Happy Friday Panther families! It's been another busy and short week here at the middle school.

Next week is a busy week in the middle school and here is a list of what is going on:

Monday December 16:

- 8:00 am to 8:30 am 7th and 8th Grade Student of the Term celebration in the MS cafeteria

- 9:00 am to 9:30 am 5th and 6th Grade Student of the Term celebration in the MS cafeteria

- 12:30 pm Middle School Band Winter Concert in the high school LGI

Tuesday December 17th: Full Day of School

Wednesday December 18th: Half day of School (Dismissal at 11:30 am)

Thursday December 19th: Half day of School (Dismissal at 11:30 am)

Friday December 20th: Half day of School (Dismissal at 11:30 am) and the end of the second marking period/first semester (Grades close).

If your child earned a reward for the Student of the Term celebration, an invitation was sent home with them last Friday. If you have not already done so, please contact the office at (269) 623-1541 to let us know if you and 1 other guest are attending.

With Friday December 20, 2024 being the last day of the second marking period, it is important that students are checking PowerSchool to see their grades. They will still have time next week to turn in assignments, but it is important they are checking with their teachers to see what can still be turned in. Let's finish strong!

If you are considering moving your child to our online program the last day to switch will be Friday January 17, 2025. If you and your child decide to make that decision, they will be online for the remainder of the school year. The only exception to this will be if your child is not consistently logging on to Edmentum (our online program), completing work, and/or passing their virtual classes. If your child falls into any of those three categories, they will be required to come back to in person school. If you have further questions about our online program please contact me via email at bobby.tillman@dkschools.org or call the middle school office at (269) 623-1541.

As always, I would like to thank our students, staff, families, and community for everything you do to make DKMS a great place to be. 1 more week until winter break. Let's finish strong and we got this!

It's a great day to be a PANTHER!

Thank you,

Bobby Tillman

Principal

Delton Kellogg Middle School

6325 Delton Rd

Delton, MI 49046

(269) 623-1541

This week, our 6th grade students had the opportunity to visit the Kent County Recycling and Education Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This field trip gave students a deeper understanding of the important work being done to manage waste and promote sustainability in our community.

During the visit, students learned that not all trash ends up in landfills. In fact, some trash is recycled, while other materials are incinerated to produce energy. The Kent County Incinerator provides enough energy to power 11,000 homes by burning trash, showing students how waste can be turned into a valuable resource.

Students also gained valuable knowledge about what can and cannot be recycled, learning how certain materials can cause problems in the recycling process. In addition, they discovered the variety of jobs available in the recycling and waste management industries, with pay ranges that can even reach six figures for certain positions!

The field trip was an eye-opening experience for our 6th graders, giving them a better understanding of how recycling works, the importance of reducing waste, and the many career opportunities in protecting our environment.

A special thank you to Mr. Shipley for putting this field trip in motion and providing our students with such a valuable learning experience!

In Mr. Fleser’s 8th Grade Science class, students are participating in an exciting computer simulation about the human body. Last week the class was working with a computer patient named M'Kenna.

Through the simulations students are exploring how the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems work together to keep the body healthy. By working through the simulation, they apply their knowledge of these systems to solve real-life medical scenarios.

The computer simulation also helps students understand how body systems are connected, while also encouraging critical thinking. It is a fun and interactive way to learn more about the human body!

We are thrilled to announce this week's Panther Prize winners who have exemplified the values of Safe, Kind, Responsible, and Respectful behavior. These students have consistently demonstrated their commitment to our school’s values, making our school a better place for everyone. Congratulations to each of the following students for setting an outstanding example!

Today, December 13th, Mrs. Estep’s 5th grade class celebrated their victory in the Thanksgiving Food Drive with a fun-filled Root Beer Float Party! Their generous contributions earned them the title of top class for bringing in the most canned goods, and they were rewarded with this sweet treat to mark their accomplishment.

Congratulations again to Mrs. Estep’s class, and thank you to all who made this year’s food drive a success!

This week, Mrs. Williams’ class celebrated the holiday season by building gingerbread houses! The students had a blast working together to design and decorate their own sweet creations. Thank you to Mrs. Williams for organizing this festive and memorable activity for the class!

To continue our 12 Days of Dress-Up, we invite students to join in the festive fun and show their holiday spirit! Each day brings a new theme, so mark your calendars and get ready to dress up for some holiday cheer!

Here’s the remaining schedule for our Dress-Up days:

• Monday, December 16th: Dress like a Christmas tree
• Tuesday, December 17th: Ugly Sweater Day
• Wednesday, December 18th: Wear your favorite flannel
• Thursday, December 19th: Christmas Pajamas
• Friday, December 20th: Dress like a snowman

We can’t wait to see everyone’s creative outfits! Let’s make this holiday season memorable by finishing up our 12 Days of Dress-Up strong!!

1. Who’s in your family? I am married to Michael Podolan. We have a daughter Lois, who is 5 years old and we have an orange tabby cat named Dolly.

2. What is your favorite vacation spot? Baldwin, MI, and Anna Maria Island, FL.

3. What inspired you to start working in education? My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Myland. She was a very happy person and she made me feel loved.

4. What’s your favorite thing about working here? I like that it is a small school. We know each other well.

5. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? I would be Super Healthy! I would be able to heal myself.

6. What’s one thing students or staff might not know about you? I am a stage III cancer survivor; a college basketball player; and I was a radio DJ in college.

7. Do you have a favorite book or movie that you’d recommend? Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gillman.

8. What’s one thing you enjoy doing outside of school? Working out and shopping :)

9. What advice would you give to students for a successful school year? Be open minded.

10. If you weren’t working in education, what do you think you’d be doing? I would own an antique business.

11. If your family had a theme song, what would it be? Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.

12. What did you want to be when you were a student? A Forest ranger.

13. What’s one thing that always makes you smile during the school day? One thing that makes me smile during the day is when students get excited to earn/receive a grade they worked hard for.

    
    

Tomorrow, 12/14/24 is an exciting day for our girls’ basketball teams!

If you're free, come cheer on our youth hoops teams as they play their final game of the season! This event also serves as a fundraiser for our girls' varsity and JV programs, so your support means a lot!

Here’s the schedule for the games:

3rd/4th Grade Teams

• 9:00 AM - Middle School Gym – DK Maroon (Coached by Pete and Kristin Foreman)
• 10:00 AM - Middle School Gym – DK White (Coached by Meghan Widerberg and Sara Reynolds)

5th/6th Grade Teams

• 9:00 AM - High School Gym – DK White (Coached by Ashly Dimock)
• 2:00 PM - High School Gym – DK Maroon (Coached by Laci Watson)

We hope to see you there to support our young athletes and help raise funds for our girls’ basketball program!

Attention 5th-8th graders! MSU Extension is offering a Teen Cuisine cooking and nutrition class, and we want you to join in! This hands-on class will teach you how to make healthy, delicious meals while learning important nutrition and cooking skills.

Details:

• Who: 5th-8th graders
• When: See dates below but sign up now – spots are limited to the first 20 students! (Sign-up sheet available in the Middle School office).
• Where: High School Cafeteria
• Additional Info: Rhonda Lundquist, our school nurse, will walk students from the middle school to the high school on the dates of the class.

We’re excited to share information about our Middle School Dive Team, and we encourage all interested students to consider joining! The team is currently looking for more members, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to get involved in a fun, competitive sport.

How You Can Help:

• Join the Team: If you’ve ever been curious about diving, this is a great chance to give it a try!
• Support the Team: Come cheer on dive members and support the team!

We hope this encourages more students to learn about the sport and think about joining. If you’re interested or want to know more, please feel free to reach out and ask questions! For full details, check out the attached schedule.

Let’s help spread the word and support our Middle School Dive Team!

Please follow and double check with Eventlink and your child's coach to ensure there are no schedule changes.

Thank you!

Monday

Basketball (B-7th) - Gobles MS/HS School

When: Mon, Dec 16, 5:00 PM EST - 6:00 PM EST

Location: Delton-Kellogg Middle School

Basketball (B-8th) - Gobles MS/HS School

When :Mon, Dec 16, 6:00 PM EST - 7:00 PM EST

Delton-Kellogg Middle School

Saturday

Competitive Cheer (G-MS) - Plainwell Cheer Fest

When:Sat, Dec 21, 10:00 AM EST - 11:00 AM EST

Location: Plainwell High School

The athletic department has implemented some new tools and strategies to streamline communication and transparency throughout the department. These new programs should help streamline communication, event ticket purchases and potentially some registrations in the near future.

* 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

Email: tammy.whitmore@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542

Email: brittany.griffith@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542