DMS Delivers

We’re excited to welcome our DMS students and families to the 2025–2026 school year! To our returning families—we’re so happy to have you with us again. To our new families, welcome to DMS! We’re thrilled you’ve joined us and look forward to getting to know you. We hope your summer was relaxing, joyful, and filled with great memories.

To keep everyone informed and connected, the DMS principals will send out our weekly newsletter, DMS Delivers. Each edition includes important announcements, upcoming events, and a look into the day-to-day life at DMS. Newsletters are emailed every Friday afternoon and can also be found on our DMS Facebook page and our school website. It’s a great way to stay up to date and involved in all that’s happening at school.

Family involvement is an essential part of what makes our school so special. We deeply appreciate our volunteers and our amazing PTO, who help bring numerous family-focused events to life throughout the year. If you’re interested in volunteering or chaperoning, please be sure to complete a CORI form (background check) at the DMS office at least one week before the event. Your time and support make a big impact on our school community!

Sincerely,

Dr. Cheryl Leandro, Principal cleandro@drregional.org

Mr. Sean Kinney, Assistant Principal skinney@drregional.org

Click below to read a welcome back message from our district's superintendent, Mr. Bill Runey.

Principal: Dr. Cheryl Leandro

Assistant Principal: Mr. Sean Kinney

Office Clerks: Karen Alves and Jessica Rapoza

Nurse: Denise Wilkins

Guidance and 504 Coordinator: Aaron Andrade

School Adjustment Counselor: Jennifer DeMatos

School Psychologist Samantha Quinn

Sped Secretary: Allison Hanson

Special Education Coordinator: Gloria Monte

You can reach any DR staff member by email utilizing this format for their email address: staff member's first initial and last name followed by @drregional.org

• For example, if you wanted to email Dr. Cheryl Leandro you could do so by typing in the email address: cleandro@drregional.org

We are excited to welcome several new staff members to our middle school community this year! Each brings a unique set of strengths that will enrich our learning environment and support student success. From innovative teaching strategies and strong classroom management skills to a passion for student engagement and inclusive education, our new team members are ready to make a meaningful impact. Their diverse experiences and fresh perspectives will enhance collaboration, inspire creativity, and strengthen our commitment to academic excellence and student well-being. We look forward to the positive energy and expertise they bring to our school family.

Gloria Monty (Special Education Coordinator/5th grade Special Education Teacher)- Gloria joins us from Shore Educational Collaborative in Chelsea, MA. Gloria has a passion for special education and is excited to join DMS. Gloria holds a CAGS in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education.

Kimberly Mund (grade 8 Special Education Teacher)- Kimberly joins us from New Heights Charter School in Easton, MA and brings with her a strong background in special education. She holds a master's degree from Bridgewater State University.

Hannah Arruda (grade 8 Science Teacher)- Hannah holds a master's degree from Saint Michael's college. She has a passion for igniting curiosity and creating a welcoming and supportive environment for her students.

Christopher Edwards (grade 8 Math Teacher)- Christopher holds a master's degree from UMass Dartmouth. He comes to us from Elizabeth Hastings Middle School in Fairhaven, MA. Christopher enjoys cultivating a supportive classroom community and focuses on building relationships with his students and their families.

We are excited to announce some internal transfers that have taken place over the summer. We are excited for our staff as they embark on their new roles.

Sarah Javier- Sarah is excited to join the fifth-grade team as our new math teacher. She was formerly our 8th grade math teacher.

Jenna Deary- Jenna is excited to join the seventh-grade team as our new science teacher. She was formerly our eighth-grade special education teacher.

Student schedules will be available in ASPEN on August 23rd. You will need to log into the Aspen Portal to view your child's schedule for the 25-26 School Year.

If your child will need to take medication during the school day, please ensure the following steps are taken:

✅All required forms are completed

✅A doctor's note is submitted to the school health office.

✅Prescription medications must be provided in their original packaging, clearly labeled with the student’s name, the name of the medication, and the correct dosage.

🚫 Medications cannot be transported to school by students. We kindly ask that parents or guardians contact the school health office to arrange an appropriate time to drop off any necessary medications. You can reach her at dwilkins@drregional.org

We appreciate your partnership in supporting the health and well-being of all students.

⭐Health & Medical Updates⭐

If your child has had a recent physical exam or updated medication orders, please be sure to forward that documentation to the school health office as soon as possible

We kindly ask that you and your child take some time to review our Student Handbook together. You can view the student handbook by clicking here. If you have any questions or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We're happy to support you.

Our student information system has a section called "Permissions" that needs to be completed by all new families, and reviewed by returning families. Please be sure to log into your Aspen account and select your "Permissions" for each of your children.

• Rising Grade 5: Students may choose between reading a book or keeping an experience journal centered around the theme "Experiences."

• Rising Grade 6: Students will select a book related to the theme "Tolerance" and complete a brief reading reflection.

• Rising Grade 7: Students will read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and answer comprehension questions. All materials can be accessed through the Grade 7 Summer Reading Google Classroom.

• Rising Grade 8: Students will read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and complete an evidence log. Materials are available on the Grade 8 Summer Reading Google Classroom.

Both Grade 7 and Grade 8 novels will be incorporated into students’ beginning-of-year writing assessments, so timely completion is especially important.

All materials, instructions, and book lists can be accessed on the Summer Reading Website Link

Each grade level has created a list of recommended school supplies to help students feel prepared and confident for the year ahead. These supply lists can be found here.

Backpacks & School Supplies Available

We are fortunate that the Greater Attleboro Council for Children has once again shown their generosity by donating backpacks and school supplies to support our students. These resources help ensure that every student starts the school year feeling prepared and confident. If your student would benefit from receiving a backpack or supplies, please reach out to Dr. Leandro or Mr. Kinney, who will be happy to assist. We will respect your confidentiality through this process.

We’re pleased to share that school breakfast and lunch are provided free of charge to all students each day. This ensures every child has access to nutritious meals to support their learning and growth. On early release days, only breakfast will be served, so students should plan accordingly. To help families stay informed, weekly menus can be found in our family newsletter.

While meals are free, milk and water are available for purchase each day for students who would like an additional drink option with their lunch. Additionally, snacks are available for purchase in the cafeteria. Due to food allergies and intolerances, students are not permitted to buy snacks for others.

For snack and drink purchases, families are welcome to send cash or checks. However, we also offer the MySchoolBucks website and app, which many families find convenient. Through MySchoolBucks, you can create an account, reset passwords, check account balances, and deposit funds directly into your child’s meal account.

Even though meals are free, we ask all families to complete the Free & Reduced Lunch Application, as these forms directly impact school funding and grant opportunities. The application is linked below.

Breakfast and Lunch Menus will be shared once finalized.

You can add money to your child's account to purchase snacks and drinks by Clicking Here for the My School Bucks Website.

Please follow the route outlined below if you are dropping off or picking up your student from DMS.

Dighton Middle School's instructional day begins at 8:15 a.m. Students may enter the building starting at 7:45 a.m.

The school day ends at 2:30 p.m. and dismissal will proceed according to prearranged locations.

Please note that bus routes will be available on 8/26/2025. The information will be shared via email, socials and our website once it is received. Thank you for your patience as the routes are finalized.

• 8/25- New Student Orientation Grades 5-8 (DMS @ 6pm)

• 9/3- First Day of School!

• 9/11-PTO Meeting @ DES Library

• 9/18- DMS Open House 6-8 pm @ DMS

• 9/26- Dighton PTO Movie Night

• 10/1- Early Release, Dismissal @ 11:35 AM

• 10/13- No School

• 10/30- Green and Gold Night