Welcome to our new students and welcome back to our returning students.  We’re looking forward to a fabulous fresh start to the school year IN PERSON!!

First, let me introduce myself.  My name is Kristin and I’ve been with OCS/ERA for 15 years as a middle school math teacher and now as Curriculum Director.  I have a daughter in third grade and I truly believe that ERA has the best team around teaching middle school.  I’m so fortunate to work with you, your students and our teachers.  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns that you may have throughout your students’ middle school experience.  A few things to note:

1. Open House: Middle school open house is from 5:00-5:45 on Tuesday, August 3.  There will be a bulletin board in the middle school commons where you will locate your student’s homeroom teacher.  Homeroom teachers will have schedules for you.  If you miss open house, feel free to email me and I can send you your student’s schedule.  I will send a document containing syllabi from each teacher this week for you to review.

2. Electives: Students will learn about electives choices on the first day of school and I will send a form for families to fill out giving your student permission to participate in their chosen elective.  6th graders will have the option of taking band OR art, engineering and performing arts in a rotation.  7th and 8th graders will have the option of taking Band, Performing Arts, Fine Art, Intramurals, or Enrichment (homework and study habit support).

3. Lunch Reminders: You can sign up for MyHotLunchbox to order lunches.  Students will be eating lunch in the classroom or outside and will not have access to microwaves or refrigerators.  We are a PEANUT FREE school.

4. Morning drop off:  Please make sure you have your mask.  Middle school students will enter the building and wait in the cafeteria until 7:50.  At that time, they will go to their first period class (also homeroom).

5. Lockers:  Lockers will be assigned by first period teachers in the first few days of school.  Many students do not keep a lock on their locker, however, you are welcome to.  Please send in the extra key or the combination to your student’s first period teacher for safe keeping.

6. School Supplies:  In middle school, school supplies are purchased for your student.  If you have purchased wish list items, or community use items such as cleaning wipes or tissues, your student can give those to his/her first period teacher. EDIT: Just to clarify, you will purchase your own school supplies for your student – all of the supplies that you have purchased are for your own student and you don’t need to bring them to open house.

I’m sure I’ll have more information coming your way after Open House.  Please reach out with any questions that you have!!

Best,
Kristin