DeKalb Middle School administrators and faculty believe maintaining parent-teacher communication throughout the school year is the key to student success
By communicating effectively with parents, teachers form a cooperative team that has the students’ best interests at heart.
To help keep the lines of communication open, DMS has updated its website at www.dekalbmiddleschoolsaints.com to keep parents more involved and better informed about school events, assignments, and many other school related activities.
“We’ve done a total revamp of our website this year,” said DMS Principal Randy Jennings. “We are trying to utilize that to get as much information out to our parents as we can or to anyone who wants to know more about our school,” he said.
Each teacher has his or her own individual page on the school website that parents may access to keep up to date. “They can go to every single teacher’s page. And they can email teachers through the new website as well. That’s the best way to look at individual teachers and to look at what’s going on in our school on a weekly and monthly basis,” said Assistant DMS Principal Amanda Dakas.
“Every single Friday teachers are required before they leave school to go in and update their individual page for the upcoming week. Parents can go in on the weekend and be able to see what’s coming up in their child’s class,” Dakas said.
The school website also offers other links for students, parents, and teachers to the latest information on school news and sports, a calendar of events, school handbook, teacher resources, research materials, clubs and organizations, and photos of various activities.
“There are so many things to access on the school’s website,” explained Dakas. ” There are some places that are just for teachers. There are some places for students and some places for parents. If you go to the left hand side and scroll all the way to the bottom, you can see sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, and special education and from that it will give you a list of all the teachers in that grade. From that you can click on that individual teacher and that’s where you’re able to see what’s going on in the individual classrooms, such as whether there is a special project or a test coming up. We gave teachers the flexibility to be as detailed or not as they wanted to be. The only request we had was that they communicate. This gives parents the ability to go in, plan ahead and help their child be successful,” she said.
Melissa Ruch, DMS PTO President said the school website also has a link just for the PTO. “We’re going to be having our annual fundraiser coming up for the chili supper,” said Ruch. ” It used to be a spaghetti supper but we’ve decided this year to go back to having a chili supper. We’re still going to have a silent auction that night and we’re also going to have a cake walk. We’re implementing some other things too possibly that night which will be on Saturday November 23 starting at 4:00 p.m. Kids will be getting the tickets for that before fall break to start selling those tickets for that event,” said Ruch.
Again to access the DeKalb Middle School website visit www.dekalbmiddleschoolsaints.com. All the other schools in the county have their own websites as well. You may access them all by typing in www.dekalbschools.net. From that you can go to each individual school.

The DeKalb County Board of Education Tuesday night returned seventh district member Johnny Lattimore as Chairman of the Board.
Fifth district member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III was elected Vice Chairman and Second district member Charles Robinson was named Assistant Secretary.
All were elected without opposition and will serve in those positions for the next twelve months.
The school board re-organizes each September.

In other business, Director of Schools Mark Willoughby updated the board on personnel moves since the August meeting.
Those employed since last month are:
Lou Ann Gum, school psychologist
Tonya Perry, certified substitute
Taylor McDaniel, certified substitute
Clay Farler, certified substitute
Nadina Manganiello and Chris Summers as substitute teachers
Kealah Curtis, educational assistant at Smithville Elementary School
Leave of Absence Requests:
Dena Haugh, DCHS educational assistant, leave as requested
John Isabell, DCHS teacher, leave as requested
Lori Isabell, Smithville Elementary School teacher, leave as requested
Resignations:
Bethany Cornelius, educational assistant at Smithville Elementary School, resigned
Edith Denise Merriman, cafeteria worker at Northside Elementary School, resigned

Facing an October 1 deadline for notifying employees about its health insurance offerings under the federal Affordable Health Care Act, the DeKalb County Board of Education Tuesday night voted to make no changes in the benefits for employees, at least for now.
Though funds are budgeted to pay more toward single health insurance coverage for all full time classified (support staff) who want it beginning January1, 2014, the board has decided not to implement the plan since the federal government is postponing enforcement of the so-called employer mandate under the Affordable Health Care Act until 2015.
The individual mandate, a linchpin of the law that requires most Americans to carry health insurance, remains in effect. People who don’t already have it will be required to buy healthcare insurance starting January, 1, 2014. The health insurance marketplaces are set to open October 1 to sell coverage that will take effect on January 1, 2014.
The local school system currently pays a portion of its employee’s health insurance coverage under plans made available through the state. Certified employees who have either a single or a family plan pay 36% and the school system picks up 64%. Support staff pay 49% of their coverage and the school system pays a 51% matching portion. While the school system meets the affordable health care requirements for certified personnel, it apparently falls short when it comes to support staff.
“It (Affordable Health Care Act) says no one can be paying over 9.5% of their income for (health) insurance. We have a group of employees, if they stay with the present plan without us doing anything, they would be paying over 9.5%,” said Director of Schools Mark Willoughby.
Under the federal act, all employers with more than 50 full time employees are to provide coverage to their workers or be subject to fines, once the law is implemented. Full-time employees are defined as those who work an average of 30 or more hours per week each month.
To meet the requirements for full time support staff, the school board came up with a plan for offering single health insurance coverage when putting together its new budget earlier this summer. Those support staff employees who elected to take it would have had to pay ninety dollars per month, effective January 1, 2014. The school system would have covered the rest. The budget provides for no additional insurance benefit for certified personnel.
With the school board’s action Tuesday night, support staff will not be entitled to that extra benefit come January 1, 2014. At least not yet.
“We had a discussion prior to the meeting tonight in a workshop about Affordable Health Care Insurance,” said Chairman Johnny Lattimore. We have to make a decision tonight about what we want to do. Whether to implement what we voted on earlier in the year with the changes or to put this on pause and hold off and wait to see what the federal government does with affordable health care. As we all know, whatever they’ve got planned today may change tomorrow. So we don’t know what’s going to happen within the next year before all of this has to be implemented,” he said.
“We need a motion on the floor to accept what we already had voted on previously (with passage of the budget) or we need a motion to put everything on pause and leave it like it is for now,” said Lattimore.
“We need to make sure we don’t run into any complications,” said Fifth district board member W.J. (Dub) Evins, III. “Don’t you feel we need to go ahead and adhere to what we have already done?” asked Evins.
“I think that would be one option but I don’t know what all the ramifications will be as the rules will change, ” replied Director Willoughby. “As I have stated before, this will help some people. It won’t harm anybody but there will be a large group that it won’t help. The people who have family coverage it will not help. The rules may not change or they may change,” said Willoughby.
“We have to let the employees know what our plan is by October 1. But whatever we do. If we don’t do anything or if we do go ahead, we have to get that information out to all employees by October 1 for us to follow the federal guide lines,” continued Director Willoughby.
“They (government) are saying we do not have to change anything (current plan) but we can change anything. From the very beginning I’ve always recommended that we do more for all our employees. This particular healthcare does not say we have to do anything for all employees. It says we have to do something for a group of employees. No one can be paying over 9.5% of their income for insurance. We have a group of employees, who if they stay with the present plan without us doing anything, they would be paying over 9.5%,” said Willoughby.
“The best thing to do is to pay for everybody’s (health insurance) but we can’t afford to pay for everybody,” Willoughby concluded.
“I make a motion that we keep it as it has been in the past until we have additional information to direct us otherwise,” said Evins.
Board member Doug Stephens offered a second to the motion. All board members present voted in favor including Evins, Stephens, Billy Miller, John David Foutch, Charles Robinson, and Johnny Lattimore. Board member Kenny Rhody was absent.

A man allegedly caught with a rolling meth lab during a recent traffic stop is facing up to fourteen years in prison unless he successfully completes a drug rehabilitation program.
28 year old Brandon Thomas pleaded guilty Monday in DeKalb County Criminal Court to attempting to initiate the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Under a negotiated settlement, Judge David Patterson gave Thomas a six year sentence to serve in addition to eight years for violation of probation. However, he has been furloughed to the Mission Teens drug rehab program. If he successfully completes the program, Thomas will be on probation for the duration of the sentence. If not, he will have to serve his time. Thomas must also pay a $2,000 fine.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Tuesday, June 4 Thomas was operating a motor vehicle on Highway 56 south when he was stopped by a drug detective for driving at a high rate of speed. After stopping, Thomas allegedly pulled from his pocket a bag of marijuana and a hypodermic needle and laid it on the vehicle. Inside the automobile was a backpack containing a plastic bottle with a rubber tube protruding from the top of it (gasser), drainout (lye), Coleman fuel, coffee filters, and other items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Thomas told the detective to go ahead and take him to jail because the meth lab in the backpack belonged to him. He was arrested and brought to the jail for booking. Thomas’ drivers license were found to be revoked for a prior DUI.
In other cases, 36 year old Scotty Dale Farmer pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and received a three year sentence, all suspended to probation. The sentence is to run concurrently with a Smith County case against him. He must make restitution of $1,000. Farmer was given jail credit from August 17 to September 16.
Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, January 18, Farmer allegedly entered a residence on Hickman Road by prying open a back door. He allegedly stole a diamond ring, two silver rings, two knives, and an ipod touch with a total value of more than $500.
28 year old Tracy Thomason pleaded guilty to theft under $500 and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, all suspended to supervised probation. However, Thomason must serve the balance of a two year sentence for violation of probation in another case.
According to Smithville Police, an officer was called to check out a complaint of stolen property at the Smithville Church of God on West Broad Street on Friday, February 8. While enroute, Central dispatch advised the officer that the suspect (Thomason) had left the church and was walking east on Broad Street. Members of the church were following her. The officer made contact with the subject (Thomason) on Whaley Street. Found in her purse were the two wallets which were stolen from victims during a church service. Except for some cash, the wallets and contents were recovered and returned to the owners.
35 year old Joel Thomas Hayes pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal trespass and theft under $500. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days in each case to run consecutive with each other. He must also serve the balance of a one year sentence for violation of probation in another case. He has been furloughed to enroll in a drug rehab and halfway house. If he successfully completes the thirty day program and pays his court costs and fines, he will be on supervised probation for the duration of the sentence.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, October 4, 2012 Hayes allegedly broke into an outbuilding on Dale Ridge Road by cutting a lock off the front door. He allegedly stole a welding tank and cart, a chainsaw, tackle box, water tank, a battery charger, windows, and several other items all valued at over $1,000.
42 year old Richard Turner pleaded guilty to theft under $500. He received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, suspended to probation. He will be on supervised probation for the first six months and unsupervised probation for the last six months if court costs and restitution are paid.
The shoplifting case against Turner was the result of an incident at Save-A-Lot on Saturday, January 12. Turner was observed going into the restroom with items which were later found on his person.