Dahlstrom Middle School
January 4, 2021
Happy New Year!!!
I hope everyone enjoyed the Holiday season! We are excited to see our students and get back to work!!!
The second half of the year is always action-packed with lots going on:
8th Grade students and parents:
- JHS Navigate your future night January 7th held virtually with Johnson High School (look for the link to be released soon by JHS)
- January 14th, all 8th-grade students will take the PSAT. Virtual learners can also take the PSAT on campus. If your virtual learner will be on campus to take the PSAT, please complete the following form https://forms.gle/5QYBFvAi12faenGG8 so we can safely accommodate all students that will be on campus
- JHS Course Selection Information
- JHS Rosettes Try-Outs Info
6th-grade students and parents:
- ONLY 6th-grade student passwords are changing. Effective tomorrow 6th-grade student passwords will be:
The new password will be the student birthday in this format: MMDDYYYY (i.e. 08022006)
ALL STUDENTS:
- This Friday, January 8th, and Friday, January 22nd, we will follow the Monday/Wednesday bell schedule. We will not attend all classes, we will only go to 1st, Advisory, 2nd, and 3rd. This will make up for the Mondays we don't have school.
- Monday, January 25th is picture retake day. Please sign-up here for a time slot.
- 2021 Academic UIL Competition Information---It is time to select your events!!!
- 2021 Spelling Bee Information
For parents asking if they can switch my student to virtual learning at any time? How do I do that?
- Yes. You may switch your student to virtual learning at any time. You only need to send me an email at Dedrah.Ginn@hayscisd.net and let me know you would like for your student to attend virtually for the remainder of the nine weeks.
Upcoming Dates:
January 15th will be an Asynchronous learning day. If you need your student to attend in-person virtual learning, please complete the In-Person Learning Form.
The asynchronous means that there will not be zooms or live teaching during this time. Students are still required to log in to Schoology and complete any assignments for their classes. Attendance will be taken by students logging into Schoology and completing the Attendance/SEL check-in. Please look for more information from your student’s teachers regarding the asynchronous assignments.
January 18th is a Student and Staff Holiday
January 25th DMS Picture Retake Day
January 29th Last day of the Grading period and DMS Early Out. Students will be released at 2:45pm.
Reminders for our DMS safety protocols:
- masks must be work in the building
- spacing in the classrooms has been relaxed, students are no longer 3 feet apart in all classrooms due to the number of students we will have on-campus
- students have been issued sneezeguards. In any class that can't meet the 3 feet spacing between students, students will be required to wear their masks and to utilize their sneezeguard. Refusal to do so may result in disciplinary consequences. Students will carry their sneezeguard with them and leave it in their last class of the day. They will return the following day to pick up their sneezeguard
- please bring a refillable water bottle with you every day
- please bring an extra mask in your backpack in case your mask breaks or gets misplaced
- we will continue to offer mask breaks during passing periods. Any time a student's mask is off, they are to be 6 feet away from others.
Grading Policy Change Reminder
The grading policy has changed from the first nine-weeks, please check your student's grades weekly. Teachers update their grade book by Tuesday at midnight each week. Students will now only be able to redo and/or retest for up to a 75. Please check the DMS Weekly Overview each week to know which assignments are due for a grade and to assist students in tracking assignments they have submitted.
Here is a copy of the email I previously sent regarding the grading policy change for the second nine-weeks:
- As we move into the second nine weeks we have implemented a few items to help assist students with knowing which assignments are for grades and for helping parents know how to find this information for their students. It is important for students to complete all work assigned by their teachers as each assignment builds upon each other as students expand their content knowledge. If students jump only to completing graded assignments, they may struggle with mastery of the concept and you may see lower grades for your student as a result. Please see the DMS Weekly Overview. This will be updated each week by teachers, Your student will be able to see the name of the assignment for each class that will be graded for that week. The assignment will have the same name in the weekly Overview, in Schoology, and in TEAMS (the parent/student portal). This should assist in locating assignments, tracking grades for assignments, and knowing which assignments have been submitted. You or your student can make a copy of the teacher's document from the weekly overview and check off assignments as they are submitted. Please remember that TEAMS is the official grade book for Hays CISD. You can click on the report card tab at any time to see your student's most up-to-date grades.
Please read below for changes to the grading policy for the second nine weeks. I have highlighted a few important changes.
Grading Standards
Hays CISD expects students to give their best effort the first time an assignment is made or a project or test is given. Grades will be recorded in TEAMS and parents may check grades via the parent portal. To ensure this quality of work, the following rules apply:
1. Teachers are required to record a minimum of one minor grade per week and a minimum of three major grades per grading period for each content area.
2. Minor grades will count for 40% and major grades will count for 60% of the overall grade for a nine-week grading period. All semester exam grades will count as 1/7 of the semester grade.
3. Teacher discretion may be used to determine what assignments constitute a minor or major grade, except for district-required Curriculum Based Assessments which are to be recorded as a major grade and eligible for reassessment.
4. Teachers will update the grade book in TEAMS each Tuesday by midnight. Please check your student’s grades each Wednesday. Students will have from the Wednesday grades are updated in TEAMS, until the next Wednesday at midnight to make up any missing work, to redo assignments or assessments, and receive reteaching. The reteaching, resubmitting, and retesting will be scheduled at the discretion of the teacher.
5. Corrections made to an assessment do not constitute a reassessment. Students must participate in re-teaching prior to any reassessment.
6. Students may re-submit assignments and re-test only one time per assignment. The following assignments are not eligible for resubmission: major projects and midterm, final, and benchmark assessments. Grades on benchmark assessments will be derived from material that has only been previously taught.
7. Students may receive a maximum grade of 75 on all missing or re-submitted assignments and tests. When a re-test or re-assessment occurs, grades should be assigned in the following manner:
• If a student scores a grade of 75-100; a grade of 75 should be entered in the grade book
• If a student scores a grade of 0-74; the higher of the two scores (original grade or re-test) should be recorded in the grade book.
Re-Teaching and Reassessment for Mastery
Students not mastering an objective standard will have the opportunity to be retaught and reassessed a second time. Reteaching may occur in a variety of ways and in different settings. This may or may not be scheduled during class time, but must be pre-announced so that students may plan accordingly. The number of reteaching opportunities such as independent practice, activities, and/or ongoing homework, depends upon the professional judgment of the teacher and is required to strengthen skills prior to a second assessment. For reassessment, the teacher may not use the same assessment to determine mastery.
Late and Make-up Assignments
Students are expected to complete all assignments. If a student fails to complete assignments or if late assignments become a concern for that student, teachers will notify the parent or guardian and the campus designee.
- Students will be expected to make up assignments and tests after an absence. A student shall be responsible for obtaining and completing the make-up assignments in a satisfactory manner and within the time specified by the teacher.
- The District shall not impose a grade penalty for make-up assignments after an unexcused absence.
- The District shall not impose a grade penalty for make-up assignments after an absence because of suspension.
- Students may be required to attend a teacher or campus program to complete any missing and/or unsatisfactory assignments turned in after the due date for a maximum grade of 75. Non-compliance may result in disciplinary action.
- Any assignments not completed and submitted may be given the grade of a zero.
I hope everyone has a great week!!!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ginn
Follow us on Facebook @DMS. Mustangs to see pictures of all the fun and amazing things students, teachers, and staff are doing at DMS!!!
New Links:
In-Person Learning Request for January 15th
JHS Navigate your future night January 7th
January 14th, all 8th-grade students will take the PSAT.
JHS Rosettes Try-Outs Info
Virtual Learner Picture Retake Sign-Up
2021 Academic UIL Competition Information
2021 Spelling Bee Information
Here are some previously shared resources:
Dahlstrom Middle School 2020-2021 Bell Schedules
New Illness Policies and Procedures
Updated Hays CISD Secondary Virtual Learning Schedule for the first three weeks
Hays CISD Student Code of Conduct
Dahlstrom Middle School Student Handbook
Thank You!!!
Thank you to Moser Family and Cosmetic Dentistry and Monica Martinez for creating magnetic school year calendars for our students!
Thank you DMS PTA for all of your support and hard work!! Thank you for providing breakfast for our staff as well!
Thank you Richard Leininger-The Horace Mann Companies for providing breakfast for our staff!!!
If you would like to help out and donate, please reach out to Michelle.Silva@hayscisd.net or Dedrah.Ginn@hayscisd.net
The district has created a special webpage with information, answers to frequently asked questions, and the latest notices about how the district is responding to COVID-19.
Follow us @dms.mustangs
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Dahlstrom Middle School
Email: Dedrah.Ginn@hayscisd.net
Website: https://www.hayscisd.net/dms
Location: 3600 FM 967, Buda, TX, USA
Phone: (512)268-8441
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dms.mustangs/