DKMS Newsletter

Start Time: 7:55 am

Regular Dismissal : 2:50 pm

Half-Day Dismissal: 11:30 am

Happy Friday DKMS families! We had a great week here in the middle school!

Our students and staff did an excellent job getting through our first round of district testing. Our students were able to complete the Star Reading Assessment on Tuesday and the Star Math Assessment on Thursday. We will be using this data to individualize students' learning paths within the Freckle app that students work on during their FLEX class. If your child missed one of the assessments, we will be doing make-up tests next week.

Both students and teachers have settled into their schedules and are beginning to dive into grade-level content in each of their classes. With our students completing their second week of school, I will no longer be approving schedule change requests.

With the beginning of a new school year and some new policies I wanted to review a few about food items:

1. DKMS supports student wellness. We recommend healthy snacks for our students. Energy Drinks (Beverages that contain large doses of caffeine, and other legal stimulants like ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng), are known to have dangerous side effects for children and are not permitted for student consumption on school grounds during the school day (this includes transportation and as a lunch beverage).
2. All beverages need to have the ability to be sealed and spill proof. Open containers are not allowed.
3. Students may only drink water in the classroom, but are allowed to bring juice or soda/pop to lunch if the container can be resealed. Juice boxes or pouches are fine as well.

As questions arise about middle school policies please check our student handbook or contact me via email at bobby.tillman@dkschools.org or phone at (269) 623-1544.

As always I would like to thank our students, staff, families, and community for all of their hard work and support getting our school year started. We have used these two weeks to build strong foundations within our school by creating positive relationships with our students, teaching them our building expectations, and modeling how to be successful in each of their classes. I'm truly excited about where this school year will take us after this great start!

Have a great weekend!

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

Monday, September 29th - Mobile Dentist at the middle school

Tuesday, September 30th - Mobile Dentist at the middle school

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

Responding to this questionnaire is optional. The information collected will support coordination and communication with Tribal Nations and help the district determine its eligibility to apply for additional funding to support Indigenous learners.

If you choose to complete the questionnaire, please print it off and have your child return it to the middle school office by Monday September 29, 2025

Today, students and staff wore their Caleb’s Comeback t-shirts to show support for 6th grader Caleb Poirier.

It was a great way for everyone to come together, show encouragement, and celebrate Caleb’s strength, determination, and positive attitude. Seeing so many people wearing the t-shirts really showed Caleb that our whole school community is behind him.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this day so meaningful!

This year, we are excited to offer Leadworthy as a RASL class to all of our students! Leadworthy is an immersive and hands-on program designed to help students develop personal responsibility, leadership skills, and confidence.

In this class, students will engage in:

• Role-play scenarios to practice real-life decision making

• Group activities that encourage teamwork and collaboration

• Public speaking opportunities to build communication skills

• Projects that foster creativity, problem-solving, and leadership in action

Leadworthy gives students a chance to step into leadership roles, learn how to manage responsibilities, and build skills that will benefit them both in school and beyond.

These classes will be taught by Jen Ferguson and Lisa Ludwig, who bring experience, enthusiasm, and a passion for helping students grow as leaders.

We can’t wait to see our students take charge, explore their potential, and become true Leadworthy leaders!

Cooper, our amazing therapy dog, has been spending time with DKMS students whenever he can! He soaks up all the love, playtime, and scratches from everyone. Whether students stop by for a quick hello, read him a story, or just hang out for a few minutes, Cooper is always ready to bring smiles and a little extra happiness to our school day.

Thanks to Partners In Education (PIE), our middle school library has new books for students to enjoy! Using Scholastic funds from book fairs, PIE provides book crates that help keep our library fresh and full of exciting titles.

A big thank you to PIE for supporting reading at our school!

The Walkathon is the largest fundraiser of the year for Partners In Education (PIE) – and it makes a huge impact on our students and staff!

This donation-based event helps PIE sponsor programs, events, and activities throughout the school year. Here’s the exciting part:
If every elementary and middle school student collects a minimum donation of $50, PIE will reach its total goal of $40,000 for the entire year – without needing any corporate sponsors!

Your donations directly support things like:

• Student enrichment programs

• Special events and activities

• Classroom and teacher support

• Fun celebrations for students and staff

Every dollar makes a difference. Help us reach our goal and make this year’s Walkathon the best one yet!

Homecoming is almost here! Join us on Friday, September 26 for an evening full of Panther Pride. The Homecoming Parade will line up at Faith Methodist Church starting at 4:30 PM and will step off at 5:30 PM. After the parade, head to the football field for the Homecoming Football Game — kickoff is at 7:00 PM, and we’ll crown our Homecoming King & Queen at halftime. Bring the whole family, line the streets, and pack the stands to help us cheer on our Panthers! 🖤🤍❤️

We have some important news about your child’s health!

Our school has arranged for a dentist to come right to the school. The Mobile Dentist will be at DKMS on September 29th and September 30th.

By seeing the in-school dentist, you can keep your child healthy, in school, and learning.

Plus, it’s easy and convenient for you.

Simply go to www.myschooldentist.com to fill out and sign the permission form or print the form below and return it to the school with your child.

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!

Please make sure to complete and return ALL food service forms given out during building open houses. These are important for the funding of our meal programs. (2025-2026 Education and Nutrition Benefit form, special dietary form if your student has food allergies). The Education and Nutrition form may also be filled out online at the meal account address below. ONLY 1 Education and Nutrition Benefit form will need to be filled out per family.

Ala Carte/Snack Items and Staff Meal Accounts:

Any student (MS and HS) and staff who would like to purchase ala carte items, snack items, 2nd

student meals, or adult staff meals must have funds loaded on their meal accounts to make

purchases.

Staff Meal Pricing for 2025-2026 School Year:

Breakfast $3.15

Lunch $5.35

Student 2nd Meal Pricing

Breakfast $1.50

Lunch $3.00

3-year-old Meal Pricing

Breakfast $1.50

Lunch $3.00

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 #.

Meal accounts that were set-up and have leftover funds in previous school years will roll over into this 25-26 school year.

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

We would like to offer your student the opportunity to participate in a program called "Hand2Hand". This program helps provide a student with food for the weekends and is intended for families who currently may be experiencing a financial burden.

Here's how it works: At the end of each week, students who are signed up for Hand2Hand will receive a minimum of 10 food items in a bag. These food items will be a combination of breakfast, snacks, and lunch or dinner items. There is no cost to participate! If you sign your student up to receive Hand2Hand, they will continue to receive the weekend bag of food each week throughout the school year. Bags will be discreetly delivered to your child at school.

If you feel like your child would benefit from this opportunity, please complete the form. (You will need to complete one form for each of your children.) If there comes a point when you no longer need the assistance, alert your school office. It will take at least two weeks to receive your first bag. If you do not receive a bag, please contact your school office.

(Please note: if your student or another family member has food allergies, it will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to check the contents of the bag each week to ensure the food doesn't contain ingredients which could cause an allergic reaction).

Hello DK Families,

Welcome back to school! There are important updates for students taking medication at school. A new medication policy went into place in July 2025. The biggest change impacting your middle school student is around emergency medications, such inhalers and EpiPens. If your student needs to carry their inhaler or Epi-Pen, it is required to have the parent and the physician give written permission by checking the box on the medication form. Another option, especially for young students, is to keep the emergency medication in the office. It is important to remember all medications used at school will require a medication administration form completed by the health prescriber (linked below).

Medication Authorization Form

This form requires parent signature and student physician's signature, along with dosage and administration instructions. New forms must be completed every year. Any medication must be brought to the school office by an adult and in the original bottle or container.

Please be sure to accurately fill out the new or returning student registration for your child/children, including any medical concerns, updated contact information, and updated physician information. This is important for the first day of school to be safe for your child when they arrive.

Below you will find a list of school needs for some of the most common health conditions:

Any Medications Taken During School Hours:

• Medication in the original bottle/prescription bottle.

• Signed Medication Consent Form

• All Prescription Medications must have a physician’s and parent signature

• Self-Carry Medications

• Allowed to self carry medications per district policy are emergency medications such as inhalers or EPI Pens and permission from both the parent and physician must be marked on prescription medication form.

Severe Allergies:

• EPI Pen and/or Benadryl with Medication Consent Forms

• Allergy Action Plan

Asthma:

• Inhaler with Medication Const Form

• Asthma Action Plan from the physician

Seizures

• Emergency Seizure medications with medication consent form

• Seizure Action plan from physician

Other Life Threatening medical conditions (example: Bleeding disorders)

• Action Plan from the physician

• Any medications needed for medical condition with medication consent form

Diabetes

• Diabetes Medical Management Plan from physician and signed by parent

Please reach out with any questions. We look forward to a great school year!

Rhonda Lundquist, BSN, RN, NCSC, CDCES

School Nurse, Delton Kellogg Schools

BISD/Corewell Health Pennock

Phone: 616-240-5636

Email: rhonda.lundquist2@dkschools.org

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