Dumbarton Middle School 300 Dumbarton Road, Baltimore, MD 21212

410-887-3176 BCPS Lighthouse School

A National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

Sue Harris, Principal January, 2016 Liz Heil, Assistant Principal

Cheryl Scott, Assistant Principal

Jen Burch, Assistant Principal

From the Principal’s Desk…. appy 2016! We have started a new year and students returned refreshed and

ready to learn. We certainly enjoyed ending 2015 with our DMS Kindness Club

wrapping an amazing number of gifts for the needy. A big thank you to Ms.

Sharbonda’s students, parents and teacher volunteers. It was a huge success. It is heart-

warming to see the level of generosity and caring that our students exhibit.

The PTA sponsored a “Be Amazing” assembly last month which sparked wonderful things at

DMS. We had homerooms collecting Toys for Tots and Mr. Finkelstein’s homeroom

decided to collect for BARCS supporting needy pets. See more examples of amazing

efforts later in the newsletter. We know that the foundation for generosity and caring

starts at home so we thank you for sending us such super students. One of our goals this

year is to continue to highlight careers and the path successful people follow to attain

these positions.

On December 22, two Baltimore Blast players spoke to our students about the academic

requirements they had to meet to qualify for high-school and college teams which

prepared them to be players for the Baltimore Blast. They mentioned friends who were

more talented athletes than they were but they didn’t meet the academic requirements

and were unable to move forward in the sport. In late December, our first DMS home

basketball game was played. Later in the newsletter you will see additional dates for our

games where we play other BCPS middle schools. Student Government sells snacks and

spirit items at each game as well. Did you know that BCPS also sponsors middle school

teams for: Badminton, Track and Field, Cross Country and Basketball? Students on these

teams are required to meet academic and behavioral expectations and the coaches are

DMS teachers. These are great programs to prepare students for the requirements of

being on BCPS high-school teams and they certainly build our school spirit. Go Lions!

We hope you can join us for one of our concerts at 7PM this month. Our talented musicians

and singers are ready to show you how much they have learned this year. (Grade 8 Concert

– Jan 20; Grade 7 Concert – Jan 25; Grade 6 Concert – Jan 27).

H

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Other talented students will be performing in our school play in the evening on February 11

and 12. We recognize that tapping into student interests can often be the key to a

successful middle school experience so we do our best to provide a wide array of

opportunities. Clubs continue after school with our International Club now teaching us via

the morning announcements how to say a few words in languages that many of our English

Language Learners speak as natives. It is great to see their skills celebrated. Next year

we are planning to offer every student at Dumbarton, including 6th graders for the first

time, a choice of a World Language. This is a great opportunity for all.

We also believe that a positive mindset and resilience are keys to life-long success. We

realize that the cold, dark days of winter are often especially stressful time for students,

parents and teachers. As adults, we continue to strive to model resilience since we know

young people are watching to see how we handle challenges. Here are several strategies to

foster resilience (excerpt from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx).

Make connections. Good relationships with family, friends or others are important. Accepting help from those who care and listen strengthens resilience. Assisting others in need also can benefit the helper. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. Highly stressful events happen. You can change how you interpret and respond to events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Accept that change is a part of living. Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on those you can alter. Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly — even if it seems like a small accomplishment — that enables you to move toward goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?" Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away. Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn about themselves and may find that they have grown as a result of their struggle with loss. People who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality and heightened appreciation for life. Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience. Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion. Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your needs and feelings. Engage in enjoyable, relaxing activities. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.

Thank you for your continued support and the daily encouragement you provide your

children. Educating students is truly a team sport! I wish you a warm, safe January!

Sincerely, Susan E Harris

Principal

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ESOL Testing ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is an English language proficiency assessment

system that is administered to Kindergarten through 12th grade students

who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs). It is given

annually to monitor students' progress in acquiring academic English. The

testing window for the ACCESS for ELLs assessment will open on January 6, 2016 and

run throughout the month. DMS ESOL students will participate in testing in the

areas of reading, listening, speaking, and writing from January 12-29, 2016 in their

ESOL classes. To prepare for testing, students are encouraged to get a good night’s

sleep, eat breakfast, and approach the test with a positive attitude.

Direct questions to: Ms. Scott at cscott2@bcps.org

MAP Testing – all DMS students The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test measures student achievement in the

areas of reading and math. MAP assessment results are used to monitor student growth

in reading and mathematics over time. Much like a growth chart illustrates a child’s

height from one year to the next, MAP assessments measure student growth in reading

and mathematics from test to test and from one year to the next. The testing window

for the winter administration of MAP testing opens in late January and runs until March

2, 2016. Dumbarton Middle School students will participate in MAP testing during

the month of February through their language arts and math classes. Student

scores will be distributed via a parent report after each administration of MAP

assessments. The parent report will allow parents to see their child’s growth in

comparison to a district average of students in the same grade and to a national average

of students in the same grade. Direct questions to: Ms. Scott at cscott2@bcps.org

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From the 7th Grade

Hope everyone’s holidays were restful! Prior to the holidays, I visited all 7th Grade

Science classes to speak about 8th Grade registration. Registration sheets will be

coming home with your child in which the only choice they have at this time, is music. If

your child will be continuing in the same music class in 8th grade, nothing needs to be

done with the form other than signing it and sending it back in.

Another topic that was covered in Science classes with the 7th grade was

Internet Safety. Students learned about ways to keep themselves safe

online and how to report if there are issues. One tip for parents – Did you

know that phones often default to the “Location Services” On? Meaning

their phones track their locations. If your child has an Instagram account and they

post something with the Location Services On, any one of their followers can see

exactly where they were when they posted. Many of our students say they have

hundreds of followers online. We discussed the challenges of monitoring exactly who

they are letting into their online worlds. No person knows hundreds of people

intimately. Please have your child’s passwords to all of their online accounts and check

them frequently!

- Mrs. Campbell, School Counselor

For December, 2015

Karenna A. Jack L.

Sandy B. Paul L.

Ashlynn C. Skyler O.

Virginia G. Adam R.

Sophia G. Owen T.

Eddie H.

Katie K.

Charlie L.

Ms. Sharbonda would like to congratulate the above students for

working especially hard in Algebra & Geometry.

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Can you believe it…January is here!

Things sure do move fast when you are

having fun and engaged in meaningful

learning, and that is exactly what is

happening in our 8th grade hallways.

Key Highlights from December:

So Cool! – No matter where you find yourself in the school building, you can’t help but

hear about the exciting activity conducted in math this past month. In just another example

of the math team bringing their content to life, students were tasked with the challenge of

figuring out how many rubber bands were needed to successfully bungee their Barbie dolls

from the 8th grade stairwell. Not only did this engage students, but it provided a real-world

application for the key skills needed for their progression in mathematics, most notably data

analysis and linear progressions. Way to go!

Be Amazing! – Thanks to our PTA, students were welcomed back from their Thanksgiving

break with an “amazing” assembly highlighting the many ways students can become active

and meaningful contributors to their community. As a follow-up, many homerooms decided

to create their very own “Be Amazing” goals, such as conducting food drives and adopting

needy families. This was such a valuable experience for all, so a very warm “Thank you”

goes out to our PTA, as they, too, are simply AMAZING!

High School Registration/Recommendation Forms – As we approach the second half of our

school year, many 8th graders will be filling out high school registration forms. Please

ensure these forms are completed and returned as soon as possible, as the process is

already under way. Also, should your child be asking a teacher or staff member for a

recommendation, please have them bring in the recommendation form with a completed

and stamped envelope so that it can be sent out as soon as possible. Thank you very much!

Any questions, comments, or concerns? If so, please feel free to email

me directly at jbirnbaum@bcps.org.

~ Jordan Birnbaum, 8th Grade Level Coordinator

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In the Middle of the Middle

The month of December has been packed with great things going on in the 7th

grade. As a follow up to the “Be Amazing” assembly this month, our seventh grade

students researched famous people who have exhibited perseverance in their Language

Arts classes. They created posters and have hung them around the school to inspire

their fellow students. In Mr. Pettitt’s science classes students are working with

classification of living things. We are identifying the properties of each of the six

kingdoms and looking at examples of organisms in each. In Ms. Bishamber’s Health class,

students are working towards becoming more knowledgeable about nutrition and the

needs of their specific lifestyles and body types. The class will soon be moving towards

the topics of Fitness and Physical Health. Mr. Griswold’s science classes are

transforming learning! His classes just finished up two projects that focused on energy

transformations which used similar materials to achieve two different results. The

students used Vernier Lab quest 2’s and a temperature probe to collect data which was

then entered into Microsoft Excel to create a graph of the results. The students then

analyzed their results and organized their thoughts in their first formal lab report of

their middle school career. Next up- Atoms!! The 7th grade team of teachers truly

wishes everyone in the Dumbarton community the happiest of holidays. See you in 2016! - Mrs. Bell, Grade Level Coordinator

Congratulations to the recipients of SWAG for the month of December:

Students Working to Achieve Greatness

Seydina S.

Chloe W.

Peyton S.

Angelo G.

Sabitri T.

Nick C.

Nancy A.

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A Message from the DMS Green Committee

The Green Committee at Dumbarton Middle School is committed to

fostering an awareness of protecting the environment, the value of

recycling and the importance of reducing waste.

In school, students and teachers are encouraged to recycle daily by having separate bins

in the classroom, the cafeteria and various work areas throughout the building to

encourage recycling and waste management. The Green Team Club contributes to

protecting the environment by taking care of plants and flowers in the building and on

school grounds. They also collect used printer cartridges in the office.

Business/Computer Science students are getting involved by exploring how to expand

our no mowing areas and how to build birdhouses to protect local birds.

We would like to ask parents and guardians to assist us in raising awareness in your

home and local community to” Protect the Environment” and to “Think Green”.

Encouraging students to recycle at home, to not waste what is packed in their lunches,

and to help with community efforts to keep the environment clean for all is a great way

to start.

We look forward to your involvement, and we would love hearing any ideas you may have

to assist us in our efforts to move Dumbarton forward to

becoming a Green School.

Just a reminder for families who have live wreaths and

holiday trees to look for opportunities in your neighborhood

to recycle them. There are various community initiatives

regarding recycling of holiday trees. Check your local

newspaper for details and Happy Holidays from Dumbarton’s

Green Committee.

- Mr. Finkelstein, Green Team Coordinator

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Dear Parents and Students,

Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase this important keepsake of the school year. The 2015-2016

DMS yearbook is in FULL COLOR and is packed full of the memories you never want to forget. You

can even have your child’s name imprinted on their yearbook cover.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Denmyer-Prenger- Yearbook Adviser Mrs. Hemling- Yearbook Adviser

Order Now, before it is too late!

Ordering Procedure This Year:

The ONLY Option: Order Online. Go to yearbooksonsale.com find Dumbarton Middle School to place your order.

Book Price:

$ 23.00 +tax

EXTRAS: If you would like extras you can add them on the site.

We will close online ordering in April. Order now, don’t get left without a yearbook.

*If you do not get your picture taken by Lifetouch on picture day or picture re-take day in the fall then your picture will not be in the yearbook. If you miss both days please make sure that you see either Mrs.

Denmyer-Prenger or Mrs. Hemling.

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Kindness Holiday Party, A Success!!!

On Wednesday December 16th, the Kindness Club gathered together to assemble and wrap Christmas presents for Head Start students in Baltimore City. Our students had a blast working on these presents and by the end of the meeting had created over 70 gifts! We would like to give a special “THANK YOU” to all the parents, teachers, and high school volunteers for their donations, help, and patience with wrapping, teaching, and organizing students.

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Instilling a Growth Mindset:

Tools to Empower your Child to Persevere through

Homework! Dumbarton Middle School provides a culture of encouragement fostering continual student growth

with the belief that through effort, motivation and resilience, all students will improve academically

and achieve personal success.

Work harder, get smarter!

Face it: homework can be a struggle, not just for students, but for

parents as well. When students struggle with homework, just

completing homework can become a conflict between parents and

students. Even when students are willing to complete their homework,

parents still face the problem of how best to help their children.

Most parents know that when their child asks for help, they should

provide guidance, not answers (if they’re even able to). They know that giving answers means their

child will not learn the material, and sends the message that when the going gets rough, someone else

will do the work for him/her. But the question remains: how can parents provide their children that

guidance to help them become independent and persevere?

Here are some suggestions from the DMS faculty:

Start simple by asking:

What did the directions say?

Do you have any notes that can help you?

Are there any examples in your textbook?

Is there anyone in your class that can help you? o Can you start a study group?

Can you contact the teacher via email or BCPS One?

Are there any online resources that can help you? o LearnZillion: Math & ELA o Kahn Academy: Math & Science o BrainFuse (BCPL): Online Tutoring

SkillSurfer: Reading, Writing, Math, Science & Social Studies

Have you gone to coach class or homework club? o Homework Club: available Tues. and Thurs. 3:00-3:45 on a walk-in basis, no sign-up

necessary

If that fails, tell them:

Attempt the assignment & write down specific questions about what you don’t understand.

Be proactive: teachers want to see that you have at least tried it.

And remember:

By making your children take responsibility for their homework, you are empowering them to advocate for themselves, to become independent, and to persevere!

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Instilling a Growth Mindset by

BEING AMAZING!

Recently the students and staff at DMS experienced a school wide “Be Amazing” assembly. Afterwards, many homerooms were inspired to create a class goal of a new way that they could be amazing.

Here is a sample of what they came up…

“Be Amazing” in the Local Community

“Be Amazing” at Dumbarton Middle

Hummel – Adopt 2 BCPS Elementary School Families for the holidays by raising funds and purchasing gifts Melanson – Donating Toys for Tots for hospitalized children in the community Manning – Collecting money donations and toys for children in need around the holidays Bauer, Richards, Damon – Food Drive Homeroom Competition. (Last Update: Total food items raised… over 500 items collected!!) Finkelstein – Collecting donations for Baltimore’s Animal Rescue and Care Shelter Lin – Collecting donations for Toys for Tots Sharbonda – Contributing to the Kindness Club Holiday Party by donating, bringing supplies, or encouraging friends to come join in

Sievers – Going above and beyond first quarter by completing more total learning objectives Kampes – Developing an historical play or reenactment for 6th and 7th graders based on a major learning objective DePrima – Recognizing the DMS secretaries, building service workers, cafeteria workers, instructional assistants, and bus drivers with thank you letters and baked goodies. Bacon – Helping develop study skills by creating new tips and tricks to be added to the class website Pettitt – Creating a DMS rain garden in a strategically located spot on the DMS campus Turner – Improving classroom communications by creating an environment that is helpful to everyone Elliot – Improving our academic skills including submitting work on time, paying closer attention in class, and staying organized Hemling – Giving students a larger voice at DMS by communicating with the principal, starting a DMS student newspaper, or updating the school website Birnbaum – Encouraging everyone to demonstrate daily responsibility by turning work in on time and getting the most out of our daily Take 2 time

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BCPS 2015-2016

Dumbarton Lions Basketball

Tuesday 1/5 - Home

Windsor Mill @ Dumbarton

Girls play first

Tuesday 1/12 - Home

Old Court @ Dumbarton

Boys play first

Thursday 1/14 – Home

Southwest @ Dumbarton

Girls play first

Thursday 1/21 - Away

Dumbarton @ Deer Park

Boys play first

Tuesday 1/26 - Home

Lansdowne @ Dumbarton

Girls play first

Thursday 1/28 - Away

Dumbarton @ Pikesville Boys play first

Monday 2/1 - Away

Dumbarton @ Franklin

Girls play first

Tuesday 2/2 - Home

Sudbrook @ Dumbarton

Girls play first

Thursday 2/4 - Away

Dumbarton @ Arbutus

Boys play first

DMS Tickets sold at the door: Adults: $ 4 Students: $ 2 Children 8 & under: Free First game starts at 4:00 pm

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School Supplies

This is the time of year when students’ supplies are running

low. Please take the time to assess your child’s supplies and

re-stock them. The school store is a great place for

students to purchase supplies. The school store carries

mechanical pencils, lead refills, pens, notebooks, folders,

pencil pouches, etc. There is also a large supply of tech

needs-portable chargers, earbuds, wireless mouse, screen cleaner, and a variety of

stylus pens/pencils. The school store is open most days from 8:00-8:15.

Nurses Notes for the New Year

Welcome back and welcome to 2016!! An on-going reminder to our 6th

grade parents that your students will require the Meningitis and

Tetanus booster prior to starting 7th grade in August. Two years ago

these requirements were made part of the law for students attending

school in Baltimore County and generally State wide. As you schedule

your child for their physician visits, please remember to obtain a current copy of

their vaccine paperwork and ask your child to drop it off to me in the Health

Office so I can update their health file. This must be completed before school

starts in August.

As always, thank-you to our wonderful parents for ensuring our students come to

school healthy, rested and ready to learn all that Dumbarton has to offer. Call me

anytime during school hours if I can be of help to your remarkable children!

Donna Miedusiewski (Met-a-chev-ski).

410 321 0496

dmiedusiewski@bcps.org.

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6th Grade STARRRR Students

This year at Dumbarton Middle School the 6th Grade Team will be looking for students that are STARRRR Students.

These students are Respectful, Responsible, Resilient, and Ready to Learn. Each 6th grade teacher will nominate one student from their classes each week that demonstrated

these qualities.

Congratulations to our STARRRR Students this month!

Olivia S.

Amelia B.

Cece W.

Ajita B.

Emma L.

Amna M.

Gavin S.

Henry B.

Ana G.

Tommy L.

Maddy G.

Chloe S.

Mary D.

Audrey D.

Aidan C.

Sophia B.

Bella E.

Elvin V.

Khary S.

Anna S.

Asban M.

Starlette F.

Perry D.

Illy G.

Caspian L.

Riley C.

Mrs. Denmyer-Prenger, 6th Grade Level Coordinator

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DUMBARTON MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT CALENDAR January 2016

13 Grade 8 Winter Concert 7:00 PM

15 Second Marking Period Ends

18 Dr. Martin Luther King Day: Schools Closed

19 BCPS Professional Development Day: Schools Closed

21 PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM

25 Grade 7 Winter Concert 7:00 PM

27 Grade 6 Winter Concert 7:00 PM

29 PTSA Black Light Dance 7:00 PM

February 2016

4 Distribution of Report Cards

11 & 12 School Play 7:00-9:00 PM

15 President’s Day: Schools Closed

18 PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM

19 PTSA Event- Movie Night 7:00 PM

26 Interims Distributed

March 2016

1 After-School Recital 3:00-4:30 PM

2 Conference afternoon 3:30-5:30 PM

4 Half-Day System-wide Professional Development: Schools Close 3 Hours Early

11 SGA Dance 7:00 PM

17 PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM

24 Spring Break Begins at the End of the School Day

April 2016

4 Schools Reopen

8 Third Marking Period Ends – Schools Close 3 Hours Early for all Students

13 Grade 5 Parent Orientation 6:30 PM

21 Report Cards go home and PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM

22 PTSA Social Event 7:00PM (Tentative Date)

26 Primary Election- Schools Closed

May 2016

6 Grade 8 Dance sponsored by the PTA

13 Interims go home

16 Grade 6 Spring Concert 7:00 PM

18 Grade 7 Spring Concert 7:00 PM

19 PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM

20 Grade 8 End of Year Event: Ship Trip in Baltimore Harbor

23 Grade 8 Spring Concert 7:00 PM

25 Honors Concert 7:00 PM

27 Tentative date: 8th grade Career Day

30 Memorial Day: Schools Closed

June 2016 1 National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony 7:00 PM

3 8th Grade trip to Towson High School

8 Eighth Grade Awards Evening (invitations will be provided for those receiving awards) 7 PM

*16 Tentative New Date: Farewell Assembly for Grade 8 Students: 9-10:30 am Schools Close 3 Hours Early for Elementary and Middle School Students

*17 Last Day of School: Schools Close 3 Hours Early *Note: Final days of school are subject to change based on BCPS decisions regarding snow days used/not used.