Dear Excellent Dragon Families,

August 31st was Dr. Maria Montessori’s 151st birthday. To celebrate her birthday, I am sharing an excerpt of an open letter written to her last year on her 150 st birthday. The sentiments continue to ring true today.

“One hundred fifty years after your birth, we celebrate your life, your learning, and your legacy.

Your life, because despite the significant challenges of your own world—which also included a deadly pandemic, as well as the brutality of racism as evident in atrocities such as the “scramble for Africa,” and the horror of two World Wars—your work continued not only steadfastly and unabatedly, but brilliantly;

Your learning, because you taught us that children love to acquire skills and knowledge and are to be treated with respect and kindness; and that in them, lies our hope for the future;

Your legacy, because you modeled how we can innovate no matter what our circumstances, and because you left the Montessori Method as a gift to the world, without restriction.”

To read the entire letter, please visit the AMS website.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Montessori! We are so grateful for the pathway you have paved, and we will continue to pay it forward.

Have a great week!

Dragons breathe fire!

Much love,

Ms. Wing

Carpool Reminders

• Please do not park on Edgemere. We don’t have No Parking signs, but it is much safer if Edgemere is free of parked cars.

• Please cross at crosswalks only.

• Please stay in your car or at the trailhead (soccer is the exception).

• Please DO NOT park in our carpool lane (even down at the end by the trail).

• Please stay off your phone.

• Please do not block any driveways.

• Please be patient.

• If you are picking up students older than Primary, please don’t line up until 3:40.

• Please be kind to our staff and parents that are assisting with carpool. We are just trying to keep everyone safe.

COVID Updates

• Effective Tuesday, August 10, to protect staff and students from the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, Dallas ISD is temporarily requiring all staff, students and visitors to wear masks when on district property.

• The announcement comes as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Dallas County Health officials have raised the COVID-19 alert to level red and reported that hospitalizations are rising at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, among all age groups, including children. Students under 12 are not eligible for a vaccine, however, school attendance is mandatory, and virtual learning is not an option at this time.

• In keeping with the top priority of safeguarding the health and well-being of staff and students, the district will continue to provide masks and sanitizer at district facilities and will continue contact tracing.

• Governor Abbott’s order does not limit the district’s rights as an employer and educational institution to establish reasonable and necessary safety rules for its staff and students. Dallas ISD remains committed to the safety of our students and staff.

All Staff Dates (Dealey Dragons) are here

September 6th Labor Day No School

September 7th Testing window opens: MAP, Circle, TxKEA (your teacher will communicate details)

September 10th, Progress Reports

September 14 SBDM @ 5:00 and PTA @ 6:00 on ZOOM

Sept. 29 Dialogue with the Superintendent (location TBD)

STAFF - 4:45-5:30pm

COMMUNITY- 5:45-6:30pm

Oct 7 Last day of grading period

Oct 9 Fair Day

Oct 15 Staff Development Day

Oct 18 Parent Conferences

If you would like to send some love to a staff member, please complete this form.

Ms. Chandler for pitching in everywhere

Ms. Olivero, Ms. Winners, Ms. Durkin and Ms. Johnson for an SEL presentation that was just what we needed

Ms. Aponte for good systems that her students know (which is especially important if I am covering the class)

Mr. Davidson for pitching in with Yearbook

Ms. Orozco for stepping into room 101 and doing an amazing job

Ms. Hervey for extra care to our littlest bus riders

Ms. Testut and Ms. Smith for helping to make sense of the cameras

4-6 Teachers and students for really great cafeteria procedures

From our community:

Ms. Thompson for going out of her way to get us through carpool quickly and safely :) Eason Family

Ms. Dang, your heartfelt interest in each and every student is so appreciated. You bring a bright relatable perspective to science and your daily energy is infectious! Ms. Olivero

Ms. Akinyemi For jumping into a new school and creating great routines and habits with the kids from day 1! Bridgett Neely

POD Teachers in 4-6 They are so wonderfully supportive. My son was home due to an injury for a couple of days and they made such an effort to check in on him, help send work home, and help him stay up on his work without stressing him out or making him worried. Bridgett Neely

Ms Winners She is so responsive, caring, and understanding. A wonderful advocate for our children! Suzanne Radcliff