A Message from the Principal: 

6/15/20

Dear Students and Parents/ Guardians,

This isn’t how I imagined wishing you all off into the summer of 2020, but here we are. To the DMS student body, as I think back to this school year, I am so impressed with all of the hard work and effort you put into your academics each day. Whether it was a contribution to an art show, a research paper, your flour baby projects, or your regular day to day homework activities, you’ve consistently shown up for your academics ready to learn, share your ideas, and grow. That is no small feat, and you should feel very proud of what you accomplished this year!

At the start of the year, Mrs. Coyne talked to each of you about our school year being all about opportunities. You’ve had 180 opportunities to learn new things, to be kind to one other, and to contribute to our community. In our fall assemblies, Mrs. Coyne also talked about the power of “yet”. Please remember that power of “yet” this summer, and as you move into next year. “Yet” means that even if you’re not the best free throw shooter, the best speller, the fastest multiplier, or the strongest reader- you aren’t those things “yet”! Keep trying, keep practicing, and keep improving. This kind of perseverance will serve you well in school and beyond. I also encourage you to keep our school theme this year in mind this summer. Remember, you were a part of embracing the theme “choose kind” this year, and you know that while it isn’t always easy, it is important to “choose kind” with our actions and words, both in person and online, in order to ensure we have a strong and positive community at DMS.

To our 8th graders, congratulations on completing your middle school career! You are a group that impresses me every day, and I know that you will continue on into high school and achieve great things. Your energy, your dedication to your school community, and your willingness to be a part of finding solutions to problems, and improving our school culture will bring great things to DHS, or wherever else you happen to land in your Freshman year. Keep in touch, and be sure to share your successes with us. We are all rooting for you at DMS, and wishing you well!

Lastly, to our families, thank you for your relentless support of your students. Thank you for your partnership as we've navigated this strange and challenging spring. To the students and families, have a wonderful summer! I’ve missed you all so much since our closure, and I look forward to seeing many of you again soon. Be well, take care of yourself, and remember to “choose kind” every day!

There are a number of final announcements in this newsletter, and there are some engaging plans below from each team for students to enjoy this last week. Additionally, it is likely that this summer there will be a number of communications from the district and school level regarding planning for the fall. Usually you wouldn't hear from me until mid-August, but I encourage you to keep an eye out for communications in the next weeks about how school will look next year.

Remaining Materials Collection

Throughout the summer, there will be a table in the vestibule of the DHS entrance where remaining textbooks can be labeled and returned. This drop off area will be available Monday-Friday from 8am-3pm. 

If your student lost the items on the list, families may mail a check for the cost of the item (Duxbury Middle School, 71 Alden Street Duxbury, MA 02332) and the check should be made out to Duxbury Middle School. The price list is below:

Technology Interactions (Tech Ed Class)- $40.00
Math Accelerated Glencoe (7th Grade Math Class)- $92.97
The Giver (English Class)- $9.99
The Westing Game (Writing Class)- $7.99
Animal Farm (English Class)- $9.99
One of Us is Lying (English Class)- $10.99
On the Come Up (English Class)- $18.99
People Like Us (English Class)- $17.00

Summer Work
In an effort to ensure students keep up with their academic skills, each department is providing summer work and enrichment materials for students to use over the summer. Please use the quick link above to access the summer work. 

Tech Support for Students:
All students and/or parent/guardians should email techsupport@duxbury.k12.ma.us if you need device or application related assistance. Students/parent/guardian should include the following information: student name, school, teacher's name, asset tag number located on the bottom of the device or next to the keyboard on a Chromebook, and description of the issue. The email will automatically start a ticket in our Tech Support System (TSS). 

Interface
I want to remind you all of a resource available to all residents (child, adolescent, adult, senior citizen) in the town of Duxbury is the William James INTERFACE referral service.  The information below is taken directly from their website linked below. Many DHS families have had great success utilizing this service and I would recommend it to anyone in need. 

"The William James INTERFACE Referral Service is a mental health and wellness referral Helpline available Monday through Friday, 9 am -5 pm, at 888-244-6843 (toll free). This is a free, confidential referral service for individuals across the lifespan living in participating communities.  The list of participating communities can be found on Communities Tab above. Callers, from participating communities, are matched with licensed mental health providers from our extensive database, on average, within 2 weeks of their call to INTERFACE. Each referral best meets the location, insurance, and specialty needs of the caller."

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to connect, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Sincerely, 

Sarah McGuire
Principal 
Duxbury Middle School
781-934-7640
smcguire@duxbury.k12.ma.us