As a reminder, student grades will be posted in the Parent Portal at the end of the school day on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher if you have questions or concerns about your child's academic performance.
Our students officially entered the second term of the school year this week. As students move through the school year, work demands and expectations will likely increase as students engage with more complex course material. This is part of the natural progression of the school year. We expect that students will engage with productive struggle and will find some of the work they are doing challenging. We will continue to remind our students that growth happens when we struggle to make meaning of what we are learning. Please continue to monitor your child's progress as we enter the second term and reach out to your child's teacher if you have questions about their progress.
Picture Re-Take Day
Picture re-take day is scheduled for Wednesday, November 15th. Please review the photo packet that was sent home via backpack mail earlier this week. Please return the photos to school on Wednesday if you would like your child to participate in retake day. Students who were absent on our original picture day are welcome to have their picture taken. If you need an additional order form, your child may pick one up in the office or you may go online and order photos at geskusprint.com . Our unique school code is 5W6B4PU3.
Positive Office Referrals
Over the last two weeks, we have started a new Positive Office Referral Program at Medway Middle School. Teacher teams and allied arts teachers nominate students who have shown characteristics of respect, responsibility and who consistently rise above expectations. When a student is nominated, they are called down to the office so that a member of our administrative team or our dean can celebrate the student's nomination. We let the student know who nominated them and why they were nominated. We also take some time to call the student's parent or guardian and share the news with them as well!
Students who are nominated are then entered into a raffle to earn a chance to invite up to 5 friends to join them in the "Mustang Corral", a small space off of the cafeteria. Our incredible MSPTO has decorated this space and added a foosball table and some games. Students can then enjoy lunch in this new space.
Today we had our first group of students enjoy lunch in this new location. It was a big hit! We look forward to celebrating more students throughout the school year! You can find some photos of the Corral below!
Frozen Jr! Auditions
The Medway Middle School Performing Arts Department is thrilled to announce auditions for their spring musical, Frozen Jr! Auditions are open to any student in grades 6-8 and will take place after school on Tuesday, November 14th. For more information, audition registration, and audition materials, please visit www.mmsperformingarts.com and click on the "Frozen" tab. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. von Jena at evonjena@medwayschools.org.
Performance dates will be April 5th and 6th, 2024 - see you there!
Information from the Nurse on Health Screenings
As required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health regulations we will be conducting health screenings for all middle school students, as listed below, starting on December 4th. As always, you do have the option to “opt out” of all or specific screenings. Please notify Colleen Langille, RN in writing (email or written note) by November 28th if you wish to opt-out of one or all screenings. If your student has a current physical on file (within the past 13 months) with documented spinal/postural screening noted or documentation of a scoliosis diagnosis, they will be exempt from the spinal screening.
Grade 5: vision and spinal screening
Grade 6: spinal screening
Grade 7: vision, hearing, height, weight, and spinal screenings
Grade 8: spinal screening
If your child does not meet the hearing, vision, and/or spinal requirements, a letter for further evaluation and follow-up in these areas will be sent home.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
508-533-3230 ext. 4123
MSPTO Medway Gear Shop- Order by 11/13 for Holiday Delivery
MSPTO opened up a shop for gear with the Medway Mustangs logo as a fundraiser. There are Lululemon products, blankets, water bottles, footwear, cornhole boards, etc. Shop closes November 13th for delivery by Christmas. Link to purchase is:
Family Engagement Survey
As Dr. Pires shared in a recent communication, Medway Public Schools is asking all families to participate in a Family Engagement Survey. This information is being collected as part of our continuing efforts to understand your experiences with school staff and other families at your child(ren)'s school(s). Your responses on this survey will help us develop a better understanding of your experiences and, in turn, allow us to work to establish practices to more meaningfully foster relationships between you, the teachers, the principal, and other families at your child(ren)'s school(s). You only need to complete one survey per family. Your responses are voluntary and will be confidential. You will not be individually identified. No one will know how you answered, and there will be no follow-up contact from the school. Please think about your child(ren) who attends our school(s) as you respond.
The survey link can be found here.
Community Service / Helping Hands Club Soup Drive
The Medway Middle School Helping Hands / Community Service Club is running a Soup Drive to benefit the Medway Food Pantry. Students are asked to bring in a can or two of Progresso Soup. The clubs goal is to collect over 100 cans of soup to donate to the food pantry. Donations will be accepted form 11/6 to 11/15. Donations can be placed in the donation bin that can be found in the lobby of the school.
Parent-Teacher Conferences-
We are pleased to continue to offer you the opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers during our upcoming Parent-Teacher conferences. Parent-Teacher conferences provide a brief time for families to talk with your child’s teachers about their academic and behavioral performance.
Information about conference registration is shared below.
At this time, we have scheduled conferences for Wednesday, November 15th, from 2:10-3:10 pm, Thursday, November 30th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., and on Wednesday, December 6th from 2:10 - 3:10 p.m
Please click here to read more about our conference format and to sign up for a Parent -Teacher conference. Families will need a Gmail account (you may use your child’s student account) to utilize this function.
Food Drive
Girl Scouts of Medway along with Medway Turkey Trot co-sponsor a food drive to benefit the Medway Food Pantries. Please help people in need in our community by dropping off non-perishable food items in the lobby of the Burke/ Memorial, Medway Middle or Medway High School from 11/1/23 thru 11/17/23.
Additional times and drop off locations include:
Sunday 11/19 from 9-12pm at the Medway High School lobby during race pre-registration, bib and number pick up and at 12:30 pm on Medway High Hanlon field before Kids Fun Run
Monday 11/20 & Tuesday 11/21 from 6-8pm in the gym lobby of Medway High School during race pre-registration, bib and number pickup
Medway Secondary Parent Teacher Organization
Please take a moment to review the MSPTO meeting dates for the 2023-2024 school year. We encourage all families to attend at least one MSPTO meeting this year.
- November 29, 2023 - Annual Pop-Up Shop in the MHS Lobby at 6pm followed by meeting in Guidance area at 7:30pm
- January 24, 2024 at 7pm on Zoom
- March 20, 2024 at 7pm on Zoom
- April 24, 2024 at 7pm in the MMS Library
- May 22, 2024 at 7pm in the MHS Guidance area
Ski Club Sponsored by MSPTO
The Medway Secondary Parent Teacher Organization (MSPTO) is once again offering the opportunity to ski/snowboard at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton, MA this winter. This program will run six consecutive weeks on Friday afternoons beginning January 5, 2024.
The program is paid directly to Wachusett Mountain online. The minimum fee to Wachusett will be $179. You may add equipment rental fees and lessons. Equipment fittings will be done once we arrive the first night.
A separate check for $180 needs to be submitted to MSPTO for transportation. This includes a luxury coach bus to and from the mountain. Chaperones will be riding the bus and be available at the mountain. The buses depart for Wachusett Mountain at the end of the school day on Friday and return back to the school at approximately 9:00 PM that night.
Participation in this program and rental equipment availability will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis. In the past we have been oversubscribed and forced to turn students away. So please respond quickly.
The registration must be done online through Wachusett.
Registration at Mt. Wachusett starts October 18, 2023
Parents Step ONE: Go to wachusett.com/schoolgroups
Parents Step TWO: Enter this code: MMSCH to access your program’s form
The Liability Waiver / Medical Consent Form must be returned with full payment for transportation by December 15, 2023 to the address on this flyer. Due to school policies, you MUST mail the application. It cannot be handed in at the school.
The deadline for applications is December 15, 2023
For any questions, please contact Tina Ouellette, Program Coordinator, at ouellette310@msn.com or 617-620-9764 We look forward to seeing you on the slopes!!
Wachusetts Student Ski Program Information Flyer
Say Something Anonymous Reporting System
Last week, our students participated in the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System training.
The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System training supported youth and adults to recognize warning signs -- especially within social media -- of individuals who may be in crisis and to tell a trusted adult directly or via the anonymous reporting system.
Specifically, the Say Something program educates participants to:
Recognize the warning signs of someone who may be at risk of harming themselves or others.
Take every warning sign and threat seriously; act immediately to get help by talking to a trusted adult OR reporting it through the telephone hotline, mobile app, or website that is available 24/7/365 days a year.
Sustain the curriculum and awareness via student clubs, in-school activities, call-to-action weeks, and ongoing training.
Students can report a tip in the following ways:
- Tell a trusted adult
- Report a tip through the telephone hotline that is available 24/7/ 365 days year
- 1-844-5-SAYNOW
- Utilize the mobile app
- Say Something SHP
- Report a tip through the website that is available 24/7/365 days a year
November
November 6- End of First Term
November 1-17- Medway Turkey Trot Food Drive
November 6- 15- MMS Helping Hands/ Community Service Soup Drive
November 10- No School Veteran's Day
November 14- Auditions for Frozen Jr. (Grade 6-8)
November 15- Report Cards available on Parent Portal at the end of the school day
November 15- Parent Teacher Conferences 2:10-3:10pm
November 15- Picture Re-take Day
November 22- 1/2 Day Dismissal
November 29- MSPTO Annual Pop Up Shop in MHS Lobby 6pm
November 29- MSPTO Meeting 7:30pm
