DAIS Newsletter
Keep Calm & Share Happiness
Welcome to the 2015-16 School Year!
Summer Reads Rewards
On Wednesday, October 14, DAIS students who participated in the Summer Reading Challenge were rewarded with a snow cone and bounce obstacle rotation, courtesy of the DAIS PTO. There were 61 fourth grade participants, 102 fifth grade participants, and 62 sixth grade participants for a total of 225 participants. WAY TO GO STUDENTS!
DAIS PTO FUN RUN
We would like to congratulate all of the DAIS students on their efforts in raising donations for the DAIS PTO Fun Run. Job well done! Due to your amazing efforts and support, students earned a mini field day and extra pep rally along with amazing prizes and rewards! We have also reached our $35,000 goal so students will enjoy a family fun night in the spring where the Principals will spend the night on the roof! Thank you to our students, faculty, and community for helping to reach this amazing goal! The funds received from the Fun Run will benefit student assemblies, field trips, book fairs, scholarships, and more!
DAIS Earned Fun Run Pep Rally
TOP 5 STUDENT PRIZE WINNERS
DAIS Earned Fun Run Mini Field Day
DAIS Yearbooks!
Read Across the Globe
Read Across the Globe is an initiative to help shine a light on literacy. On Monday, October 19, 2015, students participated in a Read Across the Globe event with an interactive read aloud of Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table. One of the goals was to support efforts to break a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the “most children reading with an adult in 24 hours.” For more information on Read Across the Globe, please visit http://www.pointsoflight.org/readacrosstheglobe.
Pathways Explorer Program (PEP)
The DAIS Pathways Explorer Program (PEP) has begun! We are excited to announce that 87% of students received their 1st or 2nd choice and everyone received one of their top 3 choices. For more information on PEP, check out our PEP Smore at https://www.smore.com/app/pages/preview/1w9rg.
PTO Sponsored Fall Assembly
Sciencetellers combines storytelling and exciting science experiments into an unprecedented theatrical learning experience. They have been delighting children with their interactive, energetic programming for more than ten years. Emotion strengthens memory. Their stories provide suspense, anticipation and excitement. Then they do the science experiments! The science brings the sights and sounds — and sometimes tastes! — of the story to life.
A special thank you to the DAIS PTO for sponsoring this fantastic assembly!
Cyber Safety
On October 13, 6th grade students had the opportunity to participate in an assembly presented by Jerry Mitchell, Education and Outreach Specialist, from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Mitchell presented information to the students about their use of technology, inappropriate texting and computer use, cyber bullying, bullying, self-respect, relationships and overall character building.
The message from Mr. Mitchell was meant to impress upon our students the importance of these subjects, as well as their choices and responsibilities in regards to the technology they use and their interpersonal relationships. Mr. Mitchell conveyed the very important messages that all students are faced with today.
For more information on cyber safety, please visit http://dallastown.net/Page/4185.
CURRICULUM CORNER
Science
Grade 4 students are finishing up studies on topics of weather, and are now investigating electricity and magnetism. They are looking forward to building a circuit in the upcoming marking period and a STEAM hovercraft challenge.
Grade 5 students are continuing their ongoing investigation of life science topics, and look forward to digging into specifics on ecology. This includes the upcoming experience of dissecting their own owl pellet. Check out this website for great information: http://kidwings.com/nests-of-knowledge/virtual-pellet/.
Grade 6 students continue their studies on physical science with a focus on forces, energy, and motion. Each class looks forward to the chance at the highly anticipated K’Nex car building challenge this year.
Guidance
All DAIS students will be involved in classroom guidance lessons as a weekly encore for one marking period. Students will participate in one class per cycle for a total of 7 lessons taught by their community counselor. Listed below are the topics. Students at DAIS are learning “tools for life” that span far beyond the classroom.
Grade 4
- Week 1: Orientation (introduce ROCS)
- Week 2: Developing Friendship and Social Skills/Conflict Resolution
- Week 3: Empathy and Introduce Diversity
- Week 4: Diversity
- Week 5: Bullying
- Week 6: How to Handle Bullying Situations
- Week 7: Service Project/How to Help Others
Grade 5
- Week 1: Orientation (ROCS)
- Week 2: Friendship and Social Skills/Conflict Resolution
- Week 3: Empathy and Introduce Diversity
- Week 4: Diversity
- Week 5: Bullying
- Week 6: Bullying/Anger Management
- Week 7: Service Project/Helping Others
Grade 6
- Week 1: Reintroduce Guidance and Expectations -Appreciating yourself and others
- Week 2: Sportsmanship
- Week 3: Relationships
- Week 4: Boundaries, Personal Space, and Relationships
- Week 5: Emotions, Stress, and Depression
- Week 6: Motivation
- Week 7: Decision Making
Groups: Counselors will be facilitating Guidance groups beginning the second marking period. Guidance groups assist students who are experiencing a stressful situation in their lives. The school counselors facilitate groups in a confidential setting. Customized group sessions are based upon topics that include divorce, grief, self-esteem, social skills, and any other topic, as needed. Guidance groups meet during the school day, one time per cycle for 7 sessions. Referrals to group can be made by teachers, parents, or students.
Parenting Workshops
- For information on the Strengthening Families Program, visit: http://dallastown.net/cms/lib6/PA01000011/Centricity/Domain/511/DASD%20Strengthening%20Families%202016.pdf
- For information on How to Help Your Child Cope with Stress, visit: http://dallastown.net/cms/lib6/PA01000011/Centricity/Domain/511/Parenting%20for%20Stress%20Management.pdf
Caring and Sharing Service Project
The school counseling department coordinates this service project to help families in our very own community. For information on our Caring and Sharing Service Project, please visit: http://dallastown.net/cms/lib6/PA01000011/Centricity/Domain/511/Caring%20and%20Sharing%20Holiday%20Flier%202015.pdf
Physical Education
DAIS students are currently participating in soccer, basketball, and football units in physical education class. As the weather turns cold, please make sure your child packs appropriate gym shoes if they are wearing boots.
Additionally, the physical education department is excited to announce that through generous donations from the D.A.I.S. P.T.O., American Legion Post 605, and Lioness Club an OUTDOOR FITNESS CENTER IS BREAKING GROUND AT DAIS!
The fitness center will be used as an educational station for DAIS students and will be open to the public after school hours. The Outdoor Fitness Center will feature a wiggle walk, jump panel, chinning bar, push up bars, overhead ladder, double chest press, double leg press, single ski-runner, double waist and back stretch, double lat pull down, single rower, and double sit-up bench. For an overview of the fitness center site and equipment, visit http://dallastown.net/cms/lib6/PA01000011/Centricity/Domain/511/DAIS%20Outdoor%20Fitness%20Site.pdf.
The photo to the right is the future home of the DAIS Outdoor Fitness Center!
We are still currently seeking sponsors for the DAIS Outdoor Fitness Center. If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact the office at (717) 244-4021 x 1378.
iLibrary & Technology
The DAIS iLibrary uses Remind to notify parents of DAIS Library alerts. Parents can text to 81010, and leave the message @af7ceb, or send an email to af7ceb@mail.remind.com, to receive reminders from me regarding Book Selection cycles, and DAIS Library news.
For more great information on the DAIS iLibrary, check out their website at: http://dallastown.net/domain/550
Parents, stay up-to-date with classroom grades and progress…it’s easy with HAC!
The Home Access Center (HAC) is the gateway for parents and guardians to view class and school information about their children here at DAIS. Login information is available on the DAIS website, under the Technology tab or by visiting http://dallastown.net/domain/582.
English Language Arts
Marking Period 1 has been exciting for Language Arts here at DAIS! With DAIS going 1:World, language arts teachers have started to implement the use of Chromebooks to teach the reading and writing processes. You may start to hear phrases such as “Google Classroom,” “blogging,” “shared” documents, “ebooks,” “HLI,” and more. You’ll also of course hear some phrases that sound more familiar: guided reading, book discussion, read aloud, writing, and word work. The ingenuity of our students and teachers combined with our new Chromebook technology is allowing our students to truly interact with the world in new and exciting ways. Thank you for support reading and writing at home!
Social Studies
The Social Studies Department has kicked off the school year with a wide variety of activities. With the availability of Chromebooks, students are using Google Classroom, Slides, Sheets, Docs, Powtoon, Lucidpress, Lucidchart, True Flix e-books, Quizlet, and numerous other programs/applications in order to discover continents and oceans, the migration patterns of early humans, and the eight traits of culture. The entire department is excited for the second marking period, where we will learn about U.S. regions, European explorers, and World War I and II.
Health
Students in fourth grade health began taking part in York Memorial Hospital’s Kids in the Kitchen program. Hosted by Mrs. Katie Herrington during health class, the program provides an overview of making healthy food selections and aligns seamlessly with the DAIS health curriculum. Students review the food groups through MyPlate and determine what it takes to eat a balanced diet. The program ends with students making their own fruit and yogurt parfaits.
Math
Instrumental News
On Wednesday, November 4, the second year 5th grade band and string students visited the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center in York for the annual Young Person’s Concert given by the York Symphony Orchestra. The students were able to see and hear the music of famed American composer George Gershwin. It was an excellent combination of music, acting, singing, dance and technology that gave the students a rare glimpse of Gershwin’s life and his music in the early twentieth century. The program was well received by the students, parents and teachers present and hopefully brought an awareness and appreciation for the composer’s jazz style of music.
In addition, students who entered the York County Songwriting Contest were given recognition on stage while the audience heard the orchestra play several of the student compositions. Our very own Gabriel K. (5th grade yellow community) received second place in the grade 3-5 category for his six instrument composition titled “The Warrior”. The DAIS students were very glad to see another classmate and saxophone player on stage in recognition for his work.