The Panther Post
DMS News December 2018
Principal's Corner
Panther Families,
It is hard to believe that we are just a few days away from the end of this semester! We have many exciting activities to look forward to in these upcoming days. I was blown away by the amazing performance of Unhappily Ever After that our advanced theater class put on at Bob Jones High School. It was a great production and I am very proud of all of the students for a job well done! Our band and chorus will have upcoming holiday concerts that will be just as amazing. I hope you will plan to attend.
DMS students will be taking exams to finish the semester. A link to the fall exam schedule can be found in the upcoming events section below and also on the DMS webpage. It is very important that your student is present to take exams on the dates they are scheduled. Students will not be allowed to take exams early. Any student that misses their final exam must call the office to schedule a time to take a make-up exam on Thursday, January 3 or Friday, January 4, 2019.
It is my hope that you will enjoy the gift of family and friends during the upcoming holiday break. As always, thank you for your continued support of the students, faculty and staff of Discovery!
With Panther Pride,
Kim Stewart
Discovery Middle School: A place for innovation, excellence and discovery.
December Upcoming Events
December 3: DMS Bands Holiday Concert 6:30 p.m. at BJHS Zompa Auditorium
December 4: Progress Reports sent home
December 11: DMS & BJHS Winter Choral Concert at 7:00 p.m. at BJHS Zompa Auditorium
December 19-21: Semester Exams - Exam Schedule Click HERE
December 21: Half Day of School with dismissal at 11:45 a.m.
December 21: Last day of the 1st Semester
December 24 - January 4: Winter Break/No School
Students Return to School on Monday, January 7!
December DMS Basketball Schedule
Come out and show your Panther spirit! Support the DMS Basketball program by attending one of their exciting games!
12/3 (Home) vs Buckhorn -- 7G, 8G, 7B, & 8B @ 4:00 p.m.
12/6 (Away) vs Meridianville -- 7B, 8B, 7G, & 8G @ 4:00 p.m.
12/10 (Home) vs Monrovia -- 7G, 8G, 7B, & 8B @ 4:00 p.m.
12/11 (Away) vs Liberty -- 7B, 7G, 8B, & 8G @ 4:00 p.m.
12/13 (Away) vs Sparkman -- 7B, 8B, 7G, & 8G @ 4:00 p.m.
12/17 (Home) vs Athens -- 7G, 8G, 7B, & 8B @ 4:00 p.m.
12/20 (Away) vs Hampton Cove 7G only@ 5:30 p.m.
1/8, 1/10, 1/12 & 1/15 (Away) County Tournament @ Monrovia TBA
DMS Spelling Bee
Congratulations to the 2018 school Spelling Bee champion, Ashwin Prabhakar and the first runner up, Cayden Borsella!
The students all had a great experience participating in this year's school Spelling Bee!
Essay Contest Winner
Congratulations to Abby Kulkarni, who was named the district winner of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) history essay contest!
The topic of the essay was "The Women's Suffrage Campaign" based on the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted women the right to vote and hold elected office.
DMS Advanced Theater "Unhappily Ever After: A Musical Stage Show"
The students did a fantastic job and showed tremendous talent. All reviews for the show (from parents, teachers, and friends) were extremely positive and complimentary of the students' performance!
Scholar's Bowl
Congratulations to the Panther Scholar's Bowl teams - they had a great tournament on Saturday, December 1st. The 6th grade A team made it to the finals of their division and earned 2nd place. The 7/8th grade A team earned 1st place in their division with a decisive win in the finals. The 7/8th A team was undefeated in 8 rounds at the tournament. Our 6th and 7/8th B teams also competed and had a great time at the tournament.
The 6th grade A team members are: Patrick Bruce, Zachary Calinsky, Abigail Bennett, Ben Landingham and Trey Schiber.
The 7/8th grade A team members are: Miriam Dotson, Neha Chopade, Puja Chopade, Kathleen Stephens, Colin Bruyns and Matthew Stern.
Learning is an Adventure!
Additionally, students were eager to participate in the Hour of Chess event on November 9. Every student at DMS had an opportunity to play chess online, on a physical chess board, or on a SMART board versus their peers!
Library News
What's SO SPECIAL about the library? There is something for EVERYONE...especially in our Maker Space! We have high tech/low tech stations designated for students to explore, discover, design, create, and share their unique talents and cultural treasures. A few notable stations include: Digital Breakout, Wiki Spot, Origami, Top Knots, Tinkering with Tech, the Lego's table, the Green Screen, the Game table, the Construction Zone, Paper Fashions, Programming Challenge, and Holiday/Seasonal Creations!
If you would like to donate supplies to our stations, we are in need of the following items: twine, rope, fabric, buttons, sequins, fabric glue, craft glue, craft books, colorful Duct tape, colored paper, crepe/tissue paper, craft sticks, straws, AA batteries, Styrofoam craft shapes, coffee filters, Clorox wipes, dry-erase markers, oil pastels, and pipe cleaners. THANK YOU in advance for your generosity!
Candy Canes Anyone? The library is hosting a SWEET fund-raiser! We are selling CANDY CANES for .25 each. All money collected will be used to purchase library supplies and equipment.
REMEMBER...our library is truly the hub of DMS...so, when the library must be closed to accommodate school events, students can return books at the Book Return at the main entrance. They can also conduct searches, renew books and/or reserve books online by going to our school library link and following the directions on that page.
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!! We are truly grateful for your time, assistance, and dedication!
Have suggestions on how to make our media center better? Come and share your ideas!
Visit us in the DMS library to "check out" valuable resources available to you!
Green Screen & Digital Publishing
Kaleidoscope Movies in Action
Digital Breakout, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, & Problem Solving
Santa Panther Keeping Watch
Students Sharing Their Christmas Spirit
Makers Space Activities
Topic of the Month: Social Media Safety
Young people today have more access to technology and are more social media savvy than ever before. Over 80% of students use some form of social media, and they're sharing more information about themselves on social networks than they have in the past.
While growing up with technology has its benefits, it also poses new risks. Between cyber-bullying, oversharing, and giving in to peer pressure, a young person's misuse of a social network can turn into a serious problem.
For many parents, navigating their child's social media presence is not only worrisome, but also challenging. However, with the right approach, parents can set positive examples for their students and teach them how to use social media responsibly and respectfully.
Here are six tips to help you keep your kids safe on social media.
1. Educate yourself about social media.
It is recommended that parents take time to research and learn about the different social networks their children are using. Familiarizing yourself with popular social platforms will give you a better understanding of how each service works.
Here some popular social networks kids are actively using:
Snapchat
Vine
YouTube
Tumblr
2. Establish an age limit.
When deciding at what age you will allow your student(s) to use social media, keep in mind that most social networks require users to be 13 years old or older to create an account. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prevents companies from collecting personal information about children under the age of 13 without their parents' permission.
3. Talk to your kids about the dangers and consequences of social media.
Most young people do not fully realize the consequences that come with using social media. They tend to underestimate how easily accessible their information is, and can forget that others are watching their online activity. By being proactive and talking to your children about the dangers of social media, they will more likely think twice before posting a photo or sharing personal information with others online.
4. Keep technology (computers, tablets, cell phones) in a common area of your home.
Keep your online devices in a centralized and open location in your house. This way, you can easily keep an eye on your student’s social media usage. Young people are less likely to engage in inappropriate behavior when they know their parents can look over their shoulder at any time.
5. Set guidelines or rules.
Establishing a set of guidelines or rules is a wonderful way to instill positive social media habits in your child. Set time limits for how long your student can spend on social media during the week.
6. Check your child's privacy settings regularly.
Be sure to check your student's privacy settings on each social network consistently. Social networks are constantly updating and changing their sites and apps, so you'll want to make sure your child's profile is as secure as possible.
Keep in mind, the key to keeping your student safe on social media is to properly supervise their activities and use of social media!
Source: http://mashable.com/2014/09/21/social-media-safety-kids/#reoJ4t48cgqP
Discovery Middle School
Website: http://dms.madisoncity.k12.al.us/
Location: 1304 Hughes Rd, Madison, AL 35758, United States
Phone: (256) 837-3735
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverymspanthers/
Twitter: @DMSpanthers1