Dragon Community Newsletter #2

#Welcome Back to School!

Dear Denn John Family,

As the new principal of Denn John Middle School, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for another great year. We are all excited to have students back in our classrooms and hallways, filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning.

It is our mission to help every child feel welcomed, connected, and a part of our school family. We strive to challenge each student to grow in their academic abilities and to be ready for the bright future ahead of them. At Denn John, we have great teachers who spend hours planning and creating classroom activities that engage our students in learning. Our teachers utilize research-based best practices and analyze academic data to determine current skill levels and to set goals for growth and improvement.

We believe that all students can reach their maximum potential for the demands of post-secondary education, meaningful careers, and effective citizenship. This year, we will reinforce the message that learning is required for both staff and students. With this message, DJMS will cultivate an atmosphere where every student will strive socially, emotionally, and academically.

This year, we will focus on fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all. We will strive to ensure that every student feels valued, heard, and motivated to reach their full potential. Therefore, DJMS will focus on three major school improvement goals:

1. All teachers will continue to work on unpacking standards and understand the benchmarks to teach at the appropriate level.

2. DJMS will improve Exceptional Student Education pedagogical practices.

3. DJMS will implement a positive school culture in which various student, staff, and community events will occur to reinforce a great school atmosphere.

We hope that you will find our website helpful and informative. All the information we send out via email can also be found on this site. Additionally, we will be constantly updating our website to provide the latest school news, updates, and events.

We are looking forward to a positive, upbeat school year ahead. We encourage all students to connect with our staff at DJMS; stand up to mistreatment, misinformation, and negativity; and use this school year to shine and excel.

Educationally yours,

Marc A. Hernandez

Principal

Dear Parents,

As we embark on another school year, I want to emphasize the importance of our partnership in your child’s education. Together, we can create a supportive and nurturing environment that fosters academic success and personal growth. Your involvement and collaboration are crucial in helping your child reach their full potential.

By working together at DJMS, we can ensure that your child receives the guidance, encouragement, and resources they need to thrive. Whether it’s through regular communication, attending school events, or supporting learning at home, your active participation makes a significant difference.

Let’s join forces to create a positive and enriching educational experience for your child. Together, we can inspire a love for learning, build strong character, and set the foundation for a bright future. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to your child’s education.

DJMS Administration

Parents & Community!

Welcome to the 24-25 school year as we launch our first annual community newsletter. All parents who have an email on file will receive weekly updates regarding DJMS. So, here are the updates:

1. Weekly Newsletter from DJMS Administration (email)

2. New ESE Scheduling- that's why you see 2 teachers in Math/Reading classes show IEP compliance.

3. HB 1473 states that all exterior doors must remain locked. For this reason, our front administration door is now locked. Our deepest apologies for this inconvenience as we are also adapting to this change. In addition, students will utilize keyless cards when being called to go home or visit the nurse/admin/counselor. These keyless cards are stationed with the teachers and will be checked out accordingly. Note, should a student deliberately tamper or transfer this card to another person knowingly, then serious discipline consequences will be implemented. Please help us reinforce the message that school safety is important, and all students should follow school rules.

4. Car Rider Line- Parents, as an effort to expedite the dismissal process, please move all the way up to the end of the line. Students will now wait towards the end of the car rider line and will not be permitted to walk in the opposite direction to reach your car. This greatly impacts traffic and delays many families. Our goal is to have a safe and quick exit process for your convenience.

5. Updated Bell Scheule for the 24-25. Note, the start and end time remain the same. For your records, attached you will find our school bell schedule.

6. Student Paper IDs. Parents, all students received a student paper ID while we begin our student card ID process. Note due to a delay in materials and printer tech issues, we have not started printing hard IDs. However, the paper ones can be use while the school finalizes a plan on the main IDs. Remember, these are required to ride the school bus.

Sonia McKenzie is the DJMS Athletic Director. Should there ever be a concern regarding athletics (of any sport), Ms. McKenzie is the first point of contact. Additionally, Mr. Booker is the school administrator that oversees athletics.

A message from Mr. Kim:

We have an enthusiastic group of student-athletes eager to join the soccer team this year. Their excitement and readiness to compete and represent Denn John Middle School are truly inspiring.

As we prepare for the upcoming season, we are currently seeking a coach to lead and guide these motivated students to success. If you are interested in this rewarding opportunity to make a difference in our students' lives and contribute to our school's athletic program, please reach out.

We would love to have someone passionate about soccer and dedicated to helping our students achieve their full potential both on and off the field.

Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you.

daniel.kim@osceolaschools.net

Cross Country Try Outs:

August 19, 20, 22

After school in the cafeteria. Bring a change of running clothes.

Physical mut be on file.

Got questions? See Coach Gutierrez or Ms. McKenzie

Dragon Community,

For your reference, attached you will find the first outline of the testing calendar. Please ensure your student(s) are always present during each testing session. We greatly depend on your student's ability to be here regarding testing due to data review and state compliance purposes. If your student is able to complete the appropriate test, then we can make intervention plans to continue building on your student's capacities!

Thank you for your understanding!

Also, all students received their laptops. We understand there are some technical concerns. Those will be addressed on Monday (by period/grade level) to ensure students have a functioning laptop. This is essential as the first round of testing is days away.

Dragon Dollars is a fast and simple to recognize a student for complying with the basic rules of conduct. It takes the concept of “Observe and Praise Appropriate Behavioral Actions” and extends it by making it easy to award points to students for positive behaviors. Students can then redeem their accumulated dragon dollars in the school store for tangible and intangible rewards. Also, we host school events on Fridays where students use Dragons Dollars to participate. Think of it as a student cash for their PBIS points. This also includes Pep Rallies, School Dances, and much more!

Due to having a fantastic fire drill, all students were awarded Open Seating in the cafeteria during their lunch period.

We are most proud of the efforts of the 6th and 7th grade students. Because of their excellent behavior, they will continue to see open seating in the cafeteria during lunch.

Unfortunately, there were some struggles with 8th grade. However, we are confident that 8th Graders will breathe F.I.R.E this week and have an opportunity for future great incentives!

The Denn John Middle School Dragons breathe F.I.R.E., which stands for Focus, Integrity, Respect, and Engaged in Learning. Our goal is to provide a learning environment that promotes both academic and social growth.

Parents,

DJMS needs your help! We would love parent volunteers to assist with the following:

1. Media Center Help- Library Movement and Textbook Organization (requires physical movement)

2. PTA Chapter? I would love to open one!

3. SAC (School Advisory Council):

The School Advisory Council (SAC) is a team of people representing various segments of the community, parents, teachers, students, administrators, support staff, business/ industry people and other interested community members. The purpose of a SAC is to assist in the preparation and evaluation (developing and evaluating) of the results of the school improvement plan and to assist the principal with the annual school budget. Additionally, SAC receives funds "to be used at the discretion of the School Advisory Committee A portion of the money should be used for implementing the school improvement plan." "The improvement plan shall include performance indicators which are measurable." "Funding for use by the School Advisory Councils should be allocated directly to the School Advisory Councils, should be clearly earmarked for their use and is not subject to override by the Principal or interim approvals by school district staff. These moneys may be expended only on programs or projects selected by the school advisory council. These moneys may not be used for capital improvements."

Each school in the State of Florida must have a SAC. By law, each SAC must be composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of stakeholders. These individuals must be representative of the ethnic, racial and economic makeup of the community served by the school. High schools and vocational technical centers must have students on the SACs. Middle and junior high schools may to include students on their SAC. The majority of SAC members (over 50 percent) must not be employed by the SCHOOL DISTRICT on whose SAC they serve.

We need 5-8 parents or community members to join!

4. Athletics & Fine Arts Parent Boosters!

5. Mentors for Students

6. Solution Tree Parent Panel

Thursday, August, 23 from 9:45 am - 10:15 am. Can be Teams or F2F.

Solution Tree is an agency coming to DJMS to help improve our instructional practices and data review. We are excited about this opportunity! They want to hear from you!

7. 50th Anniversary Committee! DJMS turns 50 this year! What an incredible milestone!! In next week's newsletter, the community sign up for this committee will be released.

Parents & Community- if any of these items are of interest, simply contact Mr. Hernandez directly at Marc.Hernandez@osceolaschools.net or 689.261.3280 (District Cellphone)

As a friendly reminder, all volunteers must be Oasis Approved. Please see the information below to begin the registration process! It's quick and easy!

Volunteer Application (schoolcheckin.net)

1. Monday, August 19: Student Laptop Make Up Day & Computer Technical Day

2. SAC- First monthly meeting (every 3rd Thursdays of each month from 4:30 - 5:30 pm)

August 22- Media Center (4:30 pm - 5:30 pm)

3. Algebra I/Geometry/Biology/Pre-AP World History/Spanish Courses: Ensure daily assignments are completed as this is a high-level course. GPA counts now!

4. Solution Tree Parent Panel Discussion

9:45 am - 10:15 am (Teams or F2F)