Contacting Teachers

Ottoson Middle School

Open House

Conferences

Agenda Book

Telephone

E-mail

Mailboxes

Meetings

Guidance Counselors

Contacting the Principal

Open House

At the beginning of each school year, the school organizes the Fall Open House that gives the parents and guardians an opportunity to meet their children's teachers and see their classrooms.  During the Open House, the parents and guardians can visit each classroom in turn, and hear the teachers introduce their subjects, as well as their expectations and grading policy. 

The Fall Open House is a great way to start a new school year, and all parents and guardians are encouraged to attend.

Please consult the school calendar for the day and time of the Fall Open House, and look for the announcement on this web site for more information.

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Conferences

At the end of November and the beginning of December, the school organizes several sessions of teacher-parent conferences.  To attend these conferences, parents/guardians must submit forms indicating their preferences for specific days and times.  The conferences are scheduled on the first-come-first-served basis, and notices are sent back indicating the assigned day and time.

The actual conferences are held as a sequence of consecutive one-on-one meetings with each of the teachers in turn.  The meetings last only five minutes for grades 7 and 8, and seven minutes for grade 6.  Although this is a very short time, a lot of information can be conveyed if no time is wasted.  So please be prepared to talk about things that are important, any issues or concerns you may have about your child's work and performance, and listen carefully to what the teachers have to say.

Please consult the school calendar for the day and time of the Parent-Teacher Conferences, and look for the announcement on this web site for more information.

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Agenda Book

On the first day of school, each student is given an Agenda Book that contains a daily calendar with a space for writing daily assignments.  At the bottom of each day's column, is a special section for parent-teacher communication.

Please review your child's Agenda Book frequently, and pay special attention to any comments that teachers may have written.  You may reply in the Agenda Book, or write any other concerns you may have, especially on issues related to homework.  Also, some teachers may like you to sign the Agenda Book daily or weekly, to ensure that you have seen the assignments and teacher's comments.

Many teachers and parents/guardians find the Agenda Book to be an effective way of communicating.

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Telephone

Some issues require a one-on-one conversation.  To talk to a teacher, please leave a message on teacher's voice mail, giving your name, phone number, brief summary of the problem, and an indication of when is a good time for the teacher to return your call.  If possible, the teachers prefer the time right after school, before they go home.  Usually, the teacher will call back in a day or two.

To access the voice mail, please dial 781-316-3745, then teacher's extension.  If you do not know the extension, you can get it from the automated telephone system, by following the voice instructions.  You can also get it from the teachers' directory on this web site.

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E-mail

E-mail is a very convenient way of communicating, and most of the teachers check their e-mail messages daily.  If you do not get a response in a day or two, please call the teacher and let him or her know that you had sent a message.  Sometimes, the e-mail system malfunctions and the teacher's mail reception becomes disabled, or messages get lost.

Although you can get the e-mail addresses by accessing the teachers' directory on this web site, you can also create them yourself because the school uses a simple convention.  The address is always the given name initial followed by the family name, and the school domain.  For example, if the teacher's name is Robert Smith, his e-mail address is RSmith@arlington.k12.ma.us.

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Mailboxes

Letters, notes, or documents can be dropped off in the main office to be put into the teacher's mailbox.  They can also be sent through the US Post Office.

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Meetings

In some circumstances, a meeting with the teacher may be warranted.  Such meetings are usually scheduled either before the start of school, or right after the end of school day.

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Guidance Counselors

Guidance counselors are always ready to assist parents/guardians and students on matters related to academics, student performance, teacher concerns, peer relationships, special programs, or high school transition.

We have three guidance counselors, one for each grade.  Please click on the more button to access the counselors page.

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Contacting the Principal

Serious issues related to conduct, student relations, placement, and other major concerns can be referred to one of the assistant principals, or the principal.  Please click on the more button to access the administration page.

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This page was last updated on Tuesday, April 08, 2003