Duniway Dispatch
March 8, 2024
Calendar
- March 10: Daylight Saving Time Begins
- March 13: Fire Drill
- March 21: Lockdown Drill
- March 18-22: Book Fair
- March 25-29: Schools Closed for Spring Break
- April 5: Schools Closed - No School for Students
- April 10: Connect for Kindergarten for Incoming Families
- April 26: Duniway Auction
- May 8: Connect to Duniway for Interested Families
- May 17: Duniway Fund Run
- May 27: Schools Closed - No School for Students
- June 7: Duniway Parade and Carnival
- June 14: Last Day of School
Principal's Message
Dear Duniway School Community,
I can hear George Harrison's voice floating through the air: "Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo." While winter is not entirely gone, I can definitely feel spring around the corner.
The 5th graders visited Sellwood Middle School this week to talk about 6th grade, which is right around the corner. Our first graders went to the Oregon Zoo. Third grade finished their magnificent Portland bridge projects, and kindergarten got to explore a farm connected with their current literacy unit.
Please continue to get excited for our Duniway "Welcome to the Jungle" themed Auction happening on April 26th, 2024. Early bird tickets go on sale on March 11th, and if you buy early, you will get a free ticket to the after-party! Run, don't walk, to our site here: 25TH ANNUAL DUNIWAY AUCTION.
This coming week, on Wednesday, March 13th, we will have a fire drill in the morning. Students have also, in the K-2 grades, been learning about lockdown drills with our new "Sammy and Friends" curriculum. Thank you to our excellent counseling team for supporting students with this trauma-informed work. We will have a lockdown drill on March 21st, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
Our PTA meeting is next Wednesday, March 13th, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. in the library. We are excited to welcome the Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association at the start of our meeting to share information about community earthquake safety and preparedness.
Our playground is almost here... well, sort of. The manufacturer's delivery date is early April, and then we need to get an installation date. But we are close, and I can't wait for the day when this is installed and ready for our kiddos!
Lastly, don't forget to "spring ahead" this week, as we lose an hour and gain an hour of light.
Have a great weekend, and please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything.
Best.
Principal Rafferty
Early Bird 🦜Tickets on Sale Monday!
The Duniway Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year is coming up Friday, April 26 at Leftbank Annex and you definitely won’t want to miss this evening out with Duniway families and teachers.
Early bird tickets go on sale this Monday!
Don’t sleep on this, because you early birds get free passes to the after party.
We’ll be hanging before and after school by the spider web playground some days next week, so stop by, chat, learn more and buy your tickets.
Monday, March 11, ~8:30 a.m. We'll be near the playground spider web (under the auction banner) with hot coffee to perk you up! Be among the first to buy your tickets.
Thursday, March 14, ~8:30 a.m. We're back, this time with tasty "jungle juice" courtesy of our friends at Pure Green Portland!
Thursday, March 14, ~2:30 p.m. (before the bell) More tickets, more chatting with some afternoon snacks!
If you haven’t already, check out the important work our Duniway Foundation does to help keep class sizes small and help enrich the lives of our students. Meet our incredible EAs who support our students daily in our classrooms.
Follow us on Insta for all of the latest!
Duniway PTA Meeting on March 13th @5 PM
Please join your PTA Wednesday March 13th for our general meeting.
Meeting will be at 5pm in the Duniway Library.
If you aren't able to attend in person, please join via Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88445473465?pwd=YlpJL1ZFQ2UzMzNTYnpnaDlQWjF5QT09
Duniway Book Fair from March 18th to 22nd
The spring Book Fair is coming up March 18-22, the week before spring break, in the Duniway library. Please plan to come shop the fair—stock up on reading for spring break travels! The fair raises funds to support new reading material in our school library and classrooms. Students who qualify for free or reduced meals are eligible for Book Fair gift certificates through our school counselors.
We still need volunteers to work the registers! There are shifts open Monday, Tuesday, and Friday after school. This is a super fun way to volunteer at Duniway! Check on Konstella or Sign Up to Volunteer Here.
Music in our Schools Month: Week 1
Fifth Graders have been singing the American folk song “Bim Bum” and learned its fast paced hand-clapping game. See Ms. Goodman’s class perform it here. Several students also performed for our music share Fridays this week and last week!
Fourth grade students learned the play-party dance for “Skip to My Lou” and are finishing “I Got Rhythm” on recorders. Watch Mrs. Dumas’ class perform “Skip to My Lou.”
Third Graders are performing the recorder tune “Hot Cross Buns” as soloists. They are also learning the tongue twister, “Betty Botter,” and creating ostinati (short repeated patterns) with ping pong balls to accompany the poem. Here is Mrs. Vogel’s arrangement of Betty Botter.
Second Graders reviewed the poem and shoe passing game, “Diddle Diddle Dumpling” and wrote out the sixteenth note rhythms to practice their notation skills. Watch Mrs. Neff’s class perform it here.
First Grade students performed their “Winter Compositions” this week. They wrote and performed eight beats of subdivided rhythms (when the beat gets divided into smaller units) and added body percussion. Ask your child to perform this at home!
Kindergarten students earned their Reward Day this week. Students earn up to 5 points each music class by demonstrating our Duniway Core Values: Caring, Connected, Curious, Trustworthy, and Courageous. Grizzly Bear, Red Horse, and Apple Tree were some of the favorite games these students enjoyed. Watch Ms. Sarah’s class playing Apple Tree.
Warm regards,
Lisa Adams