Message from the Principal

-Assignment Lists Updated by Teachers Weekly (LINKS) -

8th Grade Assignments

7th Grade Assignments

6th Grade Assignments

 

NEW ~ DMS Family Newsletter - September-October 2026 (LINK) ~ NEW

DMS Family Newsletter - August 2026 (LINK) 

 

NEW ~ DMS Band September Newsletter (LINK) ~ NEW

 

Morning drop off of middle school students will ONLY be in the front circle drive of DMS. Students may be dropped off beginning at 7:00. Breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30. Students will wait in the commons until the 7:40 bell. School begins at 8:00. 

 

To best plan for traffic to flow well we ask that you not stop on 16th Street unless you are asked to stop to allow a bus to exit the parking lot. Traffic is heaviest at 7:35-7:50 especially between the high school and middle school. If you are able to use the route from Northwood Drive that will lessen the line that forms on16th Street coming from the high school. If your child eats breakfast at home, the best drop off time is 7:50. If your child wants to eat breakfast here at school we suggest drop off time to be 7:10-7:25 to avoid the heaviest traffic times. When traffic is heaviest, you will be asked to only turn right onto 16th Street after dropping off your student. Turning left means traffic doubles at that time for other vehicles dropping off students. 

 

Use a single line of traffic unless directed otherwise by school personnel, using the one-way traffic through the front drive. Morning traffic will not be allowed to enter the south parking lot by the practice field as it blocks the flow of traffic from the front circle drive. 

 

Have your student ready to exit your vehicle as you approach the sidewalk so when you stop they can quickly head into the school. Our buses enter in the same driveway and drop off in the back circle drive. We will have school personnel directing traffic so buses can safely exit the drive to 16th Street. Do not stop on 16th Street (unless you are asked to stop to allow a bus to exit the parking lot) as it blocks buses and others from entering and exiting. 

 

We encourage you to consider using our school bus transportation whenever possible to avoid heavy traffic. Most in-town bus routes are fast and all are a safe way to get to and from DMS! If you have elementary school or high school students to also drop off in the morning, we suggest dropping off middle school students first as our 8:00 start time is the earlier than the elementary buildings.

 

We’re excited to have your middle school student at DMS this year. If you’d like to take pictures in front of the school we ask that you not do that during drop off times.

 

 

Reasons to be proud of DMS - please offer up to 5 reasons YOU are proud of our school! - FORM LINK

Here are some family responses about why they are proud of DMS ~ 

Our staff builds meaningful relationships with students and their families.

Our administrators lead with integrity, vision and commitment.

We teach core values and go far beyond just teaching academics.

Our extra curricular activities teach confidence, team work and accountability.

We believe everyone has potential and advocate for a place for all!

Los maestros se esfuerzan y cooperan para un aprendizaje mejor del alumno.

La comunicación de las conferencias entre maestros y padres.

Celebran el triunfo de los alumnos ayuda a la comunidad.

Ayuda a la comunidad.

Un edificio muy limpio y con todas las necesidades para los alumnos.

Here are some of the reasons our STAFF are proud of our school ~ 

We are proud of how inclusive and supportive our staff and students are to all.

We are proud of having opportunities to connect with our students.

We are proud of every teacher’s willingness to help kids find success.

We are proud of Denison’s ability to budget for resources and supplies to support our students.

We are proud of DMS reaching out in times of need.

We are proud of the community involvement at DMS.

We are proud of the wide variety of activities students can participate in outside of school.

We are proud of having the privilege of teaching great students.

We are proud of having a beautiful building that is well taken care of.

We are proud of our dedicated support staff in the building.

We are proud of our quality substitute teachers.

We are proud of the connections that are made between all staff and students.

We are proud of staff that are committed to student inclusion.

We are proud of our outstanding facilities, grounds, and resources and the people who maintain it.

We are proud of the people and the support we provide for new teachers from Spain.

We are proud of our ability to use PowerSchool and CANVAS to communicate with parents and students.

We are proud of our students and their uniqueness.

We are proud of our diversity.

We are proud of the academic instruction and support that we provide all students.

We are proud of being able to adapt and evolve to meet new challenges.

We are proud of the technology that is available to our staff and students for learning.

We are proud of the people who return to work in our district.

We are proud of the “Denison Difference”.

We are proud of employee benefits.

 

To help morning drop-off go smoother - please drive all the way up to the 6th grade wing doors instead of stopping at the main entrance doors! We can fit more cars in the drive that way. Please have your student exit to the sidewalk if the line is full. They can walk safely to the doors from any point on the sidewalk. During drop-off times there is no left turn onto 16th Street after dropping off your student to reduce traffic. Please turn right to exit from the front drive. 

 

 

DMS BAND WEBSITE - Bookmark this site if you're a band parent!

 

 

DMS Staff 2026-27 - Slide Show

(click to advance slides / haga clic para avanzar diapositivas) 

 

Does your child talk about WIN and CharacterStrong at home?

Here is an introductory Video from CharacterStrong - LINK

Here is a bit more information!

WHAT I NEED (WIN)

What I Need groups, or WIN groups, meet opposite lunch for 25 minutes each day. During WIN time students will receive assistance with their work, have opportunities to get extra help, and learn about Social-Emotional issues through the Character Strong program.  One of the aims at our school is to equip young people for all the realities of today’s world. With that in mind, we have partnered with CharacterStrong – an organization that provides training for educators and social & emotional learning curriculum for students. Their work in grades 6-12 focus on 3 main outcomes: increasing a sense of belonging for all students, improving skills that support student well-being, and deepening student engagement in their academics, in their school, and in their community. Denison CSD is implementing CharacterStrong PK-12 so you can ask any School Counselor about how we are building strong character!

 

¿Su hijo habla sobre WIN y CharacterStrong en casa? ¡Aquí hay un poco más de información!

 
LO QUE NECESITO (WIN)
Los grupos de Lo que necesito, o grupos WIN, se reúnen frente al almuerzo durante 25 minutos cada día. Durante el tiempo de WIN, los estudiantes recibirán ayuda con su trabajo, tendrán oportunidades de ayuda adicional y aprenderán sobre problemas socioemocionales a través del programa Character Strong. Uno de los objetivos de nuestra escuela es preparar a los jóvenes para todas las realidades del mundo actual. Con eso en mente, nos hemos asociado con CharacterStrong, una organización que brinda capacitación para educadores y un plan de estudios de aprendizaje social y emocional para los estudiantes. Su trabajo en los grados 6-12 se enfoca en 3 resultados principales: aumentar el sentido de pertenencia para todos los estudiantes, mejorar las habilidades que apoyan el bienestar de los estudiantes y profundizar la participación de los estudiantes en sus estudios académicos, en su escuela y en su comunidad. ¡Denison CSD está implementando CharacterStrong PK-12 para que pueda preguntarle a cualquier consejero escolar sobre cómo estamos construyendo un carácter fuerte!
 
What do students do in as they arrive to school and in Pride Pack? Here's a peek! smiley
 
 
 

 

Welcome to Denison Middle School. We house grades 6-8 and have a student enrollment of over 500 students. We opened the doors to the district's newest facility in 2008. You can find us just north of Denison High School.

At DMS we are proud to serve a linguistically and ethnically diverse population. Our students come to us from a number of locations around the globe and represent more than 10 languages.  At school our students have the opportunity to be involved in Fine Arts productions, Project Lead the Way, Student Council, and Science Bound. Our 7th and 8th grade Monarch athletic teams participate in competitions in football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, wrestling, and track and field. The Denison Dual Language Program now serves students in grades 6-8 as of the 2025-26 school year. 

We R.O.A.R. with Pride by Respecting all, being On Task/On Time, Achieving our best, and by being Responsible Citizens. All students will be issued an ID card on a lanyard the first day of school and students are expected to have their ID card with them each day. ID cards are scanned for lunch and for checking out library books.

Monarchs R.O.A.R. with Pride! 

R = Respect All,  O = On Task/On Time,  A = Achieve My Best,  R = Responsible Citizen

Ms. Ryan, DMS Principal, and Mr. Bradley, DMS Asst. Principal, and all DMS Staff are here to help our middle school families navigate this exciting time in your child's education. Please let us know how we can best serve you! 

Important Dates and Information


 
Important Dates 
Aug. 18-20 - Teacher Inservice
Aug. 24 - First Day of School
Sept. 4 - School Pictures
 
No School
Sept. 7 - Labor Day
Sept. 21 - Teacher Inservice 
Oct. 19 - Teacher Inservice 
 
 
 
 
 
School begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 3:08 PM at DMS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Middle School Resources


Activities Participation Forms | View Website

Activity Registration Instructions (Bound) | View PDF | Download

ISASP - Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress Practice Site | View Website

ISASP Online Tools Practice | View Website

Positive Behavior Supports (PBIS) ROAR Matrix | View PDF | Download

Supply List- MS (English/Spanish) 2026-27 | View PDF | Download

Report Bullying/Harassment at DMS


Click Here To View

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