Dunstan Newsletter
January 19th
January 19, 2024
Hello Wonderful Parents of Dunstan Students,
Despite this being a short week, we packed a lot in this week. On Wednesday night we welcomed Josh Shellard, Principal of Green Mountain High School to our PTA Meeting. Mr. Shellard interacted with the attendees and answered questions about transitioning to high school. I continue to be exceedingly proud of Green Mountain High School and their work to integrate student learning with future careers! As Jeffco is redesigning high school, they are looking to include student internship opportunities, especially during 12th grade. One of our audience members stated that she did an internship when she attended GMHS 20 years ago. Our high school has been and continues to be a front-runner in Colorado!
Please continue to read the newsletter this spring, especially if you are the parent of an 8th-grade student. On Feb. 14th high school counselors are coming to DMS to begin the high school registration process with the students. On Feb. 15th we are hosting an Electives Fair in which the high school electives teachers will come to DMS and explain their course to our 8th grade students. This way our students can make thoughtful choices about their elective classes. On Feb. 28th high school counselors will return to finalize high school registration.
February 27th Dunstan is hosting a Regional Career Fair. Information was included in last week’s newsletter and again in this newsletter. We would truly appreciate if your company or trade would allow you to volunteer for the day to present information about your line of work to our students. Two other middle schools are also bussing their students here to visit the fair. This is an excellent opportunity for students to see the link between learning and potential careers. Thank you in advance for your support of this event!
I am in the middle of budgeting and staffing! Jeffco is predicting a slight increase in our enrollment next year, which I will ask some questions about because we have experienced a slight decrease in enrollment for the past 5 years. This increase may be coming from the new subdivisions being built in Red Rocks Ranch, but I will ask. To offset the slight decreases, I have been accepting some choice enrollment. For next year I anticipate taking very few 8th graders, 30-35 7th graders; and 30-35 6th graders. If you have questions and/or would like to see our budget and staffing, I will be presenting this and asking for feedback from our Accountability Team at their meeting on January 31st at 5:30 PM in our Library. This meeting will be offered virtually and in person.
Please make some time to provide feedback to us. We would appreciate hearing your feedback on the Family Survey that was sent from Jeffco to you this week! Our teams, including administrative, teacher, and parents review this feedback together and use it to consistently improve what we offer to you and your student(s).
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions and/or concerns.
Respectfully,
Jen Pennell
Monday, January 22nd
- On/Off Track letters go out to students
Wednesday, January 31st
- Final day for students to be On Track for the field trip with an appeal
Monday, February 5th
- On Track Field Trip permission slips go out
Monday, February 12th
- On Track Field Trip permission slips DUE
Thursday, February 15th
- Alternative schedule for GMHS Elective Fair
Friday, February 16th
- NO SCHOOL for students (Teacher PD Day)
Monday, February 19th
- NO SCHOOL for President's Day
Wednesday, February 21st
- 6th Grade On Track Field Trip
Thursday, February 22nd
- 7th Grade On Track Field Trip
- TSA Competition
Friday, February 23rd
- 8th Grade On Track Field Trip
- TSA Competition
Monday, February 26th
- On/Off Track Letters go out
Tuesday, February 27th
- 6pm: DMS Band Concert @ DMS (Gym)
Wednesday, February 28th
- 6pm: Choir Concert @ DMS (Gym)
Thursday, February 29th
- 5th and 6th grade Orchestra Concert @ DMS (Cafeteria)
Dear Parents of Dunstan Students,
When picking up your student(s) after school, please tell them to use the designated crosswalk. In the past few days, we have had a couple of students nearly get hit by moving cars on Wright Street. Some parents are waving their kids across the street - not at the crosswalk. Drivers anticipate students at the crosswalk but not darting between cars on Wright Street. Several parents called and expressed concerns for the safety of the students.
At my last school, which was an elementary school, a student was hit by a car. He had a broken leg as a result of the hit. I can still remember his name and the scene in my mind. The parent who drove the car that hit him felt awful as this is an experience they will never forget! The parent of the student who was hit was upset and also felt awful because she waved him across the street where there was no crosswalk.
Please take a few more minutes to pick up your student. Please tell/direct them to use the crosswalk. Students practice what we reinforce as adults, when we are present, and when we are not present. If students are encouraged to not follow basic safety expectations, they won’t in the future when they are in places with larger crowds and more traffic. When students use designated crosswalks, this behaviorally reinforces obeying expectations for pedestrians and increases the likelihood that students will do this in the future - in situations when they are with and without their parents.
Thank you for taking the time to help prevent a student from being hit by a car. When a student is hit, it is a very unfortunate memory that is etched in the brains and hearts of all involved! I have asked Jeffco Safety and Security for more assistance, but they cannot provide daily help. I reached out to the Lakewood Police Department to ask for cars that are pulling u-turns and going through the crosswalk when people are in the crosswalk to be ticketed. If you are interested in volunteering to help with our traffic, please email or call me 303-982-9270.
Respectfully, but also concerned,
Jennifer Pennell, Principal of Dunstan
Important Crosswalk Information
As we returned for the first week of school following the holiday break, we noticed some students were not properly utilizing the crosswalk on the way to and from school. We want to ensure all students are crossing the street and getting to school safely.
Please inform your students when crossing the street, they must use the crosswalk. During drop-off and pick-up, there can be many vehicles maneuvering through traffic. So, if you drive your students to school, please use the loop in the school parking lot (pictured below). Walking in the middle of the street puts students at risk as vehicles are driving through. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe!
Supplies Needed
Panorama Student Survey Information
Dear Families:
Panorama Education is a company who conducts student and family surveys in schools and districts across the country. Dunstan Middle School will be giving students the Panorama student survey in the coming months.
Content. The Panorama student survey gathers information on the following:
School Belonging
School Climate
School Engagement
School Teacher-Student Relationships
School Rigorous Expectations
School Safety
Math Identity
You may review the survey questions by visiting this link.
The results are compiled into aggregate-level school climate reports. These reports are used by district leaders and school staff to help maintain the positive aspects of our schools and to address individual student needs.
It is Voluntary. Your child does not have to take the student survey. Students who participate only have to answer the questions they want to answer and they may stop taking the survey at any time.
It is Confidential. No students will be identified in any public reports or publications. Individual student information (name, student number, school and grade) will be uploaded into the Panorama system. District staff will have access to the data file. Responses are confidential and identifiable. Individual student data may be shared with school staff to provide instructional and social emotional support.
Timing: The survey will be administered January 30 - March 3, 2023, most likely the week of February 6. It will take about 30-45 minutes; students will be taking it during one of their core class periods.
Opt - Out: If you do not want your child to participate in the survey, you may contact Leslie Pruitt (Social Emotional Learning Specialist) at leslie.pruitt@jjeffco.k12.co.us
Events and Opportunities
Jeffco Career Fair (Click Photo to Sign up)
Beginning September 19th
South Jeffco Coyotes Football Evaluations
Social Emotional Learning at Dunstan
Hello!
This week, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. day, we encouraged students during Advise to think about how they can change the world. Some of their responses include:
- Treating everyone as an equal
- Being kind
- Helping people who need help
- Making a stand for what I think is right
- Holding the door open for others
Feel free to ask your student what they chose to write for how they can change the world and let them know that not only CAN they change the world, but they WILL change the world 😀
As always, if you have any questions about Social Emotional Learning at Dunstan, or how we can best support your student, please reach out and let me know.
Leslie Pruitt, Social Emotional Learning Specialist
leslie.pruitt@jeffco.k12.co.us
303-982-9439
Click the Picture to Access Past Editions of Dunstan's Patriot Post
The Patriot Post is Dunstan's online newspaper established in the 2022/23 school year. Mr. Orthun facilitates the creation of each edition through his Media Literacy elective. The Post is back again this year, and will be better than ever. Clicking the picture will take you to past editions and we encourage you to check them out. Thank you all so much and we hope you enjoy our future editions!
Watch D.O.G.S. and M.O.M.S.
Dates are added through the rest of the school year!!!!! Click on the sign up genius link below.
(I do apologize for not having dates last fall. I figured out what I did and it looks like the link is working)
Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) and M.O.M.S. (Moms of Marvelous Students)!!!
DADS, MOMS, any parents, guardians, family members - are all welcome and encouraged to sign up and participate.
Sign up to volunteer between 11:00 am - 1:15 pm to cover lunch and recess. Monday - Friday.
If you want to help cover the crosswalk before or after school also, just add that in the comment section of the sign-up genius.
The Watch D.O.G.S. program was established nearly 25 years ago. A program to help get fathers and father figures into our children's schools. Moms and mother figures have always been allowed, but the focus has been to purpose fathers and father-figures, not traditionally found on school campuses as much as the moms and female counterparts. Last year, in 2022, the national Watch DOGS program wanting to continue to engage fathers and father figures and add our M.O.M.S.
My name is Steve Clayton. Please feel free to email if you have any questions about our program. WatchDOGS is a national program that has been in our local schools for over a decade. You can email Steve at: dunstanwatchdogs@gmail.com
Notes from the January 17th PTA Meeting
The PTA would like to apologize for those of you that tried to attend via the Google Meet link that was provided. We had technical difficulties that resulted in this video link not working. We are working to find a working solution for the next meeting.
We had a good conversation with Green Mountain High School's Principal, Josh Shellard. Did you know that GMHS is known for its Academy Pathways Program? Here is a video link for more information. The goal is to have students spending a large portion of their senior year getting real life experience in a career they are interested in pursuing. GMHS has recently partnered with EF tours so students can gain this experience internationally as well.
Help Feed the Teachers!
We want to make sure our teachers are fed and happy leading into the parent/teacher conferences on February 13th so the PTA is hosting a dinner. Please sign up to help or donate food items by clicking here
Help Dunstan Create a Zen Den for Students
The PTA would like to help support the ZEN DEN at Dunstan led by Ms. Hyrup.
The ZEN DEN stemmed from a Cap Stone project started by a GMHS Senior, a room dedicated as a tool to help teach self-reflection, redirection, emotional regulation, and many other life skills.
We would like to help supply the ZEN DEN with the remaining items needed to create this space and we need your help. The ZEN DEN is in need of Mental Health Posters, Journals, Fidgets, Counting Blocks, Emotional Regulation tools and Small Creative learning projects or kits.
We have included the Amazon Wishlist link below, of suggested items:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/12K9US8GWW9VY?ref_=wl_share
Donations may be dropped off at the office, there is a box labeled ZEN DEN.
Is your New Year's resolution to listen to more podcasts?
A Podcast for Parents, by Parents
PTA is working to ensure our public schools provide a high-quality and equitable education for every child to reach their full potential. Notes from the Backpack is a PTA podcast designed for millions of parents and the decisionmakers they influence.
Through the unique combination of expert, parent and educator guests, each episode features engaging conversations that offer real-life advice and ideas on how to support children’s learning and development—all in parent-friendly language.
Looking for an easy way to support Dunstan at no cost to you?
In the second quarter of 2023, Dunstan PTA earned $471.06 through the King Soopers Community Rewards program. Linking your King Soopers card to the Dunstan PTA is an easy way to support our school - at no cost to you! Simply log in to Community Rewards and search for us: https://bit.ly/2R6y1mk.
Thank you for your support!
Sign-Up to Bring Treats for Teachers and Staff
Hello Dunstan Middle School Families! Let's show our appreciation for our amazing teachers and staff by keeping their break room stocked this year. Please review the available slots below and contact Dunstan PTA (ptadunstan@gmail.com) if you have any questions. Treats can be dropped off to the front office during open hours.
Here is the link to sign up.
Join the PTA
Click here to find out what PTA does and how you can be involved