Dorothy Hamm Middle School PTSA
PHOENIX POST
Monday, October 18th, 2021
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming DHMS Dates
  • Tomorrow! Tuesday, October 19th - DHMS PTSA Meeting, 7:00pm
  • Wednesday, October 20th - Wear ORANGE to support kindness and inclusion
  • Thursday, October 21st - Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences, 4:00-7:00pm
  • Friday, October 22nd - No School for Students (Conferences, 8:00am-12:00pm)
  • Monday, October 25th-Friday, October 29th - DHMS Spirit Week (Details below)
  • Monday, October 25th - DHMS VLP Parent Chat, 8:30am (MS Teams)
  • Wednesday, October 27th - Early Release Day (11:54am)
  • Friday, October 29th - DHMS School Picture Make-Up Day
  • Monday, November 1st - Last Day of First Quarter
  • Tuesday, November 2nd - No School for Students
  • Thursday, November 4th - No School (Diwali)
  • Thursday, November 11th - No School (Veterans Day)

Download the DHMS PTSA Important Events 2021-22 calendar for all 2021-22 dates, and visit the online DHMS Master Calendar for the latest updates.
October is National Principal Appreciation Month! Thank you, Ms. E. Smith for all you do for our DHMS students and providing such a great start to the school year!
DHMS PTSA News & Announcements
Support the DHMS Phoenix Fund
Get ready next week for One DHMS One Week!

Show off your DHMS spirit each day by following the spirit day schedule below! Support the school by contributing to the Phoenix Fund and help your TA and grade level win the fundraising competition for highest percent participation. Check out the giving challenge details, and get an early start on donating to the Phoenix Fund here to help us reach our fundraising goal of $35,000. Contact DHMS PTSA Phoenix Fund Lead, Melissa Hardt, with any questions.

DHMS Spirit Week: Monday, October 25th-Friday, October 29th
  • Monday, October 25th - Sports Jersey or College T-shirt
  • Tuesday, October 26th - 80s Day
  • Wednesday, October 27th - Class Colors Day (6th: Red, 7th: Gold, 8th: Black)
  • Thursday, October 28th - PJ Day
  • Friday, October 29th - Orange & Black or School Appropriate Halloween Costume
DHMS Student-Led Conferences

At our PTSA meeting this Tuesday, October 19 @ 7pm (details below), we’ll get some additional information on student-led conferences being conducted this week. While student-led conferences may be unfamiliar to parents, they are a well-researched and helpful way to encourage responsibility and self-advocacy for our students. When implemented with support from teachers, students who design their conference session enjoy increased self-confidence, engagement and re-investment in their learning. The articles linked below provide some additional information on the benefits and opportunities of student-led conferences. 
DHMS PTSA Meeting - Tuesday, October 19th

Join us for our next DHMS PTSA Meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 19th at 7:00pm to learn about student led conferences (October 21st-22nd), upcoming construction at Military Road/Nelly Custis Drive, as well as the latest DHMS news from Ms. E. Smith and PTSA updates.

Zoom Meeting Details:
  • Meeting ID: 837 4190 7316
  • Password: Phoenix!

Please contact PTSA President,Kristen Shattuck, with any questions. Hope to see you there!
DHMS VLP Families - Parent Chat
Monday, October 25th, 8:30am

DHMS VLP Families are invited to join Principal Ms. E. Smith on Monday, October 25th at 8:30am via MS Teams to get your questions answered about staying connected with the DHMS community.

Phoenix Fund: DHMS Parent Social!
Thursday, October 28th 7-10pm

Why let the kids have all the fun?! We are excited for One DHMS, One Week to celebrate our school and focus on our fund-raising competition for the Phoenix Fund. Kids will enjoy Spirit Week, dressing up and showing their school pride. We want our parents to celebrate DHMS school spirit with a Parent Social at Continental Beer Garden in Rosslyn! Join us on Thursday, October 28 @ 7 – 10pm for hospitality and spirits with our incredible DHMS parent community! This event will be cash bar, and there’s a full menu available. See you there!
DHMS School Photo Make-up Day - Friday, October 29th
Jostens will be at DHMS on Friday, October 29th for School Photo Make-up Day!

  • If you haven't already, view and order your student(s)' photos from JostensPix anytime: View and Order Photos
  • If your student(s)' photos do not appear in your gallery, you can find your student using Event Code: FE183321.
  • You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and text.
  • Photos are shipped directly to your home.
  • High-res digital downloads are available.
  • If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay once.

Contact Patrice Brown, DHMS Picture Day Lead, with any questions.
DHMS Lost and Found

Looking for something? Maybe a sweatshirt, water bottle, lunch bag, etc.? If so, we have a bookcase in the stairwell under the stairs on the first floor diagonal from Ms. Dabney’s office where students can check if they have lost something (door 14).
Support DHMS! Recycle Your Plastic Bags

Remember to collect and drop-off your CLEAN AND DRY plastic film bags* as part of the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge to help DHMS earn the chance to win a Trex composite bench for our school! The plastic bags are used by Trex to make composite decking products.
DHMS Drop-off Locations:
  • 2115 N. Quinn Street
  • 3500 21st Ave North
  • 4324 17th Street North
*Click here for the list of acceptable items. Please contact green@dhmsptsa.org with questions. Thank you for your help to reduce waste!
Opt Into the 2021-22 DHMS PTSA Directory

The online DHMS PTSA Directory for 2021-22 is coming soon! Opt in to connect with DHMS Families as part of the AOVP process in ParentVUE. For each of your APS students, under PTA Student Directory - Opt In, select ‘Yes, Please provide my student/family information’ to be included in the online DHMS PTSA Directory.

You will be required to complete your AOVP before you are able to access any available features in ParentVUE, including class schedules and transportation routes. 
DHMS Library Volunteers

Want to volunteer in the DHMS Library? Please complete your APS Volunteer Application and then sign up for hours here. We welcome volunteers for a couple hours each day. Currently, we have morning hours, but if these do not work for you, please email Ms. Tsai to see if another time can be accommodated.
2021-22 National PTA Reflections Contest
This year's theme is "I Will Change the World By..."

Calling all student artists! Submissions for this year's Reflections contest are now open! Visit the National PTA Reflections website to learn more, and email Kristen Shattuck if you are interested. Students may submit entries in any (or all) of the categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, or Visual Arts. Parents: we are still looking for a Reflections chairperson! Please contact Kristen Shattuck to help us promote our wonderful DHMS student artists!
APS & Community News
Arlington School Board Meeting

Watch the Arlington School Board Meeting (10/14/21) for the latest updates from APS Superintendent, Dr. Duran, and the School Board, including the Superintendent's Announcements and Updates (10/14/21).
Virtual APS Middle and High School Information Nights

Virtual Middle School Information Night is on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 at 7 p.m. Virtual High School Information Night is on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021 at 7 p.m. Families will be able to participate live the night of the event. Families unable to watch the event live will be able to view the recording after the event.

Families of students entering middle or high school in the fall of 2022 will hear an overview about APS schools, school options, application deadlines and procedures, school-based information sessions, available student resources, and more. The link to the updated School Guidebook for Families will also be shared the night of the event. 

For more information, visit: 
APS Engagement Opportunities

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In addition, National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated across the county each year from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15. 

APS is currently reviewing our school division’s relationship and operations with School Resource Officers (SROs), including the review and monitoring of the APS Memorandum of Understanding with Arlington County Police Department (ACPD). Complete the community questionnaire to provide feedback on APS & ACPD School Resource Officers by Oct. 20: English | Spanish

Fall 2021 Boundary Process Engagement: APS is currently preparing for the fall 2021 boundary process that will be limited in scope and focused on refinements to provide enrollment relief to three schools for the 2022-23 school year: Abingdon Elementary School, Gunston Middle School, and Wakefield High School. Community engagement will take place from Oct. 15 to 31. Information on the proposals and the community engagement schedule are available on the Fall 2021 Boundary Process webpage.
Flip It! Parenting Series
Transforming Challenging Behavior

The Parenting Toolkit Many parents face day to day challenges communicating with their children, now more than ever. FLIP IT! is a weekly 1.25-hour virtual series that meets for 7 weeks to provide tools for parents to increase communication with their children and their families. Facilitated by Arlington County's Michael Swisher, the Parent and Community Engagement Specialist, and Leonardo Espiña, the Parent Education Coordinator. Classes start on Wednesday, October 20th. See the Flip It! Flyer for more details, and click here to register.
Yorktown Dance Team Jr Dancer Workshop

Come join the award-winning Yorktown Dance Team on Tuesday, November 2nd from 10am-3pm for a day of dancing and fun! Participants will learn dance team techniques, as well as a routine choreographed by the dance team officers that they will get to perform for family and friends at the end of the day! Register at yorktowndanceteam.org, and see details in the workshop flyer.
DHMS PTSA Reminders
DHMS Basics: Office: 703.228.2910 / Clinic: 703.228.2940 / Attendance: 703.228.2911
​​​Get Involved: Join the PTSA / PTSA Directory / PTSA Meetings / Volunteer
Engage With APS: APS Engage / Online Form / Open Office Hours / Meetings / Agendas​​
APS Health & Safety: COVID Testing / Health Screening
The DHMS PTSA Phoenix Post is a weekly newsletter that informs the DHMS community about DHMS, PTSA, and relevant APS and community news. Please send any newsletter submissions to newsletter@dhmsptsa.org by Thursday at 10am for inclusion in the following Monday's Phoenix Post.