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Dorothy Hamm Middle School PTSA
PHOENIX POST
Monday, October 31st, 2022
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Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming DHMS Dates | |
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Monday, October 31st - Halloween Costume Competition & Candy Drive Awards
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Wednesday, November 2nd - School Picture Re-take Day
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Thursday, November 3rd - DHMS Gifted Services Night, 6:30pm (Virtual)
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Monday, November 7th - End of 1st Quarter
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Tuesday, November 8th - NO SCHOOL for students (Grade Prep for Staff)
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Tuesday, November 8th - DHMS PTSA Meeting, 7:00pm
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Friday, November 11th - NO SCHOOL (Veterans Day)
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Tuesday, November 15th - DHMS Pupatella Night, 5-9pm
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Wednesday-Friday, November 23rd-25th - NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving Break)
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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Thank You, DHMS Community!
One DHMS One Week Results
Thank you for your amazing support and participation in One DHMS One Week. It was our biggest single week of giving back to DHMS. We also enjoyed seeing the students show off their DHMS pride by dressing up daily to the spirit themes. The DHMS community came together in a big way to raise $11,995 for the Phoenix Fund!
The winners for both the top TAs that had the most class participation towards the Phoenix Fund and the top overall class will be announced this week.
It's not too late to donate to support the DHMS PTSA! You can still donate anytime to help us reach our fundraising goals for the year: Donate to the Phoenix Fund
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Today! Halloween Costume Competition
Let’s close out October with a day of Halloween festivities on October 31. DHMS students are welcome to dress up (or down) for Halloween. Students are welcome to wear their easy-on/easy-off costumes to school, subject to accessibility requirements. Students will be expected to remove costumes during PE. No weapons (fake/toy guns, knives, swords), no blood, no face masks, and PG-13-only costumes allowed. Students will compete across multiple categories:
- TA Class with the most costumes worn (% population, inc. both students and TAs)
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Best costume per grade (6th, 7th and 8th)
- Best overall costume
- Best faculty/staff costume
A pizza party and Amazon gift cards are up for grabs. Prizes will be delivered on Friday, November 4.
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Halloween Candy Drive Winners!
The 2022 DHMS candy drive winner is 8th Grade TA Carlson! Mr. Carlson's students narrowly edged our Mr. Eiholzer's class by 14 points. This year's 3rd place finisher is Ms. Fitzpatrick's class. TA Carlson will receive a pizza party. We thank everyone for their support, and for making our candy drive a success! We also thank our corporate sponsor, Target, for supporting our candy drive. Proceeds from this fundraiser will support our upcoming holiday spirit celebrations, including our Halloween costume contest. Target gift cards and a pizza party are up for grabs, so don't forget to wear your costumes to school and have a happy Halloween!
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Order Your DHMS School Pictures!
School photos from DHMS School Picture Day on Wednesday, October 12th are available to order! Click to view and order photos (Find your student using event code FE5622): https://shop.jostenspix.com
- You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and text.
- Photos are shipped directly to your home.
- High-res digital downloads are available.
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If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay once.
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Wednesday, November 2nd - School Picture Re-take Day: Mark your calendar if your student missed picture day, or would like to retake their photo. On Re-take Day, the front office will make an announcement to let students know when they should go and take their picture.
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Contact DHMS PTSA Picture Day Chair, Jennifer Meder, with any questions.
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November 2022 DHMS PTSA Meeting
Tuesday, November 8th 7pm
Join us for the November PTSA General Membership Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, starting at 7:00 p.m. It's also Election day, so we encourage virtual attendance via Zoom so everyone can perform their civic duties and also hear what the PTSA has in store for our students. Visit dorothyhamm.apsva.us/ptsa/ptsa-meetings for the meeting agenda and draft October PTSA Meeting Minutes for approval.
Zoom Meeting Details:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87365099993?pwd=MUV0N1BYbUZaZlZVWkJORmVlTjNEQT09
- Mobile +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
- Meeting ID: 873 6509 9993
- Passcode: 958264
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Support Dorothy Hamm MS!
DHMS Pupatella Night - Tuesday, November 15th at Pupatella Pizzeria (5104 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA) from 5:00-9:00pm
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, November 15th for DHMS Pupatella Night! We are excited to partner with Pupatella Pizzeria to support Dorothy Hamm MS. Come dine out, order to go, or delivery directly from the Pupatella website https://pupatella-on-wilson-blvd.square.site/ and don't forget to mention DHMS. See https://www.groupraise.com/events/235176 for details.
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DHMS Reflections Contest Results
Thank you to everyone who submitted Reflections Contest entries. We received 18 submissions:
- Six 6th graders, nine 7th graders, and three 8th graders submitted entries.
- 2 in filmmaking, 5 in literature, 1 in photography, and 10 in visual arts!
- The top 3 TA classes with most submissions are: Mr. Cruz (6th), Ms. Schlottman (6th), and Mr. Zeballos (7th).
Congratulations to all the students for their amazing work, creating art work of their own, showing their voices!
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APS Student Services: SOS (Signs of Suicide)
During this challenging year, APS school staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. As in previous years, APS middle and high school student services will be using a program called SOS (Signs of Suicide) in grades 8 and 10. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.
SOS has been used by thousands of schools over the past few decades. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn
- that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
- how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
- to ACT (Acknowledge, Care & Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
- who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it
Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion with a staff member of the Student Services department about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a response slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. A member of the DHMS Student Services Department will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.
We encourage you to visit www.sossignsofsuicide.org/parent for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn. The student services department will be pushing into PE & Health classes on Oct 31st and Nov 1st to do the SOS lesson.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program or want to opt your child out, contact Janae Rittenhouse or 8th grade school counselor, Carrie Schaefer.
List of local resources:
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Provide your input to the Advisory Council on Teaching and Learning (ACTL)
The ACTL met on October 12 to discuss the topic of school climate and culture, with a focus on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Kristin Devaney, Supervisor of Counseling Services at APS, shared the following key points: (a) every school has at least one staff member designated as that school’s SEL Lead to guide SEL curricular resource development at their school, analyze their schools’ data, and develop action plans; (b) secondary schools should have 30 minutes twice a week focused on SEL instruction. The lessons should follow the Virginia SEL Guidance Standards and emphasize areas of focus identified by survey data (2022 Your Voice Matters survey and 2022 SEL Survey); (c) APS will again conduct SEL surveys for students in grades 3-12 to inform curriculum that builds and reinforces prosocial skills. The surveys will be conducted in late Oct 2022 and April 2023. More information about Social-Emotional Learning at APS
The middle school representatives gathered during the ACTL meeting and identified the following key topics for your feedback:
- Do you feel you are provided with information and/or resources that help you support your child in the SEL topics?
- What does your child find helpful about the SEL lessons?
- What would your child find helpful in addition to, or instead of, the formal SEL lessons?
- What does your family think about your school's cell phone policies and how those policies impact social-emotional development and engagement at school?
If you would like to provide feedback on these questions or other issues related to school climate and culture, with a focus on Social-Emotional Learning, at Dorothy Hamm, please send them to DHMS ACTL Representative, Erik Johnson and he will share them with the ACTL and Arlington Public Schools.
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DHMS Library Volunteers Needed
Volunteer to help out in the DHMS Library! See details in the link below and volunteer for as many days as you'd like. Feel free to come between 9am and 12pm for an hour or two (you can let Ms. Tsai know in the comments), and contact Ms. Tsai with any questions. Reminder: Make sure to submit your APS Volunteer Application BEFORE you volunteer.
DHMS Library Volunteer Sign-up - Fall 2022
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2023-24 School Year Calendar Survey
APS is seeking feedback from students, staff, families, and community members related to the development of the 2023-24 School Year Calendar. The survey will be available to complete between October 25 – November 8. This is the second year the School Year Calendar Survey process has happened early in October because it allows ample time for students, staff, and families to plan for the next school year. The School Board will take action on the Superintendent’s Proposed 2023-24 School Year Calendar at the School Board Meeting on December 15.
The survey will be available to be completed between October 25 – November 8. The survey will be available in both English and Spanish. Please visit the following link to access the survey: Complete the 2023-24 School Year Calendar Survey
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Monthly SEPTA Meeting
Thursday, November 10th 7:30pm
Guest speakers Beth Poss and Chris Bugaj are educators, speech/language pathologists and authors who are passionate about making education inclusive and accessible for ALL learners! Please join them at the Arlington County SEPTA meeting on November 10th at 7:30pm to hear them share ideas for nurturing an inclusive mindset, along with strategies to support access to education at school and at home, based on their book, Inclusive 365 EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year. Their book is available for purchase on Amazon and other online retailers. Go to https://inclusive365.com/ to order or for more information. They will be available to sign books after their presentation. Google form to sign up is here: https://forms.gle/RDun3VVkGftJmAJf7, and click here for details.
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Virtual High School Information Night
Attention 8th-grade families! The Virtual High School Information Night will take place on Tue, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Join in to learn about the transition to high school, core classes and electives, option schools/programs, neighborhood transfers, and the option/transfer application and lottery process. Families can watch the event online (the link will be posted before the event). Between November and January, each high school will host an information session for families to meet staff, learn about the school, and ask questions. Dates and times for these information sessions will be announced during the Virtual High School Information Night.
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Enter the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Virtual Literary and Visual Arts Contest
Arlington Public Schools students are invited to take part in the annual “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Literary and Visual Contest.” Entries are due by 5 p.m. Friday, November 19.
This Year's Topic: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke up for people who were being treated unfairly. Dr. King explained that it is our responsibility to do something when we see someone being treated unfairly because of their race, skin color or other identity, even if those people are not like us. He believed we should care about fairness for everyone. In his renowned essay “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” If we don’t speak up for all people who are treated unfairly, it has a negative effect on us all.
Prompt: Describe in writing or visual art a time where you saw someone treated unfairly because of what they looked like or who they were; OR an event in history where people were treated unfairly because of what they looked like or who they were.
Eligibility: You must be a resident of Arlington County or enrolled in APS.
- You must be in grade Kindergarten through 12.
Awards: Two awards will be given in each group:
- Grades K, 1 and 2
- Grades 3, 4, 5
- Grades 6, 7, 8
- Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Each group will have two first place winners and two runners up in each category: Literary Arts Achievement (Writing or Poetry) and Visual Arts AchievementWinners will be announced on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Students will be recognized by the Superintendent and members of the School Board on Thursday, Jan. 19 at the beginning of the School Board meeting.
Submissions:
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- Drop off your entry with this form attached at an APS school in the front office, or at the Syphax building 1st floor Welcome Center, 2110 Washington Blvd.
For more information please contact Dawn Smith, Volunteer, Partnership and Events Manager, at 703-228-2581 or at mlkentries@apsva.us.
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Mom's Organic Market Denim Drive
Through Monday, November 7th
Cleaning out your closet? Consider dropping off denim in any condition to MOM's Organic Market annual denim drive now through Monday, November 7th. All denim donated will be made into home insulation. Visit momsorganicmarket.com/denim-drive/ for details.
Wondering why this might be a better alternative to just bringing your stuff to Goodwill? The answer is donation centers are flooded with discards, and can't sell everything. Sometimes they ship textiles to countries that don't need them. Click here to learn more.
The more specific your reuse or recycling target is, the more likely your stuff won't ultimately end up in a landfill. This denim drive is an excellent way to ensure that your stuff is actually repurposed. Click here for more details.
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Yorktown HS Crew Holiday Wreath Fundraiser
Please consider ordering your holiday wreath through the Yorktown High School Crew's annual fundraiser. and consider Funds will go toward equipment and operations for the team. Local orders will be delivered by one of the crew to your address by December 1. Please list the Rower Name as 'DHMS' on the order form to help us group deliveries. Order your wreath 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. | | | | | |
