DRAGON DIGEST
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 / NOVEMBER 13, 2018
DESANA DAY OF GOOD DEEDS
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
Dear DeSana Parents,
Yesterday, November 12th, was another fabulous day here at DeSana as we celebrated and honored veterans and men and women presently serving in the armed forces who are part of our DeSana community! Fathers, mothers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors of our DeSana students, staff, and parents, and their families, were present for our second annual Veterans Day Breakfast and Celebration . . . a new tradition here at DeSana, that we began just last year. And it is definitely one that we will continue for many years to come!
I was so proud of our young Dragons as they honored and showed much respect for our service men and and women throughout the school wide assembly yesterday! Both our DeSana Symphonic Band and our 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Choruses paid a special tribute through their music and song . . . and our special guests were both touched and so impressed by the talents of our young people. The playing of Taps, by a special guest trumpet player in our community, and the presentation of the colors by the North Forsyth High School ROTC color guard were some very special moments during the program . . . ones that our students do not always get to see and hear.
As I was planning for and thinking about our Veterans Day Celebration, and this special day to honor those who have given time in our nation’s service, I thought about my own family. My dad, who is now 86 years old, and served 2 years in the regular Army, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant, and then served 6 years in the Army Reserve, where he rose to the rank of Captain, used to sing “lullabies” to me when I was a baby. His “lullabies”, as I came to realize later on, were the fight songs and hymns of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The words and tunes to each of these songs are forever etched in my mind; I know them all by heart.
My father was also one of seven brothers. All seven of them served in the armed forces…..in either the Army or the Marines. I remember sitting and listening at our family holiday gatherings when all seven brothers, their wives, and many, many cousins would gather, and “the brothers” would literally swap old war stories. And what I remember the most about those stories were the words they spoke about . . . like honor . . . and courage . . . and sacrifice . . . and duty . . . and how they defined those words through the stories they would tell. Those stories left a very lasting impression upon me.
I’m not a big believer in school wide assemblies because of all the important work that our teachers need to do in their own individual classes. But for times like these . . . honoring and celebrating those who have sacrificed and given so much so that all of us may enjoy the many, many freedoms we have daily . . . I think it is truly important to take the time to say a heartfelt thank you. And it is important for our students to begin to understand, if they don’t already know, just how quite fortunate they are to live in our wonderful nation, and to have people who will not hesitate to put themselves in harm’s way to protect the many freedoms that we do enjoy. Truly, we should be grateful.
So on behalf of all of our DeSana staff, here’s wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving . . . one filled with delicious, homemade dishes of food . . . fun times with family and friends (especially your four-legged furry friends!) . . . a few peaceful naps . . . some time to do what you love to do . . . and a few quite moments (at least!) to reflect on all that you have for which to be grateful!
Safe travels and do take care!
With warm Thanksgiving wishes,
Terri A. North
Principal
D3 DAY T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST
It’s that time of year again…. Our annual t-shirt contest for our DeSana Day of Good Deeds! We are holding a contest for DeSana students to design a t-shirt for D3 Day, with original artwork, that reflects what D3 Day and serving in the community means to them. All students are encouraged to participate. The D3 Day Steering Committee will choose three finalists, and then the entire student body will vote for the winning design. The winning t-shirt design will be displayed front and center on over 1,000 t-shirts worn by students, staff and volunteers on D3 Day 2019! The deadline to turn in an entry is this Thursday, November 15th!
If you have not already received a form from your Dragon Time teacher, please download a copy.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZGR8_VeVBV9OuFD2mY8tLHp7GZhLIyIr/view?usp=sharing
BECOME A D3 DAY FAMILY OR CORPORATE SPONSOR
Please consider becoming a D3 Day Family sponsor or if you own a business consider being a corporate sponsor. A $50 Family sponsorship will get your Family name on the back of our D3 Day t-shirts. Consider what your $50 will help purchase:
- $15= shipping cost for 1 goodie box for active duty Troops overseas (Goal: 50 boxes) (postage for Treat the Troop boxes- US government does not pay for this)
- $25= 203 diapers and wipes will make 385 diaper/wipe packs (Goal: 400 )(NFCC-North Fulton Community Charities)
- $50= fleece fabric for 10 blankets (Goal: 75) (Project Linus, Family Promise, Homeless shelters)
- $75= 22 entertainment bags with puzzles and games for children (Goal 400) (SAFFT, CHOA, Hugh Spalding, Northside Hospital)
- $100= 59 lunches for at risk or homeless children (Goal 432) (Bags of Love, homeless children)
If you own a business and would like to donate to D3 Day or would like to be a family sponsor, please contact Dawn Bourg or Jennifer Harris (dawn@bourgs.com jharris@campharris.org), all donations are tax deductible
COLLECTIONS FOR D3 DAY
What do we need this year? Collection boxes will be located in the atrium of the school.
- Magazines (particularly men's magazines) to send in the Treat the Troops boxes.
- One yard of new fleece for cat toys
- Old towels and blankets to donate to animal shelters
PTO NEWS
PTO FUNDRAISER KICKS OFF
ATTENTION DRAGON PARENTS! Our "One and Done" PTO Fundraiser has officially kicked off! Click here for a peek at the awesome items you have a chance of winning depending on your level of support! Our goal is to raise AT LEAST $10,000! Please click here to make your donation. 100% of the funds will go directly back into the school by way of teacher grants, D3 Day support, social events and other items needed to help make DeSana the best it can be! Thank you in advance for your support!
ACADEMICS
13 1/2 WEEK PROGRESS REPORTS COMING YOUR WAY TODAY!
This Tuesday, November 13th --- TODAY --- is when all DeSana students will receive their 13 ½ week Progress Reports to inform students and their parents how they are progressing in mastering the standards in their classes with just 4 ½ weeks to go in this first semester. While parents (and students, we hope!) may check their young Dragon’s grades daily/weekly via Parent Portal . . . and we highly encourage you to do so . . . we will be sending home with all 6th grade students a paper copy Progress Report for each core academic class --- Math, Language Arts, Science & Social Studies --- that tells their average thus far and how they have done on each formative and/or summative assessment. For 6th grade Connections and Enrichment classes, hard copy Progress Reports will be given only to those students with a present grade of 75% or below.
For all of our 7th and 8th grade students, only those with a present grade of 75% or below in their core academic classes --- Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies & Spanish for eighth graders who take it --- will receive a hard copy Progress Report of their grades (both formative and summative assessments) to take home to share with their parents. Also, for 7th and 8th grade students’ Connections classes and Enrichment classes, hard copy Progress Reports will only be given to those students who have a present average of 75% or below.
At any time a parent may request a hard copy of their student’s grades by contacting the teacher directly. Should a family not have access to the internet to check their student’s grades on Parent Portal at Progress Report time, please do not hesitate to notify your young person’s teacher(s).
With only 4 ½ weeks to go in this first semester, it is our hope that students and parents will take some time to look at their grades/their middle schooler’s grades and see if there is anything that needs to be done in order to make sure mastery of all the standards taught this first semester happens at a high level of learning. Then make a plan to ensure that this happens during these next 4 1/2/ weeks! If a student needs help from a teacher, then please do not hesitate to contact that teacher(s) for the help that is needed.
We want ALL of our young Dragons to finish up on a HIGH NOTE for this 1st Semester . . . whatever it takes!!
DRAGON ACADEMY FOR THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR - - - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL LEARNING & ASSESSMENT TIME FOR STUDENTS!
Dragon Academy is an opportunity we will begin offering 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 will happen at least two times a month --- on Fridays --- with teachers and an administrator supervising each session. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to drastically improve both their learning and their grades. Students will be invited by their teachers . . . or they may invite themselves . . . to attend Dragon Academy if they are missing work or need to re-take an assessment to show better mastery of the standards or complete a project. Although students will have about two hours to complete their work, once they complete all that they came to accomplish, students will be able to call their parent to come pick them up. Snacks and drinks will be sold for a very reasonable cost so students may focus on their work, not on their gurgling stomachs! Any necessary school supplies will be provided for students to use to complete their work, as needed.
Please mark your calendars now for these Dragon Academy dates for the rest of the school year:
· November 16
· December 7 & 14
· January 25
· February 8 & 22
· March 15 & 29
· April 19 & 26
· May 3 & 10
ATHLETICS
BASKETBALL
Basketball season has begun and the Dragons are off to a fast start. A great group of boys and girls have been selected for the basketball teams and cheerleading squad and they have been working hard the last couple of weeks in preparation for the season. The Dragons’ next game is against Liberty on Thursday, November 15. The boys will be playing at home starting at 5:00pm, and the girls will be playing at Liberty at 5:00pm. When we return from Thanksgiving Break, we will have our DeSana Basketball Spirit Week. Each day will be a different dress up day, so stay tuned! That Friday, November 30 we will be hosting Piney Grove’s basketball teams at the Denmark gym. This will be a big community night and we are inviting all schools in the Denmark community to attend. The starting times for the games are as follows: 7th Grade girls will start at 5:00pm, 7th Grade boys 6:15pm, 8th Grade girls 7:30pm and 8th Grade boys at 8:45pm. Come on out and support your Dragons and the Denmark community.
ALTRUISTIC ENDEAVORS
HOLIDAY HOUSE COLLECTIONS
The holidays are coming up soon and DeSana is hosting a fundraiser to help families in our community this holiday season. We will be collecting toys, money and gift cards from our students and families to donate to The Place of Forsyth in early December. Each grade level will be collecting something different. Sixth grade is collecting money to go shopping on December 4 at Walmart to buy toys, seventh grade is collecting money to buy gift cards to Walmart, Kroger and other stores, and eighth grade is collecting money to give to our sixth grade shoppers. All collections will be donated to The Place at the beginning of December.
TREES FOR THE TROOPS
Deck the Halls.... Help Beta Club collect change for the Trees for the Troops Drive. This year we are teaming with Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm. We will be collecting change donations to purchase trees for families of armed service members November 9 through November 16. Please click here for the flyer with full details.
ACTIVITIES
PAJAMA DAY FOR UNITED WAY
It’s Pajama Day at DeSana! On Friday, November 16th, get ready to spend the entire day wearing your pajamas. For only $3, students may wear school APPROPRIATE pajamas to school. Pajama Day at DeSana is a chance for our students to spend the day in their most comfortable jammies surrounded by their favorite pals, all while supporting students like them who rely on United Way of Forsyth to support a healthy community life. We want them to have fun; therefore, keep in mind that students must wear proper footwear for safety reasons (no slippers are allowed). Also, please remember that this is for a good cause. We expect students to DO THE RIGHT THING . . . if they wear their PJs, don’t forget to pay.
Did you know…
· The word pajama is derived from the Indian word “piejamah.”
· PJs are regularly worn in public by people in some Asian countries.
· PJs and nightcaps were popular during the 19th century.
TECH FAIR REGISTRATION OPEN
The 2019 Forsyth Regional Student Technology Competition (Fair) will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2018, at Whitlow Elementary School. Registration is now open. Watch this video for more information.
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD RESULTS
The DeSana Science Olympiad Team competed against 25 other schools this past weekend and placed in seven events! Congratulations to:
1st in Herpetology – Om and Yash 7th graders
1st in Write It Do It – Prisha J and Prisha B 7th graders
4th in Write It Do It – Sai and Divya – 7th graders
3rd in Dynamic Planet – Kunal and Om – 7th graders
4th in Dynamic Planet – Pratham and Reeha – 7th grader and 6th grader
3rd in Experimental Design – Shreyas and Kunal – 8th grader and 7th grader
We are soooo VERY proud of our Science Olympians!!
MATH CLUB NEWS
Job well done for our Math Club students who participated in the War Eagle Math Tournament on Saturday, November 10! Special congratulations to Rikhil R. for placing 6th in the individual round! We are sooo proud of you!
PARENT 411 - HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOU
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Students in Forsyth County Schools will be out for Thanksgiving Break all next week --- November 19th – 23rd. Our office will be closed throughout the week as teachers and support staff also enjoy the week-long break. We hope you and your family have a fabulous Thanksgiving with family and friends, and that you enjoy the break by taking some time to relax and enjoy some fun times together. Whether you are traveling near or far, we hope you stay safe in your travels! We look forward to seeing all of our young Dragons back at The Lair on Monday, November 26th, rested, rejuvenated, and ready to go to finish out this first semester in strong fashion!
THANKSGIVING MEAL HERE AT DESANA
The Dragon Café will be serving our Thanksgiving Meal on Wednesday, November 14th. The menu will be very traditional. We will be serving Turkey, Chicken Tenders, Dressing, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Carrot Soufflé, Green Beans, School Made Rolls, and an assortment of fruits, juices, and milk. Also, we will offer Black Bean Burgers, Entrée Veggie Salads, Turkey Subs and PB&J Sandwiches. We hope all of our students and staff will join us for this fabulous meal!
CAREER FAIR PROFESSIONALS NEEDED
FCS is seeking professionals to showcase their business/industry with middle school students on December 14 from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Forsyth Conference Center. Help the next generation explore the career possibilities that await them! Sign up: https://tinyurl.com/yarnmu78 #fccollegecareer
YEARBOOKS!
2018-2019 DeSana Yearbooks are on sale. Visit balfour.com and order yours today! The price is $40 and the price will go up to $45 on November 1st. Students may also see Mrs. West on the 7th grade hall with cash or check.
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.
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.