Life in the Middle: DCG MS

Patterson's book on Middle School

2011-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been quite awhile since I have posted a blog. In fact, it has been so long that I didn't quite know how to start again.

Then I read this book and found that I HAD to tell someone about it! It was so bad, and it spurred so much negative emotion, that I found I had to tell other people!

This book encompasses all of the stereotypes and cliches that adults think of middle school-aged students. I am extremely disappointed that Patterson would take the easy way out and not research his topic!

Don't waste your time on this one! A far better read is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Feburary: Month of Caring

2010-02-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

I grabbed my camera and took a walk down the hallways to see what was happening in advisory today!

What a joy to see our middle school students performing acts of kindness for others!
I LOVE working with such great people!

Returning from Break

2009-11-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

I think a break every now and then is a good thing for middle school children! The atmosphere this morning is extremely positive! Students (and teachers) appear rested, relaxed and ready to give their best effort for the next 3/12 weeks!

We have a busy December, filled with basketball games, wrestling meets, music concerts, and (most importantly) academics! At times I wonder how the children fit in all of their school commitments with all their family and church commitments at night! I have determined that they have to be highly-skilled at weekly and monthly planning and also have tremendous organizations skills to meet all of these demands!

We all know that organization and planning are not the 2 strongest traits of a young adolescent! Therefore, I must give credit to parental support--for the tools you provide for your child (calendars, post-it notes and planners), as well as the constant verbal reminders they need. But most of all---thank you for the your patience! I realize there are times that you truly wonder if their memory has been surgically removed. Yet, it is simply the typical life of a middle school child. They need you now more than ever in their life---and I promise--it will get easier in a few years!

Enjoy the next few weeks as you and your middle school child prepare for the holidays. Find the joy in their quirks and laugh at their silliness. (When laughter doesn't work---try deep breaths).

Thank you for sending them to school today with a smile---We will do our best to send them back to you on December 23rd with that same positive attitude!

Fall Dance

2009-10-27T11:37:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Student-Involved Conferences

2009-10-07T10:25:00.001-07:00

The staff at the middle school would like to invite all parents to join us on October 22nd or 27th for a 15 minute conference among you, your child, and your child's adviser! This special time has been set aside to allow our students to tell their parents all the wonderful things that are happening at our school.

Your child will share some samples of work from his/her classes-- including homework assignments, tests and quizzes. He/She will also share highlights from the year, quirky things that may have happened, and areas where improvement is needed. We consider this time a celebration of learning and we encourage you, as the parent, to listen carefully and ask questions.

In past years we have been proud to say that 100% of our parents had a fall conference. We will shoot for that again this year. Your child is bringing home your conference time; however, if he/she has lost it between the locker and your house---please call the school and we can let you know.

I hope to see you there!

Choking Game

2009-09-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

It came to my attention today that we have students in the middle school who get together at parties and sleepovers and play, The Choking Game. This game involves one child restricting oxygen through the use of their hands, arms, ropes or belts. Children get a "high" when the pressure is released and blood rushes back to the brain. The sensations can become extremely addictive. We believe this to be a very serious issue and certainly can be life threatening.

Whether or not you suspect your child of participating in this activity, please engage them in an immediate discussion regarding the life-threatening dangers and consequences. If you would like additional information on this, please visit one of the following websites: www.chokinggame.net or www.stop-the-choking-game.com

Feel free to call me at the school if you have any questions.

Movie Production at DCG MS!

2009-09-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

A production company that is making a movie in the Dallas Center area called and asked to rent the middle school this Saturday, Sept. 26th. The movie is entitled Smitty and it should be a G or PG family film. The crew is asking for 80 middle school students and 12 adults to serve as "extras".

It should be a fun experience---Lou Gossett Jr. and Peter Fonda are both actors in the production. Students who were interested picked up a permission form from the office. They will be bringing it home for a signature, and they need to return it tomorrow by 8:30 am.

If we have more than 80 students who return the forms, we will draw names.

Please call me at school if you have questions.

Homecoming Week!

2009-09-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

There are so many great things about our school district, it is hard to pinpoint my favorite; however, one of the most noticeable traits about DC-G (that is often mentioned by visitors) is the amount of school pride in our staff and student body! I remember four years ago when I first visited the middle school, I asked if there was something special going on, because the majority of the children were wearing red and white! The staff said, no---the kids always wear our colors!

I believe this is why Homecoming Week is one of the events I eagerly look forward to each year! Our students are proud of their identity as a Fillie or a Mustang, and they want to voice that pride to all who will listen!

Today the students were to dress up as their favorite celebrity; yet many of them chose instead to wear their athletic uniforms because we have games and a Cross Country meet tonight. During advisory time, students will be busy decorating their classroom doors in Homecoming themes.

We are all looking forward to Friday when we will attend the Homecoming Parade. Many advisory classes are working on the middle school float. Our float motto is "Be the One in the Game of Life" Students are busy building cardboard game pieces and the giant spinner!

Students will be dismissed for the parade at 1:30. (The middle school band will be marching, so they will be dismissed at 12:45.) We will return to the school at 3:00 so that students have time to gather their belongings and load the bus home.

We hope many of you are also able to attend the Homecoming Parade and Football Game. It is such a great way to promote our school spirit and pride! You will definitely hear the middle school students cheering for Dallas Center-Grimes!

Iowa or Iowa State???

2009-09-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

DM Register: Sept. 5

2009-09-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Record number of Iowa schools fail to meet federal targets

This was the headline of Saturday's paper. I knew it was coming, but that doesn't dull the sting of seeing it in print! It didn't take long for me to skim the list of schools and find DCG Middle School--math in the dead center---ouch!

Since then, I have followed the reader's comments which range from a list of "reasons" for making the list to a bashing of public education. To my surprise, I haven't heard from any DC-G patrons yet, but I would like to take the time to explain how our middle school made the list, and the efforts we are taking to remove ourselves ASAP!

DCG Middle School was placed on the SINA list (Schools in Need of Assistance) in the area of special education math (it was interesting that the paper didn't list the special education part). This means that our special education population did not make enough growth on the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) to reach proficiency. In Iowa, "Proficiency" means the 40th percentile or above.

The majority of our special education students currently score between the 1st and the 15th percentile on ITBS. In fact, one of the indicators that qualifies a child for special education is a low ITBS score. If our students DID score in the 40th percentile or above, the teachers would be calling a meeting with the parents to discuss if the child should be discontinued from the special education program.

So now what? Our staff is dedicated to working as hard as possible to give the special education students the math skills they need to be successful in life. Since the beginning of the year, we have met regularly to form an action plan and begin implementation. One of the biggest changes this year is that we have added a Math Intervention Class entitled, M and M---Math and Maintenance. Students attend this extra math tutoring session once every three days. The class sizes are small (6-8 students) and the program is 42 minutes of intense math tutoring. We are using a research-based program that was recommended by several area schools. It is called iSucceed by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Additionally, we have added tutoring for general education students, increased the frequency of our progress monitoring, and concentrated on instructional strategies that have been proven successful. The staff at DCG Middle School is focused on providing the best math instruction available. We are confident that we can improve scores enough to remove our school's name from "the list", but more importantly help ALL our children succeed in today's globally economic world. We need the support of all parents and community to help us reach this goal. If you have questions, comments or ideas, we welcome your input!

Middle School Lunch

2009-08-27T09:44:00.001-07:00

I have been asked several questions about how lunch works at the middle school. I hope that I can answer a few of them here, but please ask if I have not covered your question.

What is the difference in lunch prices?
If a child goes through the regular lunch line, they will be charged $2.05 for lunch. If your child goes through the ala carte line, he/she may purchase a lunch basket for $2.05 as long as it does NOT have fries. If your child chooses a basket WITH fries, he/she will be charged $2.85. All of these meals come with the salad bar which consists of fresh fruit, salad, vegetables, and bread. Cookies and Chips cost extra.

Does my child have to sit at the same table every day?

No. If your child wishes to move to a different table, we ask that he/she talk to a lunchroom supervisor about the reason. The supervisor will assist your child in finding a new place to sit where he/she is comfortable. While we ask that your child not move on a daily basis, he/she is welcome to move when they feel it is time.

It seems like my child does not have enough time to eat.

There may be days that the hot meal takes longer for the cooks to serve. This means that the children take more time getting through the lunch line. When that occurs, the bell may ring before your child is finished eating. The lunchroom supervisors and I encourage your children to finish their meals and we excuse them from being late for class. This is not a frequent occurrence, and we continually work with the lunch staff to make sure this doesn't happen. One new thing we are trying this year is that we have added two new payment stations to the line to assist with the traffic flow.

Science Inquiry

2009-08-21T12:44:00.001-07:00

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The Magic Tube

2009-08-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

"It's only confusing because what you THINK doesn't match with reality." Mr. Gilroy

I walked into 6th grade science this afternoon and was amazed by the engagement of the students. No one looked up when I opened the door, the usual waves from across the room didn't happen! Hmmmm---these students were mesmerized! As I took a closer look, I realized all this was due to the "magic tube". Mr. Gilroy created a device with ropes hanging from the sides (see pictures) The students' job was to "play with it." It was such an experience for me to watch their natural curiosity evolve into high level questions! These children were reviewing their notes, looking back at past learning, drawing new diagrams, and asking each other about their ideas. Finally---after a great deal of time had passed, one little girl looked up and stated, "I am completely confused!"

Mr. Gilroy calmly smiled, reassured her that the guesses were productive, and encouraged her to continue. THIS was scientific discovery in action. Every child was engaged, thinking at very high levels, and working in small teams to reach logical conclusions.

Mr. Gilroy has learned many of these strategies in his professional development courses through CAB---a program offered by AEA. He has spent a great deal of time creating activities and making plans to implement these research-based activities--and all our students benefit! Nice job!

Back in the "Swing of Things"!

2009-08-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

One and a half days down, and things are going very smoothly! The students flood through the doors in large groups, talking incessantly and dramatizing their stories with their hands waving everywhere! They are laughing, joking, and so wrapped up in their social scene that they almost forget to say good morning to us. But they do--which is both amazing and impressive to me! These children are not only extremely polite but they are experts at multi-tasking!

Middle school is such a social time and being around their peers is the most important thing on the students' minds.

If I were to write a handbook for the middle school student, I think one of the first words of advice I would give is, "if you wear new clothes the first week--be sure the tags are off." In order to spare a little bit of embarrassment, I have been busy straightening collars, ripping stickers off of jeans, and making sure each child is dressed as they had intended. They want to be grown up in the worst way---but they also want us to understand that they are still little kids! What an amazing age group of children!

2nd Day of School

2009-08-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

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First Day! August 18

2009-07-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

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Welcome Back to School

2009-07-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox postcard