Dear Abington Middle School Community,

What a great opening to the 2022-2023 school year!  It is wonderful to have our hallways and classrooms full of life once again, and to see the smiling faces of students and staff members alike. A lot goes into the preparation for a new school year and I want to take this opportunity to thank our administrative assistants, custodial staff, kitchen staff, and all who played a role in helping to prepare our community for the welcomed return of students. 

AMS staff members started the 2022-2023 school year with two days of orientation and professional development. These days focused not only on the logistical pieces necessary to get the year underway, but on preparing to learn about and build positive relationships with each of our students as we strengthen our learning community. Our goal is to build welcoming, compassionate classrooms with clear expectations and supports that enable students to learn, grow and succeed.

A few quick notes:

Contacting Staff Members

Contacting your child’s teachers, or school office staff and administration is easy! The staff directory can be found on the Abington Public Schools web page (www.abingtonps.org) and lists teacher email addresses. You can either use your own email to send a message to your student’s teachers or simply click on the teacher’s email address and use the web form to send your message. If you use the web form, please be sure to include your name and email address so that the teacher knows who you are. You can expect to receive a response to your communication within about 24 hours. Please understand that a response may be delayed by a weekend or non-school day. One important thing to remember is that some emails are filtered into SPAM folders. If you have sent a message and have not received a response, please call the school office, where our administrative assistants can assist you.

ALICE

All Abington Middle School students took part in ALICE safety presentations with their homerooms during the first two days of school. These presentations review the ALICE response protocols. Our youngest classrooms presented this information with the assistance of school counseling staff members. While this information is not new for any of our students, we want to make sure that any student who feels uncomfortable is able to access assistance. ALICE information is revisited throughout the year as we continue to focus on providing a safe school environment.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Student drop-off and pick-up occurs at Door 10, which is located directly adjacent to the tennis courts. Parents who are dropping off students in the morning will enter the campus off Gliniewicz Way and proceed around the right side of the building past the athletic fields. Door 10 will be open at 7:20am and will remain open until 7:50am, when students are expected to be present in homeroom. Students wishing to receive breakfast may do so beginning at 7:20am. Students will be dismissed at 2:22pm.

Additional options for families include the parking spaces and walkway along Gliniewicz Way and the walkway at the entrance to the bus loop. This allows a turnaround for families, and avoids the need to proceed around the building.  In the past, some families have also chosen to use the Abington Public Library parking lot as an alternate drop off and pick up location. Please be aware that for safety reasons, the bus loop itself cannot be accessed during student arrival and dismissal times.

AMS staff members will be present at all doors during arrival and dismissal to assist. Students designated as walkers will leave the building through either door 10 or the Abington Middle School main entrance at the front of the building, and will use sidewalks along the bus loop to exit the property. If you have any questions regarding drop-off or pick-up procedures, please contact the Abington Middle School main office at 781-982-2170.

Student Information Forms

Student information forms were sent home with students this week. Please be sure to review the information for accuracy and make any necessary changes. These forms also include several items that need to be completed, including the Medical Permissions and Consents, Student Image section and Student Parent Handbook Acknowledgement.  Please make sure to review these and complete them prior to returning the forms to school.

I hope you all have a safe and restful Labor Day weekend,

Matthew J. MacCurtain,

Principal