| Frequently Asked Questions |
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When is the mock school day for 6th & 7th graders? Mock School Day for grades 6 & 7, Wednesday, August 16, 2023 3:00-4:35 Mock School Day - Following our large group meeting, 6th & 7th graders will move through their 8-period school day, meeting their teachers and their classmates in each class. This is a great way to become familiar with the schedule and moving on the bell. The orientation will be done at 4:35. Mock School Day Schedule (No Bells) 1st period 3:00-3:10
When is Open House? 6-12 Open House for parents takes place on an evening within the first couple days of school. All of these dates will be posted on the main page of the school website once the dates have been determined. desch.org Where can I find information about school supplies? Supply lists are found on the front page of the school district website. After school starts, they can be found on the Middle School webpage area on the district web site. When can I see my class schedule? Our plan is to make class schedules live on JMC as of August 7, 2023. You can then print it off and take a look at it. What will a 6th graders day look like? The 6th grade schedule will look a lot like what we have experienced here at DE with our 7th & 8th graders the last few years, an 8-period day, moving from classroom to classroom and switching teachers after each class period. All students will take the following classes: Math, Science, Mn History, English, Physical Education All middle school students are required to take a music class: band, choir or music exploration. Students in band and/or choir will not take music exploration. Students can take both band and choir. 6th grade will take these electives on a quarterly basis:
Most 6th grade students should have a study hall, unless they choose to participate in both band and choir. (this also is similar to 6th grade in previous years). What will a 7th or 8th grade day look like? All students will take the following classes: Math, Science, Social Studies (7), Geography (8), English, Physical Education/Health All middle school students are required to take a music class: band, choir or music exploration. Students in band and/or choir will not take music exploration. Students can take both band and choir. 7th and 8th grade will have these elective options.
Most middle School students should have a study hall, unless they choose to participate in both band and choir. Do students have an option of a study hall? Students have the option of a study hall this year. Students will be expected to complete school work, work on organization, grade checks, or pleasure reading. If a student would like to talk with or meet with a teacher that is also free that period, that will be encouraged as well. If my child is struggling academically, do you have an after school program? An after school program takes place in the Media Center Monday-Thursday from 3:15-4:15 PM each day. The program is utilized by students attending at their own discretion as well as students who are referred by a classroom teacher or parent. It offers an environment in which the student can complete work as well as get additional help with homework. What are the building hours? Office Hours - 7:00am-4:00pm each day When are late starts and early dismissals? Our current academic calendar is posted on the district’s web page, www.desch.org, click on “District”, then “academic calendar”. What time does school begin and end? The school day begins at 8:15am, the school day ends at 3:07pm. Will my student have a locker? We have lockers available for all students. Most of our students choose to use backpacks and do not use their lockers at all. If you want a locker, please stop in the office, a locker and combination will be assigned to you at that time. Students 6-12 in the hallway at the same time? As far as the inter mixing of students, they will be in the hall with other students, but we have really ramped up our hall supervision between classes with almost every staff member in the hallways between classes, most of our high school students have classes upstairs (except for science) and MS students have the vast majority of their classes’ downstairs. During Covid, students started using backpacks and very few students even use a locker anymore, this has also helped with hallway behavior as students move from class to class without lingering or gathering in the halls. Will 6th graders be in classes with other older students? All classes will be made up of only 6th grade students. Only in the hallways and possibly during PE classes. The gym is a shared space and there may be other PE classes using part of the space for their class. We have two locker rooms; one is for grades 10-12 and the second one is for grades 6-9. Where should I drop-off/pickup my child at school? Please use the High School Main Entrance (East Side of HS, by the flags) at all times when dropping off students. This avoids interfering with the bus pickup and drop off on the west side, creating a safer environment. What if my child will be absent from school? To report a student's absence, please call our automated absence reporting line at 507-545-2762. In your message please include Students first and last name Student's grade level Date and time of the absence reason for the absence. If the student is ill, please include symptoms they are experiencing. You may also report an absence digitally through the JMC family App! Simply download the app (QR code in HS/MS office) and log in. The School PIN code is 0373. What if my child does not feel well once they are here at school? Students need to come to the nurse's office to see School Nurse, Jennifer Pagel, she will evaluate the student and make a call to the parents. A call to come and pick up your student should only be coming from the HS/MS secretaries or the school nurse. Students should not be calling parents without first going to the nurse's office. What if my student is late to school? Any student who has been absent for any part of the day is required to report to the principal's office upon returning to school to acquire an admit slip. The student will then show the slip to all teachers. What if my child needs to leave early for an appointment? If a student has been in school any part of the day but plans to be absent from school later, the school must be notified by the parent prior to the time the student leaves. The student must acquire a Permit to Leave the Building pass from the principal’s office before leaving the school building. How can I find out what is going on at the HS/MS building? There are a number of ways in which we try to keep students and families up to date with things happening at the HS/MS. Some examples, daily announcements are read everyday at the beginning of the day, paper copies of announcements are hung throughout the building, they are posted on our district website and the TVs in the commons and lobby also scroll through announcement throughout the day. Mr. Ostrowski also emails a newsletter home at least every other week, at times it may be more frequent due to the urgency of information that needs to be shared. Do we have daily announcements available to parents? Daily announcements are available to students, parents and community members on the high school and middle web pages. Look for “Middle School Daily Announcements” button on the main district page and Middle School webpage. Many DE parents have found the Middle School daily announcements very helpful. Will breakfast and lunch be free for students in 2023-24? Free School Meals for Kids Program on Friday, March 17, 2023, Governor Walz signed the Free School Meals bill into law. This will take effect with the July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 school year. This legislation provides the reimbursement for a free breakfast and lunch to students who receive meals through their school’s participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). Schools that participate in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National School Lunch Program (NSLP) must now participate in the state funded Free School Meals Program. Congregate meal service is required in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Meals may not be taken off campus, sent home, delivered, or picked up by parents or others. Dover Eyota Public Schools will be providing a free breakfast and a free lunch to all students attending school. Any additional entrees or a la cart items will be charged to a student’s account. A la cart purchases will not be allowed if the student does not have money in their account. Free Meals start this Fall 2023. If your student has a negative balance, you are still required to pay the amount owed. Negative accounts will be turned over to collections at the end of June. Applications for Educational Benefits (also known as Free and Reduced Meals) still need to be filled out. These applications qualify the school and the students for many things other than meals. Please continue to fill out the applications, it is beneficial to our school. More information will be shared as it becomes available. As always it is our goal to provide nutritious, inviting meals to fuel our students as they learn. Direct questions to Amy Renken, Food Service Director 507-585-8242 How do I put money into my child’s lunch account? Dover-Eyota Public Schools use a computerized pre-paid meal accounting system. A payment into the student’s lunch account is necessary prior to or on the first day of school. Prior to the first day of school, meal payments may be mailed or delivered to: D-E District Office, Food & Nutrition Department 615 South Avenue SW, Eyota, MN 55934. Payments will also be accepted at the Elementary and High School Open House. Checks should be written out to D-E Food and Nutrition. Please write your student’s first and last name on the bottom of your check. You may write one check for multiple students as long as all students are in the same building. If you have students at both buildings, please submit a separate check for each building. Please place the check in an envelope marked LUNCH PAYMENT. After the first day of school, payments can be sent to school with your students. Submit a prepayment of $200.00 or more per student account and each account will receive a $10.00 bonus. The bonus money will be added directly to your student’s lunch account and may be used to purchase meals or ala carte items. Don’t miss out! Be sure to check out Option #3 of the payment options. Parents love the convenience of the Automatic Prepayment Plan and it is free! PayPams.com Online Payment Solution provides parents with a safe and convenient way to prepay for students’ school meals online. PayPams.com alleviates lost and forgotten lunch money, and the issues associated with students carrying cash to school. PayPams charges a $1.95 service fee for each per student transaction. For more information, log onto www.paypams.com. INSUFFICIENT FUNDS POLICY The Dover-Eyota School District has a no charging policy: students must have money in their account to receive a meal. Secondary students (Grades 6-12) are given a verbal warning when their account is $5.00 or less. What if my student’s account balance falls below zero? K-12 students will not be allowed to purchase a lunch or ala carte items, but will be offered a sandwich and a carton of milk. Will my child be issued a new lunch number? All students will have a lunch number that will be using at the HS/MS. Their lunch number will be the same number they used at the elementary school. What are the procedures for lunch and recess time?
What is the Kindness Retreat? The Kindness Retreat is presented by Youth Frontiers Inc. from Minneapolis. Youth Frontiers Inc. works with students grades 4 through 12, providing retreats on important values such as respect, courage, integrity and kindness. The focus for our 6th graders is KINDNESS. Our guest speakers will mix group interactive games and small group discussions and topic based talks on bullying and how to stand up for others. It is the goal of this retreat to help create a sense of empathy among students which in turn helps create an atmosphere of non-violence in our school. What is the Courage Retreat? In August, your child will come together with his or her classmates for a day long, 5 hours, Courage Retreat put on by Youth Frontiers Inc. from Minneapolis. Youth Frontiers Inc. works with students in grades 4 through 12, providing retreats on important values such as respect, courage, integrity and kindness. Our guest speakers will mix group interactive games and small group discussions and topic-based talks on bullying and how to stand up for others. It is the goal of this retreat to help create a sense of empathy among students which in turn helps create an atmosphere of non-violence in our school. Tell me about the 8th grade trip to Eagle Bluff. This is a three-day, two-night school sponsored trip involves fun and learning. We have chosen activities that align with academic standards in math and science. Also, the activities such as Tree Tops High Ropes Course and Group Challenges support the social and emotional growth of our students, giving us opportunities to respect and encourage each other. We also have some fun activities planned each evening; a campfire with S’mores, a night hike, and campfire type games. We will have snacks for them each evening. The cost per student is minimal and all 8th graders are encouraged to attend. What are RISE tickets? RISE tickets are part of a positive behavior recognition program in which teachers and staff “catch” students being Respectful, Intentional, Supportive and Engaged. Students receive orange tickets and they can redeem them in the HS/MS office and each Friday, we pick winners. Students can choose their prize. Students can save tickets, put them into each weeks drawing or save them and put many tickets in the ticket jar. Who are the HS/MS secretaries? Our HS/MS secretaries are Ann Frericks and Amanda Ellringer, you need to stop in the office if you are late to school, will be leaving early from school or just need information. They are important people in our school, this is a "safe place" to go to find help since they can always find them in the same place all day. Is my child able to participate in Minnesota State High School League activities? Sixth graders are not allowed to participate in MSHSL activities. All sports participation at the 6th grade level is done through Dover-Eyota Community Education. What sports are available to Dover-Eyota students in 7th & 8th grade? FALL SPORTS Football Volleyball Cross-Country Girls’ Soccer Boys’ Soccer WINTER SPORTS Boys’ Basketball Girls’ Basketball Wrestling Dance Team
SPRING SPORTS Golf Track Baseball Softball Are there opportunities to volunteer at the Middle School? Volunteers are eagerly welcomed in our school. Talk to your child’s teacher about specific needs but some of the ways you could be helpful would be to volunteer to: P.T.O. Volunteers Room Parent Read in Classrooms Help with Middle School Activity Nights Help with Book Fairs Help at Track & Field Day in May Art Room Project preparation Bulletin Boards Please sign the volunteer notebook (in the main office) each time you come to school to volunteer. You may be asked to wear a visitor pass while in the building |
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