In the Middle
January Newsletter for Dakota Meadows Middle School
DMMS Spelling Bee
On January 20th, Dakota Meadows held its annual spelling bee. Participants were:
Katie M., Jonah Z., Emily S., AJ F., Theo C., Tabitha F., Perry C., Aurora K., Avery H., Raymond Z., Madison C., Elli K., and Lizzie L.
Congratulations to Emily S. for winning the Dakota Meadows Spelling Bee for the 2nd year in a row! It was a hard fought and intense competition! Emily and Katie spelled correct words for another 20-25 minutes after the assembly was over.
Good luck to Emily in the next stage of the spelling bee competition.
Stop Animation Videos in 8th Grade Art
Click on these links to see a sample of some of the amazing projects
IMG_0004.mov (created by Aspen C., Anna H. and Erin H.)
IMG_0025.mov (created by Zander P., Zach H., and Jack B.)
IMG_0004.mov (created by Miles M., Sage R., and Audry J.)
Mark Your Calendars for Spring Conferences
More information will be shared with you from your child's advisor in the next couple of weeks, but please mark these dates on your calendar:
February 23 - Student led conferences - 3:15 - 7:30 p.m.
February 27 - Student led conferences - 3:15 - 7:30 p.m.
DMMS Geography Bee
The National Geographic Bee is an annual competition organized by the National Geographic Society, designed to inspire and reward students' curiosity about the world. Each year, thousands of schools across the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee, competing for college scholarships and the glory of being the National Geographic Bee Champion. (from the National Geography Bee website)
The following students had the top 10 scores in the school and participated in the DMMS Geography Bee: Cole A., Mark D., Kallen F., William G., Dylan H., Grant H., Zakaria I., Connor M., Drew S., and Ethan U.
The 2017 Geography Bee Champion was Connor M. Congratulations and good luck in the next stage of the competition.
From the DMMS Counselors
Happy 1st Day of February! Hopefully you are surviving the winter doldrums! Here is some information for you regarding upcoming 9th grade registration and technology usage.
Attention parents/guardians of 8th grade students:
- Ms. Shanks will be going into all 8th Grade Social Studies classrooms next week to do an activity to review student career interests and look at elective courses that students might find interesting.
- Staff from Mankato West High School will be presenting on West and the registration process during science on Thursday, February 9th (Minneopa Trail) and 10th (Sakatah Trail)
- There is a parent/student registration meeting at Mankato West High School on Monday February 13th in the evening. You should have received a letter from Mankato West regarding this.
- Students will register for their high school classes on February 16th and 17th in the afternoon WIN/Study hall time using their chromebooks
- Students that have questions or will not be in school on the 16th and 17th should make an appointment to meet with Ms. Shanks
Warning! Technology is disrupting student’s sleep!
A recent article from Education Week caught my eye regarding technology's impact on student sleep. The article highlights that with more and more districts participating in 1:1 learning initiatives it is important that schools provide information to parents about technology. Highlights from the article include:
- Nearly ¾ of children and 89 percent of adolescents have a portable device (tablet, smart phone etc.) in their room at night
- There is an association between using media devices at bed time and inadequate sleep, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness
- Blue light emissions in portable devices as well as increased psychological stimulation and physiological arousal while using devices prior to bed makes it difficult for students to fall asleep
- The biological changes during adolescence create the need for teens to get increased amounts of sleep
- Sleep disturbances are associated with other health concerns in children and teens
Recommendations:
- School issued devices as well as smart phones other portable devices should be charged outside the child's bedroom (consider investing in an inexpensive alarm clock instead of using smartphones)
- Families should find a balance when it comes to technology usage. Consider creating a family media usage plan find an example here: https://goo.gl/FTwQiX
- Monitor your child's technology usage
Resources and References:
American Academy of Pediatrics (https://goo.gl/S52un9)
Education Week (https://goo.gl/X6SM8I)
School Counselors provide assistance to students in the academic, personal, social, and career domains. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us Mr. Ringhofer & Ms. Shanks, Licensed School Counselors.
Barbie Bungee Jump
Wellness Letter
Fostering Student Wellness Together
We want to work with you to foster wellness in our children. We have committed staff that will be alert to the issues our students bring to us. We want you to know that in each of our buildings we have school nurses, school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers along with our teachers, administrators and staff that will be available to our students to process their concerns. Open communication between home and school is critical to the well-being of our students.
In our schools, we work daily to help students deal with the stresses they face. Parents are our partners in helping their children learn to face challenges successfully, whether it is the stresses of everyday life, such as academic difficulties or problems with friends, or severe adversity, such as a serious illness or family crisis.
The National Association of School Psychologists recommends the following to build resiliency:
1. Think positive! Modeling positive attitudes and emotions is very important. Children need to hear adults thinking out loud positively and being determined to persist until a goal is achieved. Using a “can do” problem-solving approach to problems teaches children a sense of power and promise.
2. Express love and gratitude! Emotions such as love and gratitude increase resiliency. Children who are cared for, loved, and supported learn to express positive emotions to others. Positive emotions buffer kids against depression and other negative reactions to adversity.
3. Express yourself! Resilient people appropriately express all emotions, even negative ones. Adults who help kids become more aware of emotions, label emotions appropriately, and help children deal with upsetting events are giving them useful life skills.
4. Get fit! Good physical health prepares the body and mind to be more resilient. Healthy eating habits, regular exercise and adequate sleep protect kids against the stress of tough situations. Regular exercise also decreases negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, and depression.
5. Foster competency! Making sure that children achieve academically is great protection against adversity. Also, children who develop individual talents are much more likely to feel competent and are able to deal with stress positively. Working together we can help children see their strengths.
Protecting our children against all of life’s unexpected painful events is not possible. Giving them a sense of competency and the skills to face adverse circumstances can be a valuable gift to our children. Resiliency can be built by understanding these important foundations. The more we practice these approaches; the better able our children will be to weather whatever life brings.
Cribbage After School
Cribbage After School
Cribbage After School
Dates to Remember
February 6 - 10 - WIDA ACCESS Test
February 9th - 6th Grade Ski Trip- Mt. Kato
February 14 - Two hour late start
February 23 - Student led conferences - 3:15 - 7:30 p.m.
February 27 - Student led conferences - 3:15 - 7:30 p.m.
Looking Ahead - Spring Testing Dates
March 8 - 8th Grade NAEP Test - Select 8th Grade Students
April 17 & 18 - MCA Reading all grades
April 19-21 - Make-up Reading
April 24 & 25 - MCA Math all grades
April 26-28 - Make-up Math
Additional Make-up dates - May 1 - 5
May 1 & 2 - Science 8 MCA-Science Class
May 8-12 - NWEA Reading-English/ELA/Read 180
May 15-19 NWEA Math-Math Class
Teachers and Students are "Breaking Out" at DMMS
BreakoutEDU is a game that has students and staff thinking critically, problem-solving, troubleshooting, working collaboratively and having so much fun. Teams will are given a variety of clues in addition to the clues found in the room to use to help unlock the box before the other teams in the room do!
Dakota Meadows Middle School
Assuring learning excellence and readiness for a changing world.
DMMS PRIDE
Preparedness - BE READY!
Respect - BE KIND!
Integrity - BE HONEST!
Determination - BE BRAVE!
Excellence - BE YOU!
Website: http://www.dms.isd77.org/
Location: 1900 Howard Drive West, North Mankato, MN, United States
Phone: 507-387-5077