Principal Nelson's Blog

Week of August 29, 2011

This week we begin our third week of school. Registration for new students moving to our school should begin to slow at this point and all our teachers and students should begin really focusing on their new learning. Teachers should now have a good understanding of where their students are and what their students know so they can ensure the most meaningful learning experiences. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any unresolved questions or anything you want to make sure we are aware as we continue to move forward. Don't forget, we want you involved at our school. Please call to speak with our PTSA about how you can find your place at our school.

Here are the important items our parents should be aware for the week of August 29, 2011.

Tuesday - From 6:00-8:00 pm our band directors will host the 6th Grade Band Instrument Test Drive for 6th graders and their parents in the Fine Arts Building.

Thursday - At 5:30 pm we will host an informational meeting about the newly formed Daniell Middle School Foundation. If you are interested in supporting or learning more about the Foundation, please come to this meeting to be held in the media center.

Friday - The Chorus and Orchestra fundraiser kick-off will begin. In addition, the PTSA will be selling Chick-fil-A biscuits in the parent drop-off line in the morning.

8th Grade Parent Information: Magnet Program Assembly

This message is just to our 8th grade parents. This Friday at 9:20-10:10 our 8th graders will have a special assembly in the theater to learn about the magnet programs which are available for them to apply to attend for high school. We wanted you to be aware of this assembly so that you can talk to your child about the magnet program information Friday night. If you are able to come, 8th grade parents are welcome to attend. Dr. Christopher Deane will be your child's counselor this year and will be working with him or her to help them prepare for high school. Should you have any questions throughout the school year about preparing for high school, please do not hesitate him ( christopher.deane@cobbk12.org ). Likewise, don't forget about the information our counselors post on their blogs which can be accessed through our main website.

As a reminder, the 7th and 8th grade Open House will be held tomorrow night with dinner starting at 5:30 and the general assembly starting at 6:00.

 

Week of August 22, 2011

Thank you for an incredible first week of school! I can't help believe one reason the week ran so smoothly was due to so many parents and guardians bringing their students to the school to get their schedule during Sneak-A-Peek. I appreciate the excitement, support, and energy everyone showed at this event and during our first week of school. As we enter our school's 47th year of service to the families of Cobb County qualities like these will only ensure another phenomenal year at Daniell. Thanks go to our PTSA volunteers for doing such a fine job helping prepare for our students and for preparing the special welcome to our 6th grade students this past Friday.

Here are the big events you should be aware for the week of August 22, 2011.

Dress code will begin to be fully enforced this week. Please remind your students as they prepare for school. In particular, shorts and skirts need to be at least finger-tip in length and shirts with straps for young ladies need to have straps which are at least three fingers in width. For our gentlemen, don't forget that sagging pants are not allowed. For more specific information on dress code, please review the dress code policy in our student agenda. Also, don't forget that electronic devices are not allowed on school campus. If a student does bring a cell phone, it should be turned off and not visible. Please do not ask your student to leave their cell phone on during the day so that you can text or call them during the day. It is against school rules for students to have their cell phones out or in use during school. If you need to get your students a message during the school day, please do not hesitate to call the main office at 678-594-8048. We will be more than glad to get your student the message. We also have phones available in the main office for students to use to contact a parent in case of need.

Tuesday

5:30-7:00 PTSA Member Appreciation Dinner

6:00-8:00 PTSA Open House for 6th Grade (This event will begin in the theater at 6:00 with a formal welcome from our PTSA. Open House is different from Sneak-A-Peak in that Open House follows a structured bell schedule and allows parents and guardians to follow their child's class schedule.)

Thursday

5:30-7:00 PTSA Member Appreciation Dinner

6:00-8:00 PTSA Open House for 7th and 8th Grade (This event will begin in the theater at 6:00 with a formal welcome from our PTSA. Open House is different from Sneak-A-Peak in that Open House follows a structured bell schedule and allows parents and guardians to follow their child's class schedule. For our parents who attended last year, the evening will be the same as we have done in the past due to your overwhelming favorable response to last year's activities.)

Special Note to New Daniell Parents

Again, welcome to our award-winning campus! We can't wait to begin another exciting, new year at Daniell Middle School. As a parent myself, I recognize there may some anxiety about sending your student to middle school or to a new school. Middle schools are usually much larger than elementary schools in both student population and school size. For what it is worth, I want to try and reassure you that our staff and faculty will do everything we can to ensure a successful transition to our campus.

We will work with our new students to ensure they know where to go and what to do - whether they need to get a new schedule of their classes or simply know what bus lane to get in on the first day, we will be there to help them in every way. We aren't perfect. And, we will make mistakes. But, we most certainly will try our hardest to ensure our new student is successful. Never hesitate to contact me or any of our staff with any information which you feel we may need to know to help your student.

To help your student's year gets off to a super start, here are a couple of parent reminders:

1. Make sure your student has at least paper and pencil to take to school on the first day.
2. Student drop off should not occur any earlier than 8:00 am.
3. School starts promptly at 9:15 where students should be in their homeroom class seated and ready to begin. School will end at 4:15. Just in case you have a change in plans for your child and you will need them to either ride the bus home or be picked up as opposed to what you originally thought at the beginning of the day, get that information to the front office no latter than 3:30pm so that we have time to get your student the message. This is a slight change from the past. But, we have needed to ask that 3:30 be the cut off as last year we literally held busses from leaving campus so we could get students off the bus as a few people would call at 4:10 or 4:15 to request a change. Parents depend on us to get their students out on time so they don't worry and wonder why their child may come home late if the busses are held. So, please help us by ensuring any changes with after school transportation are made no latter that 3:30. Also, please understand that for your child's safety, the office staff may ask for security questions to ensure that we are talking to the appropriate person before changing plans for anyone. Safety is our utmost concern for all our students.
4. Please make sure you sign in your student if you are dropping them off after 9:15. This ensures that you are aware of why your child is tardy. We want to ensure our parents always know the whereabouts of their students.
5. Check your students backpacks for letters from their teachers and for the important beginning of school papers that need read, signed, and returned to school. Don't forget to be sure and ask to see their student agenda which is a great communication tool for you and your child's teachers. On every board for every class we post two questions: what am I learning today, and how will I show that I learned it. Your child should copy these questions from the board of each class so that you can see exactly what they did for the day in each period.
6. Don't forget to make sure your child has a lunch, has money in their MealPay account, or returns their free and reduced lunch forms so they will be set for lunch.
7. If you drop off or pick up your child from school, be sure to pull up as far as you can so we can keep Piedmont/Barrett Parkway as free from traffic congestion as possible. Students should be dropped off and picked up at the front of the school where the picnic tables and umbrellas are (the gym and theater entrance). We are using this area as our school keeps growing and this area provides more room for the students to congregate as opposed to being congested in the small area they used to use.
8. Don't forget to join PTSA if you haven't already. The cost is $5.00. Please find a way to volunteer on our campus. We have over 2,000 parents and guardians. Just imagine if everyone donated only one hour during the year! From dances, concessions, or bulletin boards, there is plenty to do for everyone whether you work a fulltime job or a part-time job.
9. Be sure to wish your student well as they start their new school year. Transition is hard for adults much less students. So, be their cheerleader and talk to them about how school is going and what they are doing.

We want this to be an incredible year for your student. But, we must have your help to make this happen. So, please never hesitate to contact your student's teachers or me if I can help in any way. It is by working together that we have seen our school change so dramatically and become the school we are so proud of today. Without your help, it would be impossible to be so successful.

 

 

Reminder Dates

Welcome back to school! Here are a few reminders about three important dates which are just around the corner.

First, Sneak-A-Peek will be tomorrow, Thursday, August 11 from 2pm-5pm. This is a drop-in time. So, you can come any time between 2 and 5. Don't forget, our school has limited parking. So, please be patient and kind to our campus officer who will be helping with parking. At Sneak-A-Peek schedules will be available, a club fair will be held in the gym, and students can "sneak-a-peek" of what school will be like on Monday.

Second, the first day of school is Monday, August 15th. Don't forget first period begins at 9:15. Students should not be dropped off at school any earlier than 8:00 as supervision is not provided before then. School is out at 4:15 pm.

Third, Open House for 6th grade will be August 23rd and 7th and 8th grade Open House will be August 25th.

Please don't hesitate to call us at 678-594-8048 if you have any questions.

Sneak-A-Peak Is Just Around the Corner

Sneak-A-Peek is just around the corner! We are very excited to see everyone during this drop in time. Parents and guardians, don't forget this is a drop-in opportunity for students. So, you can bring your child any time after 2:00 pm. Sneak-A-Peek will end at 5:00 pm. Don't be stressed if you can not make it at 2:00. Just come by as you can.

Remember, this is a time for your student to literally "sneak-a-peek" of their new school year. We hope to give students their schedule of classes on this day and let students walk the halls to find their new classrooms, purchase yearbooks, and deposit money into their lunch accounts. Sixth grade students only will receive their locker assignments during this time. Our PTSA will have concessions available and a membership drive open.  In the gymnasium we will host our Club Fair. At Club Fair students will be able to learn about school clubs and organizations which are available for them to join as well as Sprayberry Junior Jacket sports opportunities.

For our new parents, we don't have a lot of parking at the front of the school. But, there will plenty in the back of the school. (With SPLOST III we will be getting 250 parking spots! We currently only have 96!) But, again, there is plenty of room for parking in the back of the campus. We will also have School Council information available for any parent that is interested in running for one of our open positions.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call us or email me. We want this to be an incredible year for our students. Making sure they are comfortable with what they are doing is an important step in making that happen. I also want to encourage all our parents to volunteer as much as possible at our school. I need your help in the halls, making bulletin boards, helping your student with their math, writing, and reading, and helping the PTSA do all they do for the kids. With over 1,000 students at our school, just imagine what we could make happen if every parent or guardian volunteered just one hour during the year! There is a reason Daniell Middle School is a "School of Excellence"...and that reason is becuase our parents not only support our teachers, but also support our school every way they can.

See you at Sneak-A-Peek and look forward to getting more volunteers than ever at our school!