Weekly Bulletin and Leadership Message Furnace Brook Middle School January 12, 2018 Winter Concerts at FBMS! A talented group of students and teachers! A big thank you to all Grade 6 and 7 strings, band, and chorus students for an outstanding performance both Tuesday and Thursday at the Winter Concert. As always, we are incredibly impressed by the musical talents of our students, and we congratulate you on a fantastic performance last night, which was very well attended by equally impressed parents. Another big thank you for those who directed students, Mrs. Ridarelli, Mr. Brenner, and Mrs. Berardi. You continue to amaze us with the work you do with our students! Thank you for putting our students talents on display for all to see and appreciate! We love our music program!
Mark your calendars for January 25 th at 7 PM when Marshfield Education Foundation, which supports innovation and excellence in Marshfield Public Schools, will host a screening of Screenagers: Growing Up on the Digital Age. This will be held in the MHS auditorium. This award-winning film addresses the most pervasive parenting issue of our time head on depicting children and teen struggles over social media, video games, and internet addiction. The film empowers kids and parents to best navigate the digital world and provides practical resources to help them do it. Parents are encouraged to attend. To learn more and to get your free tickets, please visit the website listed below: https://impactflow.com/event/presented-by-marshfield-education-foundation-6528. The library January reading program is in support of the Valentine's Book Fair which is less than a month away. See Mrs. DeLuca for details. Progress reports will be posted on 1/19. Now would be an important time for students to check their grades on ASPEN. During our morning announcements we have suggested students be proactive about completing their work and projects, and making up any missed work. PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES will take place the week of January 29th. We encourage you to schedule a conference, especially if your child is struggling in any way. Please remind students that with the colder temperatures, we would like to see them in appropriate winter clothing. We have seen a lot of students come and go without jackets. It s important at this time of the year to dress warmly. Illness can affect a child s attendance, which can then, in turn, affect academic success. We want our students happy & healthy this winter season!
FBMS Cell Phone policy: Students are required to lock their cell phone in their lockers during the school day unless otherwise specifically permitted by a classroom teacher for a class activity. If a student is found using or possessing a cellphone during the day, the phone is surrendered to the Main Office and a parent must come in to pick it up. A student is assigned an after school detention upon a second infraction. It is critical that students avoid the distraction a cell phone can pose when in a student s pocket during class. Please help your student form healthy and productive habits by encouraging them to leave their phones in their lockers during school. Homework Helpers is in the FBMS library. It is offered to all FBMS students - free of charge! It is held from 2:20 PM to 3:20 PM on Monday and Wednesdays (except holiday) and students can take the late bus home after. Thank you to the FBMS PTO for their generosity! Yearbooks are now on sale. The cost is $25. You may purchase online at http://jostensyearbooks.com/?ref=a0349590 If you have questions regarding the yearbook, see Mrs. Damphousse in guidance! Just a friendly reminder that students must be in their homeroom by 7:50 AM or they are considered tardy to school. We advise all students and parents that they should be in school between 7:40-7:45 AM to allow them time to get to their locker and homeroom by 7:50. Students with more than 5 unexcused tardies in a trimester are subject to detentions for subsequent tardies. The Library s book trailer club will meet on the 3rd & 4th Tuesday of the month (unless it is a vacation week) at 2:30 in the library. See Mrs. DeLuca for more information!
The Builders Club meets once a month and members participate as available in activities locally to help make our community a better place. All students are welcome to this great club. The Builders Club is the world s largest service organization for middle school students with over 50,000 members worldwide. For more info contact Kim Bouressa at kbouressa@mpsd.org. Making a difference within the school and community is what Builders Club is all about! Collection bins will be outside of the gym entrance. Thank you so much for helping us make a difference. It is cold and flu season. If your child has not already received his or her flu shot, it is not too late. They are available at your primary doctor's offices as well as CVS, Walgreens and many other local pharmacies. According to the Massachusetts DPH, so far in the 2017-2018 flu season, there have been more than 400 confirmed flu cases in Massachusetts, compared to only 138 in the same time period in the 2016-2017 season. In the first week of January, the Mass DPH says rates of flu-like illness have continued to rise. The majority of the cases are on the North Shore, in Essex County. The most common symptoms of flu are a temperature over 100 degrees, cough, body aches, chills and sore throat. Other symptoms can include headache, runny nose and fatigue. Some people, especially young children, also have diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms last from a few days to up to a week or more. Flu can be very serious and spreads easily through droplets from coughs and sneezes. People sick with flu should make sure to drink plenty of clear fluids (water, juice, soup), get plenty of rest, eat healthy foods, and wash their hands often. Students with flu symptoms should stay home to avoid spreading the flu to other people. Flu symptoms can be relieved with over the counter pain relievers. Please be aware of how your child feels in the morning before leaving for school. Many students arrive at school with a sore throat, headache and/or a temperature. If your child is complaining of not feeling well, please take a moment to take his or her temperature or check out his/her symptoms before driving to school or putting your child on the bus. Vaping has become popular among middle and high school students. Many adults are not aware of this fairly new trend so we need to educate ourselves to see what our children are being exposed to. Many people think that e-cigarettes are a good alternative to cigarettes, but this is a fallacy. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and toxic. Nicotine exposure can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into a person's early to mid-20s. E-cigarette aerosol can contain chemicals that are harmful to the lungs. For more information on e-cigarettes, visit the CDC website: https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/ Thank you for keeping in touch with us about your child's medical conditions and needs. You can reach the Nurse's Office at 781-319-3965.