Bobcat Bulletin

Hello Bobcats!

It's been an exciting week here at Dieterich Middle School! Our football team continues to impress, showing grit and teamwork in every game. Their latest victory was a true display of Bobcat spirit, and I couldn't be prouder of their dedication on and off the field.

Our volleyball team has also been hard at work, celebrating big wins of their own! Their determination and unity are paying off, and they’re proving to be fierce competitors.

In the classroom, our U.S. History students celebrated Independence Day with a creative and engaging project, bringing history to life. It’s incredible to see our students immerse themselves in learning while having fun.

We are engaging in Homecoming festivities this week, so be sure to read through the newsletter and mark your calendar for important events.

Thank you for your continued support of our students, both in their academic and athletic pursuits.

Go Bobcats! 🐾💙

Mrs. Ricks

Monday, September 30th: Happy Birthday, Mr. Roberts 🎂; Homecoming Week Begins; Pep Rally 🎉 Tie-Dye Theme; 7th Grade Football 🏈 vs. Waxahachie Life @ DMS

Tuesday, October 1st: Picture Day; Twin Day Theme; 8th Grade Football 🏈 vs. Waxahachie Life @ Life

Wednesday, October 2nd: National Custodian Day; Ken vs. Barbie Day Theme; MHS Homecoming Parade & Community Pep Rally begins @ 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 3rd: Inside Out Day Theme; XC Jaguar Invitational Meet; 7th/8th Volleyball vs. Red Oak @ Red Oak; Choir Concert @ MHS

Friday, October 4th: Spirit Day... Wear Blue & White (Mums & Garters); MHS Homecoming Game 🏈

Looking Ahead... 10/11 Pink Day... no school for students

Please remember that your student ID is part of the MISD Dress Code. Please wear your student ID daily... it's a safety precaution.

Parents, we need your help with reminding your students to wear their IDs daily! During the 1st six weeks, we had 683 requests for either temporary badges or new badges... that's disappointing! We can do better!

Please login to your Skyward account and pay for any outstanding badge fees as soon as possible.

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.

We are so excited to recognize our 7th grade volleyball and football players at Monday's Pep Rally. Our theme is "Tie up the Mustangs", so wear your best tie-dye attire and show your Bobcat spirit!

If your student has an appointment on Monday or needs to leave early, we respectfully request that you pick up your student prior to 3:00 p.m. To assist us with the check-out process in the event that your student will need to leave early on Monday, please submit this Google Form to let us know that your student will be leaving early and what time you will be picking him/her up. If we have already started the Pep Rally festivities, we may not be able to locate your student in a timely manner.

We are respectfully requesting that parents who will be attending the Pep Rally complete this Google Form in advance of 3:00 p.m. Monday so that we can pre-print your visitor badge if you are already in our Raptor System. If you have not visited our campus previously, we will need to scan your State ID (Driver's License/Identification) when you arrive and print your visitor badge at that time.

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 attendance.dms@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.

Back to school means new clothes for the new year, so we are thinking y'all might need to clean out some closets and dresser drawers. We would like to continue our dress code clothes closet on campus and will be accepting donations of items sizes Youth Small to Adult Large. Gently used DMS spirit shirts, MISD Proud shirts, sweatshirts, jeans without holes/rips, basketball shorts, joggers, and flannel pajama bottoms are welcome. Clothes can be dropped off in the front office during business hours from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

We appreciate your support of the MISD Dress Code and ID requirements on campus. The vast majority of our students are in compliance as we launch the school year, and we are very appreciative!

Does your student qualify for free or reduced price lunches? If so, please visit the link below to complete the application so your student can receive this assistance this school year. Last year's application will expire on September 28th, and your student will no longer receive meals if the application is not re-submitted.

https://www.misd.gs/departments/child-nutrition/freereduced-meals

Student safety is our top priority! Please review the campus traffic map below regarding parent pick-up and drop-off. The red line indicates the bus lane...parents are NOT allowed to drop off or pick up in the rear of the school. The blue line indicates the parent drop off/pick up traffic pattern. There will be two lanes for drop off/pick up. If you are in the right lane, your student will need to exit the vehicle on the right side of the vehicle. If you are in the left lane, your student will need to exit the vehicle on the left side of the vehicle. Please encourage your child to use the crosswalks when crossing the street or parking lot. Please do NOT encourage your child to meet you where any of the X's are marked on the map, and please do not stop on the street to pick up your student. The front parking lot is reserved for our Special Education bus drop off/pick up. We appreciate your support in ensuring our students are safe and the traffic flow is followed appropriately.

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.

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