DMS Panther Pulse
January 2025 - Happy New Year!
Welcome to the Panther Pulse!
Welcome to this edition of the Panther Pulse! Please read through the DMS updates below. Please check this edition throughout the month as it may continue to be updated throughout the month.
Go Panthers!
DMS Mission & Vision
Vision: Each student performing at grade level in all areas.
Important Dates
January 6 - School Resumes
January 6-22 - Star Winter Benchmark
January 7 - Parents' Club Meeting 5 PM DMS Library/Virtual Link
January 10 - Report Cards Sent via Email
January 16 - Freshmen Orientation (for current 8th graders)
January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
February 4 - Parents' Club Meeting 5 PM DMS Library/Virtual Link
February 7 - Sheila Arnold Storytelling
February 14 - Noon Dismissal - SIP Day
Newly Added Information (Updated 1.18.25)
DGS Carnival Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed to help support the Dunlap Grade School Carnival on Saturday, February 22nd. The Carnival will be held indoors, and there are multiple time shifts available. Volunteer positions include collecting admission, running the Carnival Games & Cake Walk, helping with decorations & set up , or assisting with concessions. Each volunteer will receive 1 free Basket Raffle ticket, a free soda and popcorn, and a coupon for a free McDonald’s cheeseburger & ice cream cone for each shift they work.
Please stop by the information center by the office to grab a flyer with the Sign-Up Genius link and QR code to sign up as a Volunteer or to get more information.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E49ACA722A6FA7-52674831-dunlap
Free BIST Parent Series
January 8 th , 2025
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As part of ongoing support for families, your child’s school is offering a series of classes for
parents and guardians through a partnership with the Behavior Intervention Support Team
(BIST). These training sessions are designed to provide ways you can support your child’s
developing academic and behavior skills, as well as increase consistency between home and
school.
BIST Virtual Parenting Series
5:45 PM - 6:00 PM Enter Zoom Waiting Room
6:00 PM – 6:45 PM Informational Session
6:45 PM – 7:00 PM Questions and Answers
January 28th: “New Year, New Start: Proactively Partnering with Your Child’s School”
February 4th: “Powerful Tools to Sustain a Powerful Family”
February 11th: “Growing Accountability with Empathy”
These classes are designed to:
- Create consistency between school and home
- Provide language for adults to use when redirecting children
- Share ways to problem solve to increase your child’s success
- Increase generosity and kindness in your children
- Bring a sense of calm to your home
Please join us for any or all three sessions!
How to Register for Free Training
These virtual classes are provided free of charge, however, we do ask that you please register
through our website on or before Friday, January 24th. Instructions for registration are on
the page below.
We are excited to offer this opportunity to you!
Sincerely,
Marty Huitt, Director
Behavior Intervention Support Team/Cornerstones of Care
8150 Wornall Rd
Kansas City, MO 64114
@MartyHuitt
To register for this class:
1. Go to http://BIST.org
2. Click Log In on the home screen.
3. If you already created a username by previously enrolling in a BIST class, just log in on
this screen.
4. If you have never registered for a BIST class, enter your information (Name, Email, and
a Password). This will register you on the website, but not for the class.
5. At the top of the page, use the dropdown menu called “Classes.” Click “Training
Calendar.”
6. Select the class you wish to attend (Parenting with BIST). Click “Register” under your
preferred class.
7. Fill out the required questions and click “Register.”
8. On the checkout screen, complete the billing details even though this is a free class.
9. Click “Place Order.” The Order Details page is your confirmation of registration.
10. You will receive an email containing the Zoom link for the training sessions on Monday,
January 27th.
a. If you have not received an email containing the Zoom link by noon on January
27th, please contact our office at bist@cornerstonesofcare.org for assistance.
DMS 2025-2026 Fall Sports Information
General Information
All parents whose students wish to participate in extracurricular activities at DMS for the 2025-26 school year will be required to view an Activity Code Presentation online with their son or daughter before their respective season begins. **Please note that the student handbook requires both a parent and student to view the activity code presentation.
The Activity Code Presentation is available online by clicking on the Athletics/Activities tab on the Dunlap Middle School homepage (https://dms.dunlapcusd.net/). The presentation and sign-off will also be available during the registration process.
If your child plans to participate in an activity, they will be required to register online through 8to18. More information regarding the registration process can be found here:https://dms.dunlapcusd.net/athletics_activities. We encourage parents to register for an 8to18 account if they do not already have one. Athletic/Activity registration will be available on 8to18 about one month before the start of tryouts/participation. 8to18 Online Registration for 2025-26 Fall Sports will open in June 2025. Students are expected to attend all three days of tryouts. We are unable to provide alternate arrangements.
The following items must be turned into the DMS office before participation in sports:
An updated physical (Valid for 395 days)
$90 Activity Fee
The following forms will be completed electronically through 8 to 18:
Concussion Form
Insurance Waiver
Athletic Code Agreement
Spring Assessment Dates
STAR Winter Assessments - January 6 - 22
- All students
I.A.R. (Illinois Assessment for Readiness) - Week of April 7
- All students
Illinois Science Assessment - Week of April 7 and Week of April 14
- 8th grade only
Attention Current 8th Grade Families
The information below was emailed by Mrs. Katie Cazalet, DHS principal, on December 30. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.
Parents of ELL Students
In January, your child will participate in the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test (“ACCESS”). ACCESS is an English language proficiency assessment administered to Kindergarten through 12th grade students who have been identified as English Language Learners (“ELLs”). ACCESS is required by the state of Illinois and it is given annually to monitor students' progress in acquiring academic English. It is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development Standards and assesses each of the four language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. It is important that your child be in attendance at school to take this test. Please note that even if your child is waivered, he/she still needs to take the ACCESS test annually until he/she scores high enough to officially exit the ESL program. If you are interested in learning more about the ACCESS test or wish to view the practice materials, please visit the following website: https://wbte.drcedirect.com/WIDA/portals/wida
Panther Moment of the Month - December
Donate to our Panthers with a Purpose Service Days Below
Scan the QR Code Below to Donate!
DUNLAP COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT #323 SCHOOL CLOSING PROCEDURES
October 23, 2024
Dear Dunlap School District Parents/Guardians:
As we begin experiencing more significant winter weather, I would like to share some information on weather-related school closings so that you will be prepared for the days and weeks ahead. Student safety is always our first consideration when it comes to canceling school or events. Three factors impact the decision to close schools due to weather: road conditions, temperature, and visibility.
All school cancellations will be communicated through the phone notification system, the District website, the District Facebook page, and local media (WEEK and WMBD).
Snow Days
Snow is the most common reason for closing school. Factors considered are:
● Accumulation and drifting
● Icing
● Wind speeds (particularly for the county)
● Temperature
● Road conditions
● Forecast estimates for continued precipitation
When these conditions exist, I drive the bus routes within the district in order to get an idea of the road conditions. If the road and weather conditions are questionable, I then consult with a number of different people including, our maintenance director, area superintendents, and our transportation director. There is no single rule of thumb for accumulation amounts and much of the decision depends on the presence of blowing and/or drifting snow. Every effort will be made to make a decision and inform families as quickly as possible, but a decision to cancel school and/or events will not be based solely on a forecast.
Temperature
Extreme temperatures are a part of our winters. These temperatures impact man and machine. This year we will utilize the NOAA/National Weather Service Wind Chill Chart as part of our informed decision making process. The chart is not used as an absolute. Instead, it guides the decision making process along with the forecast (e.g., how quickly a warm-up is expected to take place). When persistent cold temperatures combined with wind chills have the potential to lead to frostbite in less than 30 minutes of exposure, it is unlikely that school will be in attendance.
Factors considered in closing school due to extreme low temperatures are:
● Temperature
● Wind
● Duration and Timing of Cold Temps
● Safe Operation of Buses
If temperatures are extremely low and we DO NOT cancel school, we ask that our parents ensure that their children wear appropriate cold weather clothing (winter coats, hats and gloves). Bus riders should remain in their homes until the bus arrives. Our bus drivers have been instructed to wait for students to come out of the house on cold weather days. Because of these delays and because of the inclement weather, buses will be late. There is no way of notifying parents when exactly their child’s bus will arrive. If a specific bus is running late due to a malfunction or accident, parents will be notified; otherwise, please assume that the bus will eventually arrive.
Late Starts
Late starts will be considered on days when conditions are such that student safety will improve (e.g., driving conditions) by delaying the start of the school day. If conditions are expected to improve quickly and/or a short delay will give crews time to clear roads, a late start may be utilized; however, late starts are very rare.
After School Events
The same process will be utilized when considering whether or not to cancel after school events. After school events will not automatically be canceled when school is canceled, as we prefer to retain some flexibility in decision-making.
We understand the impact that school cancellations have on families and never take the decision lightly. Student safety is always our first priority, and we appreciate your cooperation and patience. Hopefully this information explains the decision making process and will help you with planning.
Sincerely,
Dr. Scott Dearman, Superintendent
Delayed Start Information
There may be times when the weather is such that delaying the start of school by two hours would provide for a safer environment for our students and staff. This decision will be announced no later than 6:30 am on the day of the delayed start via School Messenger system as well as local TV stations.
On these days, buses will run and morning pick up times will be two hours later than normal. Classes will begin two hours later than their regularly scheduled time. There will still be lunch served at school and school will still dismiss at the regular time. If the district decides to implement a delayed start for the school day, all notifications will be sent in the same manner as the closing of school.
Parent-Teacher Communication
Parent communication is important to the overall success and experience your child has at school. While email and/or other electronic means is often the easiest way to communicate with a teacher, please understand that your teacher may be unable to respond in real time. Their focus during the school day is on teaching. As a general rule, teachers will respond to emails within 24 hours. Emails sent/received over the weekend will be handled as time allows when school resumes the next week. Please call the office at (309) 243-7778 if you need immediate assistance.
District Attendance Policy Changes
A district goal for the coming school year will be to improve student attendance. Our attendance practices and policies have been aligned to the Illinois State Board of Education requirements and Illinois School Law. Students will be allowed up to 7 days per semester as excused for illness, mental health, etc... Absences for travel or other reasons not excused by a doctor beyond the 7 days will be considered unexcused. Make-up work and credit for unexcused absences will not be provided and students will receive zeros for this assignments. Please make every effort to avoid extended absences due to travel outside of the scheduled breaks from school. A missed school day is a missed opportunity for student learning. Additional information on the attendance policy is available in the student handbook.
DMS Parents' Club
New To Dunlap Middle or curious about what is going on at our school? Attend a DMS PTO meeting. Our meetings provide updates from our Principal as well as needs that are identified and discussed to support our students, staff and school.
DMS PTO meetings are held at DMS in the school library. We also offer a virtual option by clicking here. All of our meetings begin at 5 PM.
January 7
February 4
March 4
April 1
May 6
Don’t worry the time commitment for middle school PTO is NOT as intense as elementary PTO positions. Our meetings are all after school/work once a month. We have many roles on our board which helps us break up the duties so they are more manageable. Please consider volunteering for a position during the 2024-25 school year. You can find out about any open volunteer spots by attending our September meeting! There is a spot for everyone at our PTO so please join us!
Questions - contact presidentdmspto@gmail.com
Housekeeping Items Below
Daily Announcements
Mandatory School Drills
Fire Drills:
August 20, 2024
September 3, 2024
September 12, 2024 with the Dunlap Fire Department present
Law Enforcement Drill:
- August 22, 2024
- August 26, 2024 with School Resource Officers present
Severe Weather Drill
September 19, 2024
March 10, 2025
- TBD
DMS Bell Schedule
The DMS school day starts at 8:20 AM. School is dismissed at 3:30 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 3:00 PM on Wednesday for PLCs. Our bells schedule can be found on our website by clicking here.
Traffic Flow at DHS/DMS Campus
Do NOT stop in the left-hand lane. All DMS drop-offs should be done in the right-hand lane close to the front door crosswalk.
Also, when picking your child up in the PM all traffic will flow through the DMS parking lot. Students should wait close to the front of the building to be picked up. Please be on the lookout for our students as you drive through our parking lot!
Communication of Absences & Early Dismissals
It is best to communicate first thing in the morning or the previous day so that we can update our attendance accordingly or so that a pass can be written for your child. If you have your child bring in a note, please have them bring it to the office upon arrival that day.
School Security & Visitors
In an effort to maintain the safest environment possible for our children, security measures have been implemented in all buildings throughout the district. All school doors, including the front entrance, will be locked during school hours. Visitors to the school will need to press the buzzer located to the left of the main entrance and wait to be let in by office staff.
Upon entering the building, visitors will be asked to present a US government issued ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into our electronic sign in system. Once entry is approved, a badge will be issued that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. Upon exiting the school, visitors will be asked to give their visitors badge to the office staff when checking out.
Tech Support for Students
The District has a 1:1 Technology website that will help answer questions regarding Canvas FAQ, Chromebook care and Google/Chromebook FAQ.
If you are experiencing any issues with your Chromebook, and cannot find the answers to your questions, please contact the Dunlap IT help desk at helpdesk@dunlapstudents.net.
Classroom teachers and the office may not be able to support any issues with technology aside from general login instructions for district platforms.
Lunch Accounts
Dear Dunlap CUSD #323 Parents and Guardians:
Welcome Back! The new school year is fast approaching and the Dunlap Food Service
department is busy preparing for our students to arrive. Please take a moment to review some
important information that will assist you in a successfully navigating the food service program.
Below are the prices of school meals for the 2024-25 school year:
School lunch prices for school year 2024-25
Grades K-5 - $2.65
Grades 6-8 - $2.85
Grades 9-12 - $3.05
Reduced Price Lunch - $0.40
Milk - $0.50 per carton
Free/Reduced Applications Available August 1, 2024. Apply online using MySchoolApps. Use the
link below.
https://www.dunlapcusd.net/cms/one.aspx?pageId=3071539
Special Note: If approved for Free or Reduced meal benefits and your student needs a milk for
their lunch brought from home, the student will need to purchase at .50 cents. Milk is only
provided with the school meal.
Adding Money to Lunch Accounts: Middle school students can add money as they go through the lunch line using cash or check.
Preferred Payment for all schools, MySchoolbucks.com. See link below.
*Please be advised, (All Schools) if you deposit money on your child’s account after 9:30 am
using myschoolbucks.com, there’s a good chance the deposit will not post to your child’s
lunch account until after 12:00pm.
Connect with Us!
Email: ajohnson@dunlapcusd.net
Website: https://dms.dunlapcusd.net/
Location: 5200 West Cedar Hills Drive, Dunlap, IL, USA
Phone: 309-243-7778
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DunlapMiddleSchool/
Twitter: @DMSPanthers