DMS Delivers
September 27, 2024
Dear DMS Families,
It is hard to believe that we are heading into October. We want to apologize again for having to postpone Open House. We do appreciate your understanding, and look forward to seeing you on Monday, October 7th. We will resend the details of Open House as we get closer to the date.
As we move into next week, this is a reminder that picture day will take place on Monday, September 30th. Please see below for further information on ordering school pictures. We will also have a Spring picture day this year.
In addition, we will conduct a Hold and Secure: Silent and Invisible drill on Monday with DPD on sight. Please see below for further information on this drill.
You will also find further information on the upcoming Satchel Pulse screener, the SEPAC IEP Binder Workshop, and Feinstein Foundation golden tickets, as well as the PTO October Newsletter, the Oakie Cornhole Board Raffle, and a reminder from the school nurse.
Have a great weekend!
Upcoming Dates at DMS
- September 30th: Picture Day
- September 30th: Hold and Secure: Silent and Invisible Drill
- October 1st: Soccer Game at Dighton
- October 2nd: Early Release for Professional Development
- October 3rd: Soccer Game at Dighton
- October 7th: Soccer Game at Dighton
- October 7th: DMS School Council Meeting
- October 8th: Soccer Game at Berkely
- October 8th: School Committee Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
- October 9th: PTO Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
- October 10th: Soccer Game at Dighton
- October 14th: No School for Staff/Students
Safety Drill- Monday, September 30th
DMS will conduct a Hold and Secure: Silent and Invisible Drill on Monday. This is similar to a Hold and Secure: Inside, but students will not continue with their learning during the drill. Teachers will close and lock their doors, instruct students to be silent, and move them to a specific spot within the classroom. They will then take attendance to ensure all students are accounted for in class. With a Hold and Secure: Silent and Invisible, typical classroom instruction will not continue, and students will stay silently in their classrooms with the doors locked until they receive an "All Clear."
Typically, safety drills only take a short time, and DPD and SRO Hathaway are on site. Over the course of the drill, teachers will again review the difference between the three safety protocols that we use, all of which are a form of Hold and Secure with varying levels of response.
While teachers will debrief with students during and after the drill, please be sure to let us know if your child has any remaining questions when they get home from school. We encourage you to discuss this drill with students at home.
Early Release Time Change
Please be aware that the middle school early release time has been changed to 11:35 a.m. This will be for all half days moving forward. Our first half day is on Wednesday, October 2nd due to staff Professional Development.
School Picture Day- 9/30/24
Picture Day is coming up on 09/30/2024! Order before Picture Day to receive free shipping to the school. Order online here. Please note that we will also have a Spring Picture Day this year!
Satchel Pulse Universal Screener
Last week, you should have received an informational letter on the Satchel Pulse Universal Screener. Satchel Pulse was new to the district last year, and is a Social Emotional Screener. The letter is included again here. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Andrade. In addition, there is a Google form included in the letter that can be submitted to opt your child out of the screener. Please do so by Monday, September 30th.
ACE clubs (except scrapbooking) will begin on October 1st! Scrapbooking will begin on Tuesday, October 16th!
PTO October Newsletter
Feinstein Junior Scholar Golden Tickets
DMS will again participate in the Feinstein Foundation's Golden Ticket Raffle. Please see below for more details. Students received their tickets this week! Thank you to the Feinstein Foundation for their support of DMS each year!
Trimester Dates
This year, middle school students will be utilizing a trimester schedule, as opposed to quarters. Please see below for the trimester dates:
- Trimester I: 9/4/24 - 12/3/24
- Trimester II: 12/4/24 - 3/21/25
- Trimester III: 3/22/25 - 6/20/25
A Note from the Nurse's Office
- Reminder for 7th Grade Families: A physical with current immunizations is required for all 7th grade students. Please have them submitted by October 15th.
- Medication Drop-off: Medications may be dropped off by a parent/guardian starting on September 3rd, any time after 11:00 a.m.
- Medication Administration: When a child requires short-term or long-term medication during the school day, parents are required to contact the school nurse and provide: (a) physician's order; (b) parental consent; (c) medication (30 day supply) in prescription bottle. This includes prescription and over the counter medication. Parental consent (will be sent home on the first day) and physician order forms must be renewed every school year. As a reminder, ALL MEDICATION MUST BE BROUGHT IN BY A PARENT/GUARDIAN.