Dragon Digest
Volume 5, Issue 8 - April 2021
APRIL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Thursday, April 1 - Friday, April 30 - Month of the Military Child
Monday, April 5 - Friday, April 9 - Spring Break - No School for Students and Staff
Monday, April 12 - Survey Opens @ 8:00 AM for Selecting Education Setting for the 2021-22 School Year
Monday, April 12 - One-third of our 6th Graders visit JA Biztown
Monday, April 12 - Track Meet @ West Forsyth High School @ 5:45 PM
Tuesday, April 13 - One-third of our 6th Graders visit JA Biztown
Wednesday, April 14 - SEAD Lesson
Thursday, April 15 - Day to Celebrate the Military Child - Wear Purple Today
Thursday, April 15 - AOL time in the morning
Thursday, April 15 - Golf Match vs Riverwatch Middle School @ Crooked Creek Golf Course @ 5:30 PM
Friday, April 16 - LSC Meeting in the Media Center @ 7:30 AM
Friday, April 16 - Lollipop Fundraiser in the morning in the Commons
Friday, April 16 - Dragon Academy @ 4:15 - 6:15 PM
Saturday, April 17 - Band GMEA District Solo/Ensemble Performance
Saturday, April 17 - Intramural Soccer Game vs Little Mill Middle School @ 10:30 AM @ Forsyth Central High School
Tuesday, April 20 - Equipment Pickup for Spring Football @ 7:30 AM
Tuesday, April 20 - 2021-22 Football Cheerleading Interest Meeting for Students in the Cafeteria @ 9:05 AM
Tuesday, April 20 - Golf Match vs Piney Grove Middle School @ Crooked Creek Golf Course @ 4:30 PM
Wednesday, April 21 - AOL time in the morning
Wednesday, April 21 - Denmark Community Family Connect Night - No Homework Tonight!
Wednesday, April 21 - Virtual FAQ for Parents and Students regarding Educational Setting Survey for 2021-22 School Year @ 7:00 PM
Thursday, April 22 - Earth Day
Thursday, April 22 - AOL time in the morning
Thursday, April 22 - Golf Match vs Lakeside Middle School @ Crooked Creek Golf Course @ 4:30 PM
Thursday, April 22 - Track Meet @ West Forsyth High School @ 5:45 PM
Friday, April 23 - 13 1/2 Week Progress Reports in Parent Portal
Friday, April 23 - Virtual FAQ for Parents and Students regarding Educational Setting Survey for 2021-22 School Year @ 11:00 AM
Monday, April 26 - Friday, May 7 - Spring Football Practice (Calendar of dates/times will be handed out to football players before practice begins)
Monday, April 26 - Milestones Testing for Grade 6 – ELA section 1 (F2F Students - Morning/Virtual Students - Evening)
Monday, April 26 - Golf County Championship @ Polo Fields Golf Course @ 2:00 PM
Tuesday, April 27 - Milestones Testing for Grade 6 – ELA sections 2&3 (F2F Students - Morning/Virtual Students - Evening)
Wednesday, April 28 - Milestones Testing for Grade 6 – Math (F2F Students - Morning/Virtual Students - Evening)
Wednesday, April 28 - Last Intramurals Soccer Practice @ 4:30 PM
Thursday, April 29 - AOL time in the morning
Thursday, April 29 - Lollipop Fundraiser in the morning in the Commons
Thursday, April 29 - County Track Championship @ West Forsyth High School @ 3:00 PM
Friday, April 30 - May Dragon Digest Goes Online
Friday, April 30 - PTO Impressions Art Contest Entries Due
Friday, April 30 - Milestones Testing for Grade 8 – Social Studies (F2F Students - Morning)
Friday, April 30 - Survey Closes @ 4:00 PM for Selecting Education Setting for the 2021-22 School Year
Friday, April 30 - Dragon Academy @ 4:15 - 6:15 PM
Saturday, May 1 - FCS Middle School Soccer Intramurals Championship Game @ Forsyth Central High School @ TBD
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
Dear Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s),
Whether you read this before or after Spring Break, I hope you and your family had an opportunity to unplug and spend some quality time together. As we finish out the last 9-weeks of the school year, and we begin to prepare for the 2021-2022 school year, we are asking families to select one of three options regarding the educational setting they would like their child to participate in for the first semester of next school year.
To help families with this decision, DeSana Middle School has posted the information below to help answer questions you may have about what is best for your child. Please read descriptions of each of the educational settings below.
- Traditional Face to Face Instruction: Traditional Face to Face courses will continue to be offered on campus. Students in these classes will be expected to come on campus daily to receive instruction. All DeSana Middle School courses will continue to be offered in this format.
- DeSana Virtual Academy: DeSana Virtual Academy courses will include daily live sessions in which students must log in and engage in the lesson at specific times of the day. Attendance during live sessions is required. For hour-long classes, students can expect live sessions to last 20 or more minutes. For block classes, students can expect live sessions to last 30 or more minutes.
- Forsyth Virtual Academy (Asynchronous): DeSana students seeking ASYNCHRONOUS (no live instruction or scheduled log-in time) courses may elect to take courses through Forsyth Virtual Academy, To request these courses, parents will need to visit: https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/fva for more information.
Families will have the opportunity to indicate their choice of educational setting for the first semester during the survey window of Monday, April 12th at 8:00 am - Friday, April 30th at 4:00 pm. In addition, we will be hosting a Virtual FAQ session regarding your child’s educational setting for the 2021-2022 school year on Wednesday, April 21 at 7:00 pm and Friday, April 23 at 11:00 am. These sessions will also be recorded and made available to all families. Please direct any questions that you may have to Principal Keith Sargent at ksargent@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
Sincerely,
Keith Sargent
Principal
DeSana Middle School
Dear DeSana Parents,
Earlier this year, I had the privilege to speak to our 7th grade students at their Academic Achievement Ceremony, where we recognized those who earned a spot on either the Honor Roll or Merit Roll for the first semester. When thinking about what I wanted to speak to the students about, I wanted to make sure I could give them advice on something that would have value to them. I decided to speak about success and what that means. I asked all the students in the gym to raise their hand if they felt they were successful. As they all looked around at each other, about half of them raised their hand. I was a little surprised (not in a good way) at the number of hands I saw raised and I knew that the words I would be sharing with them would be good for them to hear.
I had a feeling that a lot of the students did not know exactly know what success meant, so I began by defining success for them, and then went on from there. Merriam-Webster defines success as “a favorable or desired outcome.” In other words, we are all responsible for our own success. It is important for everyone to know how important it is to set attainable goals and to know that they may not always reach their goals, but that is ok, and they should keep trying. A successful person takes their time and thinks through tough decisions and this is not always easy to do.
Here are some other tips for being successful that I shared with them:
- Find What You Love to Do and Do It
- Learn How to Balance Life
- Do Not Be Afraid of Failure
- Cultivate Positive Relationships
- Believe in Your Capacity to Succeed
- Don’t Let Discouragement Stop You from Pressing On
- Be Willing to Work Hard
I concluded by asking the students to think hard about the short speech I had just given to them and I asked them again to raise their hand if they felt they were successful. Although not all hands were raised, there were a significant amount of hands raised that were not raised the first time I posed this question to them. I let them all know that whether they knew it or not, I thought they were all successful and so was every other student in our school. I know this because I can see the great work our young Dragons do and this is a result of the great parents and staff members we have here at DeSana. So, I also want to congratulate all our parents on having such great students as I know that is a desired outcome for you!
Here’s hoping all of our students and parents have a successful rest of the school year! GO DRAGONS!
Sincerely,
Patrick Coffield
Assistant Administrator
PTO
PTO IMPRESSIONS CONTEST
DeSana Students, are you feeling creative? PTO announces the Impressions Art Contest for 2021. Using visual art, photography, literature, music composition, or film, think about the theme “New Normal” and let us know what that means to you. Entry forms and information are available in the art room, in the front office, and in the counseling office. All entries are due by Friday, April 30th. Entries will be on display in the media center in early May.
PTO BOARD OFFICERS NEEDED FOR 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
The PTO is accepting nominations for PTO officers for the 2021-2022 school year. Many of our Board members have 8th grade students moving to high school next year and we need you to serve! Serving on the PTO Board is a fulfilling way to serve the school and to work closely with teachers and administration. We are looking for volunteers for all positions - President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. We would love to have you! You may nominate yourself or another person. If nominating someone else, please talk with that person before submitting their information. If you have any questions about the specific positions, duties, and requirements, please email desanadragonspto@gmail.com. Submit your nomination online here by Friday, April 23rd. Thank you!
Online Nomination Form: https://bit.ly/3k30PGG
DESANA DAY OF GOOD DEEDS (D3 DAY, for short!)
Our DeSana Day of Good Deeds (or D3 Day, for short!) is back in full force this spring!! D3 Day is a wonderful day for all of our DeSana students and staff to come together . . . engage in community service projects . . . work side-by-side for a common and greater good . . . and make a marked difference in our fabulous community and in the lives of many individuals.
Throughout the morning of Friday May 21st, students and staff will work with different community non-profit and charitable organizations at DeSana, participating in such projects as making blankets for children to snuggle with, as they arrive at a hospital emergency room . . . to brightening the day of some of our senior citizens in the community by creating messages of hope and positivity to share with them . . . to writing notes of appreciation to send to our US troops overseas . . . to collecting and sorting food for local food pantries. All these acts of service, and many more, will be the top priority for our young Dragons as they give of their time, their talents, and their hearts throughout the morning to impact the lives of others in a positive way! This year's D3 Day is for both our students at DeSana for face-to-face learning and for our students who are learning virtually. More information will be forthcoming on how all of our students can be involved in this special day of community service.
See below for more information about exciting activities and projects that relate to our wonderful DeSana Day of Good Deeds, as we introduce and reintroduce our young Dragons to this awesome DeSana tradition! And stay tuned for more D3 Day news to come in the weeks ahead!
D3 DAY T-SHIRT DESIGN WINNER
Congratulations to our 2021 D3 Day T-Shirt Design winner, Hasini P. Hasini’s design will be the design on the front of our DeSana Day of Good Deeds T-Shirt this year. Since we did not have our normal D3 Day last year, we will honor Natalie C, our winner from 2020 by placing her design on the back of this year’s T-Shirt. CONGRATULATIONS to these two wonderful artists!!
D3 DAY FOOD DRIVE
Our 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, and wonderful bus drivers together collected 935 boxes of cereal in March! We are grateful to be able to help stock the pantries of our local food pantries through your generosity! Let's see if we can meet or beat that in April with CANNED MEATS. Through the month of April we will be collecting canned or packets of tuna, canned chicken, corned beef, etc. Please have your student bring cans of meat or seafood to their Dragon Time teacher. The Dragon Time in each grade with the most food collected (percentage based) will get a special surprise in homeroom. Please remember to support our food drive which helps stock the pantries of The Place of Forsyth and Georgia Mountain Food Bank. We can only make D3 Day a success with all of your help!
ACADEMICS
SPRING BREAK --- APRIL 5TH – 9TH
Spring Break for all Forsyth County Schools is next week . . . a welcome and much-deserved break for all in this most unusual of school years. Our staff and students can definitely use this time away from teaching and learning to recharge their batteries and get ready for the final last push until the end of the school year! DeSana’s office will be closed throughout the week. Here’s hoping your Spring Break 2021 is filled with lots of fun and good times with family and friends. Stay safe and healthy, and we look forward to seeing our young Dragons back at the Lair on Monday, April 12th . . . rejuvenated and ready to finish strong! Take care and Happy Spring Break!!
THE 13 1/2 WEEK JUNCTURE FOR THIS SEMESTER IS ON FRIDAY, APRIL 23RD - - - TIME TO CHECK IN ON HOW YOUR YOUNG DRAGON IS DOING!
Friday, April 23rd marks the 13 ½ week juncture of this second semester. This is a great time for parents to check in on Parent Portal to see how their young Dragon(s) is doing in each of his/her classes, and how he/she is progressing in mastering the standards. No hard copies of a progress report will be sent home at this time unless a parent would like one. If so, please contact one of your child’s teachers. As you hopefully know, 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.
With only 4 ½ weeks to go in this second semester and the school year, 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 second 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 STRONG for this 2nd semester and the school year . . . whatever it takes!!
GEORGIA MILESTONES TESTING
Our Spring Georgia Milestones Assessment System testing window opens soon, and we are making final preparations for a successful testing season. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is a comprehensive assessment system spanning grades 3 through high school.
Georgia Milestones is an online assessment designed to measure and provide information about how well students are mastering the state adopted content standards in the four core content areas. Importantly, Georgia Milestones is designed to provide students with critical information about their own achievement and readiness for their next level of learning.
Georgia Milestones is administered primarily on the computer and includes the following features:
- Technology-enhanced items in all grades and courses,
- Open-ended (constructed response) items in English language arts in all grades and courses,
- A writing component (in response to passages read by students) at every grade level and course within the English language arts assessment,
- A reported Lexile score based on the English language arts assessment in all grades and courses, and
- Estimated norm-referenced performance ranges for all grades and courses.
The information below is provided to assist you and your student in becoming familiar with the features of online testing.
A website, called Experience Online Testing Georgia, has been established to provide an opportunity for students to become familiar with the online testing platform. The website can be found at the link http://www.gaexperienceonline.com/ and can be accessed at home. Experience Online Testing Georgia is available 7 days a week and does not require a log-in. It is intended to allow students to familiarize themselves with the online platform prior to testing.
We ask that you make every effort to ensure that your student gets a good night’s rest and arrives at school on time each day for testing. The EOG/EOC tests will be administered based on the following schedule.
Middle School EOG/EOC Schedule
- Monday, April 26 – Grade 6 ELA section 1
- Tuesday, April 27 – Grade 6 ELA sections 2&3
- Wednesday, April 28 – Grade 6 Math
- Monday, May 10 – Grade 7 ELA section 1
- Tuesday, May 11 – Grade 7 ELA sections 2&3
- Wednesday, May 12 – Grade 7 Math
- Friday, April 30 – Grade 8 Social Studies
- Monday, May 3 – Grade 8 ELA section 1
- Tuesday, May 4 – Grade 8 ELA sections 2&3
- Wednesday, May 5 – Grade 8 Physical Science
- Friday, May 7 – Grade 8 Math / Algebra
Our students in the face-to-face learning environment will be testing in the mornings on the days listed above. DeSana’s virtual learners will utilize an alternative schedule to participate in the Georgia Milestones testing in the evenings.
For questions or concerns regarding test administration, please contact Ashley Starr, assistant principal and testing coordinator, at 770-667-2591.
Thank you for your support and cooperation during testing.
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT FOR 6TH GRADE
On April 2nd, April 12th, and April 13th, our 6th grade students have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on learning experience at Junior Achievement Biztown at the FCS Alliance Academy in Cumming. This semester, students have worked hard in their social studies classes to complete a personal finance unit pertaining to topics about money management, entrepreneurship, and career awareness. Now they have the unique opportunity to put this knowledge and these skills into practice in a state-of-the-art simulation, complete with business storefronts and offices. Students will be assigned jobs and will work in small teams as they open bank accounts, apply for loans, market products, and earn a “paycheck” to be spent on items at Junior Achievement. It truly is a fantastic way to put the value of a dollar in perspective for our kids! Please check your child’s social studies teacher’s itslearning page for more information, or to see which of the three dates he or she will be attending.
5TH GRADE TO 6TH GRADE TRANSITION ACTIVITIES
With May quickly approaching, we are preparing for transitioning 5th graders to become 6th grade young Dragons at DeSana Middle School next year! We will have students joining us from Big Creek ES, Brandywine ES, and Midway ES. Here are the activities we are planning, to make sure our incoming 6th grade student(s) will have as smooth a transition as possible at DeSana next year! So if you have a rising 6th grader or have a friend or neighbor who has one, read on and share this information.
In early March, 5th grade teachers and administrators spoke with Mr. Starr and Mrs. Manos about how we do Advanced Studies at DeSana, and how 5th grade teachers can help to prepare 5th graders more for middle school these last months of school. Also happening this month, 6th grade Peer Ambassadors started putting together a Dragon for a Day video to share with rising 6th grade students. Due to the current climate, we are unable to host 5th graders for our Dragon for a Day program at DeSana. This video will show 5th graders what a day in middle school is like!
DeSana 6th grade Ambassadors will be visiting feeder elementary schools throughout May to answer 5th graders' questions. For virtual 5th graders, the Ambassadors will host virtual meetings to answer questions and discuss information about middle school life at DeSana. During the month of May, we will have numerous advanced studies course meetings for parents and students to learn more about how to sign up for advanced studies courses at DeSana next year. You will want to attend one of these meetings to learn how DeSana does their Advanced Studies Courses and to sign up for an advanced studies courses for next year. During post-planning, Tuesday, June 1st thru Friday, June 4th, counselors are hosting brief tours of DeSana for rising 6th graders. Families must register students to attend a tour. A link will be shared with families after Spring Break to access our SignUpGenius. We look forward to meeting our incoming 6th graders and their parents during the spring of this year! We cannot wait to welcome our new class of young Dragons!
APPLICATION FOR ADVANCED ART 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
Attention 7th graders! Now is the time to apply for Advanced Art for the 2021-2022 school year. This is a semester long class for highly motivated, responsible students who are interested in the study of art. Please fill out the digital application found in the Student ItsLearning course, or scan the QR code below, or get a paper copy from Mrs. Petit on the connections hallway. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 23rd.
SEAD AT DESANA
Our SEAD focus for the month of April is “Be There When You’re There,” which is all about relationship skills. The ability to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups is the theme. This includes such topics as the capacity to communicate effectively, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed. Our April session will focus on communicating effectively, developing positive relationships, and practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving. Students will interact with their classmates in games and activities that promote clear communication and active listening. Our dragons will practice those communication and listening skills in whole-class activities as well as a partner activity.
COUNSELORS' CORNER
The DeSana Counseling Department has been busy assisting our young Dragons throughout March.
Spring is here and along with the blooming flowers and warmer weather sometimes comes worries and anxiety about Spring testing for our students. During this time, it is important for our students to practice good habits to manage their anxiety in order to be relaxed and do their best on their tests. As with adults, when students learn to relax and take time out to enjoy the things they like to do, it makes them feel better and eases their minds.
Here are 4 Tips to help with Test Anxiety
- SUFFICIENT SLEEP – Remind your child(ren) to get plenty of sleep the night before a test. Getting enough rest is important not just for your child’s(ren) overall health, but it can also improve their ability to focus, learn and retain facts.
- BRAIN FOOD – Children can have trouble concentrating on an empty stomach, and junk food can cause sugar spikes followed by sharp crashes. Encourage your child(ren) to eat a healthy diet and study on a full stomach to improve retention.
- RELAXATION TECHNIQUES – Remind your child(ren) to take a few minutes before the test to practice stress-reducing yoga, or other calming exercises. Calming exercises such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can be an effective way to reduce test anxiety and settle one’s nerves.
- GROWTH MINDSET – Help your child(ren) come up with one or two growth mindset phrases, such as “I can do this!” Stress and anxiety can cause children to experience negative thoughts and self-criticism. Promoting a growth mindset can help children overcome these feelings.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN (AOL) TIME
Some students simply need the gift of time to master some of the concepts they learn in school. They can master them . . . they just need a little more time. And for some students, coming to school early for a morning help session with their teacher is just not possible. That is why we created AOL Time here at DeSana - - - An Additional Opportunity to Learn time. AOL is a 45 minute block of time that will happen first thing in the morning on Thursdays, and on some Wednesdays (9:05 – 9:50). During this block of time, students have the opportunity to receive re-teaching from their teachers should they need it. If your child is struggling in a class, or if they have a big summative assessment coming up that their teacher is offering a review session for, or if they have received a low score on a summative assessment and need to relearn some concepts before they re-take the summative, please encourage them to take advantage of AOL time! Ask your young Dragon each Wednesday evening/Thursday morning where he/she is going for AOL time on Thursday. Then ask your young Dragon Thursday evening what teacher he/she went to that day for extra help. Truly, taking advantage of our AOL time can make a BIG difference in a child’s success in school. Thanking you in advance for your help in making sure our young Dragons take advantage of this learning opportunity during AOL time!
DRAGON ACADEMY FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR - - - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL LEARNING & ASSESSMENT TIME FOR STUDENTS!
Dragon Academy is an opportunity we began offering students on Friday, August 28th 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 grumbling stomachs! Any necessary school supplies will be provided for students to use to complete their work, as needed, or they may bring their own.
Please mark your calendars now for these Dragon Academy dates (all are on a Friday) for the rest of the school year:
April 16
April 30
May 7
May 14
FAMILY CONNECT NIGHTS
The Denmark Community of Schools is made up of Denmark High School, Piney Grove Middle School, DeSana Middle School, Shiloh Point Elementary School, Brandywine Elementary School, Midway Elementary School, and Big Creek Elementary School. This group works together to meet the needs of the students and families in our community. As part of the Denmark Community of Schools, DeSana supports the Family Connect Nights. These monthly homework-free evenings provide families time to reconnect with one another without technology, promoting a fun family evening! Please support this initiative by unplugging from technology and designating time to spend together by the pool, playing outside, or even with a boardgame. The Family Connect Nights are for everyone in the Denmark Community of Schools, including our virtual kiddos and families too! As a member of the Denmark Community of Schools, let’s encourage one another to take advantage of these nights to connect and spend time together as a family.
Here are the dates for the Denmark Community of Schools’ Family Connect Nights for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year:
April 21st
May 12th
FREE MEALS FOR ALL CHILDREN IN FORSYTH COUNTY!
The United States Department of Agriculture, the administrative agency of the School Nutrition Program, has approved a waiver that will allow schools to provide free meals to all students in Forsyth County. This waiver will last through our last school day in May or until federal funds expire. Below are details for on-campus learners and virtual learners.
On-Campus Students:
- All students currently attending classes on campus can enjoy a free breakfast and lunch at school starting on Wednesday, September 16.
- Families do not need to do anything to take advantage of this waiver. All students will receive meals at no cost through our last school day in May or until federal funds expire.
- A lunch meal consists of an entrée choice, fruit, vegetable, and choice of milk and a breakfast meal consists of an entrée choice, fruit or vegetable, and milk.
- Snacks, bottled water, drinks, and additional meal components may be purchased at regular a la carte prices.
Virtual Students:
- Meal service for our virtual learners will begin on Monday, September 28 as a curbside meal service. Families may not enter school.
- Families may pick-up curbside at any one of our 10 schools listed below each day school is in session.
- Big Creek Elementary 11:00-12:00 - Carpool Lane in front of the school
- DeSana Middle 11:30-12:30 - Main entrance in front of the school
- Lakeside Middle 11:30-12:30 - Car Rider Line in front of the school
- Matt Elementary 9:30-10:30 - Back Parking Lot
- North Forsyth Middle 10:00-11:00 - Car Rider lane in front of the school
- Otwell Middle 9:45-10:45 - Car Rider Line at end of the 6th-grade hallway
- Piney Grove Middle 11:00-12:00 - Front entrance of the school
- Sawnee Elementary 10:00-11:00 - Front of the building
- Settles Bridge Elementary 11:30-12:30 - Car Rider Line in front of the school
- Vickery Creek Elementary 9:30-10:30 - In front of Cafe
- Families picking up a meal at school do not need to do anything to take advantage of this waiver.
- Lunch and breakfast for the following day will be available for pick-up. Since hot meals will also be served, food safety and reheating instructions are available at pick-up.
- Curbside meal pick-up at the schools listed above is available for all children ages 0-18.
Families that qualify for meal benefits should still complete free and reduced-price meal applications to avoid a lapse in meal benefits once the waiver has ended. Meal applications are not required to receive free meals during the time the waiver is active. If you have questions about free and reduced-price meal applications please contact Sandra McKinzie at smckinzie@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
If you need further information regarding the free meal waiver, please direct your questions to April Cox at acox@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
GRADE LEVEL NEWSLETTERS
We know that when it comes to sharing information with parents about what is happening in their classes at DeSana, many middle schoolers are not the best conduit of information about what is happening in all of their different courses. Itslearning is a BIG help in reminding students about assignments and what they are studying in class, as well as providing a wealth of information for parents. But we want to make doubly sure that our parents are definitely in the know about their young Dragon’s academic endeavors, so that is why we publish our digital, monthly, Grade Level eNewsletters at the beginning of each month. These eNewsletters are nothing fancy --- just the facts --- and are designed to give you a brief synopsis of what is happening in the four main content areas . . . Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies (five for 8th graders, which includes Spanish) . . . on a monthly basis. Each Grade level eNewsletter (eNews, for short) may contain information about standards/topics/concepts being studied throughout the month, formative and/or summative assessments coming up, project assignments, and/or reminders about other upcoming activities or events. Grade level eNewsletters will be sent out to parents at the start of each month. So stay tuned to your email in-box on the Friday of the first of each new month to get your electronic copy of our eNews.
ATHLETICS
VOLLEYBALL INTRAMURALS
Volleyball intramurals is going really well! We have a great group of girls coming out and they are working hard and making gains on the fundamentals. We have a good mix of drill practice with some fun games to develop new skills. If any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade girl is interested, it is not too late to join us! Please contact Mr. Dipboye at DDipboye@forsythk12.org for more information.
SOCCER INTRAMURALS
Our DeSana Soccer intramural team played two close matches in the month of March against Little Mill Middle School and Otwell Middle School. The squad has been working really hard and have one more match on Saturday, April 17th at 10:30 am vs Otwell Middle School at Forsyth Central High School. The team continues to meet weekly in preparation for matches and to learn various skills and positioning. Soccer intramurals will continue to take place on Wednesdays after school until Wednesday, April 28th. Go Dragons!
TRACK AND FIELD
On Wednesday, March 24th, the weather finally allowed us to participate in our first track meet. It was a beautiful evening and a wonderful experience for our kiddos, many of whom had never competed. Our kids were awesome! Both the boys’ and girls’ teams put forth a solid showing. It’s been an amazing experience for the coaches to watch our athletes work hard and strive to achieve their “personal best.” It’s going to be an awesome season and we predict a lot of exciting starts and finishes to come. DeSana Track and Field will have three more meets and all will be held at West Forsyth High School (April, 12th, April 22nd, and April 29th). The team will have its last two regular season meets on Monday, April 12th and Thursday, April 22nd. Both of these meets will be at West Forsyth High School and will start at 5:45 pm. The last meet will be the County meet where all ten of our middle schools will compete with field events beginning at 3:00 pm and running events at 5:00 pm. This meet will also take place at West Forsyth High School. We would love to see everyone come out and support our team!!!!
GOLF
Although the weather this season has been sub-PAR, it has not dampened the spirits of our golf team! In addition to practices at Crooked Creek, they also have a Wednesday FUN day at DeSana competing in mini challenges. Our first match was Thursday, April 1st and our team walked away with a BIG VICTORY against the Patriots of Liberty! Congratulations to our Golfers!! We look forward to returning and playing in three matches at Crooked Creek Golf Course on Thursday, April 15th, Tuesday, April 20th, and Thursday, April 22nd (all starting at 4:30 pm) The County Championship will take place on Monday, April 26th at the Polo Golf Course at 2:00 pm. I will ‘pitch’ this prediction…our team will ‘chip’ away at their scores and improve over the ‘course’ of the season! We have the ‘drive’ to do better with each new match!
2021-22 SIDELINE AND COMPETITION CHEERLEADING
Does your child want to cheer on the Dragons from the sidelines next school year and compete against other middle schools in competition? If so, there will be an interest meeting held on Tuesday, April 20th in the cafeteria right after morning announcements for any current 6th or 7th grader interested in trying out for sideline and competition cheerleading for the 2021-2022 school year.
Tryouts will be held on Wednesday, May 12th, Thursday, May 13th and Friday, 14th in DeSana’s Gym from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm. Students must pass at least 5 classes this semester and have a current athletic participation packet (click here) on file in order to tryout.
If you have questions you can contact:
Coach Weisbrod- f33884@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Coach Smith- aesmith@forsyth.k12.ga.us
2021-22 FOOTBALL
All players have been doing a tremendous job at the morning strength and conditioning workout sessions. Each player has shown great progress and we are really starting to come together as a team! The football team will continue working hard every day to get better and create leaders in the school and in the community.
Spring Football is coming up quickly! This will be a two-week football training and practice in full pads to prepare for the 2021-22 season in the Fall. We are still looking for players, so if there are any current 6th or 7th grade students interested in joining the DeSana Football team, please email Coach Riddle (triddle@forsyth.k12.ga.us). All players must have an updated athletic participation packet on file with the school. All participation paperwork can be found here and in the front office of DeSana Middle School.
Upcoming dates for the spring season to prepare for:
- Tuesday, April 20th @ 7:30 AM - Equipment Pickup for Spring Football
- Monday, April 26th - Friday, May 7th Spring Football Practice
ACTIVITIES
LOLLIPOP FUNDRAISERS
We will have Lollipop Fundraisers on the following dates:
April 16th and 29th
May 6th, 14th and 20th
Students can purchase lollipops for themselves, friends, family or even their teachers! The lollipops will be sold in the commons from 8:30 am - 8:55 am and are all $1. Students can choose from a variety of flavors including Raspberry Lemonade, Sour Apple, Wild Cherry, Sour Cherry, Watermelon, Strawberry, Sweet Freedom, Cotton Candy, Cherry Limeade, Sour Pink Lemonade and Island Punch.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
DESANA LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL
DeSana’s 2020-2021 Local School Council (LSC) will hold its next meeting on Friday, April 16th at 7:30 AM in the Media Center.
ATTENTION PARENTS OF CURRENT 6TH GRADE STUDENTS
Students born on or after January 1, 2002, who are entering the 7th grade, are required by Georgia state law to have Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) and MCV (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) immunizations prior to starting school. This law went into effect with the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and taking care of it early on so that your child may begin his/her 7th grade year on time next school year. Once your child has received his/her immunizations, please make sure that you send a record to DeSana Nurse, Samantha Tilley so that she may update his/her file.
If we do not have an updated 3231 Immunization Form by July 31, 2021 your child will not be given a schedule nor begin school until we receive this updated form. Please contact Nurse Samantha Tilley with any questions at f39768@forsyth.k12.ga.us or 770-667-2591, extension 491529.
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING (P3 CAMPUS)
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and Forsyth County Schools work together to provide P3 Campus Reporting, which provides an avenue for all members of the community to submit anonymous tips about non-urgent illegal activities such as unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, the sale and distribution of drugs, possession of weapons or information about crimes that are being planned on their schools' campus.
Students are encouraged to report information about dangerous or harmful situations to the principal, an assistant principal, a teacher, or another trusted adult. Anonymous TIPS can also be reported to the Forsyth County Schools P3 Campus Anonymous Reporting in one of three ways.
1. Download the App from Apple Store or Google Play
2. ANONYMOUS Web tip at https://www.p3campus.com
3. Call the ANONYMOUS tip line at 770-888-3466 ext. 1 or 3.
Anonymous reports can also be made by calling the State of Georgia School Safety Hotline Number, 1-877-SAY-STOP (1-877-729-7867).
Callers will not be asked to reveal their identity.
PARENT 411 - HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOU
MANY THANKS TO OUR FANTASTIC BUSINESS PARTNERS!
*ALL AMERICAN SPECIALTIES
*BROWNS BRIDGE CHURCH
*CHICK-FIL-A @ THE COLLECTION
*CITY CHURCH
*GEORGIA ORTHODONTICS AND CHILDREN'S DENTISTRY
*MAYNARD REALTY (TIM ROSE - REALTOR)
*NORTH GEORGIA PROMOTIONS
*OMEGA LEARNING
*RBM OF ALPHARETTA