News from the Nest

Dacula Middle School

137 Dacula Road, Dacula, GA 30019 / 770.963.1110

Click Here for the Dacula Middle School Website

March 22, 2024

As a reminder, on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. In Gwinnett County, weather permitting, we will experience a partial solar eclipse between 1:45 p.m. and 4:21 p.m., with the maximum viewing time at 3:04 p.m. Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) will operate on a normal school schedule on April 8, 2024.

All students will be provided with solar viewing glasses and safety instructions during the school day if they want to view the eclipse after school. Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) will operate on a normal school schedule on April 8, 2024.

DMS Students will be allowed to bring a towel that day to sit on since we will be going outside on the field to view this event. Due to the timing of this event and being outside we ask that families avoid early checkout after 2:30pm unless it is an emergency situation.

2023-2024 Awards Information

Dear Parents:

As spring semester is underway and spring break approaches, we want to share details regarding Honor Roll and Principal’s Honor Roll recognition for our end of year awards. You will receive a progress report noting your child’s performance through March 28th. This report will be emailed home on Friday, March 29. Any missing student work noted on the progress report should be submitted no later than Friday, April 12. Submitting late work after the Friday, April 12 deadline will not change a student's eligibility to be recognized for academic performance.

The grades on the April 19th progress report along with the grades on the first semester report card will determine if a student is recognized for academic performance this school year.

We encourage parents to monitor their child’s grades every week through the use of the parent portal.

Recognition at the local school this year will include:

- Honor Roll - All A’s & B’s for the year (including individual connections classes)
- Principal’s Honor Roll - Straight A’s for the year (including individual connections classes)

Invitations/email for award recipients will be sent the week of May 6 via ParentSquare.

6th/7th Grade Awards Date - May 13 at Hebron
8th Grade Awards Date - May 14 at Hebron

Dacula Middle School Celebrates Women's History Month

March of Dimes Fundraising Drive ~ Pie a Teacher!

2024-2025 Connections Eligibility

All current 6th & 7th grade students will have completed their 2024-2025 Connections Options Survey during Advisement on Wednesday, March 20th. This gives them the opportunity to express an interest in which Connections courses they would like to take next year.

Students that were absent may complete their options surveys from the DMS Website ~ Top 3 section.

Some available Connections courses are only open to students that meet specific eligibility criteria.

The eligibility criteria for these courses is based on grade criteria and were outlined in the specific notifications that were sent to families via ParentSquare on Monday, March 11th.

** Students are not guaranteed to get all of their chosen options. Student schedules are not finalized until August so course placements will not be available until that time. **

Student Device Updates

Intentional damage done to school issued devices will result in disciplinary action. Please speak with your child about proper care of Chromebooks and its components. Students are required to have the device they were assigned by our Technology Team AND its charger.

Device Damage and Fees:

Many students have outstanding fines for damaged or lost devices and accessories. All students are made aware of fines added to their accounts when damages or losses are reported.

Starting on Monday, March 4th, parents of students with outstanding fines will receive email notifications for these fees and how to pay for them.

If you are unaware or have questions, please talk to your child first or check your MyPaymentsPlus account at https://mypaymentsplus.com for details of the fine.

8th Grade ~ Need to Know Info.

For our Rising 9th Grade Special Ed Students, please see this section on the Dacula High School website for information to help your student make the move to high school.

Great Things are Happening at DMS!

The Dacula Cluster was highlighted at the February 8th GCPS School Board meeting for the collaborative work we have been doing developing critical thinking skills and practices with our students.

You can also read about what we've been doing on the GCPS website:

Critical Thinking in the Dacula Cluster

Morning Tutoring and Student Drop Off Reminders

For safety reasons, morning car rider students should not exit their vehicles until the first bell rings at 8:55am. Students are not allowed to enter the building until that time as there is no staff supervision available.

Students needing to be dropped off prior to the morning bell must use the bus lanes and enter the cafeteria up until 8:35am. After that point, all traffic must go through and line up in the car rider lanes at the front of the building.

Thank you for your cooperation and attention to this important safety issue!