DKMS Newsletter

Happy Friday Panther families! It was another great week here at the middle school!

I wanted to give a huge shout out to all of our students and staff for getting through our first day of testing! I know it is not everyone's favorite thing to do, but everyone took their time and tried their best. Our second day of testing will be Wednesday April 29, 2026. Testing will begin around 9:30 am and go until about noon. It is important that students:

• Get a good night's rest
• Charge their Chromebook
• Attend school
• Bring their charged Chromebook and charger to school
• Eat breakfast either at home or at school
• Try their best!

April is ending and as we get into the month of May, there are lots of school activties happening. Please make sure you are checking the newsletter, emails, and papers that come home for important information about dates, times and locations.

Finally, I want to send out a reminder to our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade parents about year end field trips. Please check paper work about dates, payment, and eligibility expectations. If students do not meet the eligibility requirements they will not be able to go. It's important students stay focused and finish the year strong! If you are in need of financial assistance with field trips, please reach out to the middle school office at (269) 623-1540.

As always, I would like to thank the students, staff, families, and community for all of their hard work and support. Hopefully the bad weather and power outages are behind us. Whatever comes our way, we will persevere! Have a great weekend!

It's a great day to be a PANTHER!!!

Thank you,

DKMS Principal and District McKinney-Vento Liaison

Delton Kellogg Middle School

6325 Delton Rd

Delton, MI 49046

Office Phone: (269) 623-1544

Work Cell: (269) 297-1256

Monday, May 25th- No School Staff or Students - Memorial Day!

Wednesday, May 27th - 6th grade Chicago Field Trip

Thursday, May 28th- 7th and 8th grade Michigan Adventure Field Trip

Tuesday, June 2nd - Half Day Students- Dismissal 11:30 am

Wednesday, June 3rd - Half Day Students - Dismissal 11:30 am

Thursday, June 4th - Last Day of School - Half Day - Dismissal 11:30 am

A big congratulations to both last week’s and this week’s Panther Paw winners! These Panthers continue to shine by being Safe, Kind, Respectful, and Responsible each day. Our Panther Paw winners are leading by example and making a positive impact in our school.

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day is on Tuesday, April 28th this year. This is a special day to thank our bus drivers for working hard and helping students get to and from school safely each day.

The Delton PTO recently had students interview bus drivers to learn more about them and help celebrate them. Some of this fun information will be shared on social media by the PTO.

Students have also been writing thank-you notes and letters for their bus drivers to show their appreciation. If you see a bus driver on April 28, be sure to thank them for all they do for our students and families each day.

Mr. Fleser’s 8th grade science students explored chemical reactions through a fun lab using hydrogen and oxygen.

Students tested different ratios of the two gases to see how each mixture reacted when ignited. They focused on measuring the relative loudness of each “boom” as a way to understand how much energy was released.

Through this activity, students learned that the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen matters. By comparing their results, students figured out which mixture made the biggest “boom” and connected it back to balancing chemical equations.

Ms. Susan Renee hosted a pizza party after school on Thursday to celebrate a successful Theater Club season with the cast, crew, and high school backstage team. It was a fun way to recognize all of the hard work that went into this year’s production of Beauty and the Beast Jr.

The show was a joy to watch, and our Theater Club students did an outstanding job both on stage and behind the scenes. Members also took time to write thank-you cards for everyone who helped make the production such a success, including those who worked quietly in the background.

Ms. Renee is already looking forward to next year and hopes to continue growing the program with even more students getting involved and excited to join!

This week, the Barry County Substance Abuse Task Force visited Mrs. Ingles’ 8th grade Health classes to present important information about substance use and its impact on overall health. They will return for one final day next week to finish up their presentations with students.

During these sessions, students learned about:

• Alcohol addiction
• Nicotine addiction
• Marijuana addiction

Students also discussed how these substances can affect the brain, body, decision-making, relationships, and long-term health.

These lessons provide students with factual, age-appropriate information to help them make healthy and informed choices. We appreciate the Barry County Substance Abuse Task Force for partnering with our school and sharing this valuable learning opportunity with our students.

Students have been enjoying the warmer spring weather during recess and outdoor class time. After a long winter, these sunny days have been a welcome change. It has been great to see so many smiles as students have fun and can finally enjoy the fresh air!

Mrs. Estep captured a fun photo on Friday, April 24, with two of her birthday buddies, Brayden Reynolds and Austin Roach! Sharing the same birthday makes for a great reason to get a picture together. Happy Birthday to all three of them!

Parents and guardians who plan to volunteer or chaperone on upcoming field trips must have a completed volunteer form on file before attending. For student safety, all forms must be submitted and approved prior to the trip.

Please turn in completed volunteer forms to the school office as soon as possible to ensure everything is ready before field trip day. If you have questions or need a form, feel free to contact the office or find a printable form below.

Thank you for supporting our students and helping make field trips safe and successful!

Please email tiffany.haines@dkschools.org if you need your student or staff ID #.

Please check event link for all updates and changes.

* Eventlink.com is where information for athletic events and facility usage can be found. Tickets and season passes can be purchased through Eventlink, and you are able to customize your experience by choosing which sports you would like communications from.

* Finalforms.com is where physicals and other important documents should go. These documents can be uploaded by your phone by taking a picture of the document.

* The Athletic Department would prefer all pay to participate payments go through this virtual portal for all Middle School and High School athletes.

Pay to Participate Fees can be paid HERE

PDF of Sports Participation Fees

* Hudl.com is where fans can subscribe to watch live streams of home events that occur at the turf stadium or the High School main gymnasium.

Click here to visit the Delton Hudl Fan Account

* You can also stay up to date with our new athletics social media accounts:

Facebook: Delton Kellogg Athletics

Instagram: DKpanthers

Twitter (X): DKpanthers

Tentative Kickstart Deposit days at DKMS:

Lost and Found items will be retained for 30 days. After which, they will be donated locally. If you have a student that is missing something, please ask them to check the lost and found shelf, located near the entrance to the cafeteria. If you would like to claim an item, please stop by the middle school office Mon-Fri 7:30 - 3:30.

Email: tammy.whitmore@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1541

Email: julie.gorter@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542