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Woof - 12 September 2019

We have completed one full cycle of the new school year, and find ourselves back on “day 1” again! 7th and 8th graders are settling into their new routines and 6th graders are gaining confidence every day as they get more familiar with their new “home” for the next 3 years, as are our newly transferred students. Teachers are making steady progress getting to know their new students and starting to build the routines that will keep the classroom moving along through the remaining 29 cycles of this school year.

SOUTH PTO
The first meeting of the South PTO will be held on Tuesday, 9/24 at 7:00 pm in the South Cafeteria.  This date was moved back as various Back-to-School Nights were scheduled at the different schools in town, so mark your calendars!  In the meantime, check out the South PTO page on Facebook for news and updates, and email southmiddle.pto@gmail.com to be added to their mailing list.

SOUTH BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT
Our annual Back-To-School Open House for parents & guardians will be held next Thursday, 9/19. 
  • 6th grade parents/guardians are invited to the South Auditorium at 5:45 pm for a presentation by all the 6th grade teachers.
  • 7th/8th grade parents/guardians are invited starting at 6:30 pm for a traditional open house format: you will follow an abbreviated version of your child’s schedule from 6:30-8:00 pm.  Make sure you know your child’s homeroom teacher, or bring a copy of their schedule!
Come meet your child/children’s new teachers and discover what they will study this year!

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY
Lifetouch will take student portraits on Thursday, 9/19.  Flyers will be sent home for families who choose to place orders.

OPENING FORMS & SIGNATURES
Multiple forms were sent home on Opening Day for guardians to sign.  If you need a copy of any of these forms, you can download them from the district website.  Please return all signatures for the Middle School Forms as soon as possible!

COMMUNITY FLYERS
Braintree Schools also maintains an online compendium of flyers and announcements from groups all around the community. View them on the district website.

SOUTH MAIN OFFICE
  • If you are dropping something off for your child, please bring it to the South Main Office (to the right, inside the front door) and write their name on the white clipboard on the counter. 
  • If you are dismissing a student, come to the Main Office to sign them out and wait for them to be called down.  Whenever possible, please send a note in the morning to let us know your plan to dismiss your child.
  • Our schoolwide Lost and Found is located on the table outside the Main Office.  It has already started to fill up with books and sweatshirts!  If valuable items like eyeglasses or cell phones are turned in, those are often kept inside the office, so please inquire within.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
There is a new app for Box Tops.  You can download the app, pick South Middle School Braintree as your school, scan your receipts when you buy products with Box Tops labels, and South gets money!  Also, South PTO is still collecting the clipable kind of Box Tops. You can drop them into the collection box at the front door of South anytime.  Please send clipped Box Tops in soon, as several expire in November and we need time to get them counted and mailed in.  Here is a link for further information: boxtops4education.com

DONATION BINS
Consider donating any old books to the Book Drop Bin located behind the basketball court behind South.  Also, consider donating clothing or other textiles to the Textile donation bin.  Usable clothes will be resold, but even bedding, stuffed animals, and loose linens can be donated for cash rewards to benefit South.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow South on Twitter and Instagram to see day-to-day activities and other useful information.  The school website is under construction as the district converts to a new vendor, so please bear with us!  Contact your child’s teacher or guidance counselor to get more information about any of our programs. 

GRADE 8 WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP
Grade 8 students, if you haven’t yet registered for the Washington, D.C. trip in the spring, do so now!  http://braintreedctrip.braintreeschools.org/registration
As soon as you register, you can start making payments to attend.  Fundraisers will also be planned throughout the year to help keep costs down, so keep an ear & eye out for opportunities to save!

THAYER PUBLIC LIBRARY TEEN GROUPS
Thayer Library’s Teen Advisory Group will be holding a meeting for interested teens this Saturday, September 14th from 2:30-3:30 pm in the Teen Room.  We’ll be planning our annual children’s Halloween program (Trick or Treat Signs and Sweets), complete with date/time, games/crafts, and the number of volunteer positions needed.  Please click here to register if you plan to attend.   Contact the Young Adult Librarian, Christina DuFour, with any questions: 781-848-0405, x4415.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please don’t hesitate to email me at damon.rainie@braintreeschools.org or call the school at 781-380-0160.

With all best wishes,
Damon Rainie

ATTACHMENTS
  • BPS Calendar SY2019-2020
  • South Days of the Cycle calendar SY1920
  • Middle School Marking Term dates SY1920
  • Dress Code
  • Student Accident Insurance information

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