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8/28/26 Family Friday Five

Posted Date: 08/28/26 (04:59 PM)
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Graphic with text 'WE ARE DEKALB Middle School 24-25' in bold white and red.

Family Friday Five

DMS Principal's Weekly Newsletter

August 28, 2026

🎉 Celebrating Attendance at DMS!

❤️🖤 Every Day Counts at DMS!
Today, we had the opportunity to celebrate some very special students — our perfect attendance students from last school year! 🎉

These students showed up every single day, and we are incredibly proud of them! As a little celebration, each student received a Culver’s certificate for some yummy food as a thank-you for making school a priority. 🍔🍟🍦

Congratulations to our Perfect Attendance Students!

7th Grade
  • Maddox Brown
  • Ethan Burlew
  • Hawken DeWitt
  • Emery Dunn
  • Dean Eskridge
  • Cassidy Fordyce
  • Leala Kline
  • Aaron Long
  • Aria Taylor
  • Hadleigh Weimer
8th Grade
  • Isaac Buchs
  • Bentley Dutkiewicz
  • Emma Heffelfinger
  • Lora Holt
  • Megan Holt
  • Hannah Keesler
  • Taryn Kirkland
  • Queena Lin
  • Sullivan Nofzinger

👏 Way to show up, Barons!

But here's the biggest reason attendance matters...

WE MISS YOU WHEN YOU AREN'T HERE! ❤️

Yes, attendance is an important part of Indiana's school accountability system, with 94% attendance being an important benchmark. But numbers and accountability aren't the reason we care most about attendance.

We care because our students are an important part of our school community.

When a student isn't here, we miss their:
  • 😊 Smile in the hallway
  • 💡 Ideas in the classroom
  • 😂 Laugh at lunch
  • 🤝 Contributions to their team
  • ❤️ Presence in our DMS community
Every student brings something special to our school, and we are better when they are here.

We know that students get sick, families have appointments, emergencies happen, and sometimes absences simply can't be avoided. We aren't asking families to send sick kids to school. We are asking for your partnership in helping your child be at school and engaged in learning as often as they can.

Because every day is an opportunity to learn something new, connect with someone, build a skill, make a memory — and be part of our DMS family.

So congratulations to our perfect-attendance students! We are proud of your commitment, and we hope you enjoy your Culver's treat! 🍦

And to ALL of our Barons: We can't wait to see you tomorrow. Because when you're here, it just feels a little more like DMS. ❤️🖤

Upcoming Events

8th grade Vision Screening: Tuesday, September 1

No Device Day in Classrooms: Friday, September 4

No School (Labor Day): Monday, September 7

District Cybersecurity Event: Thursday, September 10 @ 6 p.m. (DMS)

All School Convocation: Cybersecurity: Friday, September 11 @ 1:30 p.m.
Poster for a DeKalb Central Schools community event on Cybersecurity featuring speaker Rich Wistocki.
A red, illuminated marquee number '3' with a yellow outline on a black background.

Athletic Updates

Congratulations to our Student-Athletes of the Week, Teegan Opper and Rheagan Ball! 

These two are great examples of what it means to be a student-athlete and a positive role model both in the classroom and on the field. We’re proud of the way they represent our school and athletic program! 
Two smiling students, Teegan Opper and Rheagan Ball, hold certificates and Culver's gift cards.
Upcoming events for the Barons, including volleyball, football, and cross country matches.
7/8th Grade Football Weekly Recap with team logo and section titles.
Cross Country Season Opener results: 12 Top-20 finishes, 5 Top-10 finishes, 22/40 PRs, and 6th Grade Girls took 1st Place out of 20 schools.
A cross country team celebrates a successful home race with the text 'CROSS COUNTRY STRONGER TOGETHER!' and 'WOW!!!!'.
7th Grade Barons Volleyball Season Opener Recap with scores and player highlights.
8th Grade Barons volleyball match recap with action shots and team highlights.
A red, 3D number '4' with illuminated bulbs and a yellow outline on a black background.

This week in SST...

SST Weekly Highlights: Building Character and Community

This week in Student Success Time (SST), our students engaged in activities focused on building empathy, fostering leadership, and strengthening our school community.

Community Circle & Connection
We held Community Circles where students practiced the core agreements of speaking and listening from the heart. A major focus this week was the power of genuine compliments. Students explored the concept of "Never Admiring Quietly," learning the importance of actively sharing kind, specific observations about their classmates instead of keeping them to themselves. We also held discussions about the value of screen-free hobbies and finding balance in our daily routines.

Student Leadership: The Principal's Cabinet
We introduced the Principal's Cabinet, a student advisory council designed to give students a direct voice in our school's growth and culture. This group serves as a "think tank" to collaborate with leadership on improving our learning environment and school climate. Interested students can pick up an application in the main office; please note that forms are due by September 4th.

Projects & Reminders
  • Puzzle Piece Project: Students are currently designing personal puzzle pieces to showcase their unique identities. These pieces will be displayed to represent the diversity and individuality of our student body.
  • Community Support: We are encouraging students to support their peers at school events, including athletic games and Marching Band performances, to foster a strong sense of school spirit.
Illustration of a 'Principal's Cabinet' with a gavel and diverse group of people.

How you can help!

Parents like to get involved! We would love to have YOU! What can you do?

  • Donate to our ongoing Amazon Wish List. It supports our Care Closet, Food Pantry, Guidance Department, Teachers, and School Needs
  • Come work in our Care Closet! We always need clothing folded and items organized. Contact Carrie Wisehart!

One of our most exciting initiatives is Portrait Pursuit: Clash of the Competencies, our year-long leadership experience designed to help students practice the skills they will need in the real world.

Throughout the school year, students focus on the Portrait of a Baron competencies—Adaptability, Perseverance, Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Empathy, and Integrity.

Students practice these skills throughout the year, building toward our Portrait Pursuit Gauntlet, where they will put those skills into action in a series of real-world simulations.

WE NEED OUR COMMUNITY.

Friday, May 7 — Student Interviews
Community members will interact with students through interviews designed to help students practice communicating, thinking on their feet, and presenting themselves professionally.

Friday, May 14 — Portrait Pursuit Gauntlet
Students will rotate through real-world scenarios where they will interact with community members and practice the competencies they have developed throughout the year. We need business leaders, professionals, and community members to serve as interviewers, judges, mentors, and encouragers. Your existing Portrait Pursuit materials describe these community roles as an essential part of the experience.

WE ALSO NEED INVESTMENT.

To make the Gauntlet feel authentic, we need funding for the materials, supplies, props, and resources necessary to create realistic real-world scenarios.

You can sponsor a Gauntlet experience and help us turn learning into something students can actually experience.

Look for more information to come.
Black background with white text reading 'questions to ask your student' vertically.

Questions to ask your student...

  1. What was your favorite part of this week?
  2. What has been your most memorable Morning Meeting so far?
  3. What is a Baron Fist Bump?
  4. What is a third party compliment?
  5. What did you do at your club this week?

Mrs. Wisehart

Principal, DMS