DHAA newsletter
April 28, 2024
Contact our Coordinators:
Please call or text the number below for late arrival (after 7:30am), early dismissal, or transportation changes
317-426-8226
Please communicate any absences with our coordinators ASAP.
Note from the Coordinators
Dear DHAA families,
The school year is winding down and we are finishing up testing. We have lots of great events planned to finish out the year. Read through the newsletter to put these dates on your calendar, and see how you can help make these events great!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nesbit & Mr. Apollos
Observant Welcoming Leadership Safe
ILEARN Testing
Students have been doing a great job of showing what they know on ILEARN. We will continue testing 8AM-9:30AM next week. Please make sure your child arrives on time each day. If they arrive after their class has started testing, they will have to wait in the hallway until the test session is over and we will have to make their test up at a different time.
Here is the testing schedule for our school:
Science & SS ILEARN testing (4th, 5th, 6th): Tuesday May 2nd- Thursday, May 4th
Math & ELA Make-ups (3rd-6th): May 1st-May 12th
Ways that you can help your child prepare for testing:
- Make sure students arrive on time
- get a good night's sleep
- have a healthy, filling breakfast each day
- Try to schedule any appointments in the afternoons during these weeks
Many of these tests will require the use of headphones. Please check with your child to ensure they have a working set of headphones or earbuds at school. (NO WIRELESS HEADPHONES)
Please contact Mrs. Nesbit if you have any questions about testing.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher Appreciation week is NEXT week, May 1st - May 5th. Here are some ideas of things you can do each day next week to make Teacher Appreciation Week special.
IMPORTANT END OF THE YEAR DATES
DHAA 2022-2023 Yearbook
Place your order for your 2022-2023 yearbook today! Deadline to receive your yearbook before the end of school is TODAY (Friday, April 28, 2023). Yearbooks may be ordered after this date, but may not arrive before the end of school. See the flyer below for ordering information!
Field Day and Cookout Volunteers & Supplies
DHAA Field Day and Cook out
Friday, May 12th, 2023
(Rain date: Friday, May 19th, 2023)
8:30AM-1:30PM
Carson Park
We are excited to host annual DHAA Field Day and Cook out! Our school will walk to Carson Park to participate in Field Day from 9AM-11AM, and then have an all school cook out under the shelter. Our PTO will be contributing many of the supplies for games as well as hot dogs and hamburgers for the cook out.
To make this day possible, we will need help in the following areas:
- Volunteers to help run stations and to grill food. Volunteers will also get to enjoy food with their student during the cook out. Please sign up to volunteer for Field Day HERE.
- Sides & Supplies: Click HERE to see a list of needed supplies & to sign-up to bring them!
Reminder: No younger siblings or other family members will be allowed to attend unless they are an approved volunteer willing to help. All volunteers need to be a district approved volunteer by completing this form.
End of the Year Awards
The DHAA will be having our all school awards day on Wednesday, May 24th from 8am-10am.
All parents & family members are welcome to attend. Please plan to enter DTSE door #1 and make your way to the Community Room on the second floor (elevator access is available). An official invitation will be sent home the week before the event. Any student earning an award will receive a special notice in that invitation!
Refreshments will be provided (cookies & lemonade) in the DHAA Hub (3rd floor) after the ceremony.
Please contact our DHAA coordinators if you have any questions.
We are Expanding for the 2023-2024 School Year!
Share with families OUTSIDE of Decatur Township that may be interested in DHAA
SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!
Our goal is to double the number of students at the DHAA for the 23-24 school year. We encourage each of our families to share the video above on their social media pages to help spread the word!
As a reminder, all current students of MSD Decatur will be evaluated for the DHAA program (no need to apply). The application process is only for students who do NOT currently attend school in our district.
Feel free to contact our coordinators if you have any questions!
Donatable Items:
At the DHAA we LOVE to do projects, build things, and experiment with the world around us. This requires us to have a large amount of consumable items on hand for each project we participate in. Many of these items are common materials found stored around a home, garage, or workplace. As you work, complete spring cleaning, or notice some materials you just need taken off your hands, we hope you would consider making a donation to the DHAA MakerSpace. Please feel free to share this list with your family & friends if you think they could benefit from it as well!
The list below offers just a SAMPLE of items that our students could use for the various projects & problems they work to solve. Some items we are in need of at the present time include:
- Legos
- Scrap wood
- Wood working tools
- PVC pipe
- Plastic Containers
- Props/Decoration/Costumes (used in video productions)
Family Dinner Conversation Starters:
- Tell me about the "O.W.L.S." expectations? What do they mean and how do you follow them everyday?
- Grade 3: What was your favorite part of the high ability showcase? What do you wish you would have done differently to get ready for it?
- Grade 4: What did your class do for your celebration this month? Which project did you enjoy the most from the high ability showcase?
- Grade 5: Which certification are you working to complete in the MakerSpace? What is your current PBL project?
- Grade 6: Are you "pro-earth" or "pro-space" for your next project (why)? How are you planning to "effectively educate" people about your side?
- What is something that made you smile or laugh this week?
- What is one of your best memories from this week?
MSD Decatur Social Media Pages
District/Community Initiatives & Events!
Dry and fresh food items will be available for drive thru pick-up for any families with children enrolled in MSD of Decatur Township Schools!
When: Selected Thursdays 11:30AM – 12:50PM (dates below)
Where: DCHS, Door 1
How to apply: Complete the intake form below and submit! (required for each distribution date) The form must be completed by the Tuesday before the pick date. 2023 days have been updated on the google form.
Click Here to complete the form.
April 27
May 11
Decatur High Ability Academy
Email: rnesbit@decaturproud.org
Website: https://www.decaturproud.org/decatur-high-ability-academy
Location: 5106 South High School Road, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 317-426-8226
Twitter: @DecaturHAA