Office, Admin, & Attendance
Have a question or concern? Need to contact the office or a teacher about an assignment or upcoming event? Please feel free to send us an email, call, or book an appointment and we can help go over any pressing issues or concerns you might have.
Address
4200 208th Street West
Farmington, MN; 55024
School Hours
8:40 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Office Hours
7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Andy Nelson
Principal
Phone: 651-460-1500
Email
My name is Andy Nelson, Principal at Dodge Middle School. I believe that partnership between families and the school community enriches the learning experiences we create for our learners. This was never more evident than this past spring. While we do not know what the fall will look like it is critical that we have open communication and partnership to support our learners. I am passionate about personalized education that meets the needs of each individual student.
I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and began my career as a middle school math teacher, teaching a variety of courses. Through most of that time I also coached track and field. In 2009, I completed my Master’s in Education at Hamline University. After nine years teaching, I spent two years as a Dean of Students at the high school level.
In my spare time, I enjoy my time with my wife and three young children. We enjoy camping, fishing, biking, and spending time together.
Vicky Bruce
Assistant Principal
Phone: 651-460-1500
EMAIL
Vicky Bruce graduated from Southwest State University with her Elementary Education degree. She taught in Arlington, Texas for 10 years then returned to Minnesota. She has been working with the Farmington School District for the past 27 years as an elementary teacher, high school track coach, Teacher on Special Assignment, Facilitator of Instructional Support, Interim Principal at North Trail Elementary and Elementary Assistant Principal.
From St. Thomas University she obtained a Master’s in Instructional Technology and her Education Specialist Degree with Administrative K-12 Licensure.
In her spare time, Mrs. Bruce enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren. She enjoys camping, being outdoors, gardening, baking and sports.
Attendance & Discipline
ATTENDANCE LINE: 651-460-1505
The Farmington School District 192 and Dodge Middle school is obligated to follow the Minnesota Law on School Attendance until age 18. The Farmington Board of Education and administration believe that it is the student’s right and responsibility to be present in school.
Dodge Middle School encourages daily and regular student attendance. The school recognizes that school attendance is a shared responsibility by the student, parent, and school. Students who attend school are best prepared to perform successfully academically and socially. Research shows that academic performance and student engagement in school is directly related to college performance and later success in life. DMS supports all components within the District Student Attendance Policies and Regulations.
Contacting the School
If a student will be absent, a parent/guardian must call Dodge Middle School’s attendance line between 7 AM and 8:15 AM each day of the absence.
We ask that parents/guardians provide the reason for the absence at the time they call. The school determines if the absence falls within the excused or unexcused parameters. If the school does not receive a call from the parent/guardian the day of the absence, the student’s absence is automatically unexcused.
Contacting the School
In order to request any of the above stated absences as pre-excused, a parent/guardian must complete the online “Request to Waive Unexcused Status of Absence” form below.
Please note that this form must be submitted at least 5 school days in advance of the absence.
Excessive Tardiness & Truancy
It cannot be stressed enough the importance of students attending school. Excessive tardiness leads to absenteeism. Absenteeism can lead to excessive absenteeism and this leads to truancy. This is not a preferred position for the school or families. DMS cooperates with the Dakota County Truancy Prevention and Intervention. Upon accumulating seven (7) unexcused absences, the student is referred to the Dakota County Attorney’s office, and in turn, the School Success Project. A student may require counseling in areas such as truancy laws, time management, student responsibility, drug and alcohol related issues, and criminal risks.
Incomplete Assignments & Grades Due to Absences
- Incomplete assignments - If a student has been absent for an excused reason, that student will be given the number of school days absent plus one day to complete work assigned.
- Incomplete grades for marking period - A student receiving an incomplete (I) grade for a quarter, semester or full-year class will have two weeks from the conclusion of the marking period to make up incomplete work.
- Incomplete assignments not completed within the two-week period will turn into a zero. These scores will then be used to compute a final quarter grade. Work, incomplete from the beginning of a marking period, does not necessarily qualify a student for an incomplete grade.
The History of Levi P. Dodge Middle School
Levi P. Dodge Middle School is named after Levi Parker Dodge, a longtime school board member for Farmington Public Schools and education advocate in Dakota County. The school facility was built in 1993 and has always housed middle school students. With the opening of Farmington High School in 2009, the secondary grade levels were reconfigured to open two 6-8 middle schools at Dodge Middle School and Boeckman Middle School. Dodge Middle School primarily serves students that have attended Akin Road, North Trail, and Riverview Elementary Schools.
About Levi P. Dodge
Levi P. Dodge was born on May 25, 1839 in New Hampshire. As a youth, Levi worked as a farm laborer. During the winter months he attended public schools. When he was 18 years old, he enrolled at the New London Academy in New London, New Hampshire. There he began the study of medicine. His education was interrupted in 1861 when the Civil War began. He served the Union in General Burnside’s Expedition as a hospital steward and assistant surgeon.
Dodge served as a school board member from 1866 until his death in 1893. He insisted that Farmington’s school teachers be college educated. As well as his work with the schools, Dodge established the Farmington Library in 1871 and was its first president. It was the first public library in Dakota County.
After the Civil War, he resumed the study of medicine and graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. On October 1, 1865, he married Henrietta Shackelford of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and ten days later moved to Farmington, Minnesota.
As Farmington’s first physician, Dr. Dodge served the community as chairman of the Board of Health for many years. He was a member of the Dakota County Medical Society, the State Medical Society and the American Medical Society.
Dr. Levi Parker Dodge died on September 29, 1893. He was 54 years old.