• Wednesday, May 18th - Lebanese Taverna Night @ DHMS, Pick-up 6:00-6:30pm
• Friday, May 20th - Movie Night at DHMS, 7:00pm
• Monday, May 23rd - Parent Chat in Spanish, 6:00pm
• Thursday, May 26th - Band Concert, 7:00pm
• Monday, May 30th - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
• Thursday, June 2nd - Chorus Concert, 7:00pm
• Thursday, June 9th - Orchestra Concert, 7:00pm
• Friday, June 10th - DHMS 8th Grade Promotion Party, 7:00-9:30pm
• Tuesday, June 14th - DHMS 8th Grade Kings Dominion Field Trip, 8:00am-5:30pm
• Tuesday, June 14th - DHMS PTSA Meeting, 7:00pm
• Wednesday, June 15th - DHMS 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 8:30am
• Thursday, June 16th - Last Day of School (Early Release)

Visit the online DHMS Master Calendar for the complete 2021-22 calendar of dates.

Thank you for a great Teacher Appreciation Week to show our amazing DHMS Teacher & Staff how much we appreciate them!

DHMS Lebanese Taverna Night

THIS Wednesday, May 18th - Pick-up @ DHMS 6:00-6:30pm

Mark your calendar for THIS Wednesday, May 18th for DHMS Lebanese Taverna Night! We are excited to partner with Lebanese Taverna to support our school, where you will have a chance to order and pick up your dinner right at DHMS! Click below to order ahead, and pick up your order at DHMS on Wednesday, May 18th between 6:00-6:30pm:

Place Your Lebanese Taverna Order for Wednesday, 5/18

***Online Ordering Deadline: Wednesday, 5/18 @ Noon***

Make sure to place your order online by 12:00pm Noon on Wednesday, 5/18, and pick up your order in the DHMS soccer field parking lot between 6:00-6:30pm.

DHMS PTSA Meeting Follow-up

Thank you to everyone who attended our DHMS PTSA Meeting on Tuesday, May 10th. If you missed the meeting, click here for the draft meeting minutes, and see below for the proposed slate of DHMS PTSA officers for 2022-23. Thanks also to the DHMS PTSA Membership for approving the April DHMS PTSA Meeting Minutes and updated DHMS PTSA Budget for FY21-22.

Contact Kristen Shattuck, DHMS PTSA President, with any questions, and mark your calendar for our last DHMS PTSA Meeting of the school year on Tuesday, June 14th at 7pm!

DHMS PTSA Officer Nominations 2022-23

Thank you to the DHMS PTSA Nominating Committee for presenting the slate of proposed DHMS PTSA Officers for 2022-23 at our May 10th DHMS PTSA Meeting, and a tremendous thanks to the nominees for volunteering to serve as PTA leads next year:

• President: *Open*
• VP Communications: Dena Porter
• VP Programs: Christa Mansur
• VP Community: Danusha Chandy
• Secretary: Angela Huskey
• Treasurer: Amy Erwin

Details may be found in the DHMS PTSA Nomination Report (5/10/22). Any DHMS PTSA member may self-nominate themselves to be added to the electronic ballot for elections on June 14th-15th. To submit your intent to run from the floor, send an email to president@dhmsptsa.com by Thursday, June 9th and include your name, email address, and position you are running for.

***If you might be interested in the open DHMS PTSA President role, or know someone who would be a great leader for our PTSA, please contact Kristen Shattuck, DHMS PTSA President, with any questions, or if you would like to submit your name for self-nomination.

2022-23 DHMS PTSA Committee Chairs

The DHMS PTSA Nominating Committee is working hard to fill a number of vacant positions to support the PTSA next year. Your leadership and energy help us to support our wonderful students and staff. Please click here to review the role descriptions, and please reach out to Kristen Shattuck, DHMS PTSA President, Susan Newton, Madelon Brennan, or Julie Madison to volunteer. Thank you for your support to ensure the success of our PTSA's programs and events next year!

Open DHMS PTSA Roles

• *DHMS PTSA President*
• 8th Grade Promotion (2023)
• ACTL Representative
• Audit Committee
• CCPTA Representative

• Community Outreach
• Historical Commemoration
• Nominating Committee (2023)
• Reflections Chair
• SEPTA (Special Education PTA) Representative

DHMS Spring Movie Night Rescheduled

Please join Ms. Allen’s Period 1 Individual Development Class and FCCLA Club for a Movie Night, Friday, May 20 at 7:00 PM, on the DHMS Driveway. Parents/Guardians must accompany students. Entry fee: 3 nonperishable food items per person.  

DHMS 8th Grade Promotion News

DHMS 8th Grade Promotion Party

Friday, June 10th 7:00-9:30pm

All DHMS 8th Grade Students are invited to attend the Promotion Party -- Let's Glow: A Black + White Neon Night on Friday, June 10 @ 7 - 9:30pm. Wear black or white, or bright! Join your 8th grade friends to celebrate the last days of middle school! LED/Glow in the dark games and decorations, DJ, Food, and More!

The cost is $10, payable through the school packet or the Square Site: 8th Grade Promotion Tickets

Parents: we need your help to make this event a success! Please review the Sign Up Genius to donate your time (need volunteers on site!), your talent (help us decorate, or bake or shop for yummy treats and decorations!), your treasure (please consider making a donation of any amount to help make this party a success for our great 8th graders!) 

Please contact Alise Troester, Kristin Woody, or Kristen Shattuck if you have any questions, or would like to join the Food and/or Decorations Subcommittee.

Seeking Photos for Promotion Video

Parents of 8th grade students: The Broadcast Team is making an end-of-year video to celebrate our 8th grade students. We'd love to include photos of as many students as possible. We are now accepting photos of your student from grades 6, 7, and 8. You can include candid photos, school activities, sports, and more. Please upload your photos here in the appropriate folder (one folder for each year that your student was at DHMS). The deadline is Friday, May 20!

If you have any problems uploading your photos, please contact Jenny Shanker.

DHMS News & Reminders

Real Y.O.G.A. SEL After-School Program

Real Youth Overcome, Grow, & Achieve

Suns out, mats out! As you know, May is mental health awareness month, and what better way to observe mental health awareness than with yoga… Real YOGA! Are you interested in gaining flexibility, becoming more mindful, practicing yoga poses, learning to meditate? If the answer is yes, then Real YOGA is just right for you. Take a look at the Real Y.O.G.A. Flyer for details, and sign-up using the QR code. Students may see Miss Banks in Room 131 with any questions.

Audition for Next Year's Broadcast TA

Is your 7th grader (rising 8th grader) interested in being on next year’s Broadcast Team? We're an 8th grade TA that produces a weekly news show that's shown throughout the school. We’re now accepting applications through May 23 at 9 pm. Students will have to submit a video as part of their application. They will be contacted for an interview the week of June 6. The link to apply is here. (Students must use their APS accounts to access this form.)

DHMS SOL Testing Dates

All students in grades 6-8 in Arlington Public Schools will take the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests between May 16, 2022 and June 14, 2022. Dorothy Hamm Middle School has selected the testing dates below:   

• Tuesday May 24: Science SOL (Grade 8) 
• Thursday May 26: Reading SOL (Grades 6, 7, 8) 
• Tuesday May 31: Civics SOL (Grade 7) and World Geography SOL (Grade 8) 
• Thursday June 2: All Math SOLs (Grades 6, 7, 8) 

Arlington School Board Meeting

Watch the Arlington School Board Meeting (5/12/22) for the latest APS news, including Superintendent Dr. Duran's announcements and updates. Click here for the agenda and meeting materials.

FY 2023 Budget: School Board adopted the FY 2023 budget totaling $749,919,963. The FY23 budget for Arlington Public Schools prioritizes resources to foster student well-being and academic success. It also invests in compensation and the school division’s commitment to hire and retain high quality staff to serve diverse student needs. Read more about the approved budget online.  

School Start Times and Bell Times Study: Click here to review the School Start Times and Results of 2022 Bell Time Study presentation. ***For Dorothy Hamm Middle School, the School Board confirmed a 7:50am start and 2:35pm dismissal for next school year.***

APS School Lunch Program Changes

Parents should be aware of several major changes to how students receive meals at APS. Starting July 1, breakfast and lunch will no longer be universally free for all students (due to decisions by Congress, not APS). Also, students receiving free meals at summer school sites will need to eat the meals at the school -- takeaway meals will no longer be permitted. The shift away from universal free meals means that once again, students will need to input their ID numbers in pin pads. Please help us move the lunch line faster by making sure your student has memorized their ID number starting this summer. 

The National School Lunch program requires APS to offer meals with 5 components, and students are required to accept 3 of the 5 components -- one of which must be a fruit or a vegetable. Milk is allowed to be declined. In order to reduce food waste, please encourage your child to bring home as a snack any portable fruits and veggies (whole pears, bagged carrots) that they don't have time to eat during lunch (and please work with your school's principal to support this effort). 

As a reminder, anyone who needs food assistance should complete the English or Spanish application in ParentVUE or at www.myschoolapps.com -- links and more information can be found at: https://www.apsva.us/food-and-nutrition-services-2/. Contact your principal if you need paper applications or translation assistance for other languages. Application deadlines are June 30, 2022 for the entire year, although there is a 30 day grace period after this date to reapply. For our five schools that qualify under the Community Eligibility Provision - Barcroft, Drew, Barrett, Carlin Springs, and Randolph - APS is working on rolling out a new supper program paired with academic enrichment for after school -- stay tuned for more details.

Please be aware that prior to the free meals, student meal debt was adding up in student accounts -- at all income levels of parents. Please double check your student's account at www.myschoolbucks.com to determine whether any outstanding balances exist. Students who owe money will always be allowed to eat a USDA reimbursable meal, but they will not be allowed to purchase a la carte items (including water and juice). There will be community fundraising programs launched this summer to help retire the approximately $187K of student meal debt that accumulated prior to the 2020-2021 school year. If you would like to contribute to retire student meal debt, or if your child is leaving APS and you would like to request a refund of any remaining balances in your student's meal account, you can do both at: https://www.apsva.us/food-and-nutrition-services/refund-request/. 

Upcoming APS Outdoor Lab Events

The Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA), which owns and maintains the Outdoor Lab for Arlington County Schools, is sponsoring several upcoming events. On May 20 from 4:00 – 8:00 PM, One More Page, an independent bookstore in Arlington, is sponsoring a fundraiser for the Outdoor Lab. The store will donate 15% of all sales during that time to the AOEA for use at the Lab. On-line sales count as well. The address is 2200 North Westmoreland Street. This is a great opportunity to support both a wonderful book store and the Outdoor Lab.