Dryden Elementary School Newsletter
Home of the Young Cardinals - 11/20/20

Our Schedule
COVID 19 Letter to Families
November 19, 2020
Dear Parents and Students,
We were notified today that an individual in Mrs. Unruh’s first grade class tested positive for COVID-19. Mrs. Roys and I immediately contacted the Lapeer County Health Department. The date of exposure was on November 12, which was a half day of school.
Effective immediately, all individuals in Mrs. Unruh’s class who were at school on November 12 must be quarantined through Thursday, November 26. November 27 is the first day after quarantine and students will return to school on Monday, November 30, 2020.
Students in Mrs. Unruh’s class will not be attending class tomorrow, November 20. The quarantine only applies to students in Mrs. Unruh’s class. All other students should report to school as normal.
At this time, due to the cleaning and social distancing measures put into place, no other classrooms or individuals in the building are affected.
As a precaution, Lapeer County Health Department is asking anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 to self-isolate for 10 days to avoid potentially exposing others. That means not attending school, staying home, and interacting with as few people as possible.
Remember, the symptoms of COVID-19 are not your usual runny nose and sneezing. Instead, COVID-19 symptoms include fever of >100.4, dry cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms can also mimic milder illnesses. Should your child develop milder cold-like symptoms testing would be warranted. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus. If you feel well, you do not need to be tested. If you do become ill, call your doctor before going into the office. Testing will be determined based on risk assessment.
Other people in your household are not under quarantine. If you have other children they should report to school as normal. Please monitor symptoms and report them to the school and the Lapeer County Health Department.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, people should:
Stay home if you’re sick
Wash their hands frequently
Avoid close contact with sick people
Disinfect commonly touched surfaces
Avoid touching your face; avoid shaking hands
Follow suggested guidelines for social distancing
If you have specific questions or concerns that we can address, please do not hesitate to call or email us.
Sincerely,
Mary Finnigan
(810) 448-4042
mfinnigan@dryden.k12.mi.usKaren Roys
(810) 448-4001


Cold Weather Gear
We’ve had some cold weather already and I want to remind you to make sure to send your child to school with appropriate winter clothing. Fresh air and outside play are a big part of our day and help to contribute to student success. Barring severe weather, our students will be going outside for recess.
What do we consider appropriate clothing?
Grades K-4 - In order to play in the snow students need boots and snow pants. A coat, hat, and gloves are a given. In addition to boots they should have other shoes to wear inside of the school.
Grades 5 and 6 - Boots and snow pants are recommended but not required to play in the snow. Once again, a coat, hat, and gloves are expected.
It is recommended that you write your child’s name in every piece of winter gear - from the boots on the bottom to the hat on the top and everything in between. It is incredible how many valuable articles of clothing end up in Lost and Found each week.



Vision and Hearing Screening for Grades 1-6
First, Third and Fifth grades will have their vision checked and second, fourth, and sixth will have their hearing checked. BK and K students will also have a re-check that day if they were absent on November 4th.
If your child needs the screening that their grade is not scheduled for, please send a note to their teacher.

SMILE Dentistry is Returning - Dec. 4th
Dear Parents,
Great news! Our school has partnered with Smile Programs…the mobile dentists to offer in-school dental care. Sign up your child today at www.myschooldentist.com.
Even better, dental care is usually at no cost to you. All insurance is accepted including
Medicaid and CHIP. For those without insurance, a low cost self-pay option is available.
Convenient and comfortable
Our in-school dental program saves you time and provides a safe and comfortable
place for your child to receive gentle dental care from licensed local professionals.
Dental care includes a complete dental exam, x-rays, cleaning, fluoride and sealants
when necessary, and in some cases, restorative care such as fillings.
Dental care for a healthy life
Children who see a dentist regularly may have fewer health issues like:
- Early tooth loss caused by dental decay
- Gum disease
- Heart disease
- Impaired speech development
Help keep your child healthy, in school and learning.
Use the link below to make an appointment for your child.
Math Discussions


Wear It Wednesday - Dress Up Theme
December 2 - College/Armed Forces day
December 9 - Jersey Day
December 16 - Ugly Christmas sweater day
Application for Free or Reduced Meals

Do you have a 3 or 4 year old at home?




Does your child have books at home to read?
Food Service Information for our Online Learners
What do you do if you want food service through Dryden Elementary School?
Hot Food Option - You have the option of ordering hot lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The food served will follow the elementary school menu (above).
You must call the front office by 9:45am on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday or complete the order form below. If you know you will want this three days a week please tell Mrs. Marinkovski so you won’t have to call in on those days.
You can pick up hot lunch between 11am-12:30pm at the elementary school. If you order it but do not pick it up you will still be charged for it.
You will also be given bagged breakfasts and lunches to cover until the next day lunch can be ordered.
Cold Food Option - You have the option of picking up a week’s worth of bagged meals every Monday.
To pick up 5 bagged breakfasts and 5 bagged lunches, please call our front office (796-2201) or return the order form by 9:45am on the Friday before to order for pick up on the following Monday between 11am-12:30pm.
Prices
Breakfast - Our elementary students get Universal Free Breakfast.
Lunch - We follow the same pricing structure as in-person students. Full Price = $3.00, Reduced = $0.40, Free - $0.
If the school needs to be closed for any reason these food service options
will change to our district-wide distribution method. That will be communicated to you if it happens.


Important Dates
- November 23-27 - Thanksgiving holiday, no classes
- December 2 - Dress Up Day Theme - College/Armed Forces Day
- December 9 - Dress Up Day Theme - Jersey Day
- December 16 - Dress Up Day Theme - Ugly Christmas Sweater
- December 21-January 1 - Winter recess, no classes
- January 6 - Dress Up Day Theme - College/Armed Forces
- January 13 - Dress Up Day Theme - Hometown Day
- January 18 - MLK Jr. Day, no classes
- January 12 - Dress Up Day Theme - Exams
- January 20-22 - Exams at the high school, half days for elementary students, dismissal at 12:10
- January 22 - End of 2nd marking period & 1st semester
- January 27 - Dress Up Day Theme - Twin Day
- February 3 - Dress Up Day Theme - College/Armed Forces Day
- February 10 - Dress Up Day Theme - Heart day
- Feb. 12-15 - Mid-winter break, no classes
- February 17 - Dress Up Day Theme - Silly socks day
- February 24 - Dress Up Day Theme - Superhero Day
- March 3 - Dress Up Day Theme - College/Armed Forces day
- March 4 - Parent Teacher Conferences (by invitation only)
- March 10 - Dress Up Day Theme - Pajama Day
- March 17 - Green Day
- March 24 - Vacation Location Day
- March 29-April 2 - Spring Break, no classes
- April 5 - Easter Monday, no classes
- April 7 - Dress Up Day Theme - College/Armed Forces Day
- April 9 - End of 3rd marking period
- April 14 - Dress Up Day Theme - Tigers Day
- April 21 - Tie Dye Day
- April 28 - Dress Up Day Theme - Disney Day
- May 5 - Dress Up Day Theme - College/Armed Forces Day
- May 12 - Dress Up Day Theme - Beach Day
- May 19 - Dress Up Day Theme - Athletic Wear Day
- May 26 - Dress Up Day Theme - I'm not sure?????
- May 31 - Memorial Day Holiday, no classes
- June 2 - Dress Up Day Theme - College/Armed Forces Day
- June 6 - Graduation at 11am
- June 9 - Dress Up Day Theme - Blast From the Past Day
- June 14-16 - Exams for high school students, half days for elementary students, dismissal at 12:10.
- June 16 - Last day of school
Parent and Student Resources

Elementary Handbook
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Dryden Community Schools
Dryden Elementary School Principal
Mary Finnigan
Superintendent
Dryden Junior/Senior High School Principal