The Bulldog's Woof

As we prepare the new building to welcome our first group of 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders into the expanded South Middle School, there are some important reminders and new announcements.  ​ UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS BOOK The new South Middle School's mailing address is 220 Peach St. (not 232 any longer). The phone number is the same (781-380-0160). FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Students will report to the new South Middle School building on  Wednesday, September 6 th . Homeroom starts at 8:02 AM, but everyone will want to make sure they arrive  by 7:50 AM  to get settled.  Homerooms and schedules will be distributed on the first day.  Dismissal is at 2:25 PM.  GETTING TO SCHOOL Bus routes were sent out this week. Check your bus assignment, bus stop, and time carefully, as many routes changed this year to improve efficiency. If you did  not  receive a bus route but intend to ride a bus to school (and are eligible), make sure you have registered and paid. Se...

After years of planning, design, and construction, South Middle School will open its doors on September 6, 2023 to 5th grade through 8th grade in our new building!  This week, teachers got permission to start coming in to set up classrooms, and they have been dodging construction and subcontractor crews for the past few days, preparing their rooms and adding their personal touch to make the brand new spaces ready for the students.  The energy throughout the building is downright gleeful as folks see the light-filled classrooms, spacious hallways, and state-of-art facilities that will be supporting our students’ learning and growth going forward. Of course, the faculty is always excited to welcome a new class of scholars every fall, but this year takes that sense of rebirth and limitless possibility to a whole new level!  As eager as we are to welcome students and families to the new building, it is not yet safe to open our doors to the public. The construction team is put...

(1.) Field Day is tomorrow at South!  Donations of small water bottles  are requested  to keep kids hydrated throughout the day.  All donations can be dropped off in the Main Office this afternoon or tomorrow morning  (if you drop off after we're closed tonight, you can leave them by the front door.) Thank you in advance! (2.)  Closeout sale for Yearbooks ends today!  See Ms. Norris to purchase a copy of the Yearbook for $40 (cash or check payable to "South Middle School"). Reserve your copy  today , because it's first-come-first-served:  when they're gone, they're gone! (3.)  Congratulations to our 8th graders , who were celebrated in the final Appreciation Ceremony at this school building, after 65 years in service as a junior high/middle school! We squeezed in the outdoor ceremony between rain showers & before the lightning, which then provided a dramatic light show for their PTO Dinner-Dance! 

  Important dates/events next week: Next week is Spirit Week!  Thanks to South's Student Council for squeezing in one more opportunity for high-spirited fun before summer! 7th Graders:  On Monday, 6/12, we will hold an informational meeting about the  optional  8th Grade Washington DC Trip . The trip will be held on March 20-23, 2024. We want to give students an opportunity to register this June in order to begin an installment payment plan as early as possible, and to begin fundraising for this costly but one-of-a-kind trip. There will be an informational night for adult caregivers in the early fall. Don't forget:   our online Scholastic Book Fair is open through 6/12! Order from the Scholastic Book Fair here:  https://shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecommerce/parent-store-2.html?fairId=5353399 You can also order summer reading (or anything!) from  Bookshop.org  anytime to support South:  https://www.bookshop.org/shop/smsbraintree South's...

  South PTO's final meeting for this school year will be this evening at 6pm. South's  Grade 8 Appreciation Night  will be held on 6/14 at 6pm to recognize & celebrate their graduation from middle school: Graduating 8th graders will have assigned seats on the driveway. Family & friends are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and to pick your seats on the "island" lawn. Speeches, awards, and certificates of completion will be given from the front of the building. After the ceremony (typically around 7pm) graduates are invited to move to the back lawn for the PTO Grade 8 Garden Party. There will be a DJ, pizza banquet, ice cream truck, photo opportunities, and countless good memories being made! Check  the PTO Facebook page  for information about fundraisers to support the Grade 8 Graduation Party. Donations are always welcome; make checks out to South Middle School PTO and send them to the Main Office (with "Gr8 Party" in the memo line) or Venmo ...

  Some important dates & deadlines this week: Last week was  the South Spring Scholastic Book Fair.  Online shopping is available until  June 12th .  This is a great opportunity to purchase your summer reading books (and any other beach reads!) while supporting the South Media Center.  BPS Summer Assignments This  Friday, 6/9  is the deadline to register for Bus Transportation for the 2023-2024 school year!   An informational message was sent by the District on Friday, 5/26 regarding bus registration. Students in grades 5 & 6 who live 2 miles or more from South will be eligible for free transportation,  but need to register.    Students in all grades who live 1.5 miles from South are eligible for a bus,  but need to register.  If you're in grade 7 or 8, there will be a $180 fee. If you're in grade 5 or 6, the fee only applies if you live between 1.5-2.0 miles from South.  ​ There is a family cap of $360. ...

Five from South! As you may have heard by now, internet access in the District crashed again this morning during our rescheduled MCAS tests. Service has been restored, and we are anticipating concluding the 8th grade Math MCAS Session on Wednesday morning, as well as make-up exams in 6th and 7th grade.  Our May PTO meeting will be held at South on Wednesday night, in the Media Center from 6-7pm. See the attached agenda. Braintree Public Schools' Artstravaganza kicks off tonight at Braintree High. The Music Festival runs from 4-8pm outside BHS and the ArtFest gala will run inside from 5:30-7:30pm. We wish the best of luck to our musical performers, and offer congratulations to our visual artists whose work was selected for the art show! (The ArtFest will also have gallery hours this Thursday from 3:30-5:00pm.) The celebrated BHS Dance Team held an informational meeting afterschool in our Gym for any 8th graders interested in auditioning in the fall. The also-honored BHS Cheer Team w...