DRMS' Principal Message October 25th
Hello Dolphins! This is Kristen Faircloth, proud principal at Durant Road Middle School, with your October 25, 2020 Family Message.
We enjoyed welcoming our Dolphins back to their studies this week. It was great to see all the participation with "Rainbow Week" in support of so many important awareness's (Breast Cancer Awareness, Bullying Prevention, Mental Health Awareness, Disability Awareness). The faculty and staff are continuing to plan for Plan B student return in cohorts starting with cohort 3-C on November 9, 2020. It is very important that you stay informed and up to date with the shifts that are taking place in the district as well as at DRMS. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or ways we can support you.
2nd Quarter Materials Pick-Up: Our 2nd Quarter Materials Distribution held on Monday, October 19, 2020 was a huge success. Over 650 families were able to drive through and collect their materials. If you have not had a chance, you may pick-up your child's 2nd quarter materials between 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Monday - Friday at DRMS.
1st Quarter Report Cards: 1st Quarter Report Cards were finalized on Friday, October 23, 2020. Parents are able to view their child's 1st quarter report card by logging into PowerSchool. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions regarding your child's academic progress.
Facts with Faircloth: We have enjoyed hosting virtual principal chats (Facts with Faircloth) for families this year. In preparation for the return to in-person learning, we will be hosting a Facts with Faircloth on Monday, November 2, 2020 at 5:30 PM. The format will be a Google Meet that will be recorded and can be watched at a later time. Please sign up using the following link: Facts with Faircloth Signup Form. A link for the google meet will be emailed to families who register. If you would like to view past sessions, please visit our website here. We hope you find this community engagement session informative!
Transition to In-Person Learning: Starting November 9th, Plan B cohorts will begin in-person learning on campus starting with Cohort 3. Due to previous planning, DRMS has a solid foundation to make a smooth transition. There will be no change in teacher or schedule for most students in Virtual Academy. Starting November 9th, students in Plan B will be assigned in-person core teachers for the week they are on campus and remote core teachers for the weeks they are learning virtually. In most cases, Plan B students will continue with their current teachers and schedules for either in-person and/or remote while gaining additional core teachers. Elective teachers will not change for Virtual Academy or Plan B Students. If a student's cohort or schedule needs to change, a DRMS staff member will contact you. Our goal is to complete and share in-person and remote teachers/schedules/calendars with Plan B students by Friday, October 30, 2020. We will spend the week of November 2, 2020 reviewing schedules, procedures, structures, expectations, etc. prior to the start of in-person learning to ensure all students are comfortable and knowledgeable to return.
6th Grade Sync Up: In preparation for Plan B students return to campus, we are offering 6th Grade Sync Ups for our Plan B 6th grade Dolphins. 6th Grade Sync Up is an opportunity for 6th grade Plan B students to come on campus, visit a classroom, meet their in-person/remote core teachers and take a structured school tour. This opportunity is for Plan B students only. Three 6th Grade Sync Ups have been scheduled, one for each cohort, and will last an hour. Plan B 6th grade students should attend during their cohort scheduled time to ensure social distancing. Parents will drive through carpool to drop off their child and pick them up in carpool one hour later. Children will be screened, including a temperature check and health guideline questions, when they arrive in carpool. Parents should not drive away until the health screening is complete. Students must wear a mask at all times. November 6, 2020 will be an asynchronous day of learning for all 6th grade students. We are looking forward to welcoming and providing this opportunity for our 6th grade Plan B Dolphins:
- Day: Friday, November 6, 2020
- Time: Cohort 1/A - 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
- Time: Cohort 2/B - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Time: Cohort 3/C - 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Here Comes the Bus translates GPS data into an easy to use customizable map that works on a computer, tablet or smartphone. The app allows you to see where the bus is and how close it is to your stop.
Get started with Here Comes the Bus at https://herecomesthebus.com/parents/get-started/. You will need the district code and your student’s ID number to sign up. For your smartphone or tablet, download the Here Comes the Bus app from the App Store or Google Play.
The WCPSS school code for Yellow Bus is 67500. The WCPSS school code for Vendor Transportation Services is 67501. Learn more about Here Comes the Bus for Vendor Transportation Services.
When entering your student’s last name on the app, spell it as it appears on your Home Base/PowerSchool account. If there is a hyphen in the name, make sure you include it. Only enter the first 18 characters of your student’s last name. If your name is, Yellow-School Bus Wake, you will enter Yellow-School Bus in the last name field.
Once activated, you can customize or edit features, including how the app will communicate with you and the size of the notification radius.
The Here Comes the Bus app does not track buses providing service between schools, afterschool activities or athletic events.
DRMS Yearbook: We hope you had a wonderful and restful track out! We would love for you to share any pictures of your time over track out with us! Show us how you spent your free time, any cool places you traveled to, or the adventures you went on with family and friends! Please use this google form to submit your track out photos: https://forms.gle/GDQTqS3iFezHpG939
Please follow the DRMS Yearbook on our social media platforms! We are @DrmsYearbook on Twitter and drms_yearbook on Instagram! This is a great way to stay up to date with yearbook information and tag us in any photos you’d like to see in the yearbook!
This school year is one that none of us are going to want to ever forget. It's filled with new challenges, surprises, and adventures around every corner. We are all adjusting to our new normal. One great way to commemorate this unforgettable school year is by ordering your 2020-2021 DRMS yearbook. The link to directly place an order is here: http://jostensyearbooks.com?ref=A01095208
A Message From The DRMS PTA: We hope everyone had a great first week back! We have updated our Family Resources webpage to include two new tech resources that parents might find helpful –cybersecurity tips for schools, students and parents and information about an upcoming remote learning conference. Click here to check them out.