Good Morning from RSU 56. There will be no school in RSU 56 today, 5/29/24 due to route 108 being closed still from the incident that occurred last night in Peru. This closure will not change the last day of school, more information will be coming out later today. Thank you and have a great day.
TWK Dirigo Middle School is searching for a Math and Science teacher for Grade 6 and an Ed-Tech III to support intervention in English Language Arts. For an application or more information, please contact Lisa Sanborn at lsanborn@rsu56.org or call 207-562-7552. Go Cougars!
Here is our June lunch menu. Please note that we have changed the date to go to Mt. Blue State Park to Wednesday, June 12, and will have our Field Day on Tuesday, June 11th.
Dirigo Elementary School - Teaching Openings
* Music Teacher
To secure and submit an application or letter of interest, please contact: Lisa Sanborn - 207-562-7552, lsanborn@rsu56.org.
Attention Parents/Guardians: TWO announcements follow. 1) This Saturday is the 7th & 8th-grade semi-formal dance (not a dance for 6th graders). The tickets are free this year but must be collected in advance. Students must be eligible to attend, and we will not permit entry after 7:30 (start time is 6:30 with the red carpet introductions, students can start arriving at 6:00-6:15 for their pictures). Students MUST be in attendance the day before the dance to attend the dance. 2) The entire 8th grade is headed to Region 9 for a field trip this Friday, and we sent home the permission slips today. Please get those back to us ASAP. Students will get bagged lunches from TWKDMS, and spend the day learning about the various programs so that when they are older they will have an idea of what is offered. Things are moving quickly! Go Cougars!
As you know, this is Teacher Appreciation Week. Today our staff enjoyed an assortment of treats provided by community businesses and we want to say thank you for their support: Franklin Savings Bank, Conant Acres, On the Go Toes, Dixfield Discount Fuel, and Houghton Homestead. If you have a staff member you particularly appreciate, this is a great week to send an email or thank you note. Go Cougars!
Last Friday we honored our AMAZING school nutrition workers with gifts from the Student Council and PTO. This week ahead is Teacher Appreciation Week. It has been a tough year - floods, local tragedies, etc - and our staff has made many sacrifices to support the kids and their academic progress. Go Cougars to ALL of the amazing people that keep our school going!
Attention Parents/Guardians: TWKDMS is conducting spring state testing one test at a time. The 8th grade will take the NWEA in reading on 5/9 and in math on 5/14; both times will be in the morning so that the students with DHS classes in the afternoon will keep a regular schedule. The 7th grade will take the NWEA in reading on the same dates but in the afternoon. The 6th grade already completed its reading NWEA on 5/1 and will take the math NWEA on 5/8. The 8th grade also will complete the required MEA Science exam on 5/16. That should wrap up another year's worth of assessments. To try and make things a little more positive for our students, the PTO has sponsored some prizes that students can earn raffle tickets to try and win. Go Cougars!
On this National Principals Day, we want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible leadership of our Principal, Mr. Long. His dedication to fostering a positive learning environment and ensuring the success of every student does not go unnoticed. From his tireless efforts to his unwavering support, he goes above and beyond each day! Thank you for making DMS a better place!
Attention Students and Parents/Guardians: RSU 56 Policy JICJ prohibits using personal electronic devices in most situations during the school day in grades 6-8. It is a difficult policy to enforce, but we try our best. Unfortunately, the increasing number of students with wireless headphones has made that even more difficult. Despite repeated announcements and warnings at school, students continue to "pair" their wireless headphones with cell phones (even with their peers' cell phones). This allows them to bypass the content firewall in place at the school via personal cell phone data plans. We have tried to manage this problem one student at a time, but it has become too prevalent and contentious. Effective immediately, wireless headphones may not be used at TWKDMS during the school day. Students may continue to use wired headphones connected to school laptops to access appropriate music at the appropriate times. Students without wired headphones will be provided a pair upon request by the Main Office. Thank you for understanding. Go Cougars.
https://core-docs.s3.us-east 1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1021/RSU_56/3571885/POLICY__JICJ-_Student_Use_of_Cell_Phones_and_Other_Electronic_Devices__5_.pdf
Here is the lunch menu for May.
Spring sports season has arrived and the TWKDMS PTO is looking for volunteers to help with the snack shack for home baseball and softball games. This can be parents, staff, or supportive community members.
The remaining dates are:
Thurs. May 2
Thurs. May 16
Thurs. May 28
Games begin at 4 pm and we could use 1 or 2 more people in the snack shack each game. If you are interested in selling concessions for a couple of hours on one of these afternoons, please reply to Jana Richardson (lmnmom316@gmail.com)
or Shay Sayer (shay.sayer@gmail.com)
Thank you for your continued support! Go Cougars!
Happy Administrative Professionals Day to Mrs. Sanborn! Go Cougars!
Here is the link for tonight's school board meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TlKPho3tNM
Attention TWKDMS guardians - TWKDMS is supporting an independent study conducted by a neighboring administrator. If you are interested in participating, please read the explanation below:
Dear Middle School Families,
My name is Carrie Luce and I am a doctoral student at the University of New England.
I am looking for 10 parents/guardians of middle school students to participate in an exciting study aimed at understanding family engagement at the middle school level.
Your participation may help school staff better understand how middle school and home partnerships improve middle schoolers’ academic outcomes, attendance, and motivation during adolescence. More information can be found in the Participant Information Sheet and Recruitment Letter (links at the bottom of this post).
If you would be willing to participate in my study, please email me at cluce@une.edu.
Thank you for your consideration.
Carrie Luce
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17VSIO3lqLjEoP_2xf9JIBilFhhbuMX7q/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12mQ5yidBotp7M4pEKVLbYhAgAyCjQBW3/view
Community posting:
Today we are sending all TWKDMS students home with a pair of eclipse viewing glasses that are ISO 12312-2 & CE certified, and the manufacturer is on the American Astronomical Society (AAS) approved list of manufacturers. Here is some information from NASA about safe viewing (https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/). You will notice in the picture below the glasses we sent home, along with another current "bright spot" - the Wrestling Championship trophies. Go Cougars!
Good Morning from RSU 56. Due to the inclement weather we will have a remote learning day today, April 4, 2024. Have a great day.
JUST IN CASE: If we have a remote learning day tomorrow, students will be counted as present if they email their homeroom teacher before 10:00 am for attendance and do the work posted in Google Classroom. Students can reach their teachers using Google Meets at the same time as they would normally have class (links in Google Classroom). IF a student is without power or without the ability to participate, just let us know and it will be excused (email your homeroom teacher or call us at 562-7552). Go Cougars (but seriously, enough snow already)
All students are bringing home their T-2 report cards today. Please look for them.
