October 16th Dana Update

October 16th Dana Update
Posted on 10/16/2021

Dana Logowear Now Available!

Show your school spirit by rocking Dana t-shirts, trucker hats, and hoodies! Click this link to view our online store today. Purchased items will be delivered to your child through their ELA classroom. All proceeds go to support the Friends of Dana and Correia Middle Schools. Don’t forget every Friday at Dana is spirit day! Wear green or your favorite logowear! 

 

Save The Date - Movie Night November 12th

Friends of Dana and Correia Middle Schools are hosting a free evening event for Dana and Correia families. Please join us on the Dana Playground at 5:30 PM. Bring a beach chair and blanket. Food concessions will be available for purchase. The title of the age-appropriate movie is being determined by the ASB students at Dana and Correia Middle Schools. Dana Logo wear will be available for purchase at Movie Night. Correia Logo wear coming soon! 

We are looking for volunteers to assist with supervising and coordinating the event. Please contact Stacey Hoffmayer at [email protected] for more information. 

IMPORTANT: This is a family event. All students must be accompanied by an adult. This is not a drop-off event. Students without parent supervision will not be admitted.

Mrs. Field’s Cookie Dough Fundraiser for Dana ASB

Help us fund exciting student activities at lunch! The Dana ASB is conducting a Mrs. Field’s Cookie Dough Fundraiser. Proceeds to our Dana ASB are used for spirit days, dances, field day, and other fun activities. You can even order online!

Cookie Dough order forms were sent home on Wednesday, October 13th. Ask your child for the form and purchase cookie dough for your friends and family. Orders are due Wednesday, October 27th. Orders will arrive in time for the holidays. More information to come!

Thank you for helping to make Dana a dynamite school!

How To Read Your Child’s Progress Report - Understanding Grades

The Dana Middle Staff is progressing towards the implementation of standards-based grading. Expect one or more of the following shifts to appear in PowerSchool.

Concept

Traditional Model

Standards-based Model

Academic Grade

What was considered acceptable was subjective and varied. Some families only accept an “A” grade from their children.

Students are expected to meet grade level standards. This is represented by a 3/B. 


A 4/A (Exceeds Standards) should be considered as exceptional and rarely obtained. Expecting children to obtain 4’s on a regular basis is unrealistic.

Grading Intervals

A = 100-90

B = 89-80

C= 79-70

D = 69-60

F = 59-0


60% of the range is associated with failure.

A/4 = Exceeds Standards

B/3 = Meets Standards

C/2 = Approaching Standards

D/1 = Below Standards

F/0 = Not Enough Evidence


Equal intervals for all categories.

Percentages

Students are measured on a 100 point scale. Electronic gradebooks were used to calculate this level of granularity.

Traditional 100 point increments do not apply to this measurement system. Parents should ignore legacy percentages in PowerSchool and focus on individual assignment scores.

Late work

Late work results in a lower academic grade

Late work results in a lower citizenship grade. The academic grade is used to measure student knowledge of standards.

 

The transition to a Standards-based grading system is a multi-year process. The Dana staff is in the middle of this transition. Expect to see one or more elements in your child’s progress report. Thank you for demonstrating flexibility during this important transition. Click this link to learn more about our work and the impact it will have on how we report student progress towards meeting grade level standards and expectations.

Homework Club Update!

Homework Club will meet after-school in the library on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for one hour. Students can receive homework help from Dana teachers. Families must fill out an interest form BEFORE their child attends. Click this link for more information. Homework Club starts on October 11th. 

We would like to thank the Friends of Dana and Correia Middle Schools for making this resource available to Dana students.

Federal Survey Cards and LCFF Forms Distributed Oct. 8th

Parents are receiving multiple forms to fill out this week. Please check your child’s backpack today.

  • Federal Survey Cards were distributed to students through their Language Arts class on Friday, October 8th. It used to be a green or yellow card but is now a white piece of paper. Ask your child for this form. Fill it out, and return it to their Language Arts teacher. Cards are due back by Wednesday, October 13th. Click this letter to learn more about why filling out this form is important.

  • LCFF Forms were distributed through Language Arts class on Thursday, October 7th and Friday October 8th. This form is a bubble fill-in sheet with three questions. This should be returned ASAP. IMPORTANT: a few children will not have a form because their parents filled it out online via PowerSchool.

Our school receives additional funding for every card that is returned. Click here to learn more.

Parent-Teacher Conferences Oct. 20th -22nd.

Dana Middle will conduct parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday, October 20th. through Friday, October 22nd. We will follow a minimum day schedule during these days. School will end at 12:15 PM. School staff will reach out to families regarding our meeting schedule. Families requesting a conversation should communicate directly with the teacher. All parents are welcome to communicate with teachers but please understand we have placed a priority on meeting with children experiencing academic difficulties.

Thank You For Donating Socks to Father Joe’s

We would like to thank the students and families who participated in our ASB Sock’s for Father Joe’s project. Your gifts will support needy families in our community. Thank you for demonstrating Pointer Pride!

EvOLvE Dance Club

Join Dance To EvOLvE at the Dana after school dance club where you get to ‘Dance! Design! Direct!‘. 

Classes are every Thursday after school, 12:25-2:25, in the MPR for all students! Do it all in this unique student-directed class that goes beyond traditional dance classes where students are able to make the choices. The EvOLvE class combines dance instruction with creative freedom allowing the dancers to be the decision makers by exploring choreography, music selection, show management, and art and costume design for their end-of-session performance.  

Students love this class as it allows peer interaction and truly lets their imagination shine, and parents love this positive and high-energy class because it builds confidence, teamwork and communication skills while also developing dance skills. 

So register today, to get dancing, designing, and directing! LINK TO REGISTER.
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.