October 2026 Dragon Digest

Dear DeSana Families,

As autumn arrives, we are excited for all that October brings to DeSana Middle School! Our students are fully settled into their daily routines, working hard, and making great progress as we approach the end of the first quarter.

October is always a busy month filled with key updates, the transition to Quarter 2, parent-teacher conferences, and exciting campus activities. Please take a few moments to review the dates and announcements in this newsletter so you can stay connected with everything happening at school.

I hope you enjoy your Fall Break!

Sincerely,

Principal Sargent

• September 28th - October 2nd - FALL BREAK
• September 15th - October 15th - Hispanic Heritage Month
• October 6th - Football vs South Forsyth 7:00pm at Denmark
• October 8th - 6th Grade Field Trip to Denmark Homecoming Parade
• October 12th - 15th - 7th Grade Field Trip to JA Finance
• October 13th - 8th Grade Band Concert 7:00pm @ DMS
• October 13th - Quarter One Ends
• October 14th - Quarter Two Begins
• October 15th - 7th Grade Band Concert 7:00pm @ DMS
• October 16th - Digital Learning Day & Parent - Teacher Conferences
• October 19th - Student Holiday
• October 20th - 8th Grade Field Trip Pathway Motive8 to Denmark
• October 23rd - 8th Grade Field Trip Pathway Motive8 to Denmark
• October 26th - Picture Day (save the date)
• Oct 27th -30th - Book Fair

PBIS at DeSana: Celebrating Positive Choices

Our Dragons have been doing an amazing job following the Dragon Way, and we have some exciting news—all three grade levels have earned our Halloween Dress-Up Day on Friday, October 30th! Students have been working hard to earn Thunder Tokens by demonstrating our schoolwide expectations:

🐲 Be Prepared
🐲 Be Respectful
🐲 Be Safe

The totals are impressive! 6th grade has earned 1,757 tokens, 7th grade has earned 1,786, and 8th grade is leading the way with 2,948!

Keep showing the Dragon Way, keep earning those Thunder Tokens, and let’s keep the positive momentum going! ⚡🐲

Our 6th grade students have the opportunity to attend the Denmark High School Homecoming Parade on Thursday, October 8th, 2026.

Students will ride buses from DeSana Middle School to Denmark that morning. Students will load buses around 9:15am. We will be off campus for approximately two hours and will return in time for lunch. If you do not want your child to attend, please complete the form linked here so we can arrange for your child to remain at DeSana during the field trip.

*Please note that if students arrive at DeSana after 9:10am, they will remain in the media center until the grade level returns. Parents may not drop students off directly at Denmark High School.

7th grade students will be visiting the Junior Achievement Center in October, and everyone is excited about this field trip! Students will spend the day learning about and working with personal finance.

Please make sure your child arrives at school on time on the day they are scheduled to attend. We will return to school by 3:00 p.m. Students may not be checked out from the Junior Achievement Center during the field trip.

Your child’s field trip date is based on their Social Studies teacher:

• Harrison: October 12th
• Dooley: October 13th
• Rutkowski: October 14th
• Kamara: October 15th

On Friday, October 16th, students will participate in a digital learning day from home while teachers conduct parent-teacher conferences.

It is important for families to understand that, unlike in elementary school, middle school does not schedule a parent-teacher conference for every student. Conferences are held selectively and are intended for students whose academic progress or classroom behavior may benefit from a focused conversation between teachers and families.

Over the next few weeks, teachers will begin reaching out to families they believe would benefit from a conference. If you do not receive communication from your child’s teacher regarding a conference, it means your child is currently making expected academic progress and there are no significant concerns to address.

As always, families are welcome to request a conference at any time during the school year if they have questions or would like to discuss their child’s progress.

Nine-Week Progress Reports for all students will be available on Parent Portal beginning Friday, October 16th. We will not be sending home a hard copy of progress reports. If you have not signed up to have Parent Portal Access, please visit the following website: Parent Portal FAQ.

Your child’s Nine-Week Progress Report is an excellent marker for the half-way point for the first semester. The Nine Week Progress Report is not the final grade for the semester. The final grade for the semester occurs at the 18 weeks in December. The Nine Week Progress Report will show your child’s formative average, summative average, and their present course average for each academic course. In addition, you will also see your child’s absences for each course.

Progress reports will also include your child’s work habits. For secondary students (grades 6-12), work habits are on a 3 point scale. Please do not be alarmed if your child received a “2” for their work habits. If your child received a score of “2” from their teacher for their work habits, that means they are progressing as expected.

8th grade students will take a field trip to Denmark High School on either October 20th or 23rd for the Pathway Motive8 event. This is an opportunity for them to get guided tours of the school, meet the administrators at Denmark, and see the career pathway offerings at Denmark. Students will be divided into two groups based on their Connect & Thrive teacher. 8th grade students will ride the bus from DeSana Middle School to Denmark on their assigned day and will be off campus for approximately two hours, returning in time for lunch. Since all students are scheduled to go, there is no paperwork needed from parents.

Details such as exact times and which day your student will attend will be shared after fall break.

Students will take midterm exams in their five core classes December 15th–17th. Midterms will count as a summative grade, and there will be no re-take option.

A detailed midterm schedule will be shared through our school messenger system and posted on our social media pages as we get closer to the testing window. It is very important for students to be present for these exams, as they are a significant part of the grading process. Please review the schedule carefully once it is released to ensure your student is present for all midterms. Students may not check out during the middle of a testing period.

If a student is absent during midterms, the exam will be marked as “missing” and temporarily calculated as a zero in the gradebook. Students will have the opportunity to make up missed exams during the school day on December 18th, the last day of the semester.

If a student cannot attend on December 18th, they will receive an incomplete for that course and will need to make up the exam on January 4th, 2027, beginning at 9:00am.

Each year we receive inquiries from families regarding travel and absences during the month of December. Please note that traveling is not an excused absence from school. Students who accumulate 10 or more consecutive unexcused absences will be withdrawn from school. Following withdrawal, we cannot guarantee that your child will have the same classes and teachers when they are re-enrolled. Please direct any attendance related questions to Ms. Julie Adams at juadams@forsyth.k12.ga.us.

The Place Holiday House provides holiday gift assistance for Forsyth County families who may need additional support during the holiday season. Please review the linked Holiday House flyer for current registration, location, and eligibility details, and share this resource with families who may benefit.

The Place Holiday House Flyer English

The Place Holiday House Flyer Spanish

Here’s what you need to know!

The DeSana Birthday Club is ready to celebrate your student! Make their birthday extra special with birthday recognition, a goodie bag, lunch in the MLC with two friends, and more—all while supporting our school’s literacy goals by adding a book to our collection. Sign up your student HERE. Payment may be sent in or made through SchoolPay.

MLC Hangout Time each morning has been a huge success with books, games, Legos and a comfy space available for students every day from 8:15am - every morning except Thursdays.

Parent Volunteers! Helping in the MLC is a great way to support the school and stay involved 😀 If interested, please complete this FORM, and Mrs. Bryson will be in touch! We are particularly looking for afternoons on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.

Students may have up to 5 titles checked out from the MLC. We do not charge late fees, but once a book has been overdue for 14+ days, it will then be marked as lost, and you will see a fine in SchoolPay. You may return the book and avoid the fine 😊

When do students have access to books? Before school every day but

Thursday. During Thrive every day. During reading classes for those who have them. All teachers also have specific MLC passes should there be a need or any down time in class.

MLC Dates for Students to Watch Out For!

• Do Something Nice Day - Oct 5

• Harry Potter Book Day - Oct 8

• Make a Dog’s Day’s - Oct 22

• Book Fair Preview Day with Reading Classes - Oct 26

• Book Fair - Oct 27-30. Check your students’ Canvas page & PTO communication for information. Volunteer HERE.

Our world-famous lollipop board will be at the Book Fair! Each lollipop is $1.00 - and each lollipop will get you a different prize - 3 students each day will win $5.00 gift cards! Start saving your dollars - cash only!

Plan Ahead!

• A Night at the MLC - Hunger Games theme coming soon! November 6 - 4:30pm - 7:00pm. There will be a $5.00 charge on SchoolPay to cover the cost of pizza. Maximum of 30 students.

• Holiday at Hogwarts - December 4 - 430pm - 7:00pm. Holiday fun with a Harry Potter theme! There will be a $5.00 charge on SchoolPay to cover the cost of pizza. Maximum of 30 students.

Keep Up with the News…

Please have your students visit the student information course on Canvas to stay up-to-date. They can also message Mrs. Bryson via Canvas with any questions.

🎉Amazing Things Are Happening in the MLC🎉

Want to celebrate our amazing teachers and staff members?

Use this link to give a shout-out! Your kind words go a long way in spreading positivity and showing appreciation for the hard work our staff puts in every day.

What's New with the PTO?

Dragon Spirit Store is Here 🐉: You asked, we listened! Our **NEW online Spirit Store** is now open. Order your Dragon gear online, and once the minimum is reached, orders will be delivered to school and sent home with your child in a few months. Shop the Spirit Store by clicking here.https://spirithero.com/collections/desana-middle-school-spirit-wear-2026-27

8th Grade Yard Sign: This year, we’re opening our 8th Grade Yard Sign Sale early so we have plenty of time to order and receive signs for our precious 8th graders during this special, eventful year. Order Here.

Donut Day, October 9: Our third Donut Day of the year is coming up. Donuts are $2 each (cash only) before the morning bell.
We now have TWO locations for quicker service—in front of the cafe entrance and by the bus line!Grab a donut and start your day the Dragon way! 🐉🍩

Membership: Joining the PTO gives you an opportunity to give back to our school and help build a community of learning, fun and support to our students and staff. Click HERE to join PTO today!

Lunch Duty: Sign up for Lunch Duty and help support our staff while getting a fun glimpse into the school day on Friday, September 18. Even a little of your time makes a big difference. Sign up for a shift today!

Volunteers Needed for the Book Fair Oct 26th-30th
We’re looking for PTO volunteers to help out at the Book Fair, October 26th-30th at the MLC. What better way to give back than by helping students discover their next favorite book and celebrating the joys of reading?

From picture books to page-turners, the Book Fair is always a magical time for kids — and you can be part of making that happen!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044AAFAF29A2F94-58707684-desana

Kroger Community Rewards

Do you or someone you know shop at Kroger? Link your Kroger account to our organization and Kroger will donate a percentage of your purchases back to the school — at no extra cost to you!

Make sure you have an active Kroger digital account.

1)Follow this link to set up your account.

2)Search and select DeSana Dragons PTO, Inc. as your organization.

3) If you're using the Kroger app click on my info > Rewards > Community Rewards > Search for organization> Desana Dragons PTO

It’s quick, easy, and helps our school every time you shop.

Sponsorship: Do you have a business or organization that can sponsor an event, activity, or monthly teacher treat for our school? Corporate and small business donations and sponsorships are a fantastic way to advertise your business, while giving back to our school. If you would like to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at desanadragonspto@gmail.com.

Stay Connected with Us
The easiest way to stay in the loop on all things PTO—events, reminders, photos, and more—is by following us on Facebook. We post regularly and would love for you to join our online community!
Follow us HERE, Make sure you're following our page so you don’t miss a thing!

DeSana Dragons PTO Membership

The DeSana Dragons PTO supports the education of students at DeSana Middle School by fostering relationships among the school, parents, and teachers.

2026–2027 Family PTO Membership Levels:

• Bronze Dragons – $35
• Silver Dragons – $100: Includes your family’s name in the PTO newsletter.
• Gold Dragons – $200: Includes the Silver package, your family’s name on a banner, and a car magnet.
• Platinum Dragons – $300: Includes the Gold package plus four free tickets to one Dragons football home game.

Click HERE to join PTO

Together We Can Do Great Things!

Basketball season is almost here! Students interested in trying out for the DeSana Dragons Basketball Team should make note of the following dates and times:

Girls Tryouts
October 12 & 13
4:45–6:15 p.m.

Please email Coach Russell at f44812 @fosythk12.org with any questions.

Boys Tryouts
October 20 & 21
7th Grade: 4:45–5:45 p.m.
8th Grade: 5:45–6:45 p.m.

Please email Coach Nash at SNash@forsythk12.org with any questions.

Important: All students must have a current physical uploaded to DragonFly by October 7 in order to try out. No exceptions.