Dicken Family Newsletter
10.11.20
Principal's Corner
Dear Families,
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us on Curriculum Night! Your partnership and support make such an impact in your child(ren)'s success, this year more than ever. If you weren't able to attend, you can view the Principal / PTO Presentation here. If you missed a classroom teacher's presentation, they can make the slides or recording available to you. Please remember to reach out with any questions or needs.
Virtual Principal's Coffee
I am excited to begin a monthly Principal's Coffee which will take place on the last Friday of each month from 9:00 - 10:00 am. Feel free to pop in on October 30 to make connections, ask questions, and enjoy conversation. Please use this Zoom link to join.
Screen Time: Tips to Avoid Eye Strain
The following are some tips from a local optometrist, Paul C. Uslan:
- To prevent dryness apply the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes look away 20 feet for 20 seconds. This will naturally lubricate the eye and relax the muscles.
- Set a timer. Whether a kitchen timer or a smart device, use it to remind your child to take a break every 20 minutes.
- Alternate reading an e-book with a real book. Encourage children to look up and out the window every two chapters or simply shut their eyes for 20 seconds.
- Pre-mark books with paperclips every few chapters. When they reach a paper clip, it will remind them look up. On an e-book, use the "bookmark" function for the same effect.
- Good ergonomics is as important as resting the eyes periodically. We tend to use digital devices at less than ideal distances and angles, which leads to eyestrain. To encourage good posture and better habits, set up a "home office" for your kids. Follow these tips to optimize their workspace:
- Make sure they view laptops at arm's length, about 18 to 24 inches from where they are sitting. Ideally, they should have a monitor positioned at eye level, directly in front of the body. Tablets should also be held at arm's length.
- To reduce glare, position the light source behind the back, not behind the computer screen.
- Adjust the brightness and contrast on the screen so that it feels comfortable for them.
- Don't use a device outside or in brightly lit areas; the glare on the screen can cause eye strain.
- Avoid using a device in a dark room. As the pupil expands to accommodate the darkness, the brightness of the screen can aggravate after-images and cause discomfort.
- Put down the device 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
CDC Guidelines
The CDC has published guidelines and suggestions for upcoming holidays which you may find helpful.
Unfortunately, for safety concerns, Ann Arbor's Main Street / Downtown trick-or-treating is cancelled this year. But there are a lot of other great things going on to celebrate autumn and Halloween with Downtown.
- Lots of fun activities with the Library, including a costume and pumpkin contest
- Cherry Republic has a scavenger hunt all month
- Halloween Le Bon Macarons
To see the full list of fun happenings and ways to support downtown this Fall season visit the Main Street Area Association webpage
Tech Support
Please remember that you can always email or call the Tech Family Help Desk with any issues:
family_techsupport@aaps.k12.mi.us
734-997-1222
Ayuda en Español: 734-997-1246
Families who need access to better Wifi can complete the Student Mobile Device Hotspot Form
Attendance Notes
If your child(ren) will be absent from school, please report all absences to dicken@aaps.k12.mi.us or leave a voicemail message at 734-994-1928.
Wishing you a lovely week ahead!
All the best,
Heather
PTO News
Have an item for the blast? Email it to dolphinsblast@gmail.com. Blast items kindly requested by 5 p.m. Friday.
PTO Meeting 10/15
Our next Dicken PTO meeting will be held this Thursday, October 15th, from 7-9pm via zoom. Here is the zoom link if you'd like to join: https://a2schools.zoom.us/j/91599625018?pwd=Z21SZEhwcGxsMmtNckl1QjBRZzFiUT09
Dicken Dash Reminder
“Back to school” looks very different this year. Our dolphins look forward to the Dicken Dash every year - it is an opportunity to build community, focus on fitness and serves as the school’s biggest fundraiser. The decision has been made to postpone the Dash to the spring. More information will be coming out after winter break with a plan for a spring event.
The Dash committee wants to provide an opportunity to get out and show your school spirit and hopefully enjoy the beautiful fall weather… one way to do this is by completing the Dicken Run 5k course (The companion event to the Dicken Dash that was started last year). Yes, COVID protocols limiting gatherings to 25 or less prevents us from putting on the race this year, but you can still run the course any time!
We encourage everyone to do so before the originally scheduled run date of October 11th!!!
Send a finish line selfie, an on-the-run photo, or a video of you out on the course to dickenrun@gmail.com , we’ll compile a collection of everyone showing their Dicken spirit!
Submit your time here and be entered to win a $100 gift card to Ann Arbor Running Company!
Here is the Course Map