October 24th Parent Update

October 24th Parent Update
Posted on 10/26/2020

Quarter 1 Ends Friday, October 30. Grades available on PowerSchool November 6th. Follow this link to learn what a quarter is and how the school year is structured. Follow this link to learn how to login to PowerSchool.

Halloween ASB Spirit Day October 30th -   This Friday, October 30th ASB will be hosting some lunchtime Halloween fun!  Wear your costume during your Zoom meetings and join us for a fun afternoon!

  •  On Friday, October 30 we will be having face paint day, since we can't show our school spirit by dressing up we can show it by showing our painted face on zoom. 
  • ASB will be hosting costume contests during lunch at 12 noon on Friday, October 30.  On the ASB website you will find a Zoom link for each costume contest by category.  Click on the Zoom link to participate in the contest according to your costume.  You will have a chance to show your costume to all your Dana friends and celebrate the fun of dressing up for Halloween!
  •  Immediately following the contest, an ASB student in each Zoom will lead a how-to-make slime activity at 12:30.  Stay for the fun!  Collect these items before the event;
  • Ingredients: Glue, borax, tide, contact solution, mixing tool, gloves, bowl, (optional) shaving cream, food coloring, clay, beads, foam balls, glitter, ext.
  • Measuring spoons
  • Mixing bowl
  • Mixing spoons
  • A plastic bag or container to put your slime in when you are done. 

Once you are done, you can play with your slime or you can store it for future play. Hope you have fun. 

Click on the Zoom links on the Dana ASB page. Want to know how to get there? Go to the Dana homepage (www.danamiddle.com), then click on the For Students menu and look for Dana Student Portal. The ASB website button is right there! Or just click this link!

Please join the fun to check out costumes, make slime, and make connections with our students!  

Dana Master Schedule To Be Adjusted November 2nd - Some Student Schedules May Change - We have some unfortunate information to share with our students and families regarding our master schedule. Dana Middle has been asked to reduce our teaching staff by two positions as a result in declining enrollment. As a result, we must shift teaching assignments to meet our updated staffing numbers and credential requirements. Some entire classrooms will be reassigned a new teacher. A few classrooms will be disbanded and rescheduled into other classrooms in order to accommodate the loss of teaching staff. Schedule changes will take place Monday, November 2nd. Please read this letter to parents.


Q2 Elective Change Requests Accepted - The Dana Middle School Counseling Department is accepting requests for elective changes for Q2. If your elective change request is approved, your student's entire schedule for Q2, Q3, and Q4 may be affected. Follow this link to submit your request before October 27th.


Reopening Update - Earlier this week we received some news regarding the future reopening of our school and all schools within San Diego Unified. District planners have outlined the next phases for that reopening and announced plans to release a timeline for the next phase following the next County Health Department update on Tuesday, October 27. Follow this link to view an informational letter for parents. This letter was distributed via email on 10/22.


SDUSD Implements New Grading Policy - Last week the SDUSD School Board adopted a new grading policy for secondary schools. Effective Monday, November 2nd all secondary teachers will remove non-academic factors from academic grades and provide opportunities for retakes and revisions. 


Examples include awarding or removing academic points for participation, behavior, or turning in an assignment past a due date. Turning in late work may impact a child’s citizenship grade. Teachers will still have due dates and final turn-in deadlines will be identified to provide teachers with the time required to grade an input data prior to the end of the grading period. 


There are limits to what a child can revise and the frequency in which they can do this. The revision policy is designed to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate they meet a specific standard. For example, a student who fails a test can retake it for a better grade. A student who already demonstrated they meet the standard with a B will not be eligible to retake the test to earn an A.


Certain elements of the grading policy adopted by the SDUSD School Board are designed to be implemented over the next two years. Additional information regarding these changes will be shared as they become available.


A Message from the Dana Counseling Team -  All students have two ways they can talk to their school counselor.  Students can request an appointment or visit drop-in office hours Mondays on Zoom. Visit our virtual office for more information.

Quarter 2 Textbook / Materials Distribution Dates - November 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th. Drive thru hours 10 am – 5 pm

  • RETURN SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS if you had per 1A, 2A or 3A.
    •  Science Resources (gr 5) or Earth Science (gr 6) may be placed on the flatbed cart while you are waiting delivery of qtr 2 items.
  •  PLEASE RETURN any Advanced 2 Math workbook:
    •  If it is "new and unused" please bring it back to campus. 
  •  RETURN ALL LIBRARY BOOKS. 
    •  Please check Destiny prior to coming to the drive thru.  destiny.sandi.net  Students login using their six digit ID and password, click MyInfo tab-lists current items checked out  See if you have any outstanding textbooks or library books from a previous year. You will see that your current textbooks have been pre checked out for you.
  •  IF YOU HAD MR. CONAWAY AND CREATED A CITY FLOAT PLEASE ASK FOR IT.
    •  They are now in the library and available for pickup. Please ask for it when picking up your Qtr 2 materials. Floats will be held on to in the library until the end of December. 

Drive Thru directions:

  1. Enter the blacktop playground by way of the parking lot off Narragansett Av
  2.  Follow the cone pathway between the multipurpose room and the library
  3. Please remain in your car
  4. Remember to wear a mask
  5. Share a student last name, grade level, and purpose of visit with staff member
  6. Staff member will bring materials to you

Broken Laptop Procedures - The district has updated their procedures for repairing broken student devices. Click here to learn more.

Free Flu Clinics - San Diego Health & Human Services Agency will host six free flu clinics across the County, starting Thursday, Oct 22. Walk-ins are welcome. Flu shots will be available for ages 6 months old and up. Click here for more information: (English, Spanish)

Supporting our Military Families - Dana’s Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) program.  This program addresses the impact of military life on children and their families and focuses on issues such as deployment stress, family reunions following deployment, coping skills, relocation adjustment, grief and loss, friendships, and building resilience.  Our MFLC is Michelle Labrador; she provides telehealth counseling sessions to military connected children and their families. Follow this link to learn more. Telehealth counseling sessions are available by contacting Michelle at 619-323-5332.  The services are short term, non-medical solution-focused counseling. The services augment existing military support services and are free of charge and private/confidential. 


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