Please make sure that your child is coming to school regularly or logging into Schoology and completing the assignments. Attendance is checked daily by classroom teachers. Failure of a student to log in consistently or come to school regularly will be reported to the school's attendance office for further action. Attendance is taken for in-person and remote learners.

Congratulations to the winning attendance classes:

January-- Ms. Bracewell (5th Grade)

February--Ms. Langan (4th Grade)

One of our goals, as counselors, is to improve student attendance. Although it may not seem like a big deal if your child has occasional tardies or absences, poor attendance can impede his or her progress. You, as parents, can take measures to ensure good attendance by making sure that you and your child have a clear understanding of both the state and school system’s attendance policy. You can also ensure good attendance by having a positive attitude when talking about school and making sure your child gets plenty of rest.

10 Reasons Why School Attendance is Important by Channing Bete Company:

1. Children with good attendance are more likely to do well in school. Too many tardies or absences result in missed instruction which can cause your child to fall behind as early as kindergarten!

2. Children are more likely to develop important skills. Students develop good character traits, good study skills, and work habits.

3. Children who have a lot of absences are less likely to fulfill their full potential as students. They tend to have learning gaps which causes them to struggle when learning new things.

4. Children with good attendance are more likely to do well on standardized tests. Studies have found a link between poor attendance and low scores on standardized tests.

5. If your child attends school regularly, he or she is less likely to drop out of high school. Students tend to have good friends and be involved in school activities.

6. Good attendance can lead to college and a good job. Students do better academically and tend to go on to college or training programs.

7. Children with good attendance are more are more likely to get along with others. They develop better social skills and have higher self-esteem.

8. Good attendance goes hand-in-hand with behavior. Students tend to have a more positive attitude when they attend regularly.

9. Children with fewer absences are less likely to use alcohol and other drugs. Students who feel connected to school are more likely to avoid risky behavior.

10. Good attendance means more money for schools. The district’s budget is developed using the Average Daily Attendance.

*Please assist us by having your child in class or logged on for live instruction from bell to bell. Thank you for your continued support!

ACAP testing will begin for Grades 2-5 on

March 16, 2021

Testing ends on April 30, 2021

(More information regarding your child's scheduled test date will be sent home soon.)

How to View Your Child’s Schoology Activities and Grades

Signing into Schoology, https://app.schoology.com

1. Your personal account, with your own name and information;

2. Your Child Activity view. From here, you can view Schoology from your child’s perspective, and see what he or she sees, and receive updates about his or her activity.

Start by clicking on the arrow in the upper-right corner, next to your name, and then select your child’s name to switch into his or her account. The checkmark in this drop-down menu indicates which account you are currently viewing.

1. The Student Activity area in the center of the page displays your child’s recent submission, grade, and attendance information.

2. Toggle into Enrollments in the same area to see a list of the courses your child is currently enrolled in, along with his or her grade. If the teacher or administrator has chosen not to display the grade while the course is in progress, you will see a blank value (as in the grade column above). Click on an individual course to see grades received on assignments, tests, and discussions from that course. Depending on the permission settings in place at your school, you may not be able to view content posted by other members of the course.

3. The Recent Grades/Attendance area lists graded assignments, tests/quizzes, discussions, and attendance marks for the student. To view the graded items and attendance marks, click the item you'd like to view.

4. The Overdue section displays a list of course materials your child did not turn in by the due date.

5. The Upcoming section displays a list of your child’s upcoming assignments and events.

6. Courses: You can see a list of your child’s current courses. Click the course name to navigate to the course profile as your child views it. Depending on the permission settings in place at your school, you may not be able to view content posted by other members of the course.

7. Groups: You can see a list of your child’s Schoology Groups. Groups can be used for a variety of activities, from school projects to extracurricular teams and clubs. Depending on the permission settings in place at your school, you may not be able to view content posted by other members of the group.

8. Grades: Depending on the settings in place at your child’s school, this menu provides access to view the following: 1. Grade Report: Review your child’s grades for all courses.

2. Mastery: If your child’s school aligns materials to standard and learning objectives, you can check your child’s progress in this area.

3. Attendance: Review your child’s attendance for all courses.

Calendar of Events

March 9 – Progress Reports available through Schoology

March 9 – Dickson Dateline Sent Out

March 10 – Cici’s Pizza Spirit Night 4:00 – 9:00 p.m.

March 16 – ACAP Testing Begins

March 26 – 3rd Quarter Ends

March 29 – 4th Quarter Begins

April 1 – Moe’s Southwest Grill Spirit Night 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

April 5 – April 9 Spring Break

April 9 – April 23 Hero Squad Fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's

Upcoming Friday Spirit Days

· Friday, March 12th is wear green (in early observance of St. Patrick’s Day).

· Friday, March 19th is wear a pastel or spring colored shirt (March 20th first day of spring).

· Friday, March 26th is wear your favorite team shirt (in honor of March Madness).

· Friday, April 2nd is Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness; Students may wear a blue shirt.

· Friday, April 16th is wear an E.R. Dickson spirit shirt.

· Friday, April 23rd is wear your favorite hat and sunglasses (in observance of Earth Day)

2nd Place--Ms. Emily Langan

3rd Place--Ms. Michael Ross

Best Hallway Decorations--Ms. Priest, Ms. Fondren, Ms. Bowman, Ms. Grimes & Ms. Bettis

What is the Alabama Literacy Act?

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays (Through May 11)

Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Where: Students join remotely from home

Who: 2nd – 5th Grade Students (Students must meet certain criteria)

Contact Sara King, Reading Coach/Tutoring Facilitator, if interested: sking@mcpss.com

Parents of Remote Students, please make sure your child is getting on

i-Ready Reading and Math daily from 9:50 a.m.-10:20 a.m.

Schoolwide i-Ready time is 9:50 -10:20 a.m. each day. All students are expected to log-in daily.

· Work on Reading – Monday and Wednesday

· Work on Math – Tuesday and Thursday

Remember to read your AR books!

Goal Setting Chart for 3rd Quarter

Each week your child should be reaching the following percentage of their AR goal.

3/8/21 - 3/12/21 78% of AR Goal

3/15/21 - 3/19/21 90% of AR Goal

3/22/21 - 3/26/21 100% of AR Goal

When Your Child SHOULD NOT Be At School

COVID-like Illness- If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep them at home and consult with your physician to rule out COVID-19:

· Fever (100 degrees or greater) or chills

· Cough

· Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (not related to other conditions)

· Fatigue

· Muscle or body aches

· Headache

· New loss of taste or smell

· Sore throat

· Congestion or runny nose

· Nausea or vomiting

· Diarrhea

If your physician diagnoses your child or anyone in the home with COVID-19, please contact your school nurse immediately so that proper contact tracing can be initiated. Please adhere to isolation/quarantine orders issued by the ADPH, MCHD, or your physician.