Dicken Family Newsletter
1.17.21
Principal's Corner
Dear Families,
I hope this finds you well on this snowy afternoon. With so much going on in our country, I look forward to taking a pause tomorrow to reflect on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to celebrate his legacy, and to consider how we may continue to strive to make his dream a reality.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Reminder
A reminder that there will be no school on Monday, January 18 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. An email was sent to families on Friday with several opportunities for virtual events to take part in. Sometime during the month of January, all classes will be reading the story "Let the Children March" with guiding questions and prompts for reflection. We look forward to celebrating Black History Month in February which will include a deeper dive into Black history, NAAPID, and a community assembly.
Transition to In-School Hybrid Learning Option
I know there are many questions about the district's tentative plans for a transition to in-school hybrid learning. The letter Dr. Swift shared with families is available on our district website in case you missed it. I do promise to give you more information as details become more definitive. In the meantime, you are welcome to email me with questions and concerns, which I will bring back to our central administration team.
This topic was discussed at the BOE meeting on Wednesday if you would like to view the recording.
Our next Principals Coffee will be held on Friday, January 29 and I am happy to take questions at that time as well. (Zoom link to follow in next week's newsletter). I do wish I had a timeline for when I will have concrete answers for you all. I believe the district will be surveying families and staff soon and that will help to inform several decisions that are currently being considered.
Thank you for your patience on all of this. I know we are all eager to return to our buildings and I look forward to that time very much!
Staff Update
I am pleased to introduce Ms. Liz Bottai, who will serve as our regular building sub at Dicken. Ms. Bottai is a former Dicken parent and substitute teacher. She will be available to sub when a teacher may need to be out, and on days where she is not needed as a sub she will be working to support small groups. This continuity will be beneficial for the students and staff alike. We are very grateful to have Ms. Bottai on board!
Lunch Clubs
The Student Lighthouse Team is launching virtual lunch clubs starting as soon as possible. We are looking for family volunteers who would be willing to facilitate/supervise one of more of the following clubs:
Drawing
Sewing
Sports
Drama
Crafting
Singing
Writing
STEM
Community Service
Book
Creative
Dance
Clubs would take place during lunchtime on separate zoom links (11:42 – 12:28) and each volunteer would be subject to a background check according to Board policy. If you are interested in helping with one or more of the clubs please fill out the following form as soon as you can.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEiN7PSBYr0hGnQZhgDsXd4aUj2QmcS7ZeQICnS8UlysbjPg/viewform
Questions can be sent to brognoj@aaps.k12.mi.us
Student & Family Help Desk Live Hours
The Student & Family Help Desk has moved to new live service hours of 7:30AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday. As always, families can leave a voicemail after hours as well as send an email to the help desk. 734-997-1222. Ayuda en Español: 734-997-1246
Helpful Links on the AAPS Website
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.
Dicken Online Auction Totals
The Dicken online auction in December was a great success! We had 480 bids and raised $3,767.00 for our school.
The PTO would like to thank all the families who participated and the wonderful teachers who donated their time creating incredible experiences for our students. The teacher experiences were a huge success and helped raise $1,855 (part of the $3,767 total) for the school! If you had the winning bid for a teacher experience, please contact the teachers directly to schedule a time that works for both your students and teacher.