DMS Community,

Happy 2025 to all of our families! This week was filled with excitement as learners and staff returned to DMS. Our students have settled back into routines and it was great to visit classrooms to see learning in action. As the calendar has turned to January, we enter the season of winter musical performances. Both DMS Bands and Choirs will perform throughout January and I encourage you to catch a concert to support our musicians.

In the coming weeks, we will be revisiting our core values of Community, Empathy, and Purpose with learners. I encourage families to have conversations with their child around what these words mean to them. We will also be reviewing our expectations around those core values which can be viewed here.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks,

Andy Nelson, Principal

For translation of this newsletter please click on the "Translate" button above or on the right hand side of this page.

Para traducir este boletín, haga clic en el botón "Traducir" arriba o en el lado derecho de esta página.

Si aad u turjunto warsidahan fadlan ku dhufo badhanka "Turjumi" ee kore ama dhinaca midig ee boggan.

Để dịch bản tin này, vui lòng nhấp vào nút "Dịch" ở trên hoặc ở phía bên phải của trang này.

Congrats to these learners who have demonstrated community, empathy, and purpose over the last week. We are so proud of all of our learners for demonstrating these core values each day.

Mr. Plesha was nominated for the Staff Tiger stripe this week. He always demonstrates empathy when supporting learners. Thanks for making DMS great! #DMSpride #weare192

Calling all parents and guardians of future kindergarteners! Join us for Kindergarten Information Night to discover kindergarten in ISD 192, meet our principals and get enrollment questions answered on the spot. Help us spread the word to families with a kindergartener starting this fall and we’ll see you on Jan. 15! Please see our website to learn more.

Kindergarten Information Night
Wednesday, January 15, 6 p.m.
Farmington High School Recital Hall

Please click here for information on FHS 9th Grade Registration. Below are some important dates for current 8th grade learners and families:

• January 8 and 9: Middle School Counselor Presentation in Transitions
• January 16 and 17: HS Counselors will present FHS registration materials in Transitions class
• January 21-January 31: Individual learner meetings with DMS Counselors
• January 23: Incoming 9th Grade Parent Presentation (See below for more information)
• January 31: Signed registration sheets due to Transitions teacher

Please do not hesitate to connect with your learners’s counselor!

Jennifer Hogan (A-K) 651-460-1598

jhogan@Farmington.k12.mn.us

Glee Slater (L-Z) 651-460-1599

gslater@Farmington.k12.mn.us

High School Counselors can be reached by calling 651-252-2517

Have a younger child at home who’s 3-5 years old?

Farmington Community Education’s next Early Childhood Screening is Friday, December 6! This free screening provides a snapshot of your child’s growth, development, and learning. It’s required before entering Kindergarten in a public school and is recommended at age 3, but children can also be screened at ages 4 or 5. Interpreter services are available at no cost. For more information, visit bit.ly/FarmingtonECScreening.

We are looking for family and community volunteers to be present in our youths' lives at Dodge Middle School through Friendly Presence. We are excited to offer this volunteer opportunity and welcome the larger Farmington community into DMS. We are hoping many of you take this opportunity to be involved in our learners’ experience. For more information click here and to indicate interest please complete this google form.

Farmington School District has some great opportunities for you!

Click the link to apply for positions or reach out to the main office if interested.

ISD 192 shares community flyers for local events and activities, especially those run by non-profit, youth-serving organizations within the district, on our website. The community postings and resources can be found here.

Please take some time to visit the DMS Website where you will find an abundance of helpful information to support your middle school student. Dodge Dish is an electronic publication that you will receive via email every week from our principal Mr. Nelson and the Dodge Dish is always available on the DMS website under “Social Media”. It is very helpful to take time to read through this publication to keep updated on upcoming events and happenings.

Download your free app for Campus Parent ​app (parents/guardians) or the Campus Student app (students) from your device's mobile app store for real-time access to grades, attendance, schedules, announcements and more!

If a student will be absent, a parent/guardian must call Dodge Middle School’s attendance line at 651-460-1505 or fill out this form before 10:00 am each day of the absence. If the school does not receive a call from the parent/guardian the day of the absence, an automated phone call will be placed letting you know your student has been marked absent from school.

To request a pre-excused absence, a parent/guardian needs to complete the online “Request to Waive Unexcused Status of Absence” form. This link can also be accessed by visiting the Dodge Middle School webpage under “QUICK LINKS” and “Pre-Arranged Student Absence”.

Email: anelson@farmington.k12.mn.us
Website: https://dms.farmington.k12.mn.us/
Location: Levi P Dodge Middle School, 208th Street West, Farmington, MN, USA
Phone: 651-460-1500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dodgetigers
Twitter: @dodgetigers