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 March, 2016 Liz Heil, Assistant Principal

Cheryl Scott, Assistant Principal

Jennifer Burch, Assistant Principal

From the Principal’s Desk….

ast month brought us many snow interruptions and we are hopeful to have put that

behind us. Due to the snow days used, BCPS will examine the school calendar and in

conjunction with MSDE requirements make any adjustments that might be needed.

March 4th interims will come home and March 9th is now our conference afternoon although

conferences can be arranged at any convenient time for parents & staff.

We continue to celebrate the wide variety of talented DMS students. Thanks to our

DMS basketball teams for a super effort this season. They worked hard and represented

our school well as they competed against other BCPS schools. School play performances

took place on 2/25 and 2/26 and students did an outstanding job projecting their voices

and making their characters come to life! March brings the annual BCPS Music

assessments where our 8th graders will compete against other middle schools to earn high

honors. We are proud of all of our talented students at DMS.

Safety in our school parking lot and driveway requires your help! Please refrain from

driving into the school driveway, parking lot or the side road that leads toward the fields

when busses are entering/exiting. Cars crossing the bus loop have caused safety concerns

as has a line of cars forming near the gym area which can extend into the bus loop. Thank

you for working with us to ensure student and adult safety on our campus.

Parents of 8th graders: Please note BCPS policy requires that residency re-verification is

completed prior to students leaving DMS to ensure students retain their high-school

schedule. Further information will be coming home regarding this soon. In addition,

regardless of any BCPS calendar changes, the DMS 8th grade Farewell Assembly will take

place on the second to last day of school (currently on the morning of June 16th).

Parents of 6th graders: Some parents of current 6th graders will receive a letter

attached to their child’s interim reminding them that updated vaccinations are required by

MSDE and BCPS prior to their child entering grade 7. Please refer questions regarding

immunizations to our school nurse, Mrs. Miedusiewski at dmiedusiewski@bcps.org.

L

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The PTA Lion’s Den sponsored a very successful Black Light Dance and also our recent

Movie Night in February. Both events were well attended. These events provide a safe,

fun evening for students supervised by parent volunteers and DMS staff members. We

sincerely thank the PTA parents for donating their time to support these events.

Our PTA also sponsored a recent guest speaker, Mr. Vince DeVivo, from the U.S.

Attorney’s Community Outreach Office. He suggested the Netsmartz program as a

trusted resource for parents. Some suggestions from their website include:

Keep the computer in a high-traffic area of your home. Establish limits for which online sites children may visit and for how long. Internet technology can be mobile, so monitor cell phones, gaming devices, and laptops.

Surf the Internet with your children and let them show you what they like to do online. Know who is connecting with your children online and set rules for social networking, instant

messaging, e-mailing, online gaming, and using webcams. Start a discussion with your child What are your favorite things to do online?

What is personal information? Why should you keep it private? What could you do to be safer online? What would you do if anyone online asked to meet you face-to-face?

Besides me, who do you feel that you can talk to if you are in a scary or uncomfortable situation?

Officer Brown, our SRO (School Resource Officer) is also always available to answer

your questions. He can be reached by calling the school at 410-887-3176 or via email at

tbrown14@bcps.org. I am pleased to say that students often seek his advice when they

have concerns about their friend’s on-line behavior. This has enabled us to keep students

safe, keep parents informed and provide support/safety tips to all our students.

Spring break is right around the corner! It occurs March 25 – April 3 with school

reopening on Monday, April 4. Please reach out to your child’s teacher or school counselor

should you have concerns/questions. We want every student to experience a successful

spring at Dumbarton Middle School. It is truly a pleasure to interact with our hard

working, focused Dumbarton students each day and for some reason I become shorter this

time of year every spring!

Sincerely, Susan E Harris

Principal

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5TH

GRADE

PARENT

ORIENTATION

6:00 PM APRIL 13, 2016

DUMBARTON MIDDLE

SCHOOL

300 Dumbarton Road Baltimore, MD 21212

http://dumbartonms.bcps.org

410-887-3176

Questions? Contact Mrs.

Murphy, 6th grade counselor

emurphy3@bcps.org

Parents are invited to join

us to learn about the BIG

ROCKS of middle school:

Rigorous instructional

program

Middle School

philosophy

School within a school

supports

Meet staff members

Hear advice from

current 6th graders

Learn how to prepare

your child for the

transition

Lighthouse School

Benefits

General Device

use/distribution

information

Date to be determined: August Orientation for

Students

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6th Grade Peer Interactions Research has shown that it is common for bullying and other

antisocial behaviors to peak during the middle school years.

Middle school can be a tough time for kids who are navigating

peer relationships and as a result find themselves on the

receiving side of bad behavior. Arm your child with ideas on

how to deal with peer issues, who to turn to for help, and how to move forward

after an issue has been addressed. Brainstorming ideas about how to resolve

fictitious peer issues from television or books can be a great starting point.

Learning how to ignore, letting things roll off your back, finding the humor in

situations, and effectively responding to negative situations takes practice and

maturity. Students at DMS can seek assistance from any adult in the building.

When peer issues arise, students should ask for help from the school counselor or

assistant principal immediately so they can get help before making a potentially

poor decision. For questions or assistance with peer issues, please contact Cheryl

Scott, 6th grade assistant principal.

MAP Testing

Winter MAP testing will extend to March 4, with makeup days

running until March 8, 2016 due to school closures and delays

caused by inclement weather. Testing is being administered

through math and language arts classes. In order to prepare for testing, students

are encouraged to get a good night’s sleep prior to testing, eat a good breakfast

the morning of testing, and put forth their best effort. Students are also

encouraged to review their fall MAP test scores and set goals for continued

improvement in reading and math. The grade level with the most students

demonstrating progress on MAP testing will receive a reward. In addition, parents

will receive updated student results reports later this spring showing student

progress from Fall to Winter testing sessions.

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8th Grade Science MSA (Maryland School Assessment)

The science MSA testing window runs from March 2-April 1,

2016. Dumbarton Middle School 8th graders will take the online

assessment on March 10 and 11 or March 21 and 22, 2016,

depending on the science teacher they have this year. The test

is administered in four 30-minute sessions, which will require students to test for

two class periods per day over a two-day period. In order to prepare for testing,

students are encouraged to get a good night’s sleep prior to testing, eat a good

breakfast the morning of testing, and put forth their best effort.

Getting Involved

As 3rd quarter is in full swing this is an excellent time to sit with your child to

examine their progress thus far, and make a plan to ensure success. We want to we

encourage you to use BCPS One (bcpsone.bcps.org/) to stay informed about your

child’s performance. If you have not yet activated your account, or are having

difficulty, please contact, Mrs. Burch (jburch2@bcps.org) for assistance. You can

reinforce your child’s academic progress by encouraging vocabulary development,

reviewing math facts, and engaging in other educational activities. BCPS Parent

University (www.bcps.org/parentu/) is a resource for staying active in your child’s

education.

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Wow, how quickly March has come

upon us! As we approach the spring

things certainly will be “warming

up” here in 8th grade, as not only are

we currently engaged in the MAP

tests, but we will be looking forward

to a host of really fun events through

the end of the year!

Key Highlights from February:

MAP Tests – 8th grade students have been participating in the MAP tests this month

and it will last until about March 8th. We all are proud of each child’s hard work and

commitment to improving as the year has progressed. Good luck!

Check out the flyer! – Last month we included a list of upcoming 8th grade events to

look forward to. One such event upcoming soon will be the “Grade 8 Commemorative

T-Shirt Sale.” We will be asking students to let their “creative juices flow” by coming

up with a design for the shirts. This can be in the form of a drawing or an electronic

creation. Then, our 8th grade students will vote on their favorite design for the shirts –

how exciting! Further details related to this contest will be forthcoming, so keep an

eye out for it!!

*If you have any questions, comments, and/or concerns regarding the events listed, please do not

hesitate to contact me via email (jbirnbaum@bcps.org) or phone (410-887-3176). ~ Jordan

Birnbaum, 8th Grade Level Coordinator

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ebruary has been filled with lots of snow days but that hasn’t stopped the 7th

grade from learning! In Mrs. Hummel’s AA Language Arts classes students

are examining the purpose of WWII speech while comparing the impact of

the text to the delivery of the speech. Hoops for Heart is coming in March as well

as the basketball tournament on March 22nd and 23rd!!! The March Madness

continues in PE with Ms. Morrison as her classes practice basketball and sport

stacking. Ms. Bishamber’s Health classes have been exploring learning preferences.

The Miracle Worker continues in Mrs. Collins’ Language Arts classes as students

are evaluating the use of cinematic techniques in two different versions of The

Miracle Worker in order to identify which version effectively portrays a specific

scene in the text. In Mrs. Melanson’s 7th grade GT science, students are finishing

up the Comparative Biology unit with 2 labs which include disease transmission and

bacteria cultures.

Congratulations to the recipients of SWAG for the month of

February:

Students Working to Achieve Greatness

Callie N

Eddie B

John F

Arielle C

Laine W

F

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From the 7th Grade Counselor

Students in middle school have begun to use the Naviance/Family

Connection program. This is a site that students will begin to use this

year and will continue to use through high school. It offers many

things including college and career information, college searches and

application, and tasks that the counselors assign to the students.

In the next few months, I will be emailing parents through this site

regarding opportunities this summer for academic programs and camps.

If you have changed your email since last school year, please email me

so that I may update it in the Naviance system. This way, you will be

advised of upcoming programs in a timely manner. If your child has

Business/Computer Science this semester, I will be visiting their

classes to work with them on the Family Connection program to

determine their abilities and interests and how this relates to career

selection. I look forward to working with your child!

Stephanie Campbell

scampbell3@bcps.org

For February 2016

Due to all of the crazy snow days,

Ms. Sharbonda would like to

congratulate ALL of my students for

their hard work and perseverance.

Despite numerous breaks in

instruction, they keep working

hard!!!

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BCPS Honor Roll Criteria for Middle School

1. The basis for eligibility is letter grades, "A"s and "B"s with a maximum of one "C".

That "C", however, must be balanced by at least one "A".

2. One or more "D", "E" will automatically exclude a student for the quarter.

3. Character traits or citizenship will not be a consideration for eligibility.

4. Eligibility is based entirely on academic achievement.

EMPTY BOWLS & Kindness Club

In February, the Kindness Club worked with Ms. Kathy Fick to paint bowls for the

“Empty Bowls” event in March (see below for more details). These bowls were

donated to this event to help raise money for St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore. We

would like to give a special thanks to the PTA who sponsored this opportunity for

our students. Our students learned about the people in our community whose

“bowls” are not filled with the things that we enjoy: friends, family, a warm home,

hot meals. You can see the special care that our students took to paint beautiful

works of art for this event. Please consider attending “Empty Bowls” this year.

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National Junior Honor Society It is almost time to look your child’s grades to see if they will be eligible

for National Junior Honor Society. Any student who has maintained a

3.5 Grade Point Average in each of the last 6 quarters in middle school

may apply (7th and 8th graders). Eligible students then fill out an

application and then all of their teachers evaluate them on qualities

related to character, leadership, and citizenship. Mr. Conty, NJHS

Adviser, will start this process at the end of third quarter. Please email

aconty@bcps.org if you have any questions.

Volunteer Opportunities at Dumbarton!!!

If you are interested, please complete the volunteer application AND participate in the online training. http://www.bcps.org/community/volunteer_info/. You can also come to Dumbarton Middle to receive the training. Contact Liz Heil, Assistant Principal to schedule an appointment: eheil@bcps.org or 410-887-3176. Here's how you complete the online volunteer training:

1. Complete the BCPS application for Volunteer Services. (online) 2. Complete the online volunteer orientation. You will be provided with a

certificate once you have completed the training. 3. Submit the application AND the valid training certificate to the school in

which you intend to volunteer. Both documents MUST be on file prior to being able to volunteer or chaperone a

field trip.

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5 Tips for Successful Sixth Grade

Students (Top 5 ideas from 6th grade teachers)

Use your Agenda to write down homework, assignments, and projects!

Attend coach classes, lunch bunch help, and homework club if you need a

little extra help in class.

Remember to CHARGE your device every night!

Check BCPS One to stay up to date with all your assignments.

Take full advantage of Take Two days to complete missing work, redo

assignments and ask for extra help.

Great Things Happening in Sixth Grade

Reading: In Ms. Battista, Ms. Robidoux and Ms. Taylor’s Reading classes they are exploring evidence of science fiction characteristics in a variety of texts by Ray Bradbury. Language Arts: Mr. Adams’s grade 6 advanced academic class they will begin its mythology unit. In this unit, students will learn why myths remain relevant in today’s world, mythological allusions, and archetypal characters, symbols, and plot. As part of the unit, they’ll conduct an online mini-research project with Mrs. Wroy. In Ms. Elliott’s and Mrs. Hemling’s Language Arts classes, students are working on their Performance Based Assessment to finish up Unit II. For this PBA students are writing questions to ask Gary Paulsen and then adopting the persona of Gary Paulsen to answer the questions they generated. As the PBA concludes toward the beginning of March, students will begin Unit III by exploring community and culture as they are introduced to concepts surrounding their next novel of study, Esperanza Rising.

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Math:In Mrs. Hostetler’s class, small group instruction is being used where students are helping each other, 3 before me, and working together in teams to work toward success. This past Friday’s integer card game was also a great success. In Mr. Hegmann, Mr. Sievers and Mrs. Battista’s classes will be working on integer functions and order of operations. Mr. Siever’s grade 6 advanced classes will continue working through a unit on Geometry. In Mr. Griswold’s classes will be working on their percent unit and how to calculate sale tax and discounts. Science: In Mrs. Denmyer’s classes students are piloting the new sixth grade unit on Earth Systems and Space. Students are learning about how and why the Earth is constantly changing and where our place is in the universe. Students also will complete several mini STEM challenges on select Fridays. In Mr. Rowland’s classes students have been learning about circuits and really have enjoyed using the snap circuit kits.In Mrs. Melanson’s 6th grade GT Science students just finished a 2-day lab where they investigated the effects of air pressure. They used various materials, including a microwave, marshmallows, Ping-Pong balls, straws, balloons, cookies, water, and index cards. Students will be starting the Astronomy unit soon. In Mr. Griswold’s classes students are starting a new Unit on Space. Students will be learning about the solar system, galaxies, stars, and objects that are found in space. World Cultures: In Mrs. Manning’s 6th grade World Cultures classes we have been examining cultural elements of South Asia. We have been focusing on religions and arts of the region over the past few weeks. Additionally, we have been working on research in celebration of Black History Month. Students have done an awesome job creating Mount Rushmore 2.0 highlighting achievements of notable African Americans! In Mrs. Drouin classes students will be learning about Mahatma Gandhi and the way he used non-violent methods to create positive change in the world. In Mr. Bacon classes students are looking at Mahatma Gandhi and the effectiveness of non-violent methods in creating positive change in the world. Then, students will look at the present problems of the Indian nation before looking at Chinese geography and history.

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CENTRAL AREA EDUCATIONAL

ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING WHAT? Dr. Russ Brown, Chief Accountability and Performance Management Officer, will discuss current and projected BCPS enrollments for the central area.

WHEN? Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 7pm - 9pm WHERE? George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology (in the cafeteria) 938 York Road, Baltimore MD 21204 WHO? All BCPS stakeholders are invited to attend. This includes parents, teachers, students, staff, and community members.

QUESTIONS? Contact Aimee Freeman Email: aimeefree@gmail.com Phone: 410-599-9738 =========================================================

March 10, 2016

How: sign-up for pictures during lunch shift

Where: Pictures taken in Room 109

When: 8:30-12:00 (picture time will be on pass given to students)

**Please bring your Picture Day price fliers with money** Please email or call Liz Heil, Assistant Principal with any questions or concerns:

eheil@bcps.org or 410-887-3176

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DUMBARTON MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT CALENDAR March 2016 1 After-School Recital 3:15-4:30 PM

4 Interims go home (NEW DATE – due to snow storm)

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

9 Conference afternoon (NEW DATE)

10 Spring Portrait Day

11 SGA Dance 7:00 PM

17 PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM

18 Radical Ropers: End of Season Performance

22 & 23 Hoops for Heart Event – during afternoon PE classes

24 Talent Show

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 6:00 PM

15 PTSA Social Event 7:00PM

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

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 Ship Trip in Baltimore Harbor

23 Grade 8 Spring Concert 7:00 PM

25 Honors Concert 7:00 PM

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 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 use

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You still have time! BCPS Stakeholder

Survey extended a week Sunday, March 6 now last day to take online survey

TOWSON, MD. – Nearly 60,000 students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community stakeholders

have taken the 2016 Baltimore County Public Schools Stakeholder Survey, but the school system wants

to hear from even more stakeholders.

The online survey, available at https://bcps.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eQm7Z37Wguu2eRT, has

been extended a week and will now conclude on Sunday, March 6.

In addition to English, this year’s survey is available for parents and community members in Amharic,

Arabic, Chinese, French, Gujarati, Korean, Nepali, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese,

and Yoruba. Students may take the survey in English, Chinese, or Spanish.

College and Career Readiness Committee

The College and Career Readiness Committee has begun its Career Speaker

Series! On February 4th, a group of 6th and 7th grade students welcomed

Neuroscientist Dr. Leigh as our first speaker. During the presentation students were

encouraged to become polymaths. Dr. Leigh described how his interests, from

middle school through hospital residency, helped him to develop the skillsets he

needed to conduct the important research that he does today. The questions that

our students posed demonstrated critical thinking and were evidence that Dr. Leigh

had their attention. Thank you Dr. Leigh! In March students will welcome a Professor

of Biology and an Actuary. Presentations will continue throughout the school year

and more volunteers are welcome. Please contact Mrs. Erin Murphy @

emurphy3@bcps.org if you are interested in joining the Career Speaker Series as a

volunteer speaker.

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Thank you to everyone who has volunteered!

Save the Date! Join us at our Hoops for Heart event. Our school is

proud to partner with the American Heart Association to help kids

with special hearts! Mark your calendars now for our upcoming

Basketball Tournament taking place on March 22nd and 23rd. It's a 3 on 3 within-

grade tournament. Our super 6th graders will have their tournament during period

7/8; our awesome 7th graders will have their tournament during period 9; and our

fabulous 8th graders will have their tournament during period 10. YOU can help

the American Heart Association by helping your child make a web page. Visit

heart.org/jump and click on "Students Sign Up" to get started. And remember...It

Takes Heart to be a Hero!

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.

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

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

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

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*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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