The Buffalo Bulletin
October 4, 2026
Happy first week of October! It’s hard to believe we are already entering the final week of our first nine-week grading period.
As we head into this week, please take a moment to check your student’s grades and encourage them to complete any missing work, ask questions, and take advantage of opportunities to improve. HERD is an excellent time for students to visit teachers they need to turn work in to or complete work for. Remember that failing grades at the end of the grading period on Friday can impact UIL eligibility. Students who finish the 9 weeks with no missing assignments and no zeroes in the gradebook will be rewarded with extra outdoor recess time during HERD. Students who finish the 9 weeks with A or A/B honor roll will also be rewarded with additional outdoor recess time during HERD.
It’s also a short week! Students will have an early release at 12:50 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a long weekend. There will be no school for students or staff on Friday or Monday.
Even with a shorter week, there is still important work to be done. Let’s encourage our Buffs to finish the grading period strong by continuing to show effort and ownership, staying focused, taking responsibility for their learning, and giving their best through the final day.
Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Florence.MSBuffs.
Every day. Every choice. Our best effort.
BuffsBeTheBestTheyCanBe
Upcoming Campus Events
September 28th-October 8th
- District Based Assessment Window for STAAR tested subjects
October 5th
- Makeup Picture Day
- VB AWAY at Blanco
October 8th
- Student Early Release at 12:50pm
- FB AWAY at Rogers
October 9th
- Student/Staff Holiday
October 12th
- Student/Staff Holiday
October 14th
- District Cross Country Meet at Llano
October 15th
- FB AWAY at Thrall
October 19th
- VB AWAY at Comfort
October 22nd
- FB HOME vs Anderson Shiro
October 26th
- Student Holiday - Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 27th
- FISD Trunk or Treat at FHS
October 29th
- FB AWAY at Lexington
Attendance Goal
Our attendance goal for this school year is 96%. We know that when students are here, they learn!
Week of 9/21-9/25: 95.29%
6th Grade - 96.04%
7th Grade - 93.83%
8th Grade - 96.00%
YTD: 8/12-9/25 Campus Attendance Rates: 96.22%
6th Grade - 97.34%
7th Grade - 95.21%
8th Grade - 95.99%
NJHS
NJHS is collecting pull tabs in HERD classes! At the end of each nine weeks, the HERD class with the most tabs receives popsicles and outside time.
1st place: Mr. Trull- 2,387
2nd place: Mrs. Ortiz- 667
3rd place: Coach Sanchez- 583
Lunch Menu
5th- Chicken Tenders or BBQ Chicken
6th- Pizza or Wings
7th- Quesadilla or Grilled Cheese
8th- Cheeseburger or Chicken Sandwich
9th- No school
Picture Orders
School pictures are ready!
Order This Year's School Pictures
ENJOY 10% OFF YOUR ORDER
CODE: F2610OFF
EXPIRES JULY 31, 2027
Your child’s school pictures are now available! To view them online, please log in to your account at mylifetouch.com. If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one using your email address. You’ll need your student’s ID number or their portrait id and access code to locate their photos. This information will come home on your student proofs once they are delivered.
Thank you! —The Lifetouch Team
Chromebook Payments
Athletics
Check out all the HERD Highlights on our Florence Middle School Athletics Facebook page!
Football Contact: Coach Poteat at kpoteat@florenceisd.net
Volleyball Contact: Coach Baker at jbaker@florenceisd.net
Cross Country Contact: Coach Pena at spena@florenceisd.net
FMS Football Schedule
FMS Volleyball Schedule
FMS Cross Country Schedule
Secondary ACE
ACE kicks off this Wednesday, August 19th. Students must be registered to attend. All registration forms can be turned in to the FMS front office.
Bell Schedule
Official attendance time for FMS is 9:50am. When possible, please schedule your student's appointments with this time in mind so that they are on campus for official attendance.
Ms. Camacho's Counselor's Corner
Support Opportunities
For those of you who may be in need of community support, we have forms in our front office or attached below that you can complete and return for assistance!
Florence United Methodist Church Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Assistance Program will be able to have food baskets available and delivered beginning Oct 12th, Nov. 14th, and on Dec. 12th for the holiday season You can pick up a form to register for this assistance in our front office. This form ALSO helps with Christmas toys for ALL children 19y/o and younger in your household.
DEADLINE: ALL FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED AND RETURNED BY OCTOBER 9 to the school or FUMC.
— Your Middle School Counselor, Ms. Camacho scamacho@florenceisd.net
Capturing Kids Hearts
Happy October from Ms. Camacho!
This month at FMS, our Capturing Kids' Hearts word of the month is Responsibility. We’re encouraging students to take ownership of their actions, choices, and commitments—both in and out of the classroom. Being responsible means following through with what you say you’ll do, being honest when mistakes happen, and doing your best without reminders. At home, parents can support this by setting clear expectations, encouraging their child to manage their own homework and chores, and praising them for demonstrating responsibility. Simple routines, like checking their planner together or talking about daily goals, can help build strong habits that last a lifetime.
Attached are this month's CKH family newsletters!
Notes from the Nurse
- Reminders for students to bring water bottles daily to help stay hydrated.
- Do not send or bring student to school if fever (100.0), vomiting, or diarrhea.
Any questions? Please contact Nurse Melissa Tipsword at mtipsword@florenceisd.net
Florence Middle School
718 S. Patterson Avenue
Florence, TX 76527
Phone: 254-793-2504
BuffsBeTheBestTheyCanBe!