Middle School DOES Count!

Have you heard or found yourself or your student saying the following things?

"Middle school doesn't count."

"Even if you fail middle school, you get to go to high school."

"High school is more important."

It's not true. Like elementary, middle school teaches important foundational skills that are necessary to earn credit towards high school graduation. While it may seem like students are "passing" along, students who are engaged in learning at high levels will experience difficulty in high school. I was a post-secondary advisor at East High School for four years, and I worked with several students who didn't realize how much middle school did count! Please monitor your student's attendance, grades, behavior and involvement. If you have questions, reach out any Goodrell staff member. We don't just want your student get "passed along" at Goodrell. We want your student to learn, thrive, and have a solid foundation to accomplish their life goals including high school graduation!

Contact Ms. Romo - carrie.romo@dmschools.org

As we start looking forward to the 2022-2023 school year, we want to make sure you know where we are headed. Goodell has been an IB World School for the last decade, and our students have been able to experience learning with a world lens. Within the last two years, DMPS has adopted a rigorous curriculum for both reading and math that has a world lens embedded within the curriculum, and it does not have the need for IB supports. With any decision being made regarding Goodrell's future as an IB school, we want to make sure we involve our community. Please complete the following survey: https://forms.office.com/r/siwZ5PAz9a.

We have a few new faces joining the halls of Goodrell Middle School this past month! Ms. Charmaine Bell is our new Student Support Coordinator. Ms. Caren Krauss stepped in as our long-term sub for our Behavior Special Education teacher after we have been without one since the fall. Ms. Angie Mullican joins us as a long-term ELL sub while Mrs. Hannah Anderson is out on maternity leave.

I'll let each of them introduce themselves below!

My name is Mrs. Bell, and I am the new Student Support Coordinator at Goodrell Middle School. The best part of my job is getting to know the students and helping them be successful any way that I can! Goodrell ROAR!

Contact Ms. Bell - charmaine.bell@dmschools.org

Hello! My name is Caren Krauss and I have been a teacher in DMPS for 5 years. Before DMPS, I taught at a charter school in Kansas City in a multi-age, multi-lingual Newcomer ELL classroom. This is my 21st year of teaching. I will be spending the rest of the school year in the Goodrell TLC room, and have enjoyed getting to know all the students and staff at Goodrell. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy baking, playing with my cats, and putting together puzzles.

Contact Ms. Krauss - caren.kraus@dmschools.org

Hi, my name is Angie Mullican. I am a recent graduate of Drake University. I’m excited to be subbing for Mrs. Anderson during her maternity leave. I am from the Des Moines area. My favorite things to do are hiking with friends and reading. I love getting book recommendations, so if you have any good suggestions send them my way!

Contact Ms. Mullican - angelina.mullican@dmschools.org

ELPA21 Testing will begin this week! The test will begin on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, and it will continue until students have completed each of the four domains (Reading, Writing, Speaking, & Listening).

6th Grade ELA is finishing up their work with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind with an essay and small-group presentations. Next, we’ll embark on a journey into the Great Depression era, reading and working with the novel Two Roads, and ultimately ending with learning about argumentative writing!

If you have any questions about the origanization, please feel free to contact Sharlene Claytor at sharlene.claytor@dmschools.org or call 515-242-7569.

Nothing new to report at this time!

Contact Mrs. Claytor - sharlene.claytor@dmschools.org

Counselor for Last Names M-Z

DMPS Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a FREE CONFIDENTIAL, rapid response intervention that supports students and families. DMPS is partnering with Mosaic Family Counseling Center, Inc. to deliver services to students, parents, and families in the areas of anxiety, depression, family stress, aggressive behaviors, trauma and problems with drugs and alcohol.

To access help or for more information:

Call: 515.724.8920

Email: info@mosaicfamilyinc.com

Visit the Website: www.mosaicfamilyinc.com

Contact Ms. Charikov - julie.charikov@dmschools.org

Counselor for Last Names A-L

See above!

Contact Ms. Hartung - jill.hartung@dmschools.org

Dental Screenings for 8th Graders

All students must have a dental screening completed and an IDPH Certificate of Dental Screening form on file with the school prior to enrollment in 9th grade. The required dental screening can be completed anytime within 1 year prior to 9th grade enrollment.

Goodrell has collaborated with Dental Connections to schedule a Dental Screen for our 8th Graders to fulfill this requirement. The 8th Grade Dental Screen is scheduled for Friday, February 18 during 3rd period. A message containing more information was sent to 8th grade families through Infinite Campus on 1/28.

Attention 6th Graders

As we start thinking about next year, I wanted to remind you that each 7th grade student needs a Tdap and Meningitis Immunization before the start of the school year. If your student needs one or both vaccines, you will be receiving a message through IC Messenger within the next couple of weeks. Please schedule an appointment with your provider for your student to receive their vaccines before the start of 7th grade. Thank You!

Contact Nurse Bo - bonita.steinhelper@dmschools.org

With second semester underway, we have a lot of exciting opportunities happening at Goodrell. Boys basketball and the second season of winter cheer are both in full swing, and our 8th grade boys basketball team currently has a 3-0 record heading into the middle of the season. With six games remaining, we hope the team can continue its winning ways!

In January we also unveiled our Code of Conduct for activities. In case you missed the message sent out on SchoolCNXT, you can read more about it on our website by going HERE. As we are going through this transition toward more accountability for students participating in extra-curricular activities, we welcome feedback about the process and will continue to look for ways to best serve our kids.

With track & field and soccer seasons coming up soon, right now is a good time to get a sports physical if your student hasn't already gotten one. These sports are open to all 7th & 8th grade students for both boys and girls. There are several free clinics coming up at nearby middle schools. Please visit our district's site by going HERE for a list of locations and links to sign up. You can also visit our site for more INFORMATION about sports physicals.

On the club scene, all clubs will now have snacks at their meetings. We are trying to boost attendance, and we often get feedback from students that they would like a snack after school. We also have a couple of groups that already provided snacks, and those clubs typically have good attendance. We hope this change will boost our numbers in other clubs, too. Be on the lookout for additional incentives in February as we continue our push for more participation. You can check out which clubs we offer by going to our activities calendar HERE.

Contact Mr. Power - jared.power@dmschools.org

Email: lauren.jacobs@dmschools.org
Website: goodrell.dmschools.org
Location: 3300 East 29th Street, Des Moines, IA, USA
Phone: (515) 242-8444
Facebook: facebook.com/GoodrellMS
Twitter: @goodrelldmpride