Good Evening Highlanders,

This is Mr. Vasallo, Principal of Dunedin Highland Middle School, with my weekly update.

Our Open House, scheduled for September 23^rd at 6pm, will be virtual.  Some items will be live and some will be pre-recorded.  All links will be posted on our website.

Teacher videos are available to be viewed now at this link: Teacher Open House Videos (updates will be made on the website). It is recommended parents watch the videos and then participate in the live sessions on Thursday.

• 6:00 – 6:30 – Title I Information Session Click Here to Join
• 6:30 – 7:00 – Principal’s Address to Parents Click Here to Join
• 7:00 – 7:30 – Q&A with teachers (by department) Links to be posted

Please watch the teacher videos for information on your student’s classes.  If you have questions about a class after watching the videos, you can join the department Q & A session after the principal’s address to ask you questions. 

The DHMS PTA is looking for input on the needs of our families and potential programs. Please take a moment to fill out their survey at this link:
PTA Survey 2021-22

The DHMS Band Boosters have a new web store with DHMS themed merchandise.  Among the more popular items are hoodies and water bottles.  Check out their store at this link:

https://dhmsbandboosters.memberhub.com/store/items/510202

In Sports, our Volleyball Teams play at Tarpon Springs Middle School on Wednesday afternoon. 

Our goal is to make sure that 100% of our students have a laptop this school year. Students will be taking FSA and EOC tests on their laptops and use them in daily instruction.  All students will start Write Score Testing on Thursday and will need their laptop to complete the testing.  Students need to bring their laptops to school every day. In order for your student to receive a laptop, your student must have completed the Laptop Responsibility Form 2-3184.pdf . Please print the form, fill it out, have your student show it to their first period teacher, and take it to Mrs. Rossell our Technology Specialist. Parents: please do not send duplicates, as this slows down the process.

Our Extended Learning Program (ELP) is underway.  Please fill out the ELP Sign Up 2021-2022.docx form on our website with your student, sign it and have your student bring the form with them to their first ELP session. If you have questions about any of our ELP programs, you may contact Mrs. Dolan, our ELP coordinator at doland@pcsb.org.

Hats or other head coverings may not be worn during the school day.  Parents please make sure your students leave these items at home.

Please send your student to school with a water bottle.  It is very hot and we have an outdoor campus.  Water fountains are closed this year, so students need to have a bottle with them that they can refill.

We are proud to announce the opening of the DHMS Food Pantry, in partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay.  The pantry will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays from 10:30-3:30.  We will be using online system called Link2Feed. If you need help signing up, we can help you!

Step 1. Please create a profile here: https://feedingtampabay.link2feed.com  

Step 2. The system will ask you questions like your name, date of birth, people in your household, race/ethnicity, and other demographic questions.

Step 3. Profile confirmation - you are done! Thank you for completing your registration. You will only have to do this once.

For more information on the DHMS Food Pantry, please visit: https://accounts.link2feed.com/users/sign_in or contact Mrs. Amato at amatos@pcsb.org

Dunedin Highland Middle Pantry.docx.pdf 

Link 2 Feed Information Letter.pdf 

Upcoming Dates:

9/22            Volleyball @ TSMS                                   4:30 pm

9/23            Open House for All Grade Levels            6:00 pm (virtual)

9/27            Volleyball Home                                        4:30 pm

9/29            Volleyball @ PHMS                                  4:30 pm

10/4            Volleyball Home                                        4:30 pm

10/7            End of 1^st Quarter                                    

10/7            Picture Re-takes                                       9:40 am    

10/8            No School for Students        

That’s all for this week at Dunedin Highland Middle School, where we conduct ourselves with Respect, Excellence, and Pride!  Go Highlanders!

Mr. Vasallo

DHMS School Website:

https://www.pcsb.org/dunedin-ms

Like us on Social Media!

https://www.facebook.com/DunedinHighlandMiddle/

https://twitter.com/dunedin_middle

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-WYYx83-gDR6S_kVXZTQHw

PTA:

www.dhmspta.org  

https://www.facebook.com/DHMSPTA/

https://www.instagram.com/dhmspta/

Band Boosters:

https://www.facebook.com/DHMSPipeBand/

https://sites.google.com/view/dhmsbandfl/home

Other past announcements:

For the most efficient response to a student or parent need during the school day, please contact your student’s grade level clerk.  Our grade level clerks are also the person you should report your child’s absence to:

• 6^th Grade Clerk, Ms. Herbert, herbertk@pcsb.org, ext. 2052
• 7^th Grade Clerk, Mrs. Carroll, carrollsu@pcsb.org, ext. 2051
• 8^th Grade Clerk, Mrs. Yeasting, yeastingd@pcsb.org, ext. 2053

If your student is experiencing any symptoms or sickness, please keep them home from school. If your student or someone in your home has tested positive for COVID 19, please keep your student home and contact Mrs. Bernal at bernalj@pcsb.org as soon as possible, so she can share the information with the district COVID team.  We will work with the department of health to determine quarantines and return dates based on your student’s specific case. For the most up to date information on COVID 19 in Pinellas County Schools, please visit: https://www.pcsb.org/covid19

We want to make sure parents know that if your student is quarantined or absent from school, that they need to access their teacher’s Canvas page.  It is my expectation that teachers keep their Canvas pages updated so students can access materials and assignments from home.  There will not be any live Teams lessons or simultaneous teaching this year.

Please note that our front office in not able to accept deliveries for students, such as flowers, balloons, or food delivery services like Door Dash or Uber Eats, etc.

If you want to help us provide positive behavior rewards for our students, please consider “adopting” DHMS by making a donation.  You can adopt our school by using the link at the bottom of our webpage (or here: adopt DHMS letter.pdf ).  You can send your tax deductible donation to our bookkeeper, Mrs. Chesley at chesleyr@pcsb.org.

Do you know a college student (not dual enrolled or Early College) who wants to make $14/hour as an employee of PCS working a flexible schedule that complements their college class schedule?

DHMS has an AVID program that supports students with tutorial sessions. The AVID elective class has tutorials twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The best tutors come from the school's community of teachers and friends because they have a personal connection to the school. If interested, contact Amanda Cummings at cummingsam@pcsb.org . Please spread the word!

I want to remind parents that cellphones, earbuds, headphones, and Bluetooth speakers are not allowed in the classrooms, hallways, or courtyard unless a teacher has directed students to use them for an academic purpose.  If you need to reach your child during the school day, please do not call or text them.  Please call the grade level office and we will have your student call you back.

A reminder to parents that when picking up and dropping off students, you may not use the front parking lot as a secondary car line.  With cars coming and going, it can be a dangerous area for students to walk through and cars that lineup block in parked cars from being able to leave.  If there are spaces available, you are welcome to park your car and escort your student to and from the crosswalk.  Car circle Map.JPG 

We want to thank our bus riding parents for their continued patience.  Pinellas County Schools is experiencing a driver shortage, which is causing significant delays.  In many cases bus drivers are taking one group of students home and then coming back to our school to pick up a second group.  We are communicating with the transportation office about late buses and they are doing all they can to fill open routes.  If your child rides a bus to school each day, you can keep updated on any issues by signing up for Bus Bulletin. Bus Bulletin will notify you by text, phone call or email if:

• A bus is late.
• A route has changed.
• There has been an accident.

If your child rides a bus, please take advantage of this free service. Sign-up by going to http://busbulletin.com/parents/