• Mission Statement

     

    Desert Skies Middle School students will be collaborators, innovators and effective communicators.  Our students will be actively engaged in all aspects of learning and school culture. We champion our students to find their passion and know they belong. We value tradition and culture and our community. As a leader in digital age instruction, Desert Skies Middle School will utilize a 1:1 device platform that will engage students in new and creative ways and allow staff and the community to work together to be innovators in education. Using best practices in teaching and learning to support students in the digital world ensures oue students are 21st Century leaders and will be prepared for their future.  

    While parents have always had a role in their children’s education, there is a growing body of research that confirms parent engagement is critical in helping both teachers and students succeed academically. As parents it's not always easy to help especially when our students need support using technology while living and learning in the ever growing craziness of computers, smart phones, teams, zoom meetings, the list is endless. 

    Desert Skies knows that it takes a village to help our students be successful. On this page you will find resources that can help families/parents support their students. Sometimes its as easy as watching a video together. 

     

     

    At Desert Skies we have.......

     

    Inclusive Culture  

    At Desert Skies we believe that creating and maintaining an inclusive environment allows staff and students from all backgrounds to achieve their fullest potential. An inclusive culture is one that accepts, values and views as strength the difference we all bring to the table. Desert Skies Middle School is committed to cultivating not only the diversity of our staff and students but also in developing an inclusive culture that is vibrant, engaging and encouraging innovation as well as intellectual debate. 

     

    We are committed to being a Community School and have already established some important relationships with community partners. 

     

    Boys and Girls Club of the Truckee Meadows will be a partner onsite and will provide lunch time and after school options for our students.  We also have the Sun Valley Family Resource Center located on our campus. We also have a full time Community In Schools (CIS) Coordinator at our school.   

     

     

    Dress Code 

    DSMS will follow guidelines of dress outlined in the Washoe County School District, which can be found on the district website, washoeschools.net. Our site-based plan will be reviewed with all students and shared in the student handbook that is located in each student’s House/Advisory Team Notebook.  In brief, the dress or grooming of students must not present potential health or safety problems. Clothing should fit so that it does not create a health or safety issue.  

    Clothing shall not contain unprotected speech including, but not limited to: obscene, vulgar, or profane language or illustrations; and nothing that promotes an illegal activity, including underage drinking, illegal drug use (to include marijuana), domestic abuse, gang membership, battery, assault, or any other civil or criminal conduct which would violate state or federal law. Per district policy, no hats or head coverings are allowed in the building. 

     

    This year we will not be using lockers, so students will be able to bring a backpack if they wish, but they are not needed. Students may bring water bottles, however they must be a personal use type of bottle. (Hydro, Starbucks or any reusable bottle) We ask that students not bring throw away bottles due to students turning them into squirt guns ect)

     

     

    Away for the Day - PHONES

    We believe that students learn better when distractions are removed. Our policy is that if students bring a cell phone and/or ear buds to school, they are turned off and in the students’ backpack during instructional time. During the lunch period, 7th/8th grade students only, are permitted to use phones outside the building. If a student has their phone and/or ear buds out during instructional time, the phone and/or ear buds will be brought to the office and the student can retrieve it at the end of the school day. Continued violation of this policy may result in parents being required to pick-up the cell phone. Our 6th graders will not be able to use a phone inside or outside of the building.

     

     

    Behavior 

    Desert Skies Middle School follows the Washoe County District’s behavior guidelines. These guidelines can be found on the Washoe County School District’s website and will be discussed with the students during the first week- back Advisory lessons. We encourage students to work with their counselors if they have a disagreement with other students. Fighting is never a way to solve issues. Our policy is that any student involved in a physical altercation/fight will be suspended. In addition, if a student instigates or promotes a fight, videotapes or posts a fight on social media, that student(s) will have like consequences. Any student found buying and/or selling anything, (drugs, food, etc.), will have a consequence.  

     

     

    Pick Up and Drop Off

    If your child rides the bus, they will be picked up from the stop closest to your home and dropped off at school in the bus loading zone that is located at the back of the school.  At the end of the day, they will be picked-up in loading zone and dropped off at the site they were picked up from.  If your child will be dropped off at school, we ask that you use the east side access road (Stinger), circle up towards the school and proceed through the “Kiss and Drop” zone.  Please do not drop students off in the front parking lot, this causes a safety hazard and stops the flow of traffic in the “Kiss and Drop”. Plan to exit the grounds through the main entrance on Donatello. Once you get to the bottom of Scorpion Way and Donatello, please use your blinkers to indicate whether you are turning left or right. In the afternoon we ask that families use this same path to enter and exit the grounds.  We will have plenty of duty teachers posted to help direct traffic and keep things flowing, they will be outside at 7:07am and 2:03pm.  Families are encouraged to identify a meeting place along Donatello to meet and pick-up after school because the congestion right in front of the school is significant.  Please remember if you drop your student off on Donatello, they will be directed to use the cross walk. In a school zone it is illegal to make a u-turn and not follow the directions of our staff helping within our school zone.

     

    Lunch

    At Desert Skies, all students are provided with Breakfast in the Classroom and free lunch. Our lunches are separated by grade level, so there are three lunches at Desert Skies, one for 6th, one for 7th, and one for 8th.