A Message to the Our Sisters' School Community

Friday, June 5th

Good Morning,

Grades close today, portfolio presentations are underway, and a very well deserved summer vacation is almost here!

To get ready for the day, please watch Community Meeting. Fun, meaningful Summer Learning Plans full of choice will be shared with students on Tuesday. Materials will be available for pick-up on Wednesday June 10th, our official last day of school, and we'll send more details soon.

Today we celebrate Ms. Jewell and Ms. York who have given so much of themselves to our school, and who are moving on to exciting next steps in their lives. We wish them the best, we know they'll stay close - after all, Ms. Jewell is a proud OSS parent and although Ms. York is going to graduate school, she will still be helping us organize student's plans for summer '21. As we say farewell, we also say welcome! We are so excited to include Mrs. Sanders who has been busy preparing for a seamless transition, and will be assuming responsibility for our Secondary School Placement and Graduate Support program. You can hear very briefly from all three of them here.

We think of our core value Citizenship as service + activism. We recognize and are proud of our students, graduates, staff, families, volunteers and community members who are living all of our Community Core values by standing up and speaking up on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement, in support of racial justice and social and political change. We are also proud to receive the United Way Spirit of Volunteerism Award for this year. We are committed to serving and positively transforming community.

We encourage everyone to be safe, and to continue keeping our social distancing norms and mask wearing habits current.

In solidarity,

The entire OSS team

P.S. art below by Arieanah Lopes class of '22

Monday, June 1st

Good Morning Everyone,

Black Lives Matter demonstrations happened across the nation this weekend and will continue. We don't have a traditional community meeting today, but we do want to express our support and encourage participation in the movement for racial justice. Above all, as educators we are here to listen and to help students examine what you are seeing in the media and whatever else might be on your minds and hearts.

Today we have two video announcement to share, one introducing Pride Month created by the Pride Team and recorded by Ms. Mosca and Gia, and the other introducing summer activities.

Today at 5pm we'll send a comprehensive list of activities hosted by OSS. This will include programming on-line, in our Outdoor Classroom, as well as with CBC and YOU. We hope that students will sit with an adult and a calendar, read over all the options we list, and mark the ones you'd really like to attend. It is ok to pick any number of options, or to opt out completely. Please complete the interest survey tonight. Ms. York and I will begin working with your preferences as quickly as they come in. We look forward to making sure everyone maps out a great summer.

With love and enthusiasm,

Ms. Herman and the entire OSS team

Friday May 29th

Hello Everyone,

Here is the link to Community Meeting. Please watch it this morning, before your first class. This meeting reviews important details about portfolios and most importantly, recognizes lives lost to Covid-19 as well as the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, all three of whom have recently lost their lives to senseless, violent and racist acts. We mourn their deaths and are reminded that being educated and civically engaged is a necessary act of resistance and solidarity.

Finally, here is Ms. Santiago and Mr. Burbank's long awaited dumplings cooking class - the culmination of our Asian American Pacific Heritage Month celebration.

We hope for a productive day and a rejuvenating weekend.

With love,

Ms. Herman and the entire OSS team

Friday May 22nd

Good Morning,

Here is a link to Community Meeting. Please watch it before your first class.

Today's advisory session is a very important day for the portfolio project. Please be on time to your advisory session at 1:30 pm.

Ms. Mitchell, Ms. Kozak, and Mrs. Megan will generously host a few optional, virtual work blocks tomorrow from 10-12 am and 1-4 pm. Work on your portfolio reflections before falling behind (or any other assignments)! Students can access the sessions on the Distance Learning Calendar just like any other class.

We look forward to seeing many of you this afternoon to return school items and retrieve your belongings. Remember to come on time and prepared with a sturdy bag and a mask. Here is the list to help you be prepared and organized. Also remember that we will observe Memorial Day on Monday, so we will not have classes.

Have a great day,

Sincerely,

Ms. Herman and the OSS team

Friday May 8th

Dear OSS Community,

Here is our Community Meeting for Friday May 8th, and a brain break video from Ms. Eugenio and friends.

Additionally, in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we are sharing instructional origami videos selected by Duyen, a 6th grader. They are: how to make a paper crane and how to make a lotus flower. Origami supplies will be available at the Soup-A-Thon beginning at 5pm. We hope to see you there!

Finally, today we'll distribute printed mid-trimester progress comments at the bottom of an update on our approach to grading during Distance Learning.

Here are the details.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Ms. Herman, Ms. Wohl and the OSS Team

April 27, 2020

Dear OSS Community,

Today we jumpstart the second half of Distance Learning 2020. Please be sure to watch Community Meeting before classes begin at 9:30. We'll reconnect with our classmates and teachers, and we'll dig back into school work. We'll heed Skylar's reminder pictured below, and like true Sister Sailors, we’ll keep sailing into the wind!

WE CAN DO THIS. Education happens in so many different ways, and it is up to all of us to keep learning. At home you are engaged with the OSS program -- you are reading, thinking, writing, joining classes, doing homework, participating in challenges, making art, cooking, playing, helping, and pursuing hobbies. All of these efforts are wonderful! (painting by Skylar Floyd)

We will continue honoring our Core Values-- Excellence, Community, Citizenship, and Leadership--and practicing the tools we use to live our values. Let’s remember to Communicate Clearly and responsibly, to Be Kind, Assume Goodwill, and Persevere.

Quarantine Spring Reading Challenge

Thank you so much to those who have been logging their reading pages and minutes. This week Humanities teachers will ask you to submit photos of yourself as readers at home. So far, we’ve already collectively read thousands of pages! A full tally to come….

Theater Arts Classes in May

Beginning May 4, Ms. Hartigan will be back on staff! We hope it will put a bounce in your step to think about joining her for Performing Arts classes. They will be held during the second hour of each Art/STEAM block.

3rd Soup-A-Thon Friday May 1st at 5pm. Place your order here!

In health and solidarity,

Ms. Herman, Ms. Wohl and the entire OSS Team