Dakota Minute

Hello DMMS Families!

We have our first all school dance this evening. We ask that all students show PRIDE! We are excited and grateful for our student council members putting on such a great event.

As the quarter concludes, please check the Parent Portal for any missing assignments or retake opportunities, as grades will be posted there at the end of the quarter.

Gratefully,

Aaron Hyer

Our new pick up and drop off lanes near the tennis courts are going well! Thank you! We will have parking lot painting take place this weekend (10/25-10/26) with the weather finally cooperating. The painter is aware of the events happening this weekend and will work around the events as he is able. The only thing is he may shut down the loop with cones so that paint can dry.

Hopefully on Monday we will see beautifully painted lines that help reinforce and make pick up and drop off running smoothly.

DMMS Student Council will be hosting its first dance of the school year. It is a Costume themed dance, so please dress up.

Many things will be happening; Basketball, Volleyball, DJ, Karaoke, and Photobooth. We will have a costume contest for the top three in; funniest, scariest and best group.

Please bring money for concessions and active to support Conservation Club

Doors will open at 6pm and students will need to be picked up by 8pm. It is $5 to enter the dance.

If you are interested in volunteering for our first all school dance, please complete THIS form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Megan Kahle.

We will have an assembly in honor of Veterans Day on Tuesday, November 11th.

There will be an altered schedule to allow for this gatering. If you have your or a family member is Active Duty or a Veteran and would like to attend, you are more than welcome to join. We have minimal seating!

New this year: If you or a family member are a Veteran or Active Duty member and would like a picture included in our program, please share it with Jamie in our Main Office, along with name, rank and tour/years of service.

We ask that families enter door 8 (cafeteria side). The assembly is from 9:20am-10:00am.

Our fall conferences will be held on Thursday, November 20th and Monday, November 24th in the evening. More information to come!

We believe cell phones/electronics devices can cause distractions to the educational environment and our students deserve to learn in a postive environment that is free from avoidable distractions.

• Anytime your student is absent from school or if you plan on your student being absent from school, please call the office and leave your name, student’s name, grade and reason for absence.

• Verified reasons to excuse your student:

• Illness

• Religious Holidays

• Appointments (Doctor, Dentist, Therapy), Please provide documentation for appointments

• Vacation (5 Days) (Please notify the office up to one week before so we can help them collect work while they are gone.)

• The attendance office can be reached by:

• calling (507)387-5077 Option 1

• via email at: dmmsattendance@isd77.org

• If your student is marked absent for a class the system will send an automated courtesy call/email in the evening to remind you to excuse the absence. All absences not excused within the 48 hour time window will remain unexcused.

• If your student is marked absent and you feel it was made in error, please have them talk directly with their teacher.

Two hour early releases will take place on the following dates:

November 12th. December 10th. January 14th. February 11th. March 11th. April 8th. May 13th.

Your student will start their day at the normal time of 8:35 am and be released at 1:25 pm. They will receive lunch prior to the 1:25 pm dismissal when buses leave the building. Students participating in varsity co-curriculars will need to go home, then return to practice at the designated practice time. There will be no middle school co-curricular practices on early release Wednesdays. All students need to ensure they have transportation home by 1:25 pm.

• As a reminder, please use Door 1 to pick up and drop off your student during the school day. For example, if your student is arriving late or leaving early due to an appointment or an event please pick up at Door 1. Door 1 is locatated in our middle parking lot by the main office. This is where our new secure entrance is located. Students should not be dropped off or picked up at door 1 before and after school unless approved by Principal Hyer or here for a before school event.
• Please use Door 8 (the cafeteria side parking lot) for pick up and drop off before and after school. We ask that families do not pick up and drop off at Door 1 unless approved by Principal Hyer.
• Door 20 (our pond side parking lot) is used for buses to pick up and drop off students.

PTA Fundraiser Update – We’re 22% of the Way There!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to our One & Done PTA Fundraiser! We’ve raised $3,844 toward our goal of $17,350 — that’s 22% of the way there! Your donations directly support programs, events, and resources that make Dakota Meadows a great place for our students to learn and grow.

To keep the momentum going, we’re launching an Advisory Competition! The top fundraising advisory in each of the four grade-level groups will earn a Donut Party for their students. The winning advisors will also receive a $50 gift card as our thanks for encouraging participation!

Advisors, please put cash/check donations in the PTA mailbox in and envelope with your name on it. Parents who want to support their student can donate online https://www.givebacks.com/causes/e005c3e2-1841-4059-a3f5-32e338f26581/shop/items/ceae550b95 Parents wishing to send cash or check should put it in an envelope and send it with their student with their advisory teachers name on it. Those donations can be placed in the PTA mailbox.

Let’s see which advisories can rise to the top! See the attached link for the current leaders!

We also invite all parents and teachers to join us for our next PTA Meeting on Monday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m. At Dakota Meadows Middle School or virtually via Microsoft Teams {Meeting ID: 268 905 990 707 / Passcode: Np3Q4rG6}

Your input and involvement make a difference — we’d love to see you there!

Thank you,

Meghan Maes

DMMS PTA President

HERE you will find the DMMS Daily Bulletin. This Bulletin is updated daily to show:

• the date
• A Day/ B Day
• and other information such as sports, etc.

At MAPS, we believe every member of our staff plays an important role in helping students succeed. Our paraprofessionals are valued partners who support classrooms, collaborate with teachers, and build strong connections with students. We are currently seeking dedicated individuals who want to be part of a team that makes a difference every day. If you enjoy working with young people and are excited about contributing to a positive school community, we’d love to have you join us! Apply HERE!

• October 24th- All School Dance
• October 27th- PTA meeting
• October 29th- 8th Grade Vision Screening
• October 31st- End of Quarter 1
• November 3rd- No School
• Novemeber 11th- Veterans Day Assembly
• November 12th- Early Out
• November 20th & 24- Fall Conferences
• November 27th & 28th- No School
• December 1-5th- NWEA Reading
• December 8-12th- NWEA Math
• December 10th- Early Out
• December 15th-19th- NWEA Make Up
• December 24-31st- No School
• January 1st- No School