Happy Sunday, Dolphins!  This is Kristen Faircloth, proud principal at Durant Road Middle School, with your November 28, 2021 Family Message.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break with family and friends.  It was nice to spend time on the couch watching football and Hallmark movies.  I wanted to take a moment to share how grateful we are for our students, families, and Dolphin Community.  Thank you for sharing your children with us and always supporting Durant Road Middle School making it a great place to be.  

We are looking forward to welcoming our students back after Thanksgiving break on Monday, November 29.  Please take some time to read through the Family Message below to ensure you are updated on what is happening at DRMS.  Don't hesitate to reach out with any needs as we are here to serve you.

Meal Benefits:  Parents, PLEASE take a minute to apply for meal benefits as soon as possible. For every student that turns in the free and reduced lunch application and qualifies, the school receives federal funds that benefit the student and teachers at the school. These funds provide additional teachers and staff for the school which means more services for students, especially students that are struggling in reading or math. These funds also are used for materials and supplies for students and teachers. These are valuable resources that teachers can use to improve student achievement. 

Yes, meals will still be free for all students this school year but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra funding next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits for the 2021-22 school year can be found at www.wcpss.net/meals. Help our school receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535. 

Quarter 2 Interims:  Just as quarter 1, our quarter 2 Interims will be digital.  On our scheduled Interim dates, parents should view PowerSchool for their child’s current averages in each class.  Parents may request a printed version of their child’s interim to be sent home.  These requests must be emailed to the individual teacher by Tuesday, November 30.

The quarter 2  interim date is Tuesday, November 30.  On this date, please access PowerSchool for your child and review each of their courses.  Be sure to look at the Q2 average as well as click on that average to see the specific assignments and grades for that class.  To give parents time to access PowerSchool, no changes will be made to PowerSchool November 30 - December 1.  After then, teachers will continue to update and key in grades for the quarter.  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the individual teacher.

If there are any parents that still do not have Powerschool access, we strongly encourage you to set this up in order to be able to access your child’s grades.  

Here is the information on how to access powerschool.  There are two ways that parents can complete this process.

• Parents may either...
• Fill out the Powerschool Parent Portal Access - Notary form (2 pages) and have it notarized.  Parents can mail the form to Durant Road Middle School, 10401 Durant Road, Raleigh NC 27614.  We cannot accept faxed or emailed copies of this form. Parents must make sure the form is filled out entirely and notarized.  Forms will be processed as quickly as possible.
• Or, parents may fill out the Powerschool Parent Portal Access - PhotoID form (2 pages).  Parents must then scan the completed form and a CLEAR picture of the parent/guardian photo ID and email to kanderson7@wcpss.net.  Forms will be processed as quickly as possible.
• Once you complete the form and return it to DRMS, you will receive an email with directions from our Guidance Technician or Data Manager.  You must then complete the directions that are emailed to you in order to gain access to PowerSchool.

Here is also a helpful link on how to access and understand PowerSchool:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1f4bI8j00dwCTGuvgQnxMYzBBztRqJPs39g3wvcWQ_74/edit?usp=sharing

COVID Updates:  DRMS continues to follow district guidelines and prioritizes the health, safety, and well-being of our students.  To minimize the spread of COVID-19, the district adheres to all COVID-19 health measures required by the NC Department of Health and Human Services and consults with Wake County Public Health to determine what precautions are needed in our schools to keep our students, staff, and community healthy in a safe and welcoming environment. Here is what we are presently doing to try to keep our students and staff safe:

• Masks worn appropriately at all times while in the building unless eating. 
• All students facing in the same direction in the cafeteria.
• One Way traffic in our halls during class changes
• Additional hand sanitizer stations being provided.
• Frequent announcements reminding students of our guidelines

We appreciate our families support in reinforcing the importance of wearing masks appropriately, frequently washing hands or using hand sanitizer, and letting us know if a student has tested positive with Covid or feels ill.  Our students are doing a great job following these guidelines and your encouragement and support of the guidelines helps tremendously.

Check out the latest information from WCPSS here.

Thank you for supporting DRMS,

Kristen Faircloth

Principal