Dodgeland Middle School News
January 10, 2021
BLENDED LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
Dear Dodgeland Parents and Students,
We learned a great deal during the first semester of the 2020 - 2021 school year. While some students participating in the blended or virtual learning formats were successful; many students were not. To ensure success for all students, the District is re-establishing our expectations for blended learning and creating new processes and procedures for the second semester.
While blended learning was initially set up to make certain that students experiencing illness symptoms or the need to be quarantined could continue learning, we found many instances of students taking advantage of blended learning that have been detrimental to their work habits and continued academic success. Thus far, we have learned of students staying home to utilize blended learning rather than in-person learning because they:
Wanted to stay in their pajamas on the couch,
Wanted to hang out with their friends,
Wanted to see the new Fortnite release,
Wanted to attend just their preferred classes,
Were avoiding a test, or
Went on a vacation.
This is not the purpose of blended learning. Period.
Additionally, we found students have been unsuccessful with their learning because of what they are doing while logged into BlueJeans that they would not do if they were in a classroom, such as:
Logging on and walking away from their iPad,
Talking on the phone or engaging on social media,
Watching Youtube,
Baking cookies,
Not listening or answering questions,
Not completing assignments, and
Sleeping.
These choices are creating unhealthy habits for students that will be incredibly challenging to change, which not only affects their education today but also future employment.
We want ALL Dodgeland students to be successful; thus, we need to reset our expectations for blended learning and need parents to help support this message in a collaborative effort to ensure success for your son or daughter.
Please find Semester 2 Blended Learning Expectations HERE.
REMINDERS!!!
Friday, January 15th - NO SCHOOL due to Professional Development
Introducing Interim Counselor: Ms Mosher
Dear MS/HS Dodgeland families,
I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself! My name is Ms. Sophia Mosher and I am the interim middle and high school counselor while Mr. Dunn is on leave during the months of January through April. I am also completing my internship hours towards my master’s degree in school counseling from Lakeland University and will graduate in November of 2021. I reside in Beaver Dam and have a small yorkie named Jack! I am excited to be a part of the Dodgeland Trojan community!
As a school counselor, my primary role is to promote the academic, social/emotional, and career development of all students. I am excited to be working with students individually, in small groups, and, at times, in the classroom. I will also be assisting with ACT test preparations, scheduling, and academic/career planning. What I love most about the middle and high school levels is student’s ability to explore their interests and college/career plans for the future. It is my honor to help students see their full potential as they navigate their educational endeavors.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to working with you and your child(ren) during the upcoming months.
Sincerely,
Ms. Sophia Mosher
Interim MS/HS School Counselor
Dodgeland School District
401 South Western Avenue
Juneau, WI 53039
Phone: (920)-386-4404 ext. 1027
Email: mosher@dodgeland.k12.wi.us
1st Semester Grades are Almost Here!
Our 1st semester ends on January 14th.
As you are looking at your child’s current grades in PowerSchool, you will see proficiency grades for middle school courses:
PRO - Proficient: means that the student has successfully learned the skills required and can use them consistently without help.
DEV - Developing: means that the student has basic knowledge, is working on the skills required and needs some help in order to be successful.
NSP - Needs Support: means that the student needs continuous help in order to complete the skills.
NONE - means that the student has not participated in class (whether in person or virtually) and has not submitted any assignments or assessments for the teacher to be able to determine a proficiency level.
Here is a review from our DMS Parent Student Handbook regarding Grading/Report Cards:
A student who does not meet the minimum standards for promotion to the next grade level must attend summer school or could remain in the same grade for another school year. Parents / guardians will be notified after first semester that promotion is in jeopardy. Conferences will be requested to provide opportunities for the students to improve their achievement level. At the end of the year, grades will be reviewed and a final decision will be made according to established guidelines.
Any incomplete grades must be made up within 2 weeks (10 scheduled academic days) in traditional classroom courses, with the exception being students who were medically absent for a long period of time. An incomplete may be extended by teacher-administrator agreement when a student has made significant progress and an extension of time is necessary to complete the course work. All incomplete grades require prior administrative approval.
What's been happening at DMS...
Crazy fun in 8th grade math!
Collaboration and problem-solving in PLTW.
6th graders made cards to send to residents at Clearview to spread holiday cheer.
DMS Yearbooks
We have your individual photos from picture day and team photos are being taken. We are interviewing athletes and we’re going to tell the story of 2021 at Dodgeland Middle School.
1. If you were not here for Picture Day, we will be contacting you for a photo. Someone can use your iPad and take a great photo of you for the Yearbook, email Ms. Lee at lee@dodgeland.k12.wi.us with questions or your picture.
2. We will not be collecting paper order forms. Yearbooks can be ordered online at http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01057869 and it will take you to the Jostens Dodgeland Middle School site to purchase your book(s).
Finally, did you know that your Yearbook is created by a Dodgeland High School class? High school students learn about page design, composing photos, leadership, writing stories and well…putting your yearbook together using online technology from Jostens. It’s a lot of work, a lot of fun and we learn a ton!
Thank you!
The Yearbook Staff
Need Technology Help?
Contact Dodgeland Technology Department through the Help Desk Ticket: http://bit.ly/DSDHelpDesk.
About Dodgeland Middle School
Email: johnsonj@dodgeland.k12.wi.us
Website: http://ms.dodgeland.k12.wi.us/
Location: 401 S. Western Ave. Juneau, WI 53039
Phone: 920-386-4404
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DodgelandSchool/