Dicken Family Newsletter
12.9.22
Principal's Corner
Upcoming Dates
Thursday, December 22 - Last day before Winter break
Friday, December 23 - Friday, January 6, 2023 - Winter Break
Monday, January 9 - School Resumes
Friday, January 13, 9:30 - Principal's Coffee - Staff Lounge
Monday, January 16 - No School, MLK Jr. Day
Appreciation
Huge thanks to our PTO Enrichment Coordinators, Jeanetta Arhin and Lynette Gerido, for organizing our Dicken Super Science Days with the Hands on Museum this week! The staff and students were overjoyed to bring back this well-loved tradition. Thank you to the many parents who made these days possible by volunteering their time to run stations.
AAPS Environmental Sustainability Framework
Beginning in January 2023, the AAPS will eliminate the use of Styrofoam lunch trays at all elementary schools; and complete the elimination of all Styrofoam materials in cafeteria/food and nutrition services across all locations in the AAPS by the start of the 2023/24 school year. This is announcement is part of the first-ever AAPS Environmental Sustainability Framework. The framework was presented to the Board of Education on November 30, 2022. Currently, it is open for feedback from the entire community and will be voted on before the end of this calendar year.
This is a unique opportunity for teachers, students, and community members to have a say in the environmental future of AAPS and our world. Please
review the plan and participate in the ThoughtExchange conversation about the plan by December 11th.
Please use the following links if you'd like to participate:
Sponsor a Snowman Request
Thank you to everyone who has been able to support our Sponsor a Snowman program. Although the Snowmen said to bring gifts back by December 21, because that is a shortened week we would appreciate if at all possible gifts turned in by Friday, December 16. This will allow us time to organize and distribute before the break. Please contact Mrs. Dorris with any questions. 994-1928 / dicken@a2schools.org. Thank you!
Washtenaw County CDC Covid Level
As of today, Washtenaw County is in the CDC MEDIUM/YELLOW Community Level.
The Ann Arbor Public Schools Fall 2022 Covid Guidance is available here. The Ann Arbor Public Schools will always remain a mask-friendly environment.
Fall 2022 Guidance on masking in AAPS schools:
Masks are strongly recommended indoors when CDC Community Level is ‘HIGH’- RED
Masks are encouraged indoors when CDC Community Level is ‘MEDIUM’ - Yellow
Masks are welcomed indoors when CDC Community Level is ‘LOW’ - Green
All the best,
Heather
PTO News
Message from the PTO President
It was so incredible to have the Hands On Museum back at Dicken to bring Super Science Day(s) to all of our Dolphins. Every class got to spend an hour exploring a variety of scientific topics - making clouds, playing with ooblek, looking at the world upside down, and so much more! Many, many thanks to all of the adults who volunteered to make these days happen.
And for even more science news - the PTO recently fulfilled a teacher grant request to bring the Mystery Science curriculum to Dicken (again - it's been in use for several years) so that teachers can supplement their science teaching with lots of fun activities.
We won't have a PTO meeting in December, but be sure to check back here in January for more information on what we're up to!
—Jenifer Miller, Dicken PTO President
Click here for the Dicken Elementary Parents Facebook group.
Find information about events, meeting minutes, and more on the PTO website at www.dickenpto.com
Dicken Directory is Here!
Please click here to access the Dicken Directory for class lists and family contact info.
Upcoming PTO Dates
Thursday, January 19 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, February 16 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, March 16 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, April 20 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, May 18 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
Thursday, June 15 - PTO Board Meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (virtual via Zoom)
To see all Dicken school & PTO events in one place, click here for our PTO Google Calendar.
Another helpful link: the AAPS School Calendar.
Reminder: We want to hear from you!
The Spending Committee has carefully reviewed the results from the initial survey and created a final survey that is being distributed to the entire Dicken Community (staff, students, and parents/guardians). Thank you to everyone who has already completed the final survey. If you haven't completed it, please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey.
If you have any questions, please contact Agustina Fragner: agustina.fragner@gmail.com.
PTOC Our Twelve Days of Giving Challenge
Looking for a way to build community and work toward equity this holiday season?
This year, many AAPS students and families could benefit from community support, especially those at our Title I schools. The PTO Council, through the work of the Equity Committee, encourages families who have extra to give, to consider giving outside of their own school needs. We know that we are all STRONGER, TOGETHER.
Our Twelve Days of Giving challenge goes through December 12. For twelve days on the PTO Council Facebook page we will promote the Winter Giving needs at an AAPS school, beginning with our two schools without PTOs, followed by ten Title One schools in order of economic need.
How can you help meet the challenge?
- Follow the Ann Arbor PTO Council on Facebook:
- Pick a school/day and send a gift card.
- See if your workplace/department, sports team, or scout troop can host a gift card drive.
- Consider sharing these wish lists in your PTO and school community.
- Please share about our campaign on your social media pages/groups, with friends, family, and colleagues, and on other places like Nextdoor.
Not on social media? You can find the winter giving lists here: https://www.a2schools.org/wintergiving. (* = Designates Title 1 schools and/or schools that have at least 25% of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.)
Together we can build community and work towards equity. We know that we are all stronger, together.
Questions? Let us know!
WESO SEASON IS COMING!
Every year Dicken Elementary Students participate in the Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympics. This year the competition will be held on Saturday May 13, 2023 at Huron High School.
To register a team, we need a Key Volunteer!
The Key Volunteer will perform a volunteer task for the WESO board. This task can be anything from parking cars at the WESO tournament, making name tags for volunteers, being an event supervisor, guiding students from one event to another, helping organize the WESO silent auction, helping organize competition day concessions, etc. Basically each school is required to provide one volunteer to the WESO board to help plan and put on the competition.
Any parent who volunteers to be Dicken’s Key Volunteer will not be required to give any volunteer hours to the Dicken Team and your child will be guaranteed a spot on a WESO competition team.
Please contact Colleen Diedrich (clmaloney3@gmail.com; (207) 240-5542) if you are interested in being our Key Volunteer.
Thank you!
Colleen Diedrich and Alex Harmon (Dicken Head Coaches)
Dicken Garden Compost Project
We’re going to make our own compost! We have a new compost tumbler and we’re hoping to fill it with good stuff that will turn into better stuff for our plants in the spring. We’re providing compostable bags to collect fruit and vegetable scraps in classrooms, and you can bring in materials from home. We are using only raw fruit and vegetables, eggshells and coffee grounds. Help us make this experiment a success! Contact Anne Erickson amcerickson@gmail.com.