School Services and Staff
Bus Information
Bus Company – 978-991-1042
All students riding buses are under the direct supervision of the bus driver. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible and appropriate manner and are expected to follow all school rules. Once boarded, students must remain seated until their bus stop.
Excessive noise, profanity or any behavior distracting the bus driver or endangering others will not be tolerated. Possession or use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs is prohibited on all AWRSD transportation. Students violating school and bus safety rules may be denied bus transportation. Buses must not be defaced in any way. The bus driver has the same authority during your transit that your teachers do in the classroom. Continued problems on a bus may lead to assigned seating and/or loss of bus privileges. Bus trips and Bus Stops are extensions of the school day.
Please refer all bus problems to the administration. Students and parents should be aware that video cameras have been installed on the school buses and activities on the buses may be recorded to ensure the safety of our student riders.
Rules of bus safety and conduct
Counseling Office
Phone: 978-827-1422 Fax: 978-827-1423
Secretary: Ms. Marine Castro
Counsellors:
Mission Statement
The Overlook Middle School counseling program works to create a safe, welcoming, nurturing environment to support all students. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive program that cultivates each student’s academic, career and personal/social growth. Counselors collaborate with students, teachers, parents, administrators and community members to promote the value of positive citizenship and lifelong learning.
Students, in grades 6, 7, and 8, from linguistic, racial, and ethnic minorities; males; females; homeless students; and students with disabilities all receive the same information and academic counseling as other students on the full range of general curricular and any occupational/vocational opportunities available to them.
To ensure that counseling and counseling materials are free from bias and stereotypes on the basis of race, color, national background, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, economic status, political party, age, handicap, sexual orientation, homelessness and other human differences, all counselors:
School Counselors
School counselors, in addition to their team responsibilities, are involved in the following:
Students may receive a pass from time to time to meet with the school counselor. However, students can arrange a meeting whenever needed, by stopping by the Counseling Office. Students are welcomed and encouraged to visit with their counselor at any time.
Food Service
For the 2024-2025 School Year lunch and breakfast will be free. However, if a student wants to purchase a second breakfast or lunch, the price for a second complete breakfast is $1.50 and the price for a complete lunch is $3.00. Milk remains at $.50 for the students.
A pre-payment system for additional breakfast or lunch is an option that is available and greatly appreciated for the Food Service Policy adopted by the AWRSD School Committee on October 9, 2007 states that middle school students will be allowed to charge a maximum of one school meal.
Parents can use myschoolbucks.com to view and add to their student's food services account balance and track what their student purchased for breakfast and/or lunch. See the District's website for more information about food services. Chartwells maintains the records of students who utilize the pre-payment system.
The Food Service Director is always available to parents and may be reached at 978-874-1501.
Cafeteria
Lunch is 25 minutes. Students may buy a hot lunch or bring lunch from home and buy additional items. When they have finished lunch, students will take their tray or trash and dispose of it properly. Everyone at a table is responsible for the overall condition of the area. Any student who misbehaves in the cafeteria may lose cafeteria privileges. Students are to stay seated while they eat their lunch.
Below is a list of the cafeteria rules:
Medical/Health
School Nurse
Students should consult the school nurse when they have any problems or questions pertaining to health. Medical treatment consists of first aid for injuries that happen in school and care for students who become ill during school hours. Students who take prescription or over-the-counter medication during the school day MUST have a medication order from a physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant, along with written consent signed by the parent/guardian on file in the nurse’s office.
Breathe sprays are also not allowed in school. All medication must be in the original container, i.e. the prescription bottle which was dispensed from the pharmacy, taken under the supervision of the school nurse, and brought to school by a parent/guardian or a responsible adult, and given directly to the nurse. ALL MEDICATIONS will be dispensed under the supervision of the nurse. A student who wishes to see the nurse during school time must secure a pass from the teacher and should report directly to the nurse’s office. If the student needs to leave school during the day because of illness, the nurse will notify the parent/guardian so that they may arrange transportation for the student. If your child calls you and tells you to pick them up because they are being dismissed for illness, something is not right. Please call the School Nurse to verify the dismissal. Students should not use the personal phone to call home for a dismissal. Failure to follow this policy will result in an after school detention.
Screenings performed yearly, for all students, in accordance with the Massachusetts’ Department of Health guidelines include the following:
Physical Examination
Students entering Grade 7 and all students who are new to the district must have a physical examination. All students who participate in competitive sports also must have a physical examination ANNUALLY. The physical must be done prior to participation in the sport, which includes practice. The physical exam must be done by an athlete’s physician. The physical exam form must be forwarded to the school nurse BEFORE practice begins. All student physical exams are valid for one year and need to be updated for participation in any sport activity. The physical exam form must include the date that the physical was given and state whether or not the student is physically fit for competitive sports.
SOAR - Students/Staff Over Achievement Recognition
In the fall of 1996, a committee was formed to discuss additional ways we could recognize students for achievement. The discussions led to the creation of SOAR or Student/Staff Over Achievement Recognition Program.
PTO Information
The purposes of the Overlook PTO are to stimulate, inform, and encourage the active participation of parents, teachers, and citizens of Ashburnham and Westminster. The PTO supports the school in creating a learning environment that meets the needs and abilities of all students. It also provides a forum to facilitate communication between parents and teachers. Monthly meetings are held. Check the website for the times and location of monthly meetings.
School Council
Chapter 71 of the School Reform Law of 1993 requires the establishment of school councils in all the public schools in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The purpose of the school council is to:
Membership:
Principal, Co-Chairperson, Assistant Principal
4 Teachers Grades 6-8 elected by Ashburnham-Westminster Teachers Association
4 Middle School Parents (2A, 2W)
1 Community Representative -- Westminster
1 Community Representative -- Ashburnham