


DMS October Newsletter
October 31, 2023
Old Fort Niagara Field Trip
Walking in the Footsteps of History
The 7th grade went on a field trip to Old Fort Niagara! It was a great time and most everyone had fun there! The students were behaving well and were very respectful of the actors' time! As the day went along we got to act out and use some “tools” and see how life was during the colonial wars in North America. Students got to lather a shirt with soap, walk around with fake wooden muskets and practice marching, and at one point we got to play with the wooden lacrosse sticks that the Indian tribes would make and play with! There was so much to do there and we got to be a part of all aspects of life during the colonial time. They showed us the wake up song and battle song played on the drums! We saw someone shoot a musket! We pretended we were a part of the army and marched around! We even got to see where they slept, ate food and hung out! We learned about the baker's room and how he made bread and kept meat for a long time without refrigeration and still kept it edible. Then finally at last they shot a cannon for everyone who was there to sit and watch! They reenacted what they would’ve done in the real war from the commands to the hand signals. Overall it was a very fun trip and we learned a lot about colonial life!
DMS Spirit Week 2023
Student Council chose some fun themes for spirit week. It was great to see the amount of students and staff taking part in the fun. Rivalry week is a big part of the culture at Depew Middle and it allows us to show the pride we have in our school teams and our school community. Go Wildcats!
Class Color Day
Class Color Day
7th Grade Green
Class Color Day
6th Grade Yellow
Depew Spirit Blue & White Day
Depew Spirit Blue & White Day
Depew Spirit Blue & White Day
DMS Pep Rally 2023
DMS really got together to show their spirit and support of our DMS teams! The entire middle school had an exciting pep assembly on October 18th. Everyone showed great school spirit by wearing their class colors, wearing all their Depew gear and buying Depew themed items to be ready for this exciting event! All the grades had a blast, from the balloon popping race to the dancing in the middle of the entire gym, to the yelling contest! 8th grade took the win for the contest this year, again! During the balloon popping race, the 8th graders also took the win against all of the 7th and 6th graders that had also volunteered to participate in the race. It was very close between the 7th and 8th graders because 7th grade was almost fast enough to beat them.
All during the school day everywhere you looked there were kids and teachers participating in the school spirit. Everyone who could was helping set up for the pep assembly. The band did an amazing job playing the national anthem and getting everyone excited for the pep rally. I feel that everyone had an amazing day with lots of fun and Depew love.
Written by Emily Donahue, 7th Grade
W.E.B. Wednesday
This month's W.E.B. Wednesday activities focused on the character trait of Teamwork.
6th Grade Cup Stacking with Strings
This week's W.E.B. Wednesday was very creative and was so much fun! It was filled with opportunities for team building and gave us a chance to use our imagination. It was an amazing idea for us to do the strings and cups to prove that we can do anything if we work together! If we can build teamwork then we can come together as a school and lead our school with kindness and teamwork. Our W.E.B. leaders were fun too, we got to play charades, trivia, and so many more fun games! We can’t wait for the next W.E.B. day!
Written by: Laina Obermeier and Morgan DelConte, 6th grade
7th Grade Marshmallow Structures
On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 we had an amazing 8th grade W.E.B. day. It was a great activity that involved teamwork. We had to work in groups with about 4-5 people, and were given the task to make a strong and structured building out of specific materials. We all had a container of toothpicks and a bag of mini marshmallows. We had to learn how to use teamwork and to compromise and add our ideas with everyone else. It was a competition of who could make the strongest structure. We also enjoyed the fact that it was teamwork and competition. It was an enjoyable experience that allowed us to succeed as a team and the creativity was awesome.
Marcus McCarter Jr. & Maddie Warden-London, 7th Grade
8th Grade String Writing as a Team
On Wednesday October 25, 2023 we had an amazing W.E.B. day. The activity we did as a group was a lot of fun! We loved it! It was about working together as a team. We had to work in teams of 3-4. We had a big piece of poster paper to draw on with a marker. The tricky part was that the marker had 3-4 strings taped to it, and each member of the team had to hold 1 piece of string. Then together, we had to print “kind” words. We all had an amazing time. We are happy to be Wildcats because we do so many awesome and creative things at this school!
Written by Radfan Shaibi, Grade 8
Modified Fall Sports Updates
I want to congratulate all of our students who participated in modified, JV and Varsity sports during the fall season. They worked hard and had many amazing performances.
DMS wants to give a special shout out to Lilah Fatta for her performance at ECIC Division III Swim Championships on Friday, October 20 and the Class C Finals on Friday October 27. She took first place in the 100 Breaststroke and 2nd place in the 200 Individual Medley in both! Amazing swimming Lilah!
ECIC Division III Champion
ECIC Division III Champion
🏀🎳📣 Winter Sports 🏒🏊♂️🤼♂️👟
Attention 7th & 8th grade Student Athletes: Winter Sports sign ups in FamilyID are currently open. HS sports start on 11/13/23 & MS sports start on 11/20/23. You must have a current physical on file in the health office to be cleared to try out. If you need a school sports physical or have questions, see the school nurse, Mrs. Martin, in the MS health office. School physicals will be done in the MS on Wednesday, 11/15/23 from 9:30-12:30. New York State mandates a physical for athletes once a year.
The following winter sports are offered at Depew:
- Girls Modified Basketball
- Boys Modified Basketball
- Modified Cheerleading
- Modified Swimming
- Modified Wrestling
- Varsity Bowling *
- Varsity Indoor Track *
- Varsity Boys Swimming *
- Varsity Boys Ice Hockey *
- Varsity Girls Ice Hockey *
* - Athletic Placement Process is required for Varsity sports, contact Athletics office (716) 686-5078 for more information.
Ancient Measuring Techniques
Mr. Cooper's 7th Grade Technology class sharpened their measuring skills using ancient measuring Techniques.
Latitude and Longitude Battleship
Students in Mr. Carlino’s Social Studies classes reinforced their knowledge of latitude and longitude by playing a digital version of the classic game Battleship. The game had a little twist, that not only included ships on the oceans, but tanks for the land as well. Students placed their game pieces on either the Eastern or Western Hemisphere and tried to destroy each other’s ships and tanks. The game was a great way to have a fun Friday and reinforce the lessons they had on latitude and longitude.
After School Help
If your student is struggling with getting homework done, needs some help with organization or study skills we have Homework Helpers available Monday through Thursday from 2:20-3:10. Students staying after for homework helpers are eligible to ride the late bus if needed.
Health Office Updates
New York State required hearing and vision screenings for all new students and 7th graders will be taking place in October & November. Families will be notified by mail if there are any results outside of the normal ranges.
As the weather begins to change, please remember to have your child layer clothes for comfort. Also have your child bring a water bottle so they can stay hydrated throughout the day.
Remember to keep your child home if they are not feeling well to help control the spread of germs and viruses to other students and staff. Students who are experiencing fever, diarrhea or vomiting need to remain home for 24 hours with no symptoms and no medication before they can return to school.
If you have any health related questions please contact Lynne Martin, DMS School Nurse at x5042.
Upcoming Events
11/7 - 8th Grade Cedar Point Field Trip Parent Meeting in DMS Cafeteria @ 6:00 PM
11/10 - No School - Veteran's Day
11/10 - End of 1st Marking Period
11/14 - School Board Meeting in DHS Cafeteria @ 6:30 PM
11/15 - W.E.B. Wednesday
11/16 - Picture Make Up Day/ Retakes
11/22 - 11/24 - No School - Thanksgiving Recess
11/30 - Parent Teacher Conferences in evening if scheduled
12/1 - Early Dismissal- @11:18 AM
12/4 - Early Dismissal- @11:18 AM, Parent Conferences in the afternoon if scheduled
12/6 - Middle School Winter Concert in DHS Auditorium @ 7:30 PM
12/12 - MS/HS Jazz Band & Choirs Concert in DHS Auditorium @ 7:30 PM
12/25 - 1/1 - Winter Recess
8th Grade Frozen Food Fundraiser Update
Any frozen food from the 8th grade Fall fundraiser will be delivered to school on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 from 2:30-4:00 PM. Please note: Frozen food orders MUST be picked up on the delivery date as there is no way to keep them cold overnight.
DMS Clubs & Activities
There are so many clubs and activities to get involved with at DMS. Club dates and times are posted outside the Counseling Center, during announcements, in student emails and on our Depew Middle Website under events. Monday through Thursday we have a late bus that leaves around 3:15 PM. Joining clubs can be a great way to meet new people with similar interests. We hope to see you there.
- Art Club
- Board Game Club
- Computer Club
- Family & Consumer Science Club
- Foreign Language Club
- Jazz Ensemble
- Math Club
- Newspaper, Depew Voice
- Science Club
- Show Choir
- Social Studies Club
- Technology Club
- Yearbook
DMS Important Phone Numbers
Depew Middle School Main Office
- (716) 686-5045
Attendance Office
- (716) 686-5055
Health Office
- (716) 686-5042
Counseling Center
- (716) 686-5055
Transportation
- (716) 686-5155
Athletic Office
- (716) 686-5078