Dakota Minute

I hope you are stayting warm during this chilly season. The third quarter will begin on Tuesday, January 28th and it is an important time for all students and families to take a moment to check Infinite Campus for the latest updates on your schedule and room numbers. Also, you will also see a instructions on how to access grades after teachers have entered final quarter 2 grades. Please keep an eye out for this communication directly from teachers.

Starting third quarter we are excited to start a raffle related to attendance. Students will be able to win raffle prizes based on attendance. More information to come! I am excited to see what third quarter has in store for us!

Gratefully,

Principal Hyer

Please see THIS message from Project Success and opportunities for our families. You won't want to miss this!

Please save the date in your calendars! Our Spring Conferences will be held on:

• Thursday, February 27th & Monday March 3rd from 3:40-7:40PM.

More information will be shared and sign up closer to these dates.

There are still openings for Middle School After School at DMMS, hosted by Community Education.

Winter weather will be here soon, so it’s a good idea to have a plan for your family in case of school closings, early dismissals, or late starts.

Notices for school closings and early dismissals will be posted on the following websites, radio, and television stations. You can also hear a recorded message on the District Notification Line at 507-387-6046.

Other ways to track school closing delays/dismissals/closures:

● www.isd77.org ● katoinfo.com ● mankatofreepress.com ● southernminnesotanews.com ● keyc.com ● KEYC 12 - TV AND MANY MORE.

Click HERE for a copy of the Winter Weather Information.

Blue Earth Area Schools is a smaller school district south of us. When you hear or see this, IT IS NOT Mankato Area Public Schools. This is something that often confuses parents because of the county in which we live

• Check back next week!

Construction will continue throughout the 2024-25 school year as work on the new pool progresses. Construction fences and concrete barriers (see attachment remain in place around the parent drop-off/pick-up area.

To help reduce congestion on Howard Drive and in the DMMS parking lot, we offer the following suggestions:

Student Pick-Up and Drop-Off Areas:

• School Lot: Please use both lanes and take turns merging near the pick-up/drop-off area.

• Crossview Church: Please enter the parking lot and find a parking space. DO NOT stop or park in the roundabout, as this may result in a ticket.

• Caswell North: Please find a place to park and wait for your student. Students may use the trail from campus to Caswell North.

Two hour early releases will take place on the following dates:

February 12th, 2025. March 12th, 2025. April 9th, 2025. May 14th, 2025.

There are no middle school practices on early release days. ALL DMMS student athletes should be picked up or use bus transportation home on these days.There is also no activity bus to Mankato West on Early release days. Student Athletes that participate at the high school level may have practices as normal but will have to provide their own transportation or contact their coach.

Here is the assessment calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Please make sure to view the student calendar on our district website. This will have our early releases and no school days. In addition, the Google Calendar will have DMMS Specific information.

• January 27th- No School
• February 7th- 6th Grade Ski Trip
• February 12th- Early Out
• February 17th- No School
• February 27th- Mahkato SWAG Field Trip
• February 27th- Conferences
• March 3rd- Conferences
• March 6th- Kasota SWAG Field Trip
• March 10th- DMMS Band/Orchestra Concert
• March 12th- Early Out
• March 14th- No School
• March 19th- 6th Grade Biz Town Field Trip (Trail TBD)
• March 20th- 6th Grade Biz Town Field Trip (Trail TBD)
• March 27th-31st- No School