DRAGON DIGEST
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 / DECEMBER 1, 2017
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
Dear DeSana Parents,
As we head down the home stretch of this first semester - - - these last 2 ½ weeks of school before the Winter Break - - - we are once again rallying all of our young Dragons to finish strong for this first semester! This is the message that we started saying to our students daily on their first day back this week, and this is the mantra we will continue to encourage them with all the way until the end on December 21st . . . to finish strong - - - both in their academics and with their self-discipline! Throughout these last 2 ½ weeks of this first semester we will encourage and insist that every student works hard . . . that they do their work . . . that they give maximum effort . . . and that they do their absolute best. Every young Dragon needs to make sure that he/she has not only mastered the standards taught throughout this semester, but that he/she also has proven his/her mastery of these concepts and standards on assessments, through writing assignments, and their work on projects. Indeed, we want every student here at DeSana to Finish Strong!
Parents, I ask that as a partner with DeSana in your child’s education, you also carry forth this mantra of finish strong with your young Dragon. Ask your young Dragon if she has completed all of her assignments and turned them in for this semester. Trust, but verify your student’s answer by checking Parent Portal to see if he is correct. Remember: your young Dragon is a middle schooler - - - prone to forget many things! See if there are any summative assessments your student needs to retake to show better mastery of the concepts and, if so, insist that she makes arrangements to do so . . . but first arrange for a reteach/relearn time with the teacher so your child makes sure she has a good grasp of the concepts before assessing again. Ask if your young Dragon needs to come in for an extra tutoring session or two with a teacher so he can ace his last assessment. Help your middle schooler review vocabulary with flashcards. Help her study for an upcoming test. Make sure he has completed his final project in a class. And continue to ask your young Dragon every Wednesday evening or Thursday morning what teacher she is going to for AOL time - - - Additional Opportunity to Learn Time --- on Thursday mornings to get some extra help in her studies.
And lastly, even though it is an incredibly busy and wonderful time of the year with many special family times, activities and events happening, let your young Dragon know that you expect his/her education to still take a top priority, and that you expect him/her to finish strong! Once again, take this opportunity to let your middle schooler know that you are there to support and encourage him/her with his/her academic pursuits, and that you believe in your young Dragon’s ability to do well in school. Nothing is more powerful or has a greater influence with your young adolescent than your voice and your expectations . . . even when your middle schooler “acts like” what you say does not matter at all. Believe me, it does matter!
Thanking you in advance for continuing to partner with us these last 2 ½ weeks of this first semester to help your young Dragon - - - all of our young Dragons - - - Finish Strong!
With warmest regards,
Terri A. North
Principal
DESANA DAY OF GOOD DEEDS
THE LATEST D3 NEWS
D3 Day T-shirt contest is in full swing. The four finalists have been chosen and will be on display outside of the cafeteria starting Monday, December 4th. The voting will happen on Tuesday, December 19th in Dragon Time. Good luck to all the finalists!
BINGO! Please save the date of Friday, February 9th for our 2nd annual D3 Day Bingo Night. We will have 2 sessions of Bingo with fabulous prizes. Just ask anyone who went last year, it was a great night and you don't want to miss it. First session will be immediately after school and the second will follow the first. Feel free to sign up for both sessions! Be on the lookout for the Bingo flyer and order forms in January!
PTO NEWS
The DeSana Dragon's PTO is excited to announce it was able to give over $7,000 in grants to teachers and staff at DeSana impacting each and every one of our children! Teachers were able to purchase items such as balance balls for classroom use, several hands-on learning systems, educational entertainment, art supplies, clinic supplies, cultural presentations, microphones, atlases, and vocabulary systems just to name a few. We want to thank each and every one of our parents who joined the PTO and assisted with our Read-A-Thon fundraiser which made all of this possible! Thank you!
ACADEMICS
8TH GRADE MID-TERMS INFORMATION
8th grade On-level and Advanced Math will have a Cumulative Mid-term on December 20, 2017. It will cover everything from Units 1,2,3.
DRAGON ACADEMY FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL
Dragon Academy is an opportunity we offer students on a couple of Fridays per month, 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:
· December 1 & 15
· January 26
· February 9 & 23
· March 9 (Early Release Day so it will be 1:30 – 4:00), 16 & 30
· April 27
· May 4 & 18
ATHLETICS
LADY DRAGONS
Girls Basketball season is underway and both teams are working hard! The teams have a full slate of games this month before Winter Break. Here’s the December schedule:
· Dec. 5: 7th Grade vs North Forsyth at 5:00pm
· Dec. 7th: 8th Grade vs North Forsyth at 5:00pm
· Dec. 12th: 7th Grade vs Otwell at 5:00pm
· Dec. 14th: 8th Grade vs Otwell at 5:00pm
· Dec. 15th: Both teams play Kings Ridge, 7th Grade at 5:00pm and 8th Grade at 7:30pm
· Dec. 19th: Both teams play Vickery Creek, 7th Grade at 5:00pm and 8th Grade at 6:15pm
Come out to help cheer the Lady Dragons on to victory. Remember that you must have a signed permission form for each game you want to stay after school to attend. Forms are available in the front office or by clicking here.
BOYS BASKETBALL
The boys have been working hard with early morning and evening practices as we get ready for our run of five games in two weeks. Thank you for all your support at our first two home games. The gym was loud and the boys took notice! The 7th grade boys are off to a roaring start at 3 wins and 0 losses. They have defeated Lakeside twice and Riverwatch in three hard-fought games. The 8th grade boys have improved with each game of the season and have competed hard against some very tough opponents in Lakeside and Riverwatch. Both teams look to take home wins as we open December by taking on the Grizzlies at Piney Grove on December 1st. The 7th grade boys will be playing North Forsyth at DeSana on December 5th and Otwell on December 12th at DeSana. The 8th grade boys will be playing North Forsyth at DeSana on December 7th and Otwell on December 14th at DeSana.
TRACK AND FIELD MEETING
There will be a Track and Field Informational Meeting for 7th and 8th Grade Parents on Wednesday, December 13th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm; in the cafeteria.
Coach Kent is the new head coach of the Track and Field program at Desana. He would like to invite you to an informational meeting for parents to be held Wednesday, December 13th at 6:30pm in the cafeteria. The meeting is for parents of 7th and 8th grade students interested in their children participating in the Track and Field program at Desana. Parents will hear the details of tryouts, practices, fees, events, meets and any other information needed. The meeting should last no longer than an hour.
The Desana Track and Field Coaches look forward to meeting you!
THE ARTS
BAND
This year we have 25 students auditioning for the Georgia Music Educators All State Band and All District Band. Auditions will be held on December 2nd at Liberty Middle School. We hope to have a large number of students make the honor bands as they have been working diligently on their prepared selections for the audition. Good luck to each of these students.
We are very excited about our upcoming concert on December 18th at 7pm in the DeSana Gymnasium. We will be featuring all three of our bands. This will be the beginning band's first concert of the year and they are really looking forward to performing for a huge crowd of parents, teachers and fellow students. The program will consist of traditional holiday music and should put you in the spirit of the season!!!
We hope that you will be able to come out and listen to our kids as they wow the crowds with their wonderful music making on December 18th. As always, the concert is free and open to everyone!
CHORUS
Congratulations to the following students for passing the first (and most technical) All-State Chorus Audition: Shirin D.- 8th Grade, Elizabeth G.- 7th Grade, Mohit K. (8th Grade), and Arya A. (7th Grade). We can't wait to cheer them on for the final audition which will take place in January.
Chorus dresses should have gone home with your student before Thanksgiving break. Please be mindful of the hemming guidelines, but if you see that there is no need to adjust the length of the dress for your student’s height, then your student is all set. All students will perform in their uniforms for the December 20th Winter Concert.
As a reminder, the Winter Chorus Concert has been moved to Wednesday, December 20th. The concert will still take place in the gym at 7:00pm. Thank you for your flexibility as we move forward. The extra time will help our students share their best work with friends and family.
As always, thank you for your continued support!
ALTRUISTIC ENDEAVORS
HOLIDAY HOUSE DONATIONS
The holidays are quickly approaching and we are in full swing for our Holiday House fundraiser! Holiday House is sponsored by The Place of Forsyth County and collects toys, gift cards and money that will be given to families in need in our community. Parents go to the Holiday House and apply for toys for their children ages 0 through 18 and will be able to get toys for their children during the first two weekends of December. We appreciate all the support we get from our wonderful DeSana families and are so thankful for your generosity to help everyone have a happy holiday season! This year 6th grade and 8th grade are collecting money, with 6th grade going to Walmart to buy toys with the money collected for the Holiday House. Seventh grade is collecting money that will be used to buy gift cards to donate. We will start collecting donations on November 13 and finish on December 5. Thank you for your generosity and have a safe and happy holiday season!
TREES FOR TROOPS UPDATE
We were so excited to team up with Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm to help send TREES FOR TROOPS this year. In our first annual fundraising event, our DeSana Family was able to help by donating six trees for military families this Holiday Season.
Thanks to your wonderful support of our Beta Club, Impact Club and our Military Families.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ALTRUISTIC ENDEAVORS
Altruistic Endeavors is one of the five key facets of our overall program. It is one of our core values, so to speak. We want our young Dragons to not only know what it is like to give back to their wonderful community and others, but to also experience it firsthand. Through many different DeSana service clubs, school wide charitable endeavors, and our first DeSana Day of Good Deeds (or D3 Day for short!) in the spring, we will work to provide our students with a variety of community service opportunities throughout the school year, in our local community, and in different parts of our country and the world.
So why encourage our young Dragons to get involved in community service? Well, first and foremost, it is the right thing to do; to learn to give freely and happily of one's time and talents and heart to help others, expecting nothing in return! But here are a few other reasons to consider encouraging your child to get involved in community service:
· To help someone in need.
· Those who give of themselves and their resources and help others, say they receive a great feeling in return.
· Helping others can expand your world and help you better understand what is happening in your community.
· Meet new people and make new friends.
· To improve our world by caring for the environment.
· Giving back to one's community and others is an "added value" on your college resume.
Please check out opportunities for serving and helping others right here in the Dragon Digest and for students, on morning announcements!
ACTIVITIES
FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS COLLEGE & CAREER FAIR
Attention 8th grade parents:
Forsyth County Schools College & Career Fair is December 8th.
Hosted by Forsyth County Schools and the Forsyth Conference Center.
DeSana’s time to attend is from 9:00 – 11:00 AM. We are excited that our students are afforded this adventure. While attending The College & Career Fair students will have the chance to explore business and industry opportunities within our county, along with career pathways available at each of the high schools in Forsyth County. Please help us to make sure your son/daughter turns in their permission form. Forms will be sent home Monday during Dragon Time. With the departure time being right when school starts, our students will go directly to Dragon Time for attendance and then head to the bus area for departure. It will be very important that each student is on time to school December 8th and that they have turned in their field trip permission form beforehand. We do not want anyone to miss out!
Please know with our turn around time on December 8th, we will not be able to accept phone calls for permission. We must have a form in hand.
SAVANNAH TRIP
We will be passing out roommate request forms at the beginning of 2nd semester in January. Any student who is not current on their payments will not be able to request roommates until they have made a payment arrangement with Ms. Baggett. As of now, each student should have submitted $220.00 The final payment of $100.00 is due in February.
FBLA NEWS
DeSana’s 2017-2018 Charter FBLA Chapter has over forty members! It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such amazing students, but credit for such impressive growth is largely due to our fantastic group of 8th grade officers!
2017-2018 FBLA Officers:
Ameya J., President
Laasya A.,Vice President
Krish W., Secretary
Shirin D., Secretary
Shrey S., Treasurer
Adhira C., Reporter
Shreyashi D., Parliamentarian
Over 30 members are focused on preparing for next week’s Georgia FBLA Regional Online Testing events! These members will complete tests with topics ranging from Social Media Concepts, to Microsoft Office, to Business Math. Then, at the upcoming Leadership Conferences, some of our members will receive awards based on their performance and score on their online test. For more information on testing, please visit the Georgia FBLA site by clicking here.
After testing commences, the club will be focusing on state level events, fundraising, and taking part in charitable acts for our community.
You may see members wearing a sporty new red FBLA t-shirt selected by club members and designed by our very own Ameya J. If members have yet to purchase their own t-shirt, they may still do so for $15 (cash or check), but quantities are limited, so hurry in to get one!
ADVANCED ORGANIZER FOR 6TH GRADE PARENTS . . .
Parents, we will be going on our 6th grade Field Trip in May to the Tellus Science Museum. Starting in January, we will begin collecting the field trip fee of $30 per student. No need to send money now, just a heads up that we will be asking for it!
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
LOST AND FOUND
Is your child missing a coat, a lunch box, gym clothes, notebooks, a water bottle or more? You are welcome to sign in at the front office for a visitor pass to come and take a look at our lost and found table, located outside of the media center! All unclaimed items will be packed away before we leave for the Winter Break.
WANT TO OWN A 2017-2018 DESANA YEARBOOK?
Don’t miss out on the best memory book created by the BEST yearbook staff.
Go to: balfour.com and click: shop your school. Students may also bring cash or check to Mrs. West on the 7th grade hall.
The price is $35 and will go up after March 31, 2018. On-line sales will END March 31st.
8TH GRADE YEARBOOK ADS
Want to purchase an 8th grade Yearbook ad for your child? You must purchase a Yearbook first (balfour.com)- cost is $35. Please click here for instructions for submitting ads. 8th grade ads are 1/8 of a page, cost $15, and are due by January 31, 2018.
THANKS TO OUR AMAZING BUSINESS PARTNERS
A HUGE THANK YOU to RBM of Alpharetta who donated $10,000 to DeSana Middle School! We are so grateful for your support! Pictured above: David Ellis, general manager and Susan Grace, marketing director from RBM Alpharetta present a check to Principal Terri North
*ALL AMERICAN SPECIALTIES
*ARCTEC
*BROWNS BRIDGE CHURCH
*CHICK-FIL-A @ THE COLLECTION
*DR. HOM PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ALPHARETTA COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY
*MARVEL SOCCER
*MILTON DENTAL SPECIALISTS
*MONDO ITALIAN KITCHEN
*NORTH GEORGIA PROMOTIONS
*OMEGA LEARNING
*RBM OF ALPHARETTA
*RISPA
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.