DMS Updates

On October 15^th and 16^th, Mr. Trent welcomed his students to a Chicken and Waffle brunch. This Chicken and Waffle brunch is a culmination of a Problem Based Learning project centered around 1920s and 30s Harlem and Caswell County today. The problem was “what is an idea that you could present to your fellow council members that could help your community in need?” The students used the cultural explosion and reform in Harlem at that time as a research concept. The students looked at food, music, housing, immigration, and the Harlem Renaissance. They took our best three ideas and focused our research on those three, and are creating posters and presentations. The class will then take this research and put it to use with a proposal to the city and county commissioners of Yanceyville and Caswell County. The proposal will show how we can share a little art, culture, and life into the area.

Chicken and Waffles were a big part of the Harlem scene. Students ate this delicious dish while enjoying some light jazz. Our Social Studies and English cross curricular study is expanding into Family and Consumer Science. The students received a cooking lesson and made their own Chicken and Waffles.

Mrs. Hollifield is a C.T.E. teacher who teaches Agriculture at Dillard. She is in charge of the FFA, Future Farmers of America, club.  FFA meetsis every second Thursday of the month. This spring, FFA is going to the School of Veterinary Medicine a vet school at N.C. State and a career event. Some of the activities Mrs. Hollifield she is doing in her classroom are livestock bingo, a notching activity and informative videos.

– By: Sophia Bouchard and Mekhi Womack

  Are you excited about the new Chromebooks this year? The Chromebooks will make it easier for students to learn about technology and focus on learning. They will encourage students to learn and want to learn more. It will also make it easier for students and teachers to keep track of work, grades, and keep in touch.

  The Chromebooks will require wifi at home. There will not be ways to connect to the internet on the Chromebooks. However, they have GPS trackers located inside the Chromebooks. This will not be removable, but will help the school keep track of the Chromebooks. Therefore, if they are lost or stolen, the school will be able to find it. Also, the Chromebooks will come with a plastic cover. The cover will allow students to make their Chromebook personal. You can slide a paper under the clear cover, so you can always tell that it is yours!

   I hope the students enjoy their Chromebooks and have a wonderful year. Students, you all should be very proud to be attending the best middle school in North Carolina. Happy Learning!

– By: Sayda Barton

Over the past several weeks, Dillard has been full of activity with the arrival and set-up of the hundreds of Chromebooks that will soon be available for student use. Starting next week, students will be visiting the media center to check out their device for use at school. Students and teachers alike are very excited to be able to use this new tool to create an even more individualized education to meet the needs and interests of the students. The use will be limited to their classrooms, with pick-up during homeroom and drop-off in their last class, until January. With the new semester students will be able to use the devices outside the school for use on homework, projects, and other educational opportunities. More information will be made available later this semester about the process of taking the Chromebook home.

This year, through the Dillard Media Center, students will have the opportunity to learn a second, third, or even fourth language. Duolingo is a free web-based program that allows students to learn another language at their own pace, going as fast or a slow as they need. Some of the languages available include Spanish, French, Italian, and German. While students will not receive an official class credit for the program, students will be recognized at the end of each quarter for their achievements. This program can also help students get a jump-start on the foreign language they may choose to take in high school or college. The first meeting, in which students will register with the program, will be held on September 1, 2015 in the Media Center. Afterwards, club meetings will be held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. We look forward to seeing everyone take up this great opportunity. Arrivederci!

Do you like drama? Of course you do! Everyone likes a little bit of drama!!! This year, at Dillard Middle School, we are starting a new club, the Dillard Drama Club, and it is open to any interested students in grades 6, 7, or 8. Drama workshops will be held every Thursday afternoon from 2:45 – 4:00 with our first play being presented in the spring! The first workshop will be held on Thursday, September 3, at 2:45 in the room next to the band room. Anyone wishing to join the Dillard Drama Club must see Mrs. Meadows on the sixth grade hall for a permission form. What a great opportunity to let yourself shine!

On August 24th, students will be pouring back into the school building and teachers will be waiting at the classroom doors. We will be beginning what is sure to be an exciting new year.

During the 2015-2016 school year, NL Dillard Middle School will be launching a 1:1 initiative thanks to the help of the Golden Leaf Foundation and the Danville Regional Foundation. By the spring semester, all students will have access to a chromebook for use both in and after school on assignments and other educational opportunities.

Let’s work hard this year to make NL Dillard the best middle school in North Carolina!