The Morgan Messenger

Good Evening:

We hope you and your family had a wonderful weekend!

Our students had a great time at Field Day on Friday as the water slides and bowling were the most popular activities among many fun options. After another week of testing for the 5th graders and some sixth, the students were very ready for a day that included fun, friends, and joy! Many thanks to our physical education teachers for organizing the activities and our teachers who supervised most of the day.

WSPCA Challenge-Extended and a Homeroom Champion

We have extended the Winchester SPCA service project through this week. We will have a homeroom champion who will receive a very special treat at the end of the challenge.

DMIS will continue to work to help the Winchester SPCA be stocked with needed supplies. We know that, as always, the organization needs DRY cat and dog food, preferably Purina One which is best for most animals. Donated items may be brought to the front office, or ordered through the link provided in a special notice provided in this edition. The project will end on May 24, 2024.

As you may have seen in the Winchester Star, Ms. Sam Gates has been appointed to the position of principal of DMIS effective July 1, 2024. We are thrilled for her and DMIS as she brings expertise and endless enthusiasm to the leadership position. She be will reaching out to parents in the very near future to share her vision for DMIS.

Staff news: Ms. Julie Baker, Media Specialist at DMIS and DMMS, will be retiring this year. She has shared her expertise with the DM Campus students for many years. Thank you, Ms. Baker!

Please remember to call the school to discuss any concerns or if you have questions.

Have a great week!

Helpful Links

• Absence/Attendance Note to the Attendance Clerk: https://bit.ly/3Sr7jCr

May 20, 2024- Last day for after-school activities at the DM Campus

May 21, 2024- Math SOL Retakes

May 21, 2024- Spring Band Concert-6:00 PM

May 23, 2024- Science SOL Retakes

May 27, 2024- No School- Memorial Day Holiday

May 30, 2024- Early Dismissal and LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR

The DMIS Student Advisory Committee has elected to focus on the Winchester SPCA for a school-wide service project. With the emphasis being dry cat and dog food, additional items of need are provided at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2I15GP931415T/ref=cm_go_nav_hz?

Thank you for any and all donations. Items may be brought to the school or taken to the SPCA.

Free Online Tutoring with Varsity Tutors

WPS students in grades 1-12 can now use Varsity Tutors at NO COST!

Features include 24/7 On-Demand Tutor Chat; Live Group Classes in Academics, SAT & ACT Test Prep, Career Readiness and Celebrity-Led StarCourse Classes; On-Demand Essay Review and Practice Tests & Personalized Learning Plans. To access Varsity Tutors, simply log into Classlink, select “Varsity Tutors” and enter the Varsity Tutors portal. Students can explore the Learning Lab and search for activities and support they want to use. Instructions & Info: https://bit.ly/ALLINWIN

• The Readiness Fair will be back this summer. We will be offering physicals and vaccines for the LAST time prior to school starting. This event is for ALL students new to Winchester.

The school zone camera program is now fully active at three locations (Cork Street @ Daniel Morgan, Meadow Branch Avenue @ John Kerr, and Amherst Street @ James Wood). Soon, we will be adding school bus stop arm cameras on high priority routes based on data analysis. Please be very mindful of speed in these areas and in the drop-off and pick-up loops.

Please review this flier to access vaccine opportunities. Vaccines provided at Frederick/Winchester Health Department Back to School Vaccines VDH

Rising 7th Graders (current 6th)-Please view this link: Rising 7th.

It's time to register for Preschool and Kindergarten!

Do you have a child who will be 4 or 5 by September 30? Everything you need to know about registration is on our registration website: bit.ly/WPSregistration2024

-Registration and eligibility events start soon! Physicals and vaccinations will be offered as listed on the registration website.

-You must bring your required documents, including birth certificate, TWO proofs of residency, physical exam, immunization record, and income verification for PreK only

-We will be using a new system for online registration and an email address is required to register

We can't wait to welcome your student and family to Winchester Public Schools!

Chronic Absenteeism- Students missing 10% or more of the total days in attendance are considered chronically absent. This percentage is measured by the state. While we saw great improvement last year, we have more work to do and attend to individual school attendance weekly. Please know that unexcused absences may accumulate and lead to involvement from our Attendance Team which will result in a meeting at the school. Again, please call when your child is absent so that he/she may be counted as excused.

WPS Excused and Unexcused absences and attendance information may be found at the following link: https://www.wps.k12.va.us/Page/10601

Please find the PTO meeting notes at the following link: https://bit.ly/3Z7uK5z

The email for the PTO is: dmpto@wps.k12.va.us

The PTO is in need of volunteers to help with concessions, spirit wear and other fundraising sales items at DMMS athletic events. Please check out the Sign-Up Genius to find a date/time that may work for you! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A45AEA72AA7FC1-dmptoconcessions?useFullSite=true#/

PTO Facebook page! Please like and follow us for up to date information!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550544237802

At the following link, https://bit.ly/47QyA72, please find school breakfast and lunch menus, nutrition information, and My School Bucks program to add money to student cafeteria accounts.

• Parents who pull in to the Visitor/Guest Parking lot will now have access to more spaces as staff will not be parking in two rows of the visitor's parking lot. Please do not park around the perimeter of the lot or enter staff parking areas in the morning or afternoon. Parking lots are not for student drop-off in the morning or pick-up in the afternoon. Thank you very much for helping to keep our students and staff safe!
• Drop-Off- Please know that drop-off time is 8:00 AM. We have no supervision outside until that time and students should remain in cars until a staff member is present at the car loop. Thank you so much for helping us to keep our students safe! Please note the increase in car traffic on inclement weather days. Adjustments have been made to the intermediate and school car loops which have greatly helped the flow of traffic on Purcell and in these loops. Please follow the directions of staff at the loop to keep traffic moving and students safe throughout the drop-off and pick-up process. Also, thank you for not using parking lots as student drop-off locations. Students and staff walk and run across these areas frequently in the morning and afternoon.
• Parent Appointments- Please call the front office (540-667-7171) to make an appointment with principals or send an email. We want to be available to our parents. We are in meetings, teacher observations, and serving in duties throughout the day and don't want our parents to come to the school when no one is available. Of course, in emergency situations, our office staff will summon an administrator.