Family Updates
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
Weekly Update: May 2, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for May 2, 2025.
Dear Families,
We’ve got a required family meeting Wednesday of next week - May 7th, 5:30pm, Zoom. We look forward to seeing you there. Among other things, we’ll preview the end of the school year events calendar and answer any questions you may have.
OSS May Calendar Raffle
You can still purchase a calendar, even though the raffle has begun! The 3 top selling students who will each get a pass to Funz are: Essence, Abigail B., and Sy'ah. Congrats to these students for helping us make this fundraiser work!
And… the calendar winners for the first days of May include:
May 1 - Eduige Maxim won a $25 gift certificate to 99 Restaurant AND a basket from Jay Liquors!
May 2 - Lenira Pires won a $50 Servedwell gift certificate!
Our next drawing is Friday May 9, and we will pull for the dates May 3-9.
Annual Car Wash
Mark your calendars for Sunday May 18th, 11am-2pm
Every family sells at least 5 but…how many tickets can you sell?
This fundraiser event is a blast. We hope you’ll help sell lots of tickets, bring your own car for a wash, and maybe even help us out with the advertising or washing. There is something for everyone on this day!
DATMA Workshop
7th graders learned about adaptive design and architecture during a multi-day workshop with DATMA and Washington State University’s Morphogenesis Lab, led by professor Mona Ghandi. Using nuts & bolts, each student assembled one of four different laser-cut wood models. They further improvised by visualizing inventions and ideas using the models and the principles learned during the workshop.
Dartmouth High Robotics Team Visit
Students from Dartmouth’s Robotic Team visited 5th grade this week. They provided 4 engineering challenges, each involving their robotics team’s Competition Bot. Our students used the Dartmouth Robot fluently and rocked the challenges!
Book Character Day
Our Character Day reading celebration was a success! Students and staff were encouraged to dress up like a storybook character or a word to celebrate literacy at OSS. We had Ms. Frizzle, Where’s Waldo, Pete the Cat, Elmo, Big Bird and several others from Sesame Street. There were several spies, an Arab Princess, Tom and Jerry and Camilla Cream with a case of the stripes!
During Silent and Sustained Reading, students shared poetry and read picture books in their Big/LITTLE Crews.
Pavilion Update
The pavilion is almost done and the ribbon cutting will be May 30th at the Festival of Arts and Student Achievement, but we have already been enjoying the new space! This week the pavilion provided shelter for outside lunch and a special event recognizing an arts oriented partnership project with UMass Dartmouth.
Upcycling Day
Our UpCycle event was an extravaganza! We appreciate OSS Student Council members for coordinating an event that encouraged recycling, sharing and brought so much fun to a day!
Summer program late registration
If you haven’t yet signed up for summer programs at OSS or with OSS partners, please complete this summer program registration form. It’s also not too late to sign up for some sleepaway camps. ☀️
Please be in touch with Ms. Sanders at asanders@oursistersschool.org or 774.328.6694 and she’ll assist you!
Community Offerings
Design Day: Creating with Community
May 5 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Our Sisters’s School
Join DATMA in creating a powerful, community-made public art piece celebrating Pride in SouthCoast, Massachusetts. Inspired by the bold history of LGBTQIA+ Pride, public activism, and visibility, this project invites you to bring Being Seen to life! Whether you’re into painting, crafting, organizing, or just want to lend a hand, there’s something for everyone.
Babysitting Course
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
9:30 AM - 3:00 PM
YWCA Southeastern, MA
20 South Sixth St., New Bedford, MA
This workshop will give youth (age 11-15) the knowledge and confidence to care for infants, toddlers, and school-age children and start their own babysitting business. Certificates and lunch provided. $25 per person
Register by June 18
Calendar
This link to the calendar on our OSS website is a valuable reference tool. Below are some key dates:
May 7 - Multicultural Luncheon, 11-12:30pm
May 7 - FINAL Required Family Meeting for the school year, 5:30-6:30pm, Zoom
May 18 - Car Wash 11am-2pm
May 23 - 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 have a fun weekend,
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team
Weekly Update: April 18, 2025
Here’s a weekly update for April 18, 2025.
Dear Families,
We look forward to seeing everyone again the morning of April 28th! Until then, our hope is that everyone is finding fun and relaxation - peppered with moments of helpfulness and productivity. Are you enjoying sunny weather? Are you using your time to visit with people you love, to explore new places or try new things? Are you helping with chores around the house? Reading a book or getting ahead on tasks?
Whatever it is, may it bring you joy AND… whatever it is, may you be staying OFF social media. We want to remind students and parents that on-line communication is a very messy space that regularly leads to conflict. Please heighten efforts to limit and supervise.
OSS May Calendar Raffle
OSS Family Engagement Committee has secured donations for a calendar raffle drawn during May. Each calendar entry is $10. Students are asked to sell a minimum of 3 calendars. Payments can be made by cash, Venmo, or check.
The three students who sell the most raffle tickets will each receive a 1-hour jump pass at FUNZ. Winners will be drawn weekly on Fridays and announced in our weekly newsletter.
Using Venmo to purchase tickets? Include the word “Raffle,” your. name, phone number, and OSS student’s name.
Annual Car Wash
Mark your calendars for Sunday May 18th, 11am-2pm
How many tickets can you sell?
This fundraiser event is a blast. We hope you’ll help sell tickets, bring your own car for a wash, or really dig in and help us out with the advertising washing. There is something for everyone on this day!
DATMA Workshop
7th graders learned about adaptive design and architecture during a multi-day workshop with DATMA and Washington State University’s Morphogenesis Lab, led by professor Mona Ghandi. Using nuts & bolts, each student assembled one of four different laser-cut wood models. They further improvised by visualizing inventions and ideas using the models and the principles learned during the workshop.
Meet SPARKS
Sparks may not be soft and cuddly like a real pet, but this robot dog is packed with personality and potential. Students can interact with Sparks or program its actions to learn key ideas in coding, robotics, and engineering. It’s a fun, hands-on way to explore how AI and real-world tech work.
We’ll create exciting “missions” and challenges for Sparks, turning the classroom into an interactive tech lab. Sparks isn’t just a cool gadget—it gives students real experience with the kinds of tools and technology used in today’s industries, helping them build skills for the future.
Multicultural Lunch
Our intention is to promote a greater awareness and appreciation among our students for the different cultures represented in our community. This year, we will have individual tables for each cultural representation. Students will rotate through, trying food, learning about the various cultures, and getting a stamp in their “passport.”
The lunch will be held on May 7th from 11am to 12:30pm.
We are hoping to have many yummy, multicultural dishes to share with our community. If you want to bring food to share, please fill out this Google Form to sign up. Please see Ms. McSweeny’s email, or the paper copy in Friday Folders, for more details.
Upcycling Day- Save your stuff:
Upcycle Day is an event where we all bring in our gently used items, and exchange them for other items we need or want. It is fun, keeps things from the landfill, and limits the need to purchase as much stuff.
We have 3 ways for volunteers to get involved:
Help us set up:Tuesday, April 29, 4:15-5:15 in the Community Room
Help us run the event: Wednesday, April 30, 11:30-4:30 in Community Room
Pack up and deliver left over items to Gift to Give: 4:30 (1 service credit for each trip)
Ask Ms. McSweeny if you want to help: mmcsweeny@oursistersschool.org
Summer program late registration
If you haven’t yet signed up for summer programs at OSS or with OSS partners, please complete this summer program registration form. It’s also not too late to sign up for some sleepaway camps. ☀️
Please be in touch with Ms. Sanders at asanders@oursistersschool.org or 774.328.6694 and she’ll assist you!
Calendar
This link to the calendar on our OSS website is a valuable reference tool. Below are some key dates:
April 18-25 April Break; No School
May 7 - Multicultural Luncheon, 11-12:30pm
May 7 - FINAL Required Family Meeting for the school year, 5:30-6:30pm, Zoom
May 18 - Car Wash 11am-2pm
May 23 - All School bday 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
Enjoy your vacation - and take it easy with the social media!
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team