Daybreak Middle Newsletter
August 8th, 2023
November 2023 Daybreak Middle School News
Principal Update
Hi Dragon families,
This week is early release Tuesday Oct. 30-Friday Nov. 3 at 11:40 AM to allow time for parent-teacher conferences. Thank you to all the families who've partnered with us for parent-teacher conferences this week. If you were not able to attend a conference this week, we will be sending home a progress snapshot and their progress report with your student on Friday. Feel free to reach out to your student's teachers at any time if you have questions or concerns about your student's progress. Email is generally the most efficient way to reach them.
One of the priorities for our school this year is to increase student and family engagement at DBM. We want to know how to best support your family and your student's success here at school. We'd like you to complete our Fall 2023 Parent Survey to give us feedback about the things that we are doing well and the things we could improve. The survey will be open and collect information through November 10th. You can access the Fall 2023 Parent Survey at: https://forms.gle/GcrDtiU4HERK6gPg9
Thank you to Mrs. Marlow, Mrs. Middlestadt, and Mrs. Wooley for all their efforts with the Book Fair this week. We could not have run such a successful Book Fair without our wonderful volunteers as well. Thank you to: Linda Bullington, Chris Lunneborg, Stephanie Hettman, Stephanie Dodge, Cortney Stanley, Alicia Alcala, Allie Weyer, Jasmine Arant, Liz Brisbois, Brooke Torget, Jenny Hodge, Kelly Brady-Pavelko, Erica Smith, Janell Zweig, Frances Espinoza, Demetria Edwards, Destiney Tokomaata, and Margaret Rutledge for all your help with this fundraiser for our Library. We appreciate you!
We completed our 2nd Dragon Store last Friday and it was huge hit with students. Thank you to those who've donated items for our Dragon Store. If you’d like to donate items feel free to drop them off at school at any time. Here’s a few ideas of items students enjoy : Izzie sodas, small bags of snacks, individually wrapped candy or cookies, stickers, key chains, fidgets, et
or you can use our Dragon Store Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2SAEQG4B88QPW/ref=hz_ls_biz_exc.
Students earn Dragon Dollars for following expectations in class, the halls, recess, and in the cafeteria. Thank you to Carla Simon, Bri Watrous and Sandra Fridlund for volunteering to help run our store.
We’ve adopted Character Strong as our Social Emotional Learning curriculum this year. In September, we focused on teaching and modeling Respect. In November, we will be focusing on Gratitude as our character trait. Our hope is to partner with families in building up positive character traits and modeling academic language for our students. You can support these efforts by talking with your student(s) at home about our character traits, completing the monthly character dare, and talking about academic appropriate language. We appreciate your partnership with this endeavor to build strong character for each and every student at DBM.
Go Dragons,
Lesli Collum (Principal)
Angela Sauser (Assistant Principal)
Order your Dragon Gear before Nov. 10th to show your school spirit!
Students, staff, and families can order t-shirts, hats, or hoodies online through November 10th. You have the option to add your last name and/or favorite school sport too. Orders will be placed online and you can choose to have your student pick up their items in the school office or pay extra to have them shipped to your home address. All orders will be available the first week of December. To place your order go online before Nov 10th to :https://your-company-name-80beb92e-41fb-472f-8343-5031a97a5df4.printavo.com/merch/daybreak-schools-fall-spirtwear-store
Meet the Staff at Daybreak Middle School
Special Education Teachers, Speech and Language Pathologist & Occupational Therapist
Pictured left to right are: (back row) Sarah Pitoyo, Margo Faron, Kelli Livermore, Jeanie Vashaw (front row) Krissy Heikes, Ian Winegrad, and Ami Remmers. These fabulous people support all of our students with IEPs increase their skills in Reading, Writing, Math, Speech, Behavior, Social, and Adaptive areas. We appreciate all that they do to support our students at DBM!
Special Education Assistants
Instructional Coach
Counselor's Corner with Mrs. Olson
Hello DBM Families!
I am very excited to join the team here at Daybreak! I have two children here at the middle school and one at the primary school. I will have a middle schooler for the next six years and I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to invest my efforts into a school community that hits so close to home. The challenges of middle school can feel immense at times and it is an honor to support our students, staff, and families through the developmental process of the tween and early teen years. Before entering the position of School Counselor, I taught middle school Math and History and spent a decade or so at home with my kids. I re-entered the profession full time in 2019 - just in time for a pandemic. It’s been a wild ride to say the least, but it seems we’ve entered a space where we are ready to heal and move forward. I love that I get to be a part of the recovery process! I’m looking forward to teaming up with parents and the community to reclaim some kindness and strengthen necessary academic and social skills for bright futures ahead.
The month of November will be an important time for me to connect with students and deliver our Signs of Suicide lesson to 7th and 8th grade classes. I will be visiting 8th grade classes on November 14th and 7th grade classes on November 28th. Please see the attached flyers for more information about the topics we will be covering in this district wide curriculum. Since October was National Anti-bullying month, I will be adding in some information about how we can reduce bullying behaviors in our school and online, especially since bullying behaviors are shown to contribute to suicide ideation and completion. I was able to visit 6th grade classes at the very end of October.
I will be connecting with our 5th grade students in their History class on November 16th with Ms. Bealer’s classes and November 17th with Ms. Edmiston’s classes. For our 5th graders we will discuss the concept of “Rude, Mean, and Bullying” behaviors. We will learn the differences between them and some empowering skills and strategies to handle them. We will learn about creating a positive learning environment together.
I’m really looking forward to all these new connections with the Daybreak community! Go Dragons!
Attachments:
November Food Drive
DBM will be hosting a food drive to benefit the North County Food Bank from November 13-17th. Students can bring in non-perishable food or hygiene items every day that week to earn points for their grade level. More information will be shared out from our ASB about specific items for each day that will earn their team extra points. The winning grade level will receive a treat from Kona Ice. Go Dragons!
Veteran's Day Assembly
Daybreak Middle School student body wants to honor all Veterans at our Veteran's Day assembly on Thursday, November 9th. Parents, grandparents, and community members are all invited to attend our assembly from 1:45-2:40 PM in the DBM gym.
Dragons of the Month for October RESPONSIBILITY month
5th Grade Students of the Month
Sara Williams, Emma Weisenborn, Elena McMurry, and Amelia Shiva were recognized for being RESPONSIBLE. Thanks for being a great example to your peers.
6th Grade Students of the Month
Selene Young, Jessiah Keith, and Caleb Dyle were recognized for being RESPONSIBLE. Thanks for modeling responsibility in all your classes for students and staff.
7th Grade Students of the Month
8th Grade Students of the Month
Marisol Tasej-Gutierrez, Damon Walund, Ethan Greenhalgh, & Malia Leavitt went above and beyond to show RESPONSIBILITY in their classes. Thank you 8th graders for being responsible leaders on our campus!
8th Grade Dragons joined the BGHS Pep Band
8th grade student were invited to the BGHS football game along with other 8th grade bands in the district. They had fun playing alongside the BGHS pep band.
At half-time, our 8th graders were featured on the field alongside the other 8th grade bands.
They played pre-game and in the stands during the game. What a fun way to represent DBM!
Character Trait of the Month for November: GRATITUDE
This month we are focusing on gratitude. Students are learning that gratitude is choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives. The Daybreak staff will be looking for students that show their gratefulness and appreciation to our Daybreak family.
The importance of regular attendance
Thank you for working to maintain your child’s attendance. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to student learning and success. The skills that students learn in primary school will help them be successful in middle and high school. A student’s attendance often can predict whether they are likely to graduate high school on time.
Did you know?
Missing school means missing out on valuable learning experiences that may not be able to be made up. A student can suffer academically if they miss 10 percent of school days in a year, or 18 days. That can be just one day every two weeks.
The state also defines missing 10% or more of school days per year as chronic absenteeism. The effects of chronic absenteeism include:
Kindergarten and first graders becoming at risk of not being able to read by the third grade.
Increased likelihood of leaving school before graduation
Continued chronic absenteeism
Battle Ground Public Schools is required by state law to file a court petition when a student has seven days of unexcused absences in the same month, or before the 15th day of unexcused absences during the school year. This petition may be filed against the student, parent or both.
How we can support
Students, parents, teachers and administrators must work together to ensure the continuity of learning. Please let us know how we can support your child and your family.
Middle School Sports
Season 2: Girls Volleyball and Boys Soccer
Season 2 is off to a great start! Girls volleyball had enough students try out that we were able to create four different teams! Practice for volleyball will continue next week after school. The girls first game will be at Daybreak on Friday, November 17 at 4:15 and 5:30 pm.
Boys soccer will be transitioning their practices to Prairie High School and District Stadium; allowing our players to practice on turf. Please watch for emails from the coaches on when those practices will begin. Our first soccer game will be a middle school jamboree at Prairie High School on Monday, November 13 at 4:15 pm.
Please remember for the safety of our students, practices are for students only. Transportation is provided TO all away practices and games, but a parent/guardian will need to come pick up their student.
Season 3 begins on January 8, 2024. Registration for boys basketball and girls soccer will open during December. Please see the MS Athletics website for more information.
Go Dragons!!!
Calendar of events for November
- November 5: Set your clocks back one hour
- November 8: Late Start
- November 9: Veterans Day Assembly @ 1:50 PM
- November 10: No School - Veterans Day
- November 15: No School - District In-service Day
- November 22-24: No School - Happy Thanksgiving!
LOST and FOUND
Daybreak's Lost and Found is located in the 300 building as you go into the gym. Items have been out all week for students and parents to collect during conferences. Our racks and bins are getting full, so please claim your missing clothes, water bottles, lunches, etc.! All items will be packed up and donated on November 21, 2023.
Daybreak Middle School Expectations
Getting to & from campus
Students may arrive on campus as early as 7:45 AM when breakfast opens in the Cafeteria. Students who walk or ride a scooter or bike may enter and exit campus from the back gates on 21st Place or 22nd Ave, or from the front sidewalks off of 20th Ave in front of DBP or off of 239th St. Students must walk their bike or carry their scooter/wheelies/skates once they arrive on campus (including being in front of DBP). All scooters, skateboards, and bikes must be parked in the bike and scooter racks at DBM. Students may not leave their bikes or scooters at DBP. Parents who are dropping off or picking up students before or after school must use the Daybreak Primary parking lot. The Daybreak Middle parking lot is for staff parking and buses only. Daybreak is a combined closed campus during DBM and DBP school hours. Students must leave campus immediately after dismissal at 2:40 PM unless they are participating in a supervised activity like sports. DBM students may come back to campus at 3:40 PM to pick up their Primary siblings but can't wait on campus.
Late Start Wednesdays
Students may not arrive on campus until 8:45 AM on late start Wednesdays unless they attend the Right at School Program. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday we have campus supervision beginning at 7:45 AM and on late start Wednesdays our campus supervision begins at 8:45 AM.
Energy Drinks and Caffeinated Drinks
Students are not allowed to have Energy drinks (Monsters, Rockstar's, etc.), Mountain Dew, or Coffee drinks on campus. If you get your student a Starbucks or Dutch Bros drink please have them consume them before they arrive on campus.
Attendance
The first bell rings at 8:00 AM and the tardy bell rings at 8:10 AM. Any students arriving after 8:10 AM will need to check in at the office and get a pass to go to class. Wednesday late start days the first bell is at 9:00 AM and the tardy bells rings at 9:10 AM. It's vital that students are on time and ready to begin their school day by 8:10 AM each day.
If your student is absent or tardy there are three options to excuse an absence: 1. Log into Skyward, look under attendance tab, and click on the absence request link. 2. Parents can call our absence line by calling 360-885-6942. 3. Parents may also email dbmoffice@battlegroundps.org to excuse an absence.
Pre-arranged absence forms may be picked up in the office if parents are scheduling an absence. We ask that families avoid vacations or lengthy absences during the school year whenever possible.
Harassment Intimidation and Bullying Policy
At Daybreak Middle we follow the BGPS district policy on Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (Policy 3207). Students will be participating in a review of the following policy on the first few days of school:
The district is committed to a safe and civil educational environment for all students, employees, parents/legal guardians, volunteers and patrons, who are free from harassment, intimidation or bullying. “Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any intentional written messages or image — including those that are electronically transmitted —verbal, or physical act, including but not limited to one shown to be motivated by (race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, mental or physical disability), or other distinguishing characteristics, when an act:
A. Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property.
B. Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education.
C. Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or
D. Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.
Nothing in this section requires the affected student to actually possess a characteristic that is a basis for the harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
“Other distinguishing characteristics” can include but are not limited to: physical appearance, clothing or other apparel, socioeconomic status and weight.
“Intentional acts” refers to the individual’s choice to engage in the act rather than the ultimate impact of the action(s).
Behaviors/Expressions
This policy recognizes that 'harassment,' 'intimidation,' and 'bullying' are separate but related behaviors. Each must be addressed appropriately. The accompanying procedure differentiates the three behaviors, however, this differentiation should not be considered part of the legal definition of these behaviors.
Harassment, intimidation or bullying can take many forms including, but not limited to, slurs, rumors, jokes, innuendos, demeaning comments, drawings, cartoons, pranks, gestures, physical attacks, threats, or other written, oral, physical or electronically transmitted messages or images.
This policy is not intended to prohibit expression of religious, philosophical, or political views, provided that the expression does not substantially disrupt the educational environment. Many behaviors that do not rise to the level of harassment, intimidation or bullying may still be prohibited by other district policies or building, classroom or program rules.
Prevention
The district will provide students with strategies aimed at preventing harassment, intimidation and bullying. In its efforts to train students, the district will seek partnerships with families, law enforcement and other community agencies.
Interventions
Interventions are designed to remediate the impact on the targeted student(s) and others impacted by the violation, to change the behavior of the perpetrator, and to restore a positive school climate.
The district will consider the frequency of incidents, developmental age of the student, and severity of the conduct in determining intervention strategies. Interventions will range from counseling, correcting behavior and discipline, to law enforcement referrals.
Cell Phones
Our staff are aware of the benefits of cell phones as a useful tool, as well as, the distraction they can be to learning and the easy access they present to cyberbullying. With that in mind, we are trying a new cell phone management system at DBM this year allowing for Green, Yellow, and Red cellphone zones. The attached fliers explain the DBM Cell Phone Zones for families and students. Please talk with your student about managing their phone appropriately at school. Students should not be texting, videoing, or calling from their phones while at school. Students can come to the office to call parents if needed. If you need to contact your child please call the office at 360-885-6900 and we will relay a message to them for you. While we are all in the habit of sending a quick text, we ask that parents call the office instead of texting their student. Receiving a text in the middle of class distracts students from their learning.
District Wide News Updates
Weather related information
It may be hard to believe, but the potential for wintry weather will soon be in the forecast. Please visit the district’s weather and emergency information page to make sure you are ready in the event of a school closure or delay.
How we notify families
Automated phone calls, emails and texts: Please keep your contact information updated in Skyward (Family Access) or contact your school office. On weather days, calls may begin going out as early as 5:30 a.m. to families who have not opted out.
Information line: 360-885-5343 (updated by 6 a.m. on weather impacted days).
Flash Alert: Sign up for email alerts or download the mobile app for updates about emergency and non-emergency issues. You must re-subscribe every year.
TV and radio stations, local newspapers may share information at their discretion.
Please download and print our weather guide for quick access to weather-related information and make sure you know if your child’s school is in the north or south part of the district.
Nutrition Services
Sodexo, the district’s Nutrition Services provider, is experiencing ongoing technical issues with updating meal menus online. November menus can be accessed here.
Also, be sure to check out Sodexo’s monthly newsletter for a calendar of events, updated information, nutritional advice and much more.
New payment option
There’s a new way to add funds to a student’s meals account, pay class and sports fees, buy yearbooks and more! Using this one-stop shopping option, parents and guardians can pay for each of their children in one transaction. Follow the instructions labeled “1st Time Parents” to access one account for the entire family. Meal payments will be reflected in Skyward every hour between 7:05 a.m. and 1:05 p.m.
E-Funds also remains an option for adding funds to a student’s meal account.
Student online safety
Keeping students safe online is a priority in Battle Ground Public Schools. Recent events have reinforced the need to use caution when interacting online. These include national reports of online groups targeting children and teens. While we are not aware of BGPS students being targeted by these groups, it is important for staff, students and parents/guardians to work together to keep our young people safe.
How you can help students be safe
Please periodically review these tips with your child:
Students should keep their passwords confidential. They should not share passwords or allow others to use their Chromebook after they sign in.
Use school email addresses for only school-related communication and activities.
Be cautious when accepting friend requests; communicating with other people online; and sharing photos, videos, and identifying information on social media and other sites. Review privacy settings to limit who can see this information.
Monitor what your child is doing online and discuss risks associated with sharing personal content.
Use GoGuardian Parent to see how your child is using their device. Get information on GoGuardian Parent.
How BGPS keeps students safe
BGPS supports the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and insists that websites the district uses adhere to this law.
The district provides active supervision and filtering of content on all devices in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
The district restricts access to apps that have the potential for abuse or pose cybersecurity risks.
Student data privacy agreements protect student information in conjunction with the Washington Student Data Privacy Alliance.
Students learn about digital citizenship and appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response.
Register and Vote on Nov. 7
Ballots for the Nov. 7 general and special election were mailed on Oct. 20 and should have arrived in your mailbox. You can check the status of your ballot, if it hasn't arrived, on the Clark County Elections website. Citizens who are 18 or older can register to vote online through Monday, Oct. 30. After that, you can register in-person at the county elections department (1408 Franklin St., Vancouver, WA) until 8 p.m. on election night. Visit the elections department website to learn more and find a map of ballot dropbox locations.
Looking for something fun to do?
Be sure to check out our Community Events page for fun ideas of things to do throughout the local community. Nonprofit organizations looking to share their own upcoming events are welcome to submit a flyer to be included. Flyers are posted on the community events webpage and printed at relevant schools on their community bulletin boards. The BGPS community flyer checklist provides information about what is required for flyer submission.
Ask BGPS
Got a question about Battle Ground Public Schools? Maybe you're curious about a new curriculum, or want to know about safety procedures. Let us know what you're interested in by submitting your question(s). Your question may be selected for answering on our Facebook page.
Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish translation and interpretation services
Услуги по устному и письменному переводу на русский и украинский языки 360-885-5433
Servicios de Traducción e Interpretación en Español 360-885-5431
Report incidents anonymously with SafeSchools
Please report bullying, intimidation, harassment, threats and safety concerns using our anonymous reporting system. Reporters can remain anonymous. Emergencies should always be reported to 911. Learn more about emergency procedures and safety protocols.
Highly capable/gifted student referrals
Students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels as defined by state criteria may be tested for Battle Ground Public Schools’ highly capable/gifted student program. The Aspire program is accepting testing referrals Oct. 11-Dec. 1, 2023. Any student currently in kindergarten through 11th grade may be referred. A completed referral form with a parent or guardian signature is required for testing. Referral packets are available now on the Battle Ground Public Schools website.
Testing will take place in January and February during the school day at the student’s
school. Parents and guardians will be notified of their child’s testing date after submitting a referral. Students who are identified for the Aspire program will begin to receive services in the 2024-2025 school year.
For more information about the Aspire program, please email aspire@battlegroundps.org.
Provide your input: New district logo
It's time to retire the dancing fairy that has long graced our logo! We are conducting a survey to gather insights that will help guide the new design. Take a look at the history of our logos and help us by answering a few questions.
Battle Ground Public Schools provides equal opportunity in programs and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin/language, creed/religion, sex, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, marital status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, HIV/Hepatitis C status. The district provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Contact the following regarding questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Tom Adams, Director of Student Services, adams.tom@battlegroundps.org, Title IX Compliance Officer, 360.885.5415; Michelle Reinhardt, Executive Director of Human Resources, reinhardt.michelle@battlegroundps.org, Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, 360.885.5481; or a letter may be submitted to the designated coordinator at the Battle Ground Public Schools, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604.