DHAA Newsletter
December 2, 2022
Contact our Coordinators:
Please call or text the number below for late arrival (after 7:30am), early dismissal, or transportation changes
317-426-8226
In order to keep students learning in person, please keep your child home if they are sick, and communicate any illnesses to the Coordinators.
Note from the Coordinators
It is hard to believe that we are already in the final three weeks of our first semester. So far this year we have added two additional grade levels and about 75 new students to the DHAA program. While things have been going very well for all of our students, there are definite areas of growth that we can all work towards. With that being said, we ask that each family take a moment and complete the DHAA Parent/Guardian Survey linked in below this letter. This will help us identify areas that we, as teachers and coordinators, can spend time improving!
We also want to take a moment to request that parents/guardians stay as actively involved in their child's education as possible. This could mean checking grades, reviewing daily assignments, and helping their student develop habits that will make them even more successful. We may be working with high ability learners, but they still have a lot of areas of growth they can focus on too! Check out our list of recommendations that you could do to help them before the semester is over.
Finally, there are A LOT of exciting things coming up in the month of December. Check out the flyers & announcements below to learn more! Please feel free to contact our coordinators and teachers if you have specific questions or needs.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nesbit & Mr. Apollos
Observant Welcoming Leadership Safe
Parent Feedback Survey
PARENTS/GUARDIANS - we would love your feedback on how the DHAA is serving your students so far this year. Please take a moment to complete the survey below at some point this weekend. We will use your answers & feedback to help us continue to improve our school this year & next. The more specific you are the more we can do to better meet the needs of our students & families.
Thank you in advance!
Midterms & Student Support
Midterm grades were sent home last Tuesday 11/22. We know many parents have seen many grades coming home that may not be what students are accustomed to earning.
Some general reminders:
- As an enriched school, we do progress through content and skills faster than a typical school. This is meant to challenge students & can impact scores to a degree.
- Being a high ability student does not mean they will earn perfect scores in all assignments, activities, or assessments.
- Remediation & review opportunities are available to every student in every class. Contact your teacher to learn about the specific things they do.
- Every parent/guardian should have access to view updated grades, assignments, & test scores on Skyward and/or Canvas.
Tips to help your student succeed:
- Check your students grades weekly (or more).
- Verify your student has completed daily required assignments. Few teachers assign specific "homework", but students will need to finish anything they did not complete from class that day.
- Have your student show you their "To do" list on Canvas each day - an empty list is a sign they have everything completed.
- Ensure your student is here, on time, as often as possible. Missing one day of class can be equivalent to missing 2-3 days at a traditional school.
Volunteers Needed!
We are hosting a robotics tournament at DELC Blue & Gold on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 from 8A-3:30P. We are in need of many volunteers to make this event a success. Please see the information below to sign-up.
VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEERS
NO experience needed (we will provide all the training).
You can sign-up for AS MANY time slots as your schedule allows.
Food & drinks provided!
We will have 4 teams of students at DHAA participating in this event. This will give our teams valuable experience in their first year of robotics AND help us raise funds to continue the program in the future (all proceeds go directly back to the DHAA robotics teams).
Anyone (parents, grandparents, high school/college aged siblings/friends, and even some middle school aged students) are welcome to volunteer. Please help us spread the word so we can make this event happen.
Without the valuable assistance of our volunteers, our competition could be canceled!
Please sign-up HERE. You may choose the time slot & job that works best for your schedule. If you are unable to help, please share the information with anyone that may have the availability to do so.
Please contact Mrs. Nesbit with any questions or concerns at: rnesbit@decaturproud.org
Thank you for supporting elementary robotics in Decatur Township!
Robotic Sponsors
DHAA is proud to have 4 competitive robotics teams this school year! In order to fund our robotics program, we rely on hosting tournaments and getting corporate sponsors. Please share the following sponsor letter with any businesses or people that may be interested in donating funds to our robotics program. This helps us pay for registration each year and registration at each event. We greatly appreciate any and all support!
Current & Upcoming DHAA Events:
DHAA Canned Food Drive
Students have been collecting canned & nonperishable food since Monday! So far we have collected over 40 items to donate to our local food pantry. The class that collects the most items will receive donuts as part of their Holiday Party at the end of the semester!
The collection ends on Friday December 9th! Thank you for helping local families in need.
DHAA Parent Night Out
Your DHAA coordinators will be offering a night of games, pizza, & movies for our DHAA students & their school aged siblings. If parents would like the opportunity to do some holiday shopping or to get some much needed time off, this is the opportunity for you! Check out the information below and use the QR code (or THIS LINK) to RSVP.
Students must have RSVP in order to attend. Any family with a middle school student that would like to attend should contact Mr. Apollos via email (japollos@decaturproud.org) or school phone (317-426-8226).
Health Education Pros - Grades 4-6
We are pleased to inform you that students in grades 4, 5, and 6 will participate in Health Ed Pros lessons this winter . CLICK HERE to read a letter describing the program at each level with age-appropriate lessons based on Indiana Code, Indiana Academic Standards for Health & Wellness, National Sexuality Education Standards, and MSD Decatur Township's guidelines.
A parent overview of the program will be presented live virtually on Tuesday, December 6th from 8:30-9:30 a.m. You may join us at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88522267862?pwd=VU4xdm9tWmQyblY2dm1vbStTZFZIQT09
There will be a recording of the presentation available afterwards.
Paper copies were sent home with your child yesterday, December 1st, 2022.
The presentations for Decatur High Ability Academy will take place on January 13th.
If you do not wish for your child to participate, please return the completed form by January 13th to your child's homeroom teacher. If you do not return a completed form to the school denying consent for your child, consent will be implied, and your child will attend the Health Ed Pros presentations.
Donatable Items:
At the DHAA we LOVE to do projects, build things, and experiment with the world around us. This requires us to have a large amount of consumable items on hand for each project we participate in. Many of these items are common materials found stored around a home, garage, or workplace. As you work, complete spring cleaning, or notice some materials you just need taken off your hands, we hope you would consider making a donation to the DHAA MakerSpace. Please feel free to share this list with your family & friends if you think they could benefit from it as well!
The list below offers just a SAMPLE of items that our students could use for the various projects & problems they work to solve. Some items we are in need of at the present time include:
- Legos
- Scrap wood
- Wood working tools
- PVC pipe
- Plastic Containers
- Props/Decoration/Costumes (used in video productions)
Family Dinner Conversation Starters:
- Tell me about the "O.W.L.S." expectations? What do they mean and how do you follow them everyday?
- Grade 3: What have you learned about natural disaster so far in your PBL unit? What do you hope to learn?
- Grade 4: Tell me about your "Name Sculptures" you made in art this week! What is one thing you've learned about an Indiana State Park?
- Grade 5: How many certifications do you have completed in MakerSpace so far? What are you most excited about learning/being able to use?
- Grade 6: Describe your "Future City" model. What has been the toughest part to build so far? What is the most "futuristic" part about your city & where did you come up with that idea?
- What is something that made you smile or laugh this week?
MSD Decatur Social Media Pages
District/Community Initiatives & Events!
Indianapolis Public Library: Decatur Branch Programming Survey
Hello Decatur Township community members. Please share your input on programs you would like to see offered at the Indianapolis Public Library Decatur Branch and what times work best for you and your family. Follow the link to fill out a brief survey. Thank you for your time. https://forms.gle/SMY6iUxCGHUaSbMF9
Distribution of information by a community group in accordance with MSD Decatur policy does not imply, directly or indirectly, that the group's program(s), event(s) and/or service(s) is sanctioned, sponsored or endorsed by the district, the Board of Education or the superintendent."
Decatur High Ability Academy
Email: rnesbit@decaturproud.org
Website: https://www.decaturproud.org/decatur-high-ability-academy
Location: 5106 South High School Road, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 317-426-8226
Twitter: @DecaturHAA