Family Updates
Family Update: September 12th, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for September 12, 2025.
There were so many highlights this week ~ far more than we could keep up with!
Was the highlight when Lily, Jacqueline and Chelsea did an impromptu STEP performance for the whole school, and then graciously repeated it for our United Way volunteers?
Or was it that today we had 7 United Way volunteers on campus, helping us with big and small tasks - ranging from weeding and spreading that mountain of mulch you may have noticed, to assembling shelves and organizing musical instruments. THANK YOU United Way for your fabulous support. We thrive on community involvement!
Or, although it already feels like a month ago, was the highlight when we nimbly and cooperatively responded to a fire alarm that went off literally the minute we were supposed to commence drop off for our first day in the building?! We had families lined up in the parking lot, students ready to start the day, parents who needed to get to work, EMS vehicles on site…It was a relief that an over-toasted bagel on the synagogue side was the culprit, and for once, the bus being late was possibly helpful. Ultimately, we were encouraged by how well everyone responded - remaining calm, and collaborating to adjust our 1st day schedule! We had to talk about fire drills anyway, so we used the opportunity to really practice!
Maybe the highlight was going sailing at CBC, or learning about how the brain works during an all-school Dendrites workshop where we began to think about metacognition and how to be proactive learners.
We really haven’t even started with the highlights - but we want to keep this brief so you’ll read the very, very important details below. Next week we’ll have so much more!
Key Calendar Details
Back to School Night: Sep. 24th, 5:30-6:30pm
Our next Required Family Meeting is also our Back-to-School Night. This is a great opportunity to meet your student’s teachers and other staff members who support their learning experiences. We encourage students to attend as well!
Ms. Sanders will meet with all 8th-grade families to discuss high school plans from 6:00-6:30pm in the Outdoor Classroom. She will then meet with all 7th-grade families from 6:30-6:45pm in the Outdoor Classroom.
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SSAT Prep: Sat, September 20, 9am-12:30pm.
8th-grade students who plan to apply to independent schools are strongly encouraged to take the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) in December. We will provide more information about the test at an upcoming meeting.
To help students prepare, Ms. Sanders is hosting practice sessions on Wednesdays during the school day, as well as practice tests on various weekends this fall. The first practice test will be held at OSS on Saturday, September 20, from 9am-12:30pm. Participation in the practice test is optional but highly encouraged. If your student plans to attend, please email Ms. Sanders at asanders@oursistersschool.org.
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Secondary School Fair: Sep. 30th, 5:30-7:30 pm
*OSS is co-hosting the Secondary School Fair this fall in partnership with Alma del Mar and Nativity Prep. This year’s fair will take place at Alma del Mar’s Frederick Douglass Campus. All 7th and 8th-grade students and their families are encouraged to attend. You will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from both public and independent schools.
Students chose their Community Partnerships (internships for 7th and 8th graders) and clubs this week. Next week, they find out their schedule for Friday afternoons for the whole year. Here are a few things to know:
If your student is placed in swim club at the Y for quarter 1, a permission form will be sent out to you in today’s Friday Folder.
If your student is placed in Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U) club for quarters 1 and 2, you will receive an email from Ms. McSweeny to register with Y.O.U. directly. Please fill out this registration form as soon as possible.
Please complete these forms BEFORE Friday so that your student is ready to participate on 9/19.
Community Partnerships do not start until 9/26. Permission slips with Community Partnership details will be in 7th and 8th grade Friday Folders next Friday.
Please reach out to Ms. McSweeny with any questions or concerns at mmcsweeny@oursistersschool.org.
Spaces are limited so don’t hesitate and sign up now. Follow a link to the right or use the flier in your Friday Folder. Just know that the spaces won’t wait, so jump on it.
South Coast Children’s Choir is a simply wonderful program, and OSS students can qualify for full scholarships if they want to participate. If you didn’t already, please do check it out!
We are so excited to welcome everyone back on Monday for another powerful week of learning and growing!
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team
Family Update ~ September 7th, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for September 7, 2025.
Characterized by nourishing meals and time in the great outdoors, our Brantwood experience was amazing! We all came home totally exhausted - but energized for the school year ahead. Enjoy the photo collection below that illustrates some classic moments.
Tomorrow we open the building at 8:10 for breakfast; drop off ends at 8:25, after which time an adult needs to accompany their student into the front office to sign in.
Our first Family Engagement Committee meeting of the year is this Tuesday, September 9th at 5:30, at OSS. All family members are encouraged to show up. We enthusiastically welcome your participation! Typically these meetings are held via Zoom, but the 1st one of the season is live - with snacks! 🙂
Follow our regularly updated CALENDAR to see all events.
Key Calendar Details
Family Engagement Committee Sep. 9th, 5:30-6:30pm
Back to School Night: Sep. 24th, 5:30-6:30pm
Spaces are limited so don’t hesitate. Use the link in the language of your choice, and sign up now.
South Coast Children’s Choir is a simply wonderful program, and OSS students can qualify for full scholarships if they want to participate. Please check it out!
We are so excited to welcome everyone into the building tomorrow morning!
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team
Weekly Update: June 6, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for June 6, 2025.
Congratulations to all of us on completing the school year in style! Field Day was a blast, portfolios were a delight, graduation was simply beautiful - and now you take a break while we clean up, reflect and prepare for the year to come. This is our final Family Update for the season. We’ll be back in late August with Community Blooom - our approach to finalizing registration, preparing for Brantwood and gathering to welcome the school year.
In the meantime, summer programming has been carefully managed by Ms. Sanders, and students have exceptional opportunities ahead of them. We’ll be hosting academic coaching, gardening, SPARK programming and all kinds of summer goodness here at OSS. Many of you will participate locally and in sleep away experiences. No matter your plans, we hope everyone has a beautiful summer…and remember to complete your Summer Learning plans thoughtfully and thoroughly.
Water Balloon Toss
Our full calendar will be published soon.
Key Calendar Details
Community Bloom Registration Event for all families: Aug 27th, 5:30-7pm
1st days of school @ Brantwood: September 2, 3, 4
1st day in the building: September 8
Back to School Night: September 24th, 5:30-6:30pm
Community Events
Wizard of Oz
August 14-17, 2025
We have been offered free tickets to see the Wizard of Oz. See the flier and send an email to Ms. Cinnamond (gcinnamond@oursistersschool.org) to let her know your order.
Specify the date and the number of tickets you want; we’ll have them for you at the box office.
Friday the Thirteenth at Co-Creative Center
Friday, June 13, 6-7:30pm
Join the Co-Creative Center on Friday, June 13th for free iPad Art Class filled with sketching and drawing.
We hope you have a simply beautiful summer break,
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team
Weekly Update: May 30, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for May 30, 2025.
Dear Families,
It was a privilege to see you at the Festival of Arts and Achievement. Thank you again for your time and attention. We’ll share photos next week. In the meantime, this lovely note from Ms. Eugenio says it all:
“I want to take a moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude and admiration for each one of you. The Festival of Arts and Achievement was a powerful reflection of your hard work, dedication, creativity, and community spirit.
You stepped up, collaborated, and showcased the brilliance that makes OSS so special. Be proud—and take time to reflect on the incredible learnings, sharings, and connections that happened.
The evening was filled with inspiring project showcases, performances, interactive demonstrations, collaborative writing, student entrepreneurs (many of whom sold out!), gallery exhibitions, robotics displays, graduate visits, digital and 3-D design sessions, and so much more.
Thank you for sharing your time, expertise, and passion. You made this event unforgettable, and you continue to show what’s possible when we come together as a community.”
We felt so proud to share our collection of student work, and look forward to even more personalized experiences at portfolio conferences next week. It has been a busy spring and below we recognize some of the events that have kept us busy!
Community Partnership Program
On May 23, we celebrated our Community Partnership Program with a lunch and networking event. Ten of our seventeen partner sites were able to join us as we recognized the value of student service and shared the joy of this collaborative work.
Through this program, our students have given 837 hours of service to their community, with 72% of our 7th and 8th graders choosing to go out into the community three or more times. We are excited to continue this great work next year!
Why – and How – We Need to Talk to Teen Girls about Their Phones
With so many teens reporting that they're online almost constantly, how can adults best respond, support, and encourage the girls in their lives, given this new reality?
Banning devices at school or barring social media seems the simplest approach, but experts argue it might not be the best. So what do we do instead?
By listening to this podcast short, you'll find out how to talk to today's teens about their phones and social media. Get expert insights (and suggested language!) to engage girls on this topic.
Calendar Raffle
And… the calendar winners for the final days of May include:
May 24 - Wylde Latulippe
May 25 - Crystal Fernandes
May 26 - Megahn Frias
May 27 - Irene Charles
May 28 - Alexis Stringer
May 29 - Jasmine Gomes
May 30 - Joseph Omwata
May 31 - Kayla Clapp
All gifts have been distributed. Let’s play again next year!
Community Events
Wizard of Oz
August 14-17, 2025
We have been offered free tickets to see the Wizard of Oz. See the flier and send an email to Ms. Cinnamond (gcinnamond@oursistersschool.org) to let her know your order.
Specify the date and the number of tickets you want; we’ll have them for you at the box office.
Friday the Thirteenth at Co-Creative Center
Friday, June 13, 6-7:30pm
Join the Co-Creative Center on Friday, June 13th for free iPad Art Class filled with sketching and drawing.
Calendar
This link to the calendar on our OSS website is a valuable reference tool. Below are some key dates:
June 4 - Field Day 12:45-4pm
June 5 & 6 - Portfolio Conferences by appointment; No School
June 6 - 8th grade Graduation, 5:30-6:30pm
Brantwood and start of the school year dates that we can share so far:
Brantwood is September 2,3,4 and our 1st day in the building is September 8th. We’ll send more calendar info home next week.
We hope you have a fulfilling weekend,
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team
Weekly Update: May 23, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for May 24, 2025.
Dear Families,
It is Memorial Day weekend and we have no school Monday, so please take extra time today to look at the collection of amazing opportunities highlighted in our community events section below.
Our Festival of Arts and Student Achievement is next Friday, May 30th. The end of the school year is quickly approaching and we always have tons going on! Students will present Portfolio Presentations, we’ll celebrate Field Day and 8th grade Graduation. Fourth quarter will end, grades will close and report cards will be distributed. This is a friendly reminder to students that this long weekend is a smart time to get caught up on assignments so that the last few weeks of the school year feel like smooth sailing.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Field Trip
On May 19, 6th and 7th graders visited the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance (CCCFA) in Chatham, MA, alongside scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). Students explored the impact of overfishing through a hands-on M&M activity and learned about ocean water layering using a tank of dyed freshwater and saltwater. By simulating storms with straws, they saw how mixing occurs in nature.
WHOI scientists explained how they monitor ocean temperatures using CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) instruments, which are deployed with help from local fishermen. The data helps track warming waters, Cape Cod has warmed 4–5°F above the global ocean average, and informs fishing practices as fish migrate or decline.
At a nearby pier, students took turns operating CTD instruments, analyzed real-time data on iPads, and spoke with a local fisherman working with WHOI. They asked thoughtful questions and gained insight into the challenges and importance of sustainable fishing on Cape Cod.
Max Courage Essay Contest Award
Congratulations to our 5th grade Max Courage Essay contest recipient! Earlier this year her writing was published in the 2025 Max Courage book, and this week she and Ms. Kozak attended a formal celebration in Boston. We are so proud of you, J!
Car Wash Results
Between our car wash, lemonade stand and a donation from our vendor fair friends, we raised just over $1,000 last Sunday. Wow. Thank you to everyone who helped, and do keep us on your calendar for next year!
Calendar Raffle
And… the calendar winners for the first days of May include:
May 17 - Megahn Frias
May 18 - Leon Gomes
May 19 - Leon Gomes
May 20 - Ben Moniz
May 21 - Debbie Gautreau
May 22 -Debbie Arabian
May 23 -Michael Lefebvre
…
Our final drawing is May 29. We will pull the winners for the 23-30.
Community Events
See attached fliers for a free girls soccer clinic with NB Parks and Rec., Radiation Rush summer robotics program and a very popular digital art opportunity with Sketchy Go ichie.
Calendar
This link to the calendar on our OSS website is a valuable reference tool. Below are some key dates:
May 26 - Memorial Day; No School
May 30 - Festival of Arts and Student Achievement 3:30-7pm
June 4 - Field Day 12:45-4pm
June 5 & 6 - Portfolio Conferences by appointment; No School
June 6 - 8th grade Graduation, 5:30-6:30pm
We hope you have a meaningful weekend,
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team
Weekly Update: May 18, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for May 9, 2025.
Dear Families,
Our annual car wash fundrasier was wet and wonderful. Special thanks to the crew - students and parents alike- who stepped in to make it all happen, and stayed with it all day! This Thursday is our next chance to step in; at lunch time we’ll celebrate birthdays for May, June, July and August - so if you can send in treats to share, it’ll be even more exciting! Speaking of exciting, it is hard to keep up around here! Below are some of the events we’ve held and participated in these past few weeks. Next week we’ll feature photos from the spring carnival. Stay tuned.
Community BLOOMS: CVPA UMASS Dartmouth + Our Sisters’ School
The Blooming Stories video highlights our recent partnership with UMass Dartmouth …
It has been a privilege to work with OSS, your teachers, and your students. Although I have very little experience with American middle school system, my students - junior and senior Art Ed. Majors — have remarked many times how they appreciate your programs much more than other school programs they have experiences with. I have worked with children from both privileged and underprivileged backgrounds. I've found your students competent, healthy, vibrant, collaborative, and emotionally mature. They are remarkably well-rounded young individuals.
OSS May Calendar Raffle
May 10 - Mariann Monteiro
May 11 - Kathy Bowers
May 12 - Bertha Cabral
May 13 - Desmond Doyle
May 14 - Krystal Fisher
May 15 - Lynn Wilson
May 16 - Lucia DeMelo
Our next drawing is Friday May 23, and we will pull for the dates May 19-23.
United Way - day of caring
7th and 8th graders participated in the United Way Youth Day of Caring ! They started at the New Bedford Public Library for the kick-off event and then headed to Buttonwood Zoo for service. Students cleaned benches and tables, raked leaves, and prepared a new pollinator garden.
Multicultural Luncheon:
First of all, thank you to all those who contributed (food & posters, etc.) and to those who helped and to those who attended with joy and exuberance.
What a perfect weather day for it and the participation was amazing!
A student said in the survey, “I liked trying out all of the new foods that I don't regularly get to eat, and I loved sharing my culture with people by dancing. It was nice to see so many cultures united.”
“Seeing the students let go of the familiar by trying foods outside of their norm was beautiful! They were all so respectful of each culture and seemed very appreciative for the whole experience.”
Sensata - day of service
We are thrilled to share that OSS was once again chosen as a partner for Sensata’s 2025 annual Day of Service! Volunteers from Sensata generously donated their time, energy, and expertise to improve our campus and show our students that they are valued. From repairs and upgrades to fresh paint and outdoor enhancements, their efforts make a real difference in the daily lives of our girls and staff. Sensata’s commitment to giving back through “Sensata Serves” reflects the very spirit of community we cherish. We are so grateful for their continued partnership and the impact they’ve made at OSS!
Adventure Park
Our Student Council students recently spent a powerful morning at The Adventure Park on Cape Cod, where they pushed themselves to new heights—literally and figuratively! As they navigated rope courses and ziplines, they demonstrated courage, critical thinking, teamwork, and strength.
Highlights included moments of cheering each other on, Letting Go of the Familiar, and realizing that just when it feels impossible, you can dig deeper and succeed. The experience offered powerful life lessons about facing challenges together and finding confidence in the climb. We’re so proud of their leadership and the way they supported one another through every step of the adventure
Portfolio Conferences
We are using SignUp to schedule our upcoming Portfolio Conferences on June 5-6, 2025.
If you haven’t already, please follow these three steps:
Select the appropriate of the link options provided, depending on your students’ grade.
Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like, notice these are 25 minutes in duration. Once you have scheduled a time slot, please add your student's name to the comment box.
You will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.
Note: SignUp does not share your email address with anyone. If you have any questions or prefer not to use your email address, please contact me through my email listed below, and I can sign you up manually.
DATMA Banners
Our OSS community recently took part in an incredible art-making event as part of Being Seen: Celebrating South Coast Pride! Students, families, and staff came together on our outdoor campus to create panels using upcycled textiles for a large-scale public art installation led by LGBTQ+ artist and activist Liz Collins.
The energy was joyful and creative as participants expressed their pride, celebrated identity, and contributed to a project that will be displayed across the SouthCoast through 2026. We’re so proud to be part of this regional celebration of visibility, activism, and community. Thank you to all who joined us in making art and making history!
Calendar
This link to the calendar on our OSS website is a valuable reference tool. Below are some key dates:
May 22 - All School b-day party at lunch
May 26 - Memorial Day; No School
May 30 - Festival of Arts and Student Achievement 3:30-7pm
June 4 - Field Day 12:45-4pm
June 5 & 6 - Portfolio Conferences by appointment; No School
June 6 - 8th grade Graduation, 5:30-6:30pm
We hope you had a fun weekend,
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team