Dismissal at 11:30 am.

The photo company Coffee Pond has made it easy for you to place your portrait order online and support your school! A portion of the proceeds of every order placed on or before Picture Day are returned to your school to support fundraising efforts. Just follow these simple steps:

• Go to www.coffeepond.com and click the red banner that says "Order School Portraits & shop our exclusive products."

• Using the drop-down menu, select Lexington, MA, then select William Diamond Middle School.

• Enter your child's information, including full first name (as it appears in the school's registry).

• Select your packages and add them to your cart.

• If you have more than one child attending this school, click "Order for Another Child" and repeat the steps above.

Once you've added packages to your cart for all your children, you're ready to check out! Follow the prompts to enter your contact and billing information. Once all your information has been entered and you've reviewed your order, just be sure to click "Submit Order"!

Orders placed after Picture Day may be subject to a $8 handling fee.

Questions? Email at lifeguards@coffeepond.com or call (508) 907-6633 ext. 0.

Dismissal at 11:30 am.

Join us for our monthly Diamond PTO meeting! All Diamond parents and caregivers are welcome - whether you’re already involved with the PTO, interested in helping out, or simply want to hear what’s happening at Diamond.

We’ll share school and PTO updates, talk through upcoming events and priorities, and make time for questions, ideas, and conversation.

No PTO experience or commitment required. Come when you can, participate as much or as little as works for you, and help us build a strong, connected Diamond community.

Planning to join us? Please RSVP through our Diamond PTO Meeting SignUpGenius. RSVPs aren’t required, but they help us know how many people to expect and allow us to send any meeting updates or details in advance. Walk-ins are always welcome!

👉 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FA8A622A1FDCE9-65259724-diamond

Morning Meetings: Diamond Middle School Library
Evening Meetings: Hosted at Olivia Kelley’s home; address will be shared with registered attendees prior to the meeting.

We’d love to see you!

Grade 7 & 8 Back to School Night - THURSDAY, September 24

Save the date for Diamond Middle School’s 7th & 8th Grade Back to School Night!

This is an opportunity for caregivers to visit Diamond, hear from school administration and the PTO, meet their student’s teachers, and get a better sense of the year ahead.

At 6:00 pm, caregivers will follow their child’s Day 1 schedule. Although we are following a typical Day One schedule, not all teachers may be available, so you may be hearing directly from some teachers or visiting a class that is covered by a different teacher. You may also have an optional “flex” block where you can visit our library, health office, or counseling suite to meet the educators in those spaces.

At 7:45 pm, 8th grade families are invited to an informational meeting about our annual 8th Grade Trip to Washington, DC. Families who are planning to send their children on this trip or who have questions should attend this meeting.

JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF FUN, FOOD, AND NEW FRIENDS!

Date: Friday, September 18, 2025

Time: 6:30PM

Revolution Hall, Lexington

https://diamondpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/401337

Come connect with other 6th grade families, meet PTO board members, and learn how to get involved this school year. Enjoy snacks, a cash bar, and fun icebreaker activities to help everyone feel at home.

Tickets: $35/adult | $25/student | $10/sibling

Proceeds support PTO events, programs, and resources for Diamond students.

Please join us for our first Diamond PTO meeting of the school year!

Friday, September 11
9:30–10:30 AM
Diamond Middle School Library
Or join us on Zoom: Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 576 547 6401

Passcode: PTO

All Diamond parents and caregivers are welcome - whether you’re already involved with the PTO, interested in helping out, or simply want to hear more about what’s happening at Diamond this year.

We’ll talk about PTO priorities for the year, upcoming events and fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, teacher and student support, and ways families can get involved. We’ll also leave plenty of time for questions, ideas and conversation.

The meeting agenda is below so you can take a look ahead of time.

There is absolutely no PTO experience or commitment required. Come when you can, participate as much or as little as works for you, and help us build a strong, connected Diamond community.

Planning to attend in person? Please RSVP through our Diamond PTO Meeting SignUpGenius. RSVPs aren’t required, but they help us know how many people to expect. Walk-ins are always welcome!

👉 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FA8A622A1FDCE9-65259724-diamond

Hope to see you there!

AGENDA
1. Welcome & Introductions

·       Welcome to returning families and especially our new 6th-grade families.

·       Quick introductions and a brief overview of the PTO.

2. Principal / Administration Update

·       Start-of-school update and priorities for the year.

·       Clubs, activities, athletics, school initiatives, and brief Q&A.

3. PTO Financial Update & 2026-27 Budget

·       Year-end position, reserves, proposed budget, major expenses and revenue.

·       Membership and fundraising goals; teacher grants and club support.

·       Focus: fund meaningful programs while strengthening recurring revenue.

4. September & Fall Events

·       6th Grade Welcome Social - Sept. 18 at Revolution Hall.

·       8th Grade DC Trip Fundraiser - ShopFund campaign; orders due Sept. 28.

·       Celtics Nights - two games planned; proceeds support Diamond MS.

·       Spirit Wear - October launch with new merchandise/design direction.

·       Spring Fun Run - planning underway.

5. PTO Priorities & Volunteer Opportunities

·       Many key roles are already filled, and we still have flexible ways to help.

·       OPEN ROLE: Volunteer Manager - follow up with interested parents, organize a usable volunteer pool, and match people to needs throughout the year.

·       Volunteer 'buckets' include one-hour errands/pickups, event chaperones, setup/check-in/cleanup, tables and activities, school-day needs, one-time projects, and 'email me when you need hands' volunteers.

·       Other needs: Fundraising, corporate sponsorship program, and event volunteers.

6. New Business / Parent Ideas

·       What would families like to see the PTO do this year?

·       Programs, events, ideas, questions, concerns, or opportunities to take ownership.

7. Wrap-Up & Next Steps

·       Action items and owners; PTO membership; weekly newsletter.

·       Reminder: 6th Grade Welcome Social - Sept. 18.

·       Next Meeting: October 1st at 7:30PM at 44 Grant St.

·       Thank you for being part of the Diamond community.

Grade 6 Back to School Night - Wednesday, September 9

Save the date for Diamond Middle School’s 6th Grade Back to School Night!

This is an opportunity for caregivers to visit Diamond, hear from school administration and the PTO, meet their child’s teachers, and get a better sense of the year ahead.

This event will begin with optional student-led tours from 4:30-5:30 pm.

At 5:30 pm, caregivers should join the administration and PTO for a presentation about life at Diamond.

At 6:20 pm, caregivers will rotate through a series of seven “blocks,” meeting their child’s teachers and learning important information about middle school. Schedules will be distributed via students’ WIN blocks on Tuesday. We will also likely be emailing schedules to caregivers that day.

Parking: As you may be aware, parking will be at a premium each night. We encourage you to carpool or walk, if at all possible.

First Day of School at Diamond Middle School

The first day at Diamond is all about new beginnings! Students will meet their teachers, reconnect with friends, and get to know their schedules and classrooms.

NEW Daily Schedule

Based on feedback from our community - especially our students - Diamond Administration made a few key adjustments to the daily schedule this year:

• Extended Lunch Periods: Moved to three mixed-grade lunch periods and added 5 minutes to each, giving students 25 total minutes to eat and recharge.

• Direct-to-Class Start at 8:00 AM: To make time for longer lunches, daily homeroom has been eliminated. Students should head straight to their 1st block class by 8:00 AM on typical days.

• *FIRST-DAY EXCEPTION: On the first day of school only, all students will report to Homeroom first to kick off the year!

Diamond Staff will walk 7th and 8th graders through these shifts on day one, while taking extra time to help incoming 6th graders get comfortable with their new middle school routine.

On Tuesday, August 25, Diamond will host an Open House between the hours of 8:30 and 11:30 AM for incoming 6th graders, new 7th & 8th graders, and their families.

Families brand new to Lexington may benefit from a short presentation in the library from 8:30-9:00 am. (Rising 6th grade families who attended our spring info sessions need not attend.) Outside of the presentation, families are welcome to drop by any time during the open house window, where we will have a number of volunteer student guides present to help you locate rooms, open lockers, and answer your questions about Diamond. We’re excited to welcome you all to the Diamond community and help you learn your way around the building!