Dicken Family Newsletter
1.13.23
Principal's Corner
Happy New Year to all! The staff and students have been reconnecting this week with new energy and excitement for the year ahead. We look forward to a wonderful 2023 here at Dicken.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, January 16 - No School, MLK Jr. Day
Thursday, January 19 - Dicken PTO Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 (Zoom)
Tuesday, January 31 - Early Release Day, Dismissal at 1:18 PM
Tuesday, February 7 - Dicken Winter Walk, 6:30 - 7:30
Hearing & Vision Screening
Hearing and/or Vision screening services will be taking place January 27th and 30th. Forms were sent home in backpack mail this week; please return the form to our school office if you have not already done so.
Please note that this year, masking is mandated during the screening per the Washtenaw County Health Department who is providing the service.
You may return the form asking to opt out if you are not comfortable with your child wearing a mask (provided), or for any other reason. Participation is not mandatory.
Screening dates: January 27th & 30th
Rescreening/ make-up dates: Feb. 23rd and 24th
Thank you!
MLK Jr. Youth Program Reminder
The University of Michigan School of Education is resuming its annual in-person MLK Children and Youth Program on January 16, 2023. It is the 25th Anniversary of the program, and Pre-K through 12th-grade students are invited to this special celebration and commemoration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please click here for more information: MLK Children and Youth Program
Washtenaw County CDC Covid Level
As of today, Washtenaw County is in the CDC MEDIUM/YELLOW Community Level.
A reminder that AAPS will be requiring masking for one more school week, January 17 - 20. Thank you for your cooperation!
All the best,
Heather
PTO News
Message from the PTO President
Welcome back! We are excited to see many of you at the Winter Walk in a few weeks. Also, our first PTO meeting of the year is next Thursday, January 19! Find info for the Zoom link below.
—Jenifer Miller, Dicken PTO President
Click here for the Dicken Elementary Parents Facebook group.
Find information about events, meeting minutes, and more on the PTO website at www.dickenpto.com
Dicken Directory is Here!
Please click here to access the Dicken Directory for class lists and family contact info.
Upcoming PTO Dates
Thursday, January 19 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, February 16 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, March 16 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, April 20 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, May 18 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, June 15 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
To see all Dicken school & PTO events in one place, click here for our PTO Google Calendar.
Another helpful link: the AAPS School Calendar.
Help Rebuild Ms. Hubbard’s Classroom Library
Over the winter break a water pipe burst in Ms. Hubbard’s third grade classroom. The water and steam released by the pipe ruined her classroom library, warping books, sticking pages together, and causing many books to need to be thrown away due to mold. Her collections of adventure, fantasy, nonfiction and graphic novels were completely wiped out. If you have any third grade level books sitting around gathering dust at your home, please consider donating them to Ms. Hubbard’s class. Any books she cannot use will be offered to other teachers at Dicken. Books can be brought directly to Ms. Hubbard, dropped off at 1921 Coronada St, Ann Arbor, Mi, (I’ll put a bin out on the front porch) or you can send me a text and I’ll come pick them up (207-240-5542).
Thank you in advance!
Colleen Diedrich (Room Parent for Ms. Hubbard)
January PTO Council General Membership Meeting
When: Monday, January 23rd, 7-8:30pm
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86193584069
Topics:
- Superintendent Update
- Equity Subcommittee update and planning session
Please join the Ann Arbor PTO Council at our January General Meeting where we will discuss the findings of our AAPS PT(S)O Budget analysis and our plans for a kickoff fundraiser.
We would love for you to join us so that we can work together, as a community, to discover, ask questions, and push ourselves to fundraise equitably.
You do not need to be affiliated with a PTO or AAPS to join in this conversation. As we move to a broader scope with our work, we truly need all community hands on deck.
WESO is coming and Dicken needs coaches!
Do you or your child have a passion for science? Want to spend one night a week hanging out with your super-cool, future Nobel prize winning kid, and sharing that passion for science with other like-minded Dicken kids? Then WESO is for you!
WESO (the Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad) is an annual academic competition that allows students in elementary schools across Washtenaw County to compete utilizing their math and science skills in a fun, challenging, one day-long Science Olympiad. This year the date of the competition is Saturday May 13th, 2023 and is currently scheduled to be in person at Huron High School. Practices are anticipated to begin in February or March.
Who can participate?
Students in grades 2-5 are eligible to participate.
How can you help?
Right now, Dicken needs coaches. In order for our school to compete we need adults willing to spend an hour or so a week for a few months meeting with small groups of kids helping them understand their subject, practice, and prepare for the big day. For some events, in light of the current situation, zoom meetings may even be an option. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and neighbors, are all welcome! This year’s events are:
iRobot (grades 2&3): Participants will be tested on their knowledge of basic computing and robot automation concepts, including software, their understanding of how computers and robots solve problems, and their ability to create a simple program that can be uploaded to the ozbot to complete an objective (Coach spot filled)
iCompute (grades 4&5): Participants will be tested on their knowledge of basic computing concepts including hardware and software, their understanding of how computers solve problems, and their ability to create a simple program. (Coach spot filled)
Mystery Architecture: each team will be given a bag of materials to build a structure that can support a ball. The tallest structure wins. (Could be a different challenge for 2023)
The Human Machine (grades 2&3): Take a journey through the human body to find out what you are made of and how all the parts work together. Teams will answer questions pertaining to basic human anatomy and physiology and then move through a series of stations that address the organ system(s) of focus for this year (not yet specified). (Coach spot filled)
On Target: Each team will build missiles, using straws as the missile body (materials are provided by WESO). The accuracy of the missiles launched indoors at a fixed target will be tested. (Coach spot filled)
Potions (grades 4&5): each team will answer questions about basic chemistry concepts and complete several simple chemistry experiments, exercising basic lab skills and safety procedures.
Read it, Build it (grades 2&3): students will follow provided grade-appropriate instructions to construct an object from fun materials.
Write it, Build It (grades 4&5): Group A will be shown a picture made from materials and will write a description of it. Group B will be given the pieces of the picture and Group A’s written description. The event tests a team’s ability to clearly communicate in writing between two groups.
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah: given a few household materials, each team will construct a cable car capable of safely carrying a ping-pong ball down a zip line. (Coach spot filled)
Pentathlon: five athletes from your team will compete in this event that combines a physical challenge relay with the ability to do arithmetic, estimate, and interpret data visualizations. (Coach spot filled)
Map Reading (grades 2&3): students will test their map reading skills with various geographical questions using different types of maps (Coach spot filled)
Aerodynamics: Teams will design, construct, and fly at least two paper airplanes. Two initial flights will be measured for distance. Two final flights will be measured for flight time.fd
Barge Building (grades 2&3): Using materials provided, teams will construct a barge, predict the amount of cargo the barge will hold before it sinks and load the barge. Scoring is based on the amount of cargo held by the barge and the team’s ability to predict the maximum amount the barge can hold.
Feathered Friends: Participants will be tested on bird identification skills and basic bird science. Bird vocalizations, habitat, behavior, specimen identification, and field guide comprehension will be included as part of this hands-on, multimedia event.
If you or someone you know is interested in coaching one of these events, please reach out to either of Dicken’s Head Coaches Colleen Diedrich (clmaloney3@gmail.com or 207-240-5542) or Alex Harman (esotericthinks@gmail.com 248-599-2539) .
Celebrating what makes us UNIQUE!
It’s January 2023 and we have two wonderful holidays to celebrate this month…
Civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is observed on Monday, January 16th this year. There are many things to do in Ann Arbor and around Washtenaw County to celebrate MLK Day
Visit https://www.volunteerwashtenaw.org/mlkday to learn more.
The Lunar New Year kicks off with the second new moon after the winter solstice on Sunday, January 22nd! There are many local events to welcome in the Year of the Rabbit. In particular, the Planetarium & Dome Theater at the Museum of Natural History will host live shows about the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
Visit https://events.umich.edu/event/102014 to learn more.