Eagle Newsletter
January 7, 2022
Message From the Principal
Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed your winter break and had time to spend with friends and family. 3 out of my 4 kids were home, and we truly enjoyed our time together. What a way to come back to school with late starts from the snow storms and ice. Even after the two hour delays, we still had icy conditions in the parking lot and on the playground blacktop. Our maintenance department and custodians worked on the ice immediately. Those people work in the background and rarely get seen, so I just want to thank them publicly for the tremendous job they do for us every day.
Dieringer School District will be hosting a follow up vaccination clinic from the December 6 clinic. It will be held at Lake Tapps Elementary on Monday, January 10, from 4:00-7:00pm in the gym. Signs will be posted for entry dependant on the weather. Below is the link to pre-register to make the check-in process more efficient.
Again, welcome back. We've had a great return from the break.
Sincerely,
Pat Webster--Head Learner
Character Word For January--HONESTY
This month we will be learning about the character trait Honesty. We are focusing on living truthfully with our words, actions and thoughts. Students participate in conversations in class, watch videos of their peers sharing examples of honesty, and have mini-lessons and activities to reinforce the importance of honesty.
A home activity to try:
Positively Telling: Every day this week, when you and your child see each other for the first time, practice sharing something specific, honest, and positive about your day and/or what you think about them. Remind them that Honesty is sometimes about connecting positive thoughts to positive words! (from Character Strong).
Upcoming Dates & Activities
January 10--Vaccination Clinic--4:00-7:00pm
January 11--6:30pm--PTA Meeting
January 14--Spirit Day--Hat Day
January 17--No School--Martin Luther King Day
January 31--6:00pm--School Board Meeting
REMIND
Dear Families,
Here is the recent communication from Remind about some changes that happened during Winter Break.
We're writing to let you know that changes occurred to Remind phone numbers: Over winter break, all numbers were reassigned for users who receive Remind text notifications, which means that the phone number they receive Remind messages from changed. The purpose of this change was to comply with new requirements from mobile carriers.
For users who receive text messages from Remind, a new number was assigned automatically to any communication they receive following the update. Teachers, students, and parents can download the mobile app or update their notification preferences in their account settings. Otherwise, our SMS users will be notified from their new number(s) the next time they receive a message.
To make the transition as smooth as possible, these changes took place during the winter break, starting on December 22, 2021. No action is needed from you. If you'd like to read more about how this may affect you, check out this article in our Help Center.
What Would a Turf Field Mean for Dieringer?
Rob Thomas has been teaching and coaching in Dieringer for 16 years. He was hired to start the football program at the middle school, and he has subsequently coached five championship teams. He loves the sports programs the schools have to offer, and he's especially excited about the possibility of a turf field at the middle school. Washington's rainy weather wreaks havoc on the current grass field, which brings questionable conditions for his football, soccer, and track athletes, not to mention the PE classes. A turf field brings with it safety for our district's students. It's also less maintenance--no more watering, mowing, or painting the fields! A turf field benefits the Lake Tapps community as well. Local lacrosse, soccer, and football teams will be able to enjoy a safe place for their practices and games. Rob, like many other coaches and teachers in the schools and in the community, is looking forward to many more championship wins on a new state-of-the-art field!
Remember to Vote
Election Day is February 8th and Dieringer has three propositions on the ballot. Proposition 1 is a replacement of our existing Educational Programs and Operations Levy. Proposition 2 is also a replacement levy for our current Technology Levy. Proposition 3 is a new Capital Levy to make much needed upgrades to all three schools, including turf fields, important HVAC replacements and upgrades, energy efficiency improvements, and more. While Proposition 3 is a new levy, it replaces an expiring bond that comes off the books at the end of 2022. Overall the tax rate for Dieringer citizens would stay the same in 2023 when collection on these three levies would begin. More information is available at https://www.dieringer.wednet.edu/our-district/vote.
Dieringer School District Preschool Information
Child Find
Updated Covid Guidance
We are making some changes to follow the most recent guidance from the state department of health and quarantine periods. As usual the timing wasn’t the best. Right after we sent information home with students about the Test to Stay program, the state guidance changed. The new required quarantine time is seven days for students or staff who are symptom free and can produce a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result taken on day 5, 6, or 7 after exposure (students or staff with symptoms are still required to get a PCR Covid test).
In the end, this news shortens the quarantine time for students and staff who are close contacts. Students who are identified as a close contact with another student at school can participate in Test to Stay and this process is now seven days instead of ten days. Students exposed outside of school can return to school after seven days, too, as long as they are symptom free and produce a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result taken on day 5, 6, or 7 after exposure. Anyone who is a close contact who does not participate in Test to Stay or refuses to get tested, must still stay quarantined for ten days and can return to school after that window of time has passed as long as the individual is symptom free.
This new time frame above combined with the recent eligibility to get vaccinated for students ages 5-11 will combine to keep more kids in school as we progress through the school year.
Highly Capable Assessment
Nomination Window Closes - January 14, 2022
Evaluation for nominated students - Week of January 31, 2022
Sumner Food Bank
NO appointment is needed at this time.
"That's right, no appointment needed and no identification needed. Just show up and shop like any grocery store... and we'll take care of the rest. We serve all... EVERY address, EVERY city, EVERY zip code."
Food Distribution Hours:
- Mon-Fri : 10:00am-1:00pm
- Thurs: 5:00pm-7:00pm
Client Information Link: 253-863-3793
Food Bank Address: 15625 Maine Street E. Sumner, WA
January Menus
Early Pick Up
253-862-6600
If you walk to school from a nearby neighborhood to pick up your child early, please be sure to call ahead. Our playground supervisors always keep an eye out for strangers on the campus, particularly on the playground. If you call the office ahead of time, we can notify the playground supervisor that you are on the way, and it's safe to let you cut through the playground from the neighborhood behind the school.
Substitute Teachers & Paras Needed
Jade Hughes
Human Resources Technician
253-862-2537
Wet Weather Is Here
Mrs. Leslie
253-862-6600
Is Your Student Vaccinated for Covid 19?
If your student has been fully vaccinated for Covid-19, please turn in proof of vaccination.
You may bring a copy to the office, or email it to Mary Aspelund, RN: maspelund@dieringer.wednet.edu
Fully vaccinated students do not have to quarantine or participate in Test to Stay if they have been in close contact with someone Covid positive! Fully vaccinated means at least 14 days have passed since receiving the second Covid vaccine in a two-dose series (or 14 days after receiving a single shot of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine-not available for those under age 18).
Students should be monitored for symptoms for a full 14 days after last exposure. If any Covid-like symptoms develop, they must stay home and get a PCR Covid test (not an antigen test or rapid antigen test). It is recommended to get a Covid test on day 5-7 after exposure if no symptoms are present (may be either a PCR or antigen test without symptoms). If your student has tested positive for Covid in the past 90 days and develops symptoms, please call the school for testing guidance.
COVID Testing for Students With Symptoms
*Exception: If your student has tested positive for COVID in the last 90 days, please call the school for testing directions.
We have had fast results and excellent reviews from this site in Auburn:
And here are other testing sites in Pierce County: Testing Information
Contact Information
Website: https://ltes.dieringer.wednet.edu/
Location: Lake Tapps Elementary School, 178th Avenue East, Lake Tapps, WA, USA
Phone: 253-862-6600
Twitter: @LTESEagles