10/9/26 Weekly Newsletter

Good afternoon Dwyer Community! Here is this week's newsletter for your review. Have a great weekend and Go Jr. Oilers!

Dear Dwyer Families,

As we reflect on this week, it’s wonderful to see our students settling into their daily routines. One routine I’d like to highlight is arriving at school on time, every day that your child is well. I know a cold has been making its way through our community recently, and I would never encourage sending a sick student to school. Still, each day your child is feeling healthy, being here makes a real difference in their learning and growth.

From my vantage point, yesterday's "Back to School Bash" was a tremendous success!  Seeing over 200 students in attendance and actually watching middle schoolers DANCE on the dance floor...AMAZING!!!

Next, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to every family who participated in this year’s APEX fundraiser. Your generosity is truly appreciated, and it will make a meaningful impact for our students!

Also, for those who may not be following yet, I wanted to share the link to our Dwyer Middle School Instagram Page here!    

Finally, for those who may be interested, I will be presenting at the HBCSD School Board meeting this Tuesday at 6pm and sharing about the great things that are taking place inside the classroom at Dwyer!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and as always, Go Jr. Oilers!

Respectfully,

Mr. Okamoto

Our students have earned almost 80,000 GRIT coin this school year. Shoutout to Ezekiel Alvarado for racking up 571 GRIT coin! GRIT Staff Member Highlight: our tremendous teachers, including Mrs. Rasmussen, Mrs. Fransz, Mrs. Bray, Miss Hernandez and Mrs. Brown, have been selling various items to their students through their PBIS Rewards Teacher Store. For example, Mrs. Fransz allows her students to use their GRIT Coin to listen to music while they work in class. As always, keep living and learning with GRIT!

Middle school friendships can bring joy, change, and occasional challenges as students grow and discover where they belong. Friend groups often shift during these years, and that’s a normal part of learning about relationships and finding a sense of belonging. You can support your child by listening and asking open-ended questions, such as what they enjoy about spending time with friends or how they feel about changes in their group.

It can also help to talk together about what makes a good friend, including kindness, respect, and trust. If your child is navigating a conflict or feeling left out, remind them that they can come visit me for support. 

Here is my counseling referral form if you would like to refer your child to me.

Warmly,

Our District is creating a new strategic plan for 2027–2032, and your ideas will help set its direction. From Oct. 9–19, join the conversation on ThoughtExchange. Share what makes HBCSD strong, where we can improve, and what our top priorities should be. It's anonymous and available in multiple languages. Every voice from Dwyer Middle School counts!