Wareham Middle School 4 Viking Drive Wareham, MA 02571

(508) 291-3550 www.warehamps.org fax: (508) 291-3580

HOWARD GILMORE, PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS: Daniel Minkle Extension 6105 August 18, 2011 Sandi Ponte Extension 6106

Dear Parent/Guardian and Student: Welcome to Wareham Middle School, a caring, cooperative, and respectful community of high performing learners. School begins on Wednesday, August 31. The start and ending times of the school day are 7:40 A.M. to 2:02 P.M. The house assignment of students involved input from previous classroom teachers, guidance counselors, special education staff, and other professional staff members. Our goal was to develop heterogeneous teams and houses that represent the full spectrum of students academic ability, behavioral concerns, balance of boys and girls and an equal distribution of children with special interests and special needs. Your childs final placement is located on the mailing label of this correspondence. You will find the name of the house assignment and the homeroom number. All students in grades 6, 7 & 8 within each house follow the same schedule including academic periods, Unified Arts, and lunch. On Wednesday, August 31st all students are to report directly to their assigned homerooms. Staff and student council members will be about the building to assist students. All students must report to homeroom by 7:40 A.M. each and every day. Students not in homeroom by this time are late for school and will be officially marked tardy. Please be mindful that staff supervision of the entire building and classrooms does not officially begin until 7:30 A.M. As a result, students will not be allowed to enter the building before 7:30 A.M. unless there are extenuating circumstances approved by their assistant principal. Please see the back of this letter for important information regarding the procedure for dropping students off in the morning and school supplies your child will need. Backpacks, book bags, string bags and gym bags may be brought to school but may not be carried during the school day. Upon entering the building, backpacks, book bags, string bags and gym bags must be placed in student lockers. Appropriate times throughout the day will be provided for students to have access to their personal belongings in their locker. During the first week of school, your daughter/son will receive a class schedule, a Student and Family Agenda Book, a health registration form, free/reduced lunch application, a Wareham Public Schools District Handbook, and other important documents. Please take time to complete the forms that need to be returned by Friday, September 9th and most importantly to review the Student and Family Agenda Book and the Wareham Public School District Handbook with your child. Please sign and return the form indicating that you have received both of these documents. The first meeting of our Parent Teacher Association will be on Monday, September 12th at 7:00 P.M. in the library of Wareham Middle School. Enjoy the remaining days of summer. Sincerely,

Howard Gilmore HG:jb

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please Note: Between 7:25 A.M. and 7:40 A.M., all parents/guardians who are dropping of their child must do so at or near the Auditorium/Gymnasium entrance to the middle school (door # 9). This entrance is located close to the Town Hall parking lot. Parents dropping off their child should use the driveway between the basketball courts and the Multi Service Center which directly leads to the student drop off area. Parents should then exit via the driveway near the Multi Service Center. Staff will continue to monitor Viking Drive and the student drop off area to ensure student/parent safety. All large busses will unload at the front entrance to the middle school. Special Education buses will unload near the student drop-off area. Any student being dropped off after 7:40 A.M. must use the main entrance to the school. Insurance: Student insurance information will not be sent home. Parents wanting to enroll in the Student Insurance Program are directed to the Wareham Public School website for further information and directions for enrolling your child.

SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST DOUGLASS HOUSE Pencils/pens (blue or black) /erasers Colored pencils Highlighters Two (2) one subject spiral notebooks Wooden ruler Large binder with Velcro or zipper trapper keeper One (1) composition notebook Four (4) two pocket folders Suggested: Hand held pencil sharpener FRANKLIN HOUSE Pencils/pens/erasers Colored pencils Highlighters One (1) 1 3 ring binder Filler paper Five (5) 2 pocket folders for English and Integrated Arts Suggested: Hand held pencil sharpener NOBEL HOUSE Pencils/pens/erasers Colored pencils Highlighters Three (3) 1 ring binder (three different colors are helpful) Filler paper One (1) two pocket folder Eight (8) dividers Three (3) spiral bound one subject notebook

The building will be open on Wednesday, August 24th from 11:00 A.M. 1:00 P.M. for incoming grade 6 students and parents and students new to Wareham Middle School and parents to informally tour the building. Student Council members and representatives of our Parent Teacher Association will also be in attendance. Maps of the building with room numbers will be available in the main lobby.