The Bulldog's Woof

South PTO met last week and discussed the first schoolwide event of the year: Unity Day ! On Wednesday, October 21 , all students and staff are invited to wear orange to show up against bullying. The Pacer Center (pacer.org) started Unity Day many years ago to open up a conversation about how to effectively stand up against bullying. At South, we work with students to develop the tools to stand up for what they know is right and to stand next to anyone who needs help. Don't be a Bystander; Be an Upstander!   1.) South PTO wants to help you show off your Upstander Orange on 10/21. Purchase an orange Bulldogs Over Bullies t-shirt from Southside Tees and support South PTO at the same time!  https://stores.inksoft.com/south_middle_school/shop/home In order to get your t-shirt delivered to South in time for Unity Day, the deadline is tight !  ALL ORDERS DUE BY MONDAY 10/5 @ 8 PM!! 2.) PTO is also offering laptop sleeves stamped with the South Bulldog logos for sale. Each lapt...

  SOUTH PTO MEETING - 7:00 PM IN THE SOUTH MEDIA CENTER STUDENT ACTIVITIES Tomorrow is a busy day as several student clubs & activities are getting started: 7:30 AM - Student Council interest meeting in room 2041. See Ms. Larossa, Ms. Pendergast, or Ms. Corcoran with any questions. 2:30 PM - Garden Club meets in room 1058. See Ms. Clark or Sra. McKinnies with any questions. 2:30 PM - South Dance Team info meeting in room 2044. See Ms. Cottam, Ms. Chiles, or Ms. Littlewood with any questions. Concert Choir auditions started today in room 1086. See Ms. Ouellette to sign up for an audition. Concert Choir is an afterschool singing group that performs at various events throughout the year for select students in grades 5-8. It is open to students who take Band, Orchestra, or Guitar in school, as well as those in Chorus. Rehearsals will start after school on 9/29 for students who audition and are accepted. 

  Monday is a Day 6 at South Middle School. The new cycle begins Tuesday, and our first early dismissal day will be Thursday, 9/24. EARLY DISMISSAL DAY Middle schools dismiss at 11:45 AM on scheduled early dismissal days. Students will follow an abbreviated schedule, meaning they should plan to see all of their Day 3 classes for a shortened period. Please note: Students may choose to access the school's complimentary lunch service on the Early Dismissal Day. Food Services will share a pre-ordering link; please use it to ensure we can prepare lunches while minimizing food waste. All bus routes will run early to get riders home. Students may choose not to ride the bus if they make plans to see friends during the long afternoon on these days, but students may not switch buses or ride a bus to a friend's house if they don't normally ride.   Students must leave all school property after dismissal. Teachers will be meeting for Professional Development, and South is one of the pr...

As we move through the second "cycle" of the school's 6-day rotating schedule , teachers' icebreakers are long gone, and we are digging into serious academics with our students at South. Some classes are reviewing prior learning to figure out what was thoroughly learned and what will need to be revisited to ensure students have a good foundation for the year's curriculum. Others are introducing new material or taking new, deeper looks at old topics. Regardless, there is a lot of material being covered in classes, and students may be feeling very stressed! They probably have more homework in the higher grade level and more independence in their studies, and they're still getting to know their new teachers' styles and expectations. Don't be surprised if your child needs some additional support at this time, even if they have been very independent in their schoolwork before, or if they haven't needed help in previous years. CLASSROOM ROUTINES Talk ...

  L'shanah tovah to our Jewish Bulldogs celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Happy new year and best wishes in 5787! Monday is a Day 1 at South Middle School, and we will restart the cycle for the first time this year. BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT: OPEN HOUSE Thursday evening, 9/17, starting at 6:30 PM, South teachers will be in their classrooms. It is an Open House with no scheduled events, so caregivers can drop in anytime from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. This is a great opportunity for caregivers to meet the teachers, hear about curriculum and learning goals for the year, and see the classrooms. Make sure you have written down your child's teachers and room numbers so you know where to go! The easiest way to do this is to take a photo of their schedule on your phone (but you can visit the classes in any order you'd like!) 8th grade parents and students are invited to start the evening early at 6:00 PM in the Cafeteria to hear about the optional, overnight field trip to Washington, DC in March. H...