DRAGON DIGEST
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 / AUGUST 2020
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Thursday, August 27 - First AOL Time in the morning
Friday, August 28 - Dragon Academy at 4:15PM - 6:15PM
Tuesday, September 1 - DeSana Football vs. Vickery Creek @Denmark High School Stadium - 6:00PM
Wednesday, September 2 - Local School Council Nominations are due by 5:00PM
Friday, September 4 - Early Release/Professional Development Day - Students Dismiss @1:30PM
Monday, September 7 - Labor Day - Student/Staff Holiday
Tuesday, September 8 - DeSana Football vs. North Forsyth @Denmark High School Stadium - 6:00PM
Wednesday, September 9 - Denmark Community Family Connect Night
Wednesday, September 9 - 4 1/2 Week Juncture of the First Semester. Excellent time for parents to check grades on Parent Portal.
Wednesday, September 9 - SEAD Lesson for Students - - -Create Balance
Friday, September 11 - Kindness Matters Award Celebration 11:00AM in the Gym
Friday, September 11 - Dragon Academy at 4:15PM - 6:15PM
Monday, September 14 - National Speech Language Pathologist Week (through September 18)
Tuesday, September 15 - DeSana Football vs. Otwell @Denmark High School Stadium - 6:00PM
Tuesday, September 15 - National Hispanic Heritgae Month Begins Through October 15
Thursday, September 17 - AOL Time in the morning
Monday, September 19 through Friday, September 25 - Fall Break/No School
Wednesday, September 30 - SEAD Lesson for Students - Create Balance
Thursday, October 1 - AOL Time in the morning
Friday, October 2 - National Custodian Appreciation Day
Friday, October 2 - Dragon Academy @4:15PM - 6:15PM
Friday, October 2 - October Grade Level eNewsletters Sent Out
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
Dear DeSana Parents,
We have been quite pleased with the start to this new and unprecedented school year! While we know there have been some speed bumps along the way, more so with getting our virtual students scheduled and settled, we have and are continuing to problem-solve each situation, and feel like we are just about settled and our students and teachers are getting into a groove. While I am proud of all our students and how they are acclimating to the “new normal for school”, I am especially proud of our students who are here with us at DeSana. They have come back to a face-to-face setting that looks and operates quite differently than school has ever looked and been like before. They have done a very good job of remembering to Mask Up . . . Wash Up . . . Cover Up . . . Back Up . . . and Clean Up!
For our first couple of days, we saw about 99% of our students and staff wearing masks. It has dipped slightly since then. I want to encourage our parents to encourage your kids to keep wearing a mask, if possible, so that everyone stays healthy and safe, and we can continue face-to-face learning. We are definitely all in this together! And as we have on posters throughout our school, Dragons Protect Dragons (with a graphic of a Dragon wearing a mask), we want our young Dragons to continue to wear their mask and physically distance themselves whenever possible. We are in it for the long haul! This last one --- physically distance themselves --- is so difficult for our young adolescents because of the social nature of their very being. But we keep reminding them and we hope our parents will continue reminding them as well.
A few other friendly reminders to all our parents as we all deal with the possibility of the Covid-19 virus and want to continue to keep our students, staff and you healthy and safe:
· If your child is symptomatic for the coronavirus AND/OR they are awaiting test results from a Covid-19 test, please, please, please do not send your child to school. Keep your young Dragon home until they either no longer display any symptoms or they receive a negative result from their Covid-19 test. For our parents who are already doing this, we are most appreciative!
· If your child does test positive for Covid-19, I ask that you notify immediately either our school nurse, Rebecca McWalters at RMcWalters@forsyth.k12.ga.us or at 770-667-2591 ext. 491529 or Terri North, principal, at tnorth@forsyth.k12.ga.us or at 770-667-2591 ext. 491515.
· Whenever our parents are on campus or at a school event at another location (i.e. Football games at Denmark HS Stadium), we ask that you model the way for our students by wearing a mask and physically distancing yourself from others. The expectation is that parents will do the same that we ask of our students. Again . . . we are ALL in this together!
This year, our DeSana enrollment thus far is 1048 students total, including both face-to-face and virtual students. We have 364 6th grade students . . . 353 7th grade students . . . and 331 8th grade students. A little more than half of our students are doing virtual classes, with the rest attending face-to-face. We have been quite impressed thus far with our students’ eagerness to learn. We want that to continue throughout the year! They are truly a joy to be around, interact with both online and face-to-face, and learn from daily!
One of my favorite writers is the famous American poet and author, Maya Angelou. These were just a few of the roles she had in her long life, for she was a most extraordinarily talented and wise person. She once gave the advice “to be grateful, to be present, and to laugh”. How wonderful it would be if we could approach this new school year and each day with a sense of gratitude. While there are so many things that have changed in our lives . . . and change can be unsettling . . . and so many things not as we wish they would be, there is always, always something to be grateful for. So let us strive to begin each day with gratitude for food, shelter, and safety, gratitude for the opportunity to attend school either virtually or in person and be a member of our DeSana Family, and gratitude for our health.
Following Maya Angelou’s advice to be present in whatever ways we can, whether it is in our relationships and friendships with others or the opportunities that present themselves to us as we begin this new school year, are certainly some wise words to heed. Being present with others can be one of the simplest acts of kindness but also one of the most powerful. And in this time of a global pandemic, all of us must be present to our obligations to do what we naturally would not do to keep ourselves, our families, our DeSana Family, and our Forsyth community healthy. We are all in this together. We can’t let our guard down or give in to a variety of temptations to return to some form of normalcy. We need to stay the course. It is a team effort.
For sure, all of this would be hard to carry out without Maya Angelou’s final words of advice: to laugh. There is a Jewish proverb that goes like this: “As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul.” And Herman Melville simply said this about laughter: “A good laugh is a mighty good thing….” In these unprecedented and extraordinary times, it is critical to look for the daily moments of humor and joy that will ease our burdens. I recently lost my father. During his final days we spent time together when he was lucid, sharing stories and reminiscing about our times together as a family, our father/daughter escapades, and the great dad that he was. These precious moments were filled with both laughter and tears. It is these moments of laughter and joy that we shared are what I hold onto and sustain me now. These moments are and will continue to be some of my fondest memories of my dad. As we go through the uncertainty and unsettledness of these times we are in, I hope that we will take the time to find moments of joy and laughter every single day. For they are out there . . . they are everywhere. We only need to look for and recognize them.
So as we move forward with this school year, my wish for all of our young Dragons, parents and DeSana staff - - - our DeSana Family - - - is that you awaken to each new day with a mindset “to be grateful, to be present and to laugh”.
Here’s thanking you, parents, for all your support and involvement in your young Dragon’s learning and school life, whether it be online or face-to-face. We cannot do it without you! Thank you for allowing us the privilege of working with your young people each and every day! They are truly a wonderful joy!
With warmest regards,
Terri A. North
Principal
ACADEMICS
VIRTUAL ACADEMY
DeSana administration hopes your start to the 2020-2021 school year has been fantastic! Our school system has been forging ahead in educational practices for many years and our Academies of Creative Education is one prime example of how Forsyth County Schools lead in educational practices.
Forsyth Virtual Academy (FVA) homepage has a wealth of information regarding this program. The principal, Drew Hayes, and his amazing team have a wonderful Restart Fall 2020 video they have published for our families.
During these unprecedented times, if your family chose to utilize FVA as the instructional option for the first semester, we want you to know that most of our students are being served by teachers from DeSana Middle School. However, the FVA program uses teachers throughout our county; so your child may have a teacher that is not part of DeSana Middle School. We are your base school and as an administrative team, we are always here to support you and your family!
FVA is designed to be flexible in nature to accommodate individual needs; therefore, classes are asynchronous. Exactly what does asynchronous mean? Teachers design engaging, interactive lessons where students work at their own pace. Teachers will post, at most, weekly the work that needs to be completed and designated due dates within that week. The lessons are structured to complete item A before moving to item B; occasionally it may be that mastery of item A must occur before item B can be accessed. There are several options teachers may use in designing their lessons. The key throughout is to help our students be successful!
Each teacher has designated synchronous times for their virtual class. These will be posted on the itslearning page for the class at a minimum of two times per week. During these times. teachers are available for help sessions, discussion board time, or possibly a live lesson --- it is important to check in regularly for updates from your teacher through itslearning.
If a teacher offers a live session and the child cannot participate during that time frame, it will be recorded for him/her to review at his/her discretion. This is where parents play a critical role in working with our school to ensure the success of students. At the age of 1, 12 or 13, discretion may need more direct support. The student may need to hear, you need to do this not you can if you want to do it 😊. Parenting with a child in the virtual world has added a new dimension to your role as a learning coach.
One additional item, we would like to bring to your attention has to do with time in class. Due to less distractions, interruptions and self-paced instruction, some students may move through a lesson quickly today but tomorrow the lesson may take longer. These are nuances that happen daily in face-to-face classes where teachers work with their students to give them additional assistance if needed or where children may need supplemental work to extend their learning. As we navigate through, please be patient with your child and their teacher to get into a groove with the virtual learning platform. We appreciate your continued support and working together as a DeSana family to aid in your child’s success!
SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR UPCOMING FRIDAYS
We have two upcoming Fridays where our period schedules will be different. This is particularly important for our part time virtual students, so please take not of these changes.
Friday, September 4 is an Early Release Day and school will end at 1:30pm. Below is the period schedule we will run for this day:
1st Period 9:00AM – 9:28AM
2nd Period 9:31AM – 9:59AM
4th Period 10:02AM – 10:30AM
5th Period 10:33AM – 11:01AM
3rd Period & Lunch 11:04AM – 12:28PM
6th Period 12:31PM – 12:59PM
7th Period 1:02PM – 1:30PM
On Friday, September 11, we will run the following period schedule:
Dragon Time 9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
1st Period Block 9:15 AM - 10:55 AM
3rd Period (with lunch) 11:00 AM - 12:45 PM
4th Period Block 12:50 PM - 2:30 PM
6th Period Block 2:35 PM - 4:15 PM
DESANA CURRICULUM NIGHT 2020
This year our DeSana Curriculum Night will be held virtually, and parents will be able to “attend” at their convenience. This Curriculum Night is for our parents of students who are attending in person at DeSana and our parents of virtual students this first semester. By 4:30 on the afternoon of Thursday, September 10th, all DeSana teachers will post on their itslearning page -- in each student course section --- a short video with an overview of what your child has to look forward to in each class this year, along with an opportunity for you to “meet” your young Dragon’s teachers. For our Spanish-speaking families, there will be Spanish sub-titles on teachers’ slides, sharing the overall message on each slide. Teachers’ presentations may include such topics as a general overview of the Georgia Standards of Excellence for their class, instructional experiences planned throughout the year, and types of assessments students can expect in each class. In addition, each teacher may discuss their classroom daily routine and procedures and/or show examples of student work. Parents will have multiple videos to watch at their leisure, in order to “be in the know” about all of their child’s classes. These videos will stay posted on each teachers’ itlearning page for several months. As always, if you have any questions about your student’s class(es), we encourage you to email their teacher. We hope ALL of our parents will take some time to view the videos of your child’s teachers, and get to know them a little bit better, as well as learn more about all the engaging and excellent instructional activities our DeSana teachers have planned for our young Dragons this year!
PROGRESS REPORTS ARE DIGITAL THIS YEAR!
In the past, DeSana teachers have sent home paper copies of their student’s Progress Report at every 4 ½ week juncture during each semester of the school year. This year, we are going digital! At the 4 ½ week and 13 ½ week juncture during each semester, we will send parents a friendly reminder that it would be a good time to check how their child is progressing in all of his/her classes up to that point. Of course, a parent may check Parent Portal any time to see their student’s grades . . . and we encourage parents to do so! At the half-way point of each semester --- 9 weeks --- parents will receive a digital Progress Report to update them on how their child is doing in each course at this mid-point of the semester. At anytime, if a parent is not able to access their child's grades via Parent Portal, they may certainly reach out to their child's teachers and request a paper copy of his/her grades.
The 4 ½ week juncture for this first semester is coming up in a few weeks . . . September 9th, to be exact. This will be a great time for parents to take note of how their middle schooler is starting off this school year in each class. We encourage each parent to take a few minutes to sit down with his/her young Dragon to go over and discuss his/her academic progress thus far at this 4 ½ week juncture. Let us also give you a word of caution as you look at the averages for your child’s classes at this 4 ½ week juncture. As you hopefully know, this first semester grading period is made up of an 18-week period, so this is just the 4 ½ week mark of the entire 18 week grading period. A student’s average at this point may include few or not any summative assessments, which will count as 80% of his/her total average for the semester. Thus, your child’s course average may be a bit skewed, one way or the other, depending on how many formative assessments (which count 20% of a student’s total average for the semester) and summative assessments have been given, and how your child has performed on any of the assessments given thus far.
Parents, please do not hesitate to contact any of your child’s teachers should you have any questions or concerns about your young Dragon’s academic progress at this first 4 ½ weeks juncture, or at any time, for that matter. Please know we want and need you involved in your child’s education during these important middle school years. We appreciate your support so very much!
FROM THE MEDIA CENTER
We are excited to give students the opportunity to check out both physical and electronic books this year with our Concierge Service! Students may place physical books on hold through Classlink using the Destiny Media Center Catalog, and books will be delivered to students' 3rd period class the next day! Students may read ebooks through the Destiny OR MackinVia apps in Classlink. Try it at home! Check out our collection of books and talk with your child about what they are reading!
Virtual students who would like to have a physical book can also access the collection through Classlink/Media Center Catalog and pick the books up at the front office the following day, where they'll be labeled with the student's name.
MAKERSPACE
Missing our media center makerspace? Check out our digital makerspace for an opportunity to create, imagine, read, learn, discover and more. And one of the best parts….It’s open all day long!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oxMqPtat259eckeCWCTxkXHKmNrNT_x4QKamKKuhQhU/edit?usp=sharing
SEAD AT DESANA
“Teachers plant seeds that will grow forever.” Research shows that social-emotional learning not only improves achievement, but it also increases prosocial behaviors (such as kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student attitudes towards school, and reduces depression and stress among students. Social-emotional development is just as, if not more, important than academic development in our students. DeSana Middle School, in partnership with Denmark High School, created the SEAD (Social Emotional Academic Development) initiative four years ago to develop and foster social-emotional learning in our kids. Each month our students participate in engaging discussions and/or activities around specific topics. In August and January, we focus on self-awareness with Light the Way. During these months, students identify emotions, work on self-perception, recognize strengths, build self-confidence, and develop self-efficacy. Create Balance is our theme for September and February where students tackle self-management (impulse control, stress management, self-discipline, self-motivation, goal setting, and organizational skills). Responsible decision-making – Leave a Legacy – is the spotlight for October and March. In Leave a Legacy, students identify problems, analyze situations, solve problems, evaluate and reflect on solutions to determine the best course of action, and ethical responsibility. Be There When You’re There challenges students to develop and hone relationship skills. In November and April, with Be There When You’re There, students learn effective communication strategies, social engagement, how to build relationships, and teamwork. In December and May, students look externally at social awareness. Strengthen Your Community is all about perspective-taking, empathy, appreciating diversity, and respect for others. During each month, students will participate in one or two “lessons” on a Wednesday in their Dragon Time classroom. Each of these culminates in a Family Challenge where students are challenged to extend what they did during the SEAD lesson that day with you at home. When we have SEAD time, it will be posted to our Facebook page and an email sent through messenger. Be on the lookout and be sure to talk with your student about it!
For August and September, we will have SEAD lessons on August 19th and 26th and September 9th and 30th. Our focus for the month of August is Light the Way. For the August 19th lesson, we discussed how we are feeling being back at school. We want to inspire hope and positivity and allow students to share their feelings. After a rousing game of Stand Up/Sit Down to identify all the emotions we are feeling, we wrote letters to ourselves about what we want to accomplish this year and our challenge to ourselves to make it the best year yet. Being in school can be overwhelming. Being a kid can be overwhelming. And, let’s face it, being an adult can be overwhelming! On the 26th, we will participate in mindfulness activities to learn various strategies to reduce our stress when we begin to feel overwhelmed (deep breathing, thinking of what we are grateful for, taking a walk, etc.)
In September (Create Balance), we delve more into how to self-manage. We start off on the 9th with organization! (Yes, we know that is a daunting task for most middle schoolers.) This lesson focuses on how to become organized by providing some tips on how to stay more organized at school. The second SEAD lesson in September (on the 30th) will deal with stress – understanding stress, identifying good and bad stress, identifying stress trigger points, and some tips on how to effectively handle stressful situations.
We hope you will join us in our SEAD family challenges!!
ITSLEARNING
What is itsLearning?
ItsLearning is a learning management system (online platform) that allows teachers to have an online component alongside their traditional instruction. Not only can teachers post classroom content but they may also have students participate in online discussions, submit assignments, complete assessments, and create content. In addition to being a vital component for everyday teaching and learning for both virtual and face-to-face classes, itsLearning will also be utilized during any days missed due to unscheduled school closures (ex. inclement weather) or extended online learning, should that happen for ALL of our students at some time this year. ItsLearning is also a communication tool for administrators, teachers, students, and parents. Additionally, teachers can utilize the recommendation engine to provide students with either remediation or enrichment on course standards.
What can I do as a parent?
In all courses, parents can monitor content assigned to their children through itsLearning. Parents can log-in with the same credentials they use to get in Parent Portal or by using their child’s log in information. Here at DeSana we recommend using your child’s log-in information. This will give you a little more access to things when you are trying to assist your child. Be sure to ask your child for their username and password. In both instances, parents can check the Lesson Planner section for the class lesson presented that day, see posted homework or posted ‘no homework’, see class resources used, class activities, and any information about upcoming tests, projects, and quizzes. Using the student log-in will allow parents to find bulletins or reminders in individual courses. Parents can also find links to valuable resources that students may need throughout the year. This can include on-line text books and more.
How do I get there?
There are 2 easy ways to get there: 1. Go to https://forsyth.itslearning.com. Use your child’s username and password to log-in. 2. Visit our DeSana Middle School web site and use the quick link at the top right to access itslearning. Again, use your child’s username and password. If your child does not know their information, they can ask one of their teachers or go see Mrs. Gooch, the DeSana Instructional Technology Specialist in her office located in the Media Center. This information cannot be emailed or given out over the phone. Having this information and checking it regularly are vital for helping your child succeed to the fullest at DeSana.
Still need help?
Visiting the DeSana Webpage will be your first step. On the right side under Quick Links is a link to valuable resources. These resources include print and video resources about using and navigating itsLearning for both parents and students. You can also access these resources through the link here. Please feel free to call or email Mrs. Gooch if you have any questions or need assistance. She is happy to either talk you through it or set-up a time to meet to better assist you. Mrs. Gooch’s contact information is 770-667-2591 ext. 491590 and lgooch@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN (AOL) TIME
Some students simply need the gift of time to master some of the concepts they learn in school. They can master them . . . they just need a little more time. And for some students, coming to school early for a morning help session with their teacher is just not possible. That is why we created AOL Time here at DeSana - - - An Additional Opportunity to Learn time. AOL is a 45 minute block of time that will happen first thing in the morning on Thursdays, and on some Wednesdays (9:05 – 9:50) beginning Thursday, August 27th. During this block of time, students have the opportunity to receive re-teaching from their teachers should they need it. If your child is struggling in a class, or if they have a big summative assessment coming up that their teacher is offering a review session for, or if they have received a low score on a summative assessment and need to relearn some concepts before they re-take the summative, please encourage them to take advantage of AOL time! Ask your young Dragon each Wednesday evening/Thursday morning where he/she is going for AOL time on Thursday. Then ask your young Dragon Thursday evening what teacher he/she went to that day for extra help. Truly, taking advantage of our AOL time can make a BIG difference in a child’s success in school. Thanking you in advance for your help in making sure our young Dragons take advantage of this learning opportunity during AOL time!
DRAGON ACADEMY FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR - - - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL LEARNING & ASSESSMENT TIME FOR STUDENTS!
Dragon Academy is an opportunity we will begin offering students on Friday, August 28th 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 ---beginning Friday, August 28th, 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 grumbling stomachs! Any necessary school supplies will be provided for students to use to complete their work, as needed, or they may bring their own.
Please mark your calendars now for these Dragon Academy dates (all are on a Friday) for the rest of the school year:
September 11
October 2
October 16
October 30
November 13
December 4
December 11
December 18
January 22
February 5
February 19
March 5
March 19
April 16
April 30
May 7
May 14
GRADE LEVEL ENEWSLETTERS
We know that when it comes to sharing information with parents about what is happening in their classes at DeSana, many middle schoolers are not the best conduit of information about what is happening in all of their different courses. Itslearning is a BIG help in reminding students about assignments and what they are studying in class, as well as providing a wealth of information for parents. But we want to make doubly sure that our parents are definitely in the know about their young Dragon’s academic endeavors, so that is why we will begin publishing our digital, monthly, Grade Level eNewsletters beginning next week --- for the rest of August and the month of September. These eNewsletters are nothing fancy --- just the facts --- and are designed to give you a brief synopsis of what is happening in the four main content areas . . . Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies (five for 8th graders, which includes Spanish) . . . on a monthly basis. Each Grade level eNewsletter (eNews, for short) may contain information about standards/topics/concepts being studied throughout the month, formative and/or summative assessments coming up, project assignments, and/or reminders about other upcoming activities or events. Grade level eNewsletters will be sent out to parents at the start of each month. So stay tuned to your email in-box as our first eNews will be coming your way electronically within the next week!
ATHLETICS
FOOTBALL!
Next Tuesday, August 25th the football team will kick off their season against the Grizzlies from Piney Grove. The game will take place at Denmark High School at 6:00pm. The football players and cheerleaders have been working very hard and they would love you all there supporting them. Fans are encouraged to mask up, cover up and back up at all games. This season we will be playing all of our home games at Denmark High School. Below is the football schedule for the season*:
August 25 vs Piney Grove at Denmark High School Stadium 6:00pm
September 1 vs Vickery Creek at Denmark High School Stadium 6:00pm
September 8 vs North Forsyth at Denmark High School Stadium 6:00pm
September 15 vs Otwell at Denmark High School Stadium 6:00pm
October 6 vs Riverwatch at Denmark High School Stadium 6:00pm
October 13 vs Liberty at West Forsyth High School Stadium 6:30pm
*Dates, Times and Locations are Subject to Change
ACTIVITIES
FAMILY CONNECT NIGHTS
The Denmark Community of Schools is made up of Denmark High School, Piney Grove Middle School, DeSana Middle School, Shiloh Point Elementary School, Brandywine Elementary School, Midway Elementary School, and Big Creek Elementary School. This group works together to meet the needs of the students and families in our community. As part of the Denmark Community of Schools, DeSana supports the Family Connect Nights. These monthly homework-free evenings provide families time to reconnect with one another without technology, promoting a fun family evening! Please support this initiative by unplugging from technology and designating time to spend together by the pool, playing outside, or even with a boardgame. The Family Connect Nights are for everyone in the Denmark Community of Schools, including our virtual kiddos and families too! As a member of the Denmark Community of Schools, let’s encourage one another to take advantage of these nights to connect and spend time together as a family.
Here are the dates for the Denmark Community of Schools’ Family Connect Nights for 2020-2021:
August 19th
September 9th
October 14th
November 11th
December 9th
January 27th
February 24th
March 17th
April 21st
May 12th
CELEBRATING KINDNESS & GOOD DEEDS AT DESANA!
Once again this year, we will continue to host a student recognition program at DeSana based on the premise that kindness does matter in our everyday lives. We are continuing this award celebration so that we may recognize students for their kind and thoughtful deeds with our Kindness Matters! Award. This award will be given every other month --- September, November, January, March & May --- and will recognize and honor those students that any DeSana staff member observes either being kind to others on a regular basis or doing one great and wonderful act of kindness for another person here at DeSana. Each nominated student will be invited to a pizza luncheon, where he/she will be awarded a certificate with his/her kind deed(s) on the certificate and shared with all honorees. Students will also receive a custom-made DeSana Kindness Matters pin. Our first Kindness Matters! Award Celebration will take place on Friday, September 11th at 11:15. It is truly our hope that by continuing this award and carrying out the other endeavors that we are focusing on this school year at DeSana, that being kind will become the norm here . . . a way of daily living in our thoughts, words and actions that exemplifies all that is good and right about middle school kids in this world. And we do have wonderful, thoughtful and kind young men and women at DeSana!
PARENT - 411 HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOU
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS FOR PARENTS TO SIGN
From Tuesday, August 11th thru Friday, August 13th, the four important documents listed below were sent out electronically to all parents via Campus Messenger and asked for parents to complete them, as well as for parents’ electronic signature.
1. Parent Permission Form and Parent & Student Signatures Document
2. Parent Occupational Survey
3. Online Learning Consent Form
4. Web Apps Parent Permission Form
Several of these forms ask you to look at other information documents and/or handbooks before signing off on the above forms. Below is what each of those documents/handbooks are and where you may find them to peruse.
- The DeSana Student/Parent Handbook (located on our DeSana website under Our School – Policies & Regulations)
- FCS 2020-2021 Code of Conduct (located on our DeSana website under Our School – Policies & Regulations)
- The DeSana Club Flyer (located on our DeSana website under Extracurricular – Clubs)
If you have already received these forms but have not signed them and submitted them, we urge you to sign them electronically and submit them as soon as possible. For those of you who have signed and submitted them, we thank you! If you did not receive these important forms, we urge you to email Lacey Gooch, our ITS, at lgooch@forsyth.k12.ga.us, and let her know you did not receive them so that we may send theses forms to you via Campus Messenger. We are aware as a school and a school district that there were some snafus with the first batch of documents sent out to parents. Our school system is working to fix those now so that we may resend these documents to our parents.
Thanking you in advance for taking care of these important documents as soon as possible. They are vital to a successful school year for your student.
DESANA LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS
DeSana Middle School’s Local School Council & Nomination Form
2020 – 2021 School Year
Georgia’s A+ Education Reform Act of 2000 requires that every public school establish a Local School Council. “School councils are policy-level advisory bodies to the Principal, Superintendent, and local board of education. They may advise and make recommendations on any matter related to school improvement and student achievement. The purpose of school councils is to bring communities and the school closer together in a spirit of cooperation to solve difficult education problems, improve academic achievement, provide support for teachers and administrators, and bring parents into the school-based decision-making process.”
Who serves on a School Council? The 2007 General Assembly made changes to the school council law that requires parents to be the majority members. It still, however, allows flexibility in the membership of a school council. At a minimum, a School Council is composed of seven (7) members:
1. Two (2) parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school, excluding parents or guardians who are also employees of the school;
2. Two (2) parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school who are businesspersons;
3. Two (2) certificated teachers who are employed in at least four of the six school segments at the school and excluding any personnel employed in administrative positions;
4. The school principal.
As we continue in our fourth year of having a Local School Council (LSC) at DeSana, our council is comprised of the following 10 members, as was established in our LSC bylaws the first two years.
1. Two (2) parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school, excluding parents or guardians who are also employees of the school;
2. Two (2) parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school who are businesspersons;
3. Three (3) certificated teachers who are employed in at least four of the six school segments at the school, and excluding any personnel employed in administrative positions;
4. The school principal;
5. A representative of the DeSana Hispanic Parent Partnership Council; and
6. The school's PTO President or designee (who must be an elected vice-president).
For this 2020-2021 school year, we need to elect one (1) parent representative and one (1) other parent representative who must also be a businessperson in the community. Thus, we need to elect a total of 2 parent reps.
The roles and responsibilities of School Council members are several. All members of the School Council must:
- Maintain a school-wide perspective on issues
- Regularly participate in council meetings ( a minimum of 4 per year are required for each council)
- Participate in information and training programs
- Act as a link between the school council and the community
- Encourage the participation of parents and others within the school community, and
- Work to improve student achievement and performance.
Nominations for the two (2) LSC parent representative positions are now being taken and the LSC parent representatives will be elected the week of September 7th. If you have a student attending DeSana Middle School for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years, are not an employee at DeSana, and are interested in serving on DeSana’s LSC for a two year term, please complete the attached Nomination Form and return it to Terri North, Principal, no later than Wednesday, September 2, 2020 by 5:00 PM. If you would like more information regarding Local School Councils, please refer to “School Council Guidebook & Training Materials” by clicking here or contact Terri North at DeSana Middle School at 770-667-2591 ext. 491515 or tnorth@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
CLICK HERE for the nomination form.
FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS FALL BREAK --- SEPTEMBER 21st thru 25th
Even though there does not seem to be even a hint of Fall in the air --- especially when it comes to the daily temperatures --- Forsyth County Schools’ Fall Break is not that far away, starting in four weeks . . . September 21st thru September 25th. It is a bit earlier this year. During this week, the DeSana office will be closed as ALL our students and staff take some time off to rejuvenate their mind, body and soul. We hope our DeSana families will plan some fun times with family and friends and stay healthy and safe during this break! We will look forward to seeing all our young Dragons back either online or at our Dragon’s Lair on Monday, September 28th, ready to engage in some more exciting learning!
SAFETY IS . . . AND ALWAYS WILL BE . . . OUR #1 PRIORITY AT DESANA!
Please know that providing a safe and secure environment at DeSana for our students and staff is our #1 Priority each and every day! We know that if our students do not feel safe here, then the learning will not take place. We very much understand that you are sending us your most precious thing in the world daily, and you want them to be in a safe place. This is not something that I, nor the rest of my administrative team or staff, take lightly. That is why safety here at DeSana is and always will be our #1 Priority each and every day.
Forsyth County Schools and DeSana Middle School have many practices and procedures in place to help safeguard your young Dragon every minute of every day to, from and on campus. Detailed safety plans for all kinds of emergencies --- including lockdown situations --- have been carefully planned, written, shared with staff, put in place, and will be practiced frequently with our staff and students as we begin this school year. We will continue to practice these drills in an organized way, and as if they were the real thing, throughout the school year. In regards to practicing our lockdown drill, we have shown our teachers and staff a video about the correct procedures to follow in this scenario so that they can go over these procedures with students, as well. And in the near future, we will be showing all of our students this same video. We will also walk our students through a lockdown drill at least four times this year - - - one time each quarter - - - with the first one happening within the near future. You may access this video via the FCS website by clicking here. I encourage you to view the video together with your son or daughter and also discuss what they need to do in such a situation.
Our school system has an excellent partnership with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Our School Resource Officer (SRO), Deputy Zach Dobleman, is one of 40+ deputies in the county’s schools, and is assigned to DeSana, checking on things, talking to students, and getting to know them.
DeSana has security cameras throughout the school and lockdown buttons that are connected directly to 911 dispatch. We also have a control access point for entering and exiting our school building. All visitors must come to this single front door and be buzzed in by one of our secretaries who has a wide view of the entire person and the surrounding area. From the reception area, parents no longer have access to the rest of our building. They can only be buzzed in to the rest of our facility by a staff member if they have pertinent and authorized business on our campus. Check-in procedures that are strictly adhered to are in place, and in order for a parent to check-out a child, he/she must enter our reception area to do so and present a valid driver’s license. Visitor scanning technology is in place in our front office for any person visiting our school outside of the reception area. Outside doors are checked throughout the school day to make sure they are always locked and no one has left a door propped open.
Some of DeSana's daily standard operating procedures are to have our head custodian check the entire facility and campus early each morning to look for any unusual objects. Phones are in every classroom. Diligent supervision of our students by our entire staff, from the moment they step foot on campus until they leave, is a daily practice. Administrators are out and about the school daily, and are in constant communication with each other, our SRO, and the front office through radios, as well as with the school district's Safety Office via special radios. Our school phones come equipped with sophisticated technology that allows for tracing phone calls in the event of a bomb threat or other threatening phone calls.
All Forsyth County school buses are equipped with two-way radios so that they can be in constant communication with the transportation department and the school. They are also equipped with GPS so that bus locations may be tracked at all times. In addition, our FCS Code of Conduct Dress Code prohibits students from wearing over-sized, over-length or baggy clothing items so that weapons and other contraband are less likely to be hidden on students. The FCS Dress Code is enforced at DeSana.
Parents, one of the biggest things you can do to help us keep our young Dragons safe at DeSana is to have a frank talk with your child(ren) about the importance of them communicating with us here if they see, hear, read (anywhere . . . including on social media), or suspect something that concerns them about their safety at DeSana. They should immediately share their concerns with a teacher, counselor, administrator, or Deputy Dobleman. We take all reports of such concerns seriously and investigate them thoroughly, doing what we need to do in order to insure the safety of everyone at DeSana. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and Forsyth County Schools work together to provide P3 Campus Reporting, which provides an avenue for all members of the community to submit anonymous tips. Simply download the free P3 Campus app from Google Play or the App Store to make a report. You can also provide a tip through P3Campus.com. P3 Campus posters are displayed throughout our school and have information on how to anonymously report tips. Once again, we want to encourage our students to: See Something, Say Something!
Please also emphasize to your young Dragon that joking around about shooting people, blowing up things, harming others at school, the mall, the movie theater, or anywhere else may get them in serious trouble . . . more trouble than they could ever imagine. People are going to take such statements seriously. Our administrative team will investigate thoroughly and act on such threats . . . whether they are meant as a joke or not.
We continue to talk with our students about safety being a top priority at DeSana, and letting them know that it is also their responsibility to help keep our school safe by reporting any safety concerns that they have. And we will continue the mantra of if you see/hear/read/suspect something, you need to say something. We will continue to need your help with this parents, as middle schoolers many times see only the social implications of reporting something about another student. Rest assured any information of this nature that is shared with an administrator, counselor or teacher is held in strictest confidence. Please let your child know that it is your expectation that he/she take personal responsibility in reporting anything he/she sees/hears/reads that could jeopardize the safety of any or all of our students and staff.
While I am not a parent myself, I think I do understand, and most definitely share your concern about the safety of your young Dragon here at DeSana. It is something that is always on my mind. I encourage you, parents, that any time you have concerns about the safety or well-being of your child, you will not hesitate to call or email me, or Mr. Starr or Ms. Epperson, our two Assistant Principals, or Mr. Coffield, our Assistant Administrator, to discuss these concerns. We want Desana to be a place where all students, staff and parents feel safe and comfortable. But we need everyone's help to keep it that way throughout this school year.
Thanking you in advance for your help and support when it comes to the safety of our young Dragons!
LOOOOOONG LABOR DAY WEEKEND APPROACHING
Monday, September 7th is Labor Day, which is a school holiday for all FCS students and staff. That means an extra long weekend for all of our young Dragons and their families! Our school office will be closed and teachers and staff have the holiday off as well. Enjoy this day off . . . stay safe . . . and we look forward to seeing all of our young Dragons either back at our Dragon’s Lair or on line, safe and sound, on Tuesday, September 8th . . . ready to carry on with their learning!
EARLY RELEASE DAYS & PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAYS FOR FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS
This year’s Forsyth County Schools’ calendar has for the first semester: one (1) Early Release/Professional Learning Day on Friday, September 4th and two (2) Early Release/Conference Days, on October 22nd and 23rd. For the second semester, there is one (1) Early Release/Conference Day on and March 12th and one (1) Early Release Day on the last day of school, May 27th. For all Early Release Days, middle school students will be released at 1:30 PM . We hope that our DeSana parents will take advantage of these days by scheduling your child’s doctor and dentist appointments on these afternoons in order to minimize time spent missing classroom instruction. During the afternoon of September 4th, all DeSana teachers and administrators will be involved in meaningful, professional learning and collaborative planning as they enhance their instructional knowledge, strategies and skills; therefore, no after school activities, club meetings or team practices will occur on this afternoon.