First Year Students
What Students Want to Know

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WHAT IS A TYPICAL SCHEDULE AT OAK MIDDLE SCHOOL?

The Oak Middle School runs on a trimester schedule.
Each Trimester is as follows:

• Trimester 1 begins the first day of school and ends in December.
• Trimester 2 begins in December and ends in March.
• Trimester 3 begins in March and ends on the last day of school.
• Each Trimester is divided into two cycles to give students the opportunity to explore a variety of allied arts classes.  See example below

PE	ART	MUSIC	HEALTH 1	HEALTH 2	DESIGN LAB
Sept  to Oct	Oct to Dec	Dec to Jan	Jan to Mar	Mar to Apr	May to last day

What does it mean to have a 6-day schedule?

• Day 1 for the first day, with each day thereafter following a numerical sequence ending with day 6.  See example below

Mon Day 1	Tues Day 2	Wed Day 3	Thurs Day 4	Fri Day 5	Mon day 6

WHO CAN I TALK TO IF I HAVE A PROBLEM DURING SCHOOL HOURS?

• Oak teachers serve as an essential part of the school’s support system in promoting a safe and healthy school environment for all students.
• School counselors are available to provide academic, personal, and social supports to all students.  Their offices are located in the lower level School Counseling Suite.
• Grade level Assistant Principals, one for each grade, are also available to help with student issues and concerns.  Their offices are located in the main office.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET SICK OR INJURED DURING SCHOOL TIME?

• The nurse’s office is adjacent to the main office.
• Students must first speak to a teacher and ask for a pass to the nurse’s office.  Students who are ill MUST be dismissed by the nurse.  
• Students should not text or call home without seeing the nurse first.
• The nurse will decide if you need to leave school or seek further medical attention.  In such cases the nurse will notify parents or guardians.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM ABSENT?

• Parents must call the school each time their child is absent (508-841-1200 #1), and indicate the reason for being absent.
• We use a child safe protocol, which means a computer generated phone call will be received if a student is marked absent but not called in by a parent
• Students are responsible for connecting with teachers regarding make-up work for assignments missed due to any absences.
• Excessive absences are not acceptable and serious consequences may result.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM TARDY?

• If you are late to school, sign in with the QR Code located in the main corridor.
• Students who do not check in risk being marked absent for the day.
• We use a child safe protocol, which means a computer generated phone call will be received if a student does not check in the main office when tardy.
• Excessive tardiness is not acceptable and serious consequences may result.

HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I SPEND DOING HOMEWORK?

• Students should expect to dedicate at least 60-90 minutes doing homework, Monday thru Friday.

DOES OAK MIDDLE OFFER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES?
Oak Middle School offers a number of clubs and activities for students including:

• Ski Club, Cross Country, Spring Track, Boys and Girls Basketball, Field Hockey, Baseball, Softball and Football.
• Community Service & Leadership Club, S.T.A.R. Peer Mediators, Speech Team, Lego Robotics, MathCounts, Yearbook, Science Olympiad, Literary Magazine Club, and Student Voice, Silent Reading Club and more. Please click here for a complete list.
• Select Band, Jazz Band, Select Choir, Fall Play, and Spring Musical

HOW DO I INTERPRET THE ACADEMIC GRADES ON THE REPORT CARD?
The grading scale for academic standards is a four-point scale, which, from highest to lowest, is 4, 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, 1 and .5.

• 4=“Advanced” - indicates performance exceeds  standard
• 3=“Proficient” – indicates performance that meets that standard
• 2=“Needs Improvement” - indicates performance that partially meets that standard.
• 1=“Warning” - indicates performance not yet demonstrating evidence of understanding in that standard.

iPADS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Each new student will be issued a school-owned iPad.  It is expected that students will abide by the “Technology Acceptable Use Policy” found on our school website.

OMS CAFETERIA

• Breakfast and Lunch are free all year. The Oak lunch menu can be found in the Principals Weekly Update, the SPS website, and on the monitors located throughout the school.
• Please contact the cafeteria manager about any special dietary needs (food allergies, etc.).

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL

• Teachers primarily use e-mail to communicate with families.
• Teams also will notify families and students of websites or apps where they post information, updates and homework.
• The Principal sends a Weekly Update e-mail, on Sunday evenings, to all families concerning school-wide news and information.

POWERSCHOOL PARENT PORTAL

• All families are issued log-on IDs that will enable access to our school records system, Powerschool.
• This is where you will register for school activities, clubs and athletics.  You will also be able to acknowledge and give permission for specific activities when needed.

Please see the Oak Student Handbook, located here for more information.