working with their award-winning teachers Ms. Serafini and Mr. Corey. The display will be up for a week. We are fortunate that the fine arts are encouraged and supported by the entire Arlington community.

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-05-19 (entered on: 5/20/2008 2:46:33 PM)

Good afternoon, Ottoson Families. Over 500 students attended the dance Friday night. It was a great evening, from the chaperones' perspective--lots of dancing, eating, and excitement.

Yesterday, all 7th grade students attended a presentation on the role of women in Islam. Subheen Razzaqui, teacher from Newton North High School, was well received by our students whose questions were thoughtful and specific.

The MCAS testing period ended today for all students except those who were absent during the past 6 days of scheduled testing. All students approached the tests with a seriousness of purpose and did their best. We will receive individual student and school-wide results by the end of August.

The Spring Concert will take place Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. in the Wood Gym. We are expecting a full-house. The program is ambitious and and lovely.

The annual Memorial Day assembly will be held during the last period on Friday. We are looking forward to welcoming and honoring veterans from the local area, as well as the Arlington Fire Department Color Guard.

If your child received a mid-term progress report, please sign and return it to her/his teacher.

We had an 8th grade class meeting today. Mr. Saum's message to students was to continue to work hard, be respectful, and do their best right through the end of the year, a message that I'm sure you echo. In all, we have a wonderful group of students at OMS.

Dr. Malone Neville

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-05-08 (entered on: 5/13/2008 3:10:00 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families. During the next few weeks, we will be placing our current 6th and 7th grade students in clusters for the 2008-2009 academic year. If you have any concerns or requests about your child's placement, please be in touch with your child's guidance counselor either by email or phone. We will do our best to accommodate your concerns.

MCAS: We've had a good start to this round of MCAS testing. Grade 6 students took the Session 1 test this morning (May 12). The rest of the schedule is as follows: Tuesday, May 13, 6th grade math Session 2; Wednesday, May 14, 7th grade math Session 1 and 8th grade math Session 1; Thursday, May 15, 7th grade math Session 2 and 8th grade math Session 2; Monday, May 19, 7th grade social studies Session 1and 8th grade science Session 1; Tuesday, May 20, 7th grade social studies Session 2 and 8th grade science Session 2. MCAS make-up tests are scheduled for May 21, 22, and 23. All testing begins in the morning during first period.

DANCE: The last dance of the year will be Friday, May 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 and will be on sale in school this week beginning Tuesday, May 13. Students should listen to the morning and afternoon announcements regarding ticket sales.

SPRING CONCERT: Our choruses and instrumental groups have been working hard preparing for the Spring Concert to be held at OMS in the Wood Gym on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m.

Many thanks to Edith Moisand, our media center aide, who did a workshop last Friday for faculty on MANGA, Japanese comic books. The workshop was fascinating and the display in the library on Japanese and American comic books is eye-catching and informative.

When you come to OMS, please take a look at the wonderful art work on display in the main lobby. In addition to block prints on plant and animal life, there are real-life plaster casts of student arms and hands painted with Australian aboriginal designs. Amazing.

Congratulations to Bob Bartholomew who last week was inducted into the State Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame. This is a very special and well deserved honor.

Judy MN

8th Graders need Calculators for MCAS (entered on: 5/13/2008 3:06:17 PM)

Just a reminder that all 8th grade students (and 7th grade for that matter) will need a calculator with them on Thursday (5/15) for the math portion of the MCAS test.

From your 8th grade math team,
Demi Dubois,
Shukti Fischl,
Linda Tomilson

Thank You (entered on: 5/9/2008 10:58:21 AM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. Yesterday we enjoyed a delicious luncheon prepared by parents in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week. The food was wonderful (especially the delectable desserts), the flowers were beautiful, and it was nice to visit with parents. All of us at Ottoson appreciate your efforts in working with us daily in support of our talented, creative, thoughtful, surprising, and energetic young adolescents.

Dr. Malone Neville

Upcoming MCAS Schedule for May (entered on: 5/9/2008 10:56:27 AM)

MCAS tests will be given over the course of the next couple of weeks. Please help your children to be relaxed and well rested and to not stress about these exams.

5/12 & 5/13 – 6th Grade math
5/14/ & 5/15 – 7th & 8th Grade math
5/19 & 5/20 – 7th Grade Social Studies & 8th Grade History

Art workshop for Teens at Robbins Library (entered on: 5/5/2008 9:39:44 AM)

Create you own mythical creature with artist Tonya Ratz at Robbins Library Two sessions workshop you explore mythical creatures in books and then create your own using paper, oil pastels and gel glue. Saturday 5/3 & 5/10 from 3:30 – 4:30 pm for middle & high school aged students. Please sign up at 781-316-3232. Spaces are limited.

Forum on Risk Behavior Survey for Students and Parents (entered on: 5/5/2008 9:16:43 AM)

If you want to know the facts about Arlington teens and substance use/abuse, and discuss these issues with the most knowledgeable people in town, consider attending...

Community Forum- Thurs. May 8, 7 PM, Town Hall

The agenda includes; - Christine Connelly, Health and Human Services Dir for Arlington
- Fred Ryan, Police Chief
- the School Resource Officer at AHS, Bryan Gallagher
- the results of the 2007 AHS Student Risk Behaviors Survey, vs 2004, and state averages
- AHS guidance counselors and social workers

There will be small group discussions following the presentations. Both parents and students are encouraged to attend, including high school and middle school families.

Come, learn, and be heard-

End of Year Dates and Weekly Update (entered on: 4/21/2008 8:40:13 AM)

Hello everyone. After meeting yesterday with the principals, we've settled on the following dates for the end of the year.

The last day of school, June 19, will be a half day. Wednesday June 18 will be class activities (6th and 7th Canobie Lake, if that's what you'd like to do). 8th grade may be a cruise (parents, Jen and Heather working on this). June 17 will be the moving on ceremony and party for 8th graders.

Many thanks to all who participated in Exploration Night. John and I worked the door and talked with tons of enthusiastic parents and kids.

I'll be in Greece with the Greek Study Fellows (teacher/grad students at Brandeis) the week of April 28. Check out teachgreece.com to see what we're up to. Caryn knows how to reach me if necessary.

Have a great vacation!!!

Judy

School Dance on Friday 5/16/08 from 6:00 – 9:00 (entered on: 4/17/2008 11:49:47 AM)

The heading says it all. Time to get out those dancing shoes!

MCAS Schedule in May (entered on: 4/16/2008 7:37:02 AM)

These are MCAS dates in May:

5/12 & 5/13 (Mon and Tue) - 6th Grade Math
5/14 & 5/15 (Wed & Thurs) - 7th & 8th Grade Math
5/19 & 5/20 ( Mond & Tue) - 7th Grade Social Studies & 8th Grade Science

SOAR Activities for last term (entered on: 4/16/2008 7:22:52 AM)

Each term teachers offer interesting options for students one period per week (same period as Band, Orchestra and Choir). Click here to see the opportunities in pdf. or Click here to see it as a word document.

Choices will be made on 4/16. There are many options, but space is limited.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-04-14 (entered on: 4/14/2008 11:42:14 AM)

Good morning Ottoson Families. This week, the cafeteria is promoting the salad bar. The salad bar has wonderful options of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as make-your-own sandwiches. The salad bar is located in the stage area of the cafeteria and has its own line (students do not have to stand in the lunch line and may bypass it to the left). This week, student lunches purchased at the salad bar are $1.95 instead of $2.95. We hope that manys students will take advantage of this opportunity.

Exploration Evening: Come see the wonderful out-of-cluster opportunities available to OMS students. We will be hosting an Open House for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students and parents on Thursday, April 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. Except for students participating in demonstrations, we ask that students be accompanied by an adult.

Congratulations to Ottoson students who participated last week in the Model UN in New York. Working with middle school students from around the world, OMS students drafted resolutions on Children in Armed Conflict; Tuberculosis, Malaria, and Infectious Disease; Eradication of Poverty; Rights of Indiginous Peoples; Global Warming; and Orphans and AIDS. Students participating included Robert H., Jeremy N-B, Matt O., Danny W., Natalie D., Antoine M-C, Ethan M., Kirby S., Aidan W., Maddie D., Rita K., Molly R., and Louise T. Congratulations to our students and their advisors!

Community Notices: The Sanborn Foundation of Arlington is sponsoring a free seminar "Hypnosis to Stop Smoking" on Thursday May 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Robbins Library. This seminar is open to the Arlington Community.

Also on May 8 at the Town Hall there will a forum on drugs and alcohol based on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey recently administered at the high school. The results of this survey affect all secondary students and parents. This forum will give parents tools needed to deal with this extremely important issue.

Report cards went home last Friday. Please sign and return to your child's homeroom teacher.

There are lots of belongings in the Lost and Found in the lobby. Please ask your child to check for missing items. Parents are welcome to come in to check as well.

Spring break begins at the end of the day on Friday April 18. School will reopen on Monday, April 28. With the snow gone, there's lots of yard work to be done (the snow came early this year). If you are not going on vacation, I hope that you will keep your student busy doing work for the family part of each day.

Dr. Malone Neville

8th Grade Field Day (entered on: 4/11/2008 9:51:03 AM)

8th grade field day this year will be on Tuesday 6/17

Summer Programs/Enrichment Options (entered on: 4/7/2008 8:28:50 PM)

Ms. Duke has compiled a list of some Summer Programs which may be of interest to you. For the complete list, click here

This is an exciting new program designed to orient incoming 6th graders to the new & exciting environment of Middle School. Please register no later than May 2nd. Click here for more info and a registration form.

AHS Hello Dolly Tickets on Sale (entered on: 4/2/2008 9:34:35 AM)

Tickets for A.H.S Hello Dolly will be on sale Thursday & Friday during lunch. Ticket’s are $12.00 dollars and the performances will be on Friday & Saturday evening at 8:00 PM (April 4th and 5th)

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-03-31 (entered on: 3/31/2008 5:13:09 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families.

Family Movie Night (sponsored by OPAC last Friday night) was a big success. Students enjoyed the movie and snacks in the cafeteria while parents enjoyed the music and conversation in the Media Center. The crowd was small but enthusiastic about this opportunity for socializing. Thank you OPAC!

A committee is being formed to plan 8th grade recognition/graduation. If you are interested in being on the planning committee, please contact Renee Lubowich at relubo@aol.com or by phone at 781-643-1959.

The Boys' Reading Group will meet on Wednesday, April 2 during 5th period and the Girls' Reading Group will meet next Wednesday, April 9, also during 5th period.

On Tuesday, April 8, students will be dismissed from school at 1 p.m. so that teachers may participate in professional development. Lunch will be served in school.

6th and 8th grade students have completed testing in reading comprehension. 7th grade students have completed their composition test, and will complete their testing in reading comprehension tomorrow. Our students have approached this testing period seriously and positively. Thank you for your support at home. Our next testing period will take place in May, between May 12 and 29.

OMS School Council will meet tomorrow at 4 p.m.

We continue to remind students that while they may bring cell phones, ipods (and other communication technology) to school, they must turn them off and put them away while they are in the building (that includes the hallways and lobbies before, during, and after school). Students who choose to ignore this expectation can expect to have their cell phone or ipod confiscated and parents will be asked to come to school to retrieve it. Your support of school procedures is truly appreciated. I was out front at dismissal time last Thursday talking with the crossing guard and noted that almost every student that passed by us was talking on a cell phone!

Dr. Malone Neville

Literary Magazine Deadline Approaching (entered on: 3/28/2008 9:49:06 AM)

Literary magazine submissions are due Friday 4/11. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Duke (aduke@arlington.k12.ma.us) rm. 323.

Weekly update from the Principal -- 2008-03-24 (entered on: 3/24/2008 10:58:42 AM)

Good morning Ottoson Families.

Today (3/24/2008) is the first day of the March session of MCAS testing. 6th and 8th grade students will be taking exams today, Wednesday (March 26), and Friday (March 28). 7th grade students will be taking exams Tuesday (March 25), Thursday (March 27), Monday (March 31), and Tuesday (April 1). All testing sessions are scheduled for the first 3-4 periods of the day. The best preparation is a good night's sleep, a hearty breakfast, and a positive attitude. Please help your student be prepared and on time to school.

On Thursday, March 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. OMS is having an Open House for parents of incoming 6th and 7th grade students (current 5th and 6th graders). I'll be meeting with parents of incoming 6th grade students in the Wood Gym and then they will visit with our 6th grade teachers. Mr. Gonsalve and Mr. Saum will be meeting with parents of incoming 7th grade students in the cafeteria. We will be presenting an overview of next year's program.

A message from OPAC: OMS's first Family Night will be held on Friday, March 28. The movie "Contact" will be shown in the cafeteria from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Pizza, popcorn and water will be available in the lobby. Please bring a beanbag chair, pillow or blanket. Donations will be accepted at the door. Parents are invited to socialize in the Media Center Cafe with live background music, hors d'oeuvres and dessert. This is not a drop-off event.

Last week we spoke on the p.a. system with students about written and spoken threats against an individual or group at school. This was as a result of some graffiti in pencil on the wall of a boys' bathroom. We determined that although the writing was not a credible threat, it had been seen by a number of students (some of whom reported it to a teacher) and was of concern to them. The graffiti was recorded, reported to the police, and removed. Please talk with your student about the potential seriousness of making or writing threatening comments. There are plenty of caring adults at OMS who will hear and respond to student concerns.

Judy MN

School Directory Released (entered on: 3/19/2008 9:42:03 AM)

Ottoson School directories will be sent home today or tomorrow (March 19). Check your children's backpacks. They have been sent home, one per family, generally with the oldest child. Thank you to all who updated their listings, and apologies to those who were not able to do so. Next year, we will attempt to get everyone updated much earlier, with an earlier directory release date. If you have questions about the directory, send email to ottosonwebmaster@arlington.k12.ma.us

Rally Against Cancer. (entered on: 3/19/2008 9:38:14 AM)

Wear your favorite Boston Red Sox apparel to school on opening day at Fenway Park and raise the most to win a visit from Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. For more information contact Charles Savicki at 617-632-5420 or visit www.rallyagainstcancer.org.

Weekly Update from the Principal -- 2008-03-18 (entered on: 3/18/2008 5:08:23 PM)

Good afternoon Ottoson Families.

I've just returned from the ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) annual conference, "Reinventing Schools." Three teachers from Ottoson also attended this conference and we all agree that the general sessions and workshops we attended were inspiring and practical. It is good to know that Arlington is in the main stream of national concerns regarding schooling.

There is an all-town strings concert at OMS in the Wood Gym on Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m.

MCAS testing for all our students begins next Monday, March 24. There are 3 testing days for 6th and 8th grade students, and 4 testing days for 7th grade students. 6th and 8th grade students will be taking MCAS tests on March 24, 26, and 28. 7th grade students will be taking tests on March 25, 27, April 1, 2. All tests will be given in the morning and are untimed. The best way to prepare for MCAS is to have a good night's sleep, a hearty breakfast, and a positive attitude. Please support your child's best effort on MCAS by discussing the tests and helping them prepare.

A message from the Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC): Katherine Johnson, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Founder/Director of Advances Learning Center will speak on social pragmatics on Thursday, April 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. (networking 6:30 to 7 p.m.) at the Brackett Elementary School, 66 Eastern Avenue, Arlington.

The next parent education forum will be held on Wednesday, April 2 in the Bishop School Auditorium from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Pam Hardy will present The Biggest Job--Raising Strong Children to Reach their Potential. The intended audience is parents of students, grades k through 12. Parents will learn specific ways to strengthen family relationships, to set high expectations for their children, to let go of the outcomes, and to establish honesty as a family priority.

Dr. Malone Neville

OPAC Meeting Agenda - 2008-03-18 (entered on: 3/18/2008 9:40:57 AM)

Reminder...Ottoson Middle School Parents Advisory Council (OPAC) meeting is tonight at 7:00pm in the OMS Media Center. Agenda is as follows:

*School Budget Presentation by Jeff Thielman
*Principal Update by Dr. Judy Malone Neville
*Treasury update by Peter Fuller
*OMS Movie Night Friday, March 28th, 7 - 9pm
*OMS Parent Tri-fold
*Open Discussion

Please join us!

Sandy Stergiou & Cindy Starks, OPAC Coordinators

Ottoson Welcomes 5th Graders for Tour (entered on: 3/18/2008 9:33:47 AM)

Current 5th graders will be touring the Ottoson on the following days:

Bishop and Peirce	Wednesday April 9
Dallin and Stratton	Thursday April 10
Brackett	Friday April 11
Hardy and Thompson	Tuesday April 15

They will be picked up at their elementary schools, tour the Ottoson and be returned via school bus. Any questions, please contact 781-316-3744.

Mask Workshop at the Library March 22nd (entered on: 3/17/2008 9:39:33 AM)

Terra Cotta Mask Workshop will be on Saturday March 22 from 11:00 – 12:10 @ The Robbins Library in the Community Room. It is for Middle and High School Students space is limited please sign up to reserve a space at 781-316-3232.

String Concert March 19 (entered on: 3/17/2008 9:37:56 AM)

All Town String Concert will be Wednesday 3/19 @ 7:00 pm in the wood gym

Reminder on some rules (entered on: 3/17/2008 9:36:24 AM)

Reminders: Cell phones; Ipods, Hats, Hoods and Gum are only allowed outside the Building

Scrabble Club Day Change (entered on: 3/17/2008 9:35:31 AM)

Scrabble Club will now meets on Fridays; it will no longer meet on Wednesdays

Ottoson Exploration Evening (entered on: 3/12/2008 4:46:27 PM)

Exploration Evening
Thursday, April 17th, 2008
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Exploration Eveni