FOX FEATURE WEEKLY UPDATE
APRIL 12, 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS
MONDAY 04/15/2019
- SPRING BREAK
TUESDAY 04/16/2019
- SPRING BREAK
WEDNESDAY 04/17/2019
- SPRING BREAK
THURSDAY 04/18/2019
- SPRING BREAK
FRIDAY 04/05/2019
- SPRING BREAK
TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
DIGITAL FAMILIES COMMUNITY EVENT: NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL AGE
TUESDAY APRIL 23, 2019
5:15 PM TO 8:00 PM
DFMS CAFETERIA
FOR CURRENT AND RISING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND PARENTS
TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Dear Parents and Guardians of Dutch Fork Middle School,
We are partnering with BrightBytes, an educational research organization, in order to learn more about our students’ school and home technology use for learning. We are reaching out to ask you to take part in the Technology & Learning questionnaire in the upcoming weeks. Your participation is essential to help us form a more complete picture of technology use for learning. Please know that all of your responses will remain anonymous to protect your privacy.
Over the next few weeks, please keep an eye out for an email with more information on how to participate.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
DISTRICT DRESS CODE POLICY
The dress code for Dutch Fork Middle school is determined largely by school district policy. The school may modify the dress code as long as the changes stay within the district guidelines.
● Clothing deemed distracting, revealing, or overly suggestive shall not be permitted.
● Dress or accessories that are considered unsafe, dangerous, a health hazard, or disruptive to the learning environment shall not be permitted. Clothing may not display vulgar symbols or language and may not contain alcohol, tobacco, or drug symbols.
● Sleeveless shirts should be at least ID badge width across the shoulder with no visible undergarments. Bare midriffs, spaghetti straps, halter/tank tops, and see-through shirts/tops/blouses are not permitted.
● Inappropriate tops are not to be worn beneath an overcoat that the student plans to remove.
● Pants must be worn at the natural waistline.
● Sleepwear or slippers may not be worn.
● Hats, head stockings, kerchiefs, bandanas, or bonnets are not allowed at school.
● Shorts or skirts must be at least “fingertip length”. This means that all skirts and shorts must be as long as the longest finger-tip when hands are placed at the student’s side along the entire hemline.
● Jeans with holes may not have holes that are higher than the student’s longest finger when hands are placed at the student’s side or higher than mid-thigh.
● The school will not be responsible for confiscated, unauthorized material brought to school.
HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT COURSES FOR 2019-2020
Dutch Fork Middle School provides our student's opportunities to pursue Honors level classes and helps ensure our students get a quality education that will assist them as they transition to high school. Some of these Honors level courses allow the student to earn high school credit. In middle school, core academic classes that carry high school credit include Algebra 1 Honors, Geometry Honors, and English 1 Honors. Middle school elective classes that are credit-bearing include Spanish 1 (8th grade only) and Fundamentals of Computing 1 (for 0.5 credit). These classes are taught to the standards of a high school course because the student will receive credit which will be applied to high school graduation requirements. These classes align with the standards of high school difficulty, as well as both high school attendance and grading policies.
Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, middle school students taking high school credit classes will be held to the following expectations:
A “WF” or a “WP” (Withdrawal due to Failing or Withdrawal due to Passing) will be assigned to any student who decides to drop a high school credit-bearing class after the 10th day of school for a year-long class or after the 5th day of school for a semester-long class.
These classes will affect your student’s Grade Point Average (GPA). If a student makes a grade that is failing or has a final grade that is lower than he/she desires, the student has the ability to retake this class. However, students MUST retake the class at the same level AND both attempts/grades of taking the class will be recorded on the student’s transcript. The benefit of retaking a class is that the higher of the two grades will be averaged into a student’s GPA.
Students must obtain the required “seat time” to receive high school credit. Students must attend at least 170 of 180 days for one unit of credit and 85 days of 90 days for ½ unit of credit. Although absences may be lawful and not relative to truancy charges, all absences out of school are counting days when considering the awarding of credit. Any student who is absent more than 10 days in a year-long course and 5 days in a semester-long course shall not be eligible to receive credit in class.
Your student’s success is important to us. Please let us know if you have any additional questions by contacting the school counseling department at 803-476-4805.
AFTERNOON DISMISSAL PRODECURES
3:30 PM - At the first dismissal the following students are released:
- car riders
- 1st round of buses...this is announced daily
- home walkers
3:37 PM - At the second dismissal the following students are released:
- 2nd round of buses...this is announced daily
- high school walkers (walk behind the tennis courts and enter the high school from the back)
Please note, the high school does not dismiss until 3:40 PM. Any middle school students on their campus prior to 3:40 PM could be considered trespassing. We purposely hold our high school walkers until the 3:37 PM dismissal to assist the high school in their dismissal process.
All coaches have been informed of our dismissal timing. Please let us know if you have any concerns and we can discuss them with the high school athletics department.
SCHOOL DISTRICT FIVE BOARD FORGIVES TWO MAKE-UP DAYS FOR STUDENTS
The Lexington-Richland School District Five Board of Trustees has voted to forgive two of the five school days students missed due to inclement weather this school year.
Students missed four school days (Tuesday, Sept. 11, through Friday, Sept. 14) by order of the governor due to Hurricane Florence and another school day on Thursday, Oct. 11, due to Hurricane Michael.
By law (Section 59-1-425 of the South Carolina Code of Laws), districts are required to make up three days before school boards can vote to waive up to three additional days. Earlier this academic year, the Lexington-Richland School District Five School Board approved three make-up days lost due to inclement weather. Students still must attend school on days already designated as make-up days:
- Monday, October 8. Students attended school on this day, which was previously scheduled as a Staff Development/Teacher Work Day. This will be an A Day for middle and high school students.
- Friday, March 29. Students will attend school on this day, which was previously scheduled as a Teacher/Student Holiday. This will be an A Day for middle and high school students.
- Monday, April 22. Students will attend school on this day, which was previously scheduled as a Staff Development/Teacher Work Day. This will be a B Day for middle and high students.
Employees of School District Five are responsible for ensuring that they work the total number of days per their contract and are making up days lost to inclement weather, per guidelines provided by the district administration. The school board voted March 18 to forgive the remaining two days students missed due to inclement weather.
For more information on make-up days, contact your supervisor or school administration.
SPRING PICTURES
By now your students should have brought home a packet with spring pictures in them. Please look at the pictures and if you would like to purchase, look at the information sheet that is included for pricing. Any pictures that you would like to keep please send the money or check back in the enclosed envelope all other other pictures please send back to the school. You can also pay online at Strawbridge.net use code 102921. All pictures or money is due back by May 3rd any questions please contact Ms. Johnson at ccjohnson@lexrich5.org
BOYS BASKETBALL CAMP
TRACK INFORMATION
SWIM TEAM
SPRING BOOK FAIR
DUTCH FORK CHEERLEADING
Tuesday, April 23rd-----BLING
Wednesday, April 24th-----EMOJI
Thursday, April 25th-----ANIMAL PRINT
Friday, April 26th----White shirt, dark shorts, white or black bow
If you have any further questions please feel free to email or go to our website at:
NEW REGISTRATION PAGE IS NOW OPEN!!!
DUTCH FORK MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE
8TH GRADE FORMAL
Students will be ineligible to attend the 8th Grade Formal if they receive any Level II or Level III Office Referrals. If students receive more than two Level I referrals (this includes Excessive Tardies) they will be unable to attend. These guidelines will be enforced beginning April 1 - May 10. No refunds will be issued if a student is unable to attend due to disciplinary issues.
LOST & FOUND
FRONT OFFICE SURVEY
YEARBOOK PRICES INCREASE!!!
CHORUS FIELD TRIP INFORMATION
PTSA CORNER
Hello Silver Fox families!!!!
SAVE THE DATE:
Tuesday, April 23, 2019, We are planning an insightful family event. Wake up your digital awareness and be in the times with your children. RSVP when you see the event in the newsletter or on Facebook. We will have close to 20 raffle prizes for winners. Plus a gift for every attendee!
We have to limit our event to 250 ppl.
Free dinner and door prizes included. If you are interested in volunteering or helping in any way with this event please message dfmiddleptsa@gmail.com.
Please DON'T forget to RSVP here: http://bit.ly/dfmsdigitalfamilies
BOOK FAIR:
Please sign up to volunteer during DFMS Book Fair and receive 50% off your purchase!
Dates: April 26th - May 3rd
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/409094ea9ac2da6f94-book1/59331141
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK:
Our Teachers are the Best in the Universe!
Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week and #ThankATeacher with us
May 6-10, 2019!
They change the lives of hundreds of children every day.
Let’s show our thanks and gratitude to our stellar educators. Help us jump start our PTSA Teacher Appreciation Week to #ThankATeacher for all that they do to help our children.
We love seeing all the awesome ways you celebrate the “T” in PTSA.
One of the many things we do for the "T"eachers that week is a raffle. We are asking parents to please send in gift cards or monetary donations for us to purchase gift cards for the "T"eachers raffle. Please click the link to see some gift card ideas and signup. https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/409094ea9ac2da6f94-teacher1/59331141
NOW SEARCHING:
BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE 2019-2020 school year! We are looking for a few great volunteers to carry on the service provided by PTSA at our school. There are many ways to help on the board. Box Tops, Reflections, Fox Frenzy, just to name a few. Please email dfmiddleptsa@gmail.com if you are interested or have questions.
You can pick up a nomination form in the front office from Coach Smith.
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT:
The following was sent about our fabulous orchestra teacher, Mrs. Mosquera. "I would like to nominate Ms. Mosquera for Teacher Spotlight. She is a truly amazing teacher. I knew she was a strong teacher, and I moved my child to DFMS in order for her to take orchestra with Ms. Mosquera. I was able to attend the concert performance at Irmo High School last week, and I was in complete awe! DFMS sounded like a professional orchestra in comparison to the other schools we saw (this included some high school orchestras).Ms. Mosquera is an incredible teacher and role model for our children!"
Please email us and tell us why you think a teacher is going above and beyond at our school. Every teacher nominated will have their morning duty or lunch duty for special area teachers taken care of for a day. The teachers truly appreciate knowing what they do matters and the break that comes with it. To nominate a teacher send an email to DFMIDDLEPTSA@gmail.com. Please add the teachers name, grade and why you are nominating them.
SPIRIT WEAR:
You can order spirit wear on our website all year at www.dutchforkspiritwear.com
BOX TOPS:
Don’t forget to download the Bonus Box Top App. Make sure you sign up to continue supporting our school through the school year and summer DFMS ID# 584789.
NOTE:
If you have any ideas or suggestions please send us an e-mail. Share your thoughts. We'd love to hear from you!
DUTCH FORK MIDDLE SCHOOL
Website: http://lexrich5.org/dfms
Location: 1528 Old Tamah Road, Irmo, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 476-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dutch-Fork-Middle-School-549147891811317/