Dakota Hills Middle School (DHMS) is a school in Eagan, Minnesota

Eagan, Minnesota

Eagan is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest...

. It is located in the same building as Eagan High School

Eagan High School

Eagan High School is a public high school in east-central Eagan, Minnesota. The school opened in fall of 1989 for ninth grade students and for grades ten through twelve the following year. It is particularly noted for its fine arts programs and use of technology...

 and is in Independent School District 196

Independent School District 196

Independent School District 196 is a K-12 public school district located in the south suburban Twin Cities, near both Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota....

. Dakota Hills is a large public school with about 1200-1300 students as of the 2005-2006 school year. Its mascot is a Wildcat, and its colors are green, blue, and silver.

Students

Dakota Hills has a total of 1353 students and a faculty of 124 people. The teacher-student ratio is about 1:11. The number of students in each grade are:

• Grade 6 - 455 students
• Grade 7 - 479 students
• Grade 8 - 419 students

District 196 estimates that as of 2007 13.7% of DHMS students are of color, 3.8% are English Language Learners, and 6.8% are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Feeder schools

The following schools feed into Dakota Hills:

• Glacier Hills Elementary
• Pinewood Elementary
• Red Pine Elementary
  Red Pine Elementary
  Red Pine Elementary School is the largest elementary school in ISD 196.Red Pine Elementary is Located in Eagan, Minnesota. However, some students go to Eagan High Schools while other go the Rosemount High School. Red Pine has won several awards for their education....
  
  
• Northview Elementary
  Northview Elementary
  Northview Elementary School is one of the oldest school buildings in ISD 196. It is the closest elementary school to Dakota Hills Middle School. It was built on what was the first schoolhouse in Eagan.- Feeder schools :Students at Northview go on to attend:...
  
  
• Woodland Elementary

WEB Program

During the 2007-08 school year, Dakota Hills introduced the WEB Program. The WEB program helps grade school students with the transition to middle school, which can be very dramatic. The coordinators have noted that 2007-08 was a "great success", and the counselors noted that no 6th grade student cried on the 1st day of school--a first in school history.

Every spring, the coordinators set out to find interested students in WEB. The "Spring Play Date" introduces students to the activities in groups of 8-10 students. In August, leaders spend two days training for the 6th grade registration day. Throughout the school year, leaders and students spend some time together participating in activities that include a breakfast, a movie night, and meetings with students during the lunch period.

Student of the Month

Each month students from each grade level are awarded with "Student of the Month" honors. These students are selected based on: Academic Excellence, Excellent Classroom Attitude, Creativity, Responsibility, Leadership and Effort.

Alumni

• Natalie Darwitz
  Natalie Darwitz
  Natalie Darwitz is an American ice hockey player. Natalie has been the Captain of the US Women's National Team since the start of the 2007-08 season...
  
  , Olympic hockey player
• Laura Osnes
  Laura Osnes
  Laura Ann Osnes is an American stage actress, and the winner of the role of "Sandy" on the televised Grease: You're the One that I Want! competition. She played Sandy in the 2007 Broadway run of Grease, which opened August 19, 2007, starring alongside the other winner, Max Crumm, who played the...
  
  , winner of Grease: You're the One that I Want!
• Tim (TJ) Christofore, member of super boy band Take 5 (band)
  Take 5 (band)
  Take 5 was an American boy band from Orlando, Florida. Take 5 was one of the many groups whose formulation and promotion were due to the machinations of promoter Lou Pearlman, and all of the members had had prior experience in the entertainment industries....
  
  

Teachers

• Randy Brouhten, guitarist for Gear Daddies
  Gear Daddies
  The Gear Daddies are a band from Austin, Minnesota that enjoyed moderate success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its members were Randy Broughten , Nick Ciola , Billy Dankert , and Martin Zellar...