Bobcat Bulletin
October 21, 2023
Ricks' Relay
Hello Bobcats!
As we journey through another week of the school year, I want to take a moment to express my deep appreciation for the incredible role you play in the lives of our students. Your love, support, and dedication are the cornerstones of our school community, and they never cease to inspire us.
Parenting is a beautiful challenge, and it's your unwavering commitment to your children's growth and development that makes all the difference. Each day, you provide the love, guidance, and encouragement that shape their futures. Your influence goes beyond the walls of our school, and it is felt in the hearts of your children every day.
Remember, you are not alone on this journey. Our school is here to support you, and together, we can create an environment where your children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Your involvement and partnership are invaluable to us, and we look forward to continuing this amazing journey together.
Let's embrace each week with optimism and enthusiasm, knowing that every challenge we face is an opportunity to learn, grow, and inspire one another. Your dedication as parents is a beacon of hope for our students, and for that, we are truly grateful.
Thank you for being incredible parents, and thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of educating your children.
We have so many great things to share...Let's get to it!
#DreamTogether & Go Bobcats!
Mrs. Cassandra Ricks
Fun Pictures from the Week
Ms. Fisher working with 7th grade students on constants of proportionality!
Mr. O'Leary working with 6th grade students on the geographical features of Mexico and South America!
Ms. Caudle's art class working on watercolor interpretations of Van Gogh's "The Starry Night"!
No Knee Pad Friday! How about those tortillas?!?!
Ms. Schaben greeting students at the door and quizzing them on the various body systems as they enter!
Junior Varsity Dance Team practicing their latest choreography!
Ms. Colman schooling the boys in Jenga during D-Lunch!
Mr. Eguia's theatre students perfecting their sewing skills!
Ms. Kunn's students learned about technologies of the past this week...recognize any of these items?!?!
6th Grade story time with Ms. Gardner!
Coach Corbin working on a real estate marketing project with 7th Grade Texas History students...who wouldn't want a little piece of Texas for $0.12 per acre?!?!?!
Ms. Langdon's Algebra students working on linear inequalities!
Upcoming Events...
Saturday, October 21st: District Volleyball B-Team Tournament (Ennis High School/Waxahachie High School)
RED RIBBON WEEK
Monday, October 23rd: Pep Rally; Volleyball vs. Corsicana @ DMS; 7th Football vs. Life School @ DMS; Tennis Match @ DMS; Western/Jersey Day
Tuesday, October 24th: 8th Football vs. Life School @ Life; 6th Grade Band Concert; Decades Day
Wednesday, October 25th: Check out one of the Red Ribbon Week Activities as a Family; Superhero Day
Thursday, October 26th: 7th & 8th Grade Band Concert; Crazy Socks Day
Friday, October 27th: MHS Football Pink Out; Costume Day
Saturday, October 28th: District Volleyball A-Team Tournament (FSMS/DMS)
Pep Rally Details
We are so excited about our Pep Rally on Monday, October 23rd! Our theme is "Round up the Mustangs", so we are dressing in Pink & Western Wear for the day. We will be celebrating our ABLE students and their participation in the Special Olympics Bowling Program, as well as our Bobcat Beau and Sweetheart.
The work flow adjustments for our last Pep Rally were a huge success, so we are asking for your cooperation once again for Monday's festivities.
If your student has an appointment on October 23rd or needs to leave early, we respectfully request that you pick up your student prior to 3:00 p.m. To assist us with the check-out process in the event that your student will need to leave early on 10/23/23, please submit this Google Form to let us know that your student will be leaving early and what time you will be picking him/her up. If we have already started the Pep Rally festivities, we may not be able to locate your student in a timely manner.
We are respectfully requesting that parents who will be attending the Pep Rally complete this Google Form in advance of 3:00 p.m. on Monday, October 23rd so that we can pre-print your visitor badge if you are already in our Raptor System. If you have not visited our campus previously, we will need to scan your State ID (Driver's License/Identification) when you arrive and print your visitor badge at that time.
Yearbook
Yearbook Recognition Ads are the perfect way to commemorate achievements and celebrate milestones. In addition, revenues from Recognition Ads help our school create a better yearbook. To purchase your ad online, follow the instructions listed below. Jostens is responsible for our school's yearbook ad sales. Please do not contact or send materials to the school. Please also consider our school's ad content guidelines during the creation of your ad online. Our school reserves the right to edit ads per our guidelines. Ensure all submitted materials are appropriate for school publication.
All orders must be placed by 11/10/2023.
Regular Yearbook Price is $40.
Veteran's Day Celebration
Parents we would love the opportunity to continue the tradition of honoring our veterans during our annual Veteran's Day celebration. We are looking for veterans that would be willing to answer a few brief questions on camera and be in our Veteran's Day video that will be played on November 10th. If you would be willing to volunteer, could you please provide some information in this Google Form so that we can contact you further to set up a time that the interview can be conducted.
Thank you for your continued support.
Teacher of the Week
Student IDs
Just a reminder that Student IDs are a REQUIRED part of our dress code and safety protocols. As of Wednesday of this week, there are $2,276 in outstanding balances, up $300 from last week's report. All students MUST wear their Student IDs on a lanyard. Because students are forgetting their IDs at home, we are having to print around 100 temporary IDs daily, which is time consuming and costly. Each temporary badge costs $1, a new plastic badge costs $3, and a lanyard and plastic sleeve cost $1 each. Students who do not bring cash with them have charges to their accounts in Skyward. Please take care of outstanding balances as soon as possible and remind students to wear their Student IDs daily. We appreciate your support and assistance!
Stadium Reminders...
Just a reminder that all Middle School students must be accompanied by a paying adult to all events at the Multi-Purpose Stadium. Students will NOT be allowed to cross under the Mezzanine area without an adult present. Additionally, MISD has a clear bag policy and outside food and drinks are not permitted. Please remind your students that the Student Code of Conduct is in effect at all extracurricular activities, and we expect them to represent DMS in a positive manner.
Free Dental Clinic
Free & Reduced Lunch
Students who participated in the free/reduced-price meals program during the previous school year in Midlothian ISD could continue receiving free/reduced-price meals for the first 30 days of school. This 30-day grace period has now ended, and a new application must be submitted. Students will no longer receive free/reduced-price meals without application approval for the 2023-24 school year.
Please click here to visit the MISD Child Nutrition Department website for more information on school meals and to apply for the free/reduced-price meals program.
If you have any questions or need assistance, you can reach our Child Nutrition Department by emailing mandie.tucker@midlothianisd.org or calling (469) 856-5390.
Application
La Solicitud
Attendance
We realize that there have been bouts of COVID, strep throat, and a stomach bug going around. Please remind your kiddos to wash their hands frequently, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of rest in an effort to mitigate illnesses.
Just a few attendance reminders:
- Absence notes should be emailed to attendance.dms@midlothianisd.org within 24 hours of the absence.
- When you email the school, please include the student's first name, last name, and ID#. Student nicknames can cause confusion with attendance coding.
- If you feel that there is an error for a particular class period, please email the teacher directly first. For example, if your student was tardy and the teacher accidentally marked your student absent, please email the teacher so the teacher can submit an absence correction form.
- Please remember that we have approximately 1,000 students on campus, so it may take 1-2 business days for the update to show in Skyward. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Monthly Celebrations
District Information
MISD Visitor Procedures
MISD prioritizes the safety and security of our staff and students. We ask our MISD visitors to help us in the effort to keep kids as safe as possible. MISD appreciates your patience as we follow these procedures. To learn more about campus security and visitor guidelines, visit https://bit.ly/3QqqQzl.
MISD Athletics
Website: https://dms.misd.gs/
Location: Dieterich Middle School, 2881 Ledgestone Lane, Midlothian, TX 76065
Phone: (469) 856 - 5800
Instagram: @dms.bobcats
X (formerly Twitter): @Principal_Ricks