The Bulldog's Woof

  With the holiday season upon us, there are several ways  you can support South Middle School We are always looking for fundraising opportunities that allow folks to shop as you normally would  and  support South, earning commissions at no cost to you , our community of supporters. With the holiday shopping season upon, there are some easy ways to benefit the school without much additional hassle! Box Tops for Education Purchasing a lot of groceries for the upcoming feast? Scan your receipts to see if any qualify for Box Tops! The Box Tops program no longer requires you to clip and collect the actual, paper box tops. Instead, you can  download the app on your cellphone  and scan your receipt after any grocery shopping trip. I've also found it's worth scanning my receipt after a trip to most pharmacies and "big box" department stores, just in case! You'll find out immediately if any of your purchases qualify for a commission for South, and those cents add u...

Tomorrow is an early release day and dismissal for middle schools will be at 11:45 AM. We will follow a Day 6 schedule with shortened periods, so students should plan to see all of their classes. Students wanting a Grab-N-Go Lunch free from our cafeteria must order one in advance:  Click Here to Submit Your Order . Welcome to Marc Quigley, the "second chair" School Nurse in our Health Office, who was appointed by the School Committee on Monday evening! Do you have old magazines lying around the house, chock full of great photography & artwork?  Send them in to South for use in our Art classrooms! Art teachers are always looking for visual models kids can use to inspire their creativity. Want to earn some extra spending money for the holiday season? Got kids returning from campus or on the job market?   The Braintree Public Schools District is always looking for  substitute teachers  and  substitute paraeducators .  With a number of young people ret...

TERM 1 REPORT CARDS Term 1 report cards are being sent home today. You will receive  two  copies: 1 needs to be signed and returned to homeroom  by  11/25 , please. The other copy is for your records--or your refrigerator! TRIVIA NIGHT-- Postponed! Unfortunately, Trivia Night has been postponed. It will be rescheduled for a future date--more information to follow--due to a low number of registrations and several reported schedule conflicts. ROTARY CLUB DONATION Thank you to the Braintree Rotary Club, who donated a thesaurus to every member of South's 5th grade class on Wednesday! It was great to hear about the good works being conducted by Rotary International and our local club, and the visiting Rotarians had inspiring words for our Bulldogs about how they can contribute to their community. SOUTH PTO South PTO met last night; please see the meeting notes in the attached PDF. Mark your calendar for 12/10 at 7pm:  in the December PTO meeting, we will have a speci...

  We're all adjusting to the end of Daylight Savings, answering that age-old question:  What's more fun than an emotional, hormonal adolescent?  Answer:  One whose circadian sleep rhythms are all thrown off!  There aren't many positives about moving the clocks, except in the fall it can be a good opportunity to establish better "wind down" routines. Your child will be feeling sleepy earlier in the evening, so this is a perfect time to talk about wrapping up homework 1 hour (or at least 30 minutes) before bed, shutting off computer/tablet/phone screens 1/2 hour before bed, and reading for 15-20 minutes before lights out. This will pay off dividends with a calmer morning wake-up if they've gotten more quality sleep overnight!  At the very least,   please  make this the week when you tell your child no cell phones in the bedroom overnight.  Set up a charging station in the kitchen or entry area and tell your family that cell phones don't belong ...

  If you are considering applying to a private school, please read the following information from South's Guidance Department: Pay attention to due dates!  View  private school application deadlines and open houses  here. If you are applying to private school, students must fill out this Request Form: Mandatory Recommendation Request -  School Report Questionnaire To access application materials/portal, parents/guardians should go to the website of the school they are interested in: Most schools use Ravenna for applications, recommendations, and transcript uploading, so parents need to create an account Make sure that you enter your child's current school (South) and the correct email for their counselor Meghan Thomas --  meghan.thomas @braintreeschools.org ; 781.380.0160 x4036 Grades 5 and 6: Last names beginning with A-J Grades 7 and 8: Last names beginning with A-Le Laura Riordan --  lauraa.riordan@braintreeschools.org ; 781.380.0160 x4037 Gra...

At the end of the school day, South's campus becomes a remarkably busy place for about 20 minutes. In the morning, it's hectic for slightly longer as everyone rushes to get into school and start their day.  It's busy, there's traffic, and it's  absolutely  essential to remember that everyone's going to get through it with a little patience and consideration, especially for the unpredictable adolescents all around us. With so many people moving in every direction with their own plans and priorities in mind, it is a daily source of worry. Last week, there was a very frightening experience at South during dismissal when a student on an electric scooter had a collision with a school bus. The incident fortunately resolved with injuries that will heal, but it brought these daily anxieties to stark reality. We have rules for arrival and dismissal and I send periodic reminders, but it is only in a moment of crisis that a lot of people will stop and think about how impor...