THE DRAKE DEETS

A weekly communication to our families on all the things Drake!

Drake Middle School12550 W. 52 Avenue Arvada, CO 80002

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October 13th, 2023 EDITION

Upcoming Events

October 16-18 Gold Day Schedule for students

October 17 PTO Meeting (12:45-1:45)

October 19 No School- Teacher Work Day

October 20 No School- Fall Break

October 23 Drake Travel 2025 Destinations Announced!

October 30 Fall Social/ Haunted House (5:30-7:30 pm)

October Calendar

CONGRATULATIONS

Students of the Month- September

Congratulations to the following students who were nominated by a teacher for being OUTSTANDING in September! The students' picture will be displayed in our photo case. They also received a certificate and a treat! GREAT WORK STUDENTS!

6TH GRADE: Noah G, Sammy S, Addy D, Zahra G

7TH GRADE: Duda S, Dylan S, Andrew V, Keaton A, Drake A, Max K

8TH GRADE: Tyler B, Karis M, Evie L, Eli V

IMPORTANT INFORMATION for FAMILIES

Lockdown Drill

We will be having our required annual Lockdown Drill on Wednesday, October 18. There will be Jeffco Safety & Security presence for the drill. No one will be able to enter or exit the building from 10:00-11:00 am.

Fall Social and Haunted House

Save the Date: The Fall Social will be held on Monday, October 30th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Click this link for more details. We are in need of parent volunteers for crowd control and to help run the events. If you are available, please reach out to Ms. Johnson at miajohns@jeffco.k12.co.us

We are also in need of donations of bags of candy and baked goods for the social (if not store bought, please include a list of ingredients). Baked goods can be dropped on the morning of October 28. Bagged candy can be dropped off at anytime, please just make sure all items are clearly marked with Fall Social on them and given to the front office.

Click here for Drake's Halloween Costume Guidelines.

PLEASE NOTE THAT STUDENTS WITH 2+ F'S WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SOCIAL- GRADES WILL BE DETERMINED ON FRIDAY 10/27.

Halloween Costumes at School

Tuesday, October 31 is Halloween. Students will be permitted to wear costumes to school if they wish. We love to see your creativity! Please follow our Halloween Costume Guidance and have fun!

Drake Travel 2025 Destinations Incoming...

Drake believes that learning is all around us. Every year, we launch three trips across the world for students to explore new cities, sights, and learn more about the world around them. On October 23rd, we will announce our next three destinations for 2025.
- Expect one posting in the Drake Deets on 10/27 and two emails (11/1-11/7) for meeting details. This will be the only time we send information via mass email regarding the trips.
- Questions? Email Sean Hoorelbeke at sean.hoorelbeke@jeffco.k12.co.us

Outdoor Lab Information

Please visit the Drake Middle School website for all OELS information. The presentation, who to contact with questions, and the consent form are all posted on the main page.

-Your Drake OELS Team

CMAS Scores Are Available (Student Insights)

CMAS scores, along with MAP scores are available by accessing Jeffco's Student Insights. You can review your child's MAP and CMAS data digitally. If you prefer a hard copy of your child's CMAS scores, you can pick them up at Drake anytime before October 20th.
Click the link HERE to be taken to Student Insights

Jefferson Center for Mental Health

Jefferson Center and Jeffco Public Schools have partnered for over 25 years to provide support to children and families in the district. The school-based therapist program is an innovative collaboration, with the primary goal of increasing access to mental health services for students and their families.

See this letter for more information about Drake's school based clinician.

Yearbooks!

Yearbooks are on sale at yearbookforever.com for $50.00. Last year we sold out. Please reserve yours early so you are sure to get one!

8th Grade Baby Ads Due by November 1

Parents, if you are interested in purchasing a baby ad dedication in the yearbook, go to yearbookforever.com and click on the Create a Baby Ad button. You will then be guided through uploading a baby/toddler picture and write the accompanying message. The cost is $45.00 and the deadline is Nov. 1 to allow us to meet our first deadline.

If you missed the parent meeting...
Follow this link to access the notes about everything we discussed. Information inludes:

Costuming
Scheduling
Jeffco Theatre Fest
and more...

Drake TV

Drake TV is here to keep our community Connected, Informed and Entertained.

Click Here to enjoy this week's student-produced broadcast, featuring the following segments:

Rolling Stones
Spotlight on Orchestra
Drake Flag Football
New Library Books
All About Taylor Swift

Miss an episode? Click Here to visit our archive!

National Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. This month, on the morning announcements, we will have information on what bullying is, who it impacts, and how they can all be Upstanders.

We encourage our Drake families to watch Stop Bullying: Speak Up - Bullying Prevention Documentary to learn more about how to stop bullying and be an Upstander. Here is a great article with 12 Ideas to Help Your Child be an Upstander at Home and Beyond.

All Drake 6th grader's participated in a lesson around bullying prevention. Each student helped create a poster to be hung around Drake to spread awareness or bullying prevention and how to be an upstander. Please talk with your child this weekend about how to be an Upstander!

Help Drake Get a New Soundboard

A group of parents is supporting a fundraising drive to purchase a new sound board for our school's auditorium. We are halfway toward our goal. If you would like to donate to the cause or get involved, please contact Laurel Wicke at Laurel.Wicke@jeffco.k12.co.us. All donations are tax deductable.

MENTAL HEALTH

Drake Counseling Department

What can students do if they experience unkind/mean interactions:

If it’s random (not a PATTERN) you can choose to ignore it.

If it continues, use your words. Use “I” statements. Be assertive.

If it still continues, ask for HELP. (Trusted Adult, Counselor, Administration)

Mental Health Resources

Free Counseling for JeffCo Students - Hazel Health

Jefferson Center Collaborative Care Clinic

Arvada West Resources

Help Coping With Stress

"Why am I Feeling This Way?" Teen Mental Health Misconceptions

Twelve Talks to Have With Teens- Marijuana - Link

Created by the Jefferson County Communities That Care Coalition

Social Emotional Learning

On November 9nd, our school will be participating in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS). This survey is very important to help us understand our students’ health and wellness. Below is a link to information about the survey.

Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Information

10/09/23 SEL Lesson DiscussionTopics for Parents

Recogizing Bullying and Harassment Family Letter

Family Healthy Habits and Physical Activity

FROM THE LIBRARY

Literacy & Technology

FROM 6TH GRADE

FROM 7TH GRADE

FROM 8TH GRADE

Drug Awareness Assembly

On November 2, 8th grade students will participate in a Drug Awareness presentation from a retired DEA special agent. The presentation motivates students to focus on their choices and to respect their potential in life.

From PTO

Important Info from PTO

NEXT PTO MEETING

Please join us for our next PTO Board meeting (all welcome) at 12:45 on October 17th.

DINE OUT FOR DRAKE -October 17th at Noodles 64th and Yank from 4 - 8pm.

Fall break is almost here...so let's skip cooking on Oct 17th and order Noodles! Stop by Noodles at 64th & Yank on your way home from school. You can help PTO raise funds that all support Drake Middle School. Be sure to tell them at checkout that you are with Drake or put in code GIVING25 for online orders.

CARPOOL BUDDIES

If you are interested in carpooling and wondering who lives around you that wants to carpool too, please fill out this Carpool Buddies form. Help save your time and make friends!

We will share the Carpool Buddies Spreadsheet with only those who have filled out the form. Then it’s up to you to find someone who lives near you and contact them. We hope this can help make a fantastic year!

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!

COMMUNITY INFORMATION