Dear Dolphin Families,
Next week is Bullying Prevention and Unity Week, and we are excited to celebrate the brilliance of our students! With a themed spirit week, lunchtime games, and advisory lessons focused on being upstanders, we’ll highlight the importance of kindness and support within our community. We are grateful for your ongoing partnership and support in fostering a positive environment for our scholars.
Thank you for being an essential part of this journey!
Warmly,
Principal Ingraham
National Bullying Prevention Campaign Week | Oct. 21-25
Its Bullying Prevention Week! According to SBIRT data, 19% of our SPS middle school students and 9th graders are reporting being bullied or harassed in the past year. Here of some tips on how you as parents can help prevent bullying.
Tip 1) Open Communication. According to the Anti-Defamation League, talking to your child about their school and online lives on a regular basis can prevent bullying. Instead of asking, “How was school?” try “What is lunchtime like at your school-who do you sit with, what do you do, what do you talk about?”
Tip 2) Know how to recognize bullying. Bullying involves targeted, aggressive words or actions (It’s not just a fight with a peer or friend). Be vigilant about the warning signs of bullying behavior which include: social withdrawal, fear of going to school, and avoidance of or preoccupation with technology. Also be mindful of your child exhibiting signs of bullying behavior (The National Institute of Health reports that 13% of teens have bullied others).
Tip 3) Talk about bullying. Start by communicating your expectations and values to your child and help them to clarify their own values. Talk about what bullying is specifically. Here’s a definition can use: Bullying is when someone aggressively uses power to target another individual with repeated, unwanted words or actions. Discuss and rehearse ways they can respond and make it clear what your child can come to you for help when they witness or are involved in bullying situations.
Tip 4) Promote responsible online behavior. Cyberbullying is an especially harmful form of bullying because of its opportunity for persistence, permanence, and inconspicuousness. You can help prevent cyberbullying by talking with your child about ethical online behavior, including respect for privacy and the impact of denigrating others. Make sure they know how to protect their own privacy online and how to respond when targeted by negative online behavior.
Tip 5) Know your bullying action plan. Whether your child or harassed, or is potentially bullying others, you can offer your support, gather information, and reach out to your school. For more information about SPS’s Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Policies and Procedures, you can visit the website at: https://www.seattleschools.org/deparments/student-civil-rights/hib/. For more tips on bullying prevention, you can contact your school’s Prevention and Intervention Specialist.
This week will be full of fun and learning for Unity Month and Bullying Prevention. We will have a Spirit Week, Advisory focused on Bullying Prevention, and themed games at lunch.
Applying for Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefits
Does our family complete the school meal application?
Yes. Families at these schools should still complete the free student meals application to help our schools maintain federal and state funded programs.
Why is this survey important?
The School Meals Application provides your student’s school with a way to collect household income information. This information is important because it helps your school receive federal and state funding.
In addition to healthy and nutritious meals, the School Meals Application also helps to fund school programs such as:
- Before- and after-school enrichment programs
- School counselors
- Health and wellness services
- Resources for classrooms and teachers
Please complete this Online School Meal Application form.
Families with multiple students will only complete this form once. The form is simple to fill out and confidential. The information will only be used to help your school receive funding from state and federal programs.
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Family Sharing & Screen Time Limits on iPhones
1. Set Up Family Sharing
Before you can manage your child’s iPhone, you’ll need to set up Family Sharing:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Tap Apple ID (Your Name) at the top.
- Select Family Sharing, then tap Set Up Family Sharing.
- Follow the prompts to add your child’s Apple ID to the family group (if they don't have one, you can create it for under 13, and they can create their own if they are 13 or older. Use their actual birth date; putting in a fake one will make things harder later).
2. Enable Screen Time for Your Child
Once Family Sharing is set up, you can manage your child’s Screen Time:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time.
- Select your child’s name under the Family section.
- Tap Turn on Screen Time.
- Follow the prompts to set up Screen Time for your child.
3. Set App Limits
You can set limits for certain apps, such as social media or games, to encourage balanced usage:
- Under Screen Time, tap App Limits.
- Tap Add Limit, then select the app categories or specific apps you want to limit.
- Set a daily time limit for each app or category.
- Tap Add.
4. Downtime and Bedtime Restrictions
Downtime allows you to set a schedule for when apps and notifications are restricted, such as during homework time or at night:
- Under Screen Time, tap Downtime.
- Turn on Scheduled and set a start and end time (e.g., 8 PM to 7 AM).
- During Downtime, only apps you choose will be available.
5. Content and Privacy Restrictions
You can block or limit specific content, such as adult websites or explicit music:
- Under Screen Time, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Customize settings for allowed apps, websites, purchases, and more.
6. Monitor Usage with Weekly Reports
Apple provides a weekly report of your child's screen time:
- Under Screen Time, you’ll see a Weekly Report showing how much time your child spends on each app.
- You can adjust limits and restrictions based on this report to help manage your child’s screen time effectively.
After School Opportunities - Starting in October!
The Seattle Parks & Recreation Community Learning Center at Denny provides educational enrichment opportunities while also delivering cultural and social emotional development supports to its scholars by partnering with families, CBOs, volunteers, and other community organizations. OST will provide after school academic and enrichment programs, culturally responsive mentoring programs and recreational sports programs to its participants. Transportation is provided for those students who are furthest away from educational justice and want to participate in after school programs. OST fall programs will start on October 15th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Program Coordinator Stephen Boney at smboney@seattleschools.org
OST Academic Support Schedule
6th Grade Math Support
Mondays – 2:45 pm – 4:00 pm | Ms. Emma | Room 132
Every other Tuesday- – 2:45 pm – 4:00 pm | Ms. Emma | Room 132
Fridays – 2:45 pm – 4:00 pm | Ms. Emma | Room 132
6th Grade ELA Support
Mondays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Ms. Quarrie & Ms. Chorney | Room 146
Thursdays - 3pm – 3:45pm | Mr. Smith | Room 149
7th Grade Math Support
Mondays -3pm – 3:45pm | Teacher Aimee | Room 259
Tuesdays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Ms. Ostroff | Room 349
7th Grade ELA Support
Tuesdays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Ms. McKay and Mr. Smith| Room 248
Thursdays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Ms. McKay and Mr. Smith | Room 248
8th Grade Math Support
Mondays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Ms. Brown | Room 348
Tuesdays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Ms. Ostroff | Room 349
Thursdays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Ms. Ostroff & Ms. Brown | Room 349 & Room 348
8th Grade ELA/History Support
Tuesdays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Mr. Slingsby | Room 342
Tuesdays – 3pm – 3:45pm | Mr. Richards | Room 340
Thursdays - 3pm – 3:45pm | Mr. Slingsby | Room 342
PTSA General Meeting November 13th
The PTSA will hold their next general meeting on Wednesday, November 13th from 7:00 to 8:00 by Zoom. Please find the link to join below. The general meetings will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of each months.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95559484589?pwd=MlZCdTNSYzd4c0Y4d005SWpidmk0Zz09
Meeting ID: 955 5948 4589
Passcode: 363034
October Dine Out PTSA Fundraiser
What: Dine Out for Denny PTSA
Where: Zeek's Pizza White Center
Why: Fundraiser for Denny PTSA to help as many people who need it most in our community as possible
When: October 24th Thursday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm (all day)
How: Take the night off cooking and order from Zeek's any time that day and PLEASE mention Denny Middle School so that our beloved PTSA receives 20% of all purchases!
FYI Zeek's does Not skimp on toppings, they have great salads, a nice soda & beer selection and ice-cream (I recommend Snoqualmie Cascade Mountain Blackberry)!
Mark your calendar, save the date, set a reminder and help out our wonderful PTSA while enjoying local fare (don't forget to mention Denny Middle School)!
New School-based Health Center Service Provider: Neighborcare Health
To learn more about Neighborcare Health and school-based health center services for the 2023-2024 school year, or to pre-register your student for services, view the Denny International Middle School page on the Neighborcare Health website.
