July Dragon Digest

Dear DeSana Families,

I know that summer is in full swing, and I hope that you are enjoying some quality time with your family. Whether you are a new 6th grade family or returning 7th or 8th grade family, we look forward to welcoming you very soon to DeSana Middle School. We have a few important items that I wanted to bring your attention to before the beginning of the 24 - 25 school year. As always, for the most up to date information, please continue to refer to our school website and follow us on social media.

Sincerely,

Principal Sargent

• July 26th: Early Locker Access for students who purchase a Dragon Pack 8:00am - 1:00pm
• July 29th - 6th Grade Dragon Camp 8:00am - 12:00pm (more information below)
• July 29th - 7th Grade Open House: 3:00pm - 4:30pm
• July 29th - 8th Grade Open House: 5:00pm - 6:30pm
• August 1st - First Day of School

For any question regarding your child, please reach out to their grade level administrator.

For $20.00, we will be asking all students to purchase a Dragon Pack. The Dragon Pack will include:

• Early Locker Access (July 26th)
• DeSana Cinch Sack
• Locker
• One ticket for admission to a fall and spring Home Sporting Event
• One entry into a Drawing for a Pizza Party with Mr. Sargent (30 students will win)

The Dragon Pack will be available for purchase on School Pay beginning July 10th.

*Cinch sacks will be distributed to students who have purchased the Dragon Pack during Connect & Thrive on the first day of school. Cinch sacks will assist students with minimizing the materials they need to carry around during the school day from class to class. Administrators will continue to follow-up with families who have not purchased the Dragon Pack.

Families who pre- purchase Dragons Packs by Thursday, July 25th will have the opportunity to come to DeSana on Friday, July 26th from 8:00am - 1:00pm to decorate their child's locker with them and students will have the opportunity to practice their locker combination. Please note that all lockers will be pre-assigned to students based on proximity to their homeroom teacher. Requests to change a locker location will be handled by home room teachers on the first two days of school.

Please click on the link below to access the recommended school supplies for the 24 - 25 school year. Please do not bring any school supplies during Dragon Camp or Open House. School Supplies can be dropped off the first few days of school with students.

24-25 DeSana School Supply List

On the morning of July 29th, we will hold Dragon Camp at DeSana Middle School for our rising 6th grade students. Each student will have a designated time to attend Dragon Camp (based on their last name), and during that time, students will have an opportunity to meet their teachers, receive their schedule, take a tour of the building, and practice with their locker. While students are completing these activities, families will participate in an informational session with the administrative team and have an opportunity to get assistance with Parent Portal or Transportation and join the DeSana PTO.

We are offering two different sessions for our Dragon Camp for both students and families. Please refer to the table below for session details. Session times are organized by the last name of your child. You are welcome to park in the front or back of our school, and we will have staff on hand to direct you to our cafeteria. In order to make this the best experience possible for our students and families, we are requesting that you adhere to the session schedule by your child’s last name.

In addition, you should receive a postcard in the mail that includes your child's designated time to attend 6th Grade Dragon Camp and their homeroom teacher by Thursday, July 25th. If you do not receive a postcard, we will assist you and your child during Dragon Camp.

*Please do not bring any classroom supplies or locker decertations during Dragon Camp.

If you have questions regarding Dragon Camp, please reach out to:

• 6th Grade Counselor, Sarah Coats: sjcoats@forsyth.k12.ga.us
• 6th Grade Administrator, Jamie Bui: f27191@forsyth.k12.ga.us

For 7th and 8th grade open house, we appreciate your adherence to the schedule posted below. Please exit campus when instructed to do so to ensure that we allow enough time for the next group of families and students to enter campus. Please do not bring locker decorations or classroom supplies to Open House. School supplies can be brought to school during the first two days of school. If you would like to decorate your child's locker with them, please be sure to purchase a Dragon Pack via School Pay and attend our early locker access day on Friday, July 26th from 8:00am - 1:00pm.

As a reminder, ALL Rising 7th graders are required to have been vaccinated with Tdap and meningococcal vaccines before the 24-25 school year.

All parents/guardians of 7th grade students are responsible for ensuring that their students’ immunizations are updated prior to attending middle school (24-25).

• Rising 7th grade students are required to have been vaccinated with Tdap and meningococcal vaccines.

• Remember that your child will NOT be able to attend school until an updated immunization form (3231) is on file.

• Please check with the school nurse or your physician if you are not sure that your child’s immunizations are current.

Recommended vaccinations according to the CDC:
English version
Spanish version

Before the school year begins. I wanted to address the use of cell phones by our students. As a parent of three school aged children myself, I understand the need for your child to have a cell phone, especially if they attend after school events or activities. The Forsyth County Code of Conduct requires electronic devices, including cell phones, to be OFF and out of sight during the instructional day. We will be strictly enforcing that rule this year requiring students to put phones and earbuds in their lockers in the OFF position.

We will need your help in making this policy successful. Please do not tell your child you will text them during the day. Transportation arrangements should be made before the student arrives at school and should only change in an emergency situation. We will allow students to access their cell phones from 8:00am - 8:50am and again at 4:15pm. Students will not be allowed access to their cell phone or earbuds between 8:50am and 4:15pm. If there is a need to communicate any information to your child via their cell phone, they should have plenty of time to check their messages beginning at 4:15pm.

If your child is in violation of our Code of Conduct’s policy, their phone or earbuds can be confiscated. If the behavior continues, we will begin issuing consequences. I appreciate your support and understanding in advance.

Interested in serving as a DeSana Dragons PTO Board Member or Chairperson for the 2024-2025 School Year?

We are excited to announce opportunities for the upcoming school year, including:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Fundraising Chair
• Membership Chair

If you are interested in learning more about open positions, please email us at desanadragonspto@gmail.com with your interests and contact information.

PTO MEMBERSHIPS

Please sign up to join our PTO! We have some great school wide initiatives being developed to give back to DeSana Middle School students, which is not possible without the support of parents, families and our community. PTO Memberships are only $35 per family and you can register here

Need to contact us? Email your PTO Board at desanadragonspto@gmail.com!

As always we are seeking ways to improve our customer services with parents and community partners. We are currently looking for parents who would like to join our Local School Council (LSC). The LSC is composed of administrators, teachers, and parents. The LSC is a great way to be involved with the school. LSCs are advisory bodies that provide recommendations to the school principal and Forsyth County Board of Education. We typically hold 4-5 LSC meetings per school year, and the meetings take place before school begins at 7:45 am and usually last for about an hour. If you would like more information about how to join the LSC, please reach out to Principal Keith Sargent at ksargent@forsyth.k12.ga.us.