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DRMS' Principal Message

Hello Dolphins!  This is Kristen Faircloth, proud principal at Durant Road Middle School, with your December 13, 2020 Family Message.

 

We hope you had a wonderful weekend and are getting ready for the upcoming winter break.  We have seven days of school left until the first semester concludes.  Please encourage your child to finish strong!  There are a lot of opportunities to complete school work, get assistance from teachers, and to finish on a positive note.  Attending class is so important, especially this time of year.  

 

This week we welcome back Cohort 1-A students to the building.  The same safety measures and procedures are in place.  A gentle reminder is provided below.  We also have a district-wide Asynchronous/Remote Learning Day on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.  Lastly, please know that the DRMS team is still focusing on what second semester will look like with Virtual Academy applications and In Person students.  There will be schedule changes for some students to ensure our classes are balanced and students are safe.  We will communicate the process in the near future with essential steps to begin the second semester on a positive note.  Please know that we truly appreciate your patience during this time of planning.

 

Please be sure you take a moment to read the Family Message updates below.  There are updates for this upcoming week as well as the following week.  If there is anything we can do for you or your family, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  We hope you have a wonderful week!

 

DRMS Spirit Week:  Our second Spirit Week of the year is December 14-18. We loved hearing students VOICE around our choices first quarter and this quarter we heard the VOICE of our staff.  Click here to see what our staff chose. We look forward to seeing you flex your creative muscle during Spirit Week. 

 

Cohort 1-A THIS WEEK!:  This is a friendly reminder that Cohort 1-A students are returning to the building beginning tomorrow, Monday, December 14, 2020.  We are excited to welcome these students back for the second time!  Just like last time, please remember to bring the following items with you:

 

  • A Face-Covering Mask
  • Waterbottle
  • Charged Device & Charger
  • ELA/Math Materials
  • Signed Forms (Attestation, BYOD, & Accountability) 

 

We have been really successful in keeping our campus safe so all the previous procedures are still in place.  If you need a friendly reminder on how we operate in the building, please review the DRMS Resources below.  We look forward to the continuation of having students back on campus!

 

DRMS Resources:  Two resources have been created and available for families regarding students returning to campus.  Please review the resources to help prepare your child and answer any questions you may have:

 

Asynchronous/Remote Learning Day:  This is a friendly reminder that Wednesday, December 16, 2020 is an Asynchronous/Remote Learning Day for all students.  The following points will help students and families better understand these days:

    • No students come to the building
    • Teachers will provide learning opportunities/activities for students
    • No live instruction
    • No new content
    • Attendance is taken through assignment completion or a form
    • Teachers can still request to work with small groups of students or 1:1 by inviting them to a Google Meet (focusing on concepts, work completion, intervention, progress monitoring, focusing on learning goals, etc).  
    • Teachers will schedule/load all assignments at the beginning of the day.  This will allow students, who choose to do so, to complete all their work earlier to take a break from screen time for the remainder of the day.

 

2nd Quarter Ends:  This is a friendly reminder that the second quarter ends on Tuesday, December 22, 2020.  All students should submit their school work for second quarter grades by this day.  Report cards will be issued on January 29, 2021 (after track out).  We want all students to finish the quarter strong by completing all work and being engaged in both in-person and virtual classes!

 

2nd Semester Materials Pick-Up & Schedules:  We know that students and families are anxious about what second semester will look like at Durant Road Middle School.  Please know we are still finalizing any potential schedule changes as a result of Virtual Academy versus In Person decisions.  There are many factors that must be taken into consideration to ensure our building is safe for the arrival of more students.  This includes balanced class sizes, balanced cohort sizes, staffing, and the least disruptions to student schedules.  Families will be notified if your schedule is affected for the second semester.  Our goal is to have 2nd semester schedules ready to distribute on 2nd Semester Materials Pick-Up day, Thursday, January 21, 2021.  Thank you for your patience throughout this process and please reach-out with any questions.

 

DRMS Yearbook:  This week is Spirit Week at DRMS! Be sure to submit all of your spirit week pictures to the yearbook so you and your friends can be featured! Remember to submit any and all pictures that you have to the yearbook! The more the merrier! Use this link to submit: https://images.jostens.com/415464879

 

Do you have an 8th grader at DRMS? Don’t forget to purchase an ad for them in the yearbook! Purchase your ad for your 8th grader here: https://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/students-and-parents/yearbook-ads

 

We have created a website for the DRMS 2020-2021 Yearbook! The link for the DRMS yearbook website is: https://sites.google.com/wcpss.net/dmrsyearbook/home 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!


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

 

Thank you for supporting DRMS,

Kristen Faircloth

Principal