Community Newsletter
Denny International Middle School | Jan. 19, 2024
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Dolphin Families,
I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible community that came together this past Monday for City Year's MLK Day of Service.
Approximately 400 people dedicated their time and energy to serve our school community, and the impact has been nothing short of tremendous. The positive and powerful messages conveyed through the murals are not only visually striking but also uplifting, resonating joy throughout our entire building.
Even in below 30-degree temperatures, the exterior work in our gardens was nothing short of incredible. Volunteers demonstrated immense care and resilience, showcasing their commitment to enhancing our school environment. I was in awe the entire day, witnessing the strength and unity of our community as everyone generously contributed to the betterment of Denny International Middle School.
A special thank you to City Year for organizing and leading this impactful event. Your dedication to service has left a lasting impression on our school, and we are grateful for the positive change you have brought about. To all who participated and served the Denny Community, your fingerprints are etched into the fabric of our school's history, and your actions will undoubtedly impact generations to come.
Thank you for being part of this incredible day of service and for contributing to the thriving spirit of our school community.
Warmly,
Mary Ingraham
IMPORTANT DATES
- 1-23-24 Volleyball Interest Meeting 2:55 to 3:30 Rm 144
- 1-27-24 Admissions Fair 10:00-2:00 John Stanford Center
- 1-30-24 Incoming student tour
- 2-1-24 PTSA Virtual Meeting on Zoom at 7:00 pm
- 2-6-24 Incoming student tour
- 2-8-24 Incoming Student Open House 5:00-6:30 in the Galleria
All Families Need to Do this By January 26 -- it is critical for our school!
Why is this Survey Important?
The Family Income Survey provides your student’s school with a way to collect household income information. This information is important because it helps your school receive federal and state funding (Learning Assistance Program, teacher incentives, etc.).
The form is simple to fill out and confidential. The information will only be used to help your school receive funding from state and federal programs.
In addition to healthy and nutritious meals, the Family Income Survey helps to fund programs such as:
- Before and after school enrichment programs
- School counselors
- Health and wellness services
- Resources for classrooms and teachers
Please complete and submit this form. Families with multiple students will only complete this form once. Regardless of income level, families with students at Denny International should complete the Family Income Survey.
Denny International Middle School 2019 Tours and Evening Open House Dates
Evening Open House for Prospective New Families: Thursday February 8 starting at 5:00 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to meet teachers and staff as well as learn about all of the different opportunities and experiences available to students and families.
Daytime Tours: Tuesday, January 30 and Tuesday, February 6 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. All are welcome - no appointment needed. Description of school offerings followed by a guided school tour.
Volleyball Interest Meeting: 1-23-24 at 2:55 to 3:30
Volleyball will be having a short meeting on January 23rd from 2:55pm to 3:30pm in Room 144. We will go over our requirements and expectations for the upcoming season. Our season will begin in March
Sexual Health Education in Science Classes
Our science classes will be teaching Sexual Health Education (SHE) during the month of January and February. The teachers will be sending a family letter home with your student with information for you to reach out with questions, preview the materials, and opt out of part or all of the lessons. I have included the specific dates that each grade level will be teaching SHE below as well as the link to Seattle Public School's Sexual Health Education website for your reference.
Join DIMS PTSA
The PTSA is doing a ton of amazing things, use the link below to get involved and become a part of it.
The next meeting will be on February 1, 2024 at 7:00 virtually on Zoom https://zoom.us/j/95559484589?pwd=MlZCdTNSYzd4c0Y4d005SWpidmk0Zz09
Message from Music Department for 2nd Semester
Good morning and Happy new year!
Our department wanted to go over a couple of things for music classes to keep in mind for 2nd semester.
- Since music classes are year-long music classes, if students want to switch out of music classes mid-year they need: written parent permission, notify the music teacher-return materials, pay fees before switching out of a class.
- For choir new students are welcome to join at the semester. For Band and Orchestra, for 2nd semester new students should only be added to the class if they have met with the teacher so we are aware of their level. We generally cannot take on students with little or no prior experience mid year. We don’t have coaches to get them caught up. Unless a new student is willing to work extra on their own it usually better that they join next September.
Thank you for your help. Let us know if you have any questions,
Music Department
Joey Roberts, Band
Jorge Morales, Orchestra
Kathryn Lenoue, Choir
School Athletics: Basketball
VARSITY BASKETBALL
- Girls Varsity will play Eagle Staff MS at 8:00 AM at Cleveland High School.
- After this the Boys Varsity will play Mercer at 9:30 AM.
- There will be a bus provided to Cleveland, athletes will need to meet at Denny at 6:30 to ride the bus.
JV BASKETBALL
- Girls JV will play South Shore at 9:30 AM at South Shore K-8.
- Unfortunately, the Mercer JV boys forfeited the game CANCELLING our JV Boys Basketball Game this Saturday.
- There will be a bus provided from Denny, athletes need to be here at 8:00 AM.
Our weekly practice schedule looks like this:
Monday – ALL BOYS
Tuesday – ALL JV + JVC (Boys and Girls)
Wednesday – JVC Scrimmages (Starting soon, times to be determined. Currently only boys due to JVC being cut. If girls numbers grow we will add this too)
Thursday – All GIRLS
Friday – ALL VARSITY (Boys and Girls)
All practices except Wednesday will be 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM in either the Denny gym or we will walk our scholars over to a Chief Sealth Gym.
Go Dolphins!
Michael Anderson
Athletic Coordinator, Girls Soccer & Volleyball Coach
Denny International Middle School
Refresh, Restart, Re-teach, Revitalize Schoolwide Expectations and Processes
For the start of 2nd Semester we are launching some new systems to further recognize our amazing scholars' contributions to our community and maximizing instructional time for all scholars by being out of the hallways and in class on time with little interruption to instruction. Below describes the systems that we are currently teaching and re-teaching to launch on February 1st for 2nd Semester.
DENNY DINERO
- Arriving on time to class and ready to go
- Exemplifying the Denny way by being ready, responsible, and respectful
- Students can use Denny Dinero to purchase items from the Student Store or put them in their grade level mailbox for a weekly drawing and prize selection
SNACK DROP
At the bell teachers will take attendance and will report to the office on designated Snack Drop days that their students were all there on time. The Admin Team will bring a Snack Cart to the class for students to celebrate their good work.
TARDY SWEEP
- During the morning announcements it will be announced that there will be a tardy sweep at some point during the day.
- At the bell, admin will collect students who did not make it to class on time and will give them a slip to join a lunch time circle where they will be able to eat and plan action steps to ensure that they get to class on time.
LUNCH COMPETITIONS
- We will hold a series of consistent competitions between grade level lunches. Like least trash left on tables.
- At the end of the week the grade level that wins the competition will get a reward from Lunch Lady Doree (like fresh baked cookies)
3 HALL PASSES PER QUARTER & CLASS
- In every class for 3rd quarter teachers will handout 3 hall passes to each student.
- This is in response to feedback we heard from families at our Family Forum regarding concerns that their scholars had about bathrooms not being used for there purpose.
- The hall pass is turned in to leave the classroom to get water, use the bathroom, etc. to keep students accountable, track the overall school patterns of out-of-class time, and to encourage student to take care of their needs during non-instructional time.
- Please rest assured, if a student needs to use the bathroom but does not have a pass the teacher will still let them go. Are focus is to collect information to ensure that we are maximizing instructional times for students while concurrently ensuring that their personal needs are being met.
- If your scholar has a specific need or situation, please reach out to their advisory teacher so that they can work with you and your scholar to develop an alternative plan. The advisory teacher will communicate this plan to all the scholar’s teachers.
RESOURCES & INFORMATION
New School-based Health Center Service Provider: Neighborcare Health
To learn more about Neighborcare Health and school-based health center services for the 2023-2024 school year, or to pre-register your student for services, view the Denny International Middle School page on the Neighborcare Health website.
Sistema Escolar, Villa Comunitaria, & Seattle Public Schools: Workshop this Week on Bullying!
Talleres Familias / Family Workshops 2023-2024
Sistema Escolar, Villa Comunitaria and Seattle Public Schools are excited to once again host monthly workshops for families in Spanish. The list of dates and topics are below. Reminders and informational flyers will be shared in advance of each meeting also. Meetings will be on Zoom and are no cost to families.
Financial Aid (Filling out Information & Support)
Thursday, January 25th 6 – 7:30pm
- WASFA and FAFSA fill out night.
Special Education
Thursday, February 8th 6 – 7:30pm
- Process for Special Ed qualification
- Guidance Team
- Evaluation
- IEP
- 504
- Prior Written Notification
Elementary – 5th to 6th Grade Transition
Thursday, March 21st 6pm – 7:30pm
- Brain development of pre-teens and how to navigate the emotional, physical, and academic changes.
- Main Changes from Elementary to Middle.
- How Middle School Works
Middle School – 8th to 9th Grade Transition
Thursday, April 4th 6pm – 7:30pm
- Main Changes
- How High School Works.
- How to prepare academically to succeed in HS and to work toward post HS education.
Homework Help at The Seattle Public Library
We can help students succeed in school. Our trained Homework Help tutors can assist with school assignments, provide reading support and skill-building activities at select Library locations.
Students in Seattle can also get free virtual tutoring from Tutor.com with a Library card or a Library Link number - www.spl.org/VirtualTutoring
Broadview Branch (12755 Greenwood Ave. N.): Tuesdays & 4 - 7:30 p.m. & Wednesdays 3 - 5 p.m.
Columbia Branch (4721 Rainier Ave. S.): Mondays 4 - 5:45 p.m. & Tuesdays 4 - 7 p.m.
Douglass-Truth Branch (2300 E. Yesler Way): Tuesdays & Wednesdays 4 - 7 p.m.
High Point Branch (3411 S.W. Raymond St.): Tuesdays 4 - 7:30 p.m. & Wednesdays 4 - 6 p.m.
Lake City Branch (12501 28th Ave. N.E ): Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
New Holly Branch (7058 32nd. Ave. S.): Thursdays 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Northgate Branch (10548 Fifth Ave. N.E.): Mondays 3:30 - 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays 4 - 7:30 p.m., & Wednesdays 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Rainier Beach Branch (9125 Rainier Ave. S.): Mondays 4 - 5:45 p.m. & Wednesday 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
South Park Branch (8604 Eighth Ave. S.): Mondays & Wednesdays 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Programs at Seattle Library: High Point Branch
Homework Help | The Seattle Public Library (spl.org)
Get help with your homework in-person at the High Point Branch from trained volunteers. Free for K-12 students. Snacks provided!
Tuesdays 4:00-7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Family Story Time @ High Point Branch, Saturday, 10:30 - 11am - Event Calendar | The Seattle Public Library (spl.org)
At story time, kids ages 0-5 and their families can enjoy stories, songs, and fun learning activities. Saturdays @ 10:30 a.m. September 23rd – December 9th.