The Diley Digest

March

March 4: APEX event begins

March 8: Student schedules for Ridgeview Jr High due/ End of 3rd quarter

March 16: PLSD Community Cultural Festival

March 21: PBIS Quarter 3 Reward

March 25-April 1: Spring Break

The student body is so close to their goal. Last week's data showed 87.7% of our students are participating. In order to get the movie day we need 90%! Three teams are very close for winning the snack for highest accuracy. It is coming down to this last week. Final result will be posted Monday. Last's week's picture is attached. Let's Level Up!!!

Below you will find some resources for i-Ready.

i-Ready Resources

Looking for more information about iReady? Please click on the iReady family support document below:

DMS I-READY FAMILY SUPPORT/RESOURCES

Spanish Version

Nepali Version

Additional Resources:

• Video - I-Ready for families

I-Ready Center for families (different languages available)

We are so grateful for the support of so many! 🫶

Thank you from the bottom of every heart at Diley Middle for

making our @apexleadershipcompany Glow Run such a success to

raise funds for our school. Please share the post with everyone who

pledged and pass on our thanks to them as well. Our school is

better because of you!

Check out our lost and found items: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0c1CDkARw9HIsowqbT6wE2nsw

All items not picked up before spring break will be donated.

Please read the following letter about SB288 and the instruction that will take place in classrooms this spring. Thank you.

March 2024

Dear Families,

In accordance with Ohio SB 288, your child will receive instruction on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention this year. This is a sensitive topic, and we wanted to notify you and provide some important information.

• In accordance with the law, beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, schools are required to provide developmentally appropriate instruction in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention to students in grades K through 6.

• To learn more about this mandate, here is a link to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Child Sexual Abuse Prevention page.

• As a parent or guardian, you may opt your child out of the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention lesson.

For your preview, here is the link to the Fight Child Abuse resource. Fight Child Abuse was selected from an approved list of resources set by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. This approved curriculum was used to design the lesson for our students. Students will be watching videos 1 and 2. 5th-grade students will be completing these activity sheets 5th Grade.pdf. 6th-grade students will be completing these activity sheets 6th Grade.pdf.

If you wish to opt your child out of the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention lesson, please send an email to gina_neilson@plsd.us by Monday, April 1. Your child will be provided with an alternative environment and activity for this portion of the day. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and I will be happy to answer them.

Thank you for your partnership.

Ms. Neilson

School Counselor

gina_neilson@plsd.us

Phone: (614)830-2922

Welcome to the Counselor’s Corner! Every month, the middle school counselors will share a bulletin board with the following information: hot topic, theme, and family resources.

Click here to see February's Bulletin Board: https://rb.gy/l84wrt

Check out the amazing information supplied by our school counselor on our family resource board! You can find everything from student planners to food assistance to information on dealing with stress and anxiety. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/PLSDfamilyresources

This aspect of the newsletter will provide parents and guardians with the building's PBIS initiatives and expectations. PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Throughout the school year, PBIS messages and information will be shared here.

PBIS Challenge:

Students will learn to strive for their passions and learn that anything is possible if the just believe. They will engage in activities that focus on these areas during SEL lessons this quarter. On March 21st we will make sensory bottles for those that meet the criteria.

1. No more than ONE missing assignment in each class.

2. Having no more than ONE assigned ISS consequence

3. And NO OSS consequences

4TH QUARTER

For our 4th quarter our primary focus is on “Gratitude of Attitude”. Students will be actively engaged in lessons that focus on the importance of seeking the positives from every experience and being thankful for all that we have. Through this mindset, we learn that we can use the positives or the negatives of our lives as the foundation on which to build. Choose the positives, and we are on our way toward extraordinary success; choose the negatives, and we embark on path toward disappointment, resentment, and suffering. In lessons, we will guide students to focus on all the things they have, leaving no time to be distracted by what they don’t.

Our last quarter can be a fun quarter, but it can also be stressful too! Students will engage in the OST state tests and in our last diagnostic for iReady. It’s important to check in with your student during this time because they will have so many emotions as they complete these requirements. Some ideas to help your student during this time is having a good breakfast, limiting screen time, getting to bed on time, having their school supplies prepared (chromebook charged, headphones, etc.), and having daily talks about how they are feeling this week. Also, don’t forget to keep it positive, “You’re doing a great job. I know you tried your best.” Those few words can go a long way!

Our 4th quarter incentive will be an outdoor grade level recess with blow up bounce houses and etc.

We need your pictures!!!

Do you have pictures of your students from events this school year (1st day of school, Lynd’s Fruit Farm, spelling bee, etc) send them to our yearbook committee at yearbookdiley@gmail.com.

Click on the picture below to order your yearbook today!

COVID-19 Updated Guidelines

• CDC and ODH updated COVID guidance - Isolation on 3/01/24

• Individuals can return to normal activities when symptoms have been getting better for 24 hours.

• Individuals who had a fever as a symptom can resume normal activities when the fever as a symptom has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines.

• Once the individual returns to normal activities, they should take enhanced precautions for the next five days including:

• Wearing a well-fitting mask when able

• Keeping a distance from others

• Using available test methods to inform individual actions

Respiratory Illness Prevention Guidelines

• Please keep students home when sick. This includes all illnesses such as cold, flu, COVID, and other respiratory infections.

• Additional precautions upon returning to school:

• Physical distancing

• Masking

• Cover your cough and sneeze using your elbow or tissue

• Hand washing - wash with soap and water for 20 second or use hand sanitizer often

The Columbus Crossing Borders Project is an art exhibit and documentary film created to inspire critical thinking, understanding and compassion for the world's refugees and marginalized communities.

Our CommUNITY Cultural Festival will showcase the Columbus Crossing Borders art exhibit which features the work of 34 participating artists who were each asked to create a painting that would "cross borders" into the painting beside it. For example, you may see a sunrise reaching from one painting into the next or perhaps a figure is running between two paintings. These artists have created spaces to allow their works to overlap and integrate, resulting in a cooperative creative community. To view a short Cincinnati TV news feature about the art exhibit: https://vimeo.com/509029709

The "Breathe Free" documentary is a beautiful and thought-provoking film which premiered at the Drexel Theatre in Columbus, Ohio to a sold-out audience. This film is a great watch prior to viewing the Crossing Borders art exhibit in person to get a greater understanding of the project. To view the documentary (50 minutes): https://vimeo.com/480142967/d1a019265d?share=copy

We look forward to you attending, and seeing the Columbus Crossing Borders Project in person at our CommUNITY Cultural Festival on March 16th at Toll Gate Middle School from 10am - 2pm!

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over

Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This will be an exciting celestial

event and we want PLSD students and families to enjoy the day safely.

Pickerington Local Schools are not in session on April 8th, but we want our

students to have the ability to experience a solar eclipse. People within a

124-mile-wide band in the state of Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse

while areas in Ohio that are outside the path of totality will experience a

partial eclipse. The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806. The

next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in the year 2099 so this is an incredible

experience for our students!

In preparation for the upcoming solar eclipse viewing event,

we want to ensure the safety of all our students. As part of

our safety measures, we have purchased solar eclipse

glasses for each PLSD student for viewing purposes.

If you would like to opt-out from receiving the solar eclipse glasses, please fill out the form. Should you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Language Assistance Plan Please click on the links for more infromation.

1. Notice to LEP Parents of Free Language Assistance: (NOLA) poster, NOLA - for use

• Needs to be shared from each schools and classrooms

• Most frequently encountered languages - Spanish and Nepali

2. Eligibility for Assistance - parents or guardians could have a need in any language domain

3. No Special Verification Needed

4. Identification of Parents in Need of Language Assistance and Related Centralized Database

• Families that require language assistance have a Phone flag in IC

• New for 2023-2024 - language questions included in the annual enrollment for all families

5. Reports and Logs Regarding Services to LEP Parents

• The district will maintain a list of who needs language assistance

• The district will maintain reports of assistance provided

Contact information to our PLSD liaisons. See below:

There are a number of ways you can stay up to date on all things Diley.

Follow Diley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMS_Proud?s=20

Follow Principal Koch on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mrerickoch?s=20

Follow our PTSO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2085717574996931

Is social media not your thing? You can find all sorts of information on the Pickerington School District's website located at: https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/

Principal: Eric Koch

Assistant Principal: Amanda Stemm

Secretary: Heather Ferns

Office Assistant: Stacy Gallion

Counselor: Gina Neilson

Nurse: Rhonda Carmel

Health Assistant: Robin May

Email: heather_ferns@plsd.us
Website: https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/diley-middle-school/
Location: 750 Preston Trails Drive, Pickerington, OH, USA
Phone: 614-830-2900
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Diley-Middle-School-401947110003982
Twitter: @DMS_Proud