Middle School Matters

The Mission of Portsmouth Middle School is to create a strong and safe learning environment: promote social, emotional and physical well-being and to provide opportunities for each student, to the best of their ability, to meet high academic standards, develop responsibility, and achieve the positive social values and behaviors to become productive citizens.

At Portsmouth Middle School, we believe that school citizenship is an integral part of a student’s total educational experience. School citizenship is measured by eight key values: integrity, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, love of country, civic duty, and work ethic. The attainment of these attributes is invaluable to our students' future development and our community.

Congratulations to Olive Cardoza, Shyla Cheney, Noelle Desjardins, Serafina Ferrazzoli, Lilly Jamison, River Kissell, James McPhail, Charlotte Reed, and Carleigh Roberts who were selected as Students of the Month for December.

Our Robotics program will be competing in the state competition this Saturday at East Providence High School. We wish the Robotic Rulers and the Octobots teams good luck!

If you are dropping off in the morning, please plan to arrive at 7:45 am. Homeroom starts at 7:45am and ends at 8:00am. Homeroom is an important time of the day, allowing students to get mentally and physically prepared for the day, hear announcements and be accurately reported for daily attendance. The exterior doors will be closed at 7:58, and students will be marked tardy if they are not in homeroom before attendance is submitted at 8 am. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

We are two weeks in to Patriot Pillars, a system of reinforcing expected and positive behaviors, aligning student expectations to our school core values: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready to Learn.

With 5,389 Patriot Pillars collected school-wide in two weeks, we couldn't be more proud of our students for being model Portsmouth Patriots!! Ask your child if he or she has earned any Patriot Pillars this week and for what.

6th grade students are receiving their second round of ILP lessons. This lesson is focussed on career matchmaking. The lesson requires students to fill out short surveys and quizzes that ask about specific likes, interests, and strengths. Through the ILP program, students will receive possible career matches based on their answers. They will also learn central aspects of specific careers. Students so far have seemed to really enjoy knowing more about the careers they have been matched with! Career readiness starts as early as Kindergarten! Talk with your student more about life after high school and this ILP lesson!

Students in 8th grade have received a brief overview of the process and structure at Portsmouth High School during their social studies classes. Through this presentation the students learned about graduation requirements, an understanding of grade 9 credits, a brief overview of the electives offered, an overview of the clubs and activities, and an understanding of the PHS bell schedule. An email was sent out to all 8th grade families with more information.

Lachlan Bronson-Grade 8, was a Feinstein Golden Ticket winner! Each student winner is awarded $250 and he or she can identify $250 to donate to a charity of their choice. Lachlan has decided to donate the total $500 to the Hasbro Tomorrow Fund. Congratulations and thank you Lachlan!

We are in the middle of the Cold/ Flu/ Covid/ RSV season and just wanted to reach out with some guidelines. If your child is sick- please keep them home and communicate with the Nurse.

If your child has a fever greater than 100 Degrees, please keep them home until they have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication.

If you have taken your child into the Pediatrician or Urgent care please communicate that with the Nurse and send any paperwork via email or your student.

Any questions- please call me and I will be happy to walk you through your next steps!

Below are some guidelines from RIDOH.

Every year, influenza (flu), COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cause hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths during the fall and winter virus season. In the United States, we now have more tools than ever before to help people protect themselves, their families, and communities, including:

• Safe, updated immunizations – For the first time ever, immunizations are available for all three major fall and winter respiratory diseases – flu, COVID-19, and RSV (for groups eligible for RSV immunization).
• Widely available, effective treatments – Treatments are available for flu and COVID-19 and can reduce severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
• Testing – Tests, some of which can be done at home, can quickly detect these respiratory viruses so patients don’t delay treatment and other actions that can protect their family, friends, and coworkers.
• Everyday actions – Other tools like masking, physical distancing, washing hands, and improving airflow in the places where people live and work can provide an additional layer of protection.

Immunization against flu, COVID-19, and RSV remains the best way to safeguard against hospitalizations, long-term health impacts, and death. In August and September 2023, CDC made the following recommendations:

• Everyone 6 months and older should receive the seasonal 2023-2024 influenza vaccine and the updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine.
• All infants should be protected against severe RSV either through vaccination of pregnant people 32 through 36 weeks of gestation (Pfizer RSVpreF only) from September through January, or through immunization of infants less than 8 months born during or who are entering their first RSV season with nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody. In addition, some children aged 8 through 19 months at increased risk for severe RSV should receive nirsevimab when entering their second RSV season.
• Adults 60 and older may receive RSV vaccine if the provider and patient think it’s right for them.

Stay Healthy!

Please see the link here for a flier regarding information about the PHS Open House on January 31st.

Please see the link here for a February vacation camp hosted by the town recreation program.

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a Family STEAM night on Thursday, March 7th from 5:30-7:00 pm. It will be a fun-filled evening with various STEAM challenges and demonstrations that both our students and their families can explore and engage in together.

We are also looking to add tables of professionals who are experts in the STEAM world and are interested in showcasing their STEAM profession. This is an excellent opportunity to expose students to a wide range of career possibilities. If you are working in a job that falls under STEAM and have something that you can either demonstrate or have small activities, and would like to participate in, please send an email to Margie Brennan at brennanm2@portsmouthschoolsri.org.

Please find an update regarding Weightlifting 101 within the community.

Please see the link for the January RI Student Assistance Services.

Please see the link here for a community Sweet Heart Dance.

If you would like to volunteer in school or help on a field trip, please use this form going forward to become VIS approved.

Please see the letter linked here from the PTO regarding board openings for next school year.

Please look for the order form in your child's backpack this week.

Information is linked here.

Please see the flier here for more information on the job opportunities within the district for our food service company, Chartwell

Please check out the link here for the December newsletter from the RI Student Assistance Services.