DMS Community,

We've successfully concluded the first trimester and it's remarkable to think that a third of the school year has passed. It has been rewarding to see the social, emotional, and academic progress our learners have achieved throughout this school year. With the trimester's closure, our 8th-grade students will begin new specialist experiences in their electives starting next Monday.

December also brings a new 7 Mindsets theme, We Are Connected. In transitions classes learners will learn about and reflect on the four critical components of:

• Embrace Everyone
• Maximize Positive Relationships
• Build Your Dream Team
• Lead with Value

The We Are Connected Mindset teaches us that everyone who comes into our lives can help us to achieve and live our dreams. Working with, for, and through others is crucial to realizing our dreams. When you understand this and constantly seek the positives from relationships with others, your performance in every area of your life improves. In the lessons for this mindset, we help students explore synergies with others, embrace diversity, and relish the competition that will allow them to maximize their potential by working with and through others. Families can learn more about this mindset and how to continue the conversation outside of school here.

Andy Nelson, Principal

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The South of the River Powwow Committee is currently seeking student art submissions for 2024 South of the River Powwow logo. Please view the graphic for greater details about this amazing opportunity!

Toys for Town is an annual toy drive organized by the Farmington Police Department to help make the holiday season special for children in our community. Dodge Middle School is a donation site for Farmington. If you would like to donate, please drop off a toy to the main office. Donations will be available until Monday, December 11th. In addition, monetary donations to the Toys for Town program will be accepted at the police department.

Embrace Everyone – Every person that comes into our lives has the potential to help

us, hurt us, or have no impact at all. It makes sense to figure out how someone may be

able to help us because the other options mean we are not growing or getting closer to

our dreams, and may even be taking steps away from them. People who live great lives

embrace everyone and constantly seek ways to serve and connect with those they

encounter.

Maximize Positive Relationships – Some people in our lives lift us up and make us

better, while others can bring us down. We must work to spend more time with people

that empower us and less with the ones who don’t. We should also seek to expand

ways to get more out of and put more into the great relationships of our lives.

Build Your Dream Team – Building a Dream Team is about identifying the individuals

who can help us live our dreams. Perhaps they have experience we can draw from,

access to resources we will need, or can provide us with critical support as we start the

path toward our dreams and face the challenges that will bring. The important step is to

recognize the critical role others play our lives, and deliberately begin developing the

relationships that will help us.

Lead with Value – When we find people who can help us in life, we need to start

building those relationships quickly so the cycle of giving can begin. A lesson many

have learned is that if we seek ways to provide help before asking for help ourselves, we

will get much more out of the relationship. We should always look for ways to lead with value to supercharge these relationships.

How to access Every Meal at Dodge:

Stop at Dodge Middle School and pick up a food bags located in the west facing entry way, door 17 (pool doors). Enroll online for your Dodge student(s) to receive food bags in their locker(s) each week, typically on Fridays – sign up using the link below.

Contact Jen Hogan with any questions or to discuss other pick-up options at 651-460-1598 or jhogan@farmington.k12.mn.us

• Free for all families
• No qualifications required
• No contact information collected
• Families may participate in the program at any time throughout the school year

Every Meal enrollment form

ISD 192 is preparing to use Federated Managed Apple IDs. This means that by mid-January 2024, only Farmington Area Public Schools will be able to create and use Apple IDs using email addresses with @isd192.org. IF your child is currently using their district @isd192.org email address for a personal Apple ID login, they will need to change the email address to a personal email address to continue to use this Apple ID. The individual’s data and purchases will remain with the Apple ID account. Only the email used with the Apple ID will be updated. This only impacts Apple IDs currently using an ISD 192 district email address.

Apple will be sending email notices with instructions to update Apple IDs using a district email letting individuals know they will need to change the email address used with their Apple ID. As a convenience, instructions are also available from the “iPad First Aid” web clip icon on district iPads.

Please know that Apple IDs are created and managed by Apple. ISD 192 is not able to recover or troubleshoot personal Apple IDs. In compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Apple allows children over the age of 13 to create an Apple ID. If a child is under the age of 13, Apple has a instructions on how parents/guardians may create and manage an Apple ID for their child.

We are looking for family and community volunteers to be present in our youths' lives at Dodge Middle School through Friendly Presence. We are excited to offer this volunteer opportunity and welcome the larger Farmington community into DMS. We are hoping many of you take this opportunity to be involved in our learners’ experience. For more information click here and to indicate interest please complete this google form.

Farmington School District has some great opportunities for you!

Click the link to apply for positions or reach out to the main office if interested.

ISD 192 shares community flyers for local events and activities, especially those run by non-profit, youth-serving organizations within the district, on our website. The community postings and resources can be found here.

Please take some time to visit the DMS Website where you will find an abundance of helpful information to support your middle school student. Dodge Dish is an electronic publication that you will receive via email every week from our principal Mr. Nelson and the Dodge Dish is always available on the DMS website under “Social Media”. It is very helpful to take time to read through this publication to keep updated on upcoming events and happenings.

Download your free app for Campus Parent ​app (parents/guardians) or the Campus Student app (students) from your device's mobile app store for real-time access to grades, attendance, schedules, announcements and more!

If a student will be absent, a parent/guardian must call Dodge Middle School’s attendance line at 651-460-1505 before 10:00 am each day of the absence. If the school does not receive a call from the parent/guardian the day of the absence, an automated phone call will be placed letting you know your student has been marked absent from school. To request a pre-excused absence, a parent/guardian needs to complete the online “Request to Waive Unexcused Status of Absence” form. This link can also be accessed by visiting the Dodge Middle School webpage under “QUICK LINKS” and “Pre-Arranged Student Absence”.

Email: anelson@farmington.k12.mn.us
Website: https://dms.farmington.k12.mn.us/
Location: Levi P Dodge Middle School, 208th Street West, Farmington, MN, USA
Phone: 651-460-1500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dodgetigers
Twitter: @dodgetigers