Dunstan Newsletter

September:

• 23: On/Off Track Letter for students will be handed out in Advise
• 23: 8th Grade Warren Tech field trip
• 24: Final date to submit an appeal for students who are off track
• 25: 6th Grade Family Night discussing Mental Health and Friendships 6:00-7:00 PM @ DMS
• 27: All On Track permission slips DUE
• 30: Dine for Dunstan at Magill's Ice Cream all day
• Week of 30th: On/Off Track Field trips (all grade levels)

October:

• 1: Choir concert @ DMS 6 pm
• 2: Band concert @ Gym 6 pm
• 3: Audition Workshop for the Musical 4-5:30 pm
• 8: Orchestra Performance @ GMHS 6 pm
• 11: 6th Grade Social @ DMS 4:00-5:30 PM
• 15: Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00-7:00 PM
• 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00-7:00 PM
• 17: Professional Development Day for staff (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
• 18: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF
• 22-25: Outdoor Lab (Windy Peak)
• 28-31: Outdoor Lab (Windy Peak and Mt. Blue Sky)
• 30: GMHS Trick or Treat Street 6:00-8:00 PM

November:

• 1: Professional Development Day for staff (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
• 6: PTA Meeting 6-7 PM @ DMS
• 25-29: NO SCHOOL FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK

December:

• 2: GMHS Future Ram Showcase 6:00-8:00 PM
• 5: Open House 5:30-6:30 PM
• 12: Band Concert @ GMHS
• 17: Orchestra Concert @ GMHS
• 19: Choir Concert @ DMS
• 23-30: NO SCHOOL FOR WINTER BREAK

January:

• 1-2: NO SCHOOL FOR WINTER BREAK
• 3: Professional Development Day for staff (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
• 6: Professional Development Day for staff (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
• 8: PTA Meeting 6-7 PM @ DMS
• 20: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF (MLK Day)

February:

• 12 and 13: Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00-7:30 PM
• 14: Professional Development Day for staff (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
• 17: NO SCHOOL FOR PRESIDENT'S DAY
• 27: Orchestra Concert @ DMS

March:

• 5: PTA Meeting 6-7 PM @ DMS
• 6: GMHS Spring Musical matinee for DMS 8th graders
• 6: Choir Performance @ DMS
• 10: Orchestra Concert @ GMHS
• 13: Band Concert @ DMS
• 17-21: NO SCHOOL FOR SPRING BREAK
• 24: Professional Development Day for staff (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)

April

• 16: 5:00-6:30 PM SEL Resource Fair for incoming 6th grade students and families
• 25: Professional Development Day for staff (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)

May:

• 7: PTA Meeting 6-7 PM @ DMS
• 9: 8th Grade Dance
• 16: GMHS Graduation
• 22: 8th grade last day of school
• 23: Last day of school for 6th and 7th, Early Release

Congratulations Taylor Guenther and Savannah Plumley! These two DMS students have been volunteering every morning in the art room at Devinny Elementary School for the last 2 years. Here is what the art teacher at Devinny had to say about these two, "They show up on time, have a great attitude and do an incredible amount of work. There is no project or challenge that they haven't jumped right in, from hot gluing kindergarten art, rolling out clay, creating banners and delivering art to classrooms. They even worked at our school carnival for 3 hours."

Dear Awesome 8th Grade Parents!

On Monday, September 23rd, your student will be taking a tour of Warren Tech High School’s central campus.

Warren Tech is an extension of every Jefferson County high school and offers academic, career and technical training and education in 36 different programs. These programs prepare high school students with academic, career and technical skills for college, employment and potential careers. Culinary Arts, Forensic Science, STEM, Cybersecurity and Automotive Technology are just a few of the amazing programs offered!

Most students at Warren Tech are high school juniors and seniors as students must be 16 in order to attend. Programs range in length from two to four semesters. Credits earned at Warren Tech count toward graduation and qualify as academic credits and electives under the Colorado Commission on Higher Education College admission requirements. Most of Warren Tech’s programs also provide the opportunity for students to earn college credit through the Colorado Community College System.

It is recommended that interested students talk to their counselors early in their high school careers regarding attending Warren Tech. Careful course planning will ensure that students can meet high school graduation requirements and also take advantage of Warren Tech’s opportunities.

8th grade students received their permission slips this week during advise, and they are due back to their advise teacher by Wednesday, September 18th. If your student misplaced or did not receive their permission slip, you can find it here: WT Permission Slip Please just print it, fill it out, and send it back to school with your student.

We are looking for approximately 8 parents to accompany us on this trip, and the time commitment will be from 8:55am to 11:30pm. Transportation will be provided on the school bus. If you are interested in spending a couple hours with us to see this amazing school, please contact Ryan Cole at Ryan.Cole@jeffco.k12.co.us or 303-982-6123.

Thank you!

Ryan Cole

8th Grade Counselor

• October 15th and 16th from 5:00-7:00 PM
• Drop-in style format
• Maximum of 5 minutes per conference
• Teachers will be set up in either their classroom or their doorway
• Tips and Tricks for Parent Teacher Conferences

Dear Families:

Panorama Education is a company who conducts student and family surveys in schools and districts across the country. Dunstan Middle School will be giving students the Panorama Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Student Survey 2-3 times per year.

Content: The Panorama student survey gathers information on the following areas/competencies of social emotional skills:

• Self-Awareness

• Self-Management

• Social Awareness

• Relationship Skills

• Responsible Decision-Making

You may review the survey questions by visiting this link. For more information on the SEL competencies visit this link.

The results are compiled into both individual and group summaries of social emotional skill progress. These reports are used by district leaders and school staff to guide our development of school-wide, small group, and/or individual social emotional support. You will be notified if your child is invited to join a small group or individual intervention.

• It is Voluntary. Your child does not have to take the student survey.
• It is Confidential. No students will be identified in any public reports or publications. Individual student information (name, student number, school and grade) will be uploaded into the Panorama system, as with other Panorama surveys.
• Individual student data may be shared with school staff to provide instructional and social emotional support.

Timing: The survey will be administered in the fall, winter, and optionally in the spring. It will take about 10 minutes.

Opt Out: If you do not want your child to participate in the survey, you may contact Leslie Pruitt at leslie.pruitt@jeffco.k12.co.us by Monday, September 23, 2024.

This week, on Wednesday, all 3 grade levels had the opportunity to spread some positivity during their lunches. Students were encouraged to write a positive note on a Post-It and stick it in the cafeteria for all to see! It was such a fun way for students to be part of creating a positive culture and climate at Dunstan and they had a great time doing it.

The Patriot Post is Dunstan's online newspaper created by Mr. Orthun's Media Literacy elective class.

Read current and past editions here.

Learn about what's going on at the high school.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, things you would like to add to the newsletter or if you notice any errors, please reach out directly to Leslie Pruitt at leslie.pruitt@jeffco.k12.co.us or Michael Kitch at michael.kitch@jeffco.k12.co.us. Thank you!

"Happy creating, dancing, writing, and more representing the theme "Accepting Imperfection." Once your entry is ready, please complete the entry form here and turn your physical entries into the library by Friday October 4th! This is an awesome way to represent Dunstan and share your talents outside of the classroom. Our goal is to get entries from all 6 categories this year. Read more here!"

We are looking for volunteers to fill important roles on the Dunstan PTA next school year:

• President
• Vice President
  
  

Learn how these PTA roles support our community at https://sites.google.com/view/dunstanpta/about-us

You can support the Dunstan PTA even through the summer by linking your King Soopers card to the PTA. It's an easy way to support our school - at no cost to you!

Simply log in to Community Rewards and search for us: https://bit.ly/2R6y1mk.

Outfit the whole family in Dunstan Patriot T-shirts or sweatshirts! Go HERE to place your order.

PLACE YOUR ORDER BY SEPTEMBER 16TH. ORDERS WILL BE DELIVERED THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 7TH

Email treasurerdunstanPTA@gmail.com with any questions.