Family Update: January 10, 2026
At Community Meeting this week we reflected on the idea of belonging - a feeling of home. We were also introduced to the Latin phrase Carpe Diem, or - seize the day! May 2026 be productive, and may we feel deeply connected and supported.
As always, it was super charged week of learning. The 6th graders where exhilarated and visibly exhausted on Thursday afternoon when they came back to the building from a full day field trip to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Fishing and Heritage Center and the National Parks Service in downtown New Bedford. It was the kick off to their study of the history of New Bedford. We eagerly look forward to the annual art opening which will take place in April at the Whaling Museum.
And never fear - we don’t have to wait until April to celebrate their learning. Over the past seven weeks, our 6th graders have been busy researching, brainstorming, designing and refining original inventions aimed at helping make our world more sustainable. This Wednesday Jan 14th, 3-4pm in the OSS Community Room, our students will showcase their creativity, problem-solving, and big ideas for the future. Everyone is welcome to come see their hard work, and hear directly from our young innovators.
Calendar Highlights
Tues. Jan 13 ~ All School Assembly with Rehearsal for Life 10:45-11:45
Wed. Jan 14 ~ Sustainability Symposium by 6th grade, 3-4pm
Fri. Jan 16 ~ End of 2nd Quarter
Mon. Jan 19 ~ MLK Day - No School; Gifts to Give service event
Tues. Jan 20 ~ Project Adventure Day in Creative Suite + After School Family Workshop; all welcome
Tues. Jan 20 ~ Winter SPARK begins
Wed. Jan 21 ~ Required Family Meeting, 5:30-6:30pm @ OSS
Thurs. Jan 22 ~ 8th grade trip to PPAC to see Suffs 9am-3pm
Thurs. Jan 22 ~ 6th grade to Whaling Museum 8:30-2:30
Fri. Jan 23 ~ Dendrites Conference 12:30-3pm
Mon. Jan 26 ~ PD Day; No School for students
Wed. Jan 28 ~ 7th grade HerStory + NBRR Showcase, 4:15-5pm
In the spirit of MLK Day, our students are invited to join an annual service event hosted at Gifts to Give. And, this community event hosted at Grace Church is another opportunity families may want to consider attending.
This week we did notice that we should review our drop off procedures. This is a friendly reminder that if you drop a student off later than 8:25am, you do need to park and come into the building to sign your student in as tardy. Also please remember our system of dropping 3 cars at a time with an efficient “stop, drop and roll” mindset. Thank you. Our goal is to keep arrival efficient for everyone.
Also, we have noticed that artificial fingernails are proliferating. Come Monday they must be removed as they are not uniform compliant. See page 21 in the Family Handbook for details. Thank you. Our goal is to honor the agreed upon uniform.
Looking back and ahead: a note from Ms. McGonagle:
The end of the calendar year is a great opportunity for reflection and expressions of gratitude. I am grateful for the warm welcome the OSS community has offered me as a new member of the faculty. My gratitude also runs deep for the work the math team did prior to my arrival, carefully choosing curriculum resources and materials that are well positioned to serve our students.
On December 11 & 12, five members of our math curriculum team participated in professional development training to deepen their understanding of how to strengthen our daily work to best meet the needs of our students and their growth in mathematics.
Next week, in this Family Update, we’ll explore our Open Up curriculum and explore what a problem -based curriculum is all about. Stay tuned!
Looking forward to seeing everyone again on Monday. May 2026 be productive.
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team