Upcoming Events and Opportunities

DHMS Historical Commemoration

February 2, 1959 at 8:45 am was the first day of integration of Stratford Jr. High, now known as Dorothy Hamm Middle School.

Join the DHMS community at our Come Walk with Us event on February 2, 2023 at 5pm as commemorate and honor the walk into the building on that historical day. We are honored that Michael Jones will join us for this special event.

Remember they walked so we can soar!

BLAST: Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (for 8th graders ONLY)

This is a free opportunity for students to be “…immersed in the college experience for 3 exciting days packed with STEM activities and demonstrations led by university faculty.”  Application window closes February 1, 2023.

BLAST Flyer 2022_2023 FINAL w disclaimer

November 2022- NPFH School-wide Activity

DHMS had our first No Place for Hate school-wide activity. The student members of the committee chose to focus on Identity and Culture, which allowed for a discussion around the similarities and differences between people and the importance of respecting those differences. The school-wide event commenced the week of November 7th during Phoenix Time, where students watched a short video about identity and discussed the differences, we all have and how to respect and celebrate them. The activity ended with class and/ or individual reflection (such as create action steps to respect/ celebrate others, personal takeaways from discussion, modify their identity maps from the beginning of the year).

Here were some of the take-a-ways on how we can respect and celebrate people’s differences:

• Don’t assume stuff because it can be very stereotypical.
• Don’t judge people.
• Ask more broad questions instead of specifically pinpointing (especially when about a person’s identity).
• Everyone’s different and has their own stories to tell.
• Everybody has their own perspectives.
• Recognize and take responsibility when you mess up and try to do better.  Example:  calling people by the wrong pronouns.
• Broaden your social circle – try to get to know new people.

Overall, it was a great reflective activity. This activity allowed us to acknowledge where we are in the process so that we can take action, recognize, and respect the differences within our DHMS community.

October 2022- NPFH Pledge Activity

The week of October 3rd, DHMS was formerly introduced to No Place for Hate (NPFH) and its pledge. To date 423 people have signed the pledge which includes 375 students, 47 staff members, and 1 parent. Take a look at the display of the signed pledge sheets that is in the front of school by the main door.

Edu-Futuro 2022 Programs for Students

New Youth Programs Team Lead at EduFuturo. The flyer is attached with information on the different middle and high school program offerings, with the registration link or QR code to register at the bottom. Programs are looking to get started October 2022. Middle School: -STEM registration is open for the fall semester!

Youth Programs One Pager_ 2022

Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN) Intersectional Social Justice Collaborative invites both middle and high school students from the U.S. to meet monthly to participate in an integrated social justice youth leadership development experience, culminating in a network-wide social justice action research fair at the end of the program.

A student from each middle and high school in APS participated in this social justice collaborative, where various topics were discussed each month. The group met from October to April. The last session schools and/ or districts presented their Equity Action Plan.

APS students decided to work collaboratively as a district for their project, entitled APS Student Collaborative Equity Action Plan. The 2 middle school students from Dorothy Hamm designed the website. All students contributed information for the site. The homepage provides the overall scope of the project along with resources. The feedback page provides survey links for teachers and students to give feedback on various topics and ways for our district to improve. There is also a video to provide a student perspective. To view APS Student Collaborative Equity Action Plan click the link.

No Place for Hate 

DHMS Earns No Place for Hate Designation for 2021-22

I am pleased to announce that Dorothy Hamm Middle School has officially earned No Place for Hate designation for the 2021-2022 school year! Congratulations!!!

This initiative has allowed us to facilitate conversations with our students about representation, identity, and ways to celebrate and highlight our differences. Let’s continue to make our school community a safe and welcoming space for all.

May 2022- NPFH School-wide Activity

DHMS had our first No Place for Hate school-wide activity. The student members of the committee chose to focus on Identity and Culture, which allowed for a discussion around the similarities and differences between people and the importance of respecting those differences. The school-wide event commenced on Monday, May 16, 2022 during lunches with students responding to the prompt, “I AM…” This activity provided the opportunity for students and staff to share how they identify themselves.

The second part of the school-wide event was held Thursday, May 19, 2022 during TA, where students watched a short video about identity and discussed the differences we all have and how to respect and celebrate them. The activity ended with class and/ or individual reflection (such as create action steps to respect/ celebrate others, personal takeaways from discussion, modify their identity maps from the beginning of the year).

Overall, it was a great reflective activity. This activity allowed us to acknowledge where we are in the process so that we can take action, recognize, and respect the differences within our DHMS community.

April 2022- NPFH Pledge Activity

On Monday, April 4th and Tuesday, April 5th DHMS had a 2 day signing of the No Place for Hate (NPFH) pledge during TA. To date 908 people have signed the pledge which includes 872 students, 34 staff members, and 2 parents. Take a look at the display of the signed pledge cards that is in the front of school by main door.

March 2022- NPFH School-wide Rollout

Our Broadcast TA has been working with Dr. Glenn in efforts to roll out No Place for Hate at DHMS. We’re excited to collaborate with her! Check out the interview with Dr. Glenn to learn more about this program and how to get involved. With your help, we will make our school community a safe and welcoming space for all.

• Mar 1 episode (NPFH interview starts at 6:45)
• Mar 8 episode (NPFH Pledge activity starts at 3:18)
• Mar 15 episode (NPFH Pledge activity starts at 3:51)

DHMS Historical Commemoration

Wednesday, February 2nd

Our Broadcast TA has been working with Dr. Glenn on the anniversary of DHMS’ historical commemoration on February 2nd as well as Black History Month and No Place for Hate. We’re excited to collaborate with her!

This week, our show will feature:

• an interview with Michael Jones, one of the students who integrated Stratford Junior High
• a segment on the Halls Hill neighborhood
• a video about the history of February 2, 1959 and ways in which we’ve incorporated that history into our building (the mural on the 1st floor and the commemorative walkway)

For the rest of Black History Month, each of the groups in our TA will focus on a historically black neighborhood in Arlington. Links to all shows can be found below.

• Feb 2nd episode
• Feb 8th episode
• Feb 15th episode
• Feb 23rd episode

SOAR Cohort at Yorktown

If you are a rising 9th grader who is BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) and will be attending Yorktown High School, this program may be a great opportunity for you.SOAR Cohort is a wonderful opportunity for rising 9th graders coming to Yorktown. SOAR Cohort:

• geared toward BIPOC students who would appreciate or benefit from a close-knit affinity group
• focuses on developing academic skills needed for advanced level courses and college, leadership skills, social emotional growth
• If students are leaving EL, SOAR can be a great support as they transition into non-EL classes.

Please see attached the attached  SOAR Flyer  for more information about SOAR.

Past Events

Arlington Tech Application & Information

• Application DEADLINE is January 21, 2022 at 4pm.
• Click HERE to view details about program and application.
• Arlington Tech Informational flyer (English) (Spanish)

December 2, 2021
Shani King, author of Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter, visited our students virtually and shared his newest book with us. The book celebrates the accomplishments of many important black men and women in science, politics, leadership, the arts, and more.

November 6, 2020
Author La-Donia Alford-Jefferies of “Homecoming” visited DHMS to discuss writing development & the HBCU experience.

As an Adjunct Professor, La-Donia Alford-Jefferies works to educate students about the importance of Historical Black Colleges and Universities every day. She is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and a native to Greensboro, North Carolina. With her mother a former professor at an HBCU for 40 years and her father an alum of North Carolina A&T State University, La-Donia is truly Aggie born, Aggie bred. Her husband, Michael and two daughters inspired her to write a book about their homecoming experiences as a family.