Message From Principal Brent Seedall
The 2009-2010 school year is winding down and soon will be over. I would like to take this opportunity to “thank” all of you for supporting your child at Deer Park Middle School. Whether it’s getting your son/daughter to school on time, attending a school function or activity, or even encouraging your son/daughter to get their homework done, your involvement at our school plays an integral role in their success. We appreciate and are grateful for the time and effort you as parents put in to help make Deer Park Middle School and the other schools in our district a wonderful place of learning, growing and having fun.
All Deer Park Middle School students will be involved in taking the MSP tests on May 12-19. The Reading and Math tests will be given during May 12 and 13. The Writing and Science tests and the 6th grade Social Studies CBA will be given during May 18 and 19. We estimate that each testing session will require approximately 120 minutes for administration with minutes built in the schedule for instructions and directions. These assessments are very challenging and demanding. The state realizes that these blocks of time do not fit with the normal class schedules in middle schools and, therefore, we have adjusted our class periods to accommodate the block of time needed for testing.
These tests are important and parents can help their child prepare for the MSP testing by making sure students get adequate rest. Eating healthy foods and having nutritious meals provided for them is also important. Students should do their best and try their hardest on their MSP tests. Parents are encouraged to make or schedule all doctor, dentist and other appointments (if possible) after school and not during the morning time during May 12-19 because this will interfere with MSP testing.
Our 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony and Dance is just around the corner. This has been a tradition at Deer Park Middle School for a very long time. This year the ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 8 from 6:30 – 7:30pm with a dance for our 8th graders from 7:30 – 9:30pm. There is no reserved seating for families of 8th graders, so it is highly recommended that parents show up early because seating is limited. Student dress for this evening is casual so please do not feel like you have to go out and buy your son/daughter new clothes and spend unnecessary money on other things for this event. Our school’s dress code will be applicable, and I have discussed this with the 8th graders and have encouraged them to keep their attire simple and look nice for this special evening. If you have any questions about 8th Grade Recognition, please call me or our school counselor, Lorie Selle.
Have a wonderful, safe and fun summer. “The Spike” Newsletter will be back next year and we hope you have enjoyed the increased communication between our school and your home. We are always looking to make things better at Deer Park Middle School and welcome your feedback, input, ideas or suggestions. Please contact me at 464-5807 or email me at seedalb@dpsd.org. We “thank you” once again for your help and assistance in making DPMS an excellent place to educate your child!
From the Desk of Tim Mulvey, Assistant Principal
School is just about over and it has been a great year. The students have worked hard and or eager to get into summer vacation. Although they are looking forward to the time off, it is easy for them to get bored and start moping around saying they have nothing to do. Below is a list of activities that you might suggest to your son or daughter that will make their time off more meaningful and helpful to others:
1. Volunteer to read to younger children at the local library.
2. Find some space on your property that they could have a garden. Help them to decide what plants they would like to put into their garden and then you can go with them to pick up the materials needed.
3. Find senior or homebound neighbors that have dogs and volunteer to walk them.
4. Volunteer at nursing homes.
5. Suggest that they redecorate their room. You could brainstorm ideas and then go with them to the store to purchase paint and supplies.
6. Have them take on-line courses for non credit from the community college in Spokane.
I hope everyone has a great summer and to all of our students, please remember to read. To the 8th graders, enjoy the new high school. To our 6th and 7th graders, we will see you at the end of the summer in August.
Counselor’s Corner by Lorie Selle
Teach Your Child the ‘Success Secret’ Of Hard Work
What’s the most important factor in predicting a child’s success in school? Many people think it’s “intelligence” or “ability.” Yet experienced educators know that hard work is the real key to success in school. Students of average intelligence often get better grades-and do better in life-than those with very high IQ’s. The reason…..they have been willing to invest the time and effort it takes to succeed. That’s good news for parents. It means that every child has a chance to learn the “success secret” of hard work. Here’s how parents can help instill this attitude in their children:
Plan, Do, Finish
Some children are naturally organized. They not only finish the report on time, they also make sure it has an illustrated cover. But most kids need a little help form their parents. Teaching your child to “plan, do, finish” can help them become more organized.
Step 1: Plan. Although planning may seem like a waste of time, it can actually save time. Teach your child, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Before your child starts a project, help them plan what he needs to do. Help them plan how they’re going to do it. Will they need to make a trip to the library? Do they need any special supplies? Some kids are overwhelmed by a huge project. Planning can help these children by breaking up a large project into smaller, achievable parts.
Step 2: Do. The athletic shoe commercials have it right. It is important to just do it. All the planning in the world doesn’t take the place of sitting down and attacking a job. So, after planning, the next step is doing. If you child is working on a large project-for example, a history report-they should make some progress toward their goal every day.
Step3: Finish. Dishes aren’t finished until they’re put away. A report isn’t finished until it’s neatly copied. Make sure your child knows that it’s often those last few minutes of effort that make the difference between an A and a B…..a passing grade or a failing one.
From the Front Lines—Main Office
We have about 30 yearbooks left to sell for this school year. So if your child has not purchased one and would like too, please send $25.00 with them to school to place their order.
If you have a child in the 8th grade he/she will need to pay any book fines they have in order to attend the 8th grade field trip to Wonderland on June 4th. We are asking that the fines be paid on either June 1st or June 2nd. Two fine slips have already gone out to the students this year for fines that were given out last year and the year before. Any new fines that your student may have incurred will be passed out on Friday, May 28th. We will be accepting the field trip money on Thursday, June 3rd. Please ask your child if they have any fines that need to be paid.
DPMS Parent Group Meeting on May 19
Our next Parent Group Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 19 from 6:00 – 7:00pm in the DPMS library. Dr. Mark Young, a professor at Gonzaga University, will be doing a presentation on the importance of “Nurturing Children”. Please contact Principal Brent Seedall at 464-5807 if you have any questions. We hope to see you at our last parent meeting of the 2009-2010 school year!
News from the Classroom
Mrs. Porter's 8th grade writing class has put out two issues of a school newspaper “The Spikesman Review”. It has a variety of articles, one by each student, including sports, news, school events, music, movie and book reviews, an advice column, editorials, and artwork. For the final issue of the year, we will have some journalism students from the high school help us with the layout to make it even more exciting.
Students also worked on writing "Krimis”, detective mystery stories and a mini-research project on animals endemic to Madagascar.
Complex relationships between living and non-living parts of our local and world ecosystems are the topics of study for Deer Park Middle School's 6th grade science classes. This spring students are exploring how animals and humans interact with the environment. Additionally, students are exploring how the sun's energy plays a major roll in the water cycle and air currents. Exploration of solar energy as an alternative to other energy sources is also a topic of study. It is the goal of this unit to bring students to a deeper understanding of the positive role humans can play in our world ecosystems. The Environmental Education Camp at Fan Lake (Camp Reed) is the highlight of this unit. Both students and teachers are looking forward to Camp Reed during May 26-28.
The 6th graders are also getting ready for their annual World's Fair celebration. The students are studying their assigned countries and working on projects to display on June 3 at the World's Fair. There seems to be a lot of excitement as they learn interesting facts about the various countries. We hope you will be able to have some free time to come and visit this culminating celebration. It means a lot to our students when parents, grandparents, and other family members take an interest in projects they have put so much work into. Plus, we think you will enjoy the festive atmosphere, food, and games that are always a part of this event.
On Friday, May 7th, some of our special needs students from our school district attended Silverwood Theme Park's annual “Night of the Stars”. This is a free evening provided by Silverwood for citizens with handicaps and/or life threatening illnesses. Students from Teri Goe’s middle school class, Melody Whitney’s Arcadia class and Laurie Goodnight’s high school class were invited to participate. Mrs. Goe, who organizes the trip, said she ordered tickets for 30 students this year. Each student is given two free tickets. Since this is not a school function, each child is required to bring a parent as their guest. “It provides a little quality time for parents and their children all at no cost,” says Mrs. Goe. Students had a wonderful time and we look forward to going again next year.
Deer Park Middle School will be celebrating a day of fitness on Friday, May 21st. This special day will focus on the importance of being physically fit for life. The day will begin with an inspirational movie then the students will head out to the track to line up for the big race. The Spike-A-Thon run will begin at 10:30 am and students will complete a 5K (3.1 mile course). Students have been training in their Health & Fitness classes and are being encouraged to run as much of the course as they can. Thanks to our generous sponsors, the first 200 finishers will receive a free Spike-A-Thon tee shirt.
The day will continue with a picnic lunch outside, musical entertainment, and anawards ceremony honoring the top three boys and top three girls in each grade. In the afternoon students will be participating in three of the twenty-one different games available. This will be a wonderful day of celebrating fitness, camaraderie, and fun.
On Saturday, May 8th, 33 members of the 6th grade band participated in the Jr. Lilac Parade this year. Their teacher, Mr. Kohlhauff prepared them for the parade where they played the song, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." This year they were conducted by 8th grader, Maddi Lee.
Extraordinarily, a member of the band with cerebral palsy was able to participate because of the amazing efforts of DPMS teacher, Jim Workman, who built a cart that would carry the student and his bass drum through the parade. Further still, Mr Workman volunteered his time on parade day to push this student through the parade route. It is clear that Mr. Workman's devotion to his students goes beyond the work day and we are fortunate to have him at DPMS.
We are proud of all the students that participated this year and their hard work in doing their best!
Tips from the School Nurses
May is National Mental Health Month
You may not realize it, but chances are a child or adolescent you know has a serious mental health need. In fact, mental health problems affect one in five young people.
Mental health problems are painful—emotionally, spiritually and socially—especially for children and adolescents. Words that make fun of mental health create a sense of shame, feelings of guilt and loss of self-esteem. Children and adolescents exposed to such a negative view of themselves feel rejected, lonely and isolated. For a child with a mental health problem, this "stigma" is often the greatest barrier to a complete and satisfying life.
There are many things that parents and caregivers can do to support children's emotional health and well-being. Make a commitment to help the children and adolescents in your life. May—officially recognized as "Mental Health Month" by Congress since 1949—is the perfect time for parents and caregivers to focus on children's and adolescents' mental health. You can demonstrate your support for Mental Health Month by:
Parents and caregivers who wish to learn more about mental well-being in children, please call 1-800-789-2647 (toll-free) or visit the Web site at mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/child. In addition, you can call Nurse Erin at 464-5839 for more information.
Retrieved from http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0045/default.asp on May 5, 2010.
Dawn Epler and Erin Bast
Upcoming Events at DPMS
May 10 DARE Graduation 1:30-2:30 pm
May 12 MSP Testing Day 1
Site Council Meeting 3:15 pm
May 13 MSP Testing Day 2
May 14 DPMS Card “Surprise” at Lunch
May 18 MSP Testing Day 3
May 19 MSP Testing Day 4
Parent Group Meeting 6:00-7:00pm
May 21 Spike-A-Thon
May 26-28 6th Graders to Camp Reed
May 28 DPMS Card Celebration during 6th Period
May 31 Memorial Day—No School
June 2 Site Council Meeting 3:15pm
June 3 6th Grade World’s Fair
June 4 8th Grade Field Trip to Spokane
6th and 7th Grade Field Day & Picnic
June 7 Spring Music Concert 7:00 pm
June 8 ASB Variety Show
8th Grade Recognition & Dance 6:30-9:30pm
June 9 Last Day of School-Early Release 10:30am
Report Cards Go Home for 4th Quarter
Academic Recognition Awards Assemblies
June 14-July 1 “Stepping Stone” Summer Program
and DPMS Summer School