Principal's Update
DePaolo families,
Here are this week’s updates from DePaolo.
Report Cards:
We hope to distribute Trimester 1 report cards via Parent Square early next week. Please keep an eye out for them.
Honor Roll:
In order to qualify for the honor roll, a student must be taking a minimum of four classes. First honors is awarded to students who earn a GPA of 3.75 and above. Second honors is awarded to students who earn a GPA of 3.5 to 3.74. A grade of "D", "F", “NG,” or "I" in any course will disqualify a student from Honor Roll.
Please see below for GPA equivalents that are utilized when we calculate our Honor Roll.
|
Letter Grade |
Points |
Letter Grade |
Points |
|
A+ |
4.0 |
C+ |
2.8 |
|
A |
3.8 |
C |
2.6 |
|
A- |
3.6 |
C- |
2.4 |
|
B+ |
3.4 |
D+ |
2.2 |
|
B |
3.2 |
D |
2.0 |
|
B- |
3.0 |
D- |
1.8 |
|
|
F |
1.0 |
|
Academic classes which include Language Arts, Math, Algebra, Science, and Social Studies are worth one full credit. World Language and Encore classes range in credit depending on the frequency that class meets during the course of the trimester.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing:
Students that are Community Services Volunteers within our Leadership Program were bell ringing at Wal-Mart Wednesday night and will be again on Monday, December 15 from 4 to 7 PM. Stop by and say hello if you are in the area. All the money we raise will be donated directly to Southington Community Services to assist families in town in need. More photos and videos are posted on our social media sites.
Flex:
Just a reminder that students have flex time built into our daily schedule directly after lunch. This time is used to strengthen student learning, especially related to our Language Arts and Math curriculum. Please be aware that homework should be completed at home and NOT during flex.
Our expectation for math is that students pass at least one lesson per week on iReady. Students also MUST complete a minimum of 40 minutes each week. Lessons are personalized for each student so they should be challenged at an appropriate level. Beginning Monday, I will be monitoring lessons that all our students complete and offering an incentive (aside from the academic benefits) to those students that pass TWO or more lessons. I hope this assists in motivating our students to utilize this tremendous resource.
Orchestra Concert:
December 16th is our orchestra concert which will be from 6-7 PM.
Lost & Found:
Lost and Found items not claimed will be bagged and donated to a local charity during the holiday break.
Illness:
Please report any illness cases directly to the nurse as well as to attendance.
Drop Off / Pick Up:
Just a reminder, in order to make things as efficient as possible, nobody is allowed to take a left turn out of the school’s driveways onto Pleasant Street during drop off and dismissal times. This was established in conjunction with the Southington Police Department in order to speed up the process and more importantly, ensure everyone’s safety.
Ski & Snowboard Club:
LAST CHANCE to sign up for our JAD Ski & Snowboard Club! Final deadline was extended to TODAY! If interested, parents should complete this interest form linked below as soon as possible. Then, watch your email for more information to complete registration. If there are any questions please contact Mrs. Perkins at hperkins@southingtonschools.org. We are looking forward to another great year on the slopes!
Ugly Sweater Day:
Students are encouraged to join staff in wearing their favorite Holiday sweater on Monday, December 22.
Student Reward Cards:
Reward cards will be handed out after break to all students that earned them during trimester 1.
Yearbooks:
The 2025-26 yearbooks are now on sale! Our book is 72 pages in full color. 6th/7th graders will receive a softcover and 8th graders will receive a hardcover.
The price for the yearbook is $25.00 and the purchase deadline is May 18, 2026.
Please use the following links to complete your purchase:
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lumani or Mr. Carvalho.
Tik Tok and Other Apps:
Please take the time to talk to your children about their Social Media presence. In the past several Tik Tok accounts have been created that reference DePaolo Middle School students. The comments are often unkind in nature and could lead to a school consequence as a result, especially if posted without the other student's consent.
Calendar Drive:
ABC/STEPS will be collecting 2026 wall hanging calendars to be given out to Southington nursing home residents and veterans. Pick up those free calendars when you see them, or Dollar Tree has a big selection if you would like to make a donation.
Unified Basketball:
The Unified Sports Basketball program will be back this winter. Unified Sports is a registered program of Special Olympics that seeks to join students with and without disabilities to participate in athletic events. The season will run one day per week from mid-January to mid-March. Students can register on Final Forms.
PTO News:
Thank you to everyone that already signed up for membership to our PTO. If you have not done so already, please see attached for information about our PTO membership drive. If paying by check, please make checks payable to JAD PTO.
Help support the PTO by ordering your holiday chocolates from Fascia’s at this link by December 15th
Sign up to join us for a Cookie Decorating Class held at JAD on 1/14 @ 6pm.
If you are able to support the fundraiser below, please present the flyer below to your server.
I hope this information is helpful and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Palmieri