The Diley Digest

SEPTEMBER

September 9: Mum order forms due

September 16-20: Spirit Week for Start With Hello : See below for more information

September 18: MOD Pizza Fundraiser

September 19: Picture Day

September 20: Mobile Dentist

September 26: Fall Family Fest 5:30-7:30pm

September 28: Welcome Back Block Party at PHSC (see flyer below) 11-2pm

We will be adding an additional day of testing on Monday, due to the power/internet outage around Pickerington this week.

To help us personalize student learning and track their growth throughout the year, your child will be taking the i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments in Reading next week and Math the week after. These assessments are different from traditional tests – they're not timed and there are no grades! They are simply a tool to help us understand where your child is at in their learning journey based on the standards they've been learning.

Think of it like this: Just like in life, you get out of i-Ready what you put in. By giving it their best shot, we can get the most accurate picture of their strengths and areas for further growth. Don't worry if they don't get every question right – that's part of the learning process! Our first diagnostic provides teachers a baseline so they can see how they can help our students grow this year. We will take two additional diagnostic assessments later in the year (winter and spring). We will be able to monitor our student growth from one diagnostic to the other.

It is really important for our students to try their best on the test. We want to get the most accurate information we can so we can help our students grow. We will be stressing effort and trying their best.

Once the assessments are complete and we receive the data, we'll work together – students, parents, and teachers – to celebrate your child's strengths and create personalized goals for improvement. To learn more about i-Ready and how you can support your child, please visit the following resources:

Link to a video explaining the Diagnostic Assessment

Link to i-Ready Family Resources

Link to i-Ready Engaging Families article

Lastly, once all testing is complete, a report (as indicated in the video) will be sent home with your child for you and your student to review. If you have any questions about the report please contact your teacher and or visit i-readycentral.com/familycenter. We're all here to support your child's growth this year!

Go Tigers!

Eric Koch

Principal

Diley Middle School

Pickerington Local School District

School Fees: Academic school fees have been posted to student's accounts. These fees should be paid by 11/22/24. You can pay them online through your infinite campus parent portal.

Don't forget that the technology protection plan (for the chromebook) will need to be paid for by 9/30/24 if you wish to take advantage of that program.

Start Time: Class begins promptly at 8:40 am.

Attendance: Please call the office at 614-830-2900 by 9am if your child is going to be absent from school

-Also please make sure to get a doctor note so the absence is excused.

Early Student Pickup: ONLY the GUARDIANS listed in Infinite Campus are able to pick the student up.

Dropping off items: Make sure your student is prepared with all the items he/she needs for school. We are trying to limit the distractions to classrooms during instruction time.

Open House Slides

Please review for important information

Spanish Version

Nepali Version

English Version

• Students should remain in their vehicle until signaled to exit. Please do not drop your student off to wait outside. There is no supervision until 8:25 AM.

• Please pull up to the stop sign so we can get as many students to exit their vehicles. Trust me this makes the line go way faster. If we work together we will get you out faster!

• Students need to be ready to exit so it will not slow down the line. Please have students exit out the right side of the car by the sidewalk (we want all of our Tigers safe)

• Please wait patiently as cars drop off and pull out. Please do not speed around cars. Again safety first! :)

A majority of the Diley staff use Talking Points to communicate with families about things going on in class and to send reminders. Talking Points syncs with Infinite Campus so whoever is listed as priority 1 in Infinite Campus receives the Talking Points communication. Also, some families have selected to receive the communication via the Talking Points App instead of as a text message. You may want to login to Talking Points (https://app.talkingpts.org/login) to see your preferences. Just an FYI, you can list more than 1 individual as priority 1 in Infinite Campus so more than 1 parent can receive the Talking Points communications. To change your Infinite Campus settings, please login (https://pickeringtonoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/pickerington.jsp) and update your contact information. If you still need assistance, please email Eric Koch (eric_koch@plsd.us) who can add contacts to Talking Points.

Dear Families,

As we start the school year, we’d like to emphasize and clarify some points related to our behavior matrix. As you know, students are acknowledged throughout the day by teachers and staff members as they meet expectations related to respect, responsibility and safety. Students will review these expectations with their teachers and classmates and know that in all areas of our school (classrooms, bathrooms, cafeteria, playground, etc.) we want to create an environment where students are ready to learn, be safe, and have fun.

It is the case for all students that at some point they will need guidance to make good choices and to reflect on the behaviors in order to do better the next time. Reflections can be a discussion, a form to fill out, or an SEL activity that focuses on the area of need. It is also an opportunity for the teacher to better understand why the behavior might be happening, even after one or more reminders. This information is all serving to help the teacher support and guide that student in similar situations in the future.

Additionally, we may reference the Student Handbook as needed, and the Diley Discipline Flow Chart. We see you as our partners and hope that this clarifies any concerns or questions you may have about this part of our system. Our goal is to acknowledge positive behaviors through PBIS rewards where students can earn digital coins to purchase experiences, Tiger/School items, Paw stickers, and student of the month. When needed, we will support your student to make the best possible choices and make learning an enjoyable experience for all!

7 Mindsets Quarterly Theme:

1st Quarter Theme:

The Time is Now & Accountability

In the event your child needs to take prescription medication while at school, please be sure to have the Request for administration of prescription medication by school personnel (pdf) form or completed by the child’s physician and parents. Forms are available in the school office and on the website.

Nonprescription medication such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and cough drops may be administered to students if the parent/guardian sends in the medication (in original container) along with written permission for the medication to be given. Dosages cannot exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations for age and weight. (i.e., We cannot administer medication to children under 12 if the label says: “Do not administer to children under 12, except under the direction of a physician.” We need to have a note from the doctor in order to give a dose of medication that is different than the dose stated on the bottle.) All medications, prescription and non-prescription, must be sent in the original container.

The School Nurses are on Facebook and Twitter! Please follow them for important health tips and news about school health opportunities! On Twitter @PLSDNurses and on Facebook www.facebook.com/PLSDNurses

Dear parent or guardian,

Great news! Our school has partnered with Smile Programs ... the mobile dentists to offer dental care at school. Best of all, in most cases there is no cost to you if your child is insured with Medicaid/CHIP! Private insurance and affordable self-pay options are also available. Easy & Convenient Having your child seen by the dentist at school saves you valuable time. Top quality care is provided by local, licensed dentists in the familiar surroundings of your child’s school. Dental care includes a complete exam, x-rays, cleaning, fluoride, and sealants when necessary, and in some cases, restorative care such as fillings. Keep Your Child Healthy Children who see a dentist regularly may have fewer health issues like: • Early tooth loss due to dental decay • Gum disease • Heart disease • Impaired speech development Sign up today! Look for a permission form from school, or sign up online now at www.MySchoolDentist.com Don’t wait. Be sure your child is signed up and ready to see the dentist at no cost to you (for children with Medicaid/CHIP.)

DIley PTO is looking for volunteers for the 24-25 school year! Please email dileyptso56@gmail.com if you would like to help out next year!

Be on the lookout for a back-to-school celebration invitation in the next newsletter.

Its time to sell those mums! These are big beautiful flowers that will look gorgeous in your yard this fall so make sure to grab 1 or 5! Our top selling student in each grade will receive a pizza party with 3 friends. The winning team in each grade will receive an extra recess with popsicles!

Every item sold earns a student 1 piece of duct tape to tape a staff member to the wall during lunch. This is always a kid favorite!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are in need of a few people to help sort and distribute our mums on September 24th. Please click the link and sign up for a time slot. Thank you in advance!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4FADAA2BA0FB6-51165046-mumflower#/

Welcome to the Counselor’s Corner! Every month, the middle school counselors will share a bulletin board with the following information: hot topic, theme, and family resources.

Check out the amazing information supplied by our school counselor on our family resource board! You can find everything from student planners to food assistance to information on dealing with stress and anxiety. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/PLSDfamilyresources

FREE SCHOOL MEALS FOR 2024-2025

Great news, Pickerington students! Fuel up for success next school year with FREE breakfast and lunch for ALL students throughout the 2024-2025 year! See below for details.

Free Meals FAQ for Families

*****Please contact Petermann at 614-837-8525 with any incidents that occur on the bus*****

Check out this video by Cleveland Browns Player Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yCACZ_iraxwVrKpkUoVGW84j-3JNIwMc/view?usp=drive_link

As many of you know K-8 students are not permitted to attend the football games unless they are with a parent or guardian. This rule remains in place for this football season and we are expanding the rule to include the following:

• K-8 students must be accompanied by an adult (high school siblings do not count) and seated/supervised by an adult throughout the event.
• Backpacks are not permitted in the stadium.
• Students should make transportation plans before attending a high school sporting event.

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• Pickerington Schools will take reasonable steps to ensure that persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have meaningful access and an equal opportunity to participate in all services, activities, and programs available throughout the district. It is the policy of Pickerington Schools to ensure meaningful communication with LEP students and families and to communicate information related to the education of all students. All services needed to comply with this policy will be provided for students and their families in need of such assistance free of charge. For assistance, please call 614-833-2110.

(In Nepali)

भाषा सहायतासम्बन्धी सूचना:

Pickerington Schools ले सीमित अङ्ग्रेजी प्रवीणता (LEP) भएका व्यक्तिहरूसँग डिस्ट्रिक्टभर उपलब्ध सबै सेवा, क्रियाकलाप र कार्यक्रमहरूमा अर्थपूर्ण पहुँच र सहभागी हुन पाउने समान अवसर छ भनी सुनिश्चित गर्नका लागि उचित कदमहरू चाल्ने छ। LEP भएका विद्यार्थी र परिवारहरूसँग अर्थपूर्ण सञ्चार सुनिश्चित गर्ने र सबै विद्यार्थीहरूको शिक्षासँग सम्बन्धित जानकारी सञ्चार गर्ने PLSD को नीति हो। यो नीतिको अनुपालन गर्न आवश्यक पर्ने सबै सेवाहरू यस प्रकारको सहायता आवश्यक भएका विद्यार्थी र उहाँहरूका परिवारहरूलाई निःशुल्क रूपमा उपलब्ध गराइने छ। सहायताको लागि, कृपया 614-835-2083 मा कल गर्नुहोस्



En Español:

Las escuelas de Pickerington tomarán medidas razonables para garantizar que las personas con dominio limitado del inglés (LEP) tengan un acceso fácil y la misma oportunidad de participar en todos los servicios, actividades y programas disponibles en todo el distrito. La política de PLSD es asegurar una comunicación significativa con los estudiantes LEP, sus familias y comunicar información relacionada con la educación de todos los estudiantes. Todos los servicios necesarios para cumplir con esta política se proporcionarán a los estudiantes y sus familias que necesiten dicha asistencia de forma gratuita. Para obtener ayuda, llame al 614-835-2083.

En Francais:

Le district scolaire de Pickerington prendra des mesures raisonnables pour s'assurer que les personnes ayant une compétence limitée en anglais (LEP) ont un accès adapté et une chance égale de participer à tous les services, activités et programmes disponibles dans le district. La politique du PLSD est d'assurer une communication efficace avec les étudiants et les familles LEP et de communiquer les informations relatives à l'éducation de tous les élèves. Tous les services nécessaires pour se conformer à cette politique seront fournis gratuitement aux élèves et à leurs familles qui en nécessitent. Pour toute assistance, veuillez composer le 614-835-2083.

Please visit the following link to find out more about important school information.

https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/domain/395

There are a number of ways you can stay up to date on all things Diley.

Follow Diley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMS_Proud?s=20

Follow Principal Koch on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mrerickoch?s=20

Follow our PTSO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2085717574996931

Is social media not your thing? You can find all sorts of information on the Pickerington School District's website located at: https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/

Principal: Eric Koch

Assistant Principal: Amanda Stemm

Secretary: Heather Ferns

Office Assistant: Stacy Gallion

Counselor: Gina Neilson

Nurse: Rhonda Carmel

Health Assistant: Robin May

Email: heather_ferns@plsd.us
Website: https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/diley-middle-school/
Location: 750 Preston Trails Drive, Pickerington, OH, USA
Phone: 614-830-2900
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Diley-Middle-School-401947110003982
Twitter: @DMS_Proud