The Diley Digest

JANUARY

January 27: APEX Pep Rally

FEBRUARY

February 5: Evening Conferences

February 6: No School Professional Development

February 7: No School Professional Development

February 10: Glow Run 5th Grade

February 11: Glow Run 6th Grade

February 17: No School President's Day

February 18: Evening Conferences

This month the students will take the i-ready reading and math diagnostic. Here at Diley we are trying to build a culture of growth. Our goal is for families and students to view the test as an opportunity to find out information about their student’s understanding with the standards they have been taught over the course of their schooling. i-Ready does not assign a grade, however, it does provide teachers, students, and families valuable information on where a student is at in their learning and skill set. Just like in life, you get out of iReady what you put into it. That is why we want to stress the importance of your student trying their best on the diagnostic assessment and the lessons assigned after. Students do not have to worry about a grade. They will get answers wrong and that is okay, as long as they are trying their best! Once students, parents, and teachers receive the data from the assessments we can celebrate the strengths and make goals on how to improve identified areas. This is all part of our Level-Up Plan!!! Please click on the links below for information about the i-Ready diagnostic assessment.

Understanding you students i-Ready Diagnostic Video - English

Link to different video languages.

In the upcoming weeks please be on the lookout for more information about your students iReady data, and Diley’s “Level-Up” challenge.

Looking for more resources from i-Ready? Please visit https://i-readycentral.com/familycenter/

Diley Middle School

Dear Diley Families,

We are excited to invite your students to join us for some fun and healthy walking exercise before the school day begins! We will be hosting Diley Wellness Morning Walks on the second and fourth Friday of each month from 8:00 AM to 8:25 AM. Check-in is at 7:55 am.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to come together, get some fresh air, weather permitting, and start the day off with a little movement. Not only is walking a great way to wake up and energize for the day ahead, but it also helps to build community and promote healthy habits.

Please fill out the form to RSVP for our monthly walk Diley Wellness Morning Walk

Details:

• When: Second and fourth Friday of each month (depending on when school is in session.

• Time: 8:00 AM - 8:25 AM (Check-in at 7:55)

• Where: Diley Middle School - Check-in at the Main Office with the Wellness Team

• Who: All students and staff are welcome!

Whether you can join us for just one or every walk, we’d love to see you there. It’s a fun and casual way to connect with others and set a positive tone for the day.

We look forward to seeing you at our first walk!

Warm regards,

Wellness Committee

Wellness Walk Dates:

Jan. 24

Feb. 21

Mar. 7

Mar. 21

Apr. 4

Apr. 25

May 9

May 16

Congrats to all the students who competed in our annual spelling bee. We went almost 2 hours to get our winner! All of our spellers showed class, dignity, and sportsmanship. They truly demonstrated DILEY Pride!

Our 2024/2025 Spelling Bee Winner is: Amina Halaoui

Our Runner Up is: Onyekachi Nwogu!

Exciting Announcement! Monday, 1/27/25 is our highly anticipated
Future Pep Rally with @ApexLeadershipCompany! Our students are
getting ready to be inspired, empowered, and motivated to shape
the future! After the pep rally, pledges will open up for action!
Students will receive their VIP Badges, equipped with login details for
myapexevent.com. It's your time to shine - let's pledge together for
a brighter tomorrow! #FutureLeaders #ApexLeadership
#ShapeTheFuture

Parent Information in different languages:

English

Spanish

French

Nepali

What is APEX?

Elementary school and youth group fundraising has remained largely the same over the years. Selling everything from candles to chocolate bars door to door was the norm. But with social media and technology, Apex Leadership Company wants to change the way elementary schools and youth groups raise money by providing custom fundraising solutions that are both safe for students and also offer maximum fundraising reach.

Admittedly, parents, teachers (and probably neighbors) have dreaded those fundraisers that are very necessary to help support schools and youth groups because it actually makes more work for them. Apex Leadership Company’s approach is totally different. It puts accountability and motivation in the hands of the students, provides “training” and inspiring lessons for kids and makes the whole experience fun and painless! With its multitude of fundraising ideas and program offerings, including fun runs, color battles, color runs, and more, Apex Leadership Company makes fundraising events easy and fun for schools, students, youth groups — and yes, even for parents and teachers.

Taking the fundraising approach online gives students and youth groups a nearly limitless audience to reach and making donations from anywhere in the country can be done with the click of a mouse. This also eliminates the necessity for youth to have to go door to door to try to raise money — a safety element that is so important in today’s world.

Another unique element of the Apex fundraising format is that it encourages fun and fitness while raising money for the school or group. The nature of the two-week program (which is themed yearly) provides students fun yet important leadership lessons that they can take with them into adulthood.

When looking into school fundraisers or fundraising events for youth groups, Apex Leadership Company can offer a complete solution that makes raising money easy and safe through the use of the internet and technology. It also offers a leadership-centric education that is aimed at putting the tools and resources in children’s hands to be the leaders of tomorrow.

The final event of the APEX Fundraiser is the Glow Run which will take place on Monday February 10 and Tuesday February 11. Time slots along with which classes are participating are listed below. The PTSO is looking for 5-6 volunteers for each time slot. The volunteers will be responsible for marking the students shirts as the complete each lap.

Click the link below to grab a time slot!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4FADAA2BA0FB6-54609226-dmsapex#/

Time to get your yearbook! Yearbook sales start today and run until April 1 with a spring delivery to the school.

Order yours below:

https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01078433.

Take a look a the following PDF to see what we have been doing in Art/ PE/ Music/ and SEL.

January Edition

Welcome to the Counselor’s Corner! Every month, the middle school counselors will share a bulletin board with the following information: hot topic, theme, and family resources.

Check out the amazing information supplied by our school counselor on our family resource board! You can find everything from student planners to food assistance to information on dealing with stress and anxiety. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/PLSDfamilyresources

Child Sexual Abuse, Dating Violence and Sexual Violence Prevention

Requirements for Ohio Schools

Ohio’s prescribed curriculum for health education includes requirements related to child sexual abuse prevention and dating violence and sexual violence prevention. Ohio law includes requirements for student instruction, parent, and legal guardian notification and training for school personnel.

Please open the following attachments for more information or to opt your student out.

5th grade vision and hearing screening will take place on November 22nd during the school day.

The School Nurses are on Facebook and Twitter! Please follow them for important health tips and news about school health opportunities! On Twitter @PLSDNurses and on Facebook www.facebook.com/PLSDNurses

School Pictures are Ready!

View and order at https://shop.jostenspix.com/login

• DILEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
• Event Code: FE31324
• Images are secured using the email address(es) provided to us by the school.

Want to be a part of the fun at our school? Click the link below to sign up to volunteer! We have all sorts of events coming up and we would love to partner with you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchwwEkLNIac3Ub5ao8t44JRGPYPSoQ9rCmUwPlw2qoNY1D1A/viewform

Dear Families,

This email serves as a follow-up to the communication sent to all Pickerington Local School District families on October 24, 2024, regarding Senate Bill (SB) 29. The bill, now known as House Bill (HB) 432, has undergone significant changes. Below, we’ve outlined the recent revisions and included important reminders about student information and technology updates.

Key Updates to HB432 (formerly SB29):

• Reduced Monitoring Notifications:
  Recent changes have reduced the number of notifications school districts are required to send regarding student monitoring activities.

• Elimination of Routine Monitoring Notifications:
  Notifications are no longer required for general monitoring of student activities used for instructional purposes.

For more details on the revised HB432, Click Here: [HB432 Full Version].

Reminder on Sharing Student Information

It’s essential to remain vigilant about sharing student information, particularly on social media or other platforms.

• Parental Consent: No personally identifiable student information, including details from education records, should be shared without the explicit, written consent of a parent or guardian.

• Social Media Posts: Even in password-protected groups, sharing student images, videos, or other information without proper consent is a violation of state and federal regulations, as well as board policy.

If you have questions about these limitations, please don’t hesitate to reach out for clarification.

As we approach Winter Break and prepare for the start of 2025, we encourage families to update their contact information.

If you prefer that your child’s photo, voice, or other “school directory” information not be used by the District or school on its communication platforms, please notify your child's school to OPT OUT.

Maintaining accurate contact information ensures that you receive timely updates and important notifications. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students and schools.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kara Jackson
Executive Director of Academic Innovation and Instructional Technology
Pickerington Local School District

*** You can opt out here: https://oh50010917.schoolwires.net/cms/lib/OH50010917/Centricity/ModuleInstance/3045/opt%20out%20form%202021.pdf ***

******************************************************************************************************

• Pickerington Schools will take reasonable steps to ensure that persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have meaningful access and an equal opportunity to participate in all services, activities, and programs available throughout the district. It is the policy of Pickerington Schools to ensure meaningful communication with LEP students and families and to communicate information related to the education of all students. All services needed to comply with this policy will be provided for students and their families in need of such assistance free of charge. For assistance, please call 614-833-2110.

(In Nepali)

भाषा सहायतासम्बन्धी सूचना:
Pickerington Schools ले सीमित अङ्ग्रेजी प्रवीणता (LEP) भएका व्यक्तिहरूसँग डिस्ट्रिक्टभर उपलब्ध सबै सेवा, क्रियाकलाप र कार्यक्रमहरूमा अर्थपूर्ण पहुँच र सहभागी हुन पाउने समान अवसर छ भनी सुनिश्चित गर्नका लागि उचित कदमहरू चाल्ने छ। LEP भएका विद्यार्थी र परिवारहरूसँग अर्थपूर्ण सञ्चार सुनिश्चित गर्ने र सबै विद्यार्थीहरूको शिक्षासँग सम्बन्धित जानकारी सञ्चार गर्ने PLSD को नीति हो। यो नीतिको अनुपालन गर्न आवश्यक पर्ने सबै सेवाहरू यस प्रकारको सहायता आवश्यक भएका विद्यार्थी र उहाँहरूका परिवारहरूलाई निःशुल्क रूपमा उपलब्ध गराइने छ। सहायताको लागि, कृपया 614-835-2083 मा कल गर्नुहोस्

En Español:
Las escuelas de Pickerington tomarán medidas razonables para garantizar que las personas con dominio limitado del inglés (LEP) tengan un acceso fácil y la misma oportunidad de participar en todos los servicios, actividades y programas disponibles en todo el distrito. La política de PLSD es asegurar una comunicación significativa con los estudiantes LEP, sus familias y comunicar información relacionada con la educación de todos los estudiantes. Todos los servicios necesarios para cumplir con esta política se proporcionarán a los estudiantes y sus familias que necesiten dicha asistencia de forma gratuita. Para obtener ayuda, llame al 614-835-2083.

En Francais:

Le district scolaire de Pickerington prendra des mesures raisonnables pour s'assurer que les personnes ayant une compétence limitée en anglais (LEP) ont un accès adapté et une chance égale de participer à tous les services, activités et programmes disponibles dans le district. La politique du PLSD est d'assurer une communication efficace avec les étudiants et les familles LEP et de communiquer les informations relatives à l'éducation de tous les élèves. Tous les services nécessaires pour se conformer à cette politique seront fournis gratuitement aux élèves et à leurs familles qui en nécessitent. Pour toute assistance, veuillez composer le 614-835-2083.

Please visit the following link to find out more about important school information.

https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/domain/395

There are a number of ways you can stay up to date on all things Diley.

Follow Diley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMS_Proud?s=20

Follow Principal Koch on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mrerickoch?s=20

Follow our PTSO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2085717574996931

Is social media not your thing? You can find all sorts of information on the Pickerington School District's website located at: https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/

Principal: Eric Koch

Assistant Principal: Amanda Stemm

Secretary: Heather Ferns

Office Assistant: Stacy Gallion

Counselor: Gina Neilson

Nurse: Rhonda Carmel

Health Assistant: Robin May

Email: heather_ferns@plsd.us
Website: https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/diley-middle-school/
Location: 750 Preston Trails Drive, Pickerington, OH, USA
Phone: 614-830-2900
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Diley-Middle-School-401947110003982
Twitter: @DMS_Proud