DRMS' Principal Message
Happy Labor Day weekend, Dolphins! This is Kristen Faircloth, proud principal at Durant Road Middle School, with your September 3, 2023 Family Message.
The thought of Labor Day makes us think of city parades, backyard barbecues, shopping deals, a final visit to the beach, and swimming in public pools soon to shut down for the season. However, the federal holiday is so much more than just a long weekend during the final days of summer. Observed each year on the first Monday of September, Labor Day is a celebration of the hard-won achievements of America’s labor movement and recognition of what workers have contributed to our nation. Thank you to all who continue to work hard and make positive contributions to our community. We hope everyone enjoys their long weekend and look forward to seeing our Dolphins on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
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.
Family Information Night
Thank you to all the families that provided feedback regarding topics of interest. Based on your input, DRMS is hosting a Family Information Night on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Parents and guardians are invited to attend to learn more about Canvas, the learning management system students are using in their classrooms, as well as PowerSchool. Parents and guardians should bring their child’s Chromebook with them to the session. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 20.
BIMAS
DRMS has been fortunate to be among schools chosen to participate in the district’s Social, Emotional (SEL) Behavior Universal Screener. This is a great opportunity for our students and staff! To phase in the program, we will screen all students in grades 6th-8th in the coming weeks.
What is the SEL Behavior Universal Screener?
We’ll be using the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System-2 or BIMAS-2 (pronounced BYE-mahs). This research-based screening tool will help identify students who are at risk of future academic, behavioral, or emotional difficulties. Just as some students benefit from additional academic support and interventions, we know some students would benefit from additional support to strengthen their behavioral, social, and emotional skills.
The data generated from this screener will also help us determine district and school-wide programs, interventions, and training needs for staff.
● Tuesday,Sept 5, 2023 - Teachers distribute letters and opt-out forms to go home with students
● Monday, Sept 18th, 2023 - Deadline for students to return opt-out forms.
● Sept 25th-Oct 2nd, 2023 - Screening window.
Fall Athletic Coaches
As we gear up for tryouts beginning on September 5, it's time for a “who's who” of athletics! Click on each head coach's name for a quick introduction:
Athletic Director: Health & PE Teacher Gianni Esposito
Athletic Trainer: Health & PE Teacher Tim Capel
Cheerleading Head Coach: 7th Grade Teacher Brittany Dion - first year, congrats!
Football Head Coach: Baine Martin (not a DRMS staff member)
Football Assistant Coach: Logan Bennett (not a DRMS staff member)
Girls' Soccer Head Coach: CTE Teacher Morgan Lee
Volleyball Head Coach: Aurora Davis (not a DRMS staff member) - first year, congrats!
Volleyball Assistant Coach: CTE Teacher Jana Hunter - first year, congrats!
DRMS Athletic News
Fall athletic tryouts will be held at Durant Road Middle this week! The tryout process and days will vary from sport to sport. Please pay attention to the following schedule below of when tryouts will happen:
Football: 3:30 - 5:15 each day.
Tuesday, September 5th
Wednesday, September 6th
Thursday, September 7th
Friday, September 8th
Girls Soccer: 3:30 - 5:00 each day.
Wednesday, September 6th
Thursday, September 7th
Friday, September 8th
Cheerleading: 3:30 - 5:00 each day.
Tuesday, September 5th
Wednesday, September 6th
Thursday, September 7th
Volleyball: 3:30 - 5:30 each day.
Tuesday, September 5th
Wednesday, September 6th
Thursday, September 7th
Just as a reminder, all student athletes will be responsible for a ride home. We do not provide transportation home from tryouts. In order to attend tryouts, students must have 100% complete dragonfly accounts OR have hard copy packers turned in to Mr. Esposito. If student athletes did not receive a green wristband on Friday, they will receive one on Tuesday, September 5. If you want to learn more information on the specific sports, please visit our athletics website https://wakecountyathleticzone.com/durant-road/
Important Transportation Updates
On Monday, August 28, transportation began navigating multiple bus routes each day. Please view the most updated bus times through this website.
Several routes are scheduled to arrive at DRMS prior to 7:45 AM or be picked up from DRMS between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM. For students who have an early arrival or late pick-up, staff will supervise students by hosting a “Learning Lab” where students will work on homework, missing work, Dreambox, CommonLit, etc. while they wait for the school day to begin in the morning or for their bus to arrive in the afternoon to take them home. The Learning Lab is only available for students who ride WCPSS bus transportation and their route arrives prior to 7:45 AM or after 3:30 PM.
There will be days that a route is unable to be covered by a driver. Once the school is notified about this change, we will post on our social media and correspond with parents through Talking Points. If a route is uncovered, please make arrangements to pick up your student in carpool between 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM.
2023-24 Yearbook
The 2023-2024 DRMS Yearbook is on sale now! From now until the end of September, the yearbook will be on sale for the lowest price all year! Along with the lowest price, students can get four free icons to personalize their yearbook! Use this link to purchase: https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01095208 Please reach out to Mrs. Robertson, the yearbook advisor, with any questions at sdrobertson@wcpss.net
8th grade families, your students are in their last year of middle school! Celebrate their achievements and accomplishments with a yearbook ad specifically for them. To purchase an ad, go to www.jostensadservice.com/student.
Reach out to Mrs. Robertson (sdrobertson@wcpss.net) with any questions!
PS: don't forget to order your yearbook too at www.jostensyearbooks.com
School Garden Grant
We are excited to share that DRMS has been selected to receive a school garden grant through the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation! The vision is for the garden to provide opportunities for accessible, hands-on, FUN learning for all students at DRMS.
On Saturday, September 23, Sprouts will be hosting a garden workday from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm to help get our garden started. Some key projects we hope to tackle are:
-
Assembling 8 raised garden beds
-
Putting together 4 picnic tables
-
Setting up 1 storage shed
If you are free on Saturday, September 23, we would love to have you join us!
Meal Benefits
Apply for free and reduced-price school meals
To receive free or reduced-price meals for the 2023-24 school year, families must submit a meal benefits application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper copies will be available at your school’s office. For families who completed the 2022-23 meal benefits application, the benefit continues for their student's first 30 school days of the 2023-24 school year. At elementary schools, full-paid breakfast will be $1.50 and lunch will be $3.25. At middle and high schools, full-paid breakfast will be $1.75 and lunch will be $3.50.
All families must complete an application for the 2023-2024 school year in order to receive benefits. Please allow 10 business days for processing.
For every student that turns in the free and reduced meals application and qualifies, the school also receives federal funds that benefit the students and teachers at the school.
We need you to complete a 2023-2024 meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for extra funding next year. If you have not completed a free or reduced-price meal application and think your child may be eligible, pick up an application at your child’s school or apply online.
A student’s status from the 2022-2023 school year will roll over to this current year; however, it only carries them forward for the first 30 operational days or until a new application for the 2023-2024 school year has been processed.
DRMS PTA
JOIN THE Durant Road Middle School PTA
Your school PTA is working hard as the school year begins and we need your help. Why should I join the PTA? Membership dues help support your child by helping us with funding for essential education and curriculum needs. Our board is small but made up of parents and community leaders who want to help our school support our children to the best of our abilities.
Right now, we are focused on membership and looking to raise our membership in our school. Our goal is 100 parents and 100% faculty membership.
If you have not joined, please join now.
We have a raffle for all members who join now at the beginning of the year. A Yeti Cup raffle for parents and for faculty. Your name will be entered and one parent/community member and one faculty member will each be selected. We will draw winners the last week of September, before track out.
We look forward to working hard this year for our DRMS families and welcome all to DRMS.
PARENT/GUARDIAN QR Code and Link to join PTA for 2023-2024
https://drms.memberhub.com/store/items/12672
Thank you for supporting DRMS,
Kristen J Faircloth
Principal
