DMS Delivers

Dear DMS Families,

It is hard to believe that MCAS begin for grade 5 next week. The scheduled testing days continue to be listed in this newsletter, and we truly appreciate your support as we begin our testing season. The data we receive from annual MCAS testing helps us to see how our students/schools are performing compared to schools that are similar to our community. It helps us to identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement through professional development, curriculum resource review, instructional practices and student support. We ask for your support in talking to your child about the importance of doing their best on the MCAS exam.

Over the next week, students should start to prepare for MCAS by ensuring that they have their charger and Chromebook available at school each day. While we will have some loaner devices available, it is always best for students to have their own device, as to mitigate any unnecessary stress on the morning of testing. In addition, it is important that students are ensuring that their Chromebooks are charged at home overnight. We have many students who rely on the classroom to charge their Chromebook, and there are far more students than outlets for charging. We truly appreciate your help with this as we move forward and begin testing over the next few months. In addition, it is important that students get a good night's rest, as well as have some breakfast before they arrive. Students are also able to get their breakfast in the cafeteria, as is typical each morning until 8:10 a.m.

Below you will find information on our Project 351 Clothing Drive, Trimester II Report Cards, Hannafords Helps and an Educational Advocacy Opportunity, as well as further information on a virtual event on Understanding Social Media's Impact on Teens. You will also find various fliers from the community and our March Wellness Newsletter.

Have a great weekend!

• March 25th: Trimester II Report Cards
• March 25th: School Committee Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
• March 26th: Grade 5 ELA MCAS
• March 27th: Grade 5 ELA MCAS
• March 31st: Grades 7 and 8 ELA MCAS
• April 1st: Grades 7 and 8 ELA MCAS
• April 1st: Baseball/Softball at Case
• April 8th: Grade 6 ELA MCAS
• April 8th: Baseball/Softball at Dighton
• April 9th: Grade 6 ELA MCAS
• April 9th: PTO Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
• April 10th: Baseball/Softball at Somerset
• April 15th: Baseball/Softball at Norton
• April 17th: Baseball/Softball at Dighton

Over the next few weeks, our DMS Project 351 Ambassador will be participating in a state-wide community project to help end clothing insecurity.

In conjunction with Cradles to Crayons, she will collect bags of new or gently used clothing and shoes from now through April 11th. The clothing can be worn by anyone of any age (from infants to adults). We ask that they be clean and that the clothes are not inside out, as to ensure we are able to organize them quickly. For those of you who have a child who takes the bus, and would like to drop off items at DMS, our Student Government will be available to collect drop-offs on Thursdays after school until 4 pm.

Thank you in advance for any support that you are able to give to this student- led project.

As a reminder, Trimester II Report Cards will be available on Tuesday, March 25th.

The trimester officially ended today, and students have previously been reminded to check- in with their teachers to ensure that they are up to date with assignments. Families can also check Aspen Parent Portal. If you need support in accessing Aspen Portal, please reach out to the DMS Main Office. However, accounts will not be reset over the weekend.

Please see below for grade level testing dates at DMS. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the DMS Main Office.

ELA

• Grade 5: 3/26 and 3/27
• Grade 7/8: 3/31 and 4/1
• Grade 6: 4/8 and 4/9

STE

• Grade 8: 4/29 and 4/30
• Grade 5: 5/1 and 5/2

Math

• Grade 7/8: 5/6 and 5/7
• Grade 5: 5/13 and 5/14
• Grade 6: 5/15 and 5/16

Civics

• Grade 8: 5/20 and 5/21

Did you know that your grocery shopping can help support the Dighton PTO and our schools? Now through June 7th, qualifying purchases at Hannaford will earn valuable dollars to fund the amazing activities and events the PTO provides.

Check out the list of eligible items here:

2025 Hannaford Helps Schools Shopping List

We are pleased to share that our Superintendent Mr. Bill Runey and Assistant Dr. Fred Souza will join SmartSocial for a LIVE event to help Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District parents understand social media's impact on teens.

Parents and guardians will learn how to better understand the emotional and behavioral impact of TikTok, SnapChat and Instagram, recognize harmful patterns, and get practical steps and dialogue starters to help your child use social media safely and responsibly.

Event: Understand the Impact of Social Media on Teens

When: Thursday, March 27th at 7 PM (ET)

Where: Online - Register Now to reserve your gift card!

The upcoming FY26 budget for the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District presents both opportunities and challenges. While we are not facing the drastic cuts of previous years, this is not a sign of financial stability—rather, it is the result of deep sacrifices already made in FY24 and FY25, when 33 staff positions were slated to be eliminated.

Massachusetts has an opportunity to address this broken system. The proposed bill, SD. 1912, would only require $250,000—out of the state’s $59.6 billion budget—to reconvene the K-12 Funding Review Commission in FY26. Please take a moment to complete the brief petition linked below to show your support for SD. 1912 and other funding initiatives that will help secure the future of our schools.

Petition to support initiatives to improve state funding for D-R can be found by clicking this link.

Resource: Read more about SD. 1912 and other funding initiatives by clicking this link.

If you have a student who is interested in registering, please use this link.

Please be aware that there is limited availability. If you are interested in signing up, we recommend that you do so as soon as possible.

Dear DR Families,

As you may know, Massachusetts now provides free breakfast and lunch for all students across the Commonwealth!

We are encouraging families who may have qualified for the National Free & Reduced School Lunch Program in the past to complete the online application. This helps determine eligibility and ensures that we can continue to offer reduced or waived fees for various programs and activities. When completing the application, please remember to include consent for sharing your status with relevant departments and programs.

Without this qualification and your consent, we will be unable to provide reduced or waived fees.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Dear Families,

We hope this message finds you well. As part of our commitment to maintaining our technology resources, we wanted to inform you about our updated repair fee structure. This will go into effect on October 28, 2024. These fees help us cover the cost of repairs when school-issued devices are damaged due to misuse or carelessness. The fees are divided into three tiers, depending on the extent of the damage:

• Level 1: Charger, Cover (top or bottom), Touchpad, etc- $40
• Level 2: Keyboard, Monitor- $75
• Level 3: Total Loss/Replacement- $300

We encourage students to handle their devices with care to avoid any damage and the associated costs. If a device does require repair, the appropriate fee will be communicated to you along with the steps to resolve the issue.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support in keeping our technology in great condition!

In addition, if your child needs Chromebook repairs, you will receive an email directly from mySchoolBucks regarding payment.