Metter Middle School

CCSD Announcement: Monitoring Helene Helene will impact Georgia overnight Thursday into Friday. Candler County Schools, along with Emergency Management personnel, are monitoring this storm that is expected to be a fast-moving hurricane and will make landfall on the coast of Florida Thursday evening. We will make any decisions about school operations as we know more accurate local weather forecasts for our area. This may be as late as Thursday evening. While we respect the choices of other school districts, our decisions will be made independently, with careful thought given to what’s best for our students and community. If we have school operation changes, we will send out an alert through our website and CCSD app, which also links to Infinite Campus (our registration software, so please make sure you have completed that online at www.metter.org). We will also send an alert to the Metter Advertiser, post on our website, www.metter.org, as well as, post on all social media outlets controlled by the school district. We ask you to make tentative plans in the event that there are changes in school operations. As always, we also we urge you to prepare for a storm's effects such as power outages, etc. Remain alert and be sure to monitor communications from the school district and local media.

The MMS Lady Tigers Softball Team will host the first round of Playoffs for the Southeast Georgia Middle School Softball League. The Lady Tigers' game will be held Tuesday, September 24 at 4 pm at the MHS Softball field against N. Tattnall. Cash admission is $5. No Metter Booster passes will be accepted because this is a playoff game.

The MMS Football Team would like to thank Mr. Doug James at Metter High School / Metter College & Career Academy and his construction class for the awesome job they did on the team's shoulder pad rack. This allows the team more storage in the equipment room and it also allows separation of the shoulder pads in the offseason to properly clean and store them.

The Candler County Board of Education approved the 2025-2026 School Calendar at the Sept 19 Board Meeting. To view the calendar, visit https://5il.co/2x5zm.

The Candler County School District (CCSD) and the Candler County Sheriff’s Office continue to collaborate for the safety of our community’s students, teachers and staff through trainings and drills. Sheriff’s Office personnel, School Resource Officers, Metter Fire Department and the Candler County Emergency Management Agency have been working with the school administrators on planning important safety drills, which include Fire Drills, Weather Drills, and Intruder Drills. Fire Drills are planned once a month, while Weather Drills are scheduled depending on the season. An Intruder Drill will be conducted prior to October 1 as required by House Bill 147, which also requires that school systems conduct at least one each school year. “While these types of events are extremely rare nationwide, our focus remains on the safety of our children and staff and we want to be prepared in the best way possible for any event that might occur,” says CCSD Superintendent Bubba Longgrear. Fire and EMA, along with School Resource Officers, will conduct the Fire and Weather Drills. The Candler County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting the Intruder Drill and have trained school staff on best practices in order to keep themselves and their students safe. “We want to inform the community that this is a drill and there is no reason to be alarmed,” says Sheriff John Miles. “Our deputies will be on campus to conduct the drill and to evaluate procedures so we know we are prepared for any emergency.” Candler County School District works daily to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff. In the event of an actual emergency, school administrators will work in collaboration with the Candler County Emergency Management Agency, the Candler County Sheriff’s Office and other emergency management personnel. In the event of an actual emergency, parents can obtain information about their child’s school by downloading the Candler County School District app on cell phones to receive notifications from the school, checking the school website, following the school on social media, as well as, accepting phone calls from the school’s automated phone system. “When the actual drill takes place, our communications team will send alerts through the website, the app, and social media, just as they would in a true emergency,” says Longgrear. “We ask parents to avoid coming to the school to ‘check on your child’ in this drill or in a real emergency. One concern noted by professionals with an event like this is that when people start racing to the school it interferes with the number of officers who can deal with the actual situation because officers are then needed to manage crowd control and secure the building from visitors." The Candler County School District would like to thank all of the local emergency agencies for their proactive approach to school and community safety.

ESOL Parent Night! Thursday, September 19 at 6 pm at the K8 Complex Noche para padres de alumnos de ESOL: jueves 19 de septiembre a las 6:00 p. m. en el complejo K8 Learn what it means to be an English learner and how you can support your child (children who are learning English at school. Videos and resources will be available in English and Spanish. Información Sobre lo que Significa ser un estudiante de inglés y cómo puede apoyar a sus hijos que están aprendiendo inglés en la escuela. Los videos y recursos estarán disponibles en inglés y español.

The deadline for the required online registration for your child is quickly approaching (this is the typical "first day of school packet" but all rolled up into one electronic file, which can include siblings as well)! Online Registration Link for Returning Students is https://candlerga.infinitecampus.org/campus/K12_Custom/cParent/index.jsp?appName=candler&fbclid=IwY2xjawETtIdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbD6xgsR5nQnxsQ8MZjHC-wsRTg8ngChW1rO3Tk5bOek5Ow6W2Kh6X2z-w_aem_vo5FnyRMOCVK8Z8clvzAwg If you need support, please email icsupport@metter.org.

Apply today for the MMS Junior Beta Club! Applications are due Friday, September 13. Application can be downloaded here: https://5il.co/2wevu

Each year, the Candler County Education Foundation makes a tremendous impact by awarding grants to our dedicated teachers and staff. These grants, totaling over $38,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year, empower our educators to create innovative learning opportunities or strengthen academic programs that enrich the lives of our students. Here are just a few examples of the grants awarded: MES for the Lego Robotics Competition MES for the Math Mania Competition MMS for the Robotics set, Engage Club, and Jr. Beta Club MMS for the Amazing Shake Competition MHS for the Science Olympiad MHS for the Performing Arts Conference MCCA for Forklift Training These initiatives are made possible through contributions from our own staff via monthly payroll deductions and generous donations from our community members. Learn more about grants or how to donate here: https://www.metter.org/page/candler-county-ed-foundation

This morning, a post on a popular social media platform mentioned a "targeted" list of schools, which led to some confusion among students at the high school. A student then "googled" a "List of targeted schools" found a Title 1 Targeted Schools list, which included Candler County because it is a Title 1 school system. Unfortunately, the student misunderstood the information and shared it, causing unnecessary concern at the school. Candler County Sheriff Office deputies arrived quickly and confirmed that there was no cause for alarm. We urge you to talk with your children about the potential consequences of spreading unverified information. Such rumors can cause undue panic and disrupt our learning environment. We appreciate your support in helping to maintain a safe and focused school atmosphere.

Our Elementary and Middle School students recently participated in a valuable Bus Evacuation Training led by Ms. T Collins and Mr. Lake Blackburn from the Transportation Department. This training equipped students with essential skills for quickly boarding the bus in case of an off-campus evacuation and safely evacuating the bus during an emergency. At Candler County Schools, we are committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff. Regular trainings and drills play a crucial role in our preparedness for any potential emergency. Throughout the school year, we will conduct several drills, including fire drills, weather drills, and an Intruder Drill, which is mandated by House Bill 147 and must be completed by October 1. We encourage parents to discuss these drills with their children to help them understand their importance and to alleviate any concerns. Thank you for your support as we work together to ensure the safety and well-being of our school community.

Metter Middle School will host its 2024-2025 Parent Meeting on Thursday, September 12 at 5 pm. Please join us at this annual Title 1 Meeting to hear what we have planned for a great school year!

🚩No active shooter situation in Candler County!🚩 Early this morning, there was a potential active shooter situation reported in Barrow County. One of our students mistakenly saw the Barrow County Tiger mascot and thought it was the Metter High School Tiger and contacted the school administrators, prompting Candler County Schools to go on a "soft lockdown" while we confirmed the situation. We want to reassure everyone that our priority is the safety and security of our students and staff. We take these situations very seriously and are committed to keeping our community informed. Candler County Sheriff's Office was on school property and verified that the situation was not in our county and we appreciate their swift response. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation and we will keep Barrow County Schools in our thoughts.

Candler County Schools name Mrs. Ashlee Lott as the District Teacher of the Year! Mrs. Ashlee is a PIP teacher at Metter Elementary School! Congratulations!

Monday, September 2 (Labor Day) is a school holiday for students and staff. Tuesday, September 3 is a Professional Learning Day for staff, but a holiday for students. Students return to school on Wednesday, September 4. Have a great long weekend!

Athletic cancellations: MHS Softball vs. Islands for Wed, August 28 cancelled. MHS JV Football vs. Claxton for Thurs, Aug 29 cancelled.

🏈🎉 Game Day Operations We're thrilled to kick off our first home game of the season this Friday, August 23! The Tigers are ready to roar, and we can't wait to see you there cheering them on. This year, parking will be a bit different due to the construction of our new Metter College & Career Academy (and a new parking lot—no worries!). Please check out the map we’ve provided to find the best parking options. We kindly ask everyone to follow both the parking and stadium rules to ensure a fun and safe Football Friday Night for all. See you at the game, and let’s make it an unforgettable night! 🐅🏟️ Thank you! 🙌 #traditionliveson #WINatEVERYTHING

Today's (Tuesday, August 20) MMS Softball game has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict.

Thank you for your patience as we worked through the changes to our drop-off and pick-up locations. We're happy to share that Oak Tree is now open, and we are returning to our regular drop-off and pick-up procedures effective the afternoon of 8/8 (today). We appreciate your support and cooperation during this time. We would like to encourage those with K-5th graders to use the Pond Entrance for better flow of traffic.

🚨 **Candler County Emergency Management: Damage Assessments Needed!** 🚨 Did the recent storm damage your property or structures? This could be trees in homes, flooded homes, etc. We need your help to assess the damage and seek individual assistance from FEMA. **How to Report Damage:** 📱 **Text** us at **912-844-0269** 📧 **Email** us at **damage.ema@candlersheriff.com** 📞 **Call** CCSO dispatch at **912-685-2568** Please include your name, address, and telephone number in your report. EMA Director Justin Wells will receive this information.