Good evening,
“March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” Well,
we can only hope for the lamb next week after a month when the lion really
messed with us here at South! It was a pleasure to have 5 consecutive days of
school last week and we’re hoping to get back into the regular routine. Please
take note of some calendar changes below, in response to the numerous
disruptions throughout the month of March. Here’s hoping that Mother Nature’s
mischief stops after April Fools!
UPCOMING EVENTS –
MCAS testing dates listed separately
below
·
Monday, 3/26, 6:30pm – School Committee (East) – East MS Project Public Hearing, new
time
·
Tuesday, 3/27 – Gr.8 Assembly: “No First Time”
o
Wear BLUE to end the R-word – see
below for more information
o
EARLY DISMISSAL – 11:45am
·
Wednesday, 3/28, 6:30pm – Parent Presentation: “No First Time”
·
Friday, 3/30 – NO SCHOOL
·
Monday, 4/2 – Faculty Meeting – limited afterschool support
·
Tues 4/3
+ Wed 4/4 – Gr.8 ELA MCAS test
·
Wednesday, 4/4, 4:00-6:00pm – Amazing Healthy
Race
·
Thurs 4/5
+ Fri 4/6 – Gr.7 ELA MCAS test
·
Thursday, 4/5 – Dine Out at Jake N Joes to
support South – see attachment
·
Monday, 4/9, 7:00pm – School Committee (BHS) – FY19 Budget Public Hearing
·
Tuesday, 4/10-Wednesday, 4/11 – Dodgeball
Tournament afterschool
·
Tuesday, 4/10, 7:00pm – PTO meeting (South LMC)
·
Thursday, 4/12, 3:15 – BASHY meeting (BHS)
·
Friday, 4/13 – END OF TERM 3 – new date,
see below
·
4/14-4/22 – SPRING BREAK – No School
·
Monday, 4/23, 7:00pm – School Committee
(Colbert) – FY19 Budget adoption
·
Tues 4/24
+ Wed 4/25 – Gr.6 ELA MCAS test
·
Saturday, 4/28 – Author Panel (Thayer Public
Library) – see attachment
New dates for future planning (Additional events & extended calendar dates listed at bottom.)
·
Tues 5/8 + Wed 5/9 – Gr. 6 Team Days
·
Tues 5/15 + Wed 5/16 – Gr. 7 Team Days
·
Tues 6/19 + Wed 6/20 – Gr. 8 Field Trips
·
Thurs 6/21, 6:30-9:30pm – Gr.8 Appreciation
Night
SOUTH AMBASSADORS
Next week, South is joining the
national movement to End the R-word. The “r-word” used to refer to people with
mental or physical disabilities is hurtful and disrespectful. Read more: https://www.r-word.org/
·
Wear blue on Tuesday, 3/27 to show your
support for all students regardless of their ability, and to end the
R-word. Show your pledge with Braintree blue!
·
Sign the banner outside the Nurses’ Office
to pledge that they won’t use the R-word.
·
On
Monday, Ambassadors will be handing out blue string bracelets to remind
everyone to wear blue on Tuesday!
·
Students
(and family members) may also want to sign the online pledge to end the r-word:
go to https://www.r-word.org/r-word-pledge.aspx and join the movement to end the r-word &
show respect to all people!
SOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUB
We are collecting Pennies for Puerto Rico through April
26th! Bring in any spare change or cash donations to support the
recovery effort in Puerto Rico. It has been over 180 days that some Americans
have been living without electricity… that’s half a year! We hope every student
will contribute something to support our fellow citizens’ effort to rebuild
their homes and towns.
MCAS TESTING DATES
You all know we want to see your
children arriving to school on time, well-rested, and amply fed on MCAS testing
days. You are also encouraged to send them with a water bottle and a few mints
or Jolly Ranchers to keep their mental juices flowing throughout the exam!
Grade 6
ELA
– 4/24 + 4/25
Math
– 5/15 + 5/16
Grade 7
ELA
– 4/5 + 4/6
Math
– 5/8 + 5/9
Grade 8
ELA
– 4/3 + 4/4
Math
– 5/15 + 5/16
Science
– 5/21 + 5/22
Makeup sessions will be offered
after regular testing. If your child has to be absent during testing, please
make sure to get a note from their doctor to help us with documentation!
NEW DATES FOR MARKING TERMS
Due to school cancellations, we have
had to change the dates that grades will close. As always, the teacher has
discretion within a few days of the term’s end to include an assessment in term
3 or 4.
·
Friday, 4/13 – Term 3 ends
·
Wednesday, 4/23 – Midterm 4
·
Term 4 ends on the last day of school.
Report cards will be sent home on the last day.
Midterm grades for term 3 were
posted on Aspen last Friday. Please consult Aspen and contact your child’s
teacher or guidance counselor with any concerns about their academic standing.
DINE OUT AT JAKE N
JOES TO SUPPORT SOUTH – THURSDAY, APRIL 5TH
Jake N Joes in Braintree has agreed to host a special
evening on Thursday, April 5th
to benefit South’s recovery from the recent roof incident. Of course, the town’s
insurance will replace all damaged equipment and cover the needed repairs for
the building, but a few teachers suffered some losses of classroom materials
and supplies. This “dine out” event is an opportunity to spend time with your
family & friends at South, and help raise a little cash for the impacted
classrooms. Don’t forget to bring the
attached flyer, in order for your restaurant tab to be credited to South’s
fundraising efforts! Flyers will also be available in the Main Office. Invite
your friends from other schools and other towns, to help support South!
PARKING & TRAFFIC
Until the spring takes hold and starts melting the snowbanks
along Peach Street, I have to plead once again with parents to cooperate with
South’s traffic plan. If you have any opportunity to carpool and reduce the number of cars coming to South, that would
be a great help, too!
·
In the morning, we ask parents to use the front
loop while buses go through the lower lot. Please pull up along the sidewalk to
allow more cars to unload! If you need to help your child unload their
materials, feel free to pull into the spots along the left so you don’t stop
traffic.
·
In the afternoon, we ask parents to pick up students in the lower lot while
the buses use the front loop. It is very unsafe for parents to park on
the far side of Peach, without a crossing guard to help kids safely across. It
slows traffic when people park on both sides of Peach, and every day someone stops
in the end of our driveway, preventing buses from pulling in.
I understand how frustrating the traffic can be, but if we
can all try to be patient and accommodating to one another, everything will
flow more smoothly and safely! A few buses in the morning have to drop off up
front, and I truly appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience, so every
South student can safely disembark and get into the building.
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please
don’t hesitate to email me at drainie@braintreema.gov
or call the school at 781-380-0160.
With all best wishes,
Damon Rainie
ATTACHMENTS:
·
Dine Out for South – Jake N Joes flyer – Thurs 4/5
·
Pennies for Puerto Rico – donate through April
28th!
·
Thayer Public Library – Author Panel – Sat 4/28
UPCOMING EVENTS – Mark your calendars!
·
Wednesday, 5/2, 7:00pm – Jazz Bands Concert (BHS)
·
Monday, 5/7, 7:00pm – School Committee (Liberty)
·
Tuesday, 5/8 + Wednesday, 5/9 – Gr. 6 Team Days – more information to follow
·
Tuesday, 5/15 + Wednesday, 5/16 – Gr. 7 Team Days – more information to follow
·
5/17-5/20 – Gr.8
French Quebec Trip
·
Monday, 5/21, 7:00pm – School Committee (Colbert)
·
Thursday, 5/24 – Grade 8 Choral spring concert & Concert Choir
·
Friday, 5/25 – Memorial Day Assembly @ South
·
Monday, 5/28 – NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day
·
Tuesday, 5/29 – Grade 6 Choral spring concert
·
Wednesday, 5/30 – Instrumental spring concert
·
Thursday, 5/31 – Grade 7 Choral spring concert
·
Friday, 6/8-Saturday, 6/9 – Spring Musical
·
Monday, 6/11, 7:00pm – School Committee (Ross)
·
Tuesday, 6/19 and Wednesday, 6/20 – Grade 8 Field Trips – new date due to school cancellations!
·
Thursday, 6/21 – Grade 8 Appreciation Ceremony & Dinner-Dance – new date due to school cancellations!
REMINDERS
FROM PRIOR WEEKS:
LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT SOUTH?
·
If you shop on Amazon.com, using the link below will support South at no
additional cost to you. Anything you add to your “shopping cart” after
clicking on this link generates a referral fee to South.
(The website will look like normal,
but we get credit for “sending” traffic there. Your purchase history is
anonymous & will always remain confidential at Amazon.)
·
Download the Benefit Mobile app and sign up to
support “South Middle School.” Then, you can purchase digital gift cards for
all your online and in-store shopping and a percentage supports South. In
stores, the cashier will scan a bar code on your phone & you’ll be all set.
Online, you’ll enter a code where it asks for a gift card, and the balance
comes right off your total. It’s easy!
·
Register on GoodShop.com
for South Middle School in Braintree. Then, add the Gumdrop extension to your
web browser. Every time you go to checkout, click on Gumdrop in the menu bar
and find out if there are any coupon codes for your shopping. It’s easy, quick,
saves you money, and sends a benefit to South!
·
Register your Stop & Shop card to benefit
the South PTO (see above)
·
Donate clothes and other linens to the Bay State Textiles donation bin behind
South. To date, we have collected over 6 tons of textiles! This includes
bedding and stuffed animals, which most donation bins won’t accept. Your
donations to Bay State Textiles help keep waste out of our landfills AND
support South Middle School!
·
Donate books, DVDs, and videos to the Big Hearted Books donation bin behind
South.
SEE WHAT’S GOING ON
AT SOUTH MIDDLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
·
Our new South website is available at: http://www.braintreeschools.org/our-schools/south-middle-school. This site is still under construction, but
contains the latest information.
·
Follow @SMSBraintree
for reminders, updates, and interesting links related to middle school. You don’t need to tweet to join Twitter; you
can set up an account just to read and follow others’ postings. If you would prefer not to set up an account,
you can also receive our tweets via text message. Simply text “Follow @SMSBraintree” to 40404.
EXTRA HELP SUPPORTS
o HOMEWORK CLUB
South’s
afterschool Homework Club meets Monday through Thursday in the Media Center
until 3:15. If you have work to do or
need to use a computer, feel free to come in at dismissal. You don’t need to sign up in advance. You can come as often as you need to: one day,
every once in a while, or every day!
o LATE BUS
Students
who regularly take a bus are welcome to take the Late Bus home if you stay
after for extra help with a teacher or for the Homework Club in the Media
Center. You will need a bus pass from
your teacher to board the late bus. Late
Buses leave South between 3:15 to 3:30, Monday through Thursday.
o BEFORE SCHOOL
COMPUTER LAB
If
you have work to do in the morning or need a computer to print something out or
submit an assignment on Google Classroom, you’re in luck! The Computer Lab will be open every morning
from 7:15 AM until the first homeroom bell.
You don’t need to sign up in advance.
YEARBOOK
Yearbooks are now on sale! Order online at jostensyearbooks.com or by phone at 1-877-767-5217. Yearbooks will be delivered on the last day
of school in June 2018. See Ms. Barrett with any questions.
STUDENT ABSENCE
FROM SCHOOL
If your child has to be absent from school, come late, or
leave early, please let us know so we’re not concerned! Call the Main Office line – 781-380-0160 –
and dial “1” to leave us a message. If you’ve gone to a medical appointment, please
request a note from the doctor’s office or have them fax it to us:
781-356-0657. Notes written by
parents/guardians can help explain a student’s absence, but will not excuse it
– only a letter from a professional office can medically excuse absences.
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