Drexler Middle School
October Family Newsletter
November 12th & 13th NO SCHOOL
Retake Picture Day
📅 Picture Retakes: Thursday, October 15th
Retakes will be available for students who are unhappy with their original picture or for students who were absent on the first Picture Day.
💚 IMPORTANT REMINDER: Our photographers will be using a green screen for pictures, so please DO NOT WEAR GREEN on Picture Day!
HOMECOMING PARADE PICKUP INFORMATION
Parents, DMS students in grades 6–8 will attend the 1:00 pm Homecoming Parade in Epworth on Friday, October 9. Students will have classes before the parade and after returning to school.
If you are picking up your child before the parade, please complete the HC Pickup Permission Form for EACH child by Thursday, October 8th
Pickup: North end of the school (see attached image)
Time: 11:05am–11:35am
Parents/guardians must enter in the back of the building to pick up their child
Please note:
• Students picked up will be marked non-exempt for 1/9 of the school day
• School lunch will not be provided
• Students attending the parade with DMS must return to school with DMS
Questions? Call the school at 563-663-9651
Happy School Custodian Appreciation Day! ❤️🖤🧹
A huge shoutout to Shane, Kay, Ann, Diana, and Greg! Thank you for all the hard work you do to keep our school clean, safe, and running smoothly every day! So much of what you do happens behind the scenes, but it never goes unnoticed. We appreciate you more than you know!
Bobcat Clubs
Bobcat clubs are fun and educational; we have Bobcat Club every Friday morning for 20 minutes. Every trimester students get the chance to experience something fun; for example, you can make fishing lures in one club, play dodgeball, make friendship bracelets, and many more! You can meet new people and make friends. There is something for everyone to choose from. If you like drawing there is a coloring and relaxing club, or if you enjoy sports there is dodge ball, basketball, nitro ball, etc. You can explore all the clubs and see which you think is fun. This makes Fridays fun with new friends and other classmates.
Written by: Issac Stratton, Jaxson Beech, Hunter Aude, and Tyler Heinze)
Middle School 101
This year we have a new elective class for 6th graders, which is called Middle School 101. Mrs. Keegan is teaching this class. In the class, the goal is to teach 6th graders skills they need to be successful in middle school. Currently in Trimester 1, there are a total of 25 students in the class.
Written by: Blake Ronek and Calvin Bahl
6th Grade Science
In science class, six graders are building bottle rockets. The first few weeks they learned how to make the best way to build the rocket and began building them. Then they decided which were the best materials to use to make the rocket stay up in the air the longest. This year's winners were Graham and Sylvester at 9 seconds! After they all completed their rocket, they took them out to the softball field and launched them. They used an air compressor that would fill the bottles up with super tight air. They yelled a countdown together, and Mrs. Goedken and Mr. Palm pulled a string that would let all the pressure out, and it would explode into the air. They keep track of how long it was in the air and then record what the flight pattern was and the time. They launched it two times and repeated the recording process. We would like to thank MAKING CENTS for donating all the bottles.
Written by: Georgie Hatcher, Elly Meier, and Lydia Walsh
Board & Card Game Donation
Help us fill our game shelves!
At Drexler Middle School, games are more than just fun—they help students connect, collaborate, and celebrate! ❤️🖤
🤝 Building Connections
Our mentoring program pairs high school students with middle schoolers during lunch. Mentors and mentees enjoy conversations, play games, and build positive relationships that help students feel supported and connected to our school community.
⭐ Celebrating Success
Games are also used throughout our building as classroom incentives, rewards, and grade-level celebrations. Whether students are being recognized for positive choices, reaching a goal, or simply enjoying time together, games give us another way to make school fun and rewarding.
🎉 How Can You Help?
We are looking for new or gently used board games and card games that are appropriate for middle school students.
Popular choices include:
🎴 UNO • Phase 10 • Skip-Bo
🎲 Connect 4 • Jenga • Monopoly
🧩 Apples to Apples • Ticket to Ride • Trivia Games
🎯 And other fun, family-friendly games!
❤️ Have Games to Share?
Donations can be dropped off in the Drexler Middle School main office.
Every game donated gives our students another opportunity to connect, laugh, work together, and celebrate success!
Thank you for supporting our students and helping make Drexler a place where learning and relationships go hand in hand!
8th Grade Career Fair at NICC
We are excited to share that our 8th grade students will soon have the opportunity to attend the NICC Career Fair on October 19th from 9:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for students to begin exploring different career paths and learn more about the many options available to them after high school. Prior to the event, students were asked to select eight careers they are interested in learning more about. While at the career fair, students will be placed into five of those career areas and will have the opportunity to hear directly from professionals and learn more about what those careers involve. We hope this experience helps students discover new interests, ask questions, and begin thinking about how their interests and strengths might connect to future careers.
Welcome to Our New Families!
We would also like to take a moment to give a warm welcome to all of the new families who have joined our district recently! We have had quite a few new families become part of our school community over the past month, and we are excited to have you here. Starting at a new school or becoming part of a new community can take some time, so we hope you are beginning to feel comfortable and connected. There are many opportunities throughout our schools and community to get involved, meet other families, and find activities that are a good fit for you and your students. If you are new to the area, we encourage you to explore some of the activities, organizations, events, and resources available within our community. Getting involved can be a great way to build connections and make your new community feel a little more like home. As always, if you have questions, need assistance, or simply aren't sure where to start, please don't hesitate to reach out to the School Counseling Department. We are happy to help connect families with resources, answer questions, and support our students and families in any way we can. We are glad to have you as part of our school community!
School Counselors; Mr. Steffen (A-K) & Mrs. Gansen (L-Z), School Counselors
5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count!
With busy schedules, school, activities, homework, and technology, it can be challenging for students to maintain healthy routines. The 5-2-1-0 approach provides a simple way to think about four habits that support students' physical and mental well-being:
- 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day
- 2 hours or less of recreational screen time
- 1 hour or more of physical activity
- 0 sugary drinks—choose water instead
These numbers are not about being perfect. They are a simple reminder to build healthy habits into our everyday routines. Try adding a fruit or vegetable to a snack, taking a walk after dinner, setting aside some screen-free family time, or keeping water available throughout the day.
Small changes add up! Encouraging healthy habits at home can help students have the energy and focus they need to learn, participate, and feel their best at school.
If you have questions, contact the school nurse, Mrs. Tara Noonan.
Helping Your Middle Schooler Build Academic Independence
By October, the school year is in full swing! Students have settled into many of their routines, and teachers are beginning to introduce new concepts and increasingly challenging work. This is an important time for students to continue developing the skills they need to become confident, independent learners.
As students grow academically, they may need a little less direct help from adults—but they still benefit from encouragement, questions, and support along the way. Here are a few ways families can help:
- Ask Before You Solve: When your student is stuck, resist the urge to immediately give them the answer. Try asking, “What do you already know?”, “What have you tried?”, or “Where did you get stuck?” Helping students think through a problem builds confidence and problem-solving skills.
- Encourage Students to Ask for Help: Learning how to recognize when they need help—and knowing how to ask for it—is an important part of becoming an independent learner. Encourage your student to reach out to their teacher, ask questions in class, or use available resources when something doesn't make sense.
- Let Mistakes Be Part of Learning: Struggling with a new concept doesn't mean a student isn't capable. Mistakes and productive struggle are important parts of learning. Encourage your student to think about what they can learn from a mistake rather than focusing only on getting the correct answer.
- Help Them Reflect on Their Learning: Instead of only asking about grades, try questions such as, “What are you working on in class right now?”, “What is something you're getting better at?”, or “What is something you still have questions about?” These questions help students think about their learning, not just their results.
- Gradually Shift Responsibility: Middle school is a great time for students to take increasing ownership of their assignments, materials, and deadlines. Parents can provide reminders and support while allowing students to practice managing these responsibilities themselves.
At Drexler Middle School, we want our students to become confident learners who are willing to ask questions, persevere through challenges, and take ownership of their learning. Families can support this growth by encouraging students to think, try, reflect, and advocate for themselves.
As the Instructional Coach, I have the opportunity to work alongside our teachers to support engaging instruction and continued academic growth for all students. Thank you for partnering with us as we help our students develop the skills they need to be successful—not only in middle school, but beyond.
Mrs. Sarah Goldsmith, Instructional Coach
Science
Students just finished building and launching their rockets. The best time of this year was 9 seconds in flight! Ask your student about both of their rocket launches!
Math
Language Arts
6th graders are continuing their learning of the author Ronald Dahl and working on narrative writing production. They are also observing his focus on his childhood memories and showing their understanding of these by providing textual evidence in their work.
Social Studies
6th grade Social Studies students are finishing up learning about map skills and will be taking a test soon.
Math
7th grade will be finishing Ratio's and Proportions and then moving into Percents.
Social Studies
In 7th grade Social Studies, we are focusing on how perspective can change over time. Currently we are discussing technology, and students are showing their learning by making skits!
Science
In 7th grade science, students are learning about the cycling of energy and matter in ecosystems. They are taking what they have learned recently about photosynthesis and applying it to the kelp forest ecosystem.
Language Arts
Next week we will begin our Character & Conflict Unit, focusing on Lorraine Hansburry's play, A Raisin in the Sun. As students describe the impact of the author's language and draw conclusions about the characters, they will practice the skills of focus and use evidence that they learn from the reading to support their thinking.
Language Arts
We will be starting our second unit called Liberty and Equality. Students will be studying the book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.
Social Studies
In 8th grade social studies we are beginning to learn about the events that led to our country's independence. We will explore how our relationship with England changed through laws and ultimately led to the creation of the United States.
Math
Mr. Johnson's math class is starting a new chapter on solving equations. Mrs. Ries' math class is working on finding angle relationships and using the Pythagorean Theorem. Advanced math has been solving and graphing inequalities.
Science
We have begun our Hindenburg Explosion investigation as we continue to study chemistry. We will be analyzing chemical equations and learning how to balance them to prove the Law of Conservation of Mass.
Health
In 6th grade health, we are finishing up our Nutrition Unit and students are learning about the 6 Essential Nutrients we need each day. Plus, the importance of daily hydration.
In 7th grade health, students are working on our Nutrition Unit Project where they choose a Vitamin or Mineral to research and dive deeper into.
In 8th grade health, students are taking a closer look into Macronutrients and why they are important to each student individually!
Physical Education & Strength & Conditioning
Students participated in their mile test and did a great job!
Talented & Gifted
The 7th and 8th grade TAG students completed a unit on the Fibonacci Sequence and Golden Ratio. Students explored these two concepts by working with a partner on a discovery packet, they ventured outside for a Fibonacci Scavenger Hunt trying to identify the pattern in nature, created their own Golden Spiral with graph paper, and culminated the unit by watching a video, discussing findings with classmates, and answering their own "I wonder" questions about both concepts.
Intro to Industrial Technology
6th Grade Students in Intro to Industrial Tech are learning about electronic circuits. Students have been building an understanding of high and low voltage and building basic circuitry to understand conductivity, resistance in circuits, and how electrical energy can create motion. Students are also learning how to operate the laser engravers as they design conference nameplates for our new staff!
As we move through another exciting fall season, we want to share how proud we are of our Bobcat student-athletes, participants, coaches, and families. This fall has brought some challenges from one of our toughest opponents... Mother Nature! From extreme heat to rainy weather, our schedules have seen delays, postponements, and even a few cancellations. Through it all, our Bobcats have shown resilience, flexibility, and a positive attitude. Thank you to our families and supporters for your patience and encouragement throughout the season.
Our fall sports season is quickly coming to a close. Volleyball is wrapping up, while football has three games remaining. We are excited for the start of Girls Basketball and Boys Wrestling, both beginning on October 27th.
Many other activities are also gearing up for a great year. Our Quiz Bowl Team has started practicing and is preparing for its first tournament on October 31st in Waukee. We are thrilled to announce that Soundwaves Show Choir had 54 students sign up this year, which is more than double last year's participation! Practices begin on October 22nd.
Archery season is also just around the corner. The Bobcat Archery Club will kick off the season with a camp at Drexler on October 20th and October 22.nd We encourage interested students to register.
We are also excited to continue hosting a variety of youth programs in our facilities throughout the week. If your family would like more information about any of our activities, please don't hesitate to reach out. We would love to help your student get involved.
Finally, we are always looking for volunteers to assist with scoreboards, score clocks, and concession stands at our events. Volunteers who help at least three times will receive a Drexler Activities Pass for the remainder of the school year. Your support helps make our programs successful and provides great experiences for our students.
Thank you for supporting Drexler activities and helping make our Bobcat community such a special place!
Please reach out to Ms. Casey or Mr. Hatcher for any questions or concerns regarding Drexler Activities. We do have valuable links on our school web-site that will answer most of your questions. DMS Quick Links | Drexler Middle School
Go BOBCATS!
Schedules, scores, news, rosters and stats found at Bound.
Bound Access HERE: https://www.gobound.com/ia/schools/drexlerms
Contact the Asst. Principal/Athletic Director, Mr. Rich Hatcher
Upcoming PTO Events (see flyers below):
- Fall Festival
- PTO Parent Night at Your Pie
A reminder the Drexler PTO meets the first Tuesday of every month. (Sept-May)
Friend request the PTO on Facebook to stay up to date on what we have going on!!
To join Drexler PTO fill out the form with your email and we will get in touch soon!
Questions about DMS PTO Contact: Tricia Capalla - drexlermiddleschoolpto@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook!
School Attendance
The Importance of Good Attendance
Every school day matters! Regular attendance gives students the best opportunity to learn, stay caught up with their classmates, participate in school activities, and build strong habits for the future.
We understand that students will occasionally need to miss school. Whether your student is sick, has a doctor/dentist/medical appointment, will be out of town or on vacation, or for any other reason, please let us know by calling the school office or sending us an email. This helps us keep our attendance records accurate and ensures we know where our students are each day.
Understanding Exempt & Unexempt Absences
We want families to understand the difference between how an absence is viewed at Drexler Middle School and how it is classified under Iowa state attendance law.
🤒 Illness or a doctor/dentist appointment — Please notify Drexler when your student will be absent. These absences are considered exempt when properly reported.
💐 Family funeral/wake or family wedding — Please notify Drexler if your student will be absent due to a family funeral, wake, or family wedding. These absences are considered exempt.
✈️ Vacation or being out of town — Please notify Drexler when your student will be absent for a vacation or trip. Under Iowa attendance guidelines, these absences are considered unexempt.
In other words, please don't hesitate to let us know when your student will be absent for a vacation or because you are out of town. We still want you to communicate with us, even though the absence will count as an unexempt day for state attendance purposes.
📩 What Happens With Unexempt Absences?
At Drexler, we want to communicate with families early and work together to support good attendance. Our attendance process is:
At 4 Unexempt Days
📧 Your student's Bobcat Time teacher will send an email simply to make you aware of the number of unexempt absences and the importance of regular attendance.
At 6 Unexempt Days
📞 Mr. Wernimont will call home to discuss attendance concerns and the circumstances surrounding the absences.
At 9 Unexempt Days
🤝 A parent meeting with Mr. Hatcher will be scheduled to discuss attendance concerns and establish an attendance contract for one calendar year.
📝 Doctor's Notes
A doctor's or medical provider's note is only required if your student is on an attendance contract. Otherwise, please simply notify the school when your student is absent due to illness or a doctor/dentist/medical appointment, or whatever reason they will not be here.
Thank you for partnering with us and helping make regular attendance a priority. When students are here, they are learning, growing, and making the most of every school day!
