Southern Middle School Updates

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Good evening, Panther families. This is your principal, Mr. Robinson, with your final update for the week of May 17th and the 2025–2026 school year.

🏆 OPAC CHAMPIONS!

Congratulations to our Southern Middle School Softball and Baseball teams for defeating McDougle and bringing home the 2025–2026 OPAC Championships!

We are incredibly proud of their hard work, dedication, teamwork, and commitment throughout the season. Our student-athletes represented Southern Middle School with pride, determination, and Panther spirit. Congratulations to our players and coaches on an outstanding accomplishment!

📚 EOG Testing & Retesting

I also want to recognize all of the hard work our students have put into End-of-Grade testing. We are extremely proud of the focus, effort, and perseverance our students have shown throughout this testing season.

We are still testing and retesting this week, and to those students who will be retesting — we believe in you, and you are so close. Continue giving your best effort and continue making us proud!

🎉 End-of-Year Celebrations This Week

🎈 Tuesday – PBIS Block Party

We will celebrate students who demonstrated positive behavior and strong attendance throughout the school year with our PBIS Block Party!

🏅 Wednesday, May 20 – Awards Day

Our Quarter 4 and End-of-Year Awards Ceremonies will take place in the gymnasium:

• 6th Grade Awards – 9:30 AM

• 7th Grade Awards – 1:30 PM

💃 Wednesday Evening – 8th Grade Formal

Our 8th grade students will celebrate at The Homestead from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

🎓 Thursday – 8th Grade Graduation

We will proudly celebrate our 8th graders as they walk across the stage during 8th Grade Graduation and prepare for the next chapter of their journey into high school.

☀️ Friday, May 22 – Last Day of School

May 22nd will officially close out the 2025–2026 school year as we say farewell to our students for summer break!

👕 Lost & Found Reminder

Parents, if your child is missing any personal items, including jackets, hoodies, water bottles, lunch boxes, or other belongings, please make sure to check our school’s Lost & Found before the end of the school year.

Any items remaining after May 22nd will be donated to local TROSA organizations.

💊 Message from the School Nurse

Please make arrangements to pick up all student medications from the school nurse by 3:00 PM on Wednesday, May 27th.

Any medication not picked up by this time will be disposed of according to district procedures.

🤝 SMS Booster Club Volunteers Needed

The SMS Booster Club is currently looking for volunteers to serve in leadership roles for the upcoming school year, specifically a Treasurer and Secretary.

Our Booster Club plays a vital role in supporting our students, staff, athletic teams, and school community through fundraising, events, and school support initiatives. We are incredibly grateful for the parents and community members who give their time to help make SMS a great place for students to learn, grow, and compete.

If you are interested in serving or would like additional information about these positions, please reach out. Your involvement truly makes a difference!

❤️ A Final Thank You

As I close out this school year with my final weekly message, I simply want to say thank you.

Thank you to our teachers and staff for your patience, dedication, and willingness to accept me as your leader during my first year at Southern. Through every challenge and success, I have learned so much, and I am incredibly proud of the strides we have already made together. I truly believe the best is yet to come for Southern Middle School.

To our families, thank you for welcoming me with open arms and entrusting us with your children each and every day. We remain committed to supporting our students academically, socially, and emotionally as we continue striving toward Academic Excellence through Culture and Community.

Until next time, Panther Family — let’s make it a great week and have a wonderful summer.

🐾 Go Panthers!🐾

At Southern Middle School, our mission is to empower every student to achieve academic excellence through a supportive and inclusive culture. We are committed to creating meaningful learning experiences that challenge students, foster curiosity, and build confidence. By partnering with families and our community, we ensure that every student feels valued, connected, and prepared for success. Together, we cultivate a learning experience where culture and community drive student achievement.

https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1015344434042849

The deadline to order is April 2nd. Yearbooks will be delivered in mid to late May!

Click the link below to find your child's teacher and class to add them on Remind if you haven't already!

Our Booster Club is selling Panther Cards! They are $10 each and can be picked up at the following locations:

Community Pharmacy, Roxboro

Community Pharmacy, Timberlake

The Exchange

Serenity Salon

University Ford North

Thank you for supporting SMS!

To: Person County Schools Families

RE: Attendance Policy - Excused Absence Notes

As we focus on improving attendance and making Every Minute Count, one of our strategies is to enforce the Excused Absence Notes policy.

The current school board policy states: “When a student must miss school, a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian must be presented…on the day the student returns after an absence.”

This year, we are going to enforce this policy with a five day grace period. If a student is absent, in order for that absence to be excused, the parent/guardian must submit a note within five school days of the student’s return to school. For example, if a student is absent from September 8 through September 10, and returns to school on September 11, an excused absence note must be received by September 17, the fifth school day from September 11. An absence will remain unexcused if a note is not received in a timely manner.

This change is intended to assist with timely and accurate attendance reporting across all schools.

Thank you for your continued support in making Every Minute Count!

Let us know what challenges may be affecting your child’s attendance and how we can support you by completing this short form:
Survey For Parents

Attached here, you can find our 2025-2026 Parent Gazette for Person County Schools:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1phoXgT8N9kyfBIVCTTfKquYqGROeL0vROdjIWzB5hqI/edit?usp=sharing

Copies will be provided to each student, however we wanted you to have access to our gazette should you need it throughout the school year. Included within the gazette you will find Policies and Procedures that apply to our school district.

Sign up to work concessions below!

Sign up to work concessions below!