Note from the Principal
Our students have settled into this school year and have adjusted to the routines of middle school. This week, we sent our 6th graders off to Nature's Classroom. Our building is a little quieter and we miss the energy and enthusiasm that our 6th graders bring to our community. We look forward to welcoming them back on Friday.
In this issue you will find important information about our Curriculum Night event. We look forward to welcoming parents and caregivers to our school next Tuesday evening, September 19th at 6pm. Your child will bring home a student specific schedule on Tuesday, but we have provided you with an overview of the evening . We hope to see many of you on Tuesday evening.
Finally, we have seen a steady increase in misuse and destruction of Chromebook devices. Please reinforce with your child that these devices are on loan from Medway Public Schools and it is their responsibility to care for them. We ask that all families take a moment to read the communication from our IT Department which can be found below and speak with your children about responsible care of these devices.
Best,
Amanda
Curriculum Night - Tuesday, September 19th
Medway Middle School is excited to invite all of our families to our Curriculum Night which is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19th starting at 6:00 pm. This adult-only program is an opportunity for families to meet their child’s teachers and learn about their child’s curricular program. On Tuesday, your child will bring home a schedule that will be specific to their grade level/team. We encourage families to take a photo of this schedule so that you can have it with you on Open House Night. We wanted to provide you an overview of the evening and share some other important information.
Parking
We expect that parking will be challenging this evening and encourage families to travel in one vehicle and to carpool with other families, if possible. When parking, we also ask that you refrain from blocking entrances/exits and that you are mindful of blocking other drivers in. We appreciate your cooperation.
Allied Arts Teachers
Medway Middle School is proud to offer a range of curricular activities, in a variety of areas for our students. Allied arts teachers are eager to meet you and share information about their curricula with you. We encourage you to visit the cafeteria, where all allied arts teachers will be stationed, at the designated time to learn more about our course offerings.
Ensuring Optimal Use and Care of School-Issued Devices
The Technology Department feels it is essential to address an important matter regarding our school-issued devices. Over the past two years, we have witnessed an alarming surge in device damage, particularly among middle school grade levels. As a result, we are facing significant challenges in maintaining an uninterrupted learning experience for our students.
To put it simply, the current rate of device damage is unsustainable for our district, leading to device shortages and, more critically, missed learning opportunities for our students.
The types of damage we've observed include keys being forcibly ripped off the keyboard, screens being carved, written internally, and even devices being bent. Additionally, some devices have been subject to inappropriate marking, writing, and coloring, and identification tags being deliberately removed. Such actions fall under the category of malicious damage.
We want to assure you that the devices we provide are rugged with advanced features such as gorilla glass, tamper-resistant keyboards, and offset rubberized bumpers. These features are designed to prevent damage under normal use cases. The instances of damage mentioned above should not occur, and it is imperative that we collectively address and prevent them to ensure the successful delivery of our curriculum goals.
We kindly request your full cooperation in discussing the responsible use and proper care of our devices with your children. By educating them about the importance of responsible device usage, we can foster a culture of respect and responsibility towards these valuable learning tools.
Together, we can make a significant impact in safeguarding our school-issued devices and providing an optimal learning environment for every student. Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated, and we thank you for your partnership in promoting responsible device usage among our students.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Technology Department at support@medwayschools.org or visit our Policy, Care, and Insurance information site. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Diagnostic Assessments
Below is a description of some of the beginning-of-year diagnostic assessments that our students participate in at each of our grade levels. Please note that these assessments are not used to formulate a student grade and are not used in the grading process, rather they help our teachers plan instruction.
Grade 5- Students in Grade 5 participate in iReady Reading and Math Diagnostic Assessments. Unlike data from the state-mandated MCAS test, the information about your child’s current level of performance, both their strengths and opportunities for growth, are immediately available to their teachers. Teachers will use this data to inform their daily instruction. Students in grade 5 will also participate in DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). DIBELS is a set of procedures and measures that our teachers will use to assess the acquisition of literacy skills for our 5th-grade students. Our fifth-grade students will also participate in our Panorama Survey. This tool serves as a social-emotional screener and provides us with information that will allow us to proactively support student social-emotional competencies.
Grade 6-8- IXL provides students, educators, and families with an understanding of student strengths and areas of needed growth through a diagnostic that is facilitated online at the beginning of the school year. Once students answer a certain number of questions accurately (duration of initial diagnostic is student dependent), IXL produces an overall performance/grade level equivalent score for each student in English/Language Arts and Mathematics and, further, provides a breakdown of student knowledge based on the various English/Language Arts and Mathematics domains. IXL is used as a supplement to other curriculum resources utilized in English/Language Arts and Mathematics courses. 6-8th grade students will also participate in our Panorama Survey. This tool serves as a social-emotional screener and provides us with information that will allow us to proactively support and develop student social-emotional competencies.
School Council Member Needed
We are looking for one additional parent to join the School Council. Council members are responsible for assisting the principal in four major areas: establishing goals for the school, identifying the educational needs of students, reviewing the budget and formulating a school improvement plan. Additionally, the council will be asked to provide general feedback to the principal.
Due to the role of the council in guiding our school, members are asked to make a two year commitment and be available to attend all council meetings. Meetings are held on Wednesdays starting at 3:30pm and last approximately one hour. Dates for the 2023-2024 council meetings are as follows:
October 4th,, November 8th, January 3rd, February 28th, April 3rd, May 22nd and a potential meeting date in early June TBD..
State guidelines specify that the number of parent representatives must be equal to the number of teachers who serve on the council. State law also requires that if the number of parents interested in serving on the Council is more than the number of spots we have open, we will hold an election
Parents interested in serving on the Council or learning more about this role are asked to email Amanda Luizzi before the close of the school day on Friday, September 22nd. Please include “School Council” in the subject line.
'SUP Medway Presents Friday Night Done Right
'SUP Medway with the help of multiple community partners is launching a new program for Medway middle school age youth: Friday Night Done Right.
This is a FREE drop in program on specific nights where parents get a few hours "off" and youth can enjoy pizza, sports, crafts, music, and social time. Some nights may also feature age appropriate movies, inflatables, visits from a certified therapy dog, etc.
2023 Dates for Friday Night Done Right:
Friday, Sept 29th
Friday, Nov 10th
Friday, December 15th
Time:
6:0 pm - 8:00 pm
Location:
High school cafeteria & back patio
Registration and Chaperones:
Click here for student registration.
We are also looking for adult chaperones from 5:30-8:30 pm. Please click here to volunteer as a chaperone.
Optional Device Insurance - FRIDAY Deadline
We kindly emphasize to families the importance of taking proper care of all school-issued devices, as it is their responsibility both physically and financially. Repairs for these devices can be costly, with expenses ranging from $10 to $350, depending on the required repairs. To provide some peace of mind and help offset unexpected repair costs, we are delighted to offer an optional insurance policy through Worth Ave Insurers for families.
If you are interested in purchasing insurance for your student's school-issued device, we encourage families with students in 5th through 12th grade only to visit the online portal between August 1st and September 15th, 2023. You will have the flexibility to select policies that cover periods from one to four years, at a reasonable cost ranging from $33 to $119. Ensuring your child's device is protected under this insurance will provide added security and support throughout their academic journey.
