Family Updates

Our Sisters' School 3/27/26 Our Sisters' School 3/27/26

Weekly Update: March 27, 2026

Here’s a weekly update for March 20, 2026

Tuesday afternoon our school community turned up the volume on joy at the Student Council–organized Spirit Show. Students and staff lit up the stage with incredible acts including magic, singing, dancing, a hilarious three-headed monster, a glow-in-the-dark spectacular, a guitar solo, and so much more. The talent, courage, and creativity in the room were unforgettable. Many thanks to the families who joined us and to all of our students, who were outstanding audience members, cheering each other on and filling the room with energy from start to finish.
Today we conclude our 3rd marking period, and 4th quarter clubs and community partnerships begin next Friday, April 3. Please note that this means you may be picking your student up at a new location. See Friday Folders and check your email to confirm the location for Friday pick up this quarter. Clubs and partnerships run the following dates: 4/3, 4/10, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22.

Note: all students and families are welcome to attend and support, but transportation to the museum is being provided for grades 5 and 6 only. Pick up is at the museum.

**Calendar Highlights:**
Saturday Mar 28 ~ **Family Service Day** 10-noon; *come help and earn service credits!*
Thursday April 2 ~ **Game Night** hosted by FEC, 5:30pm (*see below*)
Friday April 3 ~ **OSS is OPEN** (even though NBPS has a holiday); *the bus WILL run on this day however, as the kitchen is closed, only Italian subs will be available for lunch this day*
Wednesday April 8 ~
Whaling Museum Exhibit **Showcase for 6th grade** ~ 5:00-6:30pm
Thursday April 9 ~ All School **b-day party** at lunch to celebrate March and April babies; donated snacks appreciated
Thursday April 9 ~ WHOI specific Whaling Museum **Exhibit for 7th grade**

*Come check out this amazing project:*
Alongside WHOI scientists, Grade 7 learned how ocean data is collected by fishing vessels operating on the New England continental shelf and subsequently analyzed by scientists.
Guided by WHOI researchers, 7th graders conducted their own research and met with Jill Pelto, an artist and science communicator who creates data-driven artwork integrating real climate and conservation data to illustrate human–environment connections and make scientific information engaging and accessible.

It’s time to register for OSS Summer Programming! If you are interested in adding fun activities to your summer plans, we have free programs available for OSS families. We would love to have your student join us! You can learn more about the programs listed below by reading about OSS summer programs, local day camp programs, and sleepaway camp options on our summer programs website (look for the tabs at the top of the page). If you’d like more information about any program, reach out to Ms. Sanders (email asanders@oursistersschool.org or call/text 774-328-6694). You can register for OSS programs here (be sure to click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the form) or view a digital copy of the handout in your Friday folder here.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Our Sisters' School 3/20/26 Our Sisters' School 3/20/26

Weekly Update: March 21, 2026

Here’s a weekly update for March 20, 2026

If you’ve been wondering about the large white geometric shapes in our parking lot these past two years—here’s the big reveal! The pieces are finally assembled. We think it looks fantastic - and hope you do too!
*Please join us for Family Service Day next Saturday, March 28, from 10am–12pm.* We’ll celebrate the spring equinox by refreshing our Outdoor Classroom, honoring the new awning, and preparing for the growing season ahead. We hope to see you there!

We are proud of our students, particularly when they practice our Core Value of Civic Engagement.
On Wednesday, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), in partnership with YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts and SouthCoast Fair Housing, hosted a Fair Housing Regional Listening Session at Bristol Community College downtown.
Three 8th grade students prepared testimonies and attended the event to share their opinions on fair housing issues in New Bedford. We are grateful to these young people willing to use their voice to uplift our community. See below to admire some of their testimony:

**Calendar Highlights:**
Tuesday Mar 24 ~ **Spirit Show** 12:15-1:15pm
Wed. March 25 ~ **Required Family Meeting**; OSS will provide child care so the meeting is focused and we’ve got **one** staff member available for the task. Please pre-register so we can be best prepared.
Friday Mar 27 ~ **End of Quarter 3**
Saturday Mar 28 ~ **Family Service Day** 10-noon; *come help and earn service credits!*
Thursday April 2 ~ **Game Night** hosted by FEC, 5:30pm

**Camp Highlight:**
*It was fun to see Robbie at school today!*
Brantwood Camp in New Hampshire is where we go for the first few days of the school year to build community and share adventure. Brantwood is also an *excellent* destination for OSS students looking for a summer experience in a familiar setting! Check it out, and if you want help with registration, contact Ms. Sanders for support at asanders@oursistersschool.org.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Our Sisters' School 3/13/26 Our Sisters' School 3/13/26

Weekly Update: March 13, 2026

Here’s a weekly update for March 13, 2026

Another week of wonderful curiosity and exploration has come to a close. Today fifth graders measured their shadows and caught a rare sighting of the moon peeking through daylit clouds. Eighth graders partnered with Mass Audubon to collect samples from a nearby creek, measuring water levels and researching how winter runoff has affected the waterway.

We were also busy with basics: reading, writing, making art and remaining focused - even with Fluffy the bunny hopping around the classroom!

**Calendar Highlights:**
Thur. March 19 ~ PD day for OSS; **No School**
Sat. March 21 ~ Family Service Day; *come help and earn service credits!*
Wed. March 25 ~ **Required Family Meeting**; OSS will provide child care so the meeting is focused and we’ve got **one** staff member available for the task. Please pre-register so we can be best prepared.
**Community Event:**
Teens Night Out! At NB YMCA March 28th 6-9pm

We made a special request for co-ed youth league basketball, and our wish was fulfilled! Now, we hope you’ll sign up and enjoy the game! Also, we just noticed this opportunity for flag football. See below.

Click on image above for the page to follow up.

If anyone would appreciate **free tickets** to the New Bedford Symphony this Saturday night at 7:30pm, you should email **Dave** at dprentiss@nbsymphony.org ASAP!
Watch as a single percussionist moves between dozens of instruments in a powerful and rhythm-driven musical experience. In the second part of the concert, Ives’ Symphony blends traditional symphonic writing with familiar American tunes and unexpected musical twists.

We are proud to share that eight OSS students have been selected for the Massachusetts Youth Art Month (YAM) Exhibit! Celebrated nationally each March, Youth Art Month highlights the incredible creativity and learning happening in visual arts classrooms and recognizes the important role the arts play in a well-rounded education. The statewide exhibit, organized by the Massachusetts Art Education Association, features artwork from students across the Commonwealth. We encourage families to check out the exhibit via this online link and celebrate the amazing creativity and talent of our youth artists.

Many community organizations offer amazing summer programs for students – we invite you to explore options on the **Local Day Camps** page of our Summer Programs website. Some are open for registration now, and others will open for registration soon. We will continue to update the website as more information becomes available. Some programs will fill quickly.
We are finalizing our OSS summer program schedule and will share our program options with you later in March, along with an online registration form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Sanders at asanders@oursistersschool.org or text 774.328.6694.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday.

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Our Sisters' School 3/6/26 Our Sisters' School 3/6/26

Weekly Update: March 7, 2026

Here’s a weekly update for March 6, 2026

On Tuesday, March 3rd, our eighth graders performed *The Fight for Our Rights*, a play highlighting the history of the women’s suffrage movement. Despite an unexpected snow week, the students persevered—supporting one another with line cues, quick costume changes, and smooth scene transitions.
The play explored the decades of organizing that led to women winning the right to vote and offered a powerful reminder of the importance of building intersectional social movements that center the experiences and voices of those most marginalized. Their performances, for both the school and the broader community, brought to life the stories, successes, and struggles of suffragists of color.

On Tuesday, April 14 at 6:00 PM, we will host a family workshop titled The Science of Building Habits, exploring strategies that support the academic and personal habits students need for long-term independence and success.

This session is part of our family workshop series (see the poster below), which continued this week with a valuable conversation on Screens and Teens. These programs are thoughtfully selected for our community, and families who attend receive family service credits. If you can join us, we hope to see you there—it would be wonderful to fill the room.

**Calendar Highlights:**
Thursday March 12 ~ AHA! Night (OSS tabling at Star Store 5-7pm, in partnership with Women’s Alliance.)
Friday March 13 ~ Cozy Craft Corner hosted at OSS by the Family Engagement Committee, 5:30-6:45pm. Join in!

We made a special request for co-ed youth league basketball, and our wish was fulfilled! Now, *we hope you’ll sign up and enjoy the game!*

Our Grade 5 students are engaging in the **ThinkGive Circles of Care** curriculum, where they reflect on the people and places—from themselves and their families to friends and the broader global community—and explore how care strengthens these connections. Through interactive lessons, meaningful dialogue, and creative reflection, our students build empathy and develop a deeper understanding of their impact on others. Be sure to check out the link in this newsletter for family resources that extend this learning at home and invite you into your child’s Circle of Care journey.

The brand new, still in the box couch illustrated above is available for $50 to any interested party. Email Ms. Herman for details.

New Bedford public has a PD day however, OSS does not. So, we look forward to seeing everyone for school on Monday.

Have a refreshing weekend!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Our Sisters' School 2/28/26 Our Sisters' School 2/28/26

Weekly Update: February 28, 2026

Here’s a weekly update for February 28, 2026

We have to begin with a small collection of storm photos!

Downtown New Bedford, beautifully captured by our own Ms. Bowles.

Ms. Kozak’s tallest family member, “Frosty.”

Itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy Mila bravely heading out for a quick “pee break.”

A snow mountain on the street in front of Ms. Herman’s home. A full week after the storm three front loaders and two bobcats were still hard at work—building and hauling away piles of snow from neighborhood streets!

Understandably, many are wondering: do these snow days impact our school year calendar? After careful consideration—and keeping in mind that our school days are already longer than a traditional schedule—the answer is no. Our calendar will remain unchanged. We will stay the course and stand by the thoughtfully crafted schedule already in place.

During our Zoom Community Meeting on Wednesday we enjoyed an impromptu show and tell of family pets including Fluffy the bunny, many curious cats, cuddly dogs, and even a bearded dragon! It is disappointing that we didn’t snap a screenshot to share the sweetness.

When we inquired about blizzard snacks we enjoyed during the blizzard and week-long storm clean up, the mouth watering listed included: ice cream, cookie skillet, chocolate bunnies, and Jag - a Portuguese/Cape Verdean food. Chips and queso, Dunkin’ Donuts, cookies and cake pops, apples and peanut butter – yum! Strawberry cheesecake ice cream, hot cheetos and nutella, banana pancakes, banana bread, and brownies. Chocolate cake, chocolate chip pancakes with a fruit salad, Biscoff tiramisu. I got hot cocoa and banana bread, ice cream sundae, lots of hot cocoa, chocolate cream pie, pesto with pasta and lemon ginger tea! Cupcakes, more cupcakes, green apples and ice cream from the snow. We made a yellow cake that finished baking one minute before the power went out. So yummy! And finally, “food - I ate too much to recall!”

On Thursday, February 12th, ten of our 7th graders participated in **AHA! Night** at the new Zeiterion Theatre. Students performed their Herstory! projects during the tabling portion of the event and shared their This I Believe essays at the Jazz Jam in front of a packed house. The audience was clearly moved by our 7th graders' vulnerability, authenticity, and courage, and our 7th graders felt held by the love and support of the community. It was truly a beautiful and inspiring evening!

**Calendar Highlights:**
Tuesday March 3 ~ Annual **8th grade Suffrage Play**, 12:15 and 5pm showtimes.
Wednesday March 4 ~ **Screens and Teens Workshop**, 6-7:30pm. Join us (*and earn service credit hours*)!
Saturday March 7 ~ **Admissions Presentation** 10-noon, *please do help us spread the word*.

‍ **We hope you will join us for either or *both*!**

Abby’s capstone project is a **website** *with links to food bank resources in our area*. It is comprehensive, beautifully organized and super user friendly. Check it out, and share it widely! The photo above is intentionally partial since it is not clickable. The text link above, however, is!

The brand new, still in the box couch illustrated above is available for $200 to any interested party. Just email Ms. Herman for details.

We really look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday March 2nd!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Our Sisters' School 2/14/26 Our Sisters' School 2/14/26

Family Update: February 14, 2026

Here’s a weekly update for February 13, 2026

If it is going to be COLD, at least it is SNOWY! And what better to do with snow than some FUN lunch time sledding!

The 8th grade students have been hard at work with living historian and actress Judith Kalaora to prepare for the Women’s Suffrage Play! Please join us on Thursday, February 26th at 5:15 pm at Our Sisters’ School for an engaging and inspiring performance, uplifting the undertold histories of the women’s suffrage movement.

**Our 8th Science class collaborates with Mass Audubon:**
Abby Abrahamson from Mass Audubon is joining 8th grade science classes for the Climate and Sustainability unit. Mass Audubon’s Climate Democracy Project (CDP) focuses on civic and climate literacy education. Students are learning to identify local climate justice issues important to them, then design and lead civic action projects that address those local issues. Most recently, students met with Chance Perks, a Conservation Agent for the city of New Bedford. Chance shared his knowledge of flooding solutions and New Bedford’s green infrastructure, particularly at Buttonwood Park.

**Our 5th Grader Science students are Out-of-this-World!**
As part of their Space Unit, 5th graders have chosen spacecraft missions to research. We’re very excited to learn more about these missions, and what they’ve helped scientists discover about the solar system and our universe.

**Calendar Highlights:**
February Break starts now and runs through the coming week. We’ll see everyone back on the 23rd, so check out the opportunities advertised below and stay engaged!
Also, **FREE family tickets for March 13, 14 and 15th** are available for the Bristol Community College production of *Disney’s The Little Mermaid*. To request tickets, please complete this form by **February 20, 2026**.

This week, from our guest videographer Lulu Tian, who documented our students Community Partnerships.

Thinking about AI at OSS?

These guidelines help us communicate clearly about how AI may or may not be used as we engage in project work at school.

We must consider the purpose, whether to brainstorm, expand critical thinking, revise, or reflect with AI while working on projects.

For more reading on the topic, check out this article.

Family Survey Feedback:

98% of OSS families rated OSS very high (4 out of 4) for academically serving their learner well this year.

95% of OSS families rated OSS very high (4 out of 4) for socially and emotionally serving their learner well this year.

87% of OSS families expressed interest in summer programming to continue their student’s growth both academically, socially, and emotionally.

Did someone say summer camp?! We encourage you to explore sleepaway camps on our Summer Programs website!

OSS students were chosen to represent our school for Youth Art Month by having their work shown in a Virtual Online Art Exhibit.

Enjoy the break. We look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday February 23rd!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Family Updates

Weekly Update: March 27, 2026

Calendar Highlights:

Weekly Update: March 21, 2026

Weekly Update: March 13, 2026

Weekly Update: March 7, 2026

Weekly Update: February 28, 2026

Family Update: February 14, 2026

OUR SISTERS’ SCHOOL