In order to give teachers additional time to plan instruction during these challenging times, every Friday (beginning on September 25th) will be a 70% school day. During a normal school year, the tightly structured school day presents a challenge for teachers to plan appropriately, but the need for additional time is magnified during this unprecedented school year. Teachers have more responsibilities than ever before, and this planning time will allow teachers an opportunity to enhance instruction for all of their students for each upcoming week.

Here are some details about 70% Fridays:

• 70% Fridays will begin on Friday, September 25th.
• On 70% Fridays, the school day will begin at the regular time (8:10 A.M.) and end two hours and fifteen minutes early for students. Our students will begin dismissing at approximately 1:25 P.M. This will allow additional time for teachers to plan in their classrooms for the upcoming week.
• Bus riders will arrive at home approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes earlier on 70% Fridays.
• The 70% days will meet the Mississippi Department of Education instructional requirements for a regular school day.
• This schedule change only applies to the instructional minutes for in-person students.
• Lunches will be served on the 70% Fridays. We will serve grab-and-go lunches on Fridays because of the revised schedule.
• This schedule will remain in place through at least December 18th.
• The dismissal schedule for Fridays is attached to this email.

Process for transition into VIP or Traditional- Second Nine Weeks:

For the second nine weeks, students may go into the Virtual Instructional Program or return to the traditional classroom.

• We will be sending out a form which will give students the option of transitioning to VIP or traditional learning. The form will be emailed to you on September 28th. Please ONLY complete this form if you wish to CHANGE your student's placement. If you are a VIP/Distance Learner and want to remain VIP, you will automatically be re-enrolled as such. If you are a traditional/In-person student and want to remain in school, you will automatically be re-enrolled as such.
  
• After October 2nd, all parents who submitted a transition request will receive an email from DCMS regarding procedures for returning to school or going to distance learning.
  

• The transition window will be available to parents from September 28th-October 2nd. The last day to submit your request is October 2nd.
  
• Students will be allowed to return to school or begin attending virtual classes on Tuesday, October 13th.

Students Going Into VIP:

• If your student wants to go VIP please understand this is for the ENTIRE nine weeks.
• Students should already have a school email and be able to log-in to Schoology.
  
• Device distribution will be based on what we have available.
  
• I also attached the expectation sheet for the Virtual Instructional Program below. If your child is new to the program, please click and read the attachment below.
  

Please check out our online store! Our store will be open until September 18th. Once the store closes, all items will be delivered to the school September 21st. Please share!

If a student has a pending COVID test, he/she should not attend school while the test results are being finalized. If the parent is notified that the test is negative, the student can return to school. If the student has a positive test, the parent should provide documentation to the school and follow quarantine orders from the Mississippi State Department of Health. If a parent sends his/her child to school while waiting for COVID test results, the parent is knowingly risking the potential of COVID-19 transmission to staff members and other students. In addition, these actions could cause students and/or staff members to be quarantined by the Mississippi State Department of Health for 14 days. If your child says he/she does not fell well, please do not send them to school.

Boys

8th grade boys’ basketball tryouts for those currently enrolled in face to face learning will be Monday, September 21st. 7th grade basketball tryouts for traditional students will take place on October 5th, from 4:00-6:00. Tryouts will take place after school from 4:00-6:00. Those that are VIP learners will be given a tryout if they return to school for the 2nd nine weeks. You MUST have an athletic physical in order to tryout. Please contact Coach Berryhill if they have any questions.

Girls

7th and 8th grade Face to Face girls' tryouts will be Sept. 28 after school. They must have a current physical to tryout. Virtual students will tryout at a later date. Please contact Coach Nowell if you have any questions.

Parents- For access to your child's schedule, attendance, and grades please make sure you have access to Parent Portal. If you need your password reset or a new account set up, please email a copy of your photo ID to dawn.mulrooney@dcsms.org.

All visitors wishing to meet at DCMS face to face must be by appointment, unless it's an emergency. Please call 662-349-6660, if you would like to schedule an appointment.

Make sure you follow us on our official school Twitter site: @TweetDCS_DCMS