Happy Friday Panther families! We had another great week here at the middle school!

This week our school did the Great Kindness Challenge. Our students did many random and scheduled acts of kindness from reading to elementary students, writing thank you letters to our bus drivers, and thinking of ways to help our school be a kind place. Today, students had a hot cocoa party during lunch because as a school they reported over 600 random acts of kindness. Next week we will announce which class reported the most acts of kindness and they will have an ice cream sundae party. I also would like to thank our counselor, Mrs. Collins, for all of her hard work organizing our kindness week and putting together our spirit days as well!

We are now entering the part of the school year where grade-levels are sending home information about grade-level field trips. Please make sure you are checking the field trip dates, when payments are due, and for the attendance, grade, and behavior requirements students need to meet to be eligible to go. Please contact your child's teacher(s) if you have further questions about grade-level field trips.

As always I would like to thank our students, staff, families, and community for their support. Tomorrow we start another new month and as I said before time is flying by! Have a wonderful weekend Panthers!

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE A PANTHER!!!

Thank you,

Bobby Tillman

Principal

Delton Kellogg Middle School

6325 Delton Rd

Delton, MI 49046

(269) 623-1541

Monday, February 3rd - PIE Meeting in the Elementary Library

Wednesday, February 5th - Kick Start Deposit Day

Saturday, February 8th - Father / Daughter Dance Middle School Cafeteria

Monday, February 17th - No School for Students - Staff Development

Friday, February 21st - Popcorn Friday at Lunchtime

Saturday, February 22nd - Boys Youth Hoops "Pink Out" to support Courtney Dudley

Friday, February 28th - The End of the second trimester

Thursday, March 13th - Half Day Students ( Dismissal 11:30 am) - Parent / Teacher Conferences (As Needed)

Friday, March 14th - Half Day (Dismissal 11:30 am)

Friday, March 21st - End of 9 week marking period

Each week at Delton Kellogg Middle School, students who demonstrate SK2R behavior—being Safe, Kind, Responsible, and Respectful—are entered into our Friday Panther Paw Drawing. Winners get to choose a snack or sweet treat of their choice as a reward for their positive actions and leadership.

Congratulations to this week’s winners! Keep up the great work, and continue making our school a great place to be!

Delton Kellogg Middle School is proud to celebrate the incredible achievement of 7th grader Meara Cook, who earned the bronze medal at the SWIMS Conference Dive competition last weekend. Out of 36 talented divers, Meara's hard work and skill stood out, securing her an impressive 3rd place finish.

Join us in applauding Meara for this outstanding achievement. Way to go, Meara! Keep making waves and inspiring us all! We are so proud of you!!

Delton Kellogg Middle School’s own Dallas Spencer recently showcased her incredible gymnastics skills at the Ozone Invitational in Knoxville, Tennessee. Competing at Level 5 with Branch Gymnastics, Dallas went up against athletes from all over the country and delivered an outstanding performance.

She earned an impressive 2nd place on the Uneven Bars, along with 3rd place on Floor, 4th place on Vault, and 4th place All-Around. Dallas's efforts helped her team finish 1st Place at this Invitational.

Congratulations on your success, Dallas—your DKMS family is proud of you!

Congratulations to Arrabelle Allersma, a standout 5th-grader making her mark in track and field. This winter, Arrabelee joined a competitive track club and recently showcased her talent at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), where she faced off against some of Michigan’s top varsity athletes.

Arrabelle’s hard work and determination have propelled her to the top. She is currently ranked among the top 5 middle school athletes in the state for three events: the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m runs. What’s even more impressive is that she’s competing against students up to 8th grade.

Arrabelle, we are incredibly proud of you and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll accomplish next!

As part of our Great Kindness Challenge this week, students reported acts of kindness they witnessed using an email link or QR code. We’re thrilled to announce that our students not only met our goal of 300 acts of kindness reported but exceeded it!

To celebrate, students enjoyed hot chocolate during lunch today, Friday, Jan. 31. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped spread kindness throughout our school!

Stay tuned— the classroom with the most reported acts of kindness will be announced next week and will receive an ice cream sundae party!

Today the 5th grade teachers celebrated 5th-grade students who met their NWEA goals or showed growth from their previous scores! Their hard work and dedication to learning paid off, and we are so proud of their achievements.

Recognizing and celebrating growth encourages students to continue striving for success. Keep up the great work, 5th graders—your effort and perseverance are making a difference!

Over the past few weeks, 5th-grade students have been honing their skills in writing formal letters. As part of this assignment, students select a business they would like to learn more about or a career they aspire to pursue in the future.

Through this activity, they practice organizing and properly structuring their letters, including the heading, greeting, formal language paragraphs, and proper closing. They also learn how to correctly address an envelope and prepare their letters for mailing.

This valuable skill will help students in the future as they correspond with potential colleges and job opportunities. An exciting part of the assignment is receiving responses from businesses—many of which include thoughtful replies and even special surprises! One lucky student, Jaiden Brown, received a box full of Dr. Pepper supplies from the company he wrote to, making the experience even more memorable.

This hands-on learning experience not only strengthens students' writing abilities but also encourages them to think about their future careers.

PIE is excited to announce that their fundraising website is now live! Each grade level has its own unique code , making it easy for students to participate.

Personalized Fundraising – Within each grade level, students can set up their own individual fundraiser to track their progress. This also allows whoever sets up the fundraiser to receive email updates on the total amount raised.

Maximizing Donations – Donors have the option to cover the 3% processing fee, ensuring that 100% of their donation goes directly to the student’s fundraiser. If they choose not to cover the fee, it will be deducted from the donation amount.

Every contribution helps make our field trips possible and creates unforgettable experiences for our students. Thank you for your support!

As we move through the school year, it’s that time when cases of head lice tend to pop up more frequently. While lice are a common nuisance among school-aged children, early detection and proper treatment can help prevent their spread.

To assist families, we are sharing important information from the Barry-Eaton District Health Department on identifying, treating, and preventing head lice. Please review the attached resources to help keep our school community healthy.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Looking for fun and engaging activities this February? The Delton District Library has you covered! Mark your calendars for these exciting events:

• Saturday, February 1: Take Your Child to the Library Day Celebrate with us from 9am-1pm by completing a scavenger hunt for a prize, doing a craft, and entering our prize drawing. Winners will be drawn on Monday, February 3.

• Tuesday, February 4: Puzzle Contest From 3:15-4:30, teams of 4 will compete to see who can complete their 300-piece puzzle the fastest. The winning team will receive a prize provided by the Friends of Delton District Library.

• Tuesday, February 18: “Taste of Delton Pizza” Contest Join us from 5:30-7 for FREE, family-friendly fun as participants sample area pizzas and vote for their favorite. Please call the library at 623-8040 to sign up so we can order enough pizza. Sponsored by the Friends of Delton District Library and Barry County Telephone/MEI Telecom Services.

• All February: Food for Fines Erase overdue fines by donating non-perishable food items! For every 1 item donated, $1 in fines will be erased. All food collected will be donated to local food pantries.

On February 22nd, the Boys Youth Hoops will host a "Pink Out" event to honor Courtney Dudley's strength and resilience in her battle with cancer. To ensure your shirt is ready for the event, please submit your order form to the elementary or middle school office by February 3rd. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to support Courtney and her family during this challenging time. Any additional support, kind words, and encouragement are greatly appreciated as we come together as a community to uplift Courtney and her loved ones.

We’re excited to announce that the Mobile Dentist will be visiting our school on Wednesday, March 26, and Thursday, March 27, 2025.

If you’d like your child to see the Mobile Dentist, please complete the attached form:

• Online Option: Fill out the form online using the link provided.
• Paper Form Option: If you prefer, you can complete the paper form and return it to the middle school office.

Delton Kellogg Athletics has teamed up with ProMed in Richland to offer sports physicals for our athletes on April 16th, 2025. This physical will fulfill the requirement for the 2025-2026 school year. Athletic staff will be available to upload the physical directly to Final Forms. Please note that you and your student will still need to log into Final Forms to complete the annual sports forms after June 20th. To participate during school hours, your student MUST return this form, the completed MHSAA Sports Physical Form, and payment by April 3rd to the high school office. If these items are not submitted by the deadline, your student may participate during walk-in times after school hours with completed forms and payment in hand between 2:50 - 4:00 pm.

Please sign, complete, submit payment, and return to the office by April 3rd.

• Who makes up your family? Any pets or animals?My family consists of myself and my boyfriend Brad Hope, who I have been with for the last 6 1/2 years. I have two boys, Kael, he is in 3rd grade here at Delton and Riley who graduated last year. We have two dogs Olive and Chloe, three cats Bagheera, Momo, and Mako, a bearded dragon named Stitch , about thirty chickens and lastly some fish.

• How long have you been part of this school community? I have lived in Delton for along time, I graduated from Delton High School in 2005, and I am now working on getting my teaching degree.

• What inspired you to pursue a career in education? I love working with children.

• Where did you grow up, and what’s a fun memory from your childhood? I grew up on Little Long Lake in Dowling, and I would have to say one of my favorite childhood memories would have to be fishing on the paddle boat with my brother Richard.

• What’s your favorite thing about working at DKMS? I love that I can make a difference in the kids lives, and I truly enjoy the staff that I get to work with on a daily basis.

• If you weren’t in education, what would you be doing? I would probably be going to school for nursing.

• If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? If I could have one superpower it would be the ability to teleport to where ever I wanted whenever I wanted, so I could see my family and friends.

• If you could swap places with anyone for a day, who would it be? If I could swap places with anyone for a day it would have to be Dwayne Johnson.

• What’s a fun fact about you that might surprise people? I love to read. I also do nails.

• What’s your go-to comfort food or favorite treat? Ice cream

• What’s your favorite book or author? Right now my favorite author is H.D. Carlton.

• Do you have a favorite movie, TV show, or song that always lifts your spirits? My favorite TV show is Jersey Shore.

• If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why? If I could travel anywhere right now it would be to Rome, I want to see the Colosseum.

• What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Reading, or spending time with my friends and family.

• How do you motivate and inspire your students or colleagues? By encouraging them and showing them that I am in school too and you can do anything you put your mind to.

• What’s something about our school community that you appreciate the most? I appreciate the fact that the school is helping me get my teaching degree.

• How do you motivate and engage students in your classroom or work environment? I sit down with the students and do the work with them.

• Can you share a memorable or inspiring moment you’ve had with a student? I recently had a friend of mine pass away and a few of my students made me a card and a bouquet of flowers out of paper, it was so sweet and really touched my heart.

• How do you build positive relationships with your students and colleagues? By just being there for them when they need me.

• What’s something you’ve learned from your students that has impacted you? They do listen and they do care.

• What is the best part of your day at school? The best part of my day even though it can be challenging at times is lunch time and recess.

The athletic department has implemented some new tools and strategies to streamline communication and transparency throughout the department. These new programs should help streamline communication, event ticket purchases and potentially some registrations in the near future.

* Eventlink.com is where information for athletic events and facility usage can be found. Tickets and season passes can be purchased through Eventlink, and you are able to customize your experience by choosing which sports you would like communications from.

* Finalforms.com is where physicals and other important documents should go. These documents can be uploaded by your phone by taking a picture of the document.

* The Athletic Department would prefer all pay to participate payments go through this virtual portal for all Middle School and High School athletes.

Pay to Participate Fees can be paid HERE

PDF of Sports Participation Fees

* Hudl.com is where fans can subscribe to watch live streams of home events that occur at the turf stadium or the High School main gymnasium.

Click here to visit the Delton Hudl Fan Account

* You can also stay up to date with our new athletics social media accounts:

Facebook: Delton Kellogg Athletics

Instagram: DKpanthers

Twitter (X): DKpanthers

Email: tammy.whitmore@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542

Email: brittany.griffith@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542