FBMS Weekly Newsletter

December 6th- Early Release, 11:55AM

December 8th- Mid-Term of Term II

December 22--Early Release, 11:55AM,

December 25-January 1st, Winter Break

Last week Grade 7 Science classes competed in the battle of the PASTA PODS. This challenge was the culmination of a unit which focused on forms of energy and energy transformations and forces. The unit is always thoroughly enjoyed by all students and is a great success largely due to the generous contributions of pasta, glue, and skewers from parents. The exciting grade level competition in the auditorium was terrific. Thanks to students, staff, and parents for helping to make this happen, and congratulations to Owen Wall of the Whales Cluster for his winning design!

Can you spare an extra can or two for the FBMS food drive sponsored by our student council? Donate your non perishables 12/4-12/15. Send items in with your child. All donated items benefit the Marshfield Food Pantry. Thank you!

Thank you to our 8th grade students and parents for attending the moving up to MHS event this past week. It was a great night for students to learn about the programs available at our great high school.

Our students continue to enjoy the after school enrichment programs offered by our staff!

At various times during each term, many teachers and clusters recognize the hard work of students. As a school we have two formal award ceremonies, but teachers and clusters also recognize students on their own. Congratulations to these cluster award recipients this past week. We are so proud of your hard work and dedication!

Each week our district recognizes excellence within its staff with the "Educator/Staff Member of the Week." Superintendent Granatino came by Furnace Brook today to honor this week's educator, Mr. Matt Murphy. Mr. Murphy is a Grade 8 math teacher, and he is also the Coordinator of Furnace Brook's math department

Furnace Brook has been privileged to have Mr. Murphy as a staff member for almost two decades. A seasoned teacher in the classroom, Mr. Murphy is well liked by both staff and students. He is known for his ability to connect with students and teach in a manner which is relevant and interesting for the middle school age group. Mr. Murphy has a friendly and patient demeanor and is always willing to lend an extra hand to anyone who needs it. Additionally, at the helm of our Math Department, Mr. Murphy inspires other teachers to be the best they can be.

Thank you, Mr. Murphy, for all you do to help our students and make our building great. You generously give of yourself and your time, and we appreciate you!

Today we celebrated our FBMS comfort dog "WINNIE'S" birthday! Thanks, Winnie, for making us smile! A big thank you, also, to Mrs. Damphousse, who manages Winnie and who brought her to our school this year!

Winnie really believes in this t-shirt message!

Our students have choices of what to have for lunch each day, and here is an image from today's Taco Friday! A balanced choice is the main meal though students can also elect to have pizza, a salad, peanut butter and jelly, or cereal, all offered with snacks, each day.

Lunch is free, and students can get a second lunch for $3. Your child can pay cash or you can put money on your child's lunch account.

Thank you to our amazing cafeteria staff for working to put together an enjoyable healthy experience each day!

General Law 76 requires that all public schools have plans in place to achieve the highest attendance possible. We want our students here every day and on time to make the most of the learning opportunities available. Please see our handbook for more detailed information.

Monday, November 6, marks the beginning of Quarter 2. We will be adhering to the “Tardy to School” policy as stated in the handbook:

• Students must be in homeroom by 7:50 AM.
• Students who are not in homeroom by 7:50 AM must stop in the front office to receive a tardy slip.
• Tardy students must provide the office with a note from a parent or guardian or be accompanied into the school building by a parent. This allows us to check that you know your child was elsewhere and not here on time.
• Students with more than three unexcused tardies in a quarter are subject to after school detentions for each and every tardy.

If you are dropping your child off at the front of the building, your child is already running behind schedule. Please know that this adds anxiety to the beginning of the day. Students may be dropped off beginning at 7:15AM on the side of the building near the cafeteria and this type of drop off continues until 7:45AM. Also, breakfast is free. Please utilize this side entrance which is open until 7:45AM.

What does this mean for my child? Students need to either take a bus or be dropped off by 7:45AM. They also need to be seated in homeroom by 7:50AM in order to be considered on time. If a student has an appointment, he/she/they should bring in a slip from the provider to excuse the tardy.

Students who are tardy to school miss learning opportunities. Additionally, now is the time to teach accountability and the importance of being on time. We take a full attendance at exactly 7:50AM, and we would like it to be as accurate as possible. If we can help you with getting your child to school on time, please reach out to our guidance department. Along with administration, we can work together to help you and your child.

Christmas in the City( https://christmasinthecity.org) is a wonderful organization that helps families in shelters get the support and the supplies they need to make their Christmas a wonderful celebration and give the kids in the shelter the toys they want for Christmas.

There is a warehouse at 120 Enterprise Drive in Marshfield that is part of the organization. We are wondering if it would be possible to have The Furnace Brook Middle School students, parents, and teachers help pack backpacks with essentials and arts and crafts to show support for this cause in this time of need.


This is an amazing opportunity for our community so hopefully we can get some helpers!

WE NEED:

1:00 pm Saturday 12/2 - asking volunteers to help move all items upstairs and have them ready to be placed in backpacks on Sunday.

10:00 am Sunday 12/3 asking for volunteers to come to assemble backpacks by adding diapers, books, toys, and socks into backpacks.

I would say volunteers can expect this to be 2-3 hours long!

This is something our family has participated in for many years

its a wrap for the November reading club program. Stay tuned for winners and the December info!

Our district is always looking for Substitute Teachers, and Furnace Brook is a great place to work. As a substitute teacher, you choose the number of days you would like to work and when. There is great flexibility. The pay rate is $125 per day, and the requirement is that you hold a Bachelor's Degree, love kids, have patience (and a sense of humor), and can manage large groups. We tend to see a lot of retirees, folks looking for part time work, and people interested in teaching and the school environment.

If any of this interests you, please call Central Office at 781-834-5000. The people at Central Office will have you come in to complete an application, which requires a CORI (background) check and fingerprinting.

Come join us!

If you are interested in other specific roles within our district, click here. Jobs are always posted.

STILL TIME TO HELP! Officer Hernon, our School Resource Officer, is collecting socks in conjunction with the Marshfield Police Department to help the homeless. This initiative is being led by the Carver Action Team. Last year we assisted this organization, which collected 5,292 pairs of socks to distribute to the homeless.

Bins to collect socks will be located in each cluster area and the main lobby. See officer Hernon with any questions. We appreciate your donations! Any questions about the larger organization can be directed to the carveractionteam@gmail.com.

(From their site: Socks of all kinds are accepted: men's, women's, children's, fuzzy socks, etc. New socks contribute to better mobility, minimize the possibility of frostbite, and reduce the risk of cellulitis, impetigo, fungal infection, trench foot, and skin breakdown.)

Don't miss out!

Yearbooks contain pictures of all students and staff and are distributed in June. The yearbook is a wonderful item for students to receive at the end of the year. About 75% of our students will order a yearbook. Please order using this link. We encourage you to order the yearbook now. Only a few are ordered to purchase with cash at the end of the year, and they always sell out. Order yours now so that your child is guaranteed to receive one in June.

The cold and flu season is upon us.

Covid:

At this time, MPSD is deferring to the most recent covid guidelines provided by the Department of Public Health. We are no longer excusing absences surrounding covid without a doctor's note. We are asking that if you have any questions regarding Covid to please contact your child’s primary care physician for further guidance.

Medication:

We are still missing some medications. All meds must be hand delivered by the parent and be given directly to the Nurse. Medications are not permitted to be sent in with students- this is unsafe as medication could get lost or contaminated. Guidelines PRIOR to bringing in medication, please have: A current Physician’s order, the Parent Consent Form Filled out, and the medication in its original container with pharmacy label if applicable.

Annual Physicals:

Students in Grade 7 are required to submit an updated physical with proof of immunizations for their health record at the beginning of the school year. Please send in via scan/email or Fax

Absences / Injuries:

Please provide up to date information and indicate that students are receiving adequate care at and home and by their pediatrician, and clearance for participation in gym class. Please report any changes in health status e.g. health conditions, new medication, illnesses, and injuries.

ABSENCES: Safe-to-School Program is implemented so that all children are known to be safe and accounted for. When your child is marked absent from school, you will receive a connect-ed notification from the school stating that they have been marked absent. Please provide written documentation for any important issues such as attendance, absences due to illness, injury, medical appointments, travel plans that result in missing school. For a student's absence to be medically excused, please provide a doctor's note with date(s) and reason for the absence.

INJURIES: Please notify the school of any injury, major or minor, and provide written documentation from a doctor if gym needs to be restricted. If the injury is MAJOR (stitches/fractures/concussion) and your child has been seen by a MD, please provide medical documentation upon returning and if any specific restrictions are necessary in school. An additional note of medical clearance must be presented for students to return to gym following an injury.

We look forward to assisting families and students in achieving optimal health and wellness during the academic school year. Please feel free to contact us at any time with concerns or questions. Be well.

~FBMS Nurses: Maura Carrol, RN, BSN, Karen Mellen, RN, BSN & Megan Owren, RN, BSN

Clinic Contact Information: Phone: (781)-319-3965 / Fax: (781)-319-17807th Grade Screenings:

FBMS provides two late buses: a North Marshfield bus and a South Marshfield bus. If your child is staying after school for a club or activity, your child can determine what bus to ride by checking out the list of bus stops in the front lobby or see below. Students need to determine if they are a North or South bus before staying after. Additionally, students must have a bus pass to ride the bus. Buses pick up and leave about an hour after dismissal so it gives an hour to participate in after school activities or extra help.