Bobcat Bulletin

Hello Bobcats!

I hope you all had a great weekend!

We had a fantastic week back after the Thanksgiving break! Mr. Collier was a great sport after losing a bet! Check out the fun pictures and video below. Additionally, our teachers engaged in a little underground dress up shenanigans... we love the creativity they displayed... see a few pics below. Our Fine Arts Department showed out this week during our Dance Showcase and the All City Choir Concert. Additionally, all of our basketball teams were successful! And, we can't forget to mention all of the academic success and creativity our students continue to display. Whew! That's a lot!!!

We have a PTO meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening at DMS... please join us as we map out plans for the Spring Semester! MAP testing and mid-term exams for high school courses will take place Monday - Wednesday of next week, so please make sure your students are in attendance.

Lots of info to share... let's get to it! Make it a great week, and go Bobcats! 🐾💙

~Mrs. Ricks

Monday, December 9th: Holiday Spirit Dress Up Days Begin (see calendar below)

Tuesday, December 10th: Stephanie Moss' Birthday 🎂; 6th Grade Band Rehearsal after school

Wednesday, December 11th: Open; Complete the CKH Parent Survey

Thursday, December 12th: Alexis Valentine's & Marc Manwarren's Birthdays 🎂; PTO Luncheon; Lady Bobcats Basketball vs. Howard @ DMS; Boys Basketball Away @ Howard; DMS Winter Choir Concert @ MHS Auditorium

Friday, December 13th: 8th Grade Band Game Night

Saturday, December 14th: Region Band Clinic/Concert

Looking ahead: MAP Testing/Exams begin Monday, December 16th

We will be running an exam bell schedule the week of December 16th. Our exam schedule is as follows:

Monday, December 16th: 7th period

Tuesday, December 17th: 1st, 3rd, and 5th periods

Wednesday, December 18th: 2nd, 4th, and 6th periods

Thursday, December 19th: Early Release Bell Schedule (NJHS vs. Faculty Volleybrawl)

'Tis the Season to offer us feedback! Please take a moment to complete our CKH Family Survey. Your feedback is valuable!

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.

Yearbooks are on sale! Don't delay... order yours today!

6th Grade Opt Out Form

7th Grade Opt In Form

8th Grade Opt In Form

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.

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 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