Principal's Weekly Update #11

We had a busy week filled with school spirit! Students celebrated Spirit Week by wearing fall colors, sports team gear, Thing 1 and Thing 2 outfits, fall pajamas, and creative costumes for Project Word Day. We also welcomed DHS seniors for their Halloween parade! We are so proud of our students for their enthusiasm and participation in making this a fun and memorable week.

We hope all of our DMS families have an enjoyable and safe Halloween!

Guidelines for the Exclusion of Children from School

When a child is ill, no active learning can take place. Children who are not feeling well, and exhibit signs of illness, or are in discomfort from an injury or accident, should have the right to be cared for in a safe and comfortable home-like environment. We urge you to assess your child for illness and injury, and use common sense for keeping a child home from school. Sending an ill child to school also creates the opportunity for illnesses to spread rapidly around our classrooms, endangering other students and staff.

The following conditions would be considered a reason for your student to

not attend school:

1. Temperature of 100 degrees F or greater within the past 24 hours (must be fever-free without fever-reducing meds for 24 hours before returning to school)

2. Vomiting or diarrhea occurring within the past 24 hours

3. Strep infections of any kind, untreated ringworm, conjunctivitis, or impetigo. These are all contagious infections and must be treated with medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school

4. Rash of unknown origin - this may indicate many different things and should be checked by your pediatrician

5. Untreated lice infestation

6. The child does not feel well enough to participate in the entire school day

The following conditions would be considered reason for

dismissal from school by the school nurse:

1. Temperature of 100 F degrees or greater (must be fever-free without fever-reducing meds for 24 hours before returning to school)

2. Vomiting or diarrhea (must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school)

3. A rash suspicious of infectious disease or unclear etiology

4. A positive strep culture that has not been under treatment with antibiotics for 24 hours

5. Inability of a child to move safely about in school due to an injury that has not had medical evaluation and intervention

6. A child with symptoms who is known to be a direct contact of a positive pertussis case, for five days from initiation of antibiotics

7. An injury, illness, or condition that requires, in the school nurse’s judgment, further management by a parent/guardian or primary care provider

8. For Primary Students: Suspected infectious conjunctivitis based on nursing assessment

9. For confirmed Fifth’s Disease: No exclusion necessary, but staff notification is recommended.

As we approach the colder and wetter months, we would like to remind families that Douglas Middle School doors open at 7:15 a.m. each morning.

Moving forward, we will no longer be opening the front lobby early for students to enter before the official start of the school day. Our lobby is a small space, and there is no staff supervision available in that area prior to 7:15 a.m.

With the colder temperatures and unpredictable weather approaching, we kindly ask that families plan student drop-offs for 7:15 a.m. or later to ensure students are not waiting outside in unfavorable weather conditions.

The safety and well-being of our students are always our top priorities, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and supervised arrival process.

Thank you for your continued support!

11/2- PTO Meeting via Zoom at 6:00pm- ALL are welcome

Join Zoom Meeting

11/3-Picture retake

11/4- SEPAC meeting via Zoom at 7:00pm

Join Zoom Meeting

11/6- Report cards issued

11/10- Coaches Night at 6:00pm @ DHS

11/11- NO SCHOOL- Veteran's Day

11/16-11/20- STAR Testing

11/19- Student Led Parent Conferences 5:30-8:30. 1/2 day for students (more info to come)

11/20- Student Led Parent Conferences 11:40-2:10. 1/2 day for students

11/25-1/2 day

11/26 11/27- NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Break

Winter sports are coming soon! Douglas is excited to offer the following opportunities for our student-athletes:

• Boys Basketball: Varsity, JV, and Middle School (Teams TBD based on Registration)

• Girls Basketball: Varsity, JV, and Middle School (Teams TBD based on Registration)

• Cheerleading: Varsity and Middle School

• Indoor Track: Open to students in grades 7–12

• Male Ice Hockey: Varsity and JV through our co-op with Hopedale (7-8)

• Wrestling: Open to male and female athletes through our co-op with Northbridge (8-12)

• Girls Ice Hockey: Varsity through our co-op with Auburn (8-12)

Our Winter Sports Coaches’ Night will be held on November 10 at 6:00 PM at Douglas High School for all winter sports. Athletes and parents are encouraged to attend to meet the coaches and learn more about team expectations, practice schedules, and the upcoming season.

Please register through Arbiter using the link below as soon as possible. Early registration helps us determine participation numbers and which teams we will be able to run this winter.

Arbiter Registration: https://students.arbitersports.com/douglas-middle-high-school-athletics/douglas-high-school-and-middle-school-2026-2027-winter-athletic-registration

For all co-op sports, athletes must register through Douglas’s Arbiter registration page. However, the participation fee must be paid directly to the school hosting the co-op program. For Douglas Sports, it is highly recommended that the fee of $195 for middle school teams and $215 for high school teams be paid after tryouts but before the first competition of the season.

We encourage students to get involved, whether they are returning athletes or interested in trying something new. Please reach out to me with any questions.

Jarred Stand
Athletic Director
Douglas High School