FBMS Weekly Newsletter

Report cards for Quarter 3 will be published today in ASPEN. We just wrapped up our first week of Quarter 4.

April vacation is around the corner, 4/15-4/19.

Today, Furnace Brook students attended assemblies presented by the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) through Bridgewater State University. MARC conducts research, hosts conferences and workshops, and brings anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying programs to K-12 faculty, staff, administration, students, parents, and communities in Massachusetts and across the nation. The focus of today's presentation was to provide definitions to what constitutes bullying and cyberbullying, how to identify each, and what to do in order to create a more inclusive and caring school community. Presentations for grades 6-8 were well-received by students and provided important information. Students and staff wore orange in support of the start of our anti-bullying campaign this week.

These events are part of a student-driven initiative that started with a group of 6th and 7th graders attending a training at Bridgewater State University a few months ago. Today's presentation and the anti-bullying themes set for next week (see below) are all derived by their planning, hard work, collaboration, and communication with the school community through posters and daily announcements.

We are proud of the work our students have done and are doing to make Furnace Brook A welcoming and safe environment for all. A big thank you to two of our counselors for spearheading this initiative this year---Mrs. Swan and Mr. Sorensen---THANK YOU!

Our Project 351 clothing drive to support "Cradles to Crayons." was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who donated, and thank you to our Project 351 Ambassador, Nick Roht, for managing and running this service event---well done. Many of our collection bins looked like the one pictured below.

Congratulation to Mrs. Carmical's grade 8 homeroom for collecting the most items---your kindness and charity will help many.

This week, all of our students engaged in a two part English Language Arts MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) test. Our students worked very hard and took the testing very seriously. We were so proud of their dedication and perseverance. Any student who missed testing will take part in make ups next week. We appreciate your support with this important and rigorous testing.

Our next test, in math, is in May. See dates below.

MATH: All grades: Wednesday 5/8 and Thursday 5/9.
STEM: Grade 8 only: Tuesday 5/14 and Wednesday 5/15.
CIVICS: Grade 8 only: Tuesday 5/21 and Wednesday 5/22.

MCAS Testing is required for all students who attend public schools. Additionally it is a graduation requirement. Every opportunity to test before Grade 10 is additional practice for this graduation requirement. The data helps us greatly to make important decisions about curriculum and student course offerings and requirements.

Teachers recognized exceptional achievement and citizenry during cluster awards this week. Additionally, staff was recognized too! We have many, many support staff in the building, and we appreciate all they do to assist our students.

Students in Mrs. Mullen's 8th grade science class worked on extracting the DNA from a strawberry!

The Marshfield Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is inviting you to an important parent presentation

Who: All Marshfield Parents and Caregivers

When: Thursday, April 11, 6:30-8:00 pm

Where: Seth Ventress Building at 76 South River Street

Register: Please click HERE to register

MEETING THE CHALLENGE:
Understanding, Preventing, and Responding Effectively To Challenging Behavior:

Presented by Kathleen Dorn, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Pilgrim Area Collaborative

Having a child with challenging behavior can affect the entire family. This interactive workshop will provide parents with a basis for understanding the causes and functions of their child’s challenging behaviors. Practical strategies and pro-active interventions will be discussed as participants learn new ways to prevent and respond to challenging behaviors more effectively.

Additionally - Representatives from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Office of Public School Monitoring will provide a brief parent orientation about the upcoming Tiered Focus Monitoring Review of Marshfield Public Schools at the start of the evening.

Marshfield SEPAC website: https://mpsdsepac.weebly.com/

Our students in after school enrichment are having fun working on cooking skills, arts, crafts and jewelry making! We are thrilled so many took part in our enrichment offerings!

The Massachusetts IEP document will be seeing the first major change to the form in 20 years. To help assist parents with the changes, the Marshfield Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is inviting you to a virtual presentation on the new IEP. This presentation will be offered by The Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCNS). Multiple sessions will be offered in April, May, and June. Please join us if this relates to you.

The FCNS presentation will discuss:

• Understand why changes have been made

• Learn the timeline for implementation

• Review the new form and see what has been added

• Explore areas for student and parent input

• Identify areas for team collaboration

Visit the Federation website to sign up any of the dates - all are FREE

April 2nd 7-8 pm

April 18th 12-1 pm

May 8th 5-6 pm

May 21st 12-1 pm

June 3rd 12-1 pm

June 12th 7 - 8 pm

FCNS New IEP presentations.pdf

FBMS Track & Field held their first meeting this week.

Information about the team is available in our Spring 2024 Track & Field Welcome Letter and can be found on the team web page: https://www.mpsd.org/o/fbms/page/fbms-xc-track-field.

Any questions, please contact us at fbmsxctrack@gmail.com.

Who said there is one way to eat a pizza slice?

The PTO is selling lawn signs as a fundraiser to acknowledge the accomplishments of our 8th Graders before they head off to the high school. Signs are $15 each. Image of sign is on the left, "8th Grader Stepping up to High School." Scan the QR code below to order signs.

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.

Our policy for arrival to school:

• 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.

Please remind your child to charge his/her/their Chromebook daily. It is important for our students to school prepared for the day, and it is difficult when many students are not able to participate since their Chromebook is not charged. It is helpful for most students to have one location where they can plug in and that the location is consistent so that it become routine. If you child struggles with this, purchasing a second charging cord would be helpful for your child to carry during the day. Does your child need another or replacement Chromebook charger? If so, click here. Cost is $35.

Additionally, Chromebook insurance covers one incident only. After that, there is a charge for repair. More information here. It is therefore of great importance that students take good and safe care of their Chromebook.

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

Medication:

All medications 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.

Absences / Injuries:

Please provide up to date information and indicate that students are receiving adequate care at 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 to the clinic.

Guidelines as to when to keep your child home. Click here.

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.

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. Please contact your child’s primary care physician for further guidance.

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

Clinic Contact Information: Phone: (781)-319-3965 / Fax: (781)-319-1780

We run on a six day cycle at FBMS. This allows all of our students to not only receive instructino in their core subjects daily but also gives them the opportunity to take several electives. Please see the calendar below which states what day # it is for the year.

Also note: Our last day of school is now June 13th due to 2 days of inclement weather. This date could change again...

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 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.

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.