Good afternoon P.S. Parents and Families,

I hope everyone had a good weekend and was able to spend some time with family and friends. Please note a couple of reminders and upcoming school activities:

First Marking Period Interim Reports

Please continue to check in with your son or daughter on how they are progressing and feeling about their classes. Interim Marking Period Grades will be distributed to students on Tuesday, October 8.

Fall Parent Conferences

• Thursday, October 24, 2024
• Friday, October 25, 2024

Additionally, please note there is no school for students on October 24 and 25. We also want to remind parents that at the secondary level we do not schedule conferences for every child.

The following timeline below will be used for scheduling conferences:

October 17 – October 23: Teachers will send out via email a sign-up sheet to Parents who have not been contacted, but who wish to schedule a conference. Please look for this information beginning on Thursday, October 17. If you do not have internet access, please contact your child’s teacher who you would like to schedule for a parent conference.

This Week at a Glance

• Monday, 10/07 – 4 Day (Periods 4-2)
• Tuesday, 10/08 – 3 Day (Periods 3-1) -

  First Marking Period Interim Reports Distributed

• Wednesday, 10/09 – 2 Day (Periods 2-7)
  
• Thursday, 10/10 – 1 Day (Periods 1-6)
• Friday, 10/11 –7 Day (Periods 7-5)

This week, we would like to recognize one of our outstanding educators, Mr. Nicholah Ronaghan. Mr. Ronaghan is an integral part of our Music Department at P.S. duPont Middle School.

Mr. Ronaghan, better known as Mr. R, is originally from Lebanon, PA, and has been teaching music since 2006 and directing ensembles and staged productions since 2001. He has worked with singers from elementary to retirement age as a director, though his specialty is middle school voices, and has practical experience as a professional singer, keyboard player, and actor (surprisingly though, he’s never played Lex Luthor or Mr. Warbucks despite his Alopecia). He holds a Batchelor’s of Music Education from West Chester University and a few Master’s degrees in education. Prior to teaching music, Mr. R worked as a cabinet and furniture maker, which is a hobby and skill that still comes in handy when building stage sets. If you come to our concerts at P.S., you’ll likely see Mr. R’s sons and Mrs. R (who is also a teacher) cheering on our singers.

P.S. duPont is fortunate to have amazing, impactful teachers like Mr. Ronaghan! Mr. Ronaghan, thank you for all that you do to help our students grow as learners in the Brandywine School District.

In the chaos that is daily life, we can all use a minute to block out the noise and redirect ourselves to the task at hand. After many years of working at P.S., it became abundantly clear that middle school students struggle to reset and engage after navigating the transition between periods. As someone who has been in those exact shoes, I felt the need to pass on a technique that I have used since high school. The Mindfulness Minute is a strategy that has proven effective in my classroom since I started using it three years ago. After getting seated and completing the day’s warmup, students are asked to “just be” for 60 seconds. Hands are empty, feet are planted on the floor, and students are reminded to simply be still, silent, and focused on their breathing. The results are immediate as a noticeable calmness falls over the room. The most rewarding part of doing this is being called out by students on days I forget or choose to skip in the interest of time. They vocalize their need for this break in the action, which tells me they see the value as well. It can be difficult to surrender any amount of class time to non-academic routines, but if we can let go of that need to immerse ourselves in academics for just a minute, the impact can extend well beyond the classroom and, hopefully, into other areas of our students' lives.

Each month at P.S. duPont Middle School, 8th graders who are demonstrating all of the characteristics of students leaders will be recognized at lunch, be awarded a P.S. duPont Middle School "STUDENT" t-shirt, and will be recognized in our bi-weekly newsletter. 8th grade Students Leaders are exceling both academically and behaviorally at P.S., setting an example for their peers, and maximizing learning experiences in and out of the classroom. September's Student Leaders are Sa'Lee Ransom, Phoenix Jackson, Clarissa Powers (pictured from left to right with Principal Small) and Alexis Ryan (pictured with Mr. Reggio). We are extremely proud of our Student Leaders and all of their accomplishments as they begin to create a pathway to success in high school and beyond. Congratulations Student Leaders!

P.S. duPont Middle School students, it’s that time of the year again! Odyssey of the Mind will be forming teams this fall and we want you! Ms. Dee will be working with Ms. Honisch to coordinate a Parent Interest Meeting. Parent volunteers and teachers are needed to help make the program a success. Please sign up here to register, once registered, you will be sent a link to the zoom information night!

P.S. duPont! Let’s celebrate our diversity. We are looking for students, staff and families to join us for our 1st Annual Cultural Fair on Thursday, November 7th at 6pm. How can you participate? We want you to prepare a favorite cultural food to share, showcase a cultural dance, song, instrument, dress in traditional cultural attire, create a trifold displaying images that express your family, traditions and/or culture and or any other way you can celebrate your culture. This event will help us to embrace and celebrate the rich diversity that represents cultures and countries from all parts of the world that makes our school so special.

For more information and to sign up, see Ms. Malcolm in room 331, Ms. Corbin in room 339 or Mrs. McKenna. You can also scan the QR codes on the Cultural Night flyers posted around the school or click the link below. If you are interested in helping to organize this event, please reach out to Ms. Malcolm.

P.S. duPont Cultural Night Participation Form - November 7, 2024

This school year, P.S. duPont Middle School students will have the opportunity to earn invitations to 4 events that have been planned during the 2024-25 school year.

1st Marking Period

• Roller Skating @Christiana Skating Center
• 60 or above in all classes, 5 or less referrals, no suspensions
  
• Wednesday, November 6 - 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

2nd Marking Period

• Movies @ Penn Cinema
• 65 or above in all classes, 5 or less referrals, no suspensions
  
• Tuesday, January 14 - School Day

3rd Marking Period

• Main Event @ Christiana Mall
• 70 or above in all classes, 4 or less referrals, no suspensions
  
• Wednesday, April 2 - School Day

4th Marking Period

• Dorney Park
• 70 or above in all classes, 4 or less referrals, no suspensions
• Wednesday, May 28 - Buses leave at 8:30 a.m. and arrive back at P.S. @ 6 p.m.

Grades and behavior will be used to determine eligibility for each event. Students should be checking HAC weekly to stay on grades and monitor their behavioral choices in school. More information will be shared as we get closer to the first event! Encourage your son/daughter to check their grades weekly, follow the Code of Conduct, and be at their best!

Students at P.S. duPont are required to complete the Student Device Loan Agreement. Attached, you will find the form in English and Spanish. Please take a moment to print, complete the form, and have your son/daughter return the document to his/her Period 1 teacher.

Green Cards - If you have not done so already, please return your green emergency card to the nurse. There are extra copies available in the main office and nurses office.

DIAA forms - Reminder that a DIAA form is required to be on file, in the nurses office before sports try outs each school year.

Required screenings - The nurses have started state mandated screenings for students.
Scoliosis screenings take place for all students. Hearing and vision screenings are required for all seventh graders, preschool students and students new to BSD. The nurses will reach out if any follow up is recommended.

Medications - Reminder that, district wide, the only medications that students can bring to school are epinephrine and albuterol. All other medications must be brought in by a parent.

Any questions please reach out:
Laura.DeMare@bsd.k12.de.us
Lauren.Foraker@bsd.k12.de.us

• October 11 - Coffee with the Superintendent - 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. - District Office

• October 15 - Odyssey of the Mind Interest Meeting - 7:30 p.m. ZOOM

• October 23 - PTA meeting

• October 24 - Fall Parent Conferences

• October 25 - Fall Parent Conferences

• October 27 - High School Visitation Day