The Royal Decree
September 2018 Newsletter
Month at a Glance
STAR Assessments
Teachers will use this information to guide their instructional practices and develop plans for the teaching.
Parents will receive copies of these reports at Parent Teacher Conferences.
Dunlap Grade School Improvement Action Plan
Peoria Preschool Screening
Peoria County Preschool Screening provides free developmental screening for all preschool children (ages birth through five years of age and not enrolled in kindergarten) living in Peoria County outside District 150. The screening checks areas of development that include: vision and hearing, speech and language, behavior and social development, small and large muscle coordination, thinking and reasoning skills and other readiness skills. The purpose of this screening is to aid parents in answering questions regarding their child’s progress and also to identify those children who may qualify for a free preschool education in the public schools.
Dates planned for the Dunlap Area are on:
Monday, September 10
Tuesday, September 11
Wednesday, September 12
An appointment is necessary and can be made by calling the Special Education Association of Peoria County offices at 697-0880, ext. 201
Volunteering and Visiting DGS
Visitors are welcome to any School District building, provided their presence will not be disruptive. All visitors must sign in at the school office and wear a Visitor’s Badge. Any person wishing to confer with a staff member shall contact that staff member to make an appointment. Please refer to Board Policy 8:30 for more information.
Any staff member may request identification from any person on school grounds or in any school building; refusal to provide such information is a criminal act. The building principal or designee shall seek the immediate removal of any person who:
(1) refuses to provide requested identification,
(2) interferes with, disrupts, or threatens to disrupt any school activity or the learning environment,
(3) or engages in an activity in violation of Board Policy 8:30, Conduct of School Property. School volunteers are important to the success of our school district.
If you are interested in volunteering for our school and working with the students, we have established the following procedure for our volunteers:
1. Contact the school in which you are interested in volunteering to see what opportunities are available.
2. Complete the online application. To find the application go to www.dunlapcusd.net then click on the employment link.
3. After completing the online application, if you are volunteering within a role that requires you to be fingerprinted, you will receive an email with the needed forms and instructions on how to complete the process. 30
4. The school will contact you when you are fully approved to volunteer.
Some examples of volunteer roles that do require fingerprints are listed below. This is not an exhaustive list but to be a reference: Activities that DO need to have an online application and be fingerprinted:
● Junior Achievement
● Weekly Classroom helpers
● Copy parents
● Library Helpers
● Regular Reader
● Enrichment Eagles
● Anyone who is alone with students
● Accelerated Reader Helper
● Field Trip Chaperone
If you are making the commitment to volunteer in your child’s classroom, please be aware that teachers come to depend on your presence very quickly. They make their daily plans based on whether or not you will be in attendance. Sometimes emergencies arise for all of us, and it won’t be possible for you to be here at your appointed time. In general, however, if you are scheduled for a certain time, please make every effort to be here at that time.
As much as we value your help, we would ask that you not bring any preschool children when you come to volunteer. Please make other arrangements for your preschool children when you are coming to volunteer your time. If you cannot make arrangements for your preschool children, consider asking for volunteer opportunities that you can help with from home.
Parent volunteers are here to help a specific classroom and/or grade level. Please do not take advantage of your access to the school to visit other children you may have in other classrooms. We take great care to limit unnecessary interruptions to classroom instruction.
Please remember to enter the building only through the front entrance and to report to the office before you go to the classroom where you will be volunteering. You will be given a visitor’s sticker to wear while you are in the building.
When you are volunteering with the children, please remember that all discipline should be handled by the classroom teacher. While your help is valued, you may not discipline children (other than to remind the students to pay attention, for example). Any serious discipline situations on the part of any child should be brought to the teacher’s attention immediately.
In the course of your volunteer time, you may occasionally hear or see things that may be confidential. It is extremely important that these incidents not be talked about outside the school. Confidentiality for teachers and students is very important.
Positive Office Referrals
Students may receive a positive office referral from any staff member for demonstrating one of four traits:
- Skills for Learning
- Empathy
- Emotion Management
- Problem Solving
We celebrate these Royals by recognizing them at morning announcements and having them sign our office wall of honor! Congratulations to those students that earned a positive office referral in August!
Physical Education Excusal
A parent/guardian may excuse a student from physical education for up to two days. Any long term physical education excuse must be requested in writing from the student’s health care provider, specifying the length of time your child is to be exempted. A written note from the health care provider should be submitted for the student to resume full activities.
Any child who is exempt from physical education for medical reasons will not be allowed to participate in outdoor recess activities. Re-injury on the playground could occur, resulting in prolonging the child’s healing and recovery period. Arrangements for indoor recess in the main office or a supervised classroom will be made.
Any child who is exempt from physical education for medical reasons will not be permitted to participate in school sponsored sports.
Parent's Club Corner
A Note from our Parent's Club President
Welcome back to school, DGS Royals! If you are the parent or guardian of a DGS Royal, you are automatically a member of the Parents’ Club. There are no dues to be a member. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the Parents’ Club meetings the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the DGS cafeteria. Our first meeting is Tuesday September 4! Our main purpose is to support the educational needs of our students, teachers, and staff while fostering a sense of community and pride.
Social Events: The Parents’ Club is proud to host social events during the year, including this year a Royal Ball, Donuts with Dudes, Muffins for Moms, and several Family Nights Out throughout the year (which are also fundraisers). We offer our families lots of opportunities to get to know one another inside and outside of the school environment. We will send home information with your students on these events as the dates get closer.
Purchases: The Parents’ Club has used their funds raised the past few years to purchase the Alternative Classroom in the DGS cafeteria, new Gym mats & cart, a combination drinking fountain/water bottle filling station, 50 Chromebooks and 2 carts for classroom use, 8 new swings for the playgground, a set of 25 headphones with microphones to use with the Chromebooks; a Buddy Bench for the playground for students who need a friend to play with at recess; a library shelf divider system; student planners for this year’s 3rd through 5th graders, along with many other items that our students and teachers use on a daily basis.
One way we are able to do this is through our fundraisers! 100% of all dollars earned through the Parents’ Club fundraisers are spent right here at DGS for the benefit of our students and teachers. We have a fall fundraiser, which starts in early October, and a super fun all-school carnival in late February with raffles, a silent auction, delicious food, and lots of fun games, entertainment, and prizes! There are also Scholastic book fairs in the fall and spring, where we use our profits to provide every student at DGS with a birthday book and also donate books to every classroom library.
There are a few really easy ways you can help us fundraise to help support our school’s educational needs through your everyday shopping! The Parents’ Club earns cash back through the Kroger Community Rewards Program, the Box Tops for Education program, AmazonSmile, & Shoparoo:
§ You can enroll your Kroger Plus Card in their Community Rewards program and designate Dunlap Grade School as your non-profit organization of choice. You can find more information on this program on our Parents’ Club website.
§ Starting in September on the first school day of each month, we will send home Box Tops collection sheets to attach Box Tops from products you purchase at the store, and then collection sheets will be collected by the 15th of each month in the classrooms. Every Box Top turned in earns our school 10 cents. We earned close to $1000 last year through this program.
§ When you shop Amazon using the DGS Parents’ Club AmazonSmile page, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to DGS. You can find information on this program on our Parents’ Club website.
§ Shoparoo is hassle-free fundraising. Download the FREE Shoparoo app! Here's how it works: 1. SHOP for any product at any store. 2. SNAP a picture of your receipt. 3. EARN cash donations & sweepstakes entries for our school. Look for more detailed info to be coming home with your student(s) soon!
Teachers and Staff Appreciation: The Parents’ Club expresses our appreciation to all the teachers and staff of DGS throughout the school year. They do so much for our students on a daily basis that we are happy to provide quarterly luncheons, coffee treats, and little surprises throughout the year, including Teacher Appreciate Week during the first week in May.
Communication: So how do you keep track of all this information? Our website includes a wealth of information, including our event calendar, meeting agendas and minutes, officer and committee chair contact info, volunteer opportunities, and much more. Another great way to stay up-to-date on our Parents’ Club happenings is to like the Dunlap Grade School Facebook page where we will post updates on all our events.
Getting Involved: Whether you have an hour a week or an hour a year we have something for everyone to get involved. We currently have the following positions open:
2018-19 Officers and Committee Chair Openings
Officers:
We are still in need of a Vice-President and Treasurer for next school year. Please keep in mind that either of these positions can be shared between two people if you and a friend would like to work together in one of these positions.
Committee Chairs:
Our By-laws include general responsibilities for all committee members. Additional information specific to each committee can be found on the committee’s page linked in the menu at the top of our website, or you can contact any of our current officers or the nominating committee with questions.
Please email nominations@dunlapgradeparentsclub.com if you are interested in volunteering for any of our open committee chair positions!
- Book Fair: Jamie Cha, Renee Gruel, Sarah Feuchter, Myrna Badawi, Open
- Box Tops: Kristen Hawes, Sara Cleveland
- Carnival Subcommittees
- Basket Raffle: Open, Open
- Business Raffle:
- Donations Coordinator: Open, Open, Open
- Raffle Coordinator: Open, Open
- Decorations: Myrna Badawi
- Food: Jamie Cha, Open
- Games:
- Games Coordinator: Renee Gruel
- Prizes Coordinator: Open
- Publicity: Kristy Whitman
- Silent Auction: Amy Stahl, Open
- Volunteers: Open
- Fall Fundraiser: Jenny Waldsmith, Open
- Family Night Out: Nikki Wikoff
- Fifth Grade Party: Jen Franzoni
- Hospitality: Myrna Badawi, Jodi Lindsay
- Library Coordinator: Renee Gruel
- Parent Outreach Coordinator: Kristy Whitman
- Popcorn/Spirit Day: Renee Gruel, Annalee Huntington
- Room Party Volunteer Coordinator:
- Grades K-2: Open
- Grades 3-5: Kristy Whitman
- Royal Fun Run: Annalee Huntington, Renee Gruel, Sarah Feuchter
- Royal Helping Hands: Jodi Lindsay, Sarah Feuchter, Jen Franzoni
- School Kits: Open
- Social Events Subcommittees
- Donuts with Dudes: Jenny Waldsmith, Sarah Feuchter
- Muffins for Moms: Annalee Huntington, Jamie Cha
- Royal Ball: Amy Stahl, Myrna Badawi, Sarah Feuchter, Nikki Wikoff
- Spirit Wear: Annalee Huntington, Kristy Whitman
- Staff Appreciation: Nikki Wikoff, Jamie Cha
- Website Coordinator: Open
- Yearbook Subcommittees
- Yearbook Design: Open
- Yearbook Sales: Open
E-mail me at president@dunlapgradeparentsclub.com if you are interested in any of these positions. If you signed up to help at an event on our sign-up sheets at Kindergarten Orientation or Back to School Night, our Committee Chairs will send out sign-ups via email or Sign-Up Genius for specific shifts or tasks closer to event dates.
I encourage each of you to attend our monthly meeting. It is a great opportunity to meet other families and to hear about what is happening at Dunlap Grade School. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us any time. Currently our officers are President, Annalee Huntington and Secretary, Renee Gruel. Once again welcome to your Parents’ Club. We are looking forward to a wonderful year and the opportunity to get to know each of you.
Sincerely,
Annalee Huntington
DGS Parents’ Club President
DGS Spirit Wear Orders
Keep an eye out for Spirit Wear order forms! They will be coming home with students the week of August 27th. They are due with payment by Friday, September 14th. Since these are custom designs, we will not be able to take returns or issue refunds. Order should come in by the end of September/early October for you and your students to enjoy. We will also provide a link to the order form on the Spirit Wear website.
Book Fair Information
Once upon a time, the DGS Parents Club dreamed that families would join us for our Fall Book Fair on Friday, September 28th in the DGS gymnasium. The enchanting event will be held after school from 2:45pm - 6:00pm. Throughout the week, we will have various activities students can participate in to show their imagination and support for the fair.
Start overturning toadstools around your house looking for coins to help the school raise money for our “All for Books” birthday awards program.
· Flutter in each morning and take part in our dress up days:
- Make-believe Monday – dress like your favorite fairy tale/book character
- Toadstool Tuesday – wear red & white or come as a toad
- Whimsy Wednesday – show your imagination with a mismatched outfit and/or crazy hat or hair
- Night Owl Thursday – stay up too late, no worry, come to school in your pajamas
- Forest Friend Friday – bring your favorite forest stuffed animal or dress like one
Students will attend a book fair preview to see and hear about what’s new. So give a hoot and ask to see their book wish list.
Stay tuned for more information as the fair nears. We’re fairy excited for you to come and be enchanted by all the new books, there’s gnome way you want to miss this fair!
5th Grade Band Sign Ups
Now is the time you’ve been anticipating! I am pleased and excited to announce that our 5th grade Band is now being organized! Grade school band students have one lesson per week organized by instrument, and after the first few weeks, a “full band” rehearsal one time per week with all band students at their school. These lessons/rehearsals take place during regular school hours.
OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS students will have the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Holloway and try instruments they are interested in! These meetings will also be during school hours and arranged through the classroom teachers. After this meeting, parents will receive information regarding their child’s individual aptitudes and interest.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th, 2018
We will have our 2018 Display & Sign-Up Night.
For Dunlap Grade and Ridgeview families at:
RIDGEVIEW ELEMENTARY: between the hours of 4:00 – 8:00 PM
This is the official sign-up evening for the band program. During this time, music specialists from Kidder Music-Peoria will meet with parents to explain their very affordable instrument rental programs and I will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have. You may also purchase a music book and any other supplies you may need at this time. If you already have an instrument that will be used, this is an excellent time to bring it along and have it checked for any service it might need to perform to its potential. Please contact me if you cannot attend between these hours.
A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR- I want to caution you to be very careful when approaching other avenues such as music stores that may specialize in drums, pianos, amplifiers, etc. or internet sources. INSTRUMENTS ARE NOT EQUAL. Certain brands have little or no resale, are inferior in sound quality and pitch accuracy (which surprisingly you can notice after just a couple short weeks in the learning process), spend more time in the repair shop than in the hands of the student, or flat out cannot be repaired because there are no parts available. There are also “knock-off” or “counterfeit” instruments (3 families have fallen victim to this in as many years!) available in some large retail stores and on the internet. It is frustrating for the student to struggle with an instrument that is difficult to play or produces a sound radically different from the sound they hear from their peers. Most times, they associate this to their own inadequacies, which is simply not the case! Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions concerning instruments- that’s what I’m here for!
WELCOME TO BAND! Mrs. Tina Holloway tholloway@dunlapcusd.net
Fall Lacrosse
Learn the fundamentals of lacrosse this fall! Any boy or girl in grade 1-8 is invited to participate from 3-4:30 PM Sundays September 16-30 at the Mossville Soccer Complex. All beginner registrants will receive a lacrosse stick to keep. (If you already have a stick, please see the description under "Refresher Clinic”). Protective equipment is not required for these clinics since we will be using tennis balls. Players will be divided by age/size and learn the FUNdamentals in small groups. Please see the Dunlap REC lacrosse page or go go to https://dunlaplax_2018fall.eventbrite.com.
Staff Birthdays
Michelle Graber: September 16th
Darren Rankin: September 17th
Tina Holloway: September 28th
Virtual Backpack
Illinois Central College Youth8/27/2018
Pearce Fall Programming for Kids and Parents9/8/2018
Delta Cheer9/15/2018
Code Ninas - We Are Hiring10/1/2018
2019 Upper Great Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championships10/7/2018
ICC SAT Prep Course10/10/2018
Dunlap Grade School
Email: mellis@dunlapcusd.net
Website: www.dunlapcusd.net/dgs
Location: 301 1st Street, Dunlap, IL, United States
Phone: 309-243-7772
Facebook: facebook.com/dunlapgrade
Twitter: @dgsroyals