Dowagiac Union Schools

Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve

Dear Chieftain Families,

Thank you for helping keep our students safe by following morning drop-off procedures. We appreciate you dropping students off at the sidewalk and avoiding pulling into the parking lot, which prevents students from crossing the active drop-off lane.

Your cooperation is especially important during the darker mornings of fall and winter. By working together, we can ensure a safer and smoother drop-off experience for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support!

Mr. Guernsey

DMS had 242 students make Honor Roll the first marking period!!!

We celebrated their success with a complimentary treat from our cafeteria staff.

Join us at the high school on Monday, October 27th, from 5:30 to 7 PM for a spook-tacular Monster Mash. This Halloween activity night is hosted by Chieftain Heart; our Chieftain goal is to spread spirit within our schools and our community. This fang-tastic event is perfect for our little ghouls and goblins in elementary and middle school. Get ready for a night filled with hauntingly good music, thrilling games, and treats galore at various stations. Crafty creatures can create their own treat bags at the craft table, and if the weather is frightfully fine, we’ll play outside! Remember, all young witches and wizards must be accompanied by a parent or an older sibling. Costumes are encouraged, so come dressed to dazzle and delight!

Schedule of Events

October 20 - School Board Meeting ~ 6PM

October 24 - Activities Night 4-6PM ~ Halloween Theme

November 5 - DMS Picture Retakes

November 17 - Board Meeting (PAC) ~ 7PM

Classroom Instruction

Mrs. Leighton's 6th grade ELA class worked on Flocabulary: Parts of Speech and IXL U.1-U.4 Prefixes and Suffixes

Math Adventures in Ms. Gil’s Class!

Ms. Gil’s 7th graders have been putting their math brains to work! We’ve been tackling multiplication and division story problems and learning how math shows up in everyday life. Students are solving real-world challenges, sharing their strategies, and cheering each other on as they find creative ways to show their work. It’s been exciting to see their confidence grow with every problem they solve!

Crunching Numbers in Ms. Gil’s 6th Grade Math!

Ms. Gil’s 6th graders have been busy building theircalculator skills! We’re learning how to use calculators efficiently toadd and subtract large numbers— or lots of numbers — quickly and accurately. Students are discovering how helpful calculators can be for checking work, spotting patterns, and boosting their math confidence. It’s all about working smarter while keeping those math minds sharp!

In 6th grade social studies, students learned about the relationship between Native Americans, European colonists and the long-lasting effects of this relationship. Students also analyzed the events taking place between the arrival of the colonists and up until the "breakup" between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain. Students came to realize that the colonies wanted to gain independence and as a result of this they learned why the Revolutionary War happened and why we have Independence Day.

7th Grade Math with Miss B.

This week we have started Module 3 - Operations with Integers. We also had to take a pause and review our first two modules, Proportional Relationships and Percents. When your student has finished their AleKs please encourage them to work on their Math iReady My Path. Some of your students have teacher assigned lessons to complete in their Math iReady due to their attendance issues and/or poor performance on grade level assessments. Please support your student by having them show you their iReady and AleKs and encourage them to complete this homework piece at home

Mandatory Notices

Required School Postings: https://www.dowagiacschools.org/page/mandatory-notices

Reminders

On November 4, 2025, voters in Dowagiac Union Schools will consider a Sinking Fund Millage Proposal of 0.5 mill.

Community Events

After School Tutoring

DMS offers after school tutoring sessions for any DMS student that needs/wants extra support. Each session runs from 2:30 - 3:30 PM.

Transportation will not be provided for those staying. Students will need to be picked up or given permission to walk home at the end of each session. Pick-up will be in the front of the school building.

Tutoring Schedule:

ELA: Miss Gil de Lamadrid; Mon & Thur

Math: Miss Bulifant; Only Thursdays

Social Studies: Miss Gabrielle Cook; Wed & Thur

Science: TBA