Bobcat Bulletin

Hello Bobcats!

I hope that everyone is staying warm and enjoying the 3-day weekend!

We had an AMAZING week last week! Hopefully, your students came home and told you all about our guest speakers last Monday. Former NFL Players Keith Davis and Germard Reed joined us to share their stories and remind students that words matter. Here are a few quotes from their presentation:

• "Words are powerful. Use your words to build up, not tear down."
• "Don't be average. Don't be good. Be beyond great!"
• "It's never too late to pursue your dreams, so dream big. Persevere Until Success Happens... PUSH!"
• "You're not born a winner. You're not born a loser. You're born a chooser. Choose to be a champion. Champions don't give up. They get up!"
• "The '2nd half' is what counts!"

We also had our first pep rally of the Spring Semester and celebrated our Basketball teams, and we awarded our Champion Volleyball and Football teams their trophies and banners!!! The 8th Graders took a trip over to MHS and the MILE to visit the course fair and tour the Career and Technology options that are available as they move through their high school course work. And, all of our students engaged in rigorous, relevant learning as we completed our first full week of the new year!!!

Lots of great information to share! Make it a great week, and Go Bobcats! 🐾💙

~Mrs. Ricks

Monday, January 20th: MLK Holiday; District Closed

Tuesday, January 21st: Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night (for current 5th Grade Parents) @ 6:00 p.m. in the DMS Cafeteria; Tennis vs. Corsicana (AWAY); Board Meeting @ Central Office 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 22nd: Open

Thursday, January 23rd: PTO Staff Luncheon; Girls Basketball vs. Red Oak @ DMS; Boys Basketball vs. Red Oak (AWAY)

Friday, January 24th:🎂 Happy Birthday, Ms. Hamilton (Assistant Principal) and Ms. Moscrop (Paraprofessional)🎂!!!!

Saturday, January 25th: Dance Competition @ Mansfield Timberview HS

Looking ahead: District Benchmarks for ELAR & 8th SS during the Week of January 27th

Registration for the 25-26 school year is in full swing!

8th grade parents:

The high school counselors visited with the 8th graders last week and went over the course selection sheets with the students. Copies of the course selection sheets and academic planning guides can be found here. Counselors will ask the students to enter their selections into Skyward this week through their Bobcat Challenge class. The students will need their course selection sheet for this process and an explanation video will be posted to the link above as well this week. Please review the selections with your student, sign, and return the document. The due date for having the course selection sheets turned into their Bobcat Challenge class will be Wednesday, January 22nd. Students will be entering their selections into Skyward at the time. If they have already turned their selection sheets in, that's great! They will be returned to the students on Wednesday, and they will have them in their hands when we enter the selections into Skyward. If you missed the 8th grade parent night you can find the slide show and information that the MHS counselors presented here. Be sure to check out the details within this newsletter with regards to TSIA 2 and PSAT 8/9.

6th and 7th grade parents:

Students will receive their course selection sheets on Tuesday, January 21st. There will be an explanation video covering how to make selections on the sheet posted to the course selection portion of the counseling website found here. Students will need to have parents sign off on their course selection sheets and return them to their Bobcat Challenge teachers by Monday, January 27th. The 6th and 7th grade students will enter their course selections in Skyward on Wednesday, January 29th during their Bobcat Challenge class.

If you have questions about courses or would like to refer to the academic planning guide, they can be found on the DMS website.

For students who intend to take dual credit courses at Navarro College in 9th grade, the TSIA 2 will be offered on an opt in basis on March 19th. More details and sign up will be coming soon. Please note that the TSIA 2 is only intended for those students who wish to take a dual credit course as a 9th grader.

DMS is excited to offer an opt-in administration of the PSAT 8/9 on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

As an 8th grader, your student has the option to take the PSAT 8/9 on campus during the school day.

The PSAT 8/9 is an excellent tool for preparing for the SAT and other standardized tests while helping students become familiar with the test format and timing.

Benefits include the following:

● A personalized list of careers and potential college majors and the ability to learn about them

● Access to the College Board’s interactive college and career planning website

● An online score report, including projected SAT® score ranges, state percentiles, and the ability to sort answer explanations by difficulty and question type

● The opportunity to see which Advanced Placement classes the student has potential to do well in

The cost to participate is $25. Your student must be signed up by Friday, January 24th in order to take the practice test.

To register, please complete THIS FORM and send your $25 payment to the counselors in the DMS front office. Checks should be made out to MISD.

We will be conducting Spinal screenings for 7th grade girls on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

Texas state law requires that schools must screen for spinal problems for the following grade levels:

• Girls in 5th and 7th grade
• Boys in 8th grade

Trained screeners will check for signs of spinal problems like scoliosis. The screening is simple. Screeners will look at your child's back as she stands and bends forward. Catching a spinal problem early can make treatment much easier. Not treating a spinal problem can lead to serious health problems.

Important Recommendations:

• Students bring shorts to school for the exam.
• Girls should wear a sports bra or two piece swimsuit top underneath on exam day.

The school will send you a letter if your child does NOT pass the screening and recommend you follow up with a doctor. The screening is not a medical exam. Your child still needs to see a doctor for check ups.

If you do NOT wish to have your child screened, you must submit an exemption affidavit to the school. Only fill out the exemption affidavit if you DO NOT want your child screened.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Alexis Valentine BSN, RN

Dieterich Middle School

2881 Ledgestone Ln | Midlothian TX 76065

alexis.valentine@midlothianisd.org | 469-856-5810

Athletic physical dates for the 2025-26 school year have been set. Physicals are required for all 7th-12th grade students involved in athletics, dance, cheer, ROTC, and the high school marching band. Incoming 6th graders are not required to have a physical.

Physical Dates:

• April 12th at Methodist Clinic Midlothian
• May 3rd at MHS Cafeteria

More information will be provided soon.

DMS wants to honor our educators who go above and beyond to provide students with an exceptional learning experience. Using this Google Form, please nominate a staff member who models and encourages the Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH) tenets of empathy, self-direction, teamwork, courage, perseverance, and integrity. Please take a moment to recognize anything big or small they've done to make a positive difference at DMS.

Yearbooks are on sale! Don't delay... order yours today!

6th Grade Presentation, 2/6/25: Opt Out Form

7th Grade Presentation, 2/12/25: Opt In Form

8th Grade Presentation, 1/29/25: Opt In Form

We realize that there have been bouts of COVID, strep throat, and a stomach bug going around. Please remind your kiddos to wash their hands frequently, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of rest in an effort to mitigate illnesses.

Just a few attendance reminders:

• Absence notes should be emailed to lisa.wood@midlothianisd.org within 24 hours of the absence.
• When you email the school, please include the student's first name, last name, and ID#. Student nicknames can cause confusion with attendance coding.
• If you feel that there is an error for a particular class period, please email the teacher directly first. For example, if your student was tardy and the teacher accidentally marked your student absent, please email the teacher so the teacher can submit an absence correction form.
• Please remember that we have approximately 1,000 students on campus, so it may take 1-2 business days for the update to show in Skyward. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

All Texas school districts are required by law to distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. House Bill 3, Section 19 added Section 37.222 to the Texas Education Code, which requires the Texas School Safety Center, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Public Safety, to provide information and resources to school districts for the purpose of disseminating the information to parents. The Texas DPS launched a Keep ‘Em Safe Texas website that provides safety resources, materials, and tips for practicing safe gun storage to prevent accidents and keep children safe. Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.

MISD prioritizes the safety and security of our staff and students. We ask our MISD visitors to help us in the effort to keep kids as safe as possible. MISD appreciates your patience as we follow these procedures. To learn more about campus security and visitor guidelines, visit https://bit.ly/3QqqQzl.

Website: https://dms.midlothianisd.org/
Location: Dieterich Middle School, 2881 Ledgestone Lane, Midlothian, TX 76065
Phone: (469) 856 - 5800

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dieterichMS/
Instagram: @dms.bobcats
X: @Principal_Ricks