Dakota Minute

Thank you all for your support for making this year a great year. We are not only focused on finishing the last week strong but also looking at ways we can improve for next year. We're excited to announce an exciting enhancement to our middle school experience for the upcoming school year: the implementation of a multi-age advisory program. In this new model, your child will be grouped with students from different grade levels and remain with the same dedicated teacher-advisor for multiple years. We believe this innovative approach will significantly enhance your child's middle school experience by providing:

• Stronger Relationships: Students will develop deep, lasting connections with their consistent teacher-advisor and peers, creating a stable support system.
• Personalized Support: Teachers will gain a comprehensive understanding of each child's individual academic, social, and emotional needs over time, allowing for more tailored guidance.
• Peer Mentorship: Older students will have opportunities to mentor and inspire younger peers, while younger students will benefit from the guidance and experience of their older classmates.
• Enhanced Social-Emotional Skills: Students will learn to interact respectfully with a wider range of ages, fostering empathy, cooperation, and effective communication—essential life skills for navigating diverse environments.
• Increased Sense of Belonging: This consistent, small-group community within the larger school will help every student feel known, valued, and deeply connected.

It's important to note that this advisory period will take up only one portion of your child's school day. The rest of their daily schedule, including core classes and exploratory classes, will remain unchanged. This multi-age advisory program is designed to create a more nurturing and supportive environment where all children can truly thrive, complementing their existing academic schedule. We look forward to sharing more details with you soon.

Further details can be found in THIS letter.

Gratefully,

Principal Hyer

We will not have backpacks in school on the last two days of school. This will be communicated with families in our last newsletter that will go out this Friday. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Hyer.

Please make sure you have all permission slips turned in for our 7th grade and 8th grade end of year trips. Communication should have come from teachers.

Please see our 2025-2026 school supply list HERE.

We’re excited to welcome students to middle school and want to make sure families feel informed and supported as we approach the start of the school year. The first day of school for our incoming 6th graders will be TUESDAY, August 26. On this day, 6th grade students will have the building to themselves—a great opportunity to ease into middle school life. They’ll spend the day getting comfortable with their new surroundings, practicing locker combinations, walking through their schedules, and building connections with teachers and classmates. While the optional 6th grade transition camp is no longer taking place in the middle of summer break, this first-day experience is designed to offer all students similar support in a more focused, real-time setting.

Our 7th and 8th grade students will join us starting WEDNESDAY, August 27. We’ve heard a few questions from families and elementary school staff about the transition camp, so we wanted to provide this update and will continue to communicate clearly as the first day approaches. We’re looking forward to a great start to the year for all of our students!

The MAPS School Board will be adopting a revised 2025-2026 school calendar in order to provide additional time for construction in the summer of 2026.

On March 4th, a proposal was shared with the school community that outlined changes to next year’s calendar. Since that time, another option has been identified that would end the school year even sooner, eliminating the need to start the 2026-27 school year a week after Labor Day.

On Monday, March 17, the School Board met and discussed the attached 2025-26 calendar option that would:

• Start the school year before Labor Day.

• Hold school on November 25, November 26, January 2, March 13, March 23, April 1 and April 2.

• Hold Parent-Teacher conferences during the evenings in November and March and move the ‘no school days’ associated with conference days (teacher comp days) to the end of the school year.

• Set the last day of school as follows:

• Elementary: Monday, May 18, 2026
• Middle: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
• High School: Thursday, May 21, 2026 (graduation)

The School Board is scheduled to determine next school year’s calendar at their meeting on April 7.

Please make sure to view the student calendar on our district website. This will have our early releases and no school days. In addition, the Google Calendar will have DMMS Specific information.

• June 3rd- Arn Kind 6th Grade Presentation & 7th Grade Mahkato State Capitol Trip
• June 4th- 7th Grade Kasota State Capitol Trip
• June 5th- 8th Grade Celebration & Last Day of School