


Bobcat Bulletin
February 3, 2025
Ricks' Relay
Hello Bobcats!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend and took advantage of the beautiful weather! What a refreshing taste of Spring we got to experience in the middle of winter!
We had a great week last week! The students remained focused during their benchmark assessments, and we are so proud of the work they are doing! Our benchmarks continue this week in math and 8th grade science, so please encourage your kiddos to charge their Chromebooks each night and put forth their best efforts on these tests, as we will use the data to drive instructional decisions in the classrooms.
Our Bobcat Dancers stole the show at last weekend's competition, bringing home numerous awards! Our DMS Choir Students also had a great showing at the TMEA Region 5 All Region Choir competition! Check out the details below.
Lots of great information to share! Make it a great week, and Go Bobcats! 🐾💙
~Mrs. Ricks
Upcoming Events...
Counselor Appreciation Week!!!
Monday, February 3rd: 🎂 Happy Birthday, Mr. Webb!!!🎂; Math Benchmarks; Girls Basketball vs. WGMS (HOME); Boys Basketball vs. WGMS (AWAY)
Tuesday, February 4th: 6th Grade YES! Program through Social Studies Classes; Tennis Match @ Ennis
Wednesday, February 5th: Spring Picture Day; CKH Challenge: Pick one of the CKH Newsletter activities and work through it as a family this evening!
Thursday, February 6th: 8th Grade Science Benchmark
Friday, February 7th:🎂 Happy Birthday, Mrs. Looney!!!🎂
Saturday, February 8th: District B-Team Basketball Tournament
Looking ahead: PTO Meeting 2/10; End of 4th Marking Period 2/13; No School for Students 2/14
Fun Pictures from the Week of January 27th
Congratulations 6th Grade Bobcat of the Week, Christopher Malliband!!!
Congratulations 7th Grade Bobcat of the Week, Evalyn Walker!!!
Congratulations 8th Grade Bobcat of the Week, Marleigh Rivera!!!
Congratulations Educator of the Week, Jill Schaben, 7th Grade Science!!! Added bonus! Teacher Underground Spirit Week... mismatched patterns!!!
Underground Spirit Week... Mismatched Patterns Friday!
Cooking & Baking Club in Action!!!
Cooking & Baking Club in ACTION!!!
Cooking & Baking Club in ACTION!!!
Lady Bobcats in ACTION!!!
Lady Bobcats in ACTION!!!
Cheerleaders in the HOUSE!!!
How about those Bobcat Dancers?!?!
Bobcat Dancers Win Big!!!
Wow, what an absolutely incredible weekend for the Bobcat Dancers! 🎉 I’m beyond thrilled to share their amazing achievements. Not only did they bring home 1st place in the Middle School division, but they also earned 2nd place overall for “Best of the Best”, outperforming teams from all divisions, including high schools!
On top of that, the team received judges' awards for all three routines they competed in, along with the prestigious Gussie Nell Davis Award for scoring 90 and above out of 100 points on all three routines. What an outstanding accomplishment and a true testament to their hard work, dedication, and incredible talent!
A special congratulations goes out to Marleigh Rivera, who earned 2nd Runner-Up for her solo performance—an extraordinary achievement!
I couldn’t be prouder of these phenomenal students and the effort they’ve poured into perfecting their routines. Their commitment and passion truly shine on and off the stage.
If you see any of these amazing dancers, please give them a huge shoutout and celebrate their success—they deserve it! Let’s hear it loud and proud for the Bobcat Dancers!!! 🥳👏💃
Shelby McFall
Dance Director – Dieterich MS and Frank Seale MS
Bobcat Choir Success!!!
We had a long and busy day of amazing singers! We had 11 students compete in the TMEA Region 5 All-Region Choir competition and they represented DMS well! A huge congratulations to Temperance Pate, Noomi Pate, Isabella Gonzalez, and Andrew Messer who were selected to be in the All-Region Choir! They will get the chance to rehearse and perform with an amazing clinician on February 8th.
Congratulations to everyone who competed! I couldn't be any prouder of them and their accomplishments!
Chandler Webb
Choir Director – Earl and Marthalu Dieterich Middle School
Cheerleader Tryout Information
Counselors' Corner
Dear 8th Grade Families,
As the spring semester is underway, and going rather quickly I must say, we are starting the process to prepare our Bobcats to become Panthers or Jaguars.
Your student should have already selected the courses they will be taking in their 9th grade year, now it’s time to create their Personalized Graduation Plan, or PGP, that will encompass all four years.
The requirements for graduation must include the following:
4 credits in English
4 credits in Math
4 credits in Social Studies
4 credits in Science
2 credits of the same World Language
1 credit of a Fine Art
1 credit of a PE
4 credits in an Endorsement Pathway
2+ credits of Electives
Linked is
· a blank PGP form for your student to start filling out with classes they will be taking
· a list of Endorsements with required classes outlined
Please take a moment to fill in the four-year plan in preparation for your student to meet with their counselor. Having the form filled out will allow time for questions you may have.
Starting in February, we will be holding individual meetings with each 8th grade student and parents. These meetings will be at assigned times in 15-minute increments to ensure that every student has an opportunity to talk with a counselor. We encourage parents to participate via the TEAMS meeting link that will be sent out soon with the assigned date and time. If you cannot make the meeting or miss the meeting, we will still meet with your student, but we will not reschedule the meeting.
Sincerely,
Dieterich Middle School Counseling Team
Amy Perkins (Last Names A-K)
Jason Roberts (Last Names L-Z)
Nominate an Employee of the Year today!
We are excited to invite all Midlothian ISD staff, parents and community to nominate a deserving staff member for the prestigious Employee of the Year award. This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of our team members who inspire others, develop meaningful relationships, and truly embody the values of being MISD Proud. Your nomination can shine a light on the individuals who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of our students and community.
Nominations for Employee of the Year are now open HERE and will close on Tuesday, February 4.
Employee of the Year Categories
There are TEN categories to choose from, and you can nominate someone in any or all of them.
- Child Nutrition
- Custodial Services
- First Year Teacher
- Instructional Aide
- Leadership
- Maintenance Services
- Paraprofessional
- Professional Services
- School Resource Officer
Transportation
When submitting your nomination, be sure to include a description of why you believe this person deserves to be honored—just remember to keep the description free of any identifying information. Nominee identities will be hidden, and a panel of judges will review all nominations and select one Employee of the Year for each category.
PTO Information
Concession Stand Volunteers
We are in need of a few parents to work the Concession Stand for the basketball games on Thursday, February 13th (District Tournament Begins). The Concession Stand will be open from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., so they are short shifts. If you are available, please reach out to Christina Pena at dieterichptotreasurer@gmail.com.
Sports Physicals Information
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.
Educator of the Week
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.
Student ID Outstanding Balance Update
Attendance
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.
District Information
House Bill 3 Required Parent Notice
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 Visitor Procedures
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.
MISD Athletics
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