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Dorothy Hamm Middle School PTSA
PHOENIX POST
Monday, February 6th, 2023
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Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming DHMS Dates | |
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Monday, February 6th - DHMS Mary Poppins Jr. Family Information Night, 7pm
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Wednesday, February 8th - Early Release (12:05pm Dismissal)
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Tuesday, February 14th - DHMS PTSA Meeting, 7pm (Virtual)
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Monday, February 20th - NO SCHOOL (Presidents Day)
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Friday, March 3rd - NO SCHOOL (Parent/Teacher Conferences)
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Tuesday, March 14th - DHMS PTSA Meeting, 7pm
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Wednesday, March 15th - Early Release (12:05pm Dismissal)
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Friday, March 31st - End of 3rd Quarter
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Monday, April 3rd-Friday, April 7th - NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)
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Monday, April 10th - NO SCHOOL for Students (Grade Preparation Day)
Please visit the online master DHMS Calendar for all 2022-23 school year dates.
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DHMS News & Announcements | |
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Share Your Thoughts with the DHMS Team
The DHMS team is seeking to improve the parent – school partnership. Based on previous feedback, we have focused on communication. Please complete this anonymous survey letting us know how we are doing. Survey will close on February 10.
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Our PTSA Needs You! Donate to the DHMS PTSA Phoenix Fund
We've reached 18% of our goal!
Dear DHMS PTSA Families,
Your PTA has been hard at work promoting engagement among students, families, and the DHMS staff; supporting our staff in their efforts to improve learning for our children; and creating more opportunities for students to recognize school as a fun space. We've supported the teachers' back to school breakfast; sponsored a successful back to school block party; started what we hope will become an annual Halloween candy sales drive and costume contest; and hosted our traditional One Dorothy Hamm Week, and Reflections contest. We would love to build on our momentum!
However, as we roll into 2023, the PTSA is taking stock of our goals and achievements, and making some tough decisions on our slate of activities for the rest of the year. PTSA membership is down 7%. Phoenix Fund donations are down 49%. Spirit wear sales are down 24.5%. These revenue shortfalls have left a nearly $15,000 hole in our budget. And without the renewed support of our community, the PTSA will be forced to scale back our support to activities that directly benefit our students and staff. These include quarterly prizes for students (-100%); Staff Snack Attacks (-100%); counseling (-83%); classroom grants (-74%) awarded to staff for use in their classrooms; Staff Appreciation activities (-64%); library/author visits (-55%); and clubs and activities (-23%).
We would like to keep supporting all of these activities, but need your support. We encourage all our families who can donate to the Phoenix Fund to do so by visiting DHMS PTSA Open Donations. Our PTSA needs you!
Show your love for DHMS! From now until February 14, we are giving away a free DHMS magnet for donations of $50 or more.
Thank You, DHMS Families: This week we collected $425 for a total of $2,640, or just under 18% of our goal. Our thanks to the following families: Heather Buck, Heather Brown, Ashley and Pete Pearson, Tom Bloem, and Lynn Kataria
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Amazon Smile Supports the DHMS PTSA
Shop Now Through February 20th!
Amazon is ending its Smile fundraising program on February 20th, but you can still shop on Amazon Smile to support our DHMS PTSA for the next month! Visit smile.amazon.com and search for "Dorothy Hamm Middle School PTSA" as your charity of choice. If you're already signed up and there's something in your 'Saved for Later' cart or Amazon Wish list that you'd like to give a second look, make sure to use the smile.amazon.com link with DHMS selected as your Smile charity when you make your purchase. Click here to learn more, and thank you for your support!
Some families have reported getting notices that their chosen charity is not registered and to choose a new recipient. Rest assured DHMS PTSA is correctly registered, but our profile updated in 2022 from Virginia Congress of Parents and Teachers to Dorothy Hamm Middle School PTSA. If you receive a similar notice from Amazon, please select Virginia Congress of Parents and Teachers (same tax ID).
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Support DHMS When You Order Your Valentine's Cards at Minted!
Support the DHMS PTSA when you order your Valentine's cards & gifts from Minted using our promo code FUNDRAISEDHMS. You’ll get 20% OFF your order, and 15% of every purchase made using our code will be donated back to us at the end of the year.
FUNDRAISEDHMS is valid toward all Minted orders, excluding fine art prints, commissioned art, customizable fine art, all products purchased from the “direct from artist” section of our website, fabric goods, Minted More membership fees, Photo Op or styling or customization services. Discounts may be applied towards any Disney-branded merchandise, however Minted does not pay donations on these orders. Discounts and donations do not apply to shipping charges or tax, and cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions, including discounted credit.
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DHMS Corporate Donation Drive
DHMS families are invited to share our corporate donation drive with their employers, local business, and friends and family. More information is available in our MemberHub store: "Support a culture of teamwork, cooperation, and appreciation of sacrifice with your tax deductible corporate donation to the Dorothy Hamm Middle School PTSA!"
https://dhmsptsa.memberhub.com/store/items/64998
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Tonight! Mary Poppins Jr. Family Information Night - Monday, February 6th
Families of the cast and crew of Mary Poppins Jr., please join us for an information session on Monday, February 6 at 7:00pm in the DHMS auditorium. Ms. Lunger and Ms. Causey look forward to sharing more information about the spring musical with you!
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George Mason University EIP Program
***ONLY FOR 7th GRADERS***
Dear 7th Grade Students,
I want to make you aware of an opportunity that is available to 7th grade students. George Mason University runs a program called the Early Identification Program (EIP) Prep which begins in 8th grade.
The EIP Prep is designed to support students academically and personally through numerous activities and events. EIP Prep students are provided with weekly tutoring, mentoring, financial aid, goal setting, study skills, and a wide range of seminars that focus on college prep and admissions. In addition, EIP Prep students and parents attend a family seminar that focuses on family communication, advocacy, and planning for college. Students who successfully complete EIP Prep will transition into EIP for grades 9-12.
To qualify for the EIP Prep program you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a current 7th grade student in a participating public middle school (you are!)
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The student’s parents MAY NOT have completed a 4-year college degree in the United States
- Academic potential to enroll in a pre-college curriculum in high school
Additional considerations that are factored into the selection for this program include:
- Academic potential
- Eligible for Free or reduced lunch
- Single parent household
- English Language Learner
- A ward of the court, in foster care, or students who are homeless
7th graders who are selected by GMU to participate in this program must attend a Strengthening the Family Workshop, attend weekly AMP sessions, maintain good grades, and attend EIP events while in 8th grade in order to successfully complete EIP Prep and be admitted into EIP for grades 9-12.
If you would like to be considered for the GMU EIP Prep program, please fill out the google form NO LATER THAN February 10, 2023.
The link for the form: https://forms.gle/2G7qyiCRDgub1URz9
If you have any questions, please see Dr. Glenn in room 118 or email her at kamyka.glenn@apsva.us or Mr. Tuttle in room 137 or email him through Canvas.
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DHMS Yearbook Photos Needed!
Please help the DHMS Yearbook team by uploading fun photos from fall activities at DHMS. Sports games, club meetings, Driveway party, hanging with friends. Upload photos directly to Josten’s DHMS photo site by following the instructions below, or clicking here for more details.
LOG ON TO: images.jostens.com
Enter Login ID: 0s7ogMI5ev2uUTscS5kdSvA
- Click on “Select My Images.”
- Browse to select the photo(s) you wish to upload.
- Click “Upload Chosen Images.”
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Contact DHMS Yearbook Lead, Ms. Richardson, with any questions.
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Resolve to Reduce Waste in 2023!
Is reducing waste a goal for you in 2023? One way to help is to recycle your plastic film. DHMS is participating in a challenge to collect plastic film to be reused in composite decking. Here’s what to do:
1. Collect plastic film listed on the acceptable list.
2. Weigh your plastic film. (Kids on a bathroom scale with and without the plastic film is a great way to weigh!)
3. Email the weight of your plastic film to green@dhmsptsa.org. Tip: a 64-gallon garbage bag of plastic film weighs about 6 pounds, so your film may not weigh very much. But it all adds up!
4. Bring your plastic film to the Cherrydale Safeway, 3713 Langston Blvd, and place it in either the white boxes outside the store, or the brand new plastic film collection box located just inside the store (where the carts are/candy machines are - it’s in the middle).
Remember! Recycling only works when someone will purchase what you wish to dispose of. A lot of single-use plastic, like chip bags, contain multiple layers of plastic that cannot be seen by the human eye, and cannot be broken down after they have been chemically bound together. Try to eliminate your use of as much single-use plastic as possible. For the plastic stuff you can't eliminate, try to buy stuff that does have a market for reuse, such as the plastic film that is accepted for reuse by private companies, like Trex, which uses plastic film on the acceptable list to make composite decking materials, which are intended to last a long time.
List of Acceptable Materials: https://nextrex.com/view/educate#materials1
Video: Plastic bag and Film recycling with NexTrex!
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APS Summer Activities Fair
Thursday, February 16th, 6-8pm
Kenmore Middle School (200 S Carlin Springs Rd)
APS and the Arlington County Council of PTAs (CCPTA) invite you to the annual Summer Activities Fair! The fair presents a wide range of local and regional opportunities for students of all ages in academic, cultural enrichment, outdoor adventure, sports, exploration, and virtual activities. Various programs also offer volunteer and employment opportunities for teens! Click here for details.
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Braylon Meade Memorial Scholarship
Application window open through February 6th
Thanks to the outpouring of community support for the scholarship funds that were established in memorial of Braylon Meade, scholarship opportunities are available for interested students. Please see the story at: https://www.arlcf.org/news-events/braylonmeade/
The 2023-2024 scholarships application window is open through February 6. Please share this with any Arlington students you know who need money for college! Learn more and apply here.
Help review scholarship applications. With over 100 scholarships available, Arlington Community Foundation is seeking volunteers to participate in its annual community scholarship review. The entire process is virtual, and the orientation video and applications will be available by March 1. Learn more and register here.
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The DHMS PTSA Phoenix Post is a weekly newsletter that informs the DHMS community about DHMS, PTSA, and relevant APS and community news. Please send any newsletter submissions to newsletter@dhmsptsa.org by EOD Thursday for inclusion in the following Monday's Phoenix Post. | | | | |
