Decatur Middle School

Hawk Highlights - 2022/2023

Dear Decatur Middle School Families,

The last week at DMS has been a ton of fun as 250+ 8th grade students attended the 8th grade dance and both 7th and 8th grade students attended an all school field trip to Victory Field to watch the Indianapolis Indians play against the Iowa Cubs. We will have our final celebration on Thursday, May 24th, as students will participate in a grade level school assembly titled A Day in May. After the assembly, students will join their small learning communities to participate in teacher planned activities and enjoy pizza, desserts, and drinks. We are very thankful for our students and the work they have done this year-we can't wait to see how they continue to grow as students in Decatur Township.

*See pictures below:

iPad Collection:

7th grade iPads will be collected on Tuesday, May 23rd and 8th grade iPads will be collected on Wednesday, May 24th. Any student who does not return his/her iPad will be charged accordingly. All returning students to Decatur Township will be issued another iPad at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. Thank you for working with your child to ensure his/her iPad is returned to Decatur Middle School on May 23rd or May 24th.

Backpacks:

Students will not be permitted to bring backpacks or any other school related items to DMS on Thursday, May 24th, as students will be participating in fun activities throughout the day and not following a normal bell schedule. All backpacks will be confiscated at the door during arrival and returned during dismissal. Thank you for your support and understanding as we work to create a memorable last day at DMS.

Medications:

As the school year comes to an end, all medication being stored in the Nurse's Office must be picked up by a parent or guardian before the end of the day Thursday, May 25th. Any medication remaining at school after May 25th will be destroyed as medication will not be stored over the summer. If you must drop off medication for the remainder of the year, please calculate how many doses will be needed in relationship to the number of days remaining for the school year. If you have questions or concerns, please contact our Nurse's Office at 317-856-5274.

Academic Awards Night:

We will be celebrating our students' academic achievements on Monday, May 22nd (7th Grade) and Tuesday, May 23rd (8th Grade) from 6:00 PM -7:00 PM in the Decatur Middle School gymnasium. If your child is receiving an award, you should have received notification last week via ParentSquare. If you plan on attending, please park in the West parking lot and enter through doors #3 and #6. We are looking forward to celebrating our students and the work they have done throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

Students-of-The-Month:

On Friday, May 12th, we celebrated our April students-of-the-month. Each teacher

nominated a student who has modeled Hawk Pride (Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence) during the month of March. Each student was recognized in front of their peers during lunch, as their teachers read a short snippet of why they were chosen for this award, and presented a certificate. Each student was also given choice of candy and ate lunch first. We are very proud of these students for always modeling the Hawk Way in our building.

April Students-of-the-Month:

Desmond Wood, Jazmyne McDole, Idania Espinosa, Kayla Wright, Javari Hughes, Isaiah Pitcock, Isaac Bogarin, Lupita Jaramillo Rodriguez, Kevin Avila - Gramajo, Kayden Quinlan, Lesly Lopez, Anthony Marmol Rodriguez, Julien Goldsby, Brianna Taylor, Kennedy Harrison, Noah (Airiahna) Collier, Lamek Asmelash, Johnathon Fulton, Logan Popp, Sean Jaynes, Kaylynn Napier, Kaylen Wright, Taylor Adams, Nash Sigmund, Hailey Propes, Cole House, Rukia Saidi, Jordyn Hazelwood, Brooke Sutterfield-Alley, Joesph Moore, Xavier Ornelas , Esteban Martinez, Braylin Mulford, Alexis Akporute, Nash Sigmund, Maddox Ross, Wyatt Weesner, Ryleigh Howe, Josselyn Moran, Anyah Chappell-Fletcher, Kamila Medina, Graciella Bernardino, Clinton Poynter, Laynce Grable, KImberly Fout, Zoey Klinglesmith, Ethan Belanger, Tevan Hutchinson, Gauge Sprague, Zaria Carter, Ty'ana Hines, Maddison Stinnett, Jaydin Maldonado Palma, Semiaj Monroe, Jayden Norris, Cole House, Hunter Collins

*Please see pictures below

Dress Code:

As the weather gets warmer, middle school students have a tendency to disregard dress code expectations. Starting tomorrow, we will remind students of the expectations and the possible consequences if the expectation is not being met. We would greatly appreciate you taking a moment and reminding your child of the following:

All holes, rips, and tears that expose skin above fingertip length, as arms are held at one's side standing, is not permitted.
Dresses, shorts, skirts, etc. must also be fingertip in length and the midriff must be covered at all times.
Pants must be worn at the waist at all times (at or above the iliac crest bone). There should not be any undergarments or gym shorts exposed.
Sunglasses, hats, and bandannas are not permitted to be worn during the school day.

The above are just a few reminders-all dress code expectations can be found on our school's website: https://www.decaturproud.org/decatur-middle. Thank you for your help and support as we strive to create a culture of learning at DMS.

Vaping Statement:

Decatur Township School Police Department, (DTSPD), in collaboration with the Drug Free

Coalition, is excited to offer a new diversion program for students found to be in possession of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and or vaping devices. DTSPD has also partnered with our local courts in an effort to minimize the use of these products and devices on our campuses. Our students, if found with the aforementioned items, would be in violation of Indiana Code 35-46-1-10.5, Minor in Possession of a Tobacco Product or an Electronic Cigarette or 7.1-5-12-8 Smoking in a Prohibited Area. Each of these would be met with an Indiana citation, also known as a “Uniform Traffic Ticket,” (UTT). When submitted to the courts, the cost of the ticket for this violation is $170.50. This is an actual ticket and will affect your license or the ability to obtain one if left unpaid. Our objective however, is not to create financial hardship, but to have an opportunity to educate students and families on the dangers of vaping and tobacco products. Twice per month, DTSPD officers will present a 1-hour class for students who have opted to accept the terms of the diversion program. The cost of the class for a student attending alone is $75.00. If a student attends the class with a parent or guardian, the class is discounted at a cost of $25.00. Upon the completion of the class, the UTT, or citation, will not be referred to the courts, and there will be no record of the violation. A student may only participate in the program once per school year, and only twice throughout their

entire school career.

Soaring Hawks:

Each week we recognize two staff members as Soaring Hawks. A Soaring Hawk is:

A person that goes above and beyond to serve our students
Takes ownership for the successes and failures of his/her students.
Understands the importance and impact of relationships.
Believes in continuous improvement (Growth Mindset).
A person who puts the needs of others before his/hers.

Ms. Nichols has passed her Soaring Hawk to Ms. Kelly Sheridan. Ms. Nichols writes, "Kelly Sheridan is so deserving of the soaring hawk award. She has high expectations for our students and meets them where they are. Sheridan is consistent and reliable. When handling a situation, she handles it with grace and professionalism. She genuinely cares for the students and teachers on our Global team! She has been a great addition!"

Mrs. Capps has passed her Soaring Hawk to Mrs. Jillian Cox. Mrs. Capps writes, "I would like to pass the Soaring hawk to Jillian Cox. I have made a lot of friendships at DMS the past 2 years and this one is one of the best. Not only is she always there for me but she is there for her students as well. She motivates her students to be the best they can be with compassion. She is always willing to accommodate when needed. Now she has created and implementing a project of her own for all students during math, which they love! She is truly one of the most passionate teachers I know."