Congratulations to all of the students who submitted an entry for this years Reflection Program! The theme was "Diversity Means..."!

Film: 1st Place - Hunter James (We Are All The Same)

Photography: 1st Place - Netra Ranganathan (City of Hopes and Dreams)

Visual Arts: 1st Place - Gunjan Shroff (Diversity Means the Wonders of the World)

2nd Place - Sehyun Moon (Rainbow Star)

3rd Place - Elina Shirolkar (Diversity is Natural)

4th Place - Mary Kattikatt (Diversity means similarities through differences)

5th Place - Gayatri Ganesh (Diversity is beautiful...inside and out)


ALL of the entries will move forward to the PTA Council Level for judging.

Announcing The Special Education Process Workshop to be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 6:30-8:30 pm at Davis Drive Elementary School. Registration Deadline: Friday, October 14th. To Register, send an email to LMCNEILL9@NC.RR.COM.

A free workshop for parents of children with disabilities, teachers, and other professionals!

Parents and families with children with disabilities often find the “world” of special education complicated and difficult to navigate. There are lots of processes to follow and lots of paperwork too!

This workshop will help to take the mystery out of special education and provide participants with an overview of IDEA and the “Special Education Process”.

Please join us on Tuesday, October 25^th and learn more about:

·        IDEA ’04 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act);

·        The important steps and timelines of the Special Education Process including:

o   Referral

o   Evaluation

o   Eligibility for Services

o   The IEP: Individualized Education Program

o   Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment

For more information or if you have questions, please contact:
Lisa McNeill, SEIC Liaison
Email: LMCNEILL9@NC.RR.COM
Phone: 469-8879

Workshop sponsored by:
Davis Drive Elementary and Middle Schools
Special Education and Inclusion Committees (SEIC)
http://www.dde-pta.org/seic
http://www.ddms-pta.com/seic

Workshop presented by:
The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC)
www.ecac-parentcenter.org/
Be sure to visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECAC-North-Carolinas-Parent-Center/135451317182

We hope that everyone has been enjoying their summer break and are ready for a new school year.  Your PTA has been planning and working over the summer to get ready for another outstanding year.  Parental involvement makes such a difference in the lives of our children, and the middle school years are no exception.  We are very excited about the variety of programs and activities we have planned for our students.  Our mission is to enhance the educational experience of every student through advocacy, events and programs; if you'd like to get involved (we'd love to have you) or just to find out more about what we are doing, please stop by the PTA Fair during Meet-the-Teacher.

At this event you will be able to:

Join the PTA:  PTA membership is a wonderful way to support our students and staff.  We have single ($6) and family ($10) memberships available.  Besides supporting the school, you will also be included in our Student Directory (this is a member only publication so you don't want to miss out).

Pre-Order Yearbooks: We will be pre-selling our Panthology Yearbooks for $30 (the price will increase to $35 if you miss the pre-order window).  This student designed publication captures all of the year's memories and is something every student is sure to want.

Purchase Spiritwear:  Stop by and purchase your Panther Pride Wear.  With new colors, designs and styles there will be something for everyone.  And 8^th Graders even have their very own class shirt!  Prices:  Regular T-shirts $10, Tye-dye t-shirts $15, Hoodie Sweatshirts $20, 8^th Grade Class shirt $10, Flannel Pajama Pants $20, DDMS Car Magnets $5.

Sign-up to Volunteer: There are a number of ways that you can be involved and help out.  Visit the Volunteer Table at the fair to complete a volunteer form.  We have an amazing group of folks that are organizing a number of activities but we can really use everyone's help to make this the most successful year yet at DDMS!

Help with No Fuss Fundraising:  We have a great way for everyone to help out while doing everyday things – linked grocery cards (Harris Teeter code 4147 & Kroger code 100000080160) and if you have a Target Red Card (visit www.target.com/tcoe school code 111318).  You can link your grocery cards at Meet the Teacher (you must link your own Target card online for security reason) or you can take these codes to the store next time you shop to have the clerk link them for you.

Get Connected:  We will also have information on:

• How to stay informed (Yahoo Weekly Bulletins and Websites)
• Panther Parent Chats (parent information presentations)
• Reflections (an annual National PTA sponsored arts competition)
• Fall Fundraiser (information about the drive and what the funds will be used for)
• All the other programs the PTA provides and supports

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on August 23^rd.

Lisa Phillips
PTA President