Weekly Update
January 14, 2022
Congratulations to Miss Leamons
As many of you may have already heard, our beloved Miss Leamons will be changing roles and schools next Tuesday to become the new principal at Lietz Elementary. The position became available this past month when Principal Lopez took a position at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Miss Leamons’s rich experience with primary and special education instruction, as well as her empathetic relationships with Dartmouth families in the Lietz community made her the perfect replacement.
While we are excited for Miss Leamons and Lietz, this is a huge loss for us. She has dedicated every bit of the past three and a half years to improving the quality of learning and life at Dartmouth. Her incredible ability to problem solve, listen and act with empathy, engage and redirect students with kindness and dignity, support classroom instruction and planning with invested focus, and champion the social emotional development of all will be truly missed.
Just so you are aware of the process in filing the Assistant Principal position, I wanted to share with you our next steps. There is currently a posting for our Assistant Principal position. We have Dr. Andrews's promise that the hiring process will be extensive with stakeholder participation. She will meet with our site to gather staff perspective as to the qualities we deem essential for our next Assistant Principal. Dr. Ana Lomas will be our interim AP until the position is filled. For those of you who do not know Dr. Lomas, she was the amazing assistant principal for five years prior to Miss Leamons.
We celebrate Miss Leamons for her loving work at making Dartmouth a better place as she transitions to the next exciting chapter in her career. Our students and parents have played an important part in her journey. The relationships and memories created will most certainly help her continue forward proudly and always as an Eagle.
Message from the Superintendent
Dr. Andrews's timely messages are delivered frequently and provide clarity to many of our most urgent concerns. Though our focus has been distracted by COVID, it is wonderful to know that the systems for developing innovative and future ready students are strongly in action.
Dr. Andrews provides insight into our path towards a healthier school year in this month's health update: Message from the Superintendent.
Second Harvest Food Drive
Presenting with Focus
Speaking with Clarity
Showcasing with Spirit
Moving Forward in a Healthy Direction
We have all felt the impact of exposure notices, testing and masking protocols, as well as limitations to activities. During all of this though, I have seen wonderful acts of kindness, resilience, and respect outnumber the voices of frustration. Maintaining a path where positivity and hope drive our thoughts and actions prepares us for the soon to come transition to normalcy. The images of joyful students shared in our newsletters are a testament to the reality of what is truly happening. As your principal, I choose to embrace the blessings each day brings us while encouraging others to work collaboratively to create opportunities for joyful growth.
CJSF Sells Cookies and Hot Chocolate for Toys for Tots
The Power of Awe
Inspiration is available to all of us. We are surrounded by opportunities to explore, dream, and create. Simple actions like taking walks in nature, exploring art, and observing natural processes provide sparks of creative and adaptive thinking which enriches our senses and charges our creativity. The Washington Post article on how we can help our children find awe showcases simple ways our children can be inspired.
Dartmouth Yearbooks On Sale
Upcoming Events
1/17: MLK Jr. Birthday Holiday-No School
1/18: Branham Information Night @ 6:30 pm Webinar Link
1/20: SSC Mtg @ 6:00 pm
1/24: Leigh Information Night @ 6:30 pm
1/29 and 1/30: DMS Band Mattress Fundraiser
2/1: HSC Mtg @ 6:30 pm
2/7: School Board Mtg @ 6:00 pm
Dartmouth Middle School
Email: martinor@unionsd.org
Website: dartmouth.unionsd.org/
Location: 5575 Dartmouth Drive, San Jose, CA
Phone: (408)438-8846
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DartmouthHSC/
Twitter: @DartmouthMS