A Message from Principal Ashford
Dear Blue Diamond Families,
On behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration at Dent Middle School, it is indeed my pleasure to welcome you to a new and exciting school year! For those of you whose children have attended Dent in the past, we are so glad to have you returning. And for those of you whose children are just entering Dent, we are pleased to have you as a part of our Blue Diamond Family!
We are excited to have students back in our classrooms and hallways filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning.
Our teachers have spent countless hours planning and creating classroom activities to engage our students in deep learning to help them reach their maximum potential every day! It is our goal to help every child feel welcomed, connected, safe and valued as a part of our Blue Diamond Family as we strive to challenge each student to grow in his or her academic abilities and to be college and career ready.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our annual “Dash to Success Back to School Orientation.” Our orientation provides the opportunity for students and parents to pick up schedules, meet teachers, and learn the school. Dash to Success will be Monday, August 15th from 3:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. All 6th grade students and their parents should enter through the Cafeteria. All 7th and 8th grade students and their parents should enter through the Gym. Please follow the signs that will guide you through the process.
If you have not completed the returning student annual update, please do so as soon as possible by visiting:
Our School Counseling Department is currently working on schedules and the final schedule will be available to students and parents during Dash to Success Back to School Orientation. The counselors are not accepting change requests at this time.
Step-Up to Sixth for our sixth graders will be Tuesday, August 16th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. We will meet in the gym. All seven Richland School District Two middle schools will hold a Step Up to Sixth to help smooth the transition from elementary to middle school for incoming sixth graders. This day allows time for students to acclimate to the middle school environment, meet the staff, tour the campus, and learn about clubs and programs offered.
The first day for students will be Wednesday, August 17th. School start times have changed for the 2022-2023 school year. School begins promptly at 8:20 A.M. and dismisses at 3:20 P.M. We will begin receiving students at 7:45 A.M. each morning. Please note that students should not be dropped off earlier than 7:45 A.M. Please plan accordingly the first few days due to heavy traffic, which is common the first week of school. In an effort to avoid long lines and waiting at dismissal, students will be dismissed in shifts. When students arrive at school, they are to report to the following areas and remain there until they are dismissed. All students who are eating breakfast should report to the cafeteria. All other sixth, seventh, and eighth graders who are not eating breakfast should report to their homeroom class. In the mornings, students should be dropped off using the Decker Boulevard entrance to the school only. We will have faculty members and volunteers to assist you when you arrive on the first day of school. The Trenholm Road entrance to the school is reserved for bus traffic. The South Carolina Department of Education does not allow carpool traffic to enter or exit a gate that is used for bus traffic. As a result, no students should be dropped off on the Trenholm Road side at all. This is new and will take some time to adjust to so please be patient as we transition to this new procedure.
In the afternoons, students should be picked up in front of the cafeteria. The cafeteria can be accessed using the Decker Boulevard entrance. The Trenholm Road entrance will be reserved for bus traffic after school only. We cannot allow cars to enter the North Trenholm entrance this year.
For the safety of our students, please be sure to use the far right lane when dropping off and picking up your child. Crossing through the carpool line or parking lot during drop off or dismissal is strictly prohibited. We have also been notified that the local business owners have asked law enforcement to address loitering violators. All students crossing the street will be directed to continue home and all students waiting for a ride will be sent back to the school. Please do not instruct your child to walk to a local business and wait on you. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to make our carpool experience as efficient as possible.
Students not picked up by 3:50 PM will be escorted to the Boys and Girls Club SHINE Afterschool Program where there is supervision. We will make exceptions if the car rider line is still backed up at 3:50 PM. Any student who is picked up late in excess of TWO times will be provided information about the SHINE Afterschool Program and assessed the registration fee and the daily rate of $15 per child.
Once again, we are very excited about the start of the school year. I am looking forward to meeting and working with you and your child. Enjoy the remainder of your summer, and I will see you soon.
Tamala Murrill Ashford, Proud Principal
Sincerely,
Tamala Murrill Ashford
Proud Principal of Dent Middle School
STAYING INFORMED
Dent Middle School, Tamala Ashford Principal
Email: dentmiddleschool2721@gmail.com
Location: 2721 Decker Boulevard, Columbia, SC, 29206 USA