Dundalk Elementary Newsletter
May 2024
Dundalk Elementary Contact Information
Email: Principal-Mrs. Pilarski- jpilarski@bcps.org,
Asst. Principal-Dr. Swinder- hswinder@bcps.org,
Asst. Principal-Dr. Foy- jfoy@bcps.org
Website: https://dundalkes.bcps.org
Phone: 443-809-7013
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MYDundalkEl
Twitter: @TeamDUndalkES
Dates to Remember
May 1, 2024- Shared Decision Making Meeting 4-5pm
May 2, 2024- Food Pantry 11am- 2pm
May 2, 2024- Spring Flower Pick Up 4pm-6pm 🌷
May 9, 2024- Art & Cultural Festival 5-pm-7pm
May 9-10, 2024- Mother's Day Flowers (kids buy at school $1) 🌼
May 14, 2024- Icy Delight Fundraiser Day 🍧
May 14, 2024- Election Day-School Closed ✅
May 16, 2024- Field Day 🏅
May 17, 2024- Asynchronous Learning for All Students- Professional Development
May 22, 2024- Shared Decision Making Meeting
May 22, 2024- Spring Concert 🎶7pm--students should arrive by 6:30
May 27, 2024- Memorial Day- School Closed ☀️
May 30, 2024- Dundalk ES Art Show 🎨
May 30, 2024- Spring Fest
June 6, 2024- Food Pantry 11am- 2pm
June 7, 2024- 5th Grade Dance 💃🕺
June 11, 2024- 5th Grade Farewell 🦉
June 12, 2024- Shared Decision Making Meeting 4-5pm
June 13, 2024- Early Dismissal 12:25 pm 📅
June 14, 2024- Early Dismissal 12:25 pm 📅
June 14, 2024- Last Day of School 🌅
June 19, 2024- School and Offices Closed (Juneteenth)
July 4, 2024- Schools and Offices Closed 🎆
July 8, 2024- Camp Learn -A- Lot Begins 🏕️
August 2, 2024- Last Day Camp Learn -A- Lot 🏕️
August 21, 2024-DES Back to School Block Party 🎉
August 26, 2024- First Day of School 💚💛
Message from the A-Team
Dear DES Students and Families,
Spring fever is in the air, and we're excited to celebrate this season of growth and renewal with our elementary school students and families! Here's how we can all embrace the spirit of spring together:
Dear DES Students and Families,
As we welcome the warmth and energy of spring, I want to remind our elementary students and families to stay focused on our academic goals while enjoying the season. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this time:
1. **Set Goals:** Take some time to set academic and personal goals for the remainder of the school year. Whether it's improving your grades, mastering a new skill, or reading more books, having clear goals will help you stay focused and motivated.
2. **Create a Routine:** With the longer days and changing schedules that come with spring, it's important to establish a consistent routine for schoolwork and study time. Set aside specific hours each day for homework, reading, and other academic activities to stay on track.
3. **Limit Distractions:** As the weather gets nicer, it can be tempting to spend more time outdoors or on other activities. While it's important to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, make sure to limit distractions during study time. Find a quiet, well-lit space where you can focus without interruptions.
4. **Stay Organized:** Keep track of assignments, projects, and important dates using a planner or calendar. Break larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps, and prioritize your workload to ensure you're staying on top of your responsibilities.
5. **Stay Engaged:** Spring can be a busy time with end-of-year events and activities, but don't let that distract you from your studies. Stay engaged in class, participate in discussions, and ask questions if you need clarification on any topics.
6. **Take Breaks:** Remember to take regular breaks during study sessions to rest and recharge. Get outside for a short walk, stretch your legs, or enjoy a healthy snack to keep your energy levels up.
7. **Communicate:** If you're feeling overwhelmed or struggling with schoolwork, don't hesitate to reach out for help. Talk to your teachers, parents, or school counselors about any challenges you're facing, and work together to find solutions.
8. **Celebrate Achievements:** Take time to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Whether it's earning a good grade on a test, completing a challenging assignment, or reaching a personal milestone, acknowledge your hard work and perseverance.
As we embrace the joys of spring, let's also stay focused on our academic journey and finish the school year strong. Together, we can achieve great things!
Love,
Dr. Swinder
CAMP LEARN -A- LOT
Click the link below to register your child for a summer of fun! Breakfast and Lunch will be served to those students registered.
Camp Learn -A- Lot is a great way to keep up those math and reading skills.
Each week will be a different theme while helping students improve their skills in math and reading.
Can't make it every day? That's okay! We want you here as much as possible but understand families have vacations scheduled.
Community Schools
Hello Everyone,
It’s your Community School Facilitator, Ms. K. Williams. I am excited to announce that the COP budget was able to cover another field trips this school year. Second grade teachers reported that the students had such a great time yesterday at the Pete the Cat show. I hope to be able to do more as we continue to assess the school and community needs.
Yes.org before and after OST program -Happy to report that the program is going well. We have helped to drastically reduce the chronic absenteeism numbers. We will start a new unit on quilting and weaving next week and a new instructor will be in to teach that craft. Keep a lookout on your emails for more information.
SDMT MEETING-
Please come share your thoughts on May 1st at 4:00pm during our shared decision-making team. Please RSVP on the emails your were sent from school messenger and Dojo.
Food Pantry will be May 2nd. Please encourage anyone that you know in need to come.
Community Store-Our amazing community volunteers are helping to finish the set-up of the community room, but we need more help. Please reach out to me to set up a time.
Transitions Inc-We have partnered with Transitions Inc. who ran a successful 4-week pilot program. They mentored and taught our students during their lunch periods about life skills, safety and more. The students really enjoyed it!
Workshops-We have partnered with a financial literacy and housing organization to support parents in their day-to-day needs. Stay tuned for more information. All are welcome to come!
From Nurse Kline
May is food allergy action month.
Please make sure if your child has any allergies daycare and the nurses office are aware of the symptoms and types of food your child is allergic to.
All children who have a history of anaphylaxis should have an order on file with the nurse for an Epi Pen! ❤️
What do you need to know?
Teacher Appreciation Week
As you know, teacher work really hard all school year and leading up to the end of the year can be super stressful with testing and just the end of year in sight. For teachers and staff, they can be extra stressed due to the worry of students being away from school for so long, the extra energy students have in anticipation of the break, or the extra anxiety students have with the upcoming break. People who work in the school wear multiple hats a day from teachers, to care giver, to nurse. This year we want to raise teachers’ and staff morale by giving them an amazing Teacher Appreciation Week. We have a staff of 98 here at Dundalk Elementary who every day show up for their students to help them be the best they can be.
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10th.
Help bring some happiness and joy.
If you are not sure what to do for your child's teacher, help us STOCK the LOUNGE!
Dundalk Elementary 23-24 Yearbook
23-24 School Yearbooks are on sale now.
$15.00 Each
Love lines sold at $2.00.
(This is a way for you to add a personalized line to your child in the yearbook.)
Yearbooks can only be ordered online , NO cash orders will be accepted.
Ordering will be open now until April 29, 2024.
Use School Code: 192369M
Also, please note only a limited amount of yearbooks will be ordered as extra.
🌼 Mother's Day Flowers 🌼
On Thursday, May 9th and Friday, May 10th
The PTA will be selling flowers for $1.00 each
If you would like your student to purchase flowers, please send money with them.
Cash only. Thank you!
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12th
Dundalk Elementary Food Pantry
Food Pantry is May 2 from 11am-2:30pm.
All community members are welcome.
If you know someone who needs help with food please tell them about our food pantry.
Food Pantry is the 1st Thursday of every month!
🌼 Spring Flower Sale 🌼
Thank you to everyone who participated! The money earned will be used to support Field Day, 5th Grade Dance, and 5th Grade Promotion.
Icy Delights Fundraiser
Shoe Drive
We have not met our goal of 25 bags yet!
We are still collecting shoes for the shoe drive.
Dundalk Elementary is doing a shoe drive to collect new and gently worn used shoes. All shoes are acceptable except skates and ice skates. This includes; high heels👠 , boots 🥾, tennis shoes👟, flip flops 🩴, even sports cleats .
If you are able to donate send your shoes in with your student to give to their homeroom teacher or Mrs. Ashton.
The shoes will be turned in to an organization to be sent off to third world countries.
Dundalk Elementary will earn money for the shoes donated that will help support student trips, assemblies, and other activities here at school.
Dundalk Elementary is a green school but not only does this help our school with participating you are also making a community impact, environmental impact, and a global impact.
Dundalk Art & Cultural Festival
Dundalk ES will be represented by 5th grade rock band, 5th grade strings, 5th grade winds, and a combined grade level dance group. Plus, amazing artwork done by our students here at DES.
May 9, 2024
5pm-7pm
Dundalk High School
5:15 Cafeteria---Dundalk ES K Dance Group
5:30 Auditorium--Dundalk ES Wind/String Group
5:45 Cafeteria--Dundalk ES Rock Band
🦉 What are we up to at Dundalk Elementary? 🦉
In pre-k we are continuing our unit on Growing Our Garden. We have been discussing plants and how they grow as well as worms and how they help our garden. We will learn about how fruits and vegetables grown and how they are used as food. In order to get ready for our upcoming trip to Marshy Point Nature Center we will be learning about the life cycle of a frog.
In Math we will begin learning about money, 3 Demensional shapes, and ABC patterns.
Reading: We will be reading about what we can learn when we take a closer look. We will read books that “zoom in” on ordinary experiences and objects. Also, continue to read to your child at least 10 minutes a day while asking questions such as who is in the story, where the characters are and putting the events of the story in order. You could even challenge them by asking if the story is fiction or non-fiction and how they know.
Writing: We will be writing stories and poems as we look closely at nature. We will also present posters about our 5 senses. We have learned all of our letter sounds now and will be moving onto long vowels. Although, please have your student to continue practice reading and writing CVC words (ex. Cut, lap, big, mop). Also, have students continue to practice reading and writing their sight words in their decodable books that they bring home.
Math: Students will be exploring a variety of topics this month including measuring, teen numbers, addition and subtraction. Please have students solve simple addition and subtraction story problems within 10 along with writing an equation to match.
Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration 24-25 School Year
We ‘signed’ some new owls for Pre K next year!
Exciting change: Next year, Pre K will be an ENTIRE day!
We have some Owl bags full of summer fun until supplies run out!
Fly on up here and enroll for next year’s Pre K & K- Monday-Friday 10am-2pm.
In Reading this quarter we have started to launch our new module called Grow, Plants, Grow! This unit is all about plants and nature. The students will have the opportunity to read a variety of texts about plants and will even participate in some of their own plant making in the classroom!
In Math, first grade started our unit called “One Hundred and Beyond”. In this unit the students will be using different strategies like counting forward and backward within 120. Some ways to help your student at home could look like having objects for them to count (candy, skittles, cheerios, etc..).
We are ready for the warm weather!!
In ELA we are learning about plants and nature, perfect for April being the Earth Month. We have been focusing on our essential question: "What do plants need to survive and live?"
In Math we are working with centimeter ants counting our learning about measurement. We are also learning about fractions!
We have MAP testing upcoming on May 8th & 15th.
Remind your student(s) to take their time on the test and try their best!
As always read daily and come to school on time at 8:25 🙂
Love,
2nd Grade Team
In reading we are beginning Module 9 entitled, From Farm to Table. The essential question for this module is How does food get to your table? In this module, students will listen to, read, and view a variety of texts and media that present them with information about where our food comes from. A genre focus on informational text provides students with opportunities to identify text structure, central idea, and text and graphic features in order to better understand unfamiliar texts. Students will also encounter video to build knowledge across genres. As students build their vocabulary and synthesize topic knowledge, they will learn that food’s journey to our table often begins on a farm.
In math we are continuing working on Unit 7 entitled Extending Multiplication and Fractions. This unit provides a review of material covered earlier in the year, as well as opportunities to extend skills and concepts into work with larger numbers and bigger ideas. Early in the unit, students learn to multiply single digits by multiples of 10. That skill is then extended into building and sketching 1-digit by 2-digit multiplication combinations. Working with multiplication beyond the basic facts provides rich opportunities to review the commutative and distributive properties and tap into the power of the associative property of multiplication. Having worked previously with fractions as parts of a whole and distances along a number line, students are introduced to linear and area models that allow them to see fractions as parts of a set as well as a part of a whole. These models include a ruler, an egg carton, a 12-foot strip of adding machine tape, and a circle graph. The unit ends with a foray into data collection, representation, and interpretation, foreshadowing the work with measurement and data students will do in Unit 8.
In May, we are finishing MCAP Testing by completing the math tests. Third grade will be testing May 7th to 10th. Please make sure your child is present that week and on time. Being on time allows time for your child to eat breakfast and have time to get prepared before testing begins.
In ELA, 4th graders just finished our module 8 assessment on the topic "Food for Thought." We have been learning about healthy food choices and how to conserve waste. Our next unit will focus on being Global Guardians. We will be asking the students, "What can people do to care for our planet?"
Advanced Math: In our last unit of the year, we will start working with signed numbers (positive and negative) and talking about numbers and their absolute value (its distance from zero on a number line). Students will have plenty of practice to help prepare them for their advanced math classes next year.
Math 5: We are working on division in our last unit of the year. We will be dividing whole numbers, decimals, and fractions. We will take our time learning these skills and review what we have learned all year in order to ensure students are ready to take on middle school math in the fall.
5th Grade ELA is finishing up unit 8 which was all about finding a new home and exploring new places. As we dive into unit 9, we're going to be learning about mysteries and why people like to read them! Students have demonstrated their writing skills and reading comprehension skills and have made great progress since September!
Note from your Spectacular Physical Education Teachers
Field Day will be May 16th Intermediate in the morning and Primary in the afternoon.
Would you like to work a station at Field Day? Make sure that you email Ms. Rodgers and Mrs. Gaphardt.
Mrs. Rodgers- kfeen@bcps.org or Mrs. Gaphardt- lgaphardt@bcps.org.
You must be volunteer trained. If you are not, no problem Mrs. Ashton can help you become volunteer trained. Mrs. Ashton- sashton@bcps.org.
Step 2: New User or Existing (If you have done the training in the past click existing)
You must watch the video and complete the quiz (Quiz can be taken as many times as needed to pass.)
🎶 Music Makes You Lose Control 🎶
SPRING CONCERT... Grades 3, 4, & 5 Vocal music classes. As well as Ukulele and Rock Band.