The Panther Post
Back to School Edition August 2019
Welcome Back!
Discovery Middle School is very excited to have our students and staff back to begin what promises to be a fantastic year full of hard work, fun and success! We are looking forward to welcoming 6th graders to our school, as well as welcoming our returning 7th and 8th grade students!
Our building looks fantastic; our PTA volunteers did a great job creating fresh bulletin boards throughout our school to welcome students!
A special note to our students:
As you begin the school year we ask that you reflect daily on your goals and strive to do your best every day. Know that administration, faculty, and staff are here to support and encourage you as you explore different opportunities and grow as learners.
To our parents and community, it is essential that you take an active role in our students' success. It is crucial that we maintain parent involvement. Teachers, parents, students, and staff accomplish the most when we work collaboratively for student achievement. A school that aspires for excellence can expect no less!
The teachers and staff at Discovery are excited to have the opportunity to educate your children and help them discover their greatest potential.
We are going to have a fantastic year! Go Panthers!
With Panther Pride,
Kim Stewart
Discovery Middle School: A place for innovation, excellence and discovery.
DMS Open House: August 5
Discovery Middle School will hold its Open House on August 5:
- 2:00 – 2:45 p.m. - Last Names A – G
- 3:00 – 3:45 p.m. - Last Names H – O
- 4:00 – 4:45 p.m. - Last Names P – Z
We are very excited about our upcoming Open House event at DMS and are expecting a large amount of participation from parents and students.
We will stagger our Open House times due to parking and traffic constraints. You will be able to view student schedules electronically through INOW or you may pick up a paper copy in the cafeteria at Open House. You then will have the opportunity to walk through your student’s schedule, drop off supplies, and meet the teachers. We appreciate your consideration during this very busy and exciting event. We look forward to seeing you there!
* Please only attend during your assigned time slot.*
Open House for the Exceptional Learning Center will be Tuesday, August 6th from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
DMS Welcomes a New Administrator
Mr. Franks has many years of successful administrative experience; he has served as an assistant principal in both Huntsville City Schools and Madison City Schools. Before Mr. Franks moved into administration, he was a geography teacher and coach (basketball, track, and baseball) in Huntsville City.
Mr. Franks joins DMS Assistant Principals Kate Wade and Kurt Yancey in looking forward to helping the students at DMS have a fantastic 2019-20 school year!
DMS Welcomes New Teachers
We welcome these wonderful teachers who are new to the DMS family:
- DeAnna Bentley - Math
- Angie Calinsky - Mandarin Chinese
- Ethan Joy – English Language Arts
- Lisa Kiss - Math
- Natalie Lane - Collaborative
- Emily Lewis - Theater
- Tiarra Minor – English Language Arts
- Joy Orton - German, Spanish
- Rebecca Page - Spanish
- Emily Parker - Band
- Sarah Prevallet - Science
- Candi Rose – English Language Arts
- Jordan Shelton - Collaborative
- Emily Smith – English Language Arts
- Hayden Sutton – Social Studies
- Seth Tarrer - Latin
- Sevim Witaker – English Language Learners
We are very pleased to have these talented educators as part of our school!
Bus and Car Traffic Flow Map
Car line drop off begins at 7:30 a.m. each morning; please do not drop off your student before this time.
Also, please follow all safety rules; no students may be dropped off in the school parking lot or on Hughes Road. Student safety is a priority.
Chess Team Tryouts
Try Out for the 2019-2020 DMS Chess Team
Who: 6th-8th graders
When: Friday August 16th at 5 p.m. (6th grade) and Saturday August 17th at 3 p.m. (7th & 8th grade)
Where: Discovery Middle School Chess Classroom
How: Complete this Google form no later than Thursday August 8th.
- Q: How many will be selected for the team?
- A: Approximately 6-10 per grade level
- Q: What criteria will be used for selection?
- A: Coach Bradley Denton will play all candidates in a simultaneous chess match. Students' applications will be reviewed and examined for USCF rating, tournament history, and summer chess improvement. Online work on either ChessKid.com or Chess.com will be examined over the summer.
BJHS Swim Team Tryouts
Bob Jones High School Swim and Dive Tryouts will be held on August 13 – 15 from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. at the Dublin Park Outdoor Pool.
All upcoming 7th and 8th grade DMS students and all current BJHS students are eligible to try out.
Students will need to have an up to date physical form submitted in order to try out.
Please contact Coach Thaxton at wthaxton@madisoncity.k12.al.us with any questions.
Sixth Grade Space Camp
The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, in the DMS cafeteria. Please plan to attend.
DMS Football Schedule
- August 24 (Home) DMS Jamboree
- August 29 (Away) @ Buckhorn
- September 5 (Home) Meridianville
- September 12 (Home) Monrovia
- September 19 (Away) Muscle Shoals
- September 26 (Home) Sparkman
- October 1 (Away) Liberty
* The Jamboree on August 24 will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be an all day event.
* During regularly scheduled games the 7th grade team will play at 5:00 p.m. and the 8th grade team will play at 6:30 p.m.
DMS Volleyball Schedule
Panther Volleyball 2019
- 8/27 (Home) vs Sparkman
- 8/29 (Home) vs Monrovia
- 9/3 (Home) vs Buckhorn
- 9/5 (Home) vs Meridianville
- 9/10 (Away) @ Buckhorn
- 9/12 (Away) @ Monrovia
- 9/17 (Away) @ Liberty
- 9/19 (Away) @ Meridianville
- 9/24 (Away) @ Sparkman
- 9/26 (Home) vs Liberty
- 10/1 – 10/3 (Away) County Tournament @ Sparkman Middle School
Stay Up To Date
The DMS website is an excellent source of information about academics, teams, sports, clubs, teachers, news, activities, and more!
Discovery Middle School
Website: http://dms.madisoncity.k12.al.us/
Location: 1304 Hughes Road, Madison, AL, USA
Phone: (256) 837-3735
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverymspanthers/
Twitter: @DMSPanthers1