RAVEN REPORT
Weekly Parent & Community Newsletter (2/12/23)
DMS Vision
At DMS every student's best interests comes first, every single day!
DMS Mission
At Decker Middle School we will build a community of lifelong learners who have a sense of pride and integrity, in a safe, welcoming, creative, and inclusive environment in order to be college and career-ready in today’s society.
DMS Motto
On Time, On Task, and On a Mission!
#OTTM
Intentional Act of Kindness Week: “Do something wonderful. People may imitate it.“
Dear Families,
This week our school community will be celebrating Intentional Act of Kindness Week. Scholars are encouraged to participate by wearing the attire indicated in the image above!
To practice and encourage the character strength of kindness with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.
Have a wonderful week!
Save the Date: Black History Month Showcase and student-led conferences 2/22/23
UPDATE: End of 4th Six-Weeks Progress Reports - The fourth six-week’s progress report grading period ends on Friday, February 10. Progress Reports will be posted to Skyward Family Access on Friday, February 17, by 4:00 PM.
Please model the virtues of perseverance and prudence for your scholar by doing the following:
1) Ask your scholar to login to Skyward Family Access and check their current grades.
2) Use the current grades to plan for the future. With your scholar, develop one academic short-term goal for this week, one academic mid-term goal for the next grading period, and one academic long-term goal to be achieved by the end of the school year.
3) Monitor the progress toward their goals each week.
4) Save the date for 2/22/23, when we will host student-led conferences to revisit goals as a school.
Red Ribbon Week Debrief
In October, we completed Red Ribbon Week, the annual week where we highlight the importance of being drug free with our scholars. Parents and guardians, we need your help in ensuring this conversation is ongoing.
Nationwide, vaping amongst teens is on the rise, and unfortunately we have had our share of DMS scholars who have made poor decisions related to vaping. Please talk with your children about the dangers of vaping, and make sure they understand that under no circumstances is vaping tolerated at Decker Middle School.
If you interested in learning how you can support your scholar by learning about current drug trends, prevention information, and protective factors to help keep your scholar and family safe, Manor ISD offers monthly education classes as detailed here.
If you suspect that your teen is vaping, and is in need of additional support, please do not hesitate to contact our guidance counselors:
Aursha Waldon 6th grade/8th grade (aursha.waldon@manorisd.net)
Rachel Groth 7th grade/8th grade (rachel.groth@manorisd.net)
Skill for Life: Organization
Parents and guardians, please support us in teaching this important life skill by asking to see your scholars' Advisory Agenda each day. The calendar inside of this journal should give you a clear picture of what you scholar is doing in each class, each day. An example photo of what it should look like is pictured below!
Student IDs
Scholars who lose their ID or fail to bring it to school can purchase a temporary ID for $1 or a replacement ID for $5. Scholars who are unable to wear their ID will serve lunch detention until they do. Please see the DMS Playbook linked below for more information.
Family Handbook: Cell Phone Policy and Much, Much More
Cell Phones/Electronic Devices
For safety purposes, the district permits students to possess electronic devices. The use of cell phones or any device capable of capturing video and/or images is strictly prohibited in locker rooms or restroom areas while at school or at a school-related or school-sponsored event. If a cell phone or electronic device is used for the purpose of capturing video or images in prohibited areas and to include verbal and/or physical altercations, the phone or electronic device will no longer be allowed on campus. In the event that a scholar needs their phone for safety reasons before and after school, arrangements will be made to turn the phone in upon arrival each day to the front office before reporting to their first class.
If a student uses an electronic device without authorization during the school day, such as in class during instruction, the device will be confiscated. The parent may pick up the confiscated electronic device from the principal’s office for a fee of $15 after the first time. In limited circumstances and in accordance with law, authorized personnel may search a student’s personal electronic device. Any disciplinary action will be in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. The district will not be responsible for damaged, lost or stolen electronic devices.
Students are not permitted to possess or use personal electronic devices such as personal laptops or tablets at school. Items will be collected and turned into the front office. In limited circumstances and in accordance with law, authorized personnel may search a student’s personal electronic device. Any disciplinary action will be in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. The district will not be responsible for any damaged, lost or stolen electronic device.
Bus Information & Pick Up Deadline: 3:30
Please note:
If you need to make changes for how your scholar will get home please contact the office before 3:30. If you contact us after that we will not be able to pull your child off the bus. Please know that scholars can not ride a bus they are not assigned to, so we are not able to put them on a different bus.
Standard Mode of Dress
- Shirts must be short or long-sleeved polo-style collared shirts.
- 6th Graders will wear Gray and White
- 7th Graders will wear Maroon
- 8th Graders will wear Black
- Spirit shirts can be worn on Fridays
- Pants, jeans, shorts, skirts, and skorts must be worn on the scholar's natural waist at all times
- Sweatpants and Joggers are not allowed
- Hoodies are allowed in the respective grade level colors. However, we will not allow hoods to be worn inside the building. Hoodies may not have images or language depicting violence, drugs, alcohol, any illegal item or activity, or any other prohibited substance
- For safety reasons, athletic shoes featuring closed toes plus rubber soles with no cleats, elevation, or wheels, are suitable for Physical Education classes at all levels
- Student IDs must be worn on a lanyard around the neck and visible at all times
Tardies
Students identified as skipping or having excessive tardies will be placed in In -School Suspension (ISS) to reflect and create an "On Time, On Task, and On a Mission" action plan. We love all of our scholars and want them to be successful. We will begin to schedule Student Success Meetings for scholars with excessive tardies next week.
Parents--we need you!
Important Dates
February
2/10: End of progress report 4 period
2/17: School holiday
2/20: School holiday
2/22: Student-led conferences/Black History Month Showcase
2/24: End of grading period 4
2/27: DBA 3 window opens
March
3/10: Early release PL day
3/13-3/17: Spring Break
April
4/7: School holiday
4/10: School holiday
4/12: Early release PL day
4/14: End of grading period 5
4/18: 6-8 Reading/English 1 STAAR Exam
4/25: Science STAAR Exam
4/27: US History STAAR Exam
May
5/2: 6-8 Math/Algebra 1 STAAR Exam
5/26: School holiday
5/29: School holiday
June
6/7: Half day, end of grading period 6, last day of school