DMS Family Communication, Supply List, Bus Routes, Calendar, etc.

November 23, 2021

 

Dear DMS Families,

I encourage you and your students to find moments to focus the pieces we are thankful for and the positives out there. There is an overwhelming feeling of frustration, anxiety, anger and disappointment in regards to many current issues. We see and feel them all day at school as well. Thankfully and fortunately, the majority of our students are not exhibiting these signs, they are thankful and happy to be at school.

We currently have the highest numbers of COVID cases that we have seen during the pandemic. Yesterday’s numbers included 26 positive students and 76 quarantined students. We have three “cluster” homerooms (a cluster is a group of students with 3 or more positive cases). If/when your child is in a cluster classroom/team, you will be notified by email. Each cluster is reported to NH DHHS and we follow their recommendations/requirements. For a cluster, we have been advised to isolate the group for 14 days and continue our mitigation steps of masking, frequent handwashing and distancing where possible. Each cluster will have a separate recess space, travel by homeroom groups for classes and move throughout the hallways separate from other students.

If your student is in a cluster classroom, you are asked to be extra vigilant with the screener. We have students come to school daily that do not pass the screener. It is imperative for everyone’s safety that students stay home that are symptomatic to avoid unnecessary spread of COVID or any other virus that is circulating. Please remember that a “cluster” is 3 or more known cases. In reality, there is likely more positive students in school than we know. Students can be positive and asymptomatic. I would encourage all families to be vigilant with the screener and when in doubt, stay home.

There are no current conversations about closing the school or going remote. We will follow NH DHHS guidance on any changes to our normal in person programming. The teachers here are amazing! They work tirelessly every day to instruct and support learning, provide additional support for any one who is struggling and they make sure the COVID protocols are followed. They are amazing people who love your kids!

Enjoy the long break. We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday, November 28^th. It will be a Day 1 on our schedule.

 

Thank you,

Kim Lyndes

DMS Principal

 

Dover Ski and Snowboard Club

Mark your calendars! The last day to purchase a Winter Prime Pass for the 21-22 Season will be November 30th! To help maintain the best guest experience possible, we have decided to end Winter Prime Pass sales on December 1st. Midweek, Buckaroo, and New Hampshire College Passes will all remain on sale. Lock in your 2021-22 Prime Pass before it's too late.  Due to extraordinarily high demand for this program, Gunstock has made the unprecedented decision to close it a little earlier than originally planned. 

You can start riding and skiing with your season passes opening day December 10th!!!

See you on the slopes!

https://4.files.edl.io/ac47/10/07/21/172847-2b62d9ea-ecea-4ec5-8831-3844bb12af10.pdf 

https://4.files.edl.io/4b86/10/07/21/172845-76e1f117-8919-4d41-a099-50bcbdfb4dbd.docx

 

Matt Johnson

Dover Middle School 

doverskiandsnowboard@gmail.com

 

Coats for Kids

The DMS Guidance office is collecting gently used boots & coats. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

 

November 19, 2021

Dear DMS Families,

Report Cards

Report Cards for Quarter 1 are now available on Infinite Campus. Please be sure to look at the report card with your student.

 

Student Absences

Please review the following information regarding student absences.

When leaving a message to inform the school that your child will be absent, please remember the following: We need your child’s full name and the reason for their absence. If the reason for the absence is that they have not passed the COVID screener, please clearly state the reason for the absence, the symptoms, and your intentions to have a COVID test administered. Rapid tests are acceptable for students who have symptoms. Rapid testing is not reliable if no symptoms are present. Rapid tests are not as reliable as PCR tests even when symptoms are present. Home rapid tests may be sent as a photo to the nurse’s office at l.wyeth@dover.k12.nh.us. Home rapid tests need to be labeled with your child's name and the date that the test was administered. Tests that are from a facility also need to have the student’s name and the date of administration. Often the test result consists of more than one page. Please be sure the name and date are always included.

 

Please remind your students about masking, handwashing and distancing. These are the mitigation steps that DMS follows to support overall health in our school. Our numbers of positive adults and students is growing each day. To date, DMS has one cluster. A cluster is a class with 3 or more positive people. When there is a cluster, families from that classroom are notified. The current recommendations are to be vigilant in screening, masking, frequent handwashing and distancing.

 

Note from PTA Fundraising:

Thank you everyone that participated in the Meadow Farms Fall Fundraiser. Orders are being filled and shipped out. There are a few back orders thar will hopefully come in this week. Thank you for being patient. I'm waiting for prizes to be delivered. They will be delivered as soon as they arrive.

 

Collins Spirit wear: Thank you for the orders. We will reach out to you when the orders come in. If you emailed, I will contact you personally when they come in.

 

If you have any questions/concerns about either fundraiser please let me know. Marie Duncan duncan6pk@gmail.com/6039884528

 

Hello! The Dover High School National Honor Society is hosting a family holiday night and food drive on Thursday December 9th, the eve before a teacher workshop. NHS is excited to host fun activities and raffles. Please see the flyer attached for details and fill out the google form if interested. Thank you and see you there!

 

 NHS holiday fundraiser

 

Thank you,

Kim Lyndes

DMS Principal

 

DMS Sports

Please see the attached Family ID and COVID Protocol information pertaining to DMS Winter Sports.

 

October 7, 2021

Dear DMS Families,

No School on Monday 10/11/21- Indigenous People Day

1^st Quarter Progress Report:

The midpoint of quarter 1 is Thursday, October 15^th. Please make sure to check your student’s grades on Infinite Campus. You will see the grades to date. Questions on assignments or grades should be sent directly to the teachers.

Virtual Open House:

Our virtual Open House will take place on Wednesday, October 20^th 6:00-8:00pm. Please mark your calendars now. Details for the event will follow.

Tik Tok Message for Dover Middle School Students and Families:

A recent topic that trended among students on Tik Tok was called” Devious Licks.”  This called on students to steal items and show off what they had taken on their own social media posts.  Unfortunately, this trend made it into our school.  This occurred in some of our DMS bathrooms. These acts of theft and vandalism mirrored the popular Tik Tok trend.

Acts of theft and vandalism are thoroughly investigated and we disciplinary action is taken. Acts of theft and vandalism are also reported to the Dover Police Department. Our staff and students work diligently to keep our school and campus safe and clean.  As a community that takes pride in our schools, we ask that families speak to their students about social media, current trends taking place, and how participation in these temporary fads can ultimately impact their future.  This email is sent to get your help in preventing any further incidents related to these challenges or ones in the future.

I also share with you what disturbing and abhorrent challenges have been put out for the rest of the school year. Below is one example of lists that are circulating. As you can see none of these behaviors have a place in our school or our community and some are serious criminal offenses.  They will be dealt with using Dover Middle School’s disciplinary policies and procedures.

October- Smack a staff member on the butt

November- Kiss your friend’s girlfriend at school

December- “Deck the halls and show your b***** (expose a private area)

January- Jab a breast

February- Mess up school signs

March- Make a mess in the cafeteria or Courtyard

April- Grab some “eggz” (theft)

May- Ditch Day

June- Flip Off Front Office

We appreciate you speaking with your student(s) to help us put an end to this nonsense. Thank you to the Peoria Unified School District for allowing their message to their families help other schools and districts with language to address this issue.

 

Thank you,

Kim Lyndes

Dover Middle School Principal

 

Dover Ski and Snowboard Opportunities:

Hello DMS Families,

I hope you are getting excited for this coming Winter. It is predicted to be a great year for skiing and riding in the mountains and I am looking forward to an epic season! Attached is the information regarding this year’s Ski and Snowboard opportunities.

If you have any questions/concerns please reach out to me at: doverskiandsnowboard@gmail.com

Matt Johnson

8 Wentworth Physical Science

DMS

 

7^th and 8^th Grade Parents – Signs of Suicide Program

Over the next few weeks all 7^th grade students will be participating in the Signs of Suicide program also known as SOS. SOS is a national program that teaches students how to recognize the warning signs of suicide in their peers. This month 8^th graders will be receiving an SOS refresher lesson as well. With SOS students will learn what to look for and how to ACT when they are concerned about a friend. Please read the attached parent information sheet for more information. Feel free to reach out to your student’s grade level counselor if you have questions about the program.

7^th grade – Mary Calhoun, m.calhoun@dover.k12.nh.us

8^th grade – Beth Lent, b.lent@dover.k12.nh.us

Thank you,

DMS Guidance

 

October 1, 2021

Dear DMS Families,

Have something that you need to drop off to your student?????

Please ask yourself if you are dropping off something that is essential (chromebook, instrument, lunch). We ask that non-essential items not be delivered. We ask that essential items arrive before 1:00pm. Anything after 1:00pm is not guaranteed to reach your student on the same day. The last hour of the school day is extremely busy in the office and we would not want to err and have your child miss something they need. There is a table in the lobby where items can be left. We check the table often and call kids to the office to pick up anything dropped off.

Dismissals:

If you are picking up your student early, a phone call, written note or email stating the students name, time of pick up and name of person picking up will help us prepare. With this information, we can do a few steps ahead of time. We will not call the student out of class until the pick up person comes into the lobby to sign out the student.

Grades:

October 15^th marks half way through our 1^st quarter of the school year. In the past, we have done a snapshot of Infinite Campus on progress report day for you to see the midpoint grade. We are no longer posting the snapshot because it is exactly what you would see if you logged into Infinite Campus on Oct 15. Instead, we will send reminders often to log in and check your child’s progress. Checking grades requires a balance on your end. As a parent or guardian, we suggest you check Infinite Campus on a regular schedule. Setting reminders in your phone or planning how and when grades will be checked with your student has been found useful by other parents. I would suggest every few weeks or monthly. You know your child best and can adjust your plans to check grades more often if/when needed. Middle school students learn to take the responsibility of check grades and staying up to date with their work. This lesson takes a different amount of time for every student and we appreciate your support in helping them do this.

Open House:

Open House will take place virtually on Oct 20^th. A schedule and detailed info will be sent out closer to that date.

Picture Retakes:

If you missed Picture Day, we will have retakes on November 5. Any student who did not have their photo taken and those that would like a retake are welcome to do this. The first round of pictures have not been delivered yet. They will be sent home as soon as they arrive.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kim Lyndes

DMS Principal

Art Club with a French Twist!

This year 2021-2021, Mrs. Gardella and Mrs. Roy will be hosting Art Club in Mrs. Gardella’ s room 308.  We will meet Thursday Afternoons from 2:25 to 3:40. 

See attached application for more information!

 

September 24, 2021

Dear DMS Families,

Good Afternoon DMS Families! We are 16 days into school and students are settling into a routine. Our schedule can be complicated, but we ask that students hang in there. If there is an unresolved issue, we will get to the bottom of it.

We started ENCORE groups this week and it has been an event to get all of our students scheduled. This is a 30 minute time block in the day that is either right before or right after each grade level lunch. Scheduled into this block are guidance groups, band, chorus, Title 1 services, Special Education services, and mini classes of choice. We have worked with all students to select options they are passionate about and encourage them to delve deeper into the topic and learn new things. Some examples of these options are Book Club, Cribbage, Outdoor Investigators, and Get Up and Move to name a few. It is exciting to see a student flourish in an area of personal interest.

Open House has been moved to Wednesday, October 20^th. Details will come out closer to the date. This will be a virtual event.

Students do a good job with masking. It is tough for all. We remind all day to make sure the masks are up and covering their noses. Students respond well to reminders and do get daily mask breaks.  

The DMS PTA Fundraiser continues to the end of September. We appreciate all that can participate. Money earned from this fundraiser goes right back to teachers and students!

Please talk with your children about the importance of respecting school property. You may have heard that due to the latest TikTok fad, we have had some instances of vandalism in our bathrooms. Some of the damage has been so extensive that it cannot be easily fixed and the bathrooms have had to remain closed for days. At the end of the day today, all grade level bathrooms are open for students. We have one toilet that is not completely fixed yet, so that one stall is still closed. If you could please remind your children about appropriate bathroom behavior and the significance of vandalism, it would be appreciated. Any student caught destroying school property will be responsible for the cost of fixing the damages. 

We wish everyone a great weekend and look forward to seeing our students again on Monday!

Thank you,

Kim Lyndes

 

The DMS Drama Club met for the first time this year on Monday. Many were present and many students want to be a part of it but were unable to attend for a variety of reasons. We are hoping to add a lot more to the ranks. We have big plans and are looking for kids that want to have a wonderful experience in rehearsal and on stage with their friends. If your 6^th, 7^th or 8^th grade student wants to be a part of all the fun with this year’s production of Oliver, then please ask them to see Mr. Leaf sometime this week, or soon, to get on the list and info to take home. There is another meeting scheduled for this coming Monday, Sep 27 after school until 3:30. If your child is not able to see me during the remainder of this week, they are welcome to attend the Monday meeting to sign up and get more info.

This is the Lionel Bart masterpiece of musical theatre based on Dickens’ Oliver Twist, with such classics as Food, Glorious Food, Where Is Love, Consider Yourself, Pick a Pocket or Two, Who Will Buy and many more.

This group also will be going to NYC to see a Broadway show in May, 2022.

Email Jeff Leaf at j.leaf@dover.k12.nh.us if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Jeff

 

September 10, 2021

Dear DMS Families,  

It has been an interesting week with student schedules. There were some shuffles made in three out of the four grade levels. Between new teachers and tech glitches, changes were necessary. Moving forward, there should be very limited changes.

Beginning of the year paperwork was sent home with your students this week:

Emergency form on colored paper- please complete and return.

Policies and permissions form- multiple pages- Please complete and return

 

PTA membership form- also attached to this email. Please consider joining the PTA!

Free and Reduced Lunch form- please see below

Meals:

Free breakfast and lunch will again be provided to all students this year.  Families that qualify for free or reduced lunch should still complete a Free and Reduced Application which can be found at this link and was provided in the paperwork sent home with every student. Free and Reduced Lunches – Food Services – Dover School District The applications cover the first 30 days of the next school year. If you are interested in free or reduced lunch next year, please complete and return the form now.

Questions concerning the Free and Reduced Form should be directed to Lucinda Shattuck at 516-6708.

Teacher Vacancy:

We have an opening for a full time World Language teacher. We are looking for a certified teacher. Currently the position is vacant and the students scheduled in this class will have a study hall until we can fill the position.

 

Morning Drop Off/Afternoon Dismissal:

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we people get used to the traffic patterns at Dover Middle School.  Please have your child to school on time. The tardy line is getting longer each day! The first part of the day is where we set the stage for success! Students miss important information when they are late.

Morning Drop Off- We use one centralized location for vehicle drop off. The curb is painted yellow in the drop off area. Please pull up as far as you can in the loop.  Please do not drop students off outside of this loop, it is not safe and slows the flow of traffic.

Afternoon Dismissal- Students are to locate their ride home. Vehicles may wait in the parking lot. We do have a staff member at the intersection of Daley Drive and Durham Road. Her sole responsibility is to stop traffic and allow buses to exit.

 

COVID-19 Protocols in Place for the Start of School

1. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services metric currently places community transmission of COVID-19 at substantial.  Because of that, masks (not bandanas or gaiters) are required of all staff and students when they are in the building.  Masks are not required outside.
2. You will find attached a health screener for families to use with their students each day.  If your student(s) do not pass the screener, it is requested that the student(s) stay at home.
3. In accordance with federal guidelines, masks are required on buses used for transporting students to school and for co- or extracurricular activities.
4. All attempts will be made to provide three feet of social distancing in classrooms and six feet in areas where students are eating.

You will find attached the most recent version of Protocols Applied to Pandemic Education (PAPE) that was adopted by the Dover School Board on Monday, August 23, 2021.

Medical Documentation

Please provide the Health Office with any new medical documentation or with pre-existing conditions of which the school is not aware.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kim Lyndes

 

September 2, 2021

Dear DMS Families,  

We have had a great two days of school! It was not without a few bumps, but all things were fixable! Please see the information below that will hopefully help you with the start of the year.

1^st day paperwork will go home next week. Please be on the lookout for that paperwork.

Students who are tardy miss their opportunity to select a lunch choice in their homeroom. Students who check in late will receive pizza. We will accommodate documented allergies.

There is a high possibility that we will be getting a 12^th sixth grade teacher as soon as next week. If this happens, we will have to change some students placements. If this impacts your student, you will be notified.

We ask that students and families review the dress code.  Please remember that bellies and undergarments are to be covered! We thank you.

Meals

Free breakfast and lunch will again be provided to all students this year.  Families that qualify for free or reduced lunch should still complete a Freed and Reduced Application which can be found at this link. 

Free and Reduced Lunches – Food Services – Dover School District

Questions concerning the Free and Reduced Form should be directed to Lucinda Shattuck at 516-6708.

Please provide the Health Office with any new medical documentation or with pre-existing conditions of which the school is not aware.

The DMS PTA is seeking new Board Members. The positions for Secretary, Volunteer Coordinator and Member at Large are currently open and could be filled immediately.  The DMS PTA is a very inclusive group and a great way to connect with other parents and educators to learn more about how to enhance your student’s education at DMS.  In addition, we are also looking for candidates to shadow our existing President(s), Vice President and Treasurer as these spots will open up next year. Take this year to learn the ropes and confidently step into the role for the 2022-2023 school year.  If you are interested in joining the group or have any questions, please send an email to dovermiddleschoolpta@gmail.com.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kim Lyndes

DMS Principal