Douglas Middle School

“The Douglas Public Schools offer diverse learning experiences that meet the academic, social, physical, and emotional needs of all students. We provide a safe, supportive, and challenging learning environment in which students may achieve academic success and personal growth. Decisions are made in the best interest of students.”

Important Dates to Remember

November National Career Development Month

Friday, November 7, Quarter 1 Report Cards Available Online

Tuesday, November 11 – Veterans Day (No School)

Friday, November 14 – Picture Retakes

Thursday & Friday, November 20–21 – Early Release Days for Parent-Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, November 26 – Early Release Day

Thursday–Friday, November 27–28 – Thanksgiving Break

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This year we are changing our approach to Parent/Teacher Conferences. In the past, there was great frustration in the limited number of parents and caregivers that we could accommodate. This year, we are changing to Student-Led Parent/Teacher Conferences, which will enable us to meet with a vast greater number of attendees.

What are Student-Led Parent/Teacher Conferences?

Students will be creating a portfolio of their work that reflects the skills they have learned, and the goals that they will be setting for themselves moving forwards. Although teachers will be present during the conference time, it will be your child who will communicate their progress and details of what they have learned over the first quarter. We believe that empowering our students to lead this process provides a very valuable experience for both our students and their parents or caregivers.

Students will report to their homeroom teacher (the 6th grade will be hosting in the library). Students will stay in the same location and teachers will rotate through, giving students a chance to present their work from each class. You are welcome to stop by your student’s Related Arts Classes at any time. Additionally, Mrs. Braille will be holding an Art Show in the cafeteria. Please know that if you need or would like to speak in more depth about your child’s progress, you are always welcome to contact that individual teacher(s).

We are very much looking forward to seeing you!

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This form will be given to you as a hard copy by your child.

Please check off which conference session that you prefer and your appointment time will be sent home with your child. To appropriately schedule everyone, please return this slip by Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025.

Student’s Name_________________________________________________________________________

_______I prefer to meet on Thursday, November 20th,

during the evening session between 5:30 - 8:00

_______I prefer to meet on Friday, November 21st,

during the afternoon session between 11:40 - 2:10

I prefer to receive an email communication about my child’s progress _______

Douglas Middle School Food Drive

November 3rd-November 14th

School Goal 650 Items

The winning homeroom will earn an award.

What is needed:

All cans or boxed items that are not expired, and personal items. Specifically:

Stuffing
Gravy
Peas
Instant mashed potatoes
Napkins
Plates
Dish soap
Hand soap
Foil pans to cook a turkey

8th Grade Douglas students, along with students from Grafton, NIPMUC, Sutton, Uxbridge and Whitinsville, are part of the Northbridge Cooperative Team. They are seeking to add additional schools that don't have a wrestling team, swith the hope we can grow the sport in south-central Massachusetts. Athletes join the team through their school's normal registration. For more information, please contact Douglas High School's Athletic Director Elisabeth Berard.

As you may be aware, the federal government is currently not planning to release funds for November benefits for SNAP recipients during the shutdown. This will have an extremely significant impact on the hundreds of thousands of SNAP recipients in Massachusetts, and families may look to you and your staff as trusted individuals for information and additional resources during this challenging time. In addition, some programmatic and funding changes to SNAP were included in the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill and a few of those changes go into effect on November 1st.

Families enrolled in EI, SNAP recipients, and service providers may have questions about what will happen with SNAP in November. Here are two resources we’re sharing to help you navigate those conversations:

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)has posted a detailed FAQ: November 2025 SNAP Updates | Mass.gov that is a good resource for the most up-to-date information.
Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline and Mass211 are available resources for families seeking supports related to food.

Here are a few key pieces of information to know:

DTA will continue to accept new applications and process recertifications after November 1st. Families should be encouraged to apply and maintain any existing participation in SNAP so that they have smoother access to benefits once the shutdown is over.
DTA expects that EBT cards will continue to function normally after November 1st, such that any benefits rolled over from a prior month could still be accessed at a retailer.
The Economic Assistance programs (TAFDC and EAEDC) and the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) will continue normally.
The SNAP eligibility changes related to immigration status and the updated SNAP work requirements will be effective at the time of enrollment or recertification and will impact families on a rolling basis beginning November 1.

At this time, the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) is continuing business as usual and will be posting any updates to mass.gov/wic. The school meals programs are also continuing to operate.

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All Douglas Middle School students are currently reading a book for Literature Circles. Please check in with your child to see what they are reading and encourage them to finish the book for the discussion.

All students should be reading between 20-30 minutes a day to complete the book.

Why Reading Circles?