Family Update: December 14, 2025

Our OSS Good News Project challenges 6th graders to create short video segments highlighting positive stories and good things happening in and around our school community. Over four weeks, students planned and wrote scripts, filmed and edited footage, collaborated with peers, and managed deadlines. The finished videos were proudly shared with the entire school community, celebrating creativity, teamwork, and positivity.

5th and 6th graders have been rotating through three fundamental Robot modules:

Photons + Cyber Security- Rethink Learning Labs visited OSS to work directly with students, introducing them to cybersecurity through an interactive card game that simulates real-world technology scenarios. Students also had the opportunity to train AI within Photon robots. The robots learned to recognize colors and text, allowing them to complete experiments and navigate a miniature city—stopping at red lights and moving safely through green ones. This gave students a glimpse of the skills and tools that are used in the world to use technology effectively. 

First Robotics- with leadership from our fabulous long time Robotics volunteer teacher Kim Francis. Our students are diving deep into the world of SPIKE™ Prime! After learning to program individual robots for precision movement, students are now tackling official competition-level missions. These challenges push beyond basic coding, requiring students to use critical thinking and engineering logic to solve complex, real-world problems.

Sparks - Our robotics dog allows students to explore industrial technology used in the real world. This hands-on experience teaches students practical engineering principles and how to program advanced technology to solve complex, real-world problems.

Annual Fund Update: Our full time teachers led the way with 100% participation. Wow! They teach all day - and still gave generously to our annual fund. Our board has also reached 100% participation, and our families are getting close!

We know there are many causes to support - and we are deeply grateful that OSS is on your list. We’ll offer a family giving update this Friday - we hope everyone will do their part to help us achieve 100% participation!

Follow our regularly updated CALENDAR to see all events.

Calendar Highlights

• Family Service balances are in Friday Folders this week

• TODAY: Last chance on cakes - see below

• TOMORROW ~ Mass Escape morning (G’s 6/7), NBRR afternoon (G.5)

• 12/16 ~ 5th graders present Hear Me Roar projects 10am-noon ~ 5th grade families are welcome!

• 12/16 ~ All School Creativity Conference, 12 - 4:00pm

• 12/17 ~ Spirit Day: Game Day Theme

• 12/17 & 18 ~ Holiday Toy Pick-Up, 4pm

• 12/18 - All school field trip to see Ballet Rhode Island perform the Nutcracker 8:30-1:15pm

• 12/19 ~ Mass Escape (G. 8)

• 12/22-1/2 ~ Winter Break

• 1/5 ~ Return to School

• 1/16 ~ End Q2

• 1/19 ~ No School, MLK Day Observed

• 1/20 - Begin Winter SPARK @ OSS

• 1/21 ~ Required Family Meeting 5:30-6:30 @ OSS -participate in our strategic planning efforts.

Anybody able to care for Ms. Herman’s kitty during winter break? He’s looking for a cozy spot, but he doesn’t have experience with other cats, and he is a capable mouser - so a home without fuzzy little things for him to catch would be best! Let me know if you are interested, Thanks!

Even though it’s cold outside, it’s not too early to begin planning for summer fun! NOW is the time to apply for many sleepaway camp scholarships. Please consider options on our summer planning website and be in touch with Ms. Sanders (asanders@oursistersschool.org), who can support you with the application process.

Please help us welcome our incoming Advancement Director, Ms. Katie Soares, who brings more than 15 years of experience building strong community partnerships and leading meaningful philanthropic initiatives. She has a gift for connecting people and ideas, and her work has supported dozens of nonprofits and countless students across the region.

A passionate advocate for education, Ms. Soares is a mother of three, an enthusiastic event planner, and a natural “people convener” who is deeply rooted in the local community.

When not working at OSS, she will probably be adventuring around the South Coast with her family—beach-hopping, taste-testing fish and chips, hunting down the best ice cream cone, heading out for nature walks, or at home whipping up an excellent chocolate chip cookie to share with friends.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Family Update: December 7, 2025

On the heels of Thanksgiving break we launched into the week with an all school field trip to the New Bedford Art Museum. The exhibit was on the topic of identity and featured local artists. Students listened attentively, and discussed the meaning behind a variety of pieces, the medium employed by the artists, their preferred pieces, the ones they didn’t understand or feel connected to, and what they might like to make - as inspired by the work they saw in the gallery. It was fun!

7th and 8th graders ended the week, as they always do - with Community Partnerships in action! We’re grateful for our partnership with The Black Whale. This week, students experienced the energy of a busy lunchtime rush at one of the city’s premiere restaurants, greeting and seating guests, preparing menus, and supporting the wait staff. These experiences build confidence, connection, career readiness, and provide community service. Students and community partners work together as Changemakers!

This month we hosted our third themed after school Bingo game! So far, we’ve enjoyed Music Bingo, Travel Bingo, and Book Bingo—each filled with trivia, fun facts, and mini brain breaks between games. Students also get word searches and coloring pages to take home. Be sure to check Friday Folders for information about January’s Bingo game!

Annual Fund Update:

Our full time teachers led the way with 100% participation. Wow! They teach all day - and still gave generously to our annual fund.

We know there are many causes to support - and we are deeply grateful that OSS is on your list. We’ll offer a family giving update next week - we hope everyone will do their part to help us achieve 100% participation!

Follow our regularly updated CALENDAR to see all events.

Calendar Highlights:

• 12/9 - Family Engagement Committee Meeting via Zoom, 5:30pm

• 12/11 - Deadline for families to sign up for the New Bedford Firefighters’ Union Toy Drive. Sign up here.

• 12/13 - Admissions Presentation, 10am

• 12/18 - All school field trip to see Ballet Rhode Island perform the Nutcracker

• 1/20 - Begin Winter SPARK @ OSS

Help us spread the words about this amazing opportunity starting January 20th on Tuesdays 4:30-6pm.

SPARK is a free 4-week OSS STEAM and Art program open to current 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girls. Help us extend the OSS experience to other girls in our communities! Registration link

Looking forward to another important week of learning!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Family Update: November 26, 2025

It was a very short week, but, as always, an important one! Yesterday we hosted our annual Attitude of Gratitude event, and so we created this bonus edition Family Update which is dedicated to that theme:

We are so grateful to everyone who helped us mark 18 years of togetherness. We are grateful to Ms. Pires and Ms. Sanders for lovingly considering every detail - from food, to lighting, to activities. We are grateful to 8th graders who joined us, and to more than 50 graduates who attended. We are so proud of our brave graduates who continue to strive and thrive - in high school, college, graduate programs and as young professionals. Thank you to the staff and volunteers who show up day after day, and event after event - to help us keep the momentum going and the spirit alive. The simple act of participation is a true illustration of commitment to our school and one another. Thank you.

In the continued spirit of gratitude and, frankly, awe - we call attention to this truly outstanding unit of study currently taking place in the Creative Suite. Beginning with an all-school field trip last spring, OSS students have been learning with scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) to understand research data focused on the relationship between warming waters and fish migration patterns. This year Ms. Eugenio added another extraordinary layer by introducing students to a dynamic artist named Jill Pelto, whose work is serving as mentor models for how to bring data to life through art. As we can see from these images of work in progress, students are deeply engaged, and the final products will be simply breathtaking.

Holiday note: When we have breaks from school it is wise to be particularly aware of how we spend our free time. Screens, social and digital media can suck us in and distract us from being connected with and helpful to family. Let’s all make a special effort to remember our Community Core tools - and consider how we can practice things like Being Inclusive and Recognizing Community Breakdown. Let’s care for our classmates by making thoughtful choices about what we do (and don’t) say or write. Let’s care for our family members by remembering that even devices (like the Chromebooks OSS may provide for students to use at home) can be a distraction, and a tool for unsupervised communications.

Our full time teachers are leading the way with 100% participation. Wow! They teach all day - and still give generously to our annual fund. Our board members are a close second - and we anticipate that by our December update we’ll be able to recognize their full participation. We believe that we’ll get there with our families too…

To all who have already given, please feel warmth in your heart knowing that it truly means a lot to OSS!  We appreciate every effort and every dollar as we strive to reach our goal of 100% participation. We know there are many causes to support - and we are deeply grateful that OSS is on your list.

Follow our regularly updated CALENDAR to see all events.

Today we celebrated the conclusion of our annual “Change Challenge” with a total that surpassed our $500 goal. This means we are all winners - and we give a special shout out to 8th grade for helping us over the hump with a whopping $230.42.

We are grateful to all of our students for their efforts and their generosity. Everyone who brought in change - and even some bills- helped us raise funds for our beloved school.

We also express gratitude to Nelson Hockert-Lotz for providing our celebratory pizza and cider luncheon!

Did you see the flier in your Friday Folder? You can purchase a cake and support OSS at the same time! Wow! Yum!

Calendar Highlights:

• 11/26 - 11/28 Thanksgiving Break, No School

• 12/1 - Return for three super-focused weeks of teaching and learning, before winter break.

• 12/18 - All school field trip to see Ballet Rhode Island perform the Nutcracker. Family members who would like to join us should contact Ms. Hachem, and we’ll provide tickets if we can!

Have a beautiful break, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Monday!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Family Update: November 21, 2025

On November 15th OSS assisted the United Way of Greater New Bedford’s annual effort to collect non-perishables and canned goods. The donations will benefit the Hunger Heroes Project, which makes baskets of food for families in need for Thanksgiving. This was the 7th year we have helped at this event. Students had a great time, and their positive energy added to the general enthusiasm at the event.

Tuesday night Student Council hosted a bonding event for our board members:

“I really appreciated all the work the OSS student Council did to put together their program.  I loved playing Uno and enjoyed the new deck additions- could have played more!

Rusty and I sat with Addi and Abby. Their warmth and enthusiasm for the activities were contagious. We had such fun building towers and doing puzzles. Student council did a great job organizing the activities and the power point slides were terrific.”

8th graders returned to BSU this past Wednesday for GIS Day. GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems, a computer software used globally to capture, analyze and monitor data. Our students created a survey to collect data on the types of trees located on campus at Bridgewater State, and organized their findings within the ArcGIS online platform.

Thank you to teachers and families who have already contributed to our Annual Appeal. Please feel warmth in your heart knowing that it truly means a lot to OSS!  We appreciate every effort and every dollar as we strive to reach our goal of 100% participation - and we are getting very close!

Last Friday our Portfolio Conference Presentations demonstrated the growth of each OSS learner. We are so proud of each student, their progress, and their personal goal setting for the rest of this academic year.

Follow our regularly updated CALENDAR to see all events.

5th grade will be hosting a bunny as class pet! It is easy to see why his name is Fluffy! Any supplies you may be looking to donate forward (ex: cage, food, hay, cedar shavings) - will be put to good use!

Did you see the flier in your Friday Folder? You can purchase a cake and support OSS at the same time! Wow! Yum!

Calendar Highlights:

• 11/25 - Graduate Attitude of Gratitude Event from 6-8pm for OSS graduates.

  NOTE: We will host Evening Study on Tuesday the 25th.

• 11/26 - 11/28 Thanksgiving Break, No School

• 12/1 - Return for three super-focused weeks of teaching and learning, before winter break.

We look forward to seeing everyone in the morning!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Family Update: November 16, 2025

First quarter report cards are in Friday Folders. We are proud of all our students for their hard work, growth and progress, and we hope the feedback provided in the comments will inspire reflection and goal setting for the second quarter. You’ll also notice that we sent home drafts of the portfolio presentation slides students will present on Friday.  These are drafts; continued editing is certainly encouraged.

We were thrilled by the strong turnout at our Required Family Meeting. We reviewed GradeLink, Google Classroom, and encouraged families to join us on Monday Nov. 17th at 5:15pm for a sleep-away program exploration event.  We sure do hope to see you there!

The overwhelmingly positive feedback we received in the family survey is encouraging. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Your energy and support mean so much, and remind us how important it is to continue improving the OSS experience for our students and families. If you didn’t attend and still want to weigh in, here is the link. We want to hear from everyone!

Our students always clean up beautifully for Picture Day, and this year was no exception. This long-standing tradition is wonderful for your family albums and for our OSS archives. Isn’t it wild to look back and see how students grow each year?! Speaking of growth - our graduates will be returning to the building next week to reconnect, network, and reminisce. We’re sure their class photos will bring back memories too—and further illustrate just how far they’ve come!

In the spirit of growth, we hosted teachers from the Epiphany School in Boston this past Monday. They joined us to observe our practices—just as we visited them last year. Exchanges like these help all of us get better at what we do.

Looking for inspiration and connection? Join this Leadership Conference. We do hope to see you there. Program and lunch are free for OSS students. Email Ms. McSweeny to register: mmcsweeny@oursistersschool.org

Follow our regularly updated CALENDAR to see all events.

Calendar Highlights:

• 11/17 - Sleep-Away Summer Program follow up 5:15-6:15pm, OSS

• 11/20 - Showing up for our Community: Understanding the impact of federal immigration policy on NB, 5:30-7pm, OSS Community Room, with guest speaker from the Immigrant Assistance Center, Helena DaSilva-Huges

• 11/21- Portfolio Conferences, No School

• 11/22 - Young Women’s Leadership Conference, 9:30am-1:30pm, OSS

• 11/25 - Graduate Attitude of Gratitude Event from 6-8pm for OSS graduates.

• 11/26 - 11/28 Thanksgiving Break, No School

6th grade Humanities class presentations.

We look forward to seeing everyone in the morning!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team

Family Update: November 9, 2025

At Community Meeting, our African Drum class bravely performed and inspired us all!

In 6th grade Humanities class students debated the challenging question of whether it is ever acceptable to steal. 5th graders began winter programming at the Buttonwood Zoo, and saw various animals during their feeding times. The highlight was witnessing Jacob, the red panda, create a painting during his enrichment activity.

Seventh-grade students engaged at New Bedford Research and Robotics. Their introduction to 3D printing involved building the tallest, most stable structure out of clay. This activity sets the stage for upcoming work with the robots they'll encounter during their time on site at NBRR.

There is so much need, and so many ways to contribute.…OSS students help out too!

Our students are practicing gratitude and collecting change to give back to school. Can you help? Could you bring change to the required family meeting on Wednesday? Do your colleagues at work have change to contribute to our efforts?

Looking for inspiration and connection? Join the Girl’s Leadership Conference, hosted at OSS by the YWCA on November 22, 9:30am - 1:30pm. Lunch will be served. Look for a flier in your Friday Folder.

Follow our regularly updated CALENDAR to see all events.

After seven years as the Volunteer Coordinator at OSS, Ms. McSweeny is taking on more responsibility in the Advancement Office. Her new title is Associate Director of Advancement, and in this role she will focus fully on the fundraising and advancement work that is essential to the sustainability of our small but powerful school. 

We are excited to share that Ms. Cinnamond is expanding the scope of her role, and adding Volunteer Coordinator to her title and responsibilities! She is hardworking, organized, collaborative, and ready to support you in your work.  We are so excited about all of this personal and organizational progress!

Calendar Highlights:

• 11/11 - Veterans Day ~ No school

• 11/12 – Required family meeting 5:30-6:30pm ~ Collaborative Strategies for Student Success. Please do bring devices: phones, computer - whatever you use to access Gradelink or GoogleClassroom

• 11/12 -  Picture day ~ collared uniform shirts, please

• 11/17 - Sleep-Away Summer Program follow up 5:15-6:15pm

• 11/20 - Showing up for our Community: Understanding the impact of federal immigration policy on NB, 5:30-7pm, OSS Community Room, with guest speaker from the Immigrant Assistance Center, Helena DaSilva-Huges

• 11/21- Portfolio Conferences, No School

• 11/25 - Graduate Attitude of Gratitude Event from 6-8pm for OSS graduates.

• 11/26 - 11/28 Thanksgiving Break, No School

We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday!

Ms. Herman and the OSS Team