South MS Friday Blast

It's finally time to say, "Welcome Back!"

We are thrilled to welcome our students back to the building on Monday, August 31st. The excitement is mounting as we prepare for another fantastic school year filled with new opportunities, learning, and growth.

This year, we're introducing several new staff members to our school family.

Cindy Brutsche – Art Teacher

Matthew Dracoules – 8th grade English

Mindy Stellabott – Physical Education (for Tori Schmidt)

Cael Doster - Reading (filling in for Mrs. Springer)

Katie Macel – Speech Therapist

Kara Griffin - Reading Specialist

Brooke Magill - PCA

Students will enjoy some refreshed learning spaces, including our newly revamped STEM Lab. Be sure to check out the photos below for a sneak peek!

As part of our back-to-school celebrations, we enjoyed connecting with families at several special events this week. On Tuesday evening, we welcomed 7th and 8th grade families to our Open House, and on Wednesday, 6th grade students and parents joined us for our Back-to-School Bash. These events provided wonderful opportunities for families to meet teachers, explore the school, and learn more about the exciting year ahead.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make these events such a success. We hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend, and we can't wait to see everyone on Monday as we kick off an amazing school year together!

See you soon!

Where do I enter the building in the morning?

• Bus riders will be dropped off by the cafeteria entrance and will wait in the cafeteria until you are dismissed to your locker and then your first period class when the 7:45am bell rings.
• Walkers and car riders will enter the building through the front door (door #19) and proceed to the gym where you will wait until you are dismissed to your locker and then your first period class when the 7:45am bell rings.

Day 1 Info

• Students need to know who their first period teacher is BEFORE coming to school. So, be sure and log into PowerSchool prior to the first school day. When you are dismissed from the cafeteria/gym to go to your first period class on day 1, your teachers will review a variety of information to help you. Teachers will review lockers, laptops, restrooms, schedules, fire drill info, sports, announcements, etc.

Breakfast/Lunch

We are pleased to share that free breakfast for all students is available for the 2026/27 school year. All students will eat breakfast/lunch in the cafeteria. Families who qualify for free/reduced lunch are encouraged to sign up asap (https://www.pennridge.org/Page/1875). Scroll to the bottom of the webpage for links to English and Spanish versions of the documents. This record-keeping benefits the students at South in additional ways. Also, there have been no changes to the online payment system, which is www.EZSchoolpay.com. Please note that we will not provide change for a la carte purchases made with cash. All money will go into the student’s account. We want to encourage students to bring payments to the cafeteria in the morning to be placed in their accounts.

Sports

• Please see the message below from Mr. Feher for athletic news.

The Health Room nurses measure each student’s height and weight yearly starting in the fall. If you desire to exempt your child from this screening, please submit a request in writing to nursing at South Middle School.

Cell phones, along with various electronic devices, gaming devices, or any electronic equipment, etc., are not to be used during the school day, unless instructed by a teacher. Realizing the practical use of cell phones in personal lives and in certain academic situations, cell phones are to remain turned off and away until the end of the school day. Electronic equipment and cell phones used without specific permission or inappropriately may result in:

• confiscation of the item,
• request for the parent/guardian to pick-up the device, or
• disciplinary consequences ranging from detention to suspension.

This includes using electronic devices to take pictures and/or video, including posting them on social media/internet.

The Pennridge Middle Schools will not assume any liability for the safety of any electronic equipment unless it is secured in the main office.

Before students can be issued their laptops, parents/guardians must update and confirm important information through the parent portal. Parents/guardians should have received an email from the district's technology department explaining the steps involved in completing this very important process. Please be on the lookout for this email and take a few minutes to complete the online forms. Doing so will help streamline your student receiving his/her laptop. Thanks for your help!

Canvas Observer Directions - English

Canvas Observer Directions - Spanish

Some much-needed and truly appreciated updates were made to the South Faculty Café this summer, creating a welcoming space for our staff to enjoy. We are incredibly grateful to the SCN for their generosity and ongoing support of the South staff. A huge thank you for all you do to make our school community such a special place!

We are beyond excited about our new STEM+M lab at South! The district secured a grant for new 7th Grade STEM labs. Room 107 received a complete makeover including new student workstations, new computer systems, CNC routers, 3-D printers, robotics kits, storage for consumables and an interactive panel to improve instruction. We cannot wait to see what our students manufacture this year!

The RamPacks program provides a food pack of kid-friendly, non-perishable food intended for a child's breakfasts, lunches, and snacks over the weekends. RamPacks is a CONFIDENTIAL program for families who need financial assistance with food over weekends. RamPacks is a partnership between local churches, businesses, and community groups in the Pennridge area and the Pennridge School District. This is a FREE program, without cost to participating students. It is intended for families who are in need of assistance with food for their children over weekends. Please see the information sheet and sign-up form here.

Attention 7th and 8th Grade Students and Parents,

It is with great enthusiasm that I am writing this letter to you concerning Penn South Middle School athletic programs. As the summer comes to an end, I would ask that you consider participating in one of our middle school sports programs. Interscholastic athletics can be a rewarding way to help a student meet new friends, build confidence, and foster a sense of self-discipline and personal accomplishment. In order to participate in one of our fall sports programs (football-boys, field hockey- girls, or soccer boys and girls, cheerleading), a student must have a physical examination prior to the first practice. The physical examination forms to be completed by your physician after MAY 1st (for all sports) are available here or may be picked up in the middle school offices between 7:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.

PLEASE NOTE: One change to submitting paperwork this year. We are excited to announce that we are transitioning to a new online registration system, Arbiter, for all athletic programs. This will replace the collection of paper forms we have used in the past for student and parent information, concussion protocol acknowledgments, athletic questionnaires, and the collection of annual physicals. Information on how to register for Arbiter will be emailed on Monday, August 17th.

Football practice will begin on the first day of school. Soccer and Field Hockey will begin on the second day of school. A 5:00 Activity Bus will be provided for transportation. If a parent has any questions or concerns that require assistance, please e-mail the coaches directly.

Our fall coaches will be having meetings with all interested students during the first week of school. The practice schedule, equipment needs, etc. will be communicated at that time. Game schedules are posted on the school’s website. Games that are cancelled/postponed due to inclement weather, opponent’s circumstances, etc., will be posted on the website.

Fall Sports: August to October - Home games and practices will take place at South.

• Soccer (Co-ed) – Dylan Buccigrossi (dbuccigrossi@pennridge.org)

• Field Hockey – Devon Meneeley (dmeneeley@pennridge.org)

• Football – Tyler Gilmore (tgilmore@pennridge.org)

• Cheer – Information coming SOON for the 2026-27 season!

Winter Sports: October – Feb – Home games and practices take place at South

• Girls Basketball (Nov-Dec)

• Boys Basketball (Jan – Feb)

• Wrestling (Dec – Jan)

Spring Sports: April – May

• Lacrosse (Home games at South)

• Boys & Girls Track (Home meets at Pennridge High School)

• Baseball(Home games at James Memorial Park) / Softball (Home games at South)

If you have any further questions regarding the middle school sports program, please do not hesitate to call me at 215-257-0467 or reach out at kfeher@pennridge.org.

• August 31 - First day of school
• August 31 - First day of football practice
• September 1 - First day of soccer and field hockey practice
• September 1 - Football equipment pick-up at PHS (2:15 bus)
• September 4 - Labor Day Holiday/Offices Closed
• September 7 - No School
• September 8 - Picture Day
• September 9 - JT Bankers Fundraiser supporting the music department
• September 11 - Welcome Back Pep Rally
• September 21 - No School
• September 25 - Fall Dance 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Website: South Middle School
Location: 610 South 5th Street, Perkasie, PA, USA
Phone: 215-257-0467