Hello, Dolphins!  This is Kristen Faircloth, proud principal at Durant Road Middle School, with your March 19, 2023 Family Message.  

 

Congratulations Dolphins!  You made it!  One week until track out and a well deserved break.  Please check in with your students to ensure all assignments are turned in as teachers will be working to finalize Q3 grades.  This will be our last Family Message until Sunday, April 23, 2023.  As always, if you have any grade-level specific questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s teachers and/or grade-level administrator.  

 

Please take a moment to read through the Family Message below, as well as the grade level newsletters, and do not hesitate to contact us if there is any way we can support you.  

 

First in Fitness:  This past Friday, DRMS took 23, 6th grade students to compete in the WCPSS First in Fitness Competition!  DRMS competed against 16 other Wake County Middle Schools.  Some of the highlights of the DRMS success were:

• 1st Place in the Boys 4X100 relay

• 4th Place in Triathlon

• 4th Place in Mile Run

• DRMS Student Record for the Mile Run!

 

Our students represented our school well!  We are so proud of our students, hard work, and accomplishments!  Shoutout to our healthful living staff for supporting this event for our students.

 

Advanced Band Performs at MPA:  The DRMS Advanced Band performed at the music performance adjudication event this past Tuesday and received feedback.  The DRMS Band performed in the Grade IV music category and did it successfully!  Music is graded on difficulty from Grades I through VI (VI being the most difficult).  DRMS performing at the Grade IV difficulty level is similar to a high school band level!  We are so proud of our Advanced Band and our band director, Mr. Durham, for this accomplishment!

 

Upcoming Dates:

• March 24 - Early Release Day, students dismiss at 1:00 PM

• March 24 - End of Q3

• March 27 - April 21 - Track Out

• April 24 - First Day of Q4, students return from track out

 

DRMS Spirit Week:  The DRMS Student Council is hosting our Q3 Spirit Week the week of March 20 - 24!  Check out the flier and look forward to showing that school spirit Dolphins!

• Monday, March 20 - Miss Match Day

• Tuesday, March 21 - Rock Your Socks Day - World Down Syndrome Day

• Wednesday, March 22 - Happy Holidays Day

• Thursday, March 23 - Throwback Thursday 

• Friday, March 24 - Comfy PJ Pants Day

 

DRMS Athletics Updates:  

 

ATHLETIC GAMES: 3/13-3/17

Monday, March 20th: Carroll @ Durant (Softball)

Tuesday, March 21st:  Durant @ Wakefield (Boys Soccer)

Wednesday, March 22nd: Wakefield @ Durant (Track & Field)

Thursday, March 23rd: Durant @ East Millbrook (Softball)

 

ATHLETIC AWARDS CEREMONY:

We wanted to communicate our date for the athletic awards ceremony for this school year.  It will be on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Auditorium. The athletic awards ceremony will include ALL ATHLETIC TEAMS at Durant Road over the course of the 2022-2023 school year. We look forward to seeing our dolphin athletes and families at this event!

 

DRMS FOOTBALL STUDENT ATHLETES:

On Wednesday, March 22^nd at 3:30pm, Millbrook High School Head Football Coach Raymond Marshall will be visiting Durant Road Middle School. If you are interested in playing football at Millbrook High School next season, this is a great opportunity to meet the head coach and understand what is expected before the tryout process begins! The meeting will be held in the gym.

 

ATHLETICS BOOSTER CLUB:

If you are a parent of a student athlete in 6^th or 7^th grade and want to be more involved with the athletic program at Durant Road Middle School, please reach out to our athletic director, Mr. Esposito (pesposito@wcpss.net). We are currently looking for more parents to be involved with our athletic program to help form us as one of the top middle school athletic programs in Wake County! 

 

Block Parties:  We are excited about hosting our first Block Parties on Thursday, March 23.  Eligible students will be invited to choose an activity of choice during their elective period on Thursday.  We can’t wait to celebrate our Dolphins who have made positive choices, shown expected behaviors, and have their blue cards as their ticket to the Block Party on Thursday, March 23, 2023!  

 

Student Agendas:  Student Agendas are used to help students learn organizational skills, time management skills, have an understanding of learning targets, pass to move around the building, and communicate with families.  If your student does not have an agenda, they can purchase one in the front office for $5.  

 

Greetings 7th grade Dolphin families: In April, upon returning from our track out, Mrs. Warren, our 7^th grade School Counselor, will be joining our Ms. Hayward's second semester 7th grade Health classes to facilitate a lesson required for 7th graders in WCPSS called Signs of Suicide. It is a research, evidence-based suicide prevention program geared for adolescents. Ms. Hayward has distributed parent letters to students to bring home, informing you of this curriculum and providing you with the opportunity to “opt-out," if you feel that is best for your child. This information has also been shared in our weekly DRMS newsletter. All students in Ms. Hayward's second semester 7^th grade Health classes will participate in the lesson unless a parent/guardian signs the letter and returns it to Mrs. Warren, choosing to "opt-out." Thanks, and take care!

 

Rising 7th Grade - Important! Immunizations Required:  NC State Law mandates that all 7th-grade students have their TDAP and Meningococcal (MCV) vaccines by the start of their 7^th grade year, July 31, 2023.  7th grade students who have not submitted their immunizations will be suspended based on policy.  Please return immunization records showing TDAP and Meningococcal (MCV) vaccines anytime between now and July 31, 2023. Immunization records may be dropped off at the front office or emailed to kbograd@wcpss.net.  We appreciate your attention to this mandate.  

 

End of Year Dates:  Mark your calendar for some End of Year Events.

• EOG/EOC Testing - Begins June 14

• EOG/EOC Incentive Celebrations for Eligible Students - June 26

• 8th Grade Picnic - June 27

• 8th Grade Celebration - June 28

• Last Day of School - June 28 

• EOG Remediation & Retest for Eligible Students - June 29 - June 30 

 

DRMS PTA Updates:

1. DRMS PTA is hosting a fundraiser at Urban Air on Friday, March 31st, from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Urban Air will donate 20% of the proceeds to DRMS PTA. Please come out and support the PTA! All proceeds will help continue to support the students and staff at DRMS.

 

2. Are you interested in becoming a PTA Board Member for the 2023-2024 school year? Please email us at durantroadmiddlepta@gmail.com 

 

3. We look forward to celebrating our eighth-grade class as they prepare to conclude middle school. DRMS PTA and staff are planning an end-of-year celebration. Please consider donating to assist with the cost of all end-of-year activities.

 

https://drms.memberhub.com/store/items/839271

 

Thank you for supporting DRMS,

Kristen J Faircloth

Principal