Stoughton's Back To School Primer

The unofficial end of summer has arrived; school is back in session Tuesday, September 6 for grades 1-12. Kindergarten students start Thursday, September 8.

Use this primer to help you get ready for another 180-day school year.

1. 2011-2012 School Calendar

The full calendar for the , including key dates, vacations and early release days is posted .

For those of you who can't wait for next summer to begin, the last day of school, for students in grades K-11, is Tuesday, June 19. The last day when including the built-in five snow days is Tuesday, June 26.

The graduation for the class of 2012 is Thursday, June 7.

2. Attendance Policy Change for the

The Stoughton School Committee changes to the district's attendance policy at a meeting in July.

The policy, in the attempt to create a more uniform set of attendance standards for students grades K-12, limits unexcused absences to no more than 11 per school year, across the district, at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

The revised policy will be in effect at the start of this upcoming school year (2011-2012). Read more about the new policy .

3. September Elementary School Lunch Menu

What's for lunch on Thursday, September 22? We have the answer! The September lunch menu for the elementary schools (, , , , ) is available to view/print by clicking .

As soon as the middle school and high school lunch menus are released, we'll post them on this site as well.

4. School Supplies

Click on the links below to see each school's suggested supply list. It is organized by grade, and in some cases, is organized by specific classroom.

• Dawe Elementary
• Gibbons Elementary (no list posted)
• Hansen Elementary
• South Elementary
• West Elementary
• O'Donnell Middle School
• Stoughton High School (no list posted)

5. "Pathways" Designed to Give O’Donnell Middle School Students a More Well-Rounded Education

A schedule change for this upcoming school year at the will replace structured learning, which is essentially a study hall, with “,” which will offer students enrichment-based learning in core subjects like math, science, English, history, foreign language and physical education/health.

Students who are in band and chorus, or are in an academic lab, will still be able to partake in those activities, as traditionally scheduled.

For more information, click .

6. Minor Tweak to Schedule

Student schedules will be released on the first day of school. The only significant change to the schedule is that numbered days and lettered periods have been replaced with lettered days and number periods (i.e. Period 4 on D-Day, instead of D-Period on Day 4).

For more information, click .

7. Power Outages Give Stoughton High Students Extension on Summer Assignments

Because of last week's power outages caused by Tropical Storm Irene, Stoughton High Principal Matt Colantonio announced he would grant students an extension for required summer work, with the new due date set for Monday, September 12.

For more information, click .

8. Share Your Back to School Photos

Be sure to share your back to school photos with us (your kids waiting at the bus stop, getting on the bus, etc.).

Email any photos to jeffrey.pickette@patch.com and see them posted in a back to school gallery.

And be sure to follow our school coverage all year long on Stoughton Patch! Good luck and have a great school year!