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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Summer EDITION

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Drake Families,

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! I am Jill Kline, and I am excited to be your new Principal.

Since I graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1997, I have worked with children and families in many different capacities. I started my teaching career in 2000 in Mesa County as a Social Studies teacher, and quickly transitioned into special education. Over my career, I have served students with emotional, behavioral and learning difficulties, as well as students who are twice exceptional and gifted in Iowa and in Colorado. I have most recently been at Ralston Valley High School as a special education teacher (2008-2018), Dean of students (2018-2020) and Assistant Principal (2020-2023).xMy husband, John, and I have been a part of the Arvada community for several years, with our children (Riley-17, Karsyn-15 and Carter -11), having attended West Woods, Drake and Ralston Valley.

This year, my focus will be on getting to know Drake , not only from the perspective of a parent, but as the leader. I will meet with teacher, parent and student groups to continue to determine best ways to meet student's learning needs, provide adequate communication with the community and provide opportunities for students to thrive. I believe that all students should have access to a world class education, and our focus at Drake will continue to be on Instructional Excellence, continuing to provide meaningful opportunities for students, and continually working to CREATE a school where students are supported in achieving academic excellence and exploring fun and diverse opportunities while prioritizing safety and belonging.

To all of our Drake Students- I cannot wait to meet you, and to have a fun and exciting school year. I hope you are enjoying your time off, doing some reading and outdoor learning and exploring, and spending time with your family and friends.

Please know that my door is always open and I welcome your input and support.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our Open House on August 3 & 4 (details below). You can expect this regular communication weekly on Friday evenings once school resumes in August. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Mrs. Kline

OPEN HOUSE- AUGUST 3rd & 4th

We look forward to seeing all of our Drake Dragons at our Open House on August 3rd from 3-6pm and August 4th from 9-12pm. Pick a day and time that works for you! This is a great time to drop off your supplies, find your locker and try the combination and walk the halls to see where your classes are! If you have any medications to drop off, you can also see the clinic aide at this time.

You will also have the opportunity to take your school picture/student ID during the Open House. Here is the Lifetouch flyer. If you are unable to get your picture taken at this time, there will be another opportunity once school begins.

We will have a copy of your schedule for you when you arrive, and Here is a checklist to help you get everything done while you are here. We look forward to seeing you!

2023-2024 BELL SCHEDULE

Please look here for the 23-24 Bell Schedule.

SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST WEEK

Monday, August 14- LAST DAY OF SUMMER BREAK

Tuesday, August 15- First Day for 6th grade- 9:00-4:00

Wednesday, August 16- All Students attend- first day for 7th/8th- Gold Day Schedule

Thursday, August 17- Gold Day Schedule

Friday, August 18- Gold Day Schedule

*Gold Days - Periods 1 - 6

IMPORTANT INFORMATION for FAMILIES

Drop off & Pick up

Please see this video if you are unfamiliar with Drake's morning drop off and afternoon pick up procedures.

Safety Note*

We will only have outside and crosswalk supervision from 8:30-9:00am & 4:00-4:10pm. If your child needs to cross the street outside of these times, we recommend dropping them off or picking them up at the front doors instead.

Upon arrival: 8th goes to courtyard by basketball courts (south), 7th into courtyard on east side of the building, 6th to courtyard on the northeast side of the building.

Student & Guardian Handbook

Please make it a priority to read through our Student and Guardian Handbook. Let your Assistant Principal know if you have any questions.

Lockers

All students will be issued a locker to store their belongings during the school day. We ask that you please DO NOT put wallpaper, stickers or tape inside or outside of your lockers. It is incredibly difficult to remove. Feel free to use anything magnetic to decorate the inside of your locker and have fun with it!

What to do if I have concerns about my child?

We know sometimes parents have questions or concerns about what is happening with their child at school. For these cases, we have created an easy to read flowchart for the most efficient way to get your questions answers. Drake Concerns Flow Chart

Healthy School Meals for all

Over the summer, Colorado voters voted to provide free, healthy and nutritious school meals for all students. Please check your email for a letter from Jeffco Schools for more information.

Drake Sports

Drake is a part of the Middle School Sports Program in Jeffco. Check out all of our sports we offer, registration dates, and the seasons in which they will be play on our Drake Sports website.

FYI- registration for Skyhawks begins TODAY and will fill up quickly!

Building Updates

Our new gym floor was completed over summer break! It is beautiful and will allow us to incorporate new activities into our PE classes.

As you may have heard, our HVAC system was compromised over the summer when thieves broke into the outside area where the system is housed and stole thousands of dollars in copper wire. The school district is currently working to replace the system and provide more security to that area.

School Safety

As you know, School security is our top priority. You will be seeing what appears to be an increased presence of school security throughout the school day, as we have hired one Campus Supervisor. Gerald Martinelli comes to us this year, with many years of experience in school safety. He is looking forward working alongside Sheriff Joella Gallegos in building relationships with our students and keeping a positive school climate, preventatively focused on the safety of our students, staff, and visitors.

FROM COUNSELING

Drake Counseling Department

Drake's counseling team is very excited for the start of the 2023-2024 school year! Please look through our Newsletter that includes Counseling updates, Open House Info, upcoming lessons, small groups and resources.

There will be a new newsletter for each trimester throughout the year.

Drake Counseling Newsletter Trimester 1

FROM THE LIBRARY

Literacy & Technology

Hello Drake Families! If you are new to Jeffco, we will have a chromebook ready for your child on their first day of school or you may also pick it up during registration on Thursday, August 3rd. Library Orientation will occur during the first three weeks of school through your child's ELA class. We look forward to supporting your child's literacy growth and digital learning!

LEARNING IN ACTION - Dragons Around the World

London

Over the summer, Ms. Lockwood, Ms. Wolf, Ms. Cudnowski, Ms. Smanyaphirak, Mr. Underwood, Ms. Johnson, and Mr. Vasquez took 42 students to London on a Harry Potter/ Shakespeare/ Henry VIII tour. Highlights of the trip included visiting tour spots in London and learning about the history while making connections to Harry Potter. The group also saw a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe Theater, climbed to the top of St. Peter's dome, shopped in the wharf district, visited museums and visited the WWII HMS Belfast battleship.

ICELAND

Iceland was AMAZING! Eleven adults and 31 students flew overnight to explore the Land of Fire and Ice. We toured Reykjavic on our first day before traveling on the southern route of the Ring Road. We stopped in Vik and went to Black Beach (Pic #1). Gulfoss (Pic #2) means Golden Waterfall. We walked behind it too! Our glacier walk was chilly with a bit of snow spitting down but there's nothing like drinking fresh water right off the glacier and avoiding deep cravases! Fresh tomotoes grown in a greenhouse powered by steam, a hydropower plant (did you know 90% of Iceland's power is from hydroplants?), three majestic waterfalls, the Lava Center, (and a lava field that still emits steam), the Blue Lagoon, and more, filled our six fun filled days! Click HERE for a video of our trip! Mrs. Fier, Ms. Nelson, Mr. Donohue, Ms. Dunn, and Ms. Chubb were all chaperones on the trip. It was a fantastic adventure!

JAPAN

In July, teachers Michelle Johnson, Kat Ferguson, Laura Wolf, and Leon Vasquez took 25 8th, 9th and 10th grade students to Japan- this trip was three years in the making due to the COVID pandemic! Some of the highlights included shopping in the Harajuke shopping district, visiting the Asakusa, Hachimangu and Fushima Inari-taisha Shrines, the Great Buddha of Kamakura, Zen Budhist temple, the Bullet train, Black eggs, Golden Pavilion and Nijo Castle. What a wonderful experience!

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