As we begin the second half of the year, we have received an increase in phone calls and concerns regarding Drake's traffic and systems during pick up and drop off time.  We continue prioritize student safety and getting the busses full of kids to school, navigating parents needs to get to work on time, getting traffic off of 52nd, relationships with our community neighborhoods/businesses and construction on Ward Road. I want to assure you that we are doing our best to make the process safe and as efficient as possible.  We continually revisit potential solutions to increase safety and efficiency, as well as have conversations with our community partners to ensure we are doing everything we can to make this process as tolerable as possible. 

We would like to remind parents of the following processes:

• Please watch for the adults stopping traffic in the parking lot and on 52nd outside the school.  Their purpose is to help students cross streets and lanes safely AND to direct traffic to ensure there are opportunities to get out of here.  If they are being put in increasingly dangerous situations with upset drivers, we will not be able to have our staff off of our campus to help.

• We do have 2 lanes pulling into the parking lot (always in the pm and sometimes in am depending on the construction/traffic situation), in an effort to free up some space for non- Drake traffic to get through on 52nd.  Generally, traffic in the lane closest to the curb should turn right onto 52nd and traffic in the left lane should turn left on 52nd.

• Please be courteous to our parents, students, staff and neighbors during these processes.  Know that drop off could take up to 10 minutes from the time you enter the parking lot to the time you exit, and pick up could take close to 15 minutes from the time school gets out.  Honking, swerving, yelling does not help anyone to feel safe and does not help the process. 

• If you feel particularly frustrated by the traffic situation, please know that we are open to help and ideas.  We also have space on our busses.  Please visit the transportation info finder to determine if bus riding is a current option for your student.

• If traffic feels worse than it has in the past, that's because IT IS!  We have more students than we have ever had and the traffic on the road at our start and end times is greater than it was at previous start and end times.  In addition, we no longer have clubs in the afternoons as we did previously. We have approximately 700 students riding in cars to and from Drake. We are all in the same boat and I am requesting that we work together and exercise patience.

6th and 7th Grade Parents: Important Honors Science Information

Drake is hosting a science fair Mar 5, 2024 from 6:00-7:30 pm.  Sixth and 7th grade students who are interested in honors science for 8th grade need to sign up in their science google classroom.  Students have received a presentation about the science fair requirements.  They can talk to their science teacher if they have more questions and/or if they need help.  Students are expected to complete the science fair with minimal parent involvement.  There will be additional meetings during school to help the students with their projects.  Science fair is required in either 6th or 7th grade to apply for honors science.   

We will be finalizing our yearbook order on Jan. 26. We will order extra and sell the excess until they are gone; however, because we pay up front, we don't order one for every student. Warning: LAST YEAR WE SOLD OUT and had some very sad families on the last day of school. Don't let that happen to you and order yours now! They are available at yearbookforever.com for $50.00.

If your student is interested in auditioning for our spring musical, please have him/her join our Google Classroom with the code: dgtvtpt.  Everything they need to know is in there. Start with the Informational Meeting Recap video and then peruse the audition materials. Auditioners need to record and submit an acting audition by January 10. Then they must attend one of the live auditions on January 16 or 17 from 4:00-6:00 PM in the auditorium prepared to sing a memorized song from the audition materials list. Callbacks will be posted on the eveing of January 17. If your child's name is on that list, he/she should attend callbacks on the 18th from 4:00-6:00 PM. The final cast list will be posted in the Google Classroom on the eveing of Friday, January 19.

Rehearsals will begin Monday, January 22. We will rehearse Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 7:20-8:50 AM in the auditorium.

Applications for stage crew will be posted on January 19 and will be due on January 25. You will be able to find links here in the Deets, on the Drake website, or in the Google Classroom. Stage crew will be meeting Thursday and Friday mornings from 7:30-8:50 AM. More information will be coming.

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SEL Lesson Questions for Families for 1/12/24 

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he Drake Mental Health Team will be teaching a refresher class to 7th graders on Signs of Suicide during ELA classes on January 23rd and 26th.  Here is a link to the SOS Parent Letter.

Drake's Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Results 

FRO-YO DAY - JANUARY 25TH (order by January 18th)- Delivered during 6th periodTreat your student to a Frozen Yogurt from Bliss during 6th period on January 25th.  Each FroYo is $5. There are 4 flavors to choose from! Salted Caramel, Chocolate, Cookies and Cream and Mango Sorbet. We have to get our order to Bliss a week before, so orders must be placed by January 18th.   Order Here by Jan 18th

We appreciate your support in this fundraiser for Drake PTO.  All funds raised go to help the school.  We understand not all kids will be able to participate due to circumstances beyond their control.  PTO will donate one FroYo per class for the teacher to raffle off.  If you would like to help us with donations by adding an extra to your cart we would appreciate that.   If you have questions about nutrition and allergies please visit the Bliss Website. Any other questions please email drakemiddleschoolpto@gmail.com

BURGERS - N - BASKETBALL - DRAKE COMMUNITY NIGHT AT AWEST JANUARY 24TH

Come catch an Arvada West basketball game and grab an In-n-Out Burger on the way in!  The basketball game is free!  The burgers must be purchased beforehand.  Order Here by Jan 21st.  You  can check in at the ticket table at Arvada West near the In-N-Out Truck starting at 5pm to claim pre-purchased burger meal  tickets.  There will be 4 games to see!  If you don’t have time for the game, just come for burgers!  

Double Header Basketball Schedule

4:30 pm-Arvada West JV Girls vs Columbine

6:00 pm-Arvada West JV Boys vs Columbine

6:00 pm-Arvada West Varsity Girls vs Columbine

7:30 pm- Arvada West Varsity Boys vs Columbine

We will need a little help with handing out tickets, line control and keeping A West tidy.  If you would be able to volunteer sign up here.  

WISH YOUR STUDENT A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Wish your student a Happy Birthday on the Drake digital marquee!

Get your student a "Happy Birthday!" with their name to rotate through the messages on the marquee throughout the day you choose (located at the entrance, off 52nd Ave.). 

The cost is $20, with all funds going back to Drake PTO. We need a minimum of three days to get the message scheduled and uploaded to the marquee. Click here to order today!