May Dragon Digest

Dear DeSana Families,

I am not sure where the time went, but it is hard to believe that it is already May. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of all our Dragons. The growth and development that occurs from August to May is unbelievable! As we continue to finish strong in May, I want to take a moment and recognize the hard work of our 8th grade students. Most of our 8th graders began their journey into education as kindergarteners nine years ago, and they are faced with another milestone in their journey as they enter their freshman year in high school. When I speak with 8th graders, I can sense their excitement and nervousness about high school. I remind them that as 6th graders, that they probably had the same feelings as they transitioned from 5th to 6th grade.

As we tell our 8th graders farewell, I want to be sure to draw your attention to some major events that are occurring on our campus over the next few weeks. Please be sure to review all information posted below.

Sincerely,

Principal Sargent

• May 6th - May 10th - Review 24-25 schedules in The Parent Portal
• May 7th - Chorus Concert 7:00pm @ Denmark
• May 7th - Night at the MLC for Rising 6th Graders
• May 8th - LSC Meeting @ 7:45am @ DeSana
• May 10th - 8th Grade Dance 7:00pm-9:30pm
• May 14th - 7th and 8th Grade Band Concert @ 6:30pm
• May 15th - 8th Grade Awards Ceremony in the gym 5:30pm-7:00pm
• May 16th - 6th Grade Band Concert @ 7:00pm
• May 17th - All A's Breakfast @ 7:45am (student only event for all grade levels)
• May 20th - 8th Grade Field Trip
• May 21st - 6th & 7th Grade yearbook distribution
• May 21st - 8th Grade Picnic & 8th Grade yearbook distribution
• May 23rd - 8th Grade Walk @ 9:30am
• May 23rd - Last Day of School/Early Release

This past month has been filled with great memories for our DeSana staff and students.

The solar eclipse was truly a unique experience for our students. Our students enjoyed an opportunity to step outside and enjoy this natural phenomenon.

The Denmark Community of Schools Spring fling was a huge success. Our very own DeSana Middle School Choir, under direction of Dr. Berger, performed well alongside our other community schools. There were games played, memories made, and Kona ice shared. It was great to see our students coming together as future Danes.

Finally, we would like to thank all of our talented students for their outstanding Science Fair projects, as well as our families for showing their support throughout the event by visiting and browsing the projects or volunteering their time.

Our end of the year state testing is underway! Please see the dates below to see when your child will be testing.

Milestones testing will take place from April 22nd - May 10th.

For questions related to extended absences and testing, please reach out to your child's grade level administrator. For other testing related questions, you may contact Assistant Principal Peyton Maddox.

The dance will be held on Friday, May 10th from 7:00pm - 9:30pm at DeSana. Tickets are $10.00 and available for purchase on SchoolPay until May 8th. Tickets may be purchased at school between May 6th-10th. No tickets will be sold at the door. Teachers have reviewed additional information with students regarding the theme and dress code for the event.

If you plan to check your child out at 12:30pm on Friday, May 10th for the dance, please be sure to fill out the form linked here.

Please plan to arrive at DeSana by 9:30pm to pick up your child. We will run a car line, and students will come out to meet you.

Please make sure that for the last month of school your child has adequate funds available in MyPaymentsPlus or sufficient cash/check is sent in to cover their meal purchases.

Beginning Monday, May 6 through the end of the school year, students without adequate funds will receive a courtesy snack. Also, any families with negative cafeteria balances must deposit funds before the school year ends.

Students who graduate or withdraw and have funds left in their meal accounts should visit https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/page/396 to close out their accounts.

The current digital landscape is ever-changing, so it is always helpful to discuss responsible use of technology with your child, such as their digital footprint, online safety, and a screen time habits. Please visit our district website to find parent resources that may help. You can also access digital citizenship tools for families by clicking here.

May 3

• Final Date to check out books!

• Last day for fourth quarter punch cards to qualify for Breakfast with Books.

• Last day to apply for an MLC Staff position (Aide or Committee member) for the 2024-25 school year.

May 6

Book Return Day

After this date, we will be marking missing books as “Lost." This will lead to charges applied in School Pay. Feel free to wait to make any payment until the end of the school year as books may be ‘found’ with locker checks and end-of-year clean up!

Please have your student return all MLC and class books on or before May 6. We will be contacting students with reminders and sending emails to parents as we strive to find all of our missing books! Fines for missing books may be paid using your School Pay App, or you may choose to replace the book and send it directly to the MLC.

As of 4/26/24 our Dragons have checked out 46,053 books this school year!

2024-25 Volunteer Opportunities

If you would like to help out at school, the MLC is a wonderful way to support students 😄 We have all sorts of ways parents can help our mission to bring reading and fun for our Dragons. If you are interested in knowing more and seeing the different opportunities, please check out our Volunteer Opportunity Form found here: https://forms.gle/ShDyUwA2mK4v6Jav8

Fall Book Fair is scheduled for October 24 - October 31. How much fun can we have with THOSE dates?

Our Amazon Wish List is ready for those who would like to/are able to support: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/15ACKPG0KYDBA?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for all your support of the MLC this year! A special thank you goes to all of our Book Fair volunteers and to those who donated items for our lollipop board fundraiser. SPECIAL thank you to our weekly and bi-weekly volunteers - without you, I am not sure HOW we would do all the things we do!

Lydia, Amira, Neerja, Megan, Julie, and Hemalatha - thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts!

Attention all 6th grade families! Please begin making plans with your physician to ensure that your child's immunizations are up to date before the beginning of their 7th grade year. Current 6th graders are required to have been vaccinated with Tdap and meningococcal vaccines before the 24-25 school year. We wanted to communicate this information early and often to our 6th grade families to avoid any disruption at the beginning of next school year.

All parents/guardians of 6th grade students are responsible for ensuring that their students’ immunizations are updated prior to attending middle school next year (24-25)

• Rising 7th grade students are required to have been vaccinated with Tdap and meningococcal vaccines.

• Remember that your child will NOT be able to attend school next year until an updated immunization form (3231) is on file.

• Please check with the school nurse or your physician if you are not sure that your child’s immunizations are current.

Recommended vaccinations according to the CDC:
English version
Spanish version

The Desana Dragons PTO have some upcoming volunteer opportunities available and would love your help!

Click HERE to sign up to volunteer for the Dance and Field Day. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849A9A828A0F85-49012921-desana

8th Grade Dance

The 8th Grade Dance will be Friday, May 10th. We need several volunteers to help with Set-Up for the dance on Thursday, May 9th, as well as Break-Down for the dance, on Friday evening, May 10th. Only decorating and cleanup volunteers are needed -- dance chaperones will be covered by administration only.

8th Grade Field Day

The 8th Grade Field Day will be on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 21st. We need volunteers to help with concessions during the picnic.

Interested in serving as a DeSana Dragons PTO Board Member or Chairperson for the 2024-2025 School Year?

We are excited to announce opportunities for the upcoming school year, including:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Fundraising Chair
• Membership Chair

If you are interested in learning more about open positions, please email us at desanadragonspto@gmail.com with your interests and contact information.

PTO MEMBERSHIPS

Need to contact us? Email your PTO Board at desanadragonspto@gmail.com!