News from Dudley Middle School

Many of the lasting lessons I have learned in my life, I have learned the hard way. I messed up, had to own it and fix it. The same could be said for many adults in this school and community. Similarly, when something goes sideways in our students’ lives, they learn a much more valuable lesson from being made to face it, create a plan and fix it than they do if the adults in their lives take care of it for them.

The beginning of a school year is a glorious time in some ways. One is that hope springs eternal; this can still be the best year yet. It is also the best time of the year to work with our students on problem solving skills. Challenges pop up; some frequent ones we hear are” “I don’t have any friends in my classes,” “I don’t like this teacher,” and “This class is too hard for me.”

These and other challenges present a perfect opportunity to work with our kids on problem solving; a big part of which is perseverance. With just a few exceptions, in my career I have seen kids thrive after hanging in there and pushing through these types of problems. They make new friends (and still see plenty of the old friends); they end up liking and understanding their teachers, and they find out that class that was too hard is actually quite doable.

And the self-esteem and resiliency skills they build along the way are just as important to their future as the academic skills. They start to develop a sort of data base of times they overcame a problem. They can refer to this when the next challenge comes along. Soon, we have a resilient and well-adjusted kid who is ready to take on the challenges that his/her future holds.

There is no way any student will get through a school year without some kind of challenge. When it happens to our kid, we do well to consider the lesson we want them to learn from it. Please don’t let them give up too quickly.

Contact us if we can ever help you and/or your child talk through a difficult situation. Our staff has thousands of combined years of experience with this age group.

Contact information is below.

September 17 - Glow Social (Grades 5 and 6) - 2:30-3:40

September 25 - DMS Open House

September 26 - Early Dismissal for Students

October 13 - No School

October 23 - Picture Make up Day

November 6 - Early Dismissal for Students / Parent Conferences

November 10 - Grade 5 Veterans' Day Program / "Bring a Veteran to School Day"

November 11 - Veterans' Day - No School

November 26 - Early Dismissal for Students

November 27-28 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

At the conclusion of the Open House on September 25, there will be a meeting for families of 8th graders who will be attending the Washington DC Trip. Interested parents/guardians of 7th graders are welcome to attend, as well.

The meeting will be from 6:30-7:00 PM.

There have been a few minor changes to the Middle School Handbook for this year. Please see an updated copy below.

Phones - Student cell phones, Smart Watches, etc. are to be stored in lockers for the entirety of the school day. If you have an urgent reason to contact your child, please call the main office and we will put you in touch asap.

Water Bottles - Water bottles are allowed, but must be filled with water only. DMS is equipped with modern filling stations for students to refill as needed. Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, etc. are not allowed in school at any time.

Arrival / Departure Times - Drop off is between 7:35-7:40 in the back of the school / Pick up is at approximately 2:20-2:30. Cars should get in line behind the buses.

Late Buses - Late buses run Monday-Thursday. They usually arrive at DMS between 3:40-3:50. The late bus does not provide door-to-door service, as there are only two bus runs for all the students. However, students will be dropped off in a safe area as near to home as possible.

Breakfast / Lunch - Breakfast and lunch are both free of charge for all students every day. Students will be charged only if they order a second lunch.

Student Behavior - Next week, we will be speaking with the students about behavioral and other expectations at our school. We consider ourselves to be partners with you in helping our students learn positive behaviors. As such, we will generally contact families whenever problems occur. We take very seriously our responsibility to have students feel safe and supported in school, so any time you get a chance to talk to your child about the right way to treat others is very much appreciated.

Communicating with the School - I will send out a comprehensive digital newsletter like this one every month. I may also send a few other email/text notifications for important reminders or things that come up. Anytime you have questions or need support in any way, please reach out to us.

Contact information is attached above.

At Dudley Middle Middle School, we still believe that in order for the students to learn, we need to have a safe, orderly environment and calm, respectful classrooms.

To achieve that, we follow a progressive, school wide behavioral "step" plan. This plan enables us to address issues while still giving students a chance to learn from and correct their behaviors. Though the "steps" vary slightly based on the grade level, the plan includes official warnings, parent notification, office referral and consequences ascending from minor to more severe. Along the way, parent conferences, guidance intervention and success plans may be part of the process.

If you hear your child say that they or one of their classmates were "stepped," this is what they are referring to. I assure you that we want every student to be happy and successful, and we only utilize official steps when absolutely necessary.

If this happens to your child, you may have questions. Please contact us so we can have a respectful discussion about the reasons and what we hope to accomplish with any actions taken.

Together, we can ensure that our kids learn from their mistakes.

We are looking for a few good people to join our School Council for this year. The School Council serves as a sort of advisory board to the principal and also helps write the School Improvement Plan.

The School Council meets four times throughout the year - meetings usually start around 3:30 or 4:00. We also invite the School Council members to attend a few School Committee meetings during the year.

If you think you would like to make this commitment, please send an email expressing interest to:

Andrea Rodrigues (arodrigues@dcrsd.org)