Fox Features

November 2nd- December 18th - DFMS PTO Raffle

November 3rd, All Schools and Offices Closed - Election Day

November 5th - Fall Picture Make Up Day

November 18th - Late Start

November 19th(9am) - January 20th(Noon) - Magnet and School of Choice Application Window

November 19th 5:30pm-7:00pm at Irmo High School - District Five Magnet/SOC Fair

November 25th-27th, All Schools and Offices Closed - Thanksgiving Break

December 21st - January 1st, All Schools and Offices Closed - Winter Break

January 18th, All Schools and Offices Closed - Martin Luther King Day

January 20th - Magnet and School of Choice Application Closes at NOON

Attendance: is the act of showing up and being physically or virtually present at School, the workplace, or a scheduled event on a regular basis.

Regular Attendance is a key factor in academic success, reading proficiency and high school graduation.

Academic Performance : a student who attends school regularly gets higher grades and better test scores.

Equal Impact: Both excused and unexcused absences reduce learning time and lower performance.

High School risk: Chronic absences by the sixth grade are a top warning sign that a student might drop out of school.

Regular attendance helps students keep up with daily work, grasp hard concepts and earn better grades.

If you have any Parent notes or Medical excuses that are outstanding, please get those to me as soon as possible. If you receive an email regarding Attendance, it is a reminder that all absences need some type of excuse turned into the School.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at klilie@lexrich5.org or call 803-476-4804.

Thank You,

Kelly Lilie, Attendance Clerk

💓💕 ✝️⭐ DFMS Fellowship of Christian Athletes will meet in Room 504 on Wednesday, November 04 at 7:30 in the morning. We will be having a time of fellowship, devotion, & prayer. Our guest speaker is Ms. Pam Burtis from Operation Christmas Child of Samaritan's Purse.💓💕 ✝️⭐

If you have any questions, please email our sponsor, Dr. Analisa Smith Ansmith@lexroch5.org

Calling all Dutch Fork Middle School writers and artists! Silver Paws, our school's literary magazine, is now accepting writing and artwork submissions for our upcoming issue! Students are encouraged to submit original poems, short stories, essays, drawings, paintings, digital art, photography, and other creative works.

Submission Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026 Submission forms can be found HERE or on the Silver Paws Website/Submissions

We are offering 8th grade recognition yearbook ads for purchase! Our 8th grade students have worked hard and accomplished so much in their time with us, so we are excited to recognize and honor their achievements. To purchase an ad for your 8th grade student click HERE.

CONTACT:

Donna Wilson

Tri-District Arts Consortium

Richland School District Two

124 Risdon Way

Columbia, SC 29223

Email: director.tridac@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLUMBIA--- Nominations are now being accepted for the 2027 Tri-District Arts Consortium

Summer Program. Middle school students who attend the public schools of Lexington One, Lexington Richland Five and Richland Two are eligible to attend. In addition, students residing in one of the three districts who are home-schooled or attend a state-supported charter school are also eligible to participate. This year Tri-DAC celebrates its 41st anniversary of providing students an outstanding and concentrated study in the arts.

The program is designed for artistically gifted and talented students who are currently in fifth through eighth grades. Students may audition in creative writing, dance, music (band, strings and vocal), theatre or visual art. The Summer Program will be hosted by the Palmetto Center for the Arts on the campus of Richland Northeast High School in Richland School District Two. The program will be held Monday through Friday, June 7 through June 25, 2027 from 9:00am until 3:15pm each day. Accepted students must commit to attending the entire three weeks of the program.

Arts teachers, language arts teachers, administrators and parents may nominate students. Nomination forms for all art areas, along with general information about the Tri-District Arts Consortium are available online in each school district and on our website at www.tridac.org.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, December 4, 2026. Applications will be sent to each student nominated. To nominate a student, fill out this Nomination Form.

Auditions for Creative Writing, Strings, Theatre and Visual Art students will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2027 at Richland Northeast High School. Auditions for the areas of Band, Dance, Vocal and Visual Art students will be held Saturday, March 6, 2027 at Richland Northeast High School. There will be no make-up auditions.

For more information, see our Landing Page. You can also contact Shirley Cope at

sfcope@lexrich5.org or (803) 476-8129.

Lexington-Richland School District Five is committed to the safety of everyone who attends our district events. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the steps we take to ensure event safety for students, staff, and the community.

• Clear Bag Requirement:
• Approved bags include:
• Clear Tote Bag (Plastic, Vinyl or PVC): Do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”
• Plastic Storage Bag: Clear, one (1) gallon resealable
• Small Clutch Purse: Approximately the size of a hand with or without a handle or strap. No larger than 4.5” x 6.5” with or without a hand or strap. Can be carried separately or within an approved plastic bag.
• Bags not allowed include: purses, bags or containers larger than a small clutch, backpacks, binoculars cases, briefcases, camera bags, cinch bags, coolers, diaper bags, fanny packs, grocery/trash bags, luggage of any kind, mesh bags, tinted plastic bags.
• Student Supervision: All students 8th grade or younger are required to attend games with parents or guardians.
• Tickets: Admission will be charged throughout the duration of games. Tickets will generally be available one week prior to the event or the week of the event and can be purchased online at https://tinyurl.com/D5SportTix. Tickets should not be validated until you reach the ticket table and are instructed to do so. Tickets can also be purchased at the door with a cell phone at the ticket gate. The district updated the athletic ticket pricing structure this year as follows:
• Varsity Football: $10
• Varsity Basketball: $8
• All Other Sports: $7
• Metal Detectors: The district has implemented metal detectors to screen all spectators at Chapin High School, Dutch Fork High School and Irmo High School International School for the Arts.
• Safety Officials: We partner with law enforcement and event staff to ensure spectator safety for the duration of the event. School Resource Officers also will travel with teams at away games.

Find information for all sporting events in School District Five by visiting the district athletics website.

Thank you for your cooperation and supporting our district, students and staff. We will see you at the game!

• Wednesday, November 18, 2026
• Wednesday, February 3, 2027
• Wednesday, March 10, 2027
• Wednesday, April 28, 2027

Students can be dropped off starting at 8:30am.

1st block begins at 9:00am.

Dutch Fork Middle School Girls Basketball Tryouts will be held November 2nd 4pm-5:30pm in the DFMS Gym. See flyer for more information.

Dutch Fork Boys Basketball Tryouts for middle school C team will be held November 2nd 6pm-7:30pm. See flyer for more information.

Interested 7th-12th grade boys interested in Tennis, contact Coach Brown. See flyer for more info.

Boys Lacrosse will be lifting and conditioning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4:00PM til 6:00PM from now until December 11th. We lift in the Athletic Building weight room at DFHS and condition on the Lighted Practice Field directly behind DFHS. We invite any and all 7th and 8th grade boys to come out and join us. We are looking for more Middle Schoolers to try our great sport. If you are interested please contact Coach Goldsmith at mgoldsmith@lexrich5.org.

Dutch Fork Boys Golf Interest Meeting will be held December 1st. See flyer for more info on how to get prepared to be apart of the team!

Quick League Details:

• Registration Window: October 8 – November 4, 2026

• Divisions: Boys Basketball (Ages 11–12, 13–14) | Girls Basketball (Ages 9–11, 12–14)

• Locations: Crooked Creek Park & Seven Oaks Park

• Cost: $90 (includes game jersey; financial assistance/scholarships are available)

❤️ Every Purchase, Every Rental, Every Sponsorship Makes a Difference! The PTO is more than meetings and fundraisers—it’s a group of parents working together to make the middle school experience even better for our students, teachers, and staff. From supporting Fox Frenzy to celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, your involvement helps make it all possible!

There are several easy ways to support the PTO this year:

👕 Show Your Fox Pride! Purchase spirit wear and let your family proudly represent the Dutch Fork Silver Foxes!

🪨 Rent the Spirit Rock! Celebrate a birthday, milestone, team, teacher, or special occasion with a fun and colorful message on our Spirit Rock. It’s a great way to spread some school spirit while giving back!

⭐ Become a Sponsor! Local businesses and families can support our school through sponsorship opportunities and help us fulfill our mission.

Thank you for partnering with us and investing in our kids, teachers, and staff! We couldn’t do it without you!❤️

Check out our website here.

The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program is aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change in K–12 schools and across college campuses. With sports as the foundation, the three component model offers a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with tools and training to create sports, classroom and school climates of acceptance. These are school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities and functions.

Attendance Excuse Form

Arbiter Sports

Bell Schedule

Feedback Link

Final Forms

Grades 6-8 Success Criteria

Menus (Breakfast and Lunch)

Multi-Tiered System of Supports Parents Guide

Physical Form

PTO

School Administration of Medication Permission Form

School Bus Safety

School Calendar

School Supply List

Self-Medication Permission Form

Student Handbook

Student Nutrition Account

Student Quick Pay

Transportation Form

Volunteer Application

"Shaping the Future...Making Connections"

Website: http://lexrich5.org/dfms
Location: 1528 Old Tamah Road, Irmo, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 476-4800

Office Hours: 7:30am-4:00pm