Cougar Families,

As we continue to roar toward the holiday season, let's take this time to pause and give our thanks to those men and women who have selflessly served our country. For many, these are the people that we call mom, dad, sister, brother, cousin, or even grandparent. No matter how we address them in our families, one thing that we should all agree on is the word HERO. These men and women haven given their all, including leaving family members behind in order serve on the frontlines in battle for our nation. Because of this, again, we at Southeast Middle would like to truly thank them for their service. We have several members on our faculty that have done this, and we would like to just say, "Thank You!"

We are now at the midpoint of the 2nd 9 week grading period. With that being said, we are barreling towards Thanksgiving Break. This will serve as the 2/3 mark for the 2nd 9 weeks. When we return from break, we will have only two weeks of instruction before we begin midterm exams. As soon as we finalize the schedule, we will send it through the newsletter so that all will be on the same page. I will also ensure that teachers post in their Google Classrooms so that students can share with parents.

As a staffing update, the new 7th grade Math teacher should be starting this week. We have been anxiously awaiting her start. Ms. Shamica Mitchell is no stranger to Southeast, as she has taught on campus before. Not only this, but she has expertise with working with our students who are ESS. So parents, thank you for your patience as we have been awaiting her start.

Parents, we will also be closing out our Book Fair on tomorrow. Any student who wants to purchase items need to do so before the end of 3rd block tomorrow, November 11. After that, the librarians will be packing up materials to send back to the Scholastic warehouse. So please, if there are any purchases to be made, remember, we have options on our library website for eWallett purchases (cashless).

As we move into the end of the first semester, I do want to take a moment to remind families that we expect that our students strive to do their best in all of their classes. Not only do we expect exemplary work, but exemplary behavior, as well. When students misbehave in class, they are not only taking away from their learning, but from the learning of other students in the class. This is something that we will not tolerate. It would be greatly appreciated if you assist us in discussing this with your scholar.

Again, i want to reiterate the dress code policy as we are inching closer to "cooler" weather. Students are allowed to wear whatever outer wear deemed necessary while they are at the bus stops. However, once they enter the building, only Southeast Middle outer wear is acceptable per the dress code policy. Not only this, but blankets are not allowed on the bus or in the classrooms. So, please ensure that your student leaves his/her blanket at home. Furthermore, during Casual Dress days, please ensure that your child is adhering to the school's dress code, which can be found in their planners.

Also, please note that students are considered tardy after 7:10 AM. If students are on a late bus, it will be documented in JCAMPUS by the front office. After 7:30 AM, students being dropped off by a parent MUST BE SIGNED IN BY AN ADULT! If the adult does not come in and sign the student in, the student will be placed in TOR until a parent/guardian can do so. This is for the safety and security of not just your child, but for the school.

Lastly, parents, please understand that we can not allow someone who is not on your child's demographic or emergency card to check him/her out. Our office staff checks this to ensure that your child is safe AT ALL TIMES. Please know that this is not to make life difficult, but to ensure the safety of our students.

Sincerely,

Regina M. Bennett, Esq.

Principal, Southeast Middle School