Upcoming Events:

• Reminder:  The Middle School dismisses at 2:40 on Fridays.

• Reminder:  The school does not open until 7:30am.  Please be aware that students are not supervised before 7:30am.

• END of the YEAR DATES:

  • 8th grade moving up:  June 23 at 6pm.

  • 5-7 awards:  June 24.

  • No school:  June 19

  • Showcase Night:  June 17.  5-7pm, food trucks will arrive at 4:30.

  • Honors trip for grads 5-6:  June 12

  • Honors trip for grades 7-8:  June 18.

  • June 22-24:  Half day for students, dismissed at 11:30.

  • Students LAST day:  June 24.

• Oxford Middle School Semi-formal will be on June 6th from 6-8

• Tickets will be on sale the week before, during lunch, and recess. Single ticket $6, couple ticket $10

• The Semi-formal is for 7th and 8th grade only. 

Athletics:

• May 15:  Modified softball at Hancock 4:30.

• May 15:  Modified baseball at Harpurville 4:30.

• May 18:  Modified softball Home vs. Sidney  4:30.

• May 19:  Modified baseball home vs Walton, 4:30.

• May 21:  Modified softball away at Greene, 4:30.

• May 21:  Modified baseball home UF, 4:30.

Guidance:

Most of our Grade 8 students have completed their 9th Grade schedule requests.  Please contact the guidance office if you would like to be a part of your student's scheduling meeting or if you have any questions. 

~ We continue to implement our character development program PurposeFull People. Our character trait for the month of May is Creativity.  Please see the attached parent flyer.

~ Our clothes closet, the Hawks Hanger, and our school supply closet are full of helpful supplies for any student in need.  Please encourage your child to see me or the school nurse, Mrs. Barber, for any supply needs they may have. 

~  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns- KStarkSp@oxac.org- (607)843-7185 ext. 2518

5th Grade:

• ELA: Next week, students will continue our study of Freedom Crossing. As we approach the final chapters of our current novel, please note that we are entering our final week of vocabulary assignments. The concluding vocabulary quizzes are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. 

• Math- Students learned how to graph ordered pairs on the coordinate plane. Fifth graders practiced this skill by identifying locations on maps and describing the distance between points. We wrapped up the week by playing battleship on the coordinate plane using their new graphing skills! There will be no Math4Today Quiz next week. Have a great weekend! 

• Science is working on their study of energy and will continue next week.  The next quiz will take place on Thursday May 21st.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns. 

• Social Studies! Students are diving deep into the Constitutional Convention! This week, we explored how pivotal decisions shaped our nation's future and put on our detective hats to analyze quotes from Federalists and Anti-Federalists. New vocabulary words have been distributed to help expand their historical knowledge. Please mark your calendars for our quiz on May 29. Feel free to reach out with any questions. Have a fantastic weekend of discovery!

6th Grade:

• ELA: Our exploration of Wonder continues next week, marking the midpoint of the novel. This will also be the final week for vocabulary homework and assessments. Students should prepare for their last vocabulary quizzes, which will be administered on Wednesday and Thursday. 

•  Science is working on their study of weather and climate.  We will begin working on their state lab next week.  The next quiz will take place on Thursday May 21st.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns. 

• Social Studies: Veni, Vidi, Vici! We've officially marched into Ancient Rome! Students kicked off the unit by comparing the unique geography of Rome and Greece. We wrapped up the week by investigating the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire, meeting some of history's most influential figures along the way. As our students are quickly discovering, Rome truly wasn't built in a day! New vocabulary was also introduced. The quiz will be May 29. As always, reach out if you have questions. Wishing you all a wonderful, historic weekend!

7th and 8th Grade:

• ELA 8 In our eighth-grade ELA classes, students are currently immersed in Thanhha Lai's free-verse novel, Inside Out and Back Again. Through the narrative of Hà, a young refugee from Vietnam, the class is investigating complex themes such as identity, displacement, and the impact of war. Students are deepening their understanding by analyzing the author's use of poetic language and linking Hà's journey to its historical roots.

• Independent reading remains a vital component of our curriculum. Please take note of the following upcoming deadlines:

• Book Completion: Students must finish their selected independent reading books by Monday, June 1st, in preparation for their final evaluation.

• Final Project: The final independent reading project is due on Friday, June 12th. This assignment carries a double-weight summative grade, so students are encouraged to manage their time wisely and begin working on it promptly.

• I appreciate your ongoing support. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at ncrandall@oxac.org.

• 7th grade Social Studies students have been discussing reform movements of the nineteenth century.

• 8th grade Social Studies students will have a test on World War II on Tuesday, May 19 for Mrs. Barrows.

• 7th Grade Science:  We are officially moving into our final units of the school year! Please be aware that we will be having a final exam in June. To help everyone feel prepared, I will be providing a comprehensive review sheet soon to support your student’s study sessions at home. 

• 8th Grade Science: Our students have officially completed all state labs and the state computer-based test. Kudos to everyone for their hard work and perseverance through these challenging assessments.

• For the remainder of the year, we will be tying up loose ends and getting students ready for their transition into a Regents-level Living Environment next year!

News / Programs / Clubs / Related Arts:

                           Oxford Eighth Grade Writer to Have FOURTH 

Piece of Writing Published

Oxford Middle School is proud to announce that eighth-grade student Arianna Kelly is slated to have her fourth piece of writing published in a Young Writers Anthology. This consistent track record of success highlights Arianna's dedication to the craft of writing and her exceptional talent.

For her latest achievement, Arianna entered her poem, "Another Perspective," in the Young Writers Pet Poetry contest. Out of numerous submissions, her work was chosen for publication based on a rigorous set of criteria. Entries in this contest were judged based on perception, imagination, creativity, expression, originality, and use of language.

Arianna’s poem will be featured in the upcoming anthology titled Pet Poetry-Pawsome Pets, which is scheduled for publication on August 31, 2026. As a result of her selection, OMS will receive a complimentary copy of the book to add to its collection, allowing fellow students and faculty to appreciate her award-winning work.

Congratulations, Arianna, on this impressive fourth publication!

Art News:

Congratulations to the winners of the Poppy Poster contest:

1st Riley Moyer

2nd Aleigha Adams

3rd Bismary Gomez

Congratulations as well to students who had their artwork selected for the 16th Annual Oxford School District Pre-k-12th Grade Art Show at Six on the Square. Students were notified by email as well as receiving a Postcard with their name on it. 

PRINCIPALS MESSAGE:

• I held our 10 week student expectation meetings with each grade level this week to remind all students of the expectations at Oxford Middle School.   Some of the points we emphasized were:  dress code, plagiarism with AI, stiffer consequences for repeated code of conduct violations, and taking care of their chromebook. If any parents have questions about our expectations, please contact me.

• ParentSquare will be used for all communication from the school including progress and report cards in the newsletter.  You can download the ParentSquare app and create an account or you can go to the schools website and scroll all the way to the bottom and can get to the site from there as well.

• Thank you for sharing your children with us.

• Be great everyone.