DCMS Antlers are S.H.A.R.P.
S.afe H.elpful A.spiring R.esponsible P.ositive
April 21-27
MMN
If you are not familiar with Deer Creek Middle School or Monday Morning News, this is a newsletter that provides information to parents about what is taking place at the Middle School. It is a great communication tool for us and a great way for you to know how you can be involved in your child’s school. Attachments are noted with quotations Example: “name of attachment”. This will be sent out in email every Monday. If you know of someone who is not receiving the newsletter, please have them contact the office to get signed up.
TALENT SHOW AUDITIONS
Talent Show auditions will be this week on April 24th. They will be right after school, and students can sign up in the office. Almost all forms of talent are welcome. (singing, dancing, instruments, comedy, monologue, etc.) The talent show will be on the last day of school, May 23rd.
LUNCH ACCOUNTS
Beginning May 5th, there will be no charging of lunches at any of the cafeterias and students with a negative balance will get an alternative lunch beginning this day as well. Parents may email the cafeteria site manager to check their child’s balance. You may also want to remind parents that the lunch acct balance that is reflected on Power School may not match the actual cafeteria balance…so if they are in doubt email the cafeteria! Parents can still add money through the end of the year to their child’s account through MySchoolBucks.com - any balances will roll over to next school year.
Middle School Kitchen Manager– Patty Carroll carrollp@deercreek.k12.ok.us
YEARBOOK
The Deer Creek Middle School yearbook will always be an incredible time capsule your daughter or son will go back to again and again to remember academic, athletic and social milestones, so don’t miss this opportunity! It’s the only book that captures the year’s events, activities, friendships, experiences and memories from Deer Creek Middle School.
The Deer Creek Middle School yearbook will be shipping soon to our school. If you want to be guaranteed a yearbook this year, go to the website, jostensyearbooks.com, by April 30th and follow the links to purchase your yearbook. We usually have extra yearbooks for sale, but they are on a first come basis only. Purchasing your yearbook online is the only way to guarantee that you will receive a yearbook.
https://jostens.fulcircle.com/jostens2014/Home.aspx?SchoolId=430221013&VC=TPL&JUNS=A06764750&CID=162250&PFID=2001100805461568015&GID=#
FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Deer Creek Foundation has given over 1 million dollars to Deer Creek Schools. Deer Creek Middle School has benefitted through technology for students and teachers, science kits, books, instructional resources, and other needed items. The Golf Tournament is one of the biggest fund raisers for them. You don’t need an excuse to get out and play golf, but supporting DC schools is a pretty good reason
11th Annual Golf Tournament
Monday May 19, 2014 @ 12p
Rose Creek Golf Club
8th GRADE TRIP
All 8th graders who return their permission slip and money will be able to attend the annual 8th grade trip to Frontier City on May 2nd. This is not an incentive trip, and we hope that all 8th graders will come. Permission slips were given out last week and should be turned into their homeroom teacher(5th hour) by this Wednesday, April 16th.
SEMESTER FINALS
Semester Finals are scheduled for May 19th to May 22nd. Please try not to schedule appointments that will cause your child to miss school on these 4 days if possible.
DCMS CHEER/POM
We will have a parent meeting Tuesday, April 22nd @ 6:00pm in the DCMS cafeteria to go over the program, uniforms, mandatory clinic, mandatory summer camp, and mandatory paperwork. ANY GIRL WHO WROTE CHEER/POM ON THEIR ENROLLMENT SHEET AT ALL (#1-6) OR ANY GIRL REMOTELY INTERESTED IN TAKING CHEER/POM AS AN ELECTIVE NEXT YEAR MUST HAVE A PARENT AT THE PARENT MEETING. More detailed information will be given at the meeting, but if you have immediate questions you can email Shareen Smith @ smiths@deercreek.k12.ok.us. See you there!
Shareen Smith
DCMS Cheer/Pom Coach
SCHOOL SUPPLIES-7th Grade Only
If you were not able to order your school supplies for next year on enrollment night, here is the link to do that. Supplies will be sent directly to the school and can be easily picked up and placed in your child’s locker on schedule pickup day in August. https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks/login.aspx andcustomer number DEE063.
DCMS SPECIAL OLYMPICS T-SHIRTS FOR SALE
Take a look at the attached shirt “DCMS Special Olympics 2013 copy”. This is a great looking shirt that anyone can order to support our Special Olympics program. Help send our students to Special Olympic's in Stillwater!
T-shirts are $15.00 and can be purchased in the office or in Mrs. Baileys classroom.
CAREER DAY TECHNOLOGY TALKS
The Technology classes are inviting you to speak to our classes in April for career talks about technology in the Workplace. The goal is to discuss how technology is used in the everyday workplace to show how important what they are learning is. If you use any form of technology, please come and share with our technology students. Since we cover all forms of technology, it could really be about most anything. Sign up here! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0448A9A92C7-computers. Email Jamie Brehm @ brehmj@deercreek.k12.ok.us with questions.
DCMS AWARDS NIGHT
The DCMS Foundation Academic Awards will take place on Monday, May 5th at the PAAC building. We will send invitations in late April if your child will be receiving an award.
Here is a list of awards given out during the awards ceremony.
1. Deer Creek Schools Foundation Award:
All A’s or GPA of 4.0
7th Grade: Based on Last years 2nd Semester and this years 1st Semester Grades
8th Grade: Based on Last years 2nd Semester and this years 1st Semester Grades
2. Academic Excellence:
1. Teacher selection based on…
Grades
Classroom Engagement
Role model for other students
3. Principal’s Lifetime Learning Award:
1. Teacher selection based on…
Work Ethic
Citizenship
Self-motivated to learn
4. Excellence in Arts Award:
1. Teacher selection based on:
Classroom Participation
Grades
Self-motivation
Exceptional ability and accomplishments in the subject area
Media Awards (Newberry Reader, Sequoyah Reader, Classic Reader and Creek Critique Awards)
Band Awards are given at the Band Banquet
5. Perfect Attendance: (7th & 8th Grade Students / Faculty & Staff)
Perfect Attendance (1st day of school to Friday before awards ceremony)
No tardies and no absences
ATHLETIC PHYSICALS
We will have the district physical night on May 12th at the PAAC building. This would be for anyone playing sports next year. We will have more information as it approaches.
8th GRADE BRIDGING CEREMONY-SAVE THE DATE
The 8th Grade Bridging Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 20th at the PAAC building. This will be for all 8th graders and their families. Please save the date.
PTO MEETING
Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for May 6th at 9:00 am in the Office. We hope you can join us.
DRAMA BANQUET
The drama awards banquet is May 9th. Save the date, and plan on some good food, entertainment and more information to come soon. If you have questions contact Mellissa Bokesch mbokesch@yahoo.com.
GRADE LEVEL INCENTIVES
Students and Parents, We want to let you know that we will be having grade level incentives to reward those students throughout the year who make good choices in school. Below is some information about the upcoming incentives for each grade. The criteria to attend the incentives is also attached “Grade Level Incentive Requirements” and includes…
No more than 3 marks
No “ISS” or “OSS”
No more than 4 Tardies
No D’s or F’s
We began tracking the requirements on March 24th.
7th Grade will go to Ghatti Town on May 14th.
8th Grade will have incentive activities on May 23rd.
DC GLOBAL EDUCATION PROGRAM – COSTA RICA 2015
The next DC GEP travel opportunity will be to Costa Rica over Spring Break of 2015. If you are interested in zip-lining through the canopies, hiking to La Fortuna Waterfall, touring the wildlife refuge, and visiting the Poás Volcano, then this is the ideal educational trip for you! There is even a $100 discount for those who enroll before the end of February! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Laura Crawford (8th grade) at crawfordl@deercreek.k12.ok.us or Jennifer Ingram (7th grade) at ingramj@deercreek.k12.ok.us
MIDDLE YEARS NEWSLETTER FOR PARENTS
Middle Years is a newsletter with great articles and information about how to be a successful student and parent during middle school. It is a very quick read and has great information. I would like to thank our PTO for sponsoring this newsletter for our school. See attachment “Middle Years April 2014” for the new edition
ATTENDANCE
Parents, I would like to remind you that your child must be in attendance 89% of the school year to be eligible for promotion into the next grade level. This equates to no more than 20 absences. If your child misses for an extended period of time for emergence or illness, please provide a doctor’s note for documentation. We have begun sending out generic emails to parents about absences if your child has missed a certain amount of days. We will continue to send these out throughout the year regardless of the reason for the absences(excused or unexcused). These emails are simply a reminder throughout the year.
ANTLER SHARP Students (Sponsored by Deer Creek Chamber of Commerce) http://news.deercreekchamber.com/2012/09/deer-creek-middle-school-news/
As a part of our DCMS Antlers are SHARP theme this year. I would like to tell you about the SHARP students incentive. Any student that is seen making positive choices or doing great things that fit our theme, may receive a slip of paper with their name on it. They will then bring it to one of the principals, so we can thank them for making DCMS great. That slip of paper will then go into a daily drawing for prizes. Their name will stay in the drawing until they win or until the end of the year. We would like to thank the Deer Creek Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this program by providing gift cards as one of the potential prizes.
These are the Antler Sharp Students for the week of April 14 – April 18:
Adria Woodson
Mitchell Mirkes
Brody Pigg
Zoe Yap
Trevor Coffman
Brionna Nelson
Tyler Cobb
Emily Regier
Congratulations to last week’s winners!!!!
MAZZIO’S STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Will we be recognizing many students every month as the Students of the Month. This is an award given by each team of teachers and elective teachers every month. Mazzio’s donates a pizza party to these students. We would like to thank Mazzio’s for partnering with us on this great program and rewarding our students with a pizza party. We would also like to thank the PTO hospitality for providing the dessert. Students pictures will be displayed in the main lobby every month as well. We will announce the recipients at the end of every month. Mazzio’s is located on Santa Fe and Danforth. Support this sponsor by calling direct at - 341-6012.
MARCH STUDENTS
Allison Sexton
Logan Scott
Ben Lykes
Ellie Damerval
Mackenna Morrow
Jackson Robinson
Rachel Sanders
Hillary Neaves
Madison Burnett
Conner Bowen
Douglas Adair
Grant Lackey
March Arts Students of the Month
Art Kelsey Reed
Band Jaden Oldham
Choir Alex Cisneros
Drama Johan Abrell
Tech Cameron Sly
March Readers of the Month
Ellory Myers
Kieran Sowerby
Samantha Amaton
Hannah Koenig
DOUGHNUTS FOR SALE
The library will be selling doughnuts every Thursday morning beginning at 7 a.m. in the gym concession stand. Help support the library by buying a chocolate, glazed, or maple doughnut for $1.
GRADE CHECKS
We encourage you to constantly check your child’s progress in their classes. You should only look at the S2 grade for all other classes to see how your child is doing in those classes. Please contact the teacher or office if you have any questions about your child’s grades. We want every child to be successful, and we know how important it is to have parents working with teachers to make this happen. Click on this link to access the parent portal. http://powerschool.deercreek.k12.ok.us/public/home.html
DOES YOUR CHILD NEED TUTORING?
DCMS will be offering tutoring on Mondays through Thursdays from 2:30-3:30 every week we are in school. Students who go to tutoring will need to have transportation at 3:30. Tutoring will be in room A-10. Students do not need to let us know they are coming in advance, but we ask that they stay in tutoring until their ride arrives. We hope this will help our parents and students get the help they need.
FRIEND MAIL
Research shows that reporting bullying is one of the most difficult things for kids to do. We have created a program that focuses on anonymous reporting and positive encouragement. This is called FRIEND MAIL. This is an in school mail system that will enable students to send notes of encouragement to each other or their teachers. Teachers and parents may also use Friend Mail to send notes to their children as well. In addition to positive notes, students may help a friend by placing notes that report incidents of bullying. This makes it more anonymous because no one will know the reason a student is putting a note into the Friend Mailbox. Please know that all letters/notes will be screened by an adult before it is delivered.
BOX TOPS
Remember to collect and bring all your box tops to the media center in sets of 50 labeled with the student’s name. Each set of 50 will earn the student a spot in our monthly drawing for a special reward. This is a great way for us to purchase new books for our library. Please see two attachments regarding box top vendors.
DISTRICT OPPORTUNITIES
In order to better inform parents about opportunities that are available across the district, we have a new link that will share all of this information with you. Please check these links to find out if there is something your child would be interested in that is not sponsored specifically by DCMS. Click on the link for more information about each event.
Opportunities for Students
Deer Creek Optimist- Football, Basketball, & Wrestling
PCO Softball-Baseball-Football
Please visit http://www.deercreekschools.org/parents/opportunities_for_students to see available CAMPS,
CLINICS, and many OTHER OPPORTUNITIES that are available to your student.
For ATHLETIC and CHEER OPPORTUNITIES please visit http://www.deercreekschools.org/parents/deer_creek_optimist_club
to see what all Deer Creek Optimist has available for ALL AGES.
HS SHOW CHOIR
Please see the attachment regarding the HS Show Choir Auditions in May “show choir auditions”. They are May 5-7
RECEIVING MONDAY MORNING NEWS?
If you are not receiving MMN and would like to, please send us the email address that you would like us to send it to. We also have forms in the office that you can fill out to receive it. We will try to get this in as soon as we receive the information. If you still are not receiving the emails, please let us know immediately. We are sorry for any delays in receiving the newsletter. If you are receiving this email in error or if you would like to stop receiving the newsletter, please email us that information as well.
Reuben Bellows
Principal
Deer Creek Middle School
bellowsr@deercreek.k12.ok.us
Phone: 405-348-4830 ext. 3634