DRMS Principal's Message
Hello, this is Kristen Faircloth, principal at Durant Road Middle School, with the principal's message.
Our FCCLA students are working hard to complete their service projects. This week, March 4-8th, Felicity S. and Abby F. will be collecting coloring books and coloring pencils/crayons at the top of the 7th grade hall for Duke Children's Hospital for their FCCLA service project. They will collect these items each morning from 7:45 AM -8:10 AM. For each item brought, students will receive a ticket for a raffle prize of either an Amazon gift card or candy basket.
On Monday, March 4, 2019 tracks 1, 3 & 4 learners will be staying on team during Smart Block in order to complete the March agenda page focused on creating actions steps to finish out the school year successfully. Track 2 learners will complete their March agenda page on Monday, March 11, 2019. Please continue to review your child's Student Agenda with them on a regular basis. The Student Agenda is a wonderful organizational tool, reflective tool and communication tool. Thank you to our DRMS PTA for supplying students with their first agenda. Additional agendas have been ordered. If your child needs a new agenda, they can purchase one in the front office for $5.00.
Thanks to the DRMS PTA, our Dolphins will enjoy another Cultural Arts performance. Bright Star Theatre will perform "Freedom Songs" this month. Tracks 1 & 3 will enjoy the performance on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 and tracks 2 & 4 will enjoy the performance on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Music has long played such an important role in American culture and history. And yet, perhaps no single population has provided bigger influence on American Music than the African American Community. Bluegrass, Jazz, The Blues, Spirituals--so much of our musical identity as a nation can be traced to this rich heritage. Make sure to ask your child what they enjoyed and learned from the performance.
Along with fire drills, schools are charged to conduct tornado drills. March 3-9, 2019 is designated as Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina. With warm weather quickly approaching, now is the time to prepare for the severe weather season. On March 6, 2019, all schools and government buildings will participate in a statewide tornado drill. Durant Road Middle School will participate in the statewide drill at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.
Spring Pictures will be taken on Thursday, March 7, 2019 for tracks 1 & 3. All students will be photographed during their PE classes. No payment is necessary on picture day. Proofs will be sent home 3 to 4 weeks after the designated picture date.
Volunteers Needed!!
Friday, March 8, 2019 is an Early Release Day with students dismissing at 12:30 PM. DRMS has deemed early release days as College & Career Ready Days! We are encouraging all students and staff to wear college gear on Friday, March 8, 2019. As part of our College & Career Ready Days, 8th grade/Tracks 3 & 4 will be participating in The Reality of Money on Friday, March 8, 2019. Reality of Money is a financial simulation that is sponsored by SECU. This event provides students an opportunity to make financial decisions about paying for housing, transportation, and other monthly expenses as they are "transformed" into young adults with jobs and other responsibilities to manage. Students are exposed to various financial learning points such as the value of furthering their education, the importance of saving, the limiting effect of bad credit, and "living within their means".
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054DAAA72B0-signup.
The week of March 3-9, 2019, marks the celebration of School Social Work Week. With the theme of "Lucky Enough,” school social workers across the country will highlight their vital role in helping students meet the academic, social, and emotional challenges on the road to becoming successful and productive young adults. Under the leadership of the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), the only national organization exclusively dedicated to the profession of school social work, this celebration will emphasize School Social Work contributions of focusing on the “whole-child”, linking families to community resources, a valuable voice as part of the school’s multidisciplinary team, and advocating for the profession of School Social Work. Thank you to Orlander Bullock, DRMS' School Social Worker. Mr. Bullock does an outstanding job with our students and families. We are lucky to have Mr. Bullock as a part of our Dolphin family.
You are invited to STUDENT LED CONFERENCES!!
DRMS will be holding Student Led Conferences in March and April! Student Led Conferences for Dolphins on Tracks 3 & 4 is scheduled for March 19, 2019. Student Led Conferences for Dolphins on Tracks 1 & 2 is scheduled for April 10, 2019. Information and sign up options from 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM was sent out on Friday, March 1, 2019. We are looking for 100% participation. We will have food trucks available in the bus loop for dinner and the PTA will be selling spirit wear. Most importantly, your children will have the opportunity to share the learning activities, goals and communicate their progress in all areas. Please sign up for a time and plan on attending making Student Led Conferences an amazing event for all!
Our second annual SPLASH DASH Color Run is just around the corner! This is an important day of fun and generosity for our school community. Students will participate in a run on the school campus and can choose to have safe, colorful powder thrown on them at various color stations. Last year was our first SPLASH DASH and all the kids had a blast! SPLASH DASH for Tracks 1 & 3 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, 2019 and SPLASH DASH for Tracks 2 & 4 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23. Students have the opportunity to use 99Pledges, an online fundraising platform, to help raise money from friends and family members. Our goal is to raise $20,000 to help fund critical technology upgrades throughout our school that are not covered by Wake County. Please help us reach our goal!!!
Thank you for supporting DRMS,
Kristen Faircloth
Principal