The Bulldog's Woof

Tomorrow is a  Day 4  at South Middle School. This means students will be meeting some of their half-cycle course teachers for the first time. All majors will meet as usual, while our 5th and 6th graders are getting used to the middle school schedule rotation. (I will send out a digital  Days of the Cycle  calendar later this week; the paper-based version is attached on ParentSquare.)  SCHOOL PHOTOS - Friday, September 15 In ParentSquare, please find the order form for South Middle School’s Picture Day scheduled for Friday, September 15th 2023 during the school day. All the instructions are on the form, as well as the pre-order school code.  ONLINE ORDERS ARE PREFERRED AND STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.  No forms need to be returned by parents/guardians.  The preorder option will be available through Wednesday, September 20th at 8:00am.  All print orders will be mailed directly to the home addresses provided at checkout. If parents do not order by the...

As I walked into the school yesterday morning, ready to start a bright new year and really start making the new building into  the  South Middle School, I was greeted by a sunrise that could only presage good days ahead.  It was so wonderful to have students in the building yesterday, introducing themselves & going on tours, moving into lockers, and walking through their schedule.  Follow South Middle School @SMSBraintree on   Twitter  and   Instagram  to see memories throughout the year! TRAFFIC: What we learned We learned a lot with our first drop-off in the front driveway loop! There is space for 2 lanes.  Students can  only  unload from the right lane onto the sidewalk. After unloading, cars may pull into the left lane and proceed  slowly  and  cautiously  forward;  always  check over your left shoulder before pulling away from the curb. Staff are also driving through the left lane at this time....

Teachers assembled at South today for opening meetings and put the finishing touches on their classrooms while planning for the year ahead. We are so excited to have students arrive tomorrow! All bus riders should have received assignments by now. Bus passes will be handed out during the school day tomorrow and are students' "ticket to ride" for the afternoon, so make sure all accounts are paid! Students getting dropped off in the morning will come in the front door. Drivers: follow the yellow arrow below to come in our main driveway. At dropoff, pull all the way down to the end of the sidewalk in front of the building. Please be considerate of the other drivers while we all get used to the new driveway.  Do NOT follow the blue arrow; the old building's driveway will be closed all year.   Do NOT follow the orange, purple, or red arrows. The lower driveway loop is  only  for buses during the school day. Teachers will direct students as they arrive. 5th grade students ...

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...