DKMS Newsletter

Start Time: 7:55 am

Regular Dismissal : 2:50 pm

Half-Day Dismissal: 11:30 am

Happy Friday DKMS Families. It was another great week here in the middle school.

As we get into fall and colder weather I just wanted to remind you that if your child is going to miss school, please call our attendance line at (269) 623-1540 and leave a message. Absences will be excused if you bring in a doctor's note or documentation about an appointment (doctor, dentist, physical therapy, or therapy). Also, if you are dropping off your child after 7:55 am, please come into the office and sign them in.

Parent Teacher conferences will be held on Tuesday October 14th from 1:00 pm to 5:00pm and on Tuesday October 21st from 2:00pm to 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. We would love to meet with you in-person, but we also can make phone or virtual conferences work as well. Please select a teacher's link below and schedule your conference:

5th Grade

Carlson: Letter

Fawcett: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4BAFA822A0FFC07-59202679-fall

Estep: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094FAAAF28A3F9C52-59202657-estep

6th Grade

Lillibridge: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9A92CA4F5CE9-59065295-2025

Merrick: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F4EA8AB2BA7F94-59202673-2025

SanInocencio: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0F4AACAA28A6F58-59224605-saninocencio

Williams: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9AC29A4FEC52-59071572-fall

7th Grade

Eastway 10/14: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EA4AB2DA3FDC43-59241066-eastway

10/21: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EA4AB2DA3FDC43-59241952-eastway

Ferguson Email: jennifer.ferguson@dkschools.org

Fleser: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9AC29A6F4C70-59247686-fleser

Phillips: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0D4FA9A829A4F85-59255727-phillips

Podolan: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094FA9AF2BA2F5C70-59255256-mrs

Weldon: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9AC29A3FACE9-59213825-fall

Williams: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9AC29A4FEC52-59071572-fall

8th Grade

Fleser: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9AC29A6F4C70-59247686-fleser

Ingle: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AABAF29A2F9C07-59130053-ingle

Mosebach: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA8A62CABFDC34-59161046-october

Tyner: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F48AEAA2EA0FA7-59122600-202526

Weldon: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9AC29A3FACE9-59213825-fall

RASL

Bates Email: ryan.bates@dkschools.org

Ferguson Email: jennifer.ferguson@dkschools.org

Fleser: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA9AC29A6F4C70-59247686-fleser

Gailey: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0845A4A82AA2FFCF8-59243120-middle

Ingle: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AABAF29A2F9C07-59130053-ingle

Ludwig: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EACA92DA0FCCE9-59045354-leadworthy

Knight: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4EABA829A5FD0-59032624-knight#/

Martin: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0845A4A62DA4F5C43-45837573-5thand

Munsell: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0845A4A92AABFBCF8-59250205-october

As always I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and support. We had many policy changes coming into this year (grades, cell phones, passes, etc.) that can be found in the DKMS Student Handbook. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the school at (269) 623-1540 or by emailing me at bobby.tillman@dkschools.org. We are here to answer your questions or get you the information you need. Have a great weekend!

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

Tuesday, October 14th--Lifetouch Picture Retake Day (Time 8:30-10:00 am) Half day - Student release at 11:30 am Parent/Teacher Conferences- 1pm to 5pm

Tuesday, October 21st- Parent / Teacher Conferences- 2pm to 4pm & 5pm to 8 pm

Friday, October 24th - Last day of the First Quarter

A big shoutout to this week’s Panther Paw drawing winners! These students were recognized for showing what it means to be Safe, Kind, Respectful, and Responsible (SK2R). As a reward, they got to enjoy a sweet treat of their choice. Way to go, Panthers — keep leading by example! 🐾

Congratulations to our DKMS 6th grade student who won the PIE (Partners in Education) Walkathon T-shirt Design Contest! His original design will be featured on this year’s Walkathon shirts. Amazing job Declan! We can’t wait to see everyone wearing your design!

Mr. Gailey’s 5th grade art class is having fun exploring chalk and soft pastels as they create colorful and creative artwork. Their pieces are turning out beautifully and really show off their talent!

In Mr. Weldon’s history class, 8th graders wrote their own “Declarations of Independence,” declaring freedom from things they feel they should be free from—like homework, dress codes, and more. After writing their declarations, students went around the school gathering support, asking other teachers and staff members to sign if they agreed with their ideas. This assignment is a great way for students to connect history lessons to real-life creativity and teamwork.

This week in Mr. Fleser’s science class, students explored Newton’s Laws of Motion using three different types of marbles. They measured speed and force to see how size and weight affect movement. It was a fun way to learn more about how things move.

In Mr. Phillips’ science class, students have been making and revising hypotheses as they worked to create the colors of the rainbow. Using the metric system for accurate measurements, they explored how different combinations and amounts can affect the results.

Our students have been able to enjoy our warm fall weather during recess, and it's been great to see. With our new no cell phone policy in effect, students seem to be spending more time socializing during their breaks. This week some of the 7th and 8th graders were playing some old classic games outdoors. It’s great to see them talking, interacting, and really enjoying one another.

Cooper shares a sweet moment with one of our students — a perfect reminder of how powerful connection and kindness can be. We’re so lucky to have him as part of our school community.

Thursday, October 2nd was National Custodian Day, and our PIE (Parents in Education) group helped us celebrate our amazing custodians! To show appreciation for all they do to keep our schools clean and welcoming, PIE treated them to Crumbl cookies—a sweet way to thank them for always picking up our crumbs.

Although September 11 has passed, our 7th grade students wrote poems to honor and remember the day. Some students wanted to share their work, and we’ll be featuring those poems each week in the newsletter. These poems were created in Mrs. Ferguson’s and Mrs. Podolan’s classes. We look forward to sharing a few each week until all have been shared with our school community.

Skyler Higdon

If only

If only i could stop the planes from crashing

From the pain,

The hurt.

If only i could help the people who had loved ones who died

From the tears,

The guilt.

If only i could hold the people who are sad

The people who had loved ones

If only..

Marshall King & Abel Sexton

New York 9/11

If only, If only the plane wasn’t jacked

If only, If only the tower didn’t collapse

If only, if only, red bandanas wasn’t just one

If only, if only, the Pentagon didn't eat up in flames

If only, if only, they didn’t play games

If only, if only, D.C wasn't in aim

If only, If only the smoke didn’t blow

If only, If only the sirens didn’t go

If only, If only the plane didn’t hit

If only, If only the force didn’t quit

If only, If only security didn’t fail

If only, If only the people didn’t bail

Ashlyn Newcastle

If Only

If only the day could have stayed nice,

The horrible tragedy wouldn't haunt people today.

If only The people that passed on that day,

Could've stayed with their families much longer.

Many lives were lost that day.

Many kids lost at least one of their parents.

Many grandparents lost their kids

Many people lost their friends

Many people lost their siblings.

Spiritual Care Consultants provides free, faith-based support for students and families dealing with stress, anxiety, anger, or depression. With a parent consent form, the team connects with families and meets with students at school to offer guidance and help them feel better, focus in class, and succeed. For more information or to sign up, call 269-929-2901, email: vera@spiritualcareconsultants.com, or stop by the school office.

Picture Retake Day is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, from 8:30–10:00 AM. If your student missed Picture Day or would like a retake, this is their opportunity.

Order Online: ybpay.lifetouch.com

Yearbook ID Code: 13316726

Order Deadline: April 10, 2026

Scan the QR code or visit the website to place your order today!

Don’t miss out on a keepsake full of this year’s memories!

Meal accounts & Education and Nutrition forms can be set up at: deltonkellogg.familyportal.cloud Students and staff ID #s will be needed to set-up meal accounts.

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

Families, please remember to complete the 2025–2026 Education and Nutrition Benefits Form. Only one form per family is needed. This helps our school receive important funding and ensures students have access to available meal benefits.

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

Background checks for volunteers are essential to ensure the safety and well-being of students.This helps keep our school environment secure and positive for all students.Therefore in a continued effort to keep our schools as safe as possible, all volunteer parents and community members, as well as classroom visitors, must submit to criminal background checks.Field trip chaperones are also considered volunteers. Visitor and Volunteer Consent forms must be completed each year and should be turned into the middle school office. You can pick up a volunteer form in the office or click below to print one.

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