Dakota Minute

I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits. As we find ourselves halfway through the first quarter of the school year, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for your continued support and involvement in your child's education. We value your partnership, please contact us if you have any concerns or if there's anything specific you would like to discuss regarding your child's education.

On Friday we had our first school wide assembly when the Lancers Marching Band came to DMMS. I could not be more proud of our student body for being respectful and engaged during the assembly.

Gratefully,

Principal Hyer

The Lancer's came to DMMS on Friday to show off their talent and spread the word of musical and dance opportunities within the district. It was a wonderful experience to see and hear!

A Vote to Revitalize Learning and Wellness Spaces at Mankato West High School

In order to learn more about student experiences at school, we will be asking for your child’s feedback via an online screener they will be completing at school. The screener shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes to complete. If you would like to see the screener, it is available in the DMMS Office. It cannot be emailed, nor can photos be taken of it.

Please see THIS Student Social Emotional Screener Information and Opt Out Letter.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (507)387-5077 or at dmms@isd77.org.

Remember for dropping off and picking up at door 8 to:

Stop: your vehicle

Drop: off your student

Roll: your vehicle out of the parking lot

**It is OK to drop off by the basketball hoops. Please do not wait in the drop off lane.

Diagram here.

We will be opening up the cafeteria doors at 8am due to the cooler weather. Students will be supervised in the cafeteria by staff until 8:10 when the rest of the building is open. Please do not have your student/s wait in the foyer at Door 1. This creates a safety concern when substitues, visitors or staff cannot pass through these doors.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Principal Hyer.

Fall Conferences will be held at DMMS on Thursday, November 16th and Monday, November 20th from 4-8pm. Further updates and a sign up link will be provided closer to these dates.

6th grade families: will sign up with only the advisory teacher.

7th and 8th grade families: will sign up with the advisory teacher and or any teacher your student has that you may have questions for or need further support.

We will have karaoke, a photo booth, a DJ, Gym activities and concession stands.

Students will be waiting outside till the doors open so make sure they dress appropriately and please plan to pick them up right at 8pm.

If you would like to help caparoune the dance, please reach out to PTA president Natalie Casper (nataliejcasper@gmail.com).

Please see THIS message from our DMMS PBIS Team.

Two hour early releases will take place on the following dates:

November 8th, 2023. December 13th, 2023. January 10th, 2024. February 14th, 2024. March 13th, 2024. April 17th, 2024. May 15th, 2024.

There are no middle school practices on early release days. ALL DMMS student athletes should be picked up or use bus transportation home on these days.There is also no activity bus to Mankato West on Early release days. Student Athletes that participate at the high school level may have practices as normal but will have to provide their own transportation or contact their coach.

Hello DMMS families!

With 6 weeks of school under our belt this year, I'm excited to share with you upcoming activities and ways in which you can help and participate. If you have any questions about any of the items listed, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at ptadmms@gmail.com.

1) Student Council is hosting a school dance Friday, 10/27, from 6-8pm. We are looking for parent volunteers to chaperone the dance. The sign up for volunteers can be found here: https://signup.com/go/MwsoRws

2) Our school doesn't sell wrapping paper or magazines, instead we just ask families for a one time donation to our general PTA fund. Donations are accepted all year long and a donut party will be awarded to the advisory with the highest collection of funds each quarter. Donations for the One and Done fundraiser can be made here: https://dmms.memberhub.com/store/items/907498 . Are you interested in helping with the promotion of the One and Done fundraiser? Reach out via email or facebook and let's connect!

2) School conferences are being held mid-November and our DMMS staff is slated to put in long days to ensure every family has the opportunity to connect with the teaching staff. As a thank you for their time, PTA will be providing dinner to the DMMS faculty each night. We need volunteers to help set up, serve, and clean up these meals. If you're interested in volunteering in this way, reach out and let us know! If you aren't able to volunteer your time but still want to help, we also need donations to help offset the cost of the conference meals. Donations for conference meals can be made here: https://dmms.memberhub.com/store/items/945681

3) Looking for an excuse to eat out? Throughout the year, DMMS PTA has arranged to be sponsored by local restaurants, one day each month. Proceeds from these purchases made at these establishments are donated directly to the PTA. So far this year, our DMMS family and friends have helped us raise over $240 by eating Chipotle in North Mankato. A huge thank you to all who participated in this event and to Chipotle for supporting the PTA in this way. Follow us on facebook and here at the PTA Corner for more information regarding the next opportunity to eat out and give back to Dakota Meadows!

4) Looking for the latest announcement? School and district updates? Ways to get involved? Like us on facebook and join us at our monthly PTA meetings! Our next meeting will be held 10/30, 6:15pm, at Dakota Meadows.

We've had a great year thus far and I appreciate all the ways you're able to help the Dakota Meadows community continue to grow.

With Much Appreciation,

Please make sure to view the student calendar on our district website. This will have our early releases and no school days. In addition, the Google Calendar will have DMMS Specific information.