DRMS' Principal Message
Happy Sunday Dolphins! This is Kristen Faircloth, proud Principal at Durant Road Middle School, with your March 7, 2021 Family Message.
We hope you enjoyed the beautiful March weekend. Durant Road Middle School Staff continues to work hard to support both Virtual Academy and Non-Virtual Academy/In-Person students to grow personally and academically. We are excited to welcome Cohort 2-B students to campus this week. Please take a moment to read the Family Message below as there is a lot of great information including STEAM Engine fundraiser updates, March 17th Family Engagement event, final picture day date, and much more.
Please let us know if you have any immediate questions or concerns that need addressed. You can always communicate with your grade level Assistant Principal or Counselor or call the Durant Road Middle School front office at 919.870.4098. We are happy to assist in any way.
STEAM Engine: DRMS is thrilled to partner with STEAM Engine! presented by Power of Purpose (Pop!). STEAM Engine! is all about equality, positive vibes, and helping students believe in themselves and their ability to help others. We also reward them with some incredible prizes and a bunch of amazing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math supplies for our students. Our STEAM Engine fundraiser began on Monday, March 1, 2021 and will run until Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Help us empower your child to help others by helping them with their GOLDEN TICKET assignment. We thank you in advance for being awesome!
DRMS Family Engagement Event: DRMS will host a virtual Family Engagement Event on Wednesday, March 17th. The fun will begin at 5:00 PM. Families can choose from four engaging options for two rounds. Please see more information below and sign up by clicking on the links to join the staff and friends on Wednesday, March 17, 2021.
Join us for a wee bit of fun at our virtual community engagement night. It is sure to bring you some laughs and delight. A four leaf clover may bring some luck your way; as trivia and bingo will be played. Maybe it’s crafts or food that interest you; go ahead and sign up for one round or two! So prepare your screens and wear your green; come join us to play and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
School Picture Day(s): Mark your calendars and bring those smiles for school picture day! Strawbridge Studios will be on campus on the following day to take your child's picture:
- March 11th - Cohort 2-B
- Cohort 2-B will receive order forms on Monday, March 8, 2021
Virtual Academy students have the opportunity to sign up for an appointment on Thursday, March 11, 2021. Virtual Academy students having their picture taken should come to the front door of the school and ring the doorbell and wait to be screened prior to entering the building for their picture.
Virtual Academy students or Non-Virtual Academy/In-Person students who missed their picture day interested in having their picture taken should sign-up using the following link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c4baeae2fa3fe3-1001341
This link will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding their child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.
DRMS Athletics: Please see the DRMS Athletics updates below.
Testing Updates: Please see various testing updates below. Not all updates apply to all children.
- iReady Testing: Select students participated in the iReady Reading Middle of the Year testing the last few weeks. Teachers will be working closely communicating with select students who still need to complete the iReady testing. This assessment will provide teachers and parents with growth reports that will help guide instruction needs for students during the remainder of the year. If you have any questions regarding the iReady assessment, you may contact our iReady coordinator Ms. Erin Dunbar at edunbar@wcpss.net.
- ACCESS Testing: This is a friendly reminder that our English language learners in Cohort 2-B will begin taking the annual ACCESS test this week. English language learners who are Virtual Academy will be taking the annual ACCESS test on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. It is imperative that they bring their devices and chargers to school every day. If you have any questions regarding the ACCESS Testing, please contact Ms. Deborah McTernan at dmcternan@wcpss.net or Mr. Marty Vieira at mvieira@wcpss.net.
- Single Subject Acceleration (SSA): The SSA test request window is from February 22, 2021 - March 22, 2021. Students meeting qualifying criteria can take advanced academic content in select mathematics or English Language Arts courses through Single Subject Acceleration (SSA). If you are interested in having your child tested to skip grade level content, please contact Mrs. Earnest at nearnest@wcpss.net for more information. The WCPSS SSA website outlines the windows when test requests can be made and when testing will occur.
- End of Year Testing: As of right now, EOG testing will be completed during the last ten days of school (June 8th - June 21st). Additionally, all testing will be completed on campus. Please know that logistics or other specifics have yet to be determined. The plans could certainly change with district-wide decisions or requirements.
Rising 7th Grade Immunizations: NC State Law mandates that all rising 7th grade students have their TDAP and Meningococcal vaccines. Please return immunization records showing TDAP and Meningococcal vaccines by or before August 1, 2021. Immunization records may be emailed to zdiggs@wcpss.net. We appreciate your attention to this mandate.
DRMS PTA Updates: A huge thank-you to all the students and families who are participating in our STEAM Engine fundraiser to help make DRMS an even more awesome school! The fundraiser runs until March 16, 2021 and we appreciate your support. Congratulations to 6th grade ELA teacher Ms. Clark on this week's Staff Shout Out! You can view all our Shout Outs, or submit one of your own, by clicking here. If you know a business that might be interested in sponsoring a project or event at Durant, please email durantroadmiddlepta@gmail.com or call/text 919-523-8335 - we'd love to connect! The PTA is seeking board and committee members for the 2021-22 school year. If you are interested in being part of the PTA, please click here to indicate your areas of interest. Thank you as always for supporting DRMS!
Thank you for supporting DRMS,
Kristen J Faircloth
Principal