Back to School Newsletter
Davis Middle School
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” – Marian Wright Edelman
Dear Davis Families,
Welcome to the 22-23 school year! I am hoping that you all have had a wonderful summer filled with fun, sun, and a bit of rest as well. I am excited to be entering my 2nd year as the Principal at Davis and am looking forward to seeing all of our students back in just a few weeks.
For those new to Davis, I send out a weekly newsletter every Friday (give or take based on the calendar). We share great things that have happened at Davis that week as well as important information on upcoming events. While some may seem lengthy, such as this edition, it is the best way to keep current on many of the questions that come up. Usually you can find the answers in our newsletter or on our website. As I have shared many times throughout last year, candor and transparency is very important to me, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Please take the time to look through the important information below about gearing up for Back to School. We'll be reaching out again soon :-)
Go Irish!
Jaime
Dr. Jaime Stewart
Dr. Jaime Stewart is starting her 2nd year as principal.
Among her duties as the principal, Dr. Stewart oversees the 8th grade as well as the English, Music, Social Studies, EL, and World Language departments.
Mr. Jason Snyder
Mr. Jason Snyder is starting his 9th year as assistant principal at Davis.
Mr. Snyder works with students with last names L-Z. He oversees our 7th grade as well as the Special Education, Science, Health and Physical Education Departments.
Mr. Kevin Masterson
Mr. Kevin Masterson is starting his 2nd year as the administrative intern.
Mr. Masterson works with students with last names A-K. He oversees our 6th grade as well as our Math, Art, Technology, and MTSS Departments.
Counseling Corner
Mrs. Elizabeth Stutz - School Counselor Last Names letters A-G
Mr. Dustin White - School Counselor Last Names letters H-N
Ms. Shanley O’Neil - School Counselor Last Names letters O-Z
Mrs. Malerie Torres - Student Support Specialist
Mrs. Laura Frazee - Guidance Secretary/Registrar
The Davis Counseling Staff consists of three professional school counselors, two student support specialists, and a guidance secretary/registrar. We are here to serve students for academic advising, career planning, social emotional wellness, and individual, group, and classroom guidance.
We are looking forward to the start of the school year so we can meet our incoming 6th grade students and reconnect with our 7th and 8th graders. As we transition into the new school year, let us know how we can support you and your student(s).
School Opening Timeline
August 3: Registration Gateway opens to fill out back to school forms
August 10: 6-8 PM 6th Grade Orientation
August 11: 9AM - 3PM Schedule Walkthroughs
August 17: 1st Day of School
August 19: Picture Day
School Supply Lists
Click on the link below to see what you will need for supplies this year.
If you ordered school supplies through PTO, they will be available for pick up at 6th grade orientation or schedule walkthroughs. Any that are not picked up at those two events will be available on the first day of school.
Important Policy Information
Below are several school policies that tend to be a few that we deal with the most at school. There has been no change to the dress code. I have just simply included the board approved dress code for middle schools for your review.
Last year, we had increasing issues with cell phone misuse. While it is still our intent to partner with families to teach responsible use, we have determined the need for a more detailed policy to help students understand when it is appropriate to have their phone and when the phone is not allowed. You will see the policy below with red, yellow, and green zone designations as well as potential responses to misuse.
Finally, you will also see a class tardy policy below. Last year, we had an increase in students loitering in the hall or making several unnecessary stops on the way to class that resulted in tardiness to class and disrupting class when they arrived. You will also notice that class tardies are at the teacher's discretion as a teacher who has a class coming in from the opposite side of the building may give a bit of a grace period versus a teacher who has students coming from the same hall with little to no reason to be tardy without a pass.
As with all policies, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's administrator or teacher.
Goals:
● Maintain a safe learning environment
● Allow students to wear clothing of their choice that is safe and comfortable
● Allow students to wear clothing that expresses their self-identified gender.
● Allow students to wear religious attire without fear of discipline or discrimination.
● Prevent students from wearing clothing with images or language depicting or advocating violence or the use of alcohol or drugs.
● Ensure that students are treated equitably regardless of gender/gender identification, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, body type/size, religion, and personal style.
Dress Code Responsibilities:
● The primary responsibility for a student’s attire adhering to the school dress code resides with the student and parents or guardians.
● The school district and individual schools are responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student and that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student.
Dress Code Policy:
Students Must Wear ● Shirt ● Bottom: pants / sweatpants / shorts / skirt / dress / leggings ● Shoes (activity-specific shoes are permitted...for example sports and P.E.) ● Shirts (tops) should overlap bottoms, however shirts should not completely cover bottoms, i.e. using a long sweatshirt and short shorts as a short dress.
Examples of items Students May Wear ● Religious Headwear ● Hoodie Sweatshirts (with hoods down) ● Fitted pants, including leggings, yoga pants, and “skinny jeans” ● Ripped jeans as long as underwear is not exposed ● Tank Tops (sleeveless blouses are OK, spaghetti straps are not) ● Shorts (length and fit should be appropriate for school) ● Athletic attire
Items Students Cannot Wear ● Violent language or images ● Images depicting drug alcohol (or any illegal item or activity) or use of the same ● Hate speech, profanity, or sexually explicit images ● Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class. ● Visible Underwear (Visible waistbands or straps on undergarments worn under are not a violation) ● Headgear of any kind that obscures the face, this includes scarves, bandannas, etc.. (except as a religious observance) ● Sunglasses indoors
Dress Code Enforcement:
● Enforcement should be consistent with a school’s overall discipline plan. (Rule 22)
● Violations should be treated as minor on the continuum of school rule violations.
● Best practice would indicate that students do not miss academic instruction for violations that solely have to do with the dress code.
● Best practice would indicate that students are given “school clothing” as a last resort. When possible students should be allowed to use their own jackets, extra clothing, etc.. to resolve dress code issues or call parents to bring in appropriate clothing.
● No student population should be disproportionately affected by dress code enforcement because of gender, race, body size, or body maturity
● These guidelines are not to be considered all-inclusive. Administration reserves the right to deal with any apparel determined to be inappropriate.
Cell Phones
Red Zone: Cell phones should be off/silent and put away. Red zones include classrooms, restrooms, school offices.
Yellow Zone: Cell phones may only be used with permission from the teacher for educational purposes.
Green Zone: Cell phones may be used as long as student is showing digital etiquette. Green zones include the cafeteria and hallways (as long as use remains appropriate).
Cell phones may be used on school grounds before school, during lunch, and after school.
Cell phone and headphone/earbud use is prohibited in classrooms, restrooms, and school offices, unless otherwise stated by a teacher.
During class periods, cell phones must remain out of sight and in silent mode. They should be placed in backpacks during class.
If students need to place an emergency phone call during the day, they should request to go to the main office to use an office phone.
Students may be subject to disciplinary action if their use of their cell phone disrupts the school’s educational environment. Examples of this include, but are not limited to: cheating, bullying, harassment, unlawful recording or photographing, violating other school rules.
The school and its staff are not responsible for any damage to or theft of a student’s cell phone. Students must properly secure and take care of their own phones.
If students violate the school’s cell phone policy in class, the following may occur:
First Offense: Warning from the teacher.
Second Offense: Warning from the teacher with phone call home. Discuss with student the potential future consequences.
Third Offense: Teacher takes phone until end of period. Teacher makes a phone call home and discusses potential future consequences with parents, OR lunch detention with teacher and teacher/student make phone call home together.
Fourth Offense: Teacher takes phone to turn into the office until the end of the day. Teacher makes phone call home.
Fifth Offense: Teacher takes phone to turn into the office. Submit as Referral. Administrator meets with student, contacts parent, assigns appropriate discipline.
*Administrator assigned discipline could include: lunch detention, after school detention, ASC, turning in phone daily to office for an assigned amount of time.
Class Tardies
Students are expected to move from class to class in a timely manner. The steps below are guidelines. Teacher discretion is always suggested and encouraged. Class tardies reset at each quarter.
1st Class Tardy - Warning
2nd Class Tardy - Warning
3rd Class Tardy - Parent notification by teacher (within Schoology).
4th Class Tardy - Parent notification by teacher (phone call) and one teacher lunch detention.
5th Class Tardy - Warning
6th Class Tardy - Parent notification (phone call), possible Wednesday School
7th Class Tardy - Warning
8th Class Tardy - Parent notification (phone call), possible Wednesday School
9th Class Tardy - Refer to administration - possible ALC
Breakfast and Lunch Information
To register for your PaySchools account, you will need:
Your contact information
Your child’s student ID number
Your payment information (i.e. credit card or bank account)
If you choose to link your PaySchools account with your bank account, there will be a smaller service fee per transaction.
If you set up an account last year, please make sure to go into the system to make sure all information is current. You can also fill out paperwork for free and reduced lunch.
DCS will be partnering with Sodexo for school breakfast and lunch starting in August. More information, including prices, will be coming soon.
6th Grade Orientation Information
Orientation is not mandatory but is helpful for the transition to middle school. If you are unable to attend, all information presented at Orientation will be posted on our website the following day. I will also be hosting a virtual Q&A on Monday, August 15 (time TBA) to take any questions not answered at orientation.
The schedule for the evening is:
6:00-6:25 - pick up student schedules and parent information; time to explore the building
6:25 - parents drop students off at 1st period class and head to the gym
6:30-7:15 - students in classrooms; parents in gym for presentation
7:15 - staggered dismissal, parents will meet their students in the cafeteria
7:30 - PTO Supplies Table; Parent Forms help; exploration
6th grade families...please check your email from last week about information on Popsicles with the Principals.
Clinic Updates
Ohio Health Wellness on Wheels and Free Sports Physicals
OhioHealth will have their WOW (Wellness on Wheels) Bus at Davis on August 10 (6th grade orientation) and August 23. They will be filling families in on the services they provide in the school and also in their offices.
They are also going to offer, during the school day from 8am-12pm, free sports physicals for students on August 31.
Immunizations **7th Grade Parents
Ohio Law mandates that all 7th grade students are required to receive the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccine by September 7. Students who have not met this requirement will be excluded until the required vaccines are completed and documentation is provided to the school clinic.
If your child has already received both of these vaccines, please call your child's health care provider or local health department and request a copy of the updated immunization record to be submitted to the school clinic.
If your child has not yet received these vaccines, please schedule an appointment with your child's health care provider or local health department. Please submit your child's completed immunization record to the school clinic.
Irish Athletics
Summer is almost over and that means Fall sports are almost here! The Athletic Department wants to remind you that Fall sports begin on Monday, August 1 for all of our sports teams. This Fall we have Football, Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Cross Country, and Boys and Girls Golf. If your student is interested in participating in any of these sports simply go to the Athletic Website and register in Final Forms for the sport of your choice. A link for easy step-by-step directions for Final Forms registration can be found on the website.
All athletes must also have a current physical on file with the Athletic Department by August 1. The required Ohio High School physical forms are located on the Athletic Website under the "Forms & Downloads" section.
If you have any questions, please contact the Athletic Office.
Attendance Information
In the event of illness, tardiness, or needing to miss school for any reason you can reach us by:
Calling the attendance line at 614-718-8671 or sending an email to dmsattendance@dublinschools.net.
All absences require a written note stating the reason for the absence from school and need to be from a parent or doctor.
Please send all attendance correspondence through the main office.
Please send a note to school ahead of time and have student get their pass from the main office upon arriving at school.
Arriving Late or Leaving Early from School
If your student(s) need to arrive late or leave early please follow these steps.
Late Arrival:
Student will check in at the office and will be given a pass to class.
Early Dismissal
Please send a note to school ahead of time and have student get their pass upon arriving at school.
Once the parent arrives, the student will be called from class.
Please have ID ready - students will only be released to persons listed as an Emergency Contact.
We understand there will be times when your student will need to be picked up during the school day without prior notice. If this is the case, please check in at the main office and we will be happy to assist you.
Forgotten/Lost Items & Communication
In the event that your child forgets to bring something to school and you need to drop it off (lunch money, homework, books, sports gear etc), you can come to the school and place it on the shelving unit in the entryway. Just mark it with your child’s name and put it on the shelf corresponding to their grade. We will do our best to get the item to the student. If possible, please let your student know that you have dropped it off so that they know to pick it up.
Lost and found at Davis can be found outside of the gymnasium. Items are placed in the bins in the music wing. Students should regularly check those bins if they have misplaced items.
Cell phones are not permitted in some parts of the building so your student may not have access to or be answering their cell phone during the school day.
All calls from school will register on caller ID’s as the main school number. The office, staff members, and clinic will always leave messages. Please remind your child to always leave a message when they call home.
General Back to School Information
MAIN OFFICE/SCHOOL HOURS
Office hours for Davis are 7:15 am to 3:45 pm. School hours are 8:28 am to 3:08 pm.
FORMS
On August 3, Dublin City Schools will open its online back to school platforms for the 2022-2023 school year at www.dublinschools.net. Please click on the button titled “2022-2023 Back to School” to complete all of the required forms before the first day of school. Please be sure all contact information is correct.
SCHEDULES
Student schedules will be posted in ProgressBook Parent Access the week of August 8.
BUS ROUTES
Bus routes will be available on August 12. Please check the Dublin Schools website at www.dublinschools.net at that time.
6th Grade Orientation
Wednesday, Aug 10, 2022, 06:00 PM
Davis Middle School, Sutter Parkway, Dublin, OH, USA
Schedule Walkthroughs
Thursday, Aug 11, 2022, 09:00 AM
Davis Middle School, Sutter Parkway, Dublin, OH, USA
First Day of School
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2022, 08:00 AM
Davis Middle School, Sutter Parkway, Dublin, OH, USA
Picture Day
Friday, Aug 19, 2022, 08:30 AM
Davis Middle School, Sutter Parkway, Dublin, OH, USA
Curriculum Night/Open House
Tuesday, Aug 23, 2022, 06:30 PM
Davis Middle School, Sutter Parkway, Dublin, OH, USA
Davis Middle School
Assistant Principal: Mr. Jason Snyder (Last Names L-Z)
Administrative Intern: Mr. Kevin Masterson (Last Names A-K)
Email: davis_info@dublinschools.net
Website: https://www.dublinschools.net/Domain/11
Location: 2400 Sutter Parkway, Dublin, OH, USA
Phone: (614) 761-5820
Twitter: @DMSIrish