Message from the Principal
Welcome to Denison Middle School. We house grades 6-8 and have a student enrollment just over 500 students. We opened the doors to the district's newest facility in 2008. You can find us just north of Denison High School.
At DMS we are proud to serve a linguistically and ethnically diverse population. Our students come to us from a number of locations around the globe and represent more than 10 languages. At school our students have the opportunity to be involved in Fine Arts productions, Project Lead the Way, Ringneck Outdoor Club, Science Bound, and Character Council. Our 7th and 8th grade Monarch athletic teams participate in competitions in football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, wrestling, and track and field.
Our Purple Pride Pledge: "I pledge to take pride in my behavior, my school work, and my building."
We focus on the 6 pillars of character because, "Character counts, everywhere, all the time!
Monarchs R.O.A.R. with Pride!
R = Respect All, O = On Task/On Time, A = Achieve My Best, R = Responsible Citizen
Thank you for joining us for Parent-Teacher Conferences last week! We will be taking the new Iowa Assessments (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress - ISASP) April 8-11, 2019. Your student will need their chromebook charged each night so they're ready to begin each morning. Students will also need a book to read that is not an eBook during ISASP sessions if they finish before their Pride Pack classmates!
New for the fall of 2018-19 will be Pride Packs (PP) and What I Need (WIN) time opposite student lunch times. On your schedule you will see PP and WIN and the teachers' names who will lead your Pride Pack and What I Need time. During these times we will be getting to know DMS and the students and staff who will care for you during your time with us! Part of this learning includes the Second Step Program for Middle Schools.
Why we are launching Second Step:
We want your child to be successful in school, and that means going beyond the basics. Excelling in academic classes is important, but students also need to know how to learn, make good decisions, handle strong emotions, and get along with others.
The first week, we'll begin the Second Step Middle School Program, which focuses on skills and concepts that are designed to help students both in and out of school. These include:
Mindsets and Goals: Students learn about ways to grow their brains and get smarter, along with research-based strategies for achieving goals and handling difficult situations.
Values and Friendships: Students learn to identify their personal values and use those values to make good decisions and build strong, positive relationships.
Thoughts, Emotions, and Decisions: Students learn the positive role emotions play in their lives, how to handle unhelpful thoughts and strong emotions, and specific strategies for calming down.
Serious Peer Conflicts: Students learn how to identify and avoid serious conflicts, resolve conflicts that can't be avoided, think about other people's perspectives, and help stop bullying and harassment at school.
If you have any questions about the Second Step Middle School Program, please do not hesitate to contact me for more information. Thank you for supporting your child in learning the skills and concepts that lead to success in school and in life.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website and Go Monarchs!
Patti Ryan, Denison Middle School Principal
En Español:
Nuevo para el otoño de 2018-19 será el horario de Pride Packs (PP) y What I Need (WIN) frente al horario de almuerzo de los estudiantes. En su agenda, verá PP y WIN y los nombres de los profesores que liderarán su paquete Pride y lo que necesito tiempo. Durante estos momentos, conoceremos a DMS, a los estudiantes y al personal que lo atenderá durante su tiempo con nosotros. Parte de este aprendizaje incluye el Programa Second Step para escuelas intermedias.
Por qué estamos lanzando Second Step:
Queremos que su hijo o hija tenga éxito en la escuela, lo que significa ir más allá de lo básico. Aunque la excelencia en lo académico es importante, los estudiantes también deben saber cómo aprender, tomar buenas decisiones, manejar las emociones fuertes y llevarse bien con los demás.
La primera semana comenzaremos el programa Second Step Middle School, que se enfoca en las habilidades y conceptos diseñados para ayudar a los estudiantes tanto dentro como fuera de la escuela. Consisten en:
Mentalidades y objetivos: Los estudiantes aprenderán maneras para desarrollar el cerebro y hacerse más inteligentes, junto con estrategias basadas en la investigación enfocadas a alcanzar objetivos y afrontar situaciones difíciles.
Valores y amistad: Los estudiantes aprenderán a identificar sus valores personales y a utilizarlos para tomar buenas decisiones y establecer relaciones positivas y fuertes.
Pensamientos, emociones y decisiones: Los estudiantes aprenderán la función positiva que desempeñan las emociones en sus vidas, cómo manejar los pensamientos inútiles y las emociones fuertes y estrategias específicas para calmarse.
Conflictos graves con los compañeros: Los estudiantes aprenderán a identificar y evitar los conflictos graves, a resolver los que no puedan evitar, a pensar acerca de las perspectivas de los demás y a ayudar a parar el bullying y el acoso en la escuela.
Si tienen alguna pregunta acerca del programa Second Step Middle School, no duden en ponerse en contacto conmigo y les daré más información. Gracias por apoyar a su hijo o hija a que aprenda las habilidades y conceptos que le ayudarán a tener éxito en la escuela y en la vida.
¡Gracias por tomarse el tiempo de visitar nuestro sitio web y Go Monarchs!
Patti Ryan, Directora de Denison Middle School