Dragon Chronicle # 2

Posted Date: 08/16/26 (10:39 AM)

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The Dragon Chronicle # 2

2026-2027

August 17, 2026

From the Dragon's Den

House of Dragons!

Happy Sunday! 🐉🔥

Our Week One was a TOTAL success! The energy across our campus is real, and it has been incredible to see both students and staff Activating the Blue Flame. From the first day to the final bell, we saw excitement, relationships being formed, expectations being established, and our Dragon Family coming together.

But now... the adventure continues, and the real work begins!

💻 Student Laptops

By now, all students who were present during the first week of school should have been issued an SDOC school laptop.

Monday, August 17, is our make-up day for students who were absent during the first week. Please continue encouraging students to bring their devices to school fully charged and ready for learning each day.

📌 Policies & Procedures Are in Full Effect

As we move into Week Two, please remember that all DJMS policies and procedures are now fully in effect.

This includes the consistent enforcement of:

⏰ Tardies
🪪 Student IDs
👕 Dress Code
📚 Classroom and schoolwide expectations

Our goal is not simply to enforce rules—it is to create a safe, consistent, and predictable environment where every Dragon knows what is expected and can focus on learning.

🤝 Building Our Dragon Partnership

One of the most important things we can do this year is build strong relationships with our school community.

Students need to know that DJMS is a place where they are known, valued, supported, and challenged. Families need to know that we are partners in their child's success—not simply a school they send their child to each morning. That partnership requires communication, trust, and consistency.

We encourage our families to stay connected with DJMS, communicate with teachers and staff, monitor their child's academic progress, ask questions, attend school events, and reach out when support is needed. Likewise, we will continue working to ensure our families are informed and welcomed as an essential part of the House of Dragons.

🔥 Ambitious Goals. One Dragon Family.

This year, we have BIG and ambitious goals for Denn John Middle School. We are focused on academic achievement, student engagement, positive school culture, and continued growth across every area of our school.

But we cannot accomplish these goals alone.

We need our families. We need our students. We need our staff.

When school and home work together, students have a stronger foundation for success. When we communicate, collaborate, and believe in the potential of every Dragon, we create something much more powerful than a school—we create a community.

So as we enter Week Two, let's continue to build relationships, reinforce expectations, support our students, and keep that Blue Flame burning.

Week One proved what we can do. Now let's show everyone what happens when the House of Dragons works together.

With F.I.R.E. & Gratitude,

Marc A. Hernandez- Principal

Frankie Franceschi- Asst. Principal of Instruction

Matt Pelc- Asst. Principal of

Dragon Dispatch

School News, Announcements & Upcoming Events

YMCA Before School Program

Denn John Middle School is proud to be a YMCA Before School Program site. This convenient service allows families to access quality care for their students both before and after the regular school day.

Program Hours:

Before School: Begins at 7:00 AM
After School: Not available for the 2026-2027 school year.

Program Fees:

$30.00 per student, per week (AM Only)
One-time registration fee: $16.00 (AM Only)
After School Sessions: Not available for the 2026-2027 school year.

Families interested in enrolling or learning more about the program can find additional details by clicking the link below:

👉 YMCA Link

Bus Information

407-483-3673 (6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday – Friday)
BUS ROUTES AVAILABLE AUGUST 3, 2026 (https://sdoc.mybusplanner.com/Eligibility)

New Course Offerings

Dragons, DJMS is excited to launch and return some elective offerings at DJMS! Check out which new classes are coming to DJMS:

Intro to Dance Techniques
Student Government (By Grade Level)
Leaders in Action - Formerly known as Latinos in Action
Yearbook

Student IDs

All students received their SDOC student IDs last week. Please help us remind students that these IDs cannot be lost as they are costly. Currently, DJMS is working on ordering lanyards.

Free Breakfast & Lunch @ DJMS

ALL Dragons receive free breakfast & lunch at DJMS. Always! It is required to know/memorize your student ID.

Student Day One Packets

Dragons, it is imperative that DJMS receives the Day One packets asap. This updated information helps the school keep our records updated and active. Many legal and required items are in these first day packets.

Title One Annual Meetings

Thursday, August 20 @ 10:30 am

Tuesday, August 25 @ 5 pm + SAC

During the meeting, families will:

✅ Learn about our school goals and the purpose of Title I.

✅ Review the School District's Title I policy.

✅ Learn about academic standards, curriculum, and student assessments.

✅ Share feedback and ask questions about school programs, policies, and family engagement opportunities.

Dragon Swag For Sale

Hoodies (Red/Black): $33.00 (Pre-Sale Only)

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPOO4Y04ON8_ZZ6BTEFG9XDO749

School Polos w/ Dragon Logo (Red, Black, White, Navy, & Gray): $22.00 (Pre-Sale Only)

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPOO4Y04ON8_ZZJGICDIFR0ZBGW

DJMS Blue Flame T-shirts (Red): $12.00 (In Stock & Pre-Sale)

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZPOO4Y04ON8_ZZ66LKHJ6HJIKTR

Caring for the Flame

Student Services Working with Families!

DJMS Dress Code Policy

Review dress code in its entirety! See below.

Cellphone/Technology Policy

Under zero circumstances may a student use their cellphone from 9:00 am - 4:25 pm at DJMS. In additions, cannot have their phones on them. Cellphones/technology must be stored in a bag. Consequences begin this week.

Truancy Begins!

Dragons, the Truancy process begins this week. With several Dragons not coming during the first week of school, their attendance records will reflect the initial Truancy process. Note, Osceola County Courts may be involved in high cases.

Counseling Orientation via ELA Classes

All DJMS students will receive a counseling orientation this week via the ELA classes. The counselors will introduce their services and explain the counseling program at DJMS.

Deans @ DJMS!

To ensure our community is well acquainted, check out the dean assignment below:

Cassandra Toussaint - cassandra.toussaint@osceolaschools.net

8th Grade
6th Grade (A-M)

DeeAnn Hennighan - deeann.hennighan@osceolaschools.net

7th Grade
6th Grade (N-Z)

Shielding the Flame

Student Safety

Social Media & The Internet

Parents, social media and the internet is our biggest challenge when discussing student safety, bullying, and harassment. We need the community to understand that issues that start at home (away from school) however carry into school now becomes within our jurisdiction for processing and handling. Please help us teach our students kind words and appropriate use of social media. Truth be told, middle school is too early for students to have active social media accounts.

Definition of Self-Defense

Many parents are under the impression that if a student is stroked by another student, then their student should strike back as self defense. This is false and inaccurate information. Self- defense is defined as protection over life/death or serious injury situations. Any student who engaged in mutual combat (regardless of who hits first) will be processed as a fight or assault. In most cases, these are a recommendation for expulsion. DJMS has a zero tolerance for fights on campus.

Bikes & Scooters

Dragons are allowed to bring bikes and regular scooters (not electric) to school; however, they must be stored in the Bike Rack with an appropriate locking device. Please work with your students to ensure this is understood. Scooters will not be permitted to be stored indoors.

Dragon Sports Central

DJMS Athletics

Welcome to athletics!

Soccer is the first sport of the year! Both boys and girls are eligible (exceptions apply, see below). This year, DJMS will have a co-ed soccer team.

Soccer Try-Outs: 4:30 - 5:50 pm

Monday, August 17
Thursday, August 20
Monday, August 24

Athletic Director: Sonia McKenzie - sonia.mckenzie@osceolaschools.net

Asst. Athletic Director: Daniel Kim - daniel.kim@osceolaschools.net

Soccer Coach: Daniel Kim

Student physical must be on file. In addition, students must meet grade criteria. No pass, no play. Lastly, all students must complete concussion test and pay an administrative fee of $25.00.

Blue Flame Benchmarks

State Testing & SDOC Assessments

FAST PM 1 is scheduled during the first week of September. Stay tuned as specific days are selected!

Math School City Assessments:

6th Math: M1T1 (08/24 - 09/07)

6th Accel: M1T1 (08/24-09/08)

7th Math: M1T1 (08/19-09/02)

7th Accel: M1T1 (08/24-09/08)

8th Math: M1T1 (08/28-09/14)

Alg 1: M1T1 (08/19-09/02)

Science School City Assessments

Biology: Bio, Enz, H20 (08/28-09/14)

Biology: Cells (09/24-10/09)

8th Science: Astronomy (09/02-09/17)

8th Science: Astronomy (09/22-10/07)

7th Adv: Div of Life (09/04-09/21)

7th Adv: Ecosystems (09/22-10/07)

7th Reg: Div of Life (09/02-09/17)

7th Reg: Div of Life (09/30-10/15)

6th: Earth (09/09-09/24)

6th: Earth (09/29-10/14)

Social Studies School City Assessments

6th World Hist: Unit 1 (Invest. & Themes) (08/19-09/01)

6th World Hist: Unit 2 (Early Hominins) (09/09-09/22)

7th US Hist: Unit 1 (Themes) (08/19-09/01)

7th US Hist: Unit 2 (Explore) (09/17-10/01)

8th Civics: Unit 1(Citizenship) (08/18-08/31)

8th Civics: Unit 2(Fdns of Govt) (09/01-09/15)

8th Civics: Unit 3 (US Const) (10/01-10/15)

HS World Hist: Unit 1 (Themes) (09/03-09/17)

HS World Hist: Unit 2 (Before 1750) (09/24-10/09)

Literacy School City Assessments

Pending

The Dragon Way

PBIS @ DJMS

At Denn John Middle School, we believe that a positive school culture is built through a strong partnership between our school and our families. When students receive consistent expectations and encouragement both at school and at home, they are more likely to develop the habits and character needed to be successful. That's why PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is an essential part of the House of Dragons.

Middle school is a time when students are developing independence, building friendships, and learning how to make responsible decisions. During these important years, students thrive when the adults in their lives work together to provide clear expectations, consistent guidance, and positive encouragement. PBIS helps us teach, reinforce, and celebrate the behaviors that lead to success in the classroom, at home, and throughout our community.

Our PBIS framework is centered around our F.I.R.E. Expectations:

🔥 Focused

🔥 Integrity

🔥 Respect

🔥 Engaged in Learning

These are more than school expectations—they are the values we strive to instill in every Dragon. Whether students are in the classroom, walking through the hallways, riding the bus, participating in athletics, or at home with their families, we encourage them to demonstrate these behaviors every day.

💰 Dragon Dollars: Celebrating Positive Choices

One of the ways we recognize and encourage positive behavior at DJMS is through our Dragon Dollar program.

Dragon Dollars are awarded to students who demonstrate our F.I.R.E. expectations by making positive choices. This may include showing kindness to others, actively participating in class, arriving prepared, displaying integrity, persevering through challenges, or consistently demonstrating respect for others.

We encourage families to ask their child about the Dragon Dollars they earn and celebrate those accomplishments together. A simple conversation about why they received a Dragon Dollar reinforces the positive behaviors we want to continue seeing.

Together, we can help every Dragon develop the character, responsibility, and confidence needed to succeed. Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to build a positive school culture where Dragons Breathe F.I.R.E.

Focused • Integrity • Respect • Engaged in Learning

#LearningIsRequired

Growing Dragons at Home

Here's how you can help:

🐉 5 Ways to Grow Your Dragon at Home

1. 📚 Read for 30 Minutes Every Day

Let your child read anything they enjoy—books, comics, sports articles, magazines, etc. Build the habit of reading without making it feel like homework.

2. ❤️ Ask About Their Day

Go beyond "How was school?" Ask:

What was the best part of your day?
What was challenging?
How are you feeling?

3. 👩‍🏫 Talk About Teachers & Friends

Ask your child to name all of their teachers and tell you something about each class. Also ask who their friends are and how their relationships are developing.

4. 💻 Check Grades & Devices Weekly

Set aside a few minutes each week to review grades, upcoming assignments, and their school laptop. Encourage your child to take ownership rather than doing the work for them.

5. 🔥 Ask About Their F.I.R.E.

Ask your Dragon:

"How did you demonstrate F.I.R.E. today?"

Focused • Integrity • Respect • Engaged in Learning

Remind them that the Blue Flame doesn't only burn at school—it burns at home, too. 🔥🐉

The Last Spark

Upcoming Events

Attendance & Truancy Begins

Monday, August 17

Laptop Distribution - Make Up Day

Monday, August 17

Counseling Orientation - All Students

Monday, August 17 - Wednesday, August 19

Title One Annual Meetings

Thursday, August 20 @ 10:30 am
Tuesday, August 25 @ 5 pm + SAC

PBIS Welcome Back Dance

Thursday, August 27 - 4:30 - 6:00 pm

$15 Dragon Dollars

SAC- August

Tuesday, August 25 @ 5 pm - Media Center

PBIS Popsicles Challenge

Friday, August 28 - Lunch

PM 1

First Week of September

No School - Labor Day

Monday, September 7

DJMS Picture Day

Tuesday, September 8

Get Involved!

Parent Volunteers @ School

Teacher assistants, hallway monitors, restroom monitors, lunches, & front desk assistance

As a friendly reminder, all volunteers must be Oasis Approved. Please see the information below to begin the registration process! It's quick and easy!

Visitor Management

Parent Boosters- Build Programs @ School

Band, Orchestra, & Sports!

School Donations

Should you wish to donate (any item) to DJMS, contact Mr. Hernandez to seek more information about the process.

Parents & Community- if any of these items are of interest, simply contact Mr. Hernandez directly at Marc.Hernandez@osceolaschools.net or 689.261.3280 (District Cellphone)