Derby Middle School Week at a Glance 2018-2019

Monday (4-22)
Picture Day-All Sports
Girls Soccer Home against West Hills Middle School at 4:00 P.M.

Tuesday (4-23)
Boys Tennis Home against BHMS at 4:00 P.M.
Track Meet Home at Seaholm HS at 4:30 P.M.
Forensics 7:00-8:00 A.M.
Typing 101 3:15-4:15 P.M. (until 6/4/2019)
B2 3:20-4:20 P.M.
Jazz Band 3:20-4:20 P.M.

Wednesday (4-24)
Girls Soccer Home against Berkshire 4:00 P.M.
Fantasy Gaming Unplugged 3:15-5:15 P.M. (until 6/5/2019)
Super Snacks 3:15-5:15 P.M. (until 6/5/2019)
Competitive Video Gaming 3:15-5:30 P.M. (until 5/29/2019)
B2 3:20-4:20 P.M.

Thursday (4-25)
Boys Tennis Home against BCS 4:00 P.M.
Improv Comedy Club 3:15-4:15 P.M.
Derby Musical 7:00 P.M.

Friday, (4-26)
JavaScript Club 3:20-4:40 P.M.
Chess Club 3:20-4:40 P.M.
Derby Musical 7:00 P.M.

Saturday, (4-27)
Derby Forensics Tournament @ BH H.S.
Derby Musical 7:00 P.M.

Mark Your Calendars
8th Grade graduation celebration photos will be taken April 22ND – April 30TH
Friday, May 3rd Principal’s Update/ PTA Meeting 9:20 a.m.-10:40 a.m.

Get connected into the happenings of Derby by…
 *Receiving and reading Mrs. McKinney’s Derby Weekly Update email.
*Signing up for Mrs. McKinney’s Remind text messages by texting the message @derbyms to 81010 from your mobile device.
*Visiting the Derby Middle School webpage (http://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Derby).
Following us on Twitter (@Derbyms) and FaceBook.

Derby Safety & Security Rules - Spring Reminders

Student Arrival:
Derby's doors open at 7:30 a.m. for student drop off. Students are not allowed to be in the building before 7:30 a.m unless they are in an adult supervised activity (study session, practice, club etc…) Once the doors open, students are to be in the main/counseling lobbies, cafeteria or go to the library and wait for the first bell. Food and drinks are to remain in the cafeteria.

Student Departure:
At the end of the school day, students must either head to their adult supervised school activity or outside to be picked up preferably by 3:30. Students who stay after in an adult supervised activity must secure a ride home prior to the activity. All students waiting for rides, will be outside. This is a gentle reminder that students are not allowed in the building without supervision.

Student Drop Off & Pick Up:
Please do not park cars in the front driveway loop as it causes unsafe backups and traffic hazards during drop off and pick up times. Please be mindful of your speed and students are to be dropped at the curb only. We do not want them crossing traffic in the drop-off lane. Thank you!

Birthday Policies:
For student health and safety, please do not bring birthday treats & foods to share. 

Lunch bags:
Please remind your student to take their lunch bag home every day. Earlier in the school year, we had lunch bags containing food items left on our cafeteria shelves and as a result, we had a fruit flies and ants infestation in our cafeteria. In our order to continue to keep our cafeteria safe and clean for our students and staff, any lunch bags found in the cafeteria will be emptied of all contents and put in the lost and found area. 

Hey Derby – Do you have Talent?
We have had a FLOOD of auditions and we know there are more of you out there that want to audition! Soooo, we will be extending the auditions to Wed April 24th and Thurs April 25th. Auditions are during your lunch and rec in the orchestra room (room 112). Please see Mr. Hickmott or Mr. Costello if you can’t make either day and want to audition still. Hope to see you there!

Consider auditioning for the Derby Talent Show and showcase your talent in front of an 800 person audience! The show will be an ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY STAGE SHOW on May 24 and is open to all musicians, singers, dancers, rappers, actors, comedians, magicians, or anything else you want to showcase!

Band and Orchestra Message
Congratulations! All students in the band and orchestra got either a 1 (superior) or a 2(excellent) at solo and ensemble on Saturday. They did a GREAT job representing Derby!

Choir Message
Derby Choir will have their final performance on Monday, June 3rd, in the Seaholm Auditorium at 7 pm.

Spring Testing Schedule
Testing Update:
*8th-grade students who were absent for PSAT 8 and/or M-STEP testing will begin participating in makeup testing this week. 
*6th-grade students will take the ELA M-STEP on the morning of April 29th and the MATH M-STEP on the morning of April 30th.
*7th-grade students will take the ELA M-STEP on the morning of May 6th and the MATH M-STEP on the morning of May 7th.

Thank you for keeping these dates in mind when making vacation plans, dental/doctor appointments, etc. If you would like more information about these assessments, please check the
quick-links on the Derby homepage.

Mark Your Calendars: 2019 Spring Assessment Schedule
Spring is upon us and you know what that means – it’s assessment time in Michigan! Starting in April, your student will begin participating in various district and state-wide mandatory assessments. Please keep the dates below in mind when making vacation plans, dental/doctor appointments, etc.:

If you have any questions regarding testing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Derby’s Testing Coordinator, Michelle Gallacher, at mgallacher@birmingham.k12.mi.us.

Spring Promotion & Awards:
As determined last year, this school year we will be blending the 8th-grade promotion with the formerly called awards day into one event. We are looking forward to honoring our 8th graders for their achievements in the classroom as well as their celebration of completing middle school. Please save June 12th at 6 pm and see below for further details.

Edited to add for clarity: As part of the decision made last year, the once 6th, 7th and 8th grade awards day will no longer happen as a separate event. Cumulative awards will be blended into the 8th-grade promotion and there will not be a separate 6th and 7th-grade event.

Save the Date for the Derby 8th Grade Graduation & Celebration:
June 12, 2019, at 6 pm at Derby
Ceremony seating is limited to two guests per student due to fire and safety codes. The Celebration is a long-standing Derby tradition for students immediately following the Ceremony with student pickup at 9 pm. $25 per student for the Graduation Celebration. Additional information, including how to pay, will be coming in the next month. You can also join the "Derby 8th Grade Graduation 2019" Facebook page where updated information will be posted. If you would like to volunteer to help at Graduation or the Celebration, you will receive reserved seating. To sign up to help: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090b44adaf29a20-derby5

8th GRADE GRADUATION CELEBRATION PHOTOS WILL BE TAKEN APRIL 22ND – APRIL 30TH

As part of the 8th-grade graduation celebration, we will be taking a black and white
headshot of your son/daughter. All students will be photographed. These portraits are included in the price of your celebration ticket and will be displayed in the hallway at the 8th Grade Celebration. Following the celebration, you may take the picture home.
We will have two parent volunteer photographers at school during A2 to take the pictures. Please have your child camera-ready on the scheduled date below.

Monday, April 22nd – Mrs. Butchko, Mr. Tuomi
Tuesday, April 23rd – Mr. Hickmott, Ms. Hicks
Wednesday, April 24th – Ms. McGrath, Ms. Pavlock, Mr. Perrone, Ms. Pratt, Ms. Priebe
Thursday, April 25th – Ms. Caldwell, Mr. Chappell, Mr. Auten
Friday, April 26th – Ms. Bartold, Ms. Barclay
Monday, April 29th – Mr. Wilson, Ms. Wind
Tuesday, April 30th – Mr. Thayer, Ms. Jenson, and any make-ups
** Any 8th-grade students attending the D.C. meeting on the 25th will have their pictures taken on Tuesday, April 30th.**
If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Ordona (rachelordona@gmail.com) or Kim LaBarre (kimberlabarre@gmail.com)

Reminders From the Front Office:
If you are planning on excusing your child early during the school day, please send your student with a note in the morning to the main office. They should bring the note to the main office. We will hand your student a pass to leave class at the appropriate time. Parent/ Guardian will need to sign out their student at the main office before leaving the building. Students may sign themselves back in upon returning.
This is the procedure for leaving during the day and will help expedite the students leaving early and reduce interruptions in the classroom. Thank you for your cooperation!

Office Help 
Your help in our busy front office would be very much appreciated! Time slots are noted on the sign up below. Thank you!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4DAAAC23A20-office1

Peter Pan Jr. Online Reserved Tickets are now available for purchase!
We are very excited to launch Derby’s new online reserved ticket program, Ludus, for this year’s Peter Pan Jr. musical! 
With Ludus, you will be able to:
Purchase your tickets online by credit card
Pick your actual seats for the show
(There are numbered Gym floor seats and Bleacher seats available)
All ticket prices are $10.00!
Go to the following link to purchase your online tickets now: derbymusical.ludus.com
Please note: We will also have tickets available for purchase during the Derby lunch hours throughout Tech Week (April 22-26) as well as before performance nights!
If you have any questions, please contact derbymusical@gmail.com

Messages from Derby PTA
* First Friday Staff Donations
Calling All Parents! Let’s end the year strong and acknowledge our Derby Staff. During each PTA meeting, we do a drawing for small gifts that have been donated by our Derby Families. Our last PTA meeting is May 3rd and we have 40 well-deserved staff who have yet to get a gift. Help us out and sign up to donate an item or gift card so we can acknowledge 100% of the staff. All you have to do simply drop it off at the office before the PTA meeting on May 3rd.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ba5a92c7-derby

*Reflections
Derby PTA is in need of a board member to run the Reflections Program. Each year, students in Pre-K through Grade 12 are invited to create and submit original works of art in the areas of Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts. The Reflections program offers all BPS students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Reflect on the theme. Create original work. Be recognized! We are looking for a parent to sign up to run the 2019-2020 DMS reflections program. If you are interested please email Natasha Sinagoga at Natasha.sinagoga@nccmedia.com

Library Boosters' Picks of the Week are: Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Far Away by Lisa Graff

BEF District-wide Garage Sale
During the sale, we found a men’s wedding ring in a box of shoes that had been donated, and we’re trying to reunite the owner with their ring. Please contact Alison Hendry at 248-203-3030 if you believe the found ring belongs to you. 

DISTRICT 2019-20 CALENDAR UPDATE
While the district works to finalize the Birmingham Public Schools 2019-20 school year calendar, we would like to share with you our start and end dates along with scheduled breaks for the upcoming school year. We will share the calendar in full once it has been finalized and approved. Find our calendars at: www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/calendars.

2019-20 Break Schedule
Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019 – First day of school (Half Day, AM only)
Sept. 26 – All Schools half day (AM only)
Nov. 27-29 – Thanksgiving Recess
Dec. 23-Jan. 1 – Winter Recess
Jan. 20 – No School (MLK Day)
Feb. 14 – All Schools half day (AM only)
Feb. 17-21 – Midwinter Recess
April 6-10 – Spring Recess
April 24 – All Schools half day (AM only)
May 25 – No School (Memorial Day)
Friday, June 12 – Last day of school 

Friends of Different of Learners
MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT FROM FRIENDS OF DIFFERENT LEARNERS
WHEN May 2, 2019 7 pm
WHERE Birmingham Covington School 1525 Covington Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Gluten, Dairy, Sugar, Oh My: Navigating a Holistic Healthy Lifestyle

Please join us for a presentation by Dr. Katherine Erlich M.D. about healthy diet and lifestyle. Dr. Erlich will discuss problems with the Standard American Diet, chemical exposure through food, water, skin and air and how this all affects our children mentally and physically. Dr. Erlich will also share what actions we can take to protect our children and ourselves from harmful diet and lifestyle choices. More information about Friends, including Executive Members, Building Reps, and Local & National Resources can be found at the website below. WWW.FRIENDSOFDIFFERENTLEARNERS.ORG ALL MEETINGS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE! BECOME A FRIENDS MEMBER Just $10 Any additional donations help us to provide high-quality speakers at our monthly meetings and support our annual projects like LINKS, the Disability Awareness Workshop, and the Camp & Resource Fair + Micro Businesses Valid September-August Join at a meeting or online and while you’re there… SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY EMAIL

STEM Camp
Oakland Schools is hosting Stem Camp again this summer for middle schools students. Birmingham is able to send 3 students for free. Additional scholarships have been available in the past. If you feel that you would like to extend the opportunity to additional families demonstrating economic need, please contact us.
STEM Summer Camp 2019 Flyer
www.OaklandSTEM.com 


Are you interested in becoming a member of the Groves Varsity Pom Pom Team?

The Groves Varsity Pom team will be hosting FREE clinics for 7th and 8th Grade girls on the following days:

Tuesday May 7th
Thursday May 9th
Tuesday May 14th
Thursday May 16th
from 5pm-7pm in the Groves weight room
*dance, pom or cheer experience recommended
*wear workout clothes and sneakers

This is a great preparation for 8th-grade girls wishing to tryout for the 2019/2020 season, and for 7th graders to get a head start in the process!
For questions, please contact the boosters: Lora Auten at lola5298@sbcglobal.net
Jocelyn Margolis at compubetty@aol.com

Summer Volleyball Opportunity!
Heather Gambone (Berkshire teacher and Seaholm Varsity Coach) is offering camps to boys and girls entering grades 5th-10th of all ability levels this July! Participants will learn and improve their skills and have a lot of fun! All camps will take place at Seaholm High School. Any questions can be directed to Heather at seaholmvball@gmail.com. *Grade in Fall 2019
Sign up at: https://goo.gl/forms/btIuvArnNXJphZNy1

Seaholm Boys Soccer NEW and RETURNING Players:
Please join us for Parent and Player Information Night on Wednesday, March, 20th at 6:00 PM in the Seaholm’s Little Theater.
NEW families encouraged to attend and returning families also welcome. This will be an informal gathering with Boosters and Coaches to discuss the upcoming season.
All NEW and RETURNING players need to register for the upcoming 2019 season. Please register your player on Seaholm’s Soccer website: seaholmboyssoccer.com under “2019 Player Registration”. Once registered, you’ll be put on an email distribution list for all soccer program communications including camp and upcoming events.
Questions? Email seaholmboyssoccer@gmail.com.
Go Mapes!

Birmingham Girls Softball Registration
Birmingham Girls Softball returns for its 20th season! BGS is southeast Oakland County’s largest girl’s recreational softball league with over 300 players. Online registration is now open at www.birminghamsoftball.com. Birmingham Girls Softball is a community-based, non-profit organization providing girls ages 6 to 14 the opportunity to play organized recreational softball. The group is dedicated to teaching young ladies the fundamentals of softball in a safe and fun environment with teamwork and good sportsmanship being their top priorities. BGS is open to all girls interested in playing softball for the first time and those with prior experience looking to build on and develop the skills needed to play the game for years to come. All that BGS requires is a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. For questions, please email Jeff Weber at jeffw@birminghamsoftball.com. Early registration closes February 28, 2019.

Seaholm Football Seaholm Football is fired up for the 2019 season and has set dates for pre-season camps and conditioning. Interested players should mark these dates in family calendars - all events are attended by all players - incoming freshmen included! More information will follow, but keep these key dates in mind as you plan your summer:
PARENT MEETING @ Seaholm Gym Saturday, April 13th 9 am
Week of Champions @ Seaholm June 3-7 One hour before school each day
Big Five Camp @ Seaholm June 24-26
MHSAA Dead Week (No Practices) July 1-5
Veer Camp in Montrose, MI - July 29-31 DATE CHANGE
Maple Week Off (No Practices)- August 5-9
Hillsdale Camp @ Hillsdale College - August 11-14
Questions? Call or text Katy Knoer at 312-543-4343

“A CONSTELLATION OF PEOPLE”
The Groves Performing Arts Company is proud to present THEOPHILUS NORTH as Groves High School’s Spring Play!
Directed by John W. Rutherford and assistant director Duffy Wineman. Student assistant directors are seniors Keturah Heath and Brooklyn Scott, and costume assistance by senior Camille West.
The Groves Performing Arts Company’s production of Theophilus North will take place on April 25-27, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. and April 28, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. Performances will take place at the Groves High School Little Theatre, 20500 W. 13 Mile Road in Beverly Hills. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students. Park in the parking lot off of 13 Mile by the football stadium.
Advanced tickets can be purchased at the Groves Main Office from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on school days. For more information, call 248-203-3530 or email LPassarelli@birmingham.k12.mi.us
Tickets are also available online at: https://grovesperformingartscompany.ludus.com

Join LGBTQ+ families and Allies
at our Annual BPS Family Pride Social on Friday, May 31, 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm on the Greenfield Playground. Everyone is welcome! We look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new people so feel free to stop by. You may want to bring a lawn chair or two. For more information about the BPS Family Pride group feel free to check out their facebook page @BPS Family Pride.

Job Opportunities
No nights, no weekends!! Perfect school hours and a super fun work environment! BPS is looking for some awesome people to join our amazing team at Birmingham Public Schools Cafes!! Please call or text Pattie Guck, Director of Dining Birmingham Public Schools (248)228-7172 or email me at pguck@birmingham.k12.mi.us

Athletic Registration

BPS is happy to announce that PowerSchool Registration, powered by InfoSnap, is also being implemented for Athletic Registration. You may find the link, by clicking here:

https://secure.infosnap.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=17931&culture=en

As a reminder, this is an online student registration/data validation system, which allows the district to verify all student demographics, emergency and medical information, prior to the start of the athletic season. It is critical to ensure we have the most up-to-date contact and medical information for all students. The system is a secure and green process supporting our focus on safety and security. Electronic registration platforms of all kinds engage parents to ensure that information is entered properly, significantly reducing errors. The system will also allow families to electronically sign the annual permission forms. Reminder: you must still submit a physical to the Athletic Offices prior to participating. All physicals must be dated after April 15, 2018.

Student Safety @ Drop Off & Pick Up

Please remember that the student drop-off and pick-up loop for parents is in front of Derby Middle School.  The parking lot near the gymnasium is designated for staff parking and our school buses.  Thank you.

Entry Door Safety

For the safety of students and staff, please do NOT open the entry doors for other visitors when you have been buzzed in or when leaving.