Old Saybrook Middle School

Meet Dana Kalksma - OT- My name is Dana Kalksma and I am the district occupational therapist. I live in Old Saybrook with my husband, 6 month old daughter, and dog.  I enjoy biking around town, hiking, and paddle-boarding! Ice cream is my favorite food and I love to go to Sweet Luna's. I am so excited to be working in Old Saybrook Schools.

Meet Miss Fuller - Library Assistant / Secretary - I was born and raised in Barre, Vermont (and yes it’s true, we have better maple syrup than Canada). I am new to OSMS this year as the Library and Office assistant. I love to read, walk on the beach/ walk with my 4 legged bestie Cooper, and cook. I also love spending as much time as I can with family and friends. My favorite place to go in Old Saybrook would have to be the causeway or HomeGoods, each makes me very happy. I am so excited to be in such a great school district where everyone has been so helpful and friendly. I hope you all have a great school year!

Our 5th Graders officially launched their annual year-long Main Street Math project! We can't wait to see our student businesses this Spring!

Meet Mrs. Vincent - Physical Education Long Term Sub - I've always wanted to be a PE teacher. I live with my husband, 3 kids and our new puppy named Gunner. My favorite sports are volleyball and gymnastics. My first job was coaching gymnastics. My favorite foods are chicken parm and pizza. I spend a lot of my time driving my kids around to all their sports and watching their games. When I'm not busy with my kids' activities, I love to go for walks or watch the hummingbirds from my front porch. 

Tucker, a registered therapy dog, comes to visit OSMS about once a week. Yesterday he played with kids out side, got walked by a few students, and got hugged by many.

Meet Mrs. Brandt - Grade 8 Science - My name is Kim Brandt. I have a husband and two adult children. We have two rescued dogs - a black lab named Paisley and a yellow lab named Scout. I enjoy walking the dogs, hiking, gardening, and reading in my spare time.

Another pic from the big game! Go OSMS PTO!

OSMS PTO takes the win Saturday at the Goodwin PTA vs OSMS PTO softball game! Thank you to all who played and rooted on our team.

Meet Tonya Ziegler - School Nurse - My name is Tonya Ziegler and I am the new school nurse at OSMS. I am returning to the Middle School after 2 years as the Goodwin Nurse. I have been in district since 2007 in various capacities and have worked at all 3 schools. I have 4 children, 3 boys and a girl who all went through the Old Saybrook school district. I have 3 grandchildren, a German Shepard named Andy and 2 chickens named Fluffy Butt and Goose.  My "happy place" is my yard gardening and landscaping. I love walking, camping, cooking, and swimming.  I am here because of my love of children and my life's calling to heal and advocate for them. I am so excited to be a part of the Middle School family once again!

Meet Mrs. Bairos - Library Media Specialist I have been in the district 26 years at the high school and am excited to spend this year at the Middle School for a portion of the day to work with fifth graders on library/research skills.  I have a cocker spaniel named Mia and she brings joy to me except when she chews things she isn't supposed to. My favorite food is chocolate. This past summer, I travelled to California for a family reunion.  We spent time in San Francisco, Modesto, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.  It was 110 degrees when we were in Modesto!!!

Meet Mrs. Kydd - Grade 8 Math Hello! I’m Mrs. Kydd, and I teach 8th grade math. I’m particularly passionate about linear equations and the Pythagorean theorem. Outside of the classroom, I love playing and coaching soccer, indulging in ice cream, crafting with my Cricut, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers. My family includes my husband, my 13 year old daughter, 4 year old son, and 1 year old son along with a dog and a cat. Every summer, we enjoy camping on our family’s private land in Wisconsin, where we have a 14 acre lake surrounded by 365 acres of beautiful wilderness. I’m thrilled to be a part of the OSMS community!

Meet Mrs. Martin: I teach Spanish in grades 5, 6 and 8. I enjoy walking my dogs. I also enjoy reading, baking and cooking exotic food....Ethiopian is my favorite! We have 2 dogs, Maisie, a Westie, and Frankie, a 3-legged rescue Lhasa Apso, as well as 3 cats, Maggie, Maxie and Minnie. I am married to a high school history teacher. We don't have children of our own, so we consider our students as part of our extended family! I came to OSMS because I wanted to spend my last years teaching back at a middle school. I also love and appreciate the small-town atmosphere. I truly see us as family. My favorite place to travel is to Spain. I have been there 8 times and have many friends there who I also consider family. In the US, I enjoy spending time with cousins in Tennessee, which is where my husband and I plan to retire. I am a third-generation teacher and have taught for 25 years. I cannot imagine doing anything else!

We are very proud of one of our Rams, Grant O'Connor, who spent his morning reading the names of 9/11 victims at the New York City Memorial Service. Grant even had an opportunity to share some of his own words, which he dedicated to his grandfather. Well done, sir.

New Staff: Over the next few weeks, we will be sending out information about our new staff. Our first staff member to introduce is Mr. Fraser! From Ryan Fraser: I am thrilled to be a part of Grade 8 and teaching special education at Old Saybrook Middle School. Besides teaching, I enjoy watching, playing, talking, and coaching sports, as well as spending time with family and friends. I am a UConn alumni, so I am also a big UConn Huskies fan. I am thrilled to be a teacher in the district as I have enjoyed coaching baseball the past three years at the high school; developing rapport with administrators, players, families, and the community. I am looking forward to being a part and contributing to the wonderful culture established at Old Saybrook Middle School.

Today was our OSMS school-wide kickball tournament. It was great. Winners are listed below! Homeroom winners- Grade 5- Mrs. Gehret Grade 6 – Mr. Gallerani*** Grade 7- Mrs. Stanley Grade 8- Mr. Carroll***

Due to road closures at Main Street and Maple Avenue, students at bus stops on Maple Avenue and North Street and Maple Avenue and Homestead Street will need to go to Maple Avenue and Soundview Avenue for this morning's bus runs. This primarily impacts students on Bus E and G for the OSMS/OSHS run, and Bus B for the Goodwin run.

Please be reminded that Monday, September 2, is Labor Day, and schools will be closed. Enjoy the long weekend.

Welcome Back to school, everyone! Look at all these excited faces! GO RAMS!

First day back at OSMS! Students are meeting their teachers, learning the school expectations, and having fun with their friends. Welcome back!

We're back on August 29! We can't wait to see you all on the first day!