DRAGON DIGEST
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 / JANUARY 11, 2019
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
For this Dragon Digest’s Principal’s Letter, I have borrowed from one of DeSana’s wonderful teachers . . . Ms. Lisa Arends. Ms. Arends is a dynamic, passionate and exceptional teacher of mathematics for some of our 6th, 7th and 8th grade students, working with them daily in her Accelerated Mathematics classes. But Ms. Arends is also a very gifted writer. She has written two books --- Lessons From the End of a Marriage and Life at the Intersection of Yesterday and Tomorrow --- and her work has appeared in The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project on Maria Shriver’s website.
Her essay, which follows, is entitled When Am I Ever Gonna Use This? Life Lessons from Math Class. Parents, this is a must read for not only yourself, but also for your son or daughter . . . or perhaps, read it together. And I can’t think of a finer example for those of you who may have a young Dragon who is quite the math whiz, but continually makes excuses about why he/she cannot write well; that one’s brain which is so wonderful at solving math problems and equations is not wired to also be a competent writer. The proof is right here that the two can co-exist and co-exist quite well!
Enjoy these mathematical life lessons from Ms. Arends!
When Am I Ever Gonna Use This? Life Lessons From Math Class
By Lisa Arends
"When am I ever gonna use this?" As an eighth-grade algebra teacher, I hear this refrain at least once a week. It's a difficult question to answer. I mean, when is the last time that your employer asked you to factor a polynomial or prove two polygons congruent? The truth is that most of us will never use the myriad of math facts and algorithms in our post-school lives. However, that does not mean that math does not have some valuable lessons for us. The following are lessons that can be learned in an algebra classroom and applied in your life. No calculator required.
Mistakes
Pencils come with erasers for a reason. Mistakes in a math classroom are inevitable. In fact, they are beneficial, as they often uncover misconceptions and maladaptive beliefs. We often believe that we must write our lives in ink and that mistakes permanently mar us. We try to hide them, turn our heads in shame. There is always a lesson in every error. Rather than crossing out the mistake, examine it and learn from it.
Growth at the Edge
I always want my students to be just slightly uncomfortable; I push them a little beyond their comfort zone because this is where the learning occurs. We don't all have algebra teachers following us around in life, but we can still push ourselves past our self-imposed boundaries. Growth occurs at the edge of comfort and panic. Find that space and embrace it.
Take Risks
I can do anything with a student who is willing to try. I have respect for those who will volunteer even when they are unsure of their answer. They have learned that taking risks can bring reward in the form of a correct answer, a deeper understanding, or the respect of their peers. Life is no different. If you never risk anything, you will never gain anything either. Don't be afraid to raise your hand.
Break It Down
In algebra, students are presented with complex problems. One of the first skills they learn is to break a large problem into a series of simpler ones, focusing on one step at a time. When you feel overwhelmed in life by what seems to be an insurmountable obstacle, try breaking it into manageable tasks. You might just be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Eliminate the Unnecessary
"Six-year-old Suzy has four apples and 5-year-old Bobby has two. How many apples do they have together?" It's pretty clear that this example has extraneous information, clutter that can be ignored without detracting from the answer. Examine your life. Do have unnecessary clutter that you can eliminate? Get rid of it and you will find clarity in what remains.
"See" the Effect
I train students to anticipate the effect of a step in a problem before they make it. I want their minds to always be slightly ahead of their pencil as they "see" the impact of a decision prior to carrying it out. This is beneficial in the world at large as well as it encourages thoughtful and deliberate decisions. If you understand effect, you can change the cause.
Think Logically
Every year I have students that attempt to "prove" lines parallel by stating that they look parallel. As tempting as that reasoning may be, it is simply not valid. Our minds are sometimes lazy and try to make assumptions without proof. Watch yourself and check to see if the data supports your conclusions. It's good to listen to your gut, but don't divorce it from your brain.
Communication
Every year I have students that can execute the mathematics perfectly, yet cannot communicate to anyone else how or why they made the decisions they did. Their work is then almost useless, as no one else can understand or build upon their results. Our thoughts and ideas are only as good as our ability to communicate them to another. Learn to be clear in your words so that they may be understood.
Balance
"Whatever you do to one side, you have to do to another." Algebra students across the country recite this line as they learn how to balance equations. Perhaps we should all be uttering this line as a reminder to create balance in our own lives. Remember that when you add something to one area of your life, you will need to make a change in another so that balance is restored.
Work Backwards
Sometimes my students face problems that feel impossible. They can't even figure out the first step. I teach them to start from the goal and work backwards, teasing out the steps as they go along. In your life, start with your goals and figure out what you need to do to achieve them. By seeing the steps in reverse, even the loftiest dreams can be made possible. Try it.
Persevere
Math can be hard. So can life. In both cases, it takes perseverance and tenacity to see difficulties through until the end. The rewards that come from determination and dogged spirit are so much sweeter than those that come without the sweat. The only way that failure is certain is if you do not try.
Basics Matter
It's difficult to understand algebra if you don't know multiplication. Likewise, it's difficult to find fulfillment if you're not meeting your basic needs. Start at the beginning and make sure you have a strong foundation upon which to build.
Confidence
So many of my students enter my room in August convinced that they cannot "do" math. In my 11 years of teaching, I have yet to meet a student that was correct in this belief. My first job with these uncertain pupils is to convince them that they can. Until they believe in themselves, they will continue to fail. The biggest lie we tell ourselves is, "I can't." Stop lying. It may be scary to try, but just think of the possibilities.
Participate
One of my favorite quotes hangs right above the board in my classroom:
"Math is not a spectator sport." -- Jerry Mortensen
Neither is life. Don't stand on the sidelines watching it unfold in front of you. Get out there and play!
DESANA DAY OF GOOD DEEDS
BINGO COMING SOON!
SAVE THE DATE FOR BINGO! ORDER FORMS COMING HOME WITH STUDENT SOON.
DESANA DAY OF GOOD DEEDS (D3 dAY) fundraiser
Family BINGO NIGHT
Friday, February 8th, 2019
Session 1: 4:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (doors open at 4:15)
Session 2: 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. (doors open at 6:15)
NEW THIS YEAR: Each BINGO pack purchased =
1 entry to win Apple AirPods raffle
Drawing to be held at the end of Session 2. You do not need to be present to win.
FOOD DRIVE
FOOD DRIVE begins on February 1st! Food collected for The Place of Forsyth, Jesse's House, and Bald Ridge Lodge.
February: Mac and cheese
Winning class in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade will get possession of the coveted Food Drive trophy and a candy extravaganza!
PTO
OFFICERS NEEDED FOR 2019-2020
The DeSana PTO Board has openings for a President, two Vice Presidents and a Secretary for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year. Please give consideration to participating. It is such a wonderful way to be involved in the life of the school! Officer nomination forms will go out with the next Dragon Digest and will be posted on the PTO website and via social media.
FUNDRAISER UPDATE
Thank you to everyone who donated to our winter fundraiser. While we were not able to reach our goal of $10,000, the funds raised will be funneled back to the teachers for grants and to support various other school activities! Stay tuned to see if you won a Yeti, Big Green Egg, Tutoring Sessions or an IPad!!!! Thanks again, Dragon parents, and a special thank you to the Mad Hatter for donating the Big Green Egg, Omega Learning Centers for donating the Tutoring package and Legacy Planning Advisors, LLC for donating the Yeti Two 30 cooler! We appreciate all of our partners in education!
ACADEMICS
GEORGIA PARENT SURVEY
It is time to let the Georgia Department of Education (DOE) know what a great school DeSana Middle School is! Each year, the DOE asks schools to survey students, parents, and school personnel to collect perception data on the climate of every school in the state. We have completed the student and school personnel surveys and are now reaching out to you to get your feedback on how we are doing serving your children at DeSana. The survey is only 24 questions, so please take about 3 minutes to fill out the survey. Click here to access the survey or you may fill it out the next time you are in our building checking out your child. Thank you so much for taking the time to fill out the survey!
PRIDE AWARD CELEBRATION For THE SECOND QUARTER
On Monday, January 14th at 9:30 AM our DeSana faculty, staff and administration hosted our PRIDE Award Celebration for the second quarter of this school year. Thirty-eight sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students, who were selected by their teachers, were honored at this formal occasion for exemplifying the following wonderful attributes and characteristics:
Practices Random Acts of Kindness
Ready and Willing to Work Hard
Integrity Coupled with Responsible Behavior
Demonstrates Outstanding and Honest Efforts
Exceeds Expectations
Parents and family members of the honored students were invited to attend this celebration, and join with DeSana teachers and administrators in recognizing our young Dragons as they each received a beautiful PRIDE Award certificate, provided by our VERY generous and supportive DeSana Business Partner, Omega Learning, a Dragon PRIDE pin, and a personalized plaque, made expressly for our DeSana PRIDE Award recipients by our fabulous and very generous Business Partner, All-American Specialties. A huge shout out and thank you to Keith Williams of All-American Specialties for designing and donating the individualized plaques for each PRIDE Award honoree, and to Rosemary Albright of Omega Learning for providing the wonderful certificates for each PRIDE Award student!!
In addition, at each PRIDE Award Celebration, we invite a Forsyth County Schools or community business leader to come and share a few pearls of wisdom. We were very pleased to have Ms. Debbie Smith, FCS Director of Student Support, join us on the 14th to share a few words with our PRIDE Award honorees and their parents.
What a delightful morning it was as we honored some extraordinary students for this second quarter of the school year and toasted the pride of DeSana!
INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS THIS WINTER = LEARNING AT HOME IN ITSLEARNING!
Winter is here, and with it, there is more than a good chance of feeling the full force of Mother Nature sometime in the not-so-distant-future. That means there is a likelihood of winter snow and/or ice, and thus, possible school closings. As you know, Forsyth County Schools will once again this year recover instructional time lost to school closures by utilizing online learning via our school system’s online learning management system known as itslearning . . . just as we have for the past several years.
Our students should already be quite savvy in using itslearning as all of our DeSana teachers utilize it on a daily basis --- posting class lessons and activities for the day, daily classwork assignments, homework assignments, study guides for assessments, project instructions, and many other helpful resources for students to use in their studies. If, as a parent, you do not feel as familiar with itslearning as you would like, there are several ways you can gain understanding about this online learning resource. First, log onto the DeSana Webpage at http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/desana, and under the Quick Links Button on the right side of the screen you will see an icon with the words itslearning Resources. If, after viewing these resources, you are still not comfortable with itslearning, please contact our DeSana Middle School Instructional Technology Specialist, Lacy Gooch, at 770-667-2591 extension 491590 or by email at lgooch@forsyth.k12.ga.us. Ms. Gooch will be happy to help you!
There are some things that you will want to note about what you can expect from our teachers in regards to their lessons posted on itslearning if / when we have a school closure this winter:
- Teachers will post all assignments by 9:00 AM on itslearning.
- Assignment length for each class should range from 20-30 minutes.
- All teachers will post assignments, so that means our young Dragons can expect to have work to complete in the following classes each day we are out of school: Math, English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Spanish for 8th grade students who take it, and both of their Connections classes. Teachers will not post work for literacy classes.
- All middle school teachers across the system will have digital office hours on the days that school is closed. Those times are 10:00 - 11:00 AM and 1:00 – 2:00 PM. These are the times you can expect our teachers and administrators to be online to answer any questions students may have about an assignment or to help in any other way.
- Each DeSana teacher will communicate to their students where they may find assignments for their class in itslearning on school closure days and the mode of communication to use to contact their teacher if they have any questions about an assignment.
- Please know that should a teacher lose power at his/her home and not be able to post an assignment, we have a back-up plan in place so that a DeSana colleague can post his/her assignment(s). Also, if a teacher is not able to keep his/her office hours because of an extenuating circumstance, know that we also have a plan in place to post that information on the teacher’s itslearning page so that students/parents will know that teacher will not be available that day.
- If school is closed for more than two (2) days, teachers will provide feedback to students for work submitted electronically.
- Student attendance is not connected to the completion of work.
- Please know that teachers and administrators also have several expectations for our young Dragons on these days when they are out for inclement weather as it is important that instruction carries on so that minimum time is lost in teaching the subject area standards.
- Students should begin working on their assignments/lessons on the day they missed when possible.
- Students should not hesitate to contact their teacher to ask questions about an assignment or ask for extra help with the work assigned. They should contact their teacher by the mode of communication their teacher asked them to use during their digital office hours.
- Student work is due within three school days upon returning to school.
- Students should complete their assignments in every class.
Of course, students should plan out their time carefully on a school closure day so that they take care of their school work with their best efforts and then leave some time for sledding or building a snowman or a good old-fashioned, friendly, family snowball fight!
Please also bear in mind that should you have any questions at all on a day that school is closed for inclement weather that I will be keeping the same digital office hours as our teachers, as well as monitoring my e-mail throughout the day. Please do not hesitate to contact me at tnorth@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
So here’s hoping for maybe a few wintery days at home to enjoy all the fun that comes with a good blanket of snow because we’ve got the teaching and learning time covered! Stay warm!
FIRST SEMESTER REPORT CARDS WENT HOME WITH STUDENTS LAST FRIDAY!
All students received a printed Report Card for the first semester last Friday, January 11th. This Report Card shows your student’s final semester average for his/her yearlong courses, that includes the core subjects of Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish (8th graders only). Grades for each quarter’s Connection classes and students’ Enrichment classes are also be included on this semester Report Card.
Parents, we hope you have seen your child’s Report Card that came home on January 11th! We hope you and your young Dragon will sit down together and take a look at his/her grades and discuss whether or not he/she is working up to his/her full potential thus far, this year.
CELEBRATING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT DESANA!
On Wednesday, January 30th, Thursday, January 31st, and Friday, February 1st, the DeSana faculty and administration will host our first semester Academic Achievement Celebrations. These celebrations will honor those students who excelled academically throughout this first semester of the 2018-2019 school year.
We will recognize our 6th, 7th and 8th grade Honor Roll students - - - those students who earned a grade of 90 or above for their semester grade in each and every class. This includes all 4 core classes --- Math Language Arts, Science and Social Studies --- and Enrichment classes and Spanish class (8th grade only), and all Connections classes taken during the first semester.
We will also recognize our Merit Roll students. For our 6th graders - - - it is those students who earned a grade of 80 of above for their semester grade in each and every class. This, too, includes all 4 core classes --- Math Language Arts, Science and Social Studies --- and Enrichment classes and all Connections classes taken during the first semester. For our 7th and 8th graders - - - it is those students who earned a grade of 85 of above for their semester grade in each and every class. This, too, includes all 4 core classes --- Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies --- and Enrichment classes and Spanish class (8th grade only), and all Connections classes taken during the first semester.
Invitations for honored students and their parents to attend these wonderful ceremonies will be sent home with students on Tuesday, January 22nd . The Academic Achievement Celebrations will take place by grade level, with each on separate days:
· 8th Grade – Wednesday, January 30th @ 8:00 AM in the DeSana gym
· 7th Grade – Thursday, January 31st @ 8:00 AM in the DeSana gym
· 6th Grade – Friday, February 1st @ 8:00 AM in the DeSana gym
Parents, we will begin each Celebration promptly at 8:00 so you will want to make your morning plans accordingly as we will be honoring quite a few students at each. Parking will be available in the parking lots by the gym entrance to the school, with overflow parking in the front of the school.
This will be a special event as we take this opportunity to congratulate and honor our young Dragons who continually make school, their learning, and the mastering of academic standards a priority in their lives. We congratulate our Academic Achievement honorees! And we look forward to seeing our students and parents at these special award events!
PARENTS: REVIEW GA STUDENT GROWTH MODEL REPORTS
The 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Georgia Student Growth Model (GSGM) Student Reports are now available to parents in the SLDS Portal. Please read the GSGM Parent Letter for more information regarding GSGM reports. Accessing these downloadable reports through Parent Portal provides parents with individual student performance information. For information on accessing GSGM reports through SLDS Portal, please see the instructions below. For additional information on navigating the SLDS Portal, please refer to the SLDS Parent Portal Guide.
How to Access the Georgia SLDS Portal
Parents can access the Georgia SLDS Parent Portal by following these steps:
- Sign in to Parent Portal.
- Click the SLDS Portal button at the bottom of the list on the left side of the student’s page.
- After clicking the SLDS Portal button, the Parent Portal Welcome Page will open. If you have access to more than one child in the district portal, you will see a dropdown box containing the name of each child.
- If needed, watch the linked video Accessing your Child’s GSGM Reports – Video Tutorial
- For information on reading GSGM reports, watch the linked video Understanding Your Child’s GSGM Reports – Video Tutorial (Spanish)
If you have any questions, you may contact one of our assistant principals, Ms. Sharon Epperson or Mr. Mike Sloop.
DRAGON ACADEMY FOR THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR - - - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL LEARNING & ASSESSMENT TIME FOR STUDENTS!
Dragon Academy is an opportunity we offer students throughout this year 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 happens 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 are 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 have about two hours to complete their work, once they complete all that they came to accomplish, students are able to call their parent to come pick them up. Snacks and drinks are sold for a very reasonable cost so students may focus on their work, not on their gurgling stomachs! Any necessary school supplies are 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:
·January 25
· February 8 & 22
· March 15 & 29
· April 19 & 26
· May 3 & 10
THE ARTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR CULTURAL ARTS NIGHT AT DESANA
ACTIVITIES
FBLA
The 2018-2019 DeSana FBLA Chapter has increased membership to over fifty members and competitive events are well underway. The year started with a fun field trip to Athens, GA for the Fall Leadership Conference where students got to preview online tests and compete in a interstate Monopoly challenge. Much fun and learning was had by all!
About 30 members participated in the Region Leadership Conference competitive events and will find out the results of the competition after January 15, 2019. These results will tell us if any students qualified for specialized events. However, all members of the chapter may compete at the state level and several new events have been added for them to choose from.
The State Leadership Conference will take place on February 25, 2019, in Covington, GA. Parent Information packets will be delivered and initial preparation for this event will take place next week at the FBLA meeting on January 15, 2019. All members should be sure to attend, but if they are unable, they should stop by Mrs. Solano’s room for more information.
Thank you very much for your support for FBLA! In this program, students grow as leaders and that’s an invaluable experience that will help them to thrive, no matter where life takes them in the future.
YEARBOOKS!
2018-2019 DeSana Yearbooks are on sale. Visit balfour.com and order yours today! The price is $45. Students can also see Mrs. West on the 7th grade hall with cash or check.
**students are only guaranteed a yearbook if purchased by January 31st
8th graders! Don’t miss out on the chance for an 8th grade ad. They are 1/8 of a page, cost $15, and are due by January 31, 2019. Directions are attached HERE.
PARENT 411 - HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOU
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY
Next Monday, January 21st is Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Students and teachers do not have school on this day, and our office will be closed. Enjoy your long holiday weekend, and consider honoring Dr. King’s legacy by helping out in our community, and doing some kind deeds for others on this day. We look forward to seeing all of our young Dragons back with us on Tuesday, January 22nd.
MANY THANKS TO OUR AMAZING BUSINESS PARTNERS!
*ALL AMERICAN SPECIALTIES
*BROWNS BRIDGE CHURCH
*CHICK-FIL-A @ THE COLLECTION
*DUNKIN DONUTS
*DR. HOM PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ALPHARETTA COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY
*HI FIVE SPORTS
*MARVEL SOCCER
*MILTON DENTAL SPECIALISTS
*NORTH GEORGIA PROMOTIONS
*OMEGA LEARNING
*RBM OF ALPHARETTA
*RISPA
*VERTICAL CHURCH
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.