DRAGON DIGEST
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 20 / APRIL 27, 2018
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
Dear DeSana Parents,
With testing season almost behind us, we are officially entering the last month of this school year! That means we have four more weeks until this school year ends . . . four more weeks for our young Dragons to make sure they have clearly mastered all of the standards for their grade level so that they are well-prepared for the next school year . . . four more weeks to mature and grow and hone their organization skills and “how we do school” skills for the next school year . . . and four more weeks to finish out this school year in very fine fashion . . . by finishing STRONG!
These next four weeks will be a whirlwind, filled with a bevy of activity for all. There are important activities and events on our DeSana calendar --- ones that all of our parents and students will want to be in the know about. Parents, please make it a weekly activity to check our online calendar on the DeSana website, along with our NEWS section there, as well. And don’t forget to check out our DeSana Facebook page also. For there is no shortage of activities and events here at The Lair these last several weeks of the school year! With the 8th grade Savannah Trip, the 6th grade day field trip to the TELLUS Museum in Cartersville, the Band Spring Concert, DeSana’s Got Talent, now in Year 2, Spring Football practice and their Blue-White Scrimmage, a plethora of transition activities for our rising 6th grade young Dragons, the 8th grade picnic and semi-formal dance, end-of-year activities for all three grade levels during the last week of school, and our second DeSana Day of Good Deeds (D3 Day) on May 21st, these last 4 weeks of school will be filled with some EXCITING times here at DeSana!
But of course we do want our young Dragons to remember what their #1 Priority is each and every day at DeSana for these next four weeks . . . to put their time . . . and energy . . . and their VERY BEST efforts . . . into their learning and studies! We want all of our students to finish STRONG this school year in both their academics and their behavior! So parents, we ask you to encourage your young Dragon to find just the right balance between school work and studies and their extra-curricular activities and events these last four weeks of school. Just because the Milestones End of Grade (EOG) and End of Course (EOC) tests are ending today, and May 8th, respectively, that does not mean that the school year is over and students may slack off. There is still very much important learning to be done throughout the final weeks of this school year. And we need each and every one of our students present . . . focused . . . and working up to their highest potential until the last day of school on May 25th.
Here’s to a focused . . . fun . . . fabulous . . . and highly successful last four weeks of this 2017-2018 school year for all of our young Dragons! And here’s to finishing STRONG!! I look forward to seeing many of our parents here at DeSana at the myriad of activities and events to come!
With Warmest Regards,
Terri A. North
Principal
DESANA DAY OF GOOD DEEDS
D3 DAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
D3 Day needs around 100 parent volunteers to make D3 Day run smoothly. Please consider volunteering your time on this very rewarding day! Your investment of just a few hours will make a difference for our students, in the community, and you will have a great feeling when you are done too! D3 Day is Monday, May 21st. Please sign up using the link below even if you already signed up on the T-shirt form. At this point, we only need project volunteers 8:45am-1:00pm to work with our students as they take part in their community projects.
Click here to volunteer!
DONATIONS NEEDED
April Food Drive: CEREAL (any kind, boxed or bagged) All collections will be used to stock summer pantries of The Place of Forsyth and Bald Ridge Lodge. The top collecting class in each grade, based on percentages (items/number of students), will get a donut treat. The top overall teacher will win a $50 Castle Car Wash gift card. The April collection will end May 3rd and the donut treat will be held May 4th. All students in the winning classes (6th, 7th, and 8th) for the April food drive will be entered into a drawing for two tickets to Six Flags Over Georgia. The drawing will be held at the D3 Day assembly.
Other items: We are still collecting magazines (especially Men's magazines), grocery bags, and old blankets and towels.
PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR A COOKIE SIGN UP: We will release a cookie sign up genius in May. These cookies will be used to Treat the Troops. We need A LOT of cookies. So, if you are a baker...this is where we need you!
As always, thank you for your help with D3 Day! We are making a difference in our community.
PTO
WE NEED YOU!
Attention Dragon Parents! The PTO is seeking 2 Vice Presidents for the 2018-2019 board! The deadline to nominate yourself or a friend has been extended to May 18th. Please consider applying! We meet once a month and help plan activities such as Open House, Fundraising, Staff Appreciation, Hospitality, Book Fair, 6-8 Grade Socials and Picnics, and lots more! It is incredibly rewarding! Please click here for the form and e‐mail it to Kari Souder at karisouder@yahoo.com or leave it at the front desk for pick up by May 18, 2018! Thank you!
ACADEMICS
REMAINING TESTING
EOG Testing
We are on the home stretch for testing. Sixth and Seventh grade have completed their testing. Eighth grade is currently finishing their EOG assessments. Today (4/27) they are taking their Social Studies EOG Assessment. If your child has been absent, we have tried our best to give them a make-up on the date they returned. If your student has not made up an EOG Assessment yet, we will make them up today (4/27) and on Monday (4/30). We will not be able to make-up after Monday.
EOC Testing
Students will take Mathematics EOC Assessment on Monday, 4/30. This is only for students that take Accelerated Mathematics with Mrs. Arends. On Monday, 5/7, all 8th grade students at DeSana will take the Physical Science EOC Assessment. The make-up date for the Physical Science EOC Assessment will take place on Tuesday, 5/8. If your child is planning on going to Savannah on the 8th grade trip, please make sure to have them at school Monday, 5/7, for their Physical Science EOC Assessment. If they are sick on Monday, please make sure they are here on Tuesday, 5/8, for their make-up Physical Science EOC Assessment. The Physical Science EOC Assessment does count 20% of their final grade in the class.
As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact David Feuerbach at 770-667-2592 extension 491507 or at dfeuerbach@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
WE HAVE A STATE CHAMPION!
8th grader Zahin H. recently became the state champion for the annual You be the Chemist Challenge and will be heading to Washington DC in June to compete in Nationals. Joining him at the state regional competition was fellow 8th grader Srimanth A. and 7th grader Karthik H. The You Be The Chemist Challenge® is an interactive academic contest that encourages students in grades 5-8 to explore chemistry concepts and their real-world applications. The Challenge provides a unique opportunity for a variety of individuals and organizations—including schools, members of the chemical industry, educators, and other community partners—to come together and show their support for STEM education.
Congratulations to all our competitors and a special congratulations to Zahin! We wish you good luck at Nationals!
13 1/2 WEEK PROGRESS REPORTS WERE DISTRIBUTED YESTERDAY APRIL 26TH!
Yesterday, Thursday, April 26th, is when DeSana students received their 13 ½ week Progress Reports to inform students and their parents how they are progressing in mastering the standards in their classes with just 4 weeks left in this school year. While parents (and students, we hope!) may check their young Dragon’s grades daily/weekly via Parent Portal . . . and we highly encourage you to do so . . . we sent home with all 6th grade students a paper copy Progress Report for each core academic class --- Math, Language Arts, Science & Social Studies --- that tells their average thus far and how they have done on each formative and/or summative assessment. For 6th grade Connections and Literacy classes, hard copy Progress Reports were given only to those students with a present grade of 75% or below.
For our 7th and 8th grade students, only those with a present grade of 75% or below in their core academic classes --- Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies & Spanish for eighth graders who take it --- received a hard copy Progress Report of their grades (both formative and summative assessments) to take home to share with their parents. Also, for 7th and 8th grade students’ Connections classes and Literacy classes, hard copy Progress Reports were given to those students who have a present average of 75% or below.
At any time a parent may request a hard copy of their student’s grades by contacting the teacher directly. Should a family not have access to the internet to check their student’s grades on Parent Portal at Progress Report time, please do not hesitate to notify your young person’s teacher(s).
With only 4 weeks left in this school year, we want all of our young Dragons to finish strong in their academic endeavors. I hope our parents and students will sit down together and check out his/her grades, and figure out if anything else needs to be done to make sure that each young Dragon finishes strong!
DRAGON ACADEMY FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR
Dragon Academy is an opportunity we offer students on a couple of Fridays per month, from 4:15 – 6:15 for completing, taking or re-taking formative and/or summative assessments (i.e. unit tests, projects, essays, quizzes. etc.). Dragon Academy will happen at least two times a month --- on Fridays with teachers and an administrator supervising each session. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to drastically improve both their learning and their grades. Students will be invited by their teachers . . . or they may invite themselves . . . to attend Dragon Academy if they are missing work or need to re-take an assessment to show better mastery of the standards or complete a project. Although students will have about two hours to complete their work, once they complete all that they came to accomplish, students will be able to call their parent to come pick them up. Snacks and drinks will be sold for a very reasonable cost so students may focus on their work, not on their gurgling stomachs! Any necessary school supplies will be provided for students to use to complete their work, as needed.
Please mark your calendars now for these Dragon Academy dates for the rest of the school year:
· May 4 & 18
ATHLETICS
SPRING FOOTBALL GAME
Calling all Dragon fans! Come out and support your Dragon Football team on Friday, May 4 at 5:00pm on the football field as they participate in their annual Spring Game. The players have been working hard all Spring and will definitely put on a show for everyone. Admission is free, but students will need to have a permission slip signed to stay after school and watch. The game will end around 6:15pm. Go Dragons!!!
RISING 6TH GRADE ACTIVITIES
It is that time of year! We are gearing up with transition activities for our rising 6th graders. Next week we kick off our transition activities with our ambassadors visiting Brandywine and Midway on Tuesday, May 1. We will be visiting Big Creek on Wednesday, May 2. During these meetings the 6th grade ambassadors will give our future Dragons tips to survive 6th grade, how to open lockers and answer any questions they may have.
We will offer two nights this year for our Rising 6th Grade Parent Nights, All About Dragon Tales and Dragon Lore will be on May 2nd at 6:30 PM or May 7th at 6:30 PM. At this meeting we will have break out session on “The Five As”, “A Day in the Life of a Sixth Grader” and “Staying in the Know at DeSana.” We encourage parents to attend one of these two meetings. Our hope is to give you a better picture of how we are here to serve you and our new Dragons.
Brandywine Elementary will be touring DeSana on Monday, May 7th at 9:30 AM. Big Creek Elementary will come tour DeSana on Wednesday, May 9th at 9:30 AM. Midway Elementary will tour DeSana on Friday, May 11th at 9:30 AM. If you have a child that is not attending one of these elementary schools, but coming to DeSana next year, please contact ABell90@forsyth.k12.ga.us to make an appointment to tour DeSana.
Starting Tuesday, May 1 and throughout the month of May, we will host numerous meetings for Rising 6th Grade Advanced Studies. We highly encourage you to attend one of these meetings so that you will gain a better understanding of Advanced Studies at DeSana Middle School. Please click here for meeting dates and times.
THE ARTS
DESANA'S GOT TALENT AND CHORUS NEWS
The Chorus Department is very excited to present DeSana's Got Talent on Thursday, May 3rd at 7pm in the gym. This event is similar to last year in that it will be the final chorus concert mixed in with the talent show. We have some really neat performances this year and cannot wait to share some of what makes DeSana unique!
Students will receive a chorus t-shirt (designed by our very own 8th graders: Sophia K. and Zoe S.) next week that they will wear at the concert with jeans/shorts.
Reminders have been sent home with directions for returning the ladies' uniforms- please return the dresses in the dry cleaner's plastic no later than May 7th.
See you Thursday, May 3rd at 7pm in the gym!
FESTIVAL OF ARTS WINNERS
Congratulations to 7th grader Kelis K. who won first place in the middle school division at the Festival of Arts Competition and 8th grader Deanna C. who won an honorable mention. Both students’ work was selected from over 200 pieces of artwork from every school in the county. 20 students from DeSana had work selected for the competition and show. We are so proud of our Dragons for sharing their talents through this highly competitive venue.
ART SUPPLIES WISH LIST
The art room is always in need of extra supplies!
If there is a remote possibility we can do something with it, then send it... we are VERY creative. If we can't use it, we'll either find someone who can or we will toss it lovingly.
The art room is currently seeking an old hair dyer, hot plate, glass baby food jars, magazines, and much more!
To see the entire wish list click the link below:
ACTIVITIES
6TH GRADE FIELD TRIP TO TELLUS SCIENCE MUSEUM
Field Trip Permission Forms went home with all 6th grade students. Students can return to their science teacher their signed permission form, along with $30 cash or check, written out to DeSana Middle School. The Field Trip to the Tellus Museum will be Monday, May 14.
6TH GRADE END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES
6th grade has a very fun last week of school planned! We will have a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to culminate our fantastic first year in middle school.
- Monday, May 14: 6th Grade Field Trip to Tellus Science Museum
- Monday, May 21: D3 Day
- Tuesday, May 22: 9:30-11: Soccer Tournament; Initial locker cleanout during literacy; 12:45-2:30 Game Room Rotation (board games, Bingo, etc. with various teachers hosting)
- Wednesday, May 23: 9:15-11 Game Room Rotation (board games, Bingo, etc. with various teachers hosting); Student advice and reflections for rising 6th graders
- Thursday, May 24: Final locker cleanout and yearbook signing during literacy; Academic wrap up in courses
- Friday, May 25: 9:15-11 Field Day; Yearbook signing in literacy; 12:45-2:30 movie
- Finals:
- Science: Double formative over yearlong material on May 18th
- Social Studies: None
- ELA: None
- Math: None
7TH GRADE END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES
7th Grade Activities for the Last Week of School and Finals Dates:
- Wednesday- Friday (May 9-11) - Arends will be giving a final.
- Thursday (May 17) - West, Hannel, and Strader are all giving a final
- Friday (May 18) - Dockter is giving a final and Stavropoulos and Jones are giving a test
- Monday (May 21) - D3 Day
- Tuesday (May 22) - Yearbook signing day and locker cleanout.
- Wednesday (May 23) - Field day. Students should bring money to have the opportunity to dunk some of their 7th grade teachers in the dunk booth. Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Gooch, Mrs. Strader, and Mr. Jones will be the lucky teachers to be dunked
- Thursday (May 24) - PRIDE Awards during 1st period and movie day in the afternoon
- Friday (May 25) - Last day of school!
8TH GRADE END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES
Eighth grade teachers and students are gearing up for a variety of exciting and celebratory end-of-year events and activities. One of the highlights for the students is the dance. Ms. Kilgore, Ms. Nixon, and their committee of students have been working hard to organize an unforgettable night for the students. Tickets are $12 and will be available for purchase on the 8th grade hallway every morning starting Monday, April 30 until Thursday, May 17th. It will be an evening full of dancing, laughing, and enjoying those last few days being a middle school student! In addition to the dance, a variety of other events and activities are planned; a schedule of many of these is posted below.
- Wednesday-Friday, May 9-11: Savannah Overnight Field Trip
- Tuesday, May 15: Advanced ELA Final Exam
- Friday, May 18: 8th Grade Dance, 7-9:30pm
- Monday, May 21: DeSana Day of Good Deeds (D3 Day)
- Tuesday, May 22: Spanish Final Exam
- Wednesday, May 23: Locker Clean-out
- Thursday, May 24: 8th Grade Picnic, Field Day and Class Video
- Friday, May 25: 8th Grade Awards Ceremony, 9:30am
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
MEDIA CENTER DATES TO REMEMBER
May 4th: Last date for book check-outs
May 17: Final day to turn in all library books
ONE DOLLAR BOOK SALE
Does your child need some books for summer reading? Do you like bargains? Our media center will be hosting a gently-used book sale the week for May 14-18th. Every book is ONE DOLLAR! There are previously owned books of all genres, for all ages--paperback and hardback!
Students will visit with their ELA classes (7th and 8th grade) or with their Literacy class (6th); students may also visit before school. We have over 1000 books to choose from, so there should be something for everyone!
LOST AND FOUND
Attention Dragons! We have a large collection of items that do not want to be left here alone over the summer. Please take a moment to check out our Lost and Found table (Located in the hex) for any items that may belong to YOU! All items that remain unclaimed at the end of the school year will be donated to charity. Parents are welcome to check in at the front office and receive a visitor’s pass to look for items that their student may be missing.
NOTES FROM THE NURSE
State law requires that all children entering the seventh grade have a second MMR (mumps, measles, and rubella), a second varicella (chicken pox) vaccine, one dose Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), and one dose MCV (meningococcal conjugate vaccine). Students who are not current on these immunizations received a letter from Nurse McWalters. She must receive documentation of these vaccinations for all rising 7th graders. Students will not be assigned a class schedule until this immunization certificate is complete and received by the school.
All medication in the clinic must be picked up by a parent no later than Friday, May 18th. Any medication not picked up by this date will be thrown out.
WE NEED YOUR INPUT
Please help prevent underage drinking in our community! Forsyth County’s Alcohol and Substance Use Prevention Project would like to know what you think about underage drinking in our community. Please click here to take this brief, anonymous survey. Your feedback will help us plan future community-wide prevention efforts in Forsyth County.
ATTENTION PARENTS OF WALKERS AND BIKE RIDERS
In order for us to maintain safe procedures for those students who have permission to walk or bike to or from school, parents need to complete a permission form entitled Walker and Biker Permission Form and return to a secretary in the front office. The form is available in the front office or by clicking here.
Students will not be permitted to walk/bike to or from school until DeSana Middle School has a signed permission slip on file.
All students walking or biking home along James Road must exit the front of the building, walk along the sidewalk on campus, and cross only at designated crosswalks.
Each morning, please make sure your child knows how they are getting home that day. Students are allowed to check for parent text messages only at the end of the day.
Thank you for helping us ensure your child’s safety.
NEXT DESANA LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
The next meeting of DeSana’s Local School Council (LSC) is scheduled for Friday, May 4th at 7:30 AM in the front office conference room.
FOCUS GROUP FOR SUBSTANCE AND ALCOHOL PREVENTION
Forsyth County School’s Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Project will be hosting a Focus Group on Wednesday, May 2 at 10:30am at the Forsyth County Board of Education, Room 200. The goal of this focus group will be to obtain feedback, from adults in Forsyth County, regarding underage drinking in our community and how we can better direct our prevention efforts. Please RSVP to Lindsey Simpson, Prevention Specialist at lssimpson@forsyth.k12.ga.us or 770-887-2461 x. 202347 at your earliest convenience to reserve a seat.
SERVICE MAP FOR CHILDHOOD HEALTH AND EDUCATION IN GEORGIA
Sometimes it can be difficult for parents, caregivers, and others who work with children and families to navigate and access the various services that are available in Georgia. To address this challenge, the Georgia Department of Community Health developed the Service Map for Childhood Health and Education in Georgia.
FROM THE CAFETERIA
As we approach the end of school, the School Nutrition meal accounting system will not allow negative meal charges for student accounts after May 1, 2018. Students without funds will be offered a courtesy meal of sandwich and milk.
Please check account balances to determine the funds needed for meals for the remainder of this school year. To ensure your child can continue to enjoy school meals or to clear your student’s account of any negative balances, please send a payment (cash or check) to the school, or visit www.MyPaymentsPlus.com, to make a payment online.
Remember to note your child’s Student ID on your check or to include it with cash in an envelope. We accept Free and Reduced Applications each school day.
Options for account balances: Money on customer accounts will automatically carry forward to the assigned school for the new academic year. However, funds on student accounts may be donated to help other students (often elementary) afford a school meal, transferred to a sibling’s account or refunded via a check. For the Donation/Transfer/Refund procedure: go to http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/page/396.
UPDATE FROM THE DRUG SUMMIT
If you missed the drug summit held on March 19, 2018, you may view a recording by clicking here.
PARENT 411 - HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOU
Forsyth County Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or gender in employment decisions or educational programs and activities.