Archer Update #20

As this calendar year comes to an end, we reflect on all the accomplishments of our students, teachers and staff this past year. Please click to watch 2023 - A Year of #PHMExcellence!

We wish all of our families a wonderful Holiday Season, Merry Christmas, and a Happy & Safe New Year! See you in 2024!

DMS Families,

Have a safe and restful winter break! Please take time to recharge and reconnect with loved ones along the holiday! We appreciate what an amazing school community we have here at DMS and we wish you a Happy New Year - see you in 2024!

-The DMS Administrators

Winter Break December 23rd - January 7th - NO SCHOOL

The second quarter officially ends January 11th. Report Cards will be posted in Skyward on Family Access on Friday, January 19th, 2024.

In this edition of the Archer Update you will find the following information:

1. One Book One School - Battle of the Book Finale
2. December Teacher of the Month - Mrs. Anita Weaver
3. Grinch Day (Spirit Week) was the Best Day at DMS!
4. Washington D.C. Trip Registration for Current 8th Graders
5. Penn High School's Summer P.E. for Incoming 9th Graders
   
6. DMS PTO NEWS
7. In Case of Inclement Weather - School Closing E-Learning Information
8. Teacher Job Fair for PHM
9. Reporting Student Absences

Friendly Reminders:

• Drop-off begins at 8:50 am and students will be marked tardy if they aren't in their seats by 9:05 am. Dismissal begins at 4:00 pm for car riders and buses depart by 4:08 pm.
• Unless approved by the building principal, no visitors or guests are allowed in the building.

Discovery Middle School is ranked #2 in the State of Indiana for top performing middle schools (this is out of about 300). Our teachers continue to be prepared to provide the most targeted, engaging lessons to help all our students reach their fullest learning potential. Our students are some of the best in Indiana and possibly the world! Thank you for sending us your finest!

Mrs. Weaver is an amazing science teacher here at Discovery and has been for over 30 years! She works so hard to ensure her students have a love and passion for science, while also holding them to high standards. She is a teacher that will join her students almost every year on the Washington D.C. week long field trip, ensuring students have an end of middle school experience that is full of fun and education. She is also the leader of the One Book One School program and works behind the scenes all year long to ensure each student and staff member has an opportunity to be enriched in a school-wide community building activity through the love of Reading! Thank you Mrs. Weaver for always AIMing High and going above and beyond for your students and your school community!

Attention parents of 8th graders,

Reminder that the deadline for registering your child for the Washington, D.C. trip is fast approaching. The due date for registration is January 11, 2024. If your son/daughter is planning to go on this trip you can find the link to register here. This trip promises to be an enriching and educational experience for our students, and we wouldn't want any of them to miss out.

Please ensure that registration and deposit payment is submitted by the specified date above to secure your child's place on the trip. If you have any questions or need further assistance with the registration process, please don't hesitate to reach out to Mr. Bontrager or Mr. Hedrick.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to an exciting and memorable trip to Washington, D.C. with your child.

Summer School 2024 Dates/Times (Tentative)

Semester 1 - June 10-28 (Mon-Fri, 8:40 AM-12:40 PM)
Semester 2 - July 8-26 (Mon-Fri, 8:40 AM-12:40 PM)

Cost: No Fee

Here is the registration form for Summer PE 2024 at Penn

The form will be accepting responses from 01/08/24 - 01/18/24

Important to Know Before Registering:

• PE is a two-semester course.

• Students planning on playing a sport at Penn High School should consult with the coach before signing up for summer PE; the Physical Conditioning class will count towards the PE requirement.

• Absences for vacations, sports, school trips, camps, etc. cannot not be permitted.

• Summer PE transportation is provided for students residing within the P-H-M District.

• Summer PE spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

• Students in Summer PE will be required to participate in the following: daily kinetics, activities that promote physical fitness, cardiovascular activities, strength and endurance development, swimming, team sports

If your child will be absent for any reason, please notify our office as soon as possible! Our office staff records all absences beginning at 8:00 am and must phone any student's home who does not report to school without notice.

Another option is to go to your Skyward Family Access Account and follow these steps:

• Click on the Attendance Tile for the child who will be absent.
• Click on the Absence Requests Tab
• Click Add Absence Request on the right side of the screen
• Enter Start and End Date
• Check All Day if the absence will be the entire school day
• Attendance Reason - Choose from the drop down menu
• Comment - Add any information regarding the absence reason
• Click SAVE in the upper right hand corner

Website: https://discovery.phmschools.org/
Location: 10050 Brummitt Road, Granger, IN, USA
Phone: 574-674-6010