Bear Essentials
08/23/2019
Thank You Parents!
Thank you to the third, fourth and fifth grade parents that attended the 3-5 Curriculum Night last night. We hope you left with a great understanding of all of the strong instructional strategies we are using at Dyer. Please be sure to log into your child's eCLASS page and review homework and upcoming classroom assignments. (See below for links to some helpful parent resources.)
Remember, communication is key to our success. This year, Dyer will continue to publish this weekly school-wide newsletter, (The Bear Essentials). In addition, we will utilize email, and web alerts on our new website. New this year, we will also be communicating through the PBIS Rewards Parent App. You should have received an email invitation with instructions on how to download the app and set up your account last week. If you did not receive an email, please check the Parent Portal to be sure we have your current email address on file. If you have any questions, or need assistance please reach out to your child's teacher.
You can also stay up to date by liking the Dyer Elementary School Facebook Page.
Read - A - Thon is Here!
Dear Parents,
The Dyer Read-A-Thon is here! Let's get ready to read!
There are three parts to our Read-A-Thon: Reading, tracking your minutes on your Read-A-Thon Adventure Page, and raising money for our awesome school! All money raised will go toward additional technology in the classroom and for more campus beautification projects, like the mural in our media center!
Our goal this year is to read 500,000 minutes school-wide and beat last year's record of $16,000 raised. Mr. DiFilippo helped our students start strong by reading one of his favorite stories on this morning's edition of WDBN! Teachers have logged those minutes for the students, who are well on their way to crushing their reading goals with a current total of 15,607 minutes read! Parents, you are off to a great start with helping students beat that sponsorship record; in just a few short hours you have helped raise over $1,200! Read below for more information on how the program works, and be sure to log in and create your child's Read-A-Thon page, if you haven't already.
Reading:
Students can begin reading Friday, August 23rd through Friday, September 6th. All time spent reading counts (in school and at home). ALL READING COUNTS! Students can read independently, with a friend, to a sibling, listen to a parent/sibling read, host a reading playdate, or even Skype with a relative! Every kind of reading is Read-A-Thon reading!
Tracking Minutes:
Parents, we need you to help your child track their reading minutes outside of school. Tracking minutes is a quick and easy process and can all be done online through your child's Read-A-Thon Adventure page. Parents, we will need your help with activating your child’s Read-A-Thon page. Teachers will send home a flyer with instructions on how to log into the website with your child's secret code. Lost your flyer? No worries, just email your teacher and he/she can help get you that information.
Sponsors:
Students are encouraged to ask family members and friends for their support by sponsoring their participation in our Read-A-Thon. Invitations can be sent through your child's online Read-A-Thon Adventure page through a variety of tools (Facebook, text, email, Twitter, printables, etc.). Sponsors will not make pledges but rather a flat donation.
Weekend Challenge:
All students that obtain $25 in sponsorship by this Monday, 8/26 will earn a free ice cream next Friday during their lunch!
Prizes and Awards:
While we all know that reading is a reward in and of itself, we also know that it's a ton of fun to participate in a little friendly competition and earn prizes! There are several different ways to earn prizes:
Set up your Read-A-Thon Adventure page = free prize
School-wide goal = Book Character Day!
If each student reads 100 minutes during our Read-A-Thon, we will hold a school-wide Book Character Dress Up Day on October 31st!
Personal prizes - 15% of funds raised = RAT Bucks
Students can shop in the Read-A-Thon online prize store. (Items will be shipped to the school after our Read-A-Thon closes.)
Classroom Winners = Free Book on Bookmobile
Top Reader in each class (most minutes) = Free Book on Bookmobile
Top Sponsorship in each class (most $ raised) = Free Book on Bookmobile
Grade Level Winners = Snow Cone Party!
Class on grade level with most minutes read gets a Snow Cone Party!
Class on grade level with most money raised gets a Snow Cone Party!
School Wide Winners = Kindle Fire Tablet
(2 winners per grade level)
Student in grade level with most minutes read gets a Kindle Fire
Student in grade level with most money raised gets a Kindle Fire
Grand Prize - Read-A-Thon Champion = Google Chromebook!
Student with the most minutes read overall
*Teachers of Grade Level Winning Classrooms get a $25 Target Gift Card!*
**Reading minutes logged must have occurred in the two week window starting Friday 8/23 and ending on Friday 9/6**
Coming Soon: Bedtime with the Bears!
STAY PAWSitive T-shirts: On Sale Now!
Sizes are available in Youth XS through Adult 3X. Cost is $15 (additional charge for 2X & 3X) and orders can be placed via MyPaymentsPlus through Friday 8/30. Shirts will be delivered the second week in September.
Dyer PTO - Everyone is a Member!
We've also included our PTO's Welcome Message from Curriculum Night below, in case you missed it.
Calling All Shutterbugs! Get Your Work Published in Dyer's Yearbook!
Do you want to surprise your student and have a picture you've taken be featured in the yearbook? Please use the private Dropbox link below to submit candid pictures throughout the year of school events such as the First Day of School, Fall Festival, Holiday Lunches, and PTO events. We want to feature as many students as possible and your help is greatly appreciated!
PAWSitively Exciting News!
During the first two weeks of school (and beyond) students will learn about the behavior expectations in each area of the school from the classrooms, to hallways, cafeteria, buses and so on. We teach these expectations using the acronym PAWS:
- Personal Best
- Act Responsibly
- Work & Play Safely
- Show Respect
Students are acknowledged and praised for exhibiting desired behaviors. In years past, we used a paper ticket economy where students would earn tickets that could be redeemed for prizes and parties. This year, we are shifting to an electronic points based economy. This new PBIS Rewards system will make it easier for all of our staff members to recognize students' positive behavior. While our ticket economy is going paperless, our student rewards (PAWS cart, PAWS Parties, raffles, etc.) will remain the same.
Parents, you can help support this program in a variety of ways:
- Review the DES behavior expectations with your child using our PAWS acronym.
- Donate your time! We will need parent helpers to help students shop on the prize cart, and to assist with PAWS parties throughout the year. New this year! We are seeking a PAWS Parent for each grade level to assist in securing items for prize carts, and helping to plan PAWS parties. (See your child's teacher for more information.)
- Help solicit local businesses for small gifts and/or gift cards for staff rewards.
- Donate prizes for students. Anything from dollar tree/Oriental trading items to gift cards.
- Make a financial contribution of $5 per student (part of Online Orientation fees) to help offset the cost of student prizes/parties & PBIS Rewards Program software.
- Support our PAWS fundraisers and spirit nights throughout the year. We already have two fundraisers up and running, birthday messages on our marquee and Stay PAWSitive t-shirts, see below for more information.
Birthday Wishes in Big Lights!
2019-2020 Free/Reduced Lunch Applications
Students that received free/reduced lunch during the 2018-2019 school year will have a 30 day grace period to re-apply for the 2019-2020 year.
August Events
21- Brusters Blue Ice day
22- Curriculum Night (3, 4 & 5)
23- Read-a-Thon Kick off
30- College Spiritwear day
30- Deadline to Order PAWS T-Shirts on MyPaymentsPlus
Looking to September
6 - NFL Spirit Wear Day
9 - 12 CogAT Testing
12 - Grandparent's Lunches PK, K, 1 & 3
13 - Grandparent's Lunches 2, 4 & 5
12 - Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
18 - Bruster's Blue Ice Day
19 - School Picture Day
23 - 27 - Iowa Testing
26 - Sonic Spirit Night
Dyer Elementary School
Website: http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/DyerES/home.html
Location: 1707 Hurricane Shoals Road, Dacula, GA, USA
Phone: 770-963-6214
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DyerES/