Shark Bytes

Dear MRMS Families and Community Members

This week, the middle school will have half days for conferences on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday, October 27, and Thursday, October 29 will be half-days for CES, HES, and MRMS caregiver/teacher conferences. CES/HES dismissal is at 11 a.m., MRMS dismissal is at 12 p.m. These are full days for MRHS. The link to sign up for conferences is in the announcements sections below.

And as a reminder, MRMS will be hosting Something Wicked This Way Comes -- all Monomoy Middle School students are welcome to attend the Fall Fest Social on Friday 11/6/26 at the Middle School. Please check your grade's timing: Grade 5 is welcome from 5:00-6:00pm, and Grades 6 and 7 are welcome from 6:00-7:30pm. Fall colors and / or appropriate costumes are encouraged for attire. This is a fundraiser for the Class of 2029 (sophomores) and admission is $5. There will be snacks and drinks available to purchase for $1 each, so bring a couple of extra dollars for that. For both time slots, there will be music for dancing in the Slim Gym and Fall Films playing in the auditorium for chilling. All are welcome!

Finally, we at the middle school understand the need and encourage students to use fidgets when needed and appropriate. Recently, we have noticed an uptick in students bringing toys such as "Tech Decks" to school. While we understand these can be fun, I even remember having them when I was younger, these toys can be distracting and cause issues that can otherwise be avoided. We ask that you please support us by having your student(s) keep these at home.

Hope to see you all at conferences!

Sean Dutch
Principal

Making Waves with Ms Rice

This past week was National Bus Safety Week, and we want to extend a special thank you to our wonderful bus drivers! They work hard every single day to get our students to and from school safely.

To help our drivers safely do their jobs, please take a moment to review our Bus Safety Expectations with your student:

Stay seated while the bus is moving.
Sit properly in your seat, facing forward.
No eating or drinking on the bus.
Use an inside voice to help keep noise levels manageable.
No throwing objects inside or out of the bus.
Always check that it’s safe before crossing the street.
Use earbuds/headphones if listening to music to avoid creating distracting noises for the driver.
5th Graders sit in the front, 6th in the middle, and 7th in the back unless otherwise specified by the driver or administration.

Because safety is our main priority, we greatly appreciate your help in reinforcing these reminders at home!

Amanda Rice

Assistant Principal

Weekly Calendar

Announcements

Conferences

Here you will find a link to sign up for the conferences of your choice on either the 27th or 29th of this month.

Keeping Kids Safe Online: Learn how to navigate safety discussions

Community partners including Children’s Cove, Barnstable County, the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office, Monomoy Regional School District, and the towns of Chatham and Harwich are coming together to offer information and education to parents and caregivers on digital safety for young people. The event, titled Keeping Kids Safe Online: Learn how to navigate safety discussions, will be held on November 4, 2026 at 5:30 p.m at Brooks Free Library in Harwich and on November 9, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Chatham Community Center. Both sessions will share the same information, so attendees can select the one that better suits their needs. Childcare will be available at both sessions. Registration is requested for these events:

Harwich, 11/4/26, Registration Link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/sqqptp0XjK
Chatham, 11/9/26, Registration Link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/8uRAbkC6vE

Parents, caregivers, and anyone engaged with youth are encouraged to attend this important conversation.

PAST ANNOUNCEMENTS

National School Bus Safety Week is held each year to reinforce one shared priority: keeping students safe on and around the school bus.

Drivers: Always stop when the lights are flashing and the arm is out, and be alert for students entering or exiting the bus
Students: Follow all directions from the adults on the bus and only exit and cross when told it's safe to go

We all have a part in keeping our youngsters safe!

Club Updates

Game Club with Ms. Gushee has been canceled due to low enrollment.

The Lacrosse Club is in need of any spare lacrosse sticks that families may have available. If you have any you would be willing to donate, please bring them to the front office. Thank you!

Transportation updates on town roadwork

We appreciate your patience and flexibility as our towns undergo a variety of roadwork projects. You will find the most accurate and current information about road closures and detours on our town websites and on the social media pages of local public safety:

Town of Harwich Website - this page has weekly updates from the contractors, along with detours and recommended school transportation pickup and dropoff spots
Harwich Police Facebook Page
Town of Chatham Website
Chatham Police Facebook Page

These resources are also linked on our website. We ask that everyone be prepared for some slight delays as road construction projects continue in the coming weeks.

Support the SHORE Food Pantry

The SHORE Food Pantry at Monomoy Regional High School has been selected again as a nonprofit partner in the Stop & Shop Bloomin’ 4 Good Program! The SHORE Food Pantry will receive $1 for each $11.99 specially marked Bloomin’ 4 Good bouquet sold throughout the month of October 2026 at the East Harwich Stop & Shop location. The funds raised will help eliminate food insecurities for our Monomoy students, families, and community. Find more information on the food pantry at https://www.monomoy.edu/shore-food-pantry.

Previous Issues of Shark Bytes

Did you know that all past issues of the MRMS Shark Bytes newsletter are linked on our website? If you missed an issue and want to find the information, you can find them all on our site.

Lacrosse Club

The Lacrosse Club is in need of any spare lacrosse sticks that families may have available. If you have any you would be willing to donate, please bring them to the front office. Thank you!

SHORE Food Pantry Begins September 10!
The SHORE Food Pantry at MRHS will begin serving all Monomoy families Thursday, September 10! The weekly pantry is open to everyone, and no sign-up is required. Families can simply drive up, fill their bags with the items they need, and take them home.

Date: Every Thursday, beginning September 10
Time: 9:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Location: Monomoy Regional High School, Outside of Building B, Door 4
Families are welcome to stop by during the pantry hours and take what they need ... no registration or appointment necessary.

Bus Families: We appreciate your cooperation as our bus drivers navigate their routes for this year. During the first two weeks of school, check the posted schedules periodically, as times may be slightly adjusted as students and/or stops are added or removed from routes. Please be at your stop at least 10 minutes ahead of pickup time, as traffic, student absences, and other factors may impact the bus arrival time.

Late Bus: Starts on Tuesday 9/8. No Late Bus on Early Release Wednesdays or Fridays.

MRMS Renovation Project: Keep up on all things MRMS construction at

https://www.monomoy.edu/our-district/facilities/monomoy-regional-middle-school-roof-and-siding-projects.

Staff Shoutouts

Congratulations to the first Monomoy Staff Shoutout of this school year - Charity Rossetti! Charity is a member of the cafeteria team at Harwich Elementary and was nominated by a colleague, who wrote:

"Charity is one of the first faces when students get off the bus in the morning as they grab breakfast, and she greets every student with a genuine smile. She knows children's preferences, and even though there is a large group of students getting breakfast, she never makes anyone feel rushed. This compassion continues into lunch service as she makes every Shark feel valued and appreciated. Even in brief interactions, one can see that Charity values each and every student in the building. Charity's positivity extends to her interactions with coworkers throughout the building as she helps everyone find a smile."

Way to go, Charity!

Who will you nominate for October? Click here to recognize one of our staff members for going above and beyond!