The way students access DART buses is changing beginning in school year 2018-19. When students receive their school IDs this Fall, the badge will have a QR code embedded on it. The QR code will serve as the student’s “ticket” to ride DART. Students will be required to scan the QR code when boarding DART buses. Click on the headline to read more about the change, and the district’s partnership with DART.

Beginning in August, all schools at DMPS will have new hours. The new hours at our school will be 8:30 AM to 3:25 PM. The change is being made to better serve the educational needs of students, based on research into the sleep patterns of children and teenagers. Click the headline for more information.

Hoyt Students are collecting Box Tops for Education!
Donate your Box Tops in the Hoyt office.

Our students have enough to carry around! Opportunities in the community will now be available via Virtual Backpack for Des Moines Public Schools. Read about student-friendly community events and opportunities, or post a flyer of your own. Click on the headline to read more about Virtual Backpack.

Before starting 7th grade in the fall, students must meet a new mandatory state vaccination requirement. Students without proof of a meningitis vaccination or an exemption will not be allowed to attend classes in the fall. As of Aug. 1, 43% of Hoyt students do not have the vaccination. Click the headline to read more about what is needed, and where students can find assistance meeting this requirement.

Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa has honored Hoyt Middle School employee Randy Bakker as their Achiever of the Year. Randy was born with a condition called hydrocephalus which renders him functionally blind. After enrolling in a job skills training program at Goodwill he started working at Hoyt this year. The award is presented to someone who overcomes obstacles to employment. Click on the image for more.

You can now find out what’s for breakfast and lunch at every school on every day of the year. You can even find out nutritional information. Just visit the Dining section on the new DMPS Mobile App. If you don’t yet have the app, click the header to download it for Apple or Android and learn more about its many features.

The new DMPS mobile app is designed to provide up-to-date and helpful information about the school district and all schools right in the palm of your hand. Now you can connect with Hoyt and every school in Des Moines from anywhere and everywhere. Click the photo to learn more about the app and download to your Apple or Android smartphone.

Hoyt Middle and Brubaker Elementary School students released balloons from the outdoor track this week to show their support and good wishes for fellow student, Dakota McDonald, who is suffering from brain cancer. Students wrote a note on each balloon and some made cards for Dakota, who was in attendance. To see more of Jon Lemons’ photos, click on the picture.