Happy Sunday, Dolphins!  This is Kristen Faircloth, proud principal at Durant Road Middle School, with your September 10, 2023 Family Message.  

 

Monday is September 11, better known as 9/11.  It has now been two decades since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 where only the courage of passengers and crew possibly prevented an even deadlier terror attack.  For most who are old enough to remember, it is a day that is impossible to forget.  In many ways, 9/11 reshaped how Americans think of war and peace.  In accordance with a Board of Education Resolution, we will be conducting a moment of silence on September 11 for the anniversary of 9/11/2001.

 

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.   

 

DRMS Spirit Week

“We’ve got spirit, yes we do, we’ve got spirit, how about you?”  Our first SPIRIT WEEK is coming and scheduled for the week of September 25.  Check out this flyer and start preparing now to show your DRMS Pride the week of September 25! 

 

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.  An English and Spanish session will be offered as well as light refreshments.  Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 20.  

 

DRMS Athletic News

Congratulations to all of our student athletes on making a fall team. Fall athletic practice times are listed below for this week. Along with practice times, a few parent meetings will be held this week.

 

Football: 

• Practice: Monday - Friday (3:30 - 5:15)

• Parent Meeting: Monday, September 11th 5:20-6:00pm

 

Girls Soccer: 

• Practice: Monday - Thursday (3:30 - 5:00)

 

Cheerleading:

• Practice: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday (3:30 - 5:30)

 

Volleyball: 

• Practice: Monday - Friday (3:30 - 5:15)

• Parent Meeting: Thursday, September 14 (5:30-6:00)

 

As a reminder, all student athletes will be responsible for a ride home. We do not provide transportation home from practices or games. If you want to learn more information on the specific sports, please visit our athletics website https://wakecountyathleticzone.com/durant-road

 

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.

 

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 

 

8^th 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 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