DKMS Newsletter

Happy wintery Friday Panther families! It was a great testing week here in the middle school.

Report cards will be emailed out today. If you do not receive an email, please contact the middle school office at (269) 623-1540, and we can check your PowerSchool contact information. You are also able to check your child's academic progress in Powerschool's parent portal. If you have questions about the parent portal, please contact the middle school office.

I want to thank all of our students and staff for two successful days of Star Testing. This data helps show how your child is growing academically and guides our teachers' planning moving forward. Any students who missed Tuesday or Thursday will be tested next week.

As a school, we are continually focusing on student attendance. We know regularly attending school helps students succeed academically and socially. Please make sure if your child will not be attending school, that you are calling our attendance line at (269) 623-1540 and leaving a voicemail. Only documented absences (doctor, dentist, physical/mental therapy, funeral, etc.) are excused. Students must be fever and vomit free for 24 hours before they can return to school. If you have questions about your child's attendance record please reach out to me at bobby.tillman@dkschools.org or call the middle school office.

As always, I want to thank our students, staff, families, and community for their hard work and support. As we get through these cold, snowy, dark days of winter, there are SO MANY great things going on inside the building! It truly is...

A GREAT DAY TO BE A PANTHER!!!

Have a great 3 day weekend and see everyone back on Tuesday!

Thank you,

DKMS Principal and District McKinney-Vento Liaison

Delton Kellogg Middle School

6325 Delton Rd

Delton, MI 49046

Office Phone: (269) 623-1544

Work Cell: (269) 297-1256

Monday, January 19th - No School for Students (Professional Development Day Staff)

Tuesday, February 3rd - 8th Grade High School Orientation - 6:30 pm

Saturday, February 7th - Father / Daughter Gumdrop Ball Dance

Monday, February 16th - No School for Students (Professional Development Day Staff)

Thursday, March 12th - Half Day Students-Dismissal 11:30 am - Parent Teacher Conferences (5pm to 8pm).

Friday, March 13th - Half Day Students and Staff-Dismissal 11:30 am

Friday, March 20th - End of 3rd quarter

Monday, March 30th – Wednesday, April 1st- 5th Grade Camp - Sherman Lake YMCA

Friday, April 3rd- No School Students or Staff

Monday, April 6th - Friday, April 10th- Spring Break Students and Staff

Monday, April 13th - School Resumes Full day Dismissal 2:50 pm

Huge shoutout to our weekly Panther Paw winners! These students were recognized for being Safe, Kind, Respectful, and Responsible. After turning in their paws for Jolly Ranchers, these lucky students were selected in our Friday drawing to win a sweet treat of their choice.

A big thank you to these students for practicing their SK2R's and truly making our school a better place. 🐾

Mrs. Tyner’s 8th-grade ELA students participate in Literature Circles every six weeks to explore new books collaboratively. Working in small groups, students summarize assigned chapters, discuss key vocabulary, and analyze literary elements such as symbolism. Not only do these structured discussions support reading comprehension but also helps strengthen students’ listening and speaking skills.

This week Mr. Phillips’ 7th grade science students explored the concept of carrying capacity using helium balloons. Students tested how many paper clips a single helium balloon could lift and then compared their results with ten balloons working together. This hands-on experiment helped students better understand forces, weight, and scientific investigation.

Mrs. SanInocencio’s class had a fun, interactive science lesson this week about force and motion. Students rotated through hands-on labs to explore how gravity pulls harder on heavier objects and how mass affects movement. They learned that heavier objects need more force to move and got to see Newton’s Second Law of Motion in action.

Kacy Amaro-Cheek is our new intern completing the Grow Your Own Program. She is currently interning in Mrs. Estep’s classroom on Wednesdays. Kacy is working toward a degree in Math and Science and currently serves as the district’s ELL teacher. She will be spending most Wednesdays through April working with the 5th graders in Mrs. Estep’s classroom.

The adventure has begun! Practices and production projects for Beauty and the Beast, Jr. are officially underway, and we can’t wait to share the magic with you at the end of March—so mark your calendars! ✨

We’re still looking for more ensemble actors! If your student wants to be part of the show but isn’t ready for a speaking role, this is the perfect chance to jump in, make new friends, and be part of the fun behind the scenes and on stage. Don’t miss out on the excitement!

Please see Ms. Renee if you are interested!

The Panther Den at Delton Kellogg Middle School helps students by providing snacks, clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other essential items they may need. To continue supporting our students, we rely on donations to replenish and restock the Panther Den as supplies run low.

The middle school has created a Panther Den Amazon Wishlist to make it easy to contribute. Each donation helps us provide students with the essentials for a successful school year.

How to Help:

• Scan the QR Code below

• Or click here: Panther Den Amazon Wishlist

Thank you for helping us keep the Panther Den stocked and supporting our students!

Order Online: ybpay.lifetouch.com

Yearbook ID Code: 13316726

Order Deadline: April 10, 2026

Scan the QR code or visit the website to place your order today!

Don’t miss out on a keepsake full of this year’s memories!

Meal accounts & Education and Nutrition forms can be set up at: deltonkellogg.familyportal.cloud Students and staff ID #s will be needed to set-up meal accounts.

Please email tiffany.haines@dkschools.org if you need your student or staff ID #.

Families, please remember to complete the 2025–2026 Education and Nutrition Benefits Form. Only one form per family is needed. This helps our school receive important funding and ensures students have access to available meal benefits.

Please check event link for all updates and changes.

* 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

Background checks for volunteers are essential to ensure the safety and well-being of students.This helps keep our school environment secure and positive for all students.Therefore in a continued effort to keep our schools as safe as possible, all volunteer parents and community members, as well as classroom visitors, must submit to criminal background checks.Field trip chaperones are also considered volunteers. Visitor and Volunteer Consent forms must be completed each year and should be turned into the middle school office. You can pick up a volunteer form in the office or click below to print one.

Tentative Kickstart Deposit days at DKMS:

Lost and Found items will be retained for 30 days. After which, they will be donated locally. If you have a student that is missing something, please ask them to check the lost and found shelf, located near the entrance to the cafeteria. If you would like to claim an item, please stop by the middle school office Mon-Fri 7:30 - 3:30.

Email: tammy.whitmore@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1541

Email: julie.gorter@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542