DMS STAFF SCOOP

First, thank you to all the staff that helped plan and host the 8th grade celebration on Friday evening. It was a wonderful event to acknowledge and celebrate all the learners!

As we look forward to the 23-24 school year, BLT is asking for feedback on our Tiger Connections structure and daily schedule. Tiger Connections is an essential part of our middle school model to build relationships both adult to learner and learner to learner. Additionally, DMS is rename Flex to WIN (What I Need). We will have conversations with learners to start the year to help all understand the purpose of this time. There have also been discussion of moving WIN Time sign-ups to Transitions classes as there is a natural connection to the academic coaching time.

BLT would like to gather staff input on the following models for next school year, in addition to the amount of time dedicated to TC:

• Tiger Connections 3 days a week and WIN 2 days a week
• Tiger Connections 5 days a week (shorter on WIN days)

Please have this short survey completed by Friday, May 26.

Let's have a great week!

Andy

Monday

• Fire Drill - 2:00

Tuesday

• 7th Grade Band Concert - 7:00 FHS Recital Hall

Wednesday

• ELT Department Time
• FLEX
• Learner Support Meetings

Thursday

• FLEX

Friday

• Staff Dress-up Day Workout (80's, 90's or today... or just be comfy in your favorite workout gear)

Looking for a way to have learners more aware of noise levels during work time? Check out BouncyBalls.org. All you need to do is project the website and the louder it gets in your room, the more the balls/bubble/numbers bounce around the screen. You can adjust how sensitive it responds to noise. Classroom Screen is another tool you can use to add timers, name drawers, voting polls, and more without the need to download any software. Just project the screen and you are good to go.

It's the final countdown... to bring on some Friday fun! Be sure not to tell the student's what we are up to or what the schedule is, as it's much more fun to play innocent and watch them try to figure it out! :-) Thank you to everyone who contributed to voting... the tallies have been finalized and here is our Fun Friday Schedule 2023:

Friday, May 26th- Workout (80's, 90's or today... or just be comfy in your favorite workout gear)

Friday, June 2nd- Tiger Pride (Last Friday of the year!)

Positive supports, SLC process, and expectation reminders can be found here. These were operational notes originally sent out in September, but clarification has been added around SLC communication. Other items are timely issues to revisit as spring air begins to flow through the building!

I am reaching out to any teachers that might be interested in teaching summer school at FHS.

• We have two sessions: June 13th to June 29th, July 11th to July 27th
• We meet 7:30am till 12noon, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
• Pay: $30/hour
• Class sizes are 15 to 20
• We meet on the 3rd floor at Farmington High School

There is no direct instruction involved. Classes are already set up, and will be delivered through Edmentum, or Schoology.

Your role is facilitating, coaching & encouraging learners and supporting questions they have about content. You will also be communicating with parents/guardians about each learner’s progress at the end of each week.

We only need two more teachers, preferably either English or Social Studies; but any content area is fine. I have done this at FHS for the past 15 years. We have a wonderful team of teachers, and this is a great opportunity to support learners and earn decent money in a low stress environment.

If you are interested, please fill out this Summer School Interested Google Form and I will get back to you soon.

Thank you for considering this!

Rick Yonker

There have been an abundance of learners coming to the health office with strep symptoms.

Younger children can experience vomiting, and stomach pain combined with a sore throat.

More common symptoms are: Pain, fever, sudden onset of pain, swollen and red tonsils, white patches on tonsils, tiny red spots on roof of the mouth, and swollen lymph nodes.

Please take your child to get tested for strep with the symptoms above. A link from the CDC is attached for reference.

https://www.cdc.gov/groupastrep/diseases-public/strep-throat.html

If you have questions, call or email, I'm happy to help!

Your Dodge Leadership team is here to support you! Take this quick survey to let us know how you're feeling about the week ahead. We will follow up based on your response. Make it a great week!

Check-in Form

To request supplies for FLEX please use the link below

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTUDFr64pNz9E8ToSUOw3Jo4eWlscSfObgG4l87DWNfGcEHg/viewform

As a reminder, the DMS Staff Handbook has several resources linked for your reference as needed.

Monday, May 22 – Friday, May 26: 7:00AM-10:00PM

Saturday, May 20: TBD

Sunday, May 21: TBD

Monday, May 29: Building Closed

Please sign in and out on non-school days so staff know if anyone is in the building. The log sheet is taped on a table outside of Wendy's office.

If you plan to use the building outside of the normal operating hours above, you need to connect with Wendy, Karl, or Andy. It is critical that folks have the training to not set off an alarm. When the alarm goes off, police are dispatched to the building, and we are charged.

Again, please communicate with one of us if you plan on entering the building outside of normal operating hours.

The mission of Dodge Middle School, a flexible, learning-centered community that transforms the educational system to serve the uniqueness of each learner, is to cultivate individual academic and personal growth through:

• Reflection with a growth mindset

• Courage to explore diverse ideas

• Empathetic human connections

• Curiosity within the learning design and process

• Collaboration

Objectives:

• Each individual is equipped with the skills necessary to achieve their academic and personal goals.

• Each individual is an active agent of their own learning who perseveres through personal and academic challenges.

Email: anelson@farmington.k12.mn.us
Website: https://dms.farmington.k12.mn.us/
Location: Levi P Dodge Middle School, 208th Street West, Farmington, MN, USA
Phone: 651-460-1500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dodgetigers
Twitter: @dodgetigers