Happy Friday, DKMS families! It has been another great week here at the middle school.

With Thanksgiving next week, I want to share a few things schedule wise with you:

• Monday November 25th and Tuesday November 26th are both full days of school.
• Students do not have school Wednesday November 27th, Thursday November 28th, or Friday November 29th.
• The second trimester starts Monday December 2nd, which means students will start their T2 RASL class on 12/2. If they do not know what that class is, that information is on PowerSchool.

With winter temperatures and weather finally upon us, I would like to remind both parents and students that all of our students go outside for recess every day. The only two exceptions to that is when it is rainy or it is extremely cold (temperatures in the single digits). It is important students wear clothes that will keep them warm outside (coats, hats, gloves, etc.). If your child is in need of outdoor wear, please either contact the middle school office at (269) 623-1541 or email our counselor Sarah Collins at sarah.collins@dkschools.org.

Our Thanksgiving Food Drive will wrap up on Tuesday November 26th. If you and your family are interested in donating some items, we are still in need of this things:

• Rolls
• Butter
• French Onions
• Whipped Topping
• Cranberry Sauce
• Gravy
• Potatoes
• Cream of Mushroom Soup

We thank everyone for their donations, because it allows DKMS to help local families have a happy Thanksgiving meal!

As always I would like to thank our students, staff, families, and community for their hard work and support. The year is moving along fast and I am always amazed at how much our school is able to accomplish and grow academically and socially! Keep up the great work Panthers and have a great weekend!

It's a Great Day to be a Panther!!!

Thank you,

Bobby Tillman

Principal

Delton Kellogg Middle School

6325 Delton Rd

Delton, MI 49046

(269) 623-1541

We’re excited to announce the winners of this year’s Yearbook Cover Drawing Contest! After reviewing many creative entries, two students stood out with their impressive designs!

Congratulations to Aubree Curtis for winning the front cover design! Her artwork perfectly captures the spirit of our school. And congratulations to Nevaeh Brown for her fantastic back cover design, which complements the front so well. Both designs are a wonderful representation of our school's energy and creativity.

We want to thank all students who participated in the contest—your artwork was amazing, and it was tough to choose just two winners!

A big congratulations to our middle school students who raised over $100 for this year’s Walk-a-Thon! Their hard work and dedication to supporting our school truly paid off, and to celebrate, they were treated to a well-deserved pizza party hosted by our PIE (Partners in Education) group.

The event was made even more special by the presence of Dr. Wright, our School Superintendent, and Principal Tillman, who both joined in the fun to celebrate these students for their outstanding efforts.

The Walk-a-Thon fundraiser is an important event that helps raise money for school programs and activities, and these students went above and beyond to support the cause. Thanks to their hard work and the support of our PIE group, we can continue to offer exciting opportunities for all of our students.

Our students have done an amazing job bringing in canned goods and food items for the Thanksgiving Food Drive! Thanks to their generosity, we’ve gathered a large amount of food to help families in need this holiday season.

There's still time to contribute! The drive will continue through Tuesday, November 26th, so don’t forget to bring in any final donations. The homeroom that collects the most canned food items will win a root beer float party, so keep up the great work!

A special shout-out to Mrs. Williams' class, who have already begun packing the boxes to prepare the meals for pick up next week.

Every contribution makes a difference—let’s finish strong and make this Thanksgiving special for those in need!

This week, Mr.Munsell and Mrs. Ingle's students completed their fitness tests in P.E. class. They are thrilled to share some outstanding results!

One of the most challenging events was the PACER Test (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run), which measures how well students can maintain endurance and aerobic capacity. During the test, students run back and forth across the gym, with the pace getting faster as the test continues. One student, Arabelle Allersma came incredibly close to breaking the female school record of 69 laps, running an impressive 64 laps! Amazing job Arabelle!

In addition to the PACER Test, we also had the Push-Up Test, which measures arm and chest strength, and the Sit-Up Test, which focuses on core strength.

These fitness tests are a great way for everyone to measure their progress and set new goals. Congratulations to all of our students for their hard work!

Today each 6th grade classroom participated in a CATCH My Breath vaping education session, presented by a representative from the Barry County Substance Abuse Task Force and a Community Prevention Specialist. During the one-hour session, students learned about the dangers of vaping, nicotine addiction, and the health risks it can cause, including lung damage.

We are grateful to the Barry County Substance Abuse Task Force for their partnership and to our 6th grade teachers for supporting this important educational initiative. Together, we are empowering students to make informed decisions about their health!

Mr. Gailey's 5th grade art class is finishing up their weaving projects, and the results are amazing! Students have been creating colorful woven pieces, each one unique and creative.

Recently, the class has been working on a new project as well —clay wind chimes! Students have been learning how to shape clay and add fun details to make their own wind chimes. These chimes will not only look amazing but will also make charming music when the wind blows.

I have been a part of education for over 20 years, including teaching 5th grade at Delton Kellogg for 5 years. Before that, I taught third grade and college, and have also been a math specialist. I truly enjoy teaching all subjects and love being a part of the educational journey and making learning fun for students.

My husband and I live in the community and plan to attend many after-school activities (sports, dance, band, theater, etc.,). It is amazing to see the different talents students have outside of academics. I enjoy incorporating those interests into the classroom to make our learning more personalized. We have one son who also lives in the community and works near Grand Rapids. We are so proud of all he has accomplished in the medical field.

Most of my students could tell you that some of my favorite things are chocolate and coffee. Many times chocolate is in my coffee. I also enjoy walking in the woods listening to the birds in the trees and relaxing by the water fishing with my husband. My students will also tell you that my favorite animal is a giraffe because a giraffe is tall and can reach the top shelf unlike me. :)

Every accomplishment starts with the desire to try!

This week, our Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) practiced handling a medical emergency involving an unresponsive victim. The team practiced their skills in performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and using the AED machine (Automated External Defibrillator) to restore the victim's heart rhythm.

The members of the MERT team include: Mr. Tillman, Michelle Rhoda, Tammy Whitmore, Sarah Collins, and Dan Phillips, who is also a fireman and medical first responder.

Thanks to the expert training provided by Rhonda Lundquist, RN, our school nurse, the MERT team is ready to respond quickly and effectively when needed.

A big thank you to Rhonda for all she does for us and for keeping our school community safe!

A quick shout-out to Denise Ingle for organizing our Lost and Found! Thank you Denise - we appreciate you!

Please follow and double check with Eventlink and your child's coach to ensure there are no schedule changes.

Thank you!

The athletic department has implemented some new tools and strategies to streamline communication and transparency throughout the department. These new programs should help streamline communication, event ticket purchases and potentially some registrations in the near future.

* 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

Email: tammy.whitmore@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542

Email: brittany.griffith@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542