Dear Dryden Families,

It takes a village to raise a child. Every single person in our community plays a part in the future of our children. The past five months have not been easy, but we have so much to be grateful for. Before we begin the new school year, we would like to thank you for all you have done for our students since school was closed in March.

Thank you to parents and family members, who helped students adjust to at home and distance learning and kept them on track and communicating with their teachers.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Thank you to our food service staff and volunteers, who prepared and served over 58,000 meals through our food distribution and summer food service program.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Thank you to our local government, authorities, businesses, parents, and staff members, who planned and facilitated multiple events to celebrate our graduating Class of 2020: senior banners throughout downtown Dryden, the Parade of Graduates, home delivery of caps and gowns, Prom, Graduation, and the All-Night Party.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Thank you to our community, who lined the streets to cheer on our seniors during the Parade of Graduates.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Thank you to our very own Dryden Cardinal, who brought love and smiles to each of our students at their homes, completing over 375 fly-bys.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Thank you to school board members, parents, and staff, who volunteered to develop a reopening plan which follows state mandates and provides a safe learning environment for our students.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Thank you to parents, students, and staff, who provided over 400 thoughtful responses to our Back-to-School survey, which informed our reopening plan decisions.

It takes a village to raise a child.

We recognize the dedication you have shown to our students, community, and district over the last five months, and we appreciate every one of you more than you will ever know.

Thank you for being part of our village!

The 2020-2021 school year is approaching quickly. We will be opening our doors for students in less than two weeks. Families have the option to choose face-to-face or virtual instruction for their students. Parents, please check your email for a survey link to make that decision no later than Friday, August 14.

The first day of school is Monday, August 24, and is a half day. The 2020-2021 school year calendar can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.

If you haven't already, please consider downloading our new Dryden App. You will be able to stay updated on everything Dryden!

As always, please reach out to us if we can help you in any way.

Yours in Education,

Mary Finnigan

Superintendent

Tuesday, August 11

6:00 p.m.

Click on the link below

Meeting ID: 726 5222 9962

Passcode: ek9KvW

6:00 p.m.

Click on the link below

Meeting ID: 710 2669 8532
Passcode: t8esA5

Cardinal Camp, Preschool and Childcare are open for Summer and Fall enrollment.

Year-round preschool is being offered for all 3 and 4 year old students.

Spots are limited, so please call or email Kelly Fuerst at 810-796-2201 ext. 4085 or at kfuerst@dryden.k12.mi.us

Due to child health and safety concerns, parents are required to wear a mask when entering the school for student drop off and pick up. Each student is also required to keep their school supplies separate during the 2020-2021 school year.

These school supplies include:

• Water bottle (please label)

• Glue sticks

• Pencils

• Markers

• Crayons

• Scissors

Dear Families and Friends,

It’s hard to believe it’s August already! It has been a summer like no other at Dryden Elementary. Our staff has been busy preparing our safety and instructional plans for our opening. Our custodians and maintenance staff have done an outstanding job cleaning and repairing the building so it’s in top condition for the fall.

I hope your child and family are ready for school to start soon! To help get ready, please get out the books that you and your child(ren) enjoy reading and read them. Talk about them. Have fun and play games with cards, dice, and dominoes.

The annual back to school event is on Wednesday, August 19. In order to limit crowds, we are asking that you plan to attend during the time below based on your student's last name:

A-G from 4:00-4:45 pm

H-M from 4:45-5:30 pm

N-S from 5:30-6:15 pm

T-Z from 6:15-7:00 pm

Come and meet your child’s teacher, get their school picture taken, and pick up back to school paperwork. For grades 1-6, this will be an outdoor event. Each teacher will have a table outside on the east (playground) side of the school and will be greeting students and families there.

Our Kindergarten/Begindergarten RoundUp will be held at the same time. To limit attendance, we will be following the same attendance times listed above. Families will be taken into the building to see the classroom and lockers in small groups.

The first day of school is Monday, August 24. It is a half day. Dismissal is at 12:10 pm.

We have three four-day weeks in a row. There will be no school on Friday, August 28.

In observance of Labor Day, we will not have school on Friday, September 4, and Monday, Sept. 7.

The elementary office will be open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm to answer questions and enroll new students until we resume regular school hours on August 24.

I hope you and your family had some time to enjoy together over the past few months. I also hope you are relaxed, recharged, and ready to start a new school year. I am so happy that you are part of our learning community. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with you and your children.

Sincerely,

Karen Roys

Principal

Dryden Elementary

Dear #proudcardinal Families and Students,

We are working diligently to prepare our physical and virtual classrooms for your return to school, and we can't wait to see you!

Students: If you and your family have chosen the virtual learning path for you to begin the school year, be sure to check your school email daily for a message from your teachers. They will be able to help you navigate learning from home and provide the support you need to succeed.

Cardinal Day will take place on Tuesday, August 18. You'll still be able to pick up your schedule and get your school photo taken, but this year's event will take place in the school parking lot. Students with last names beginning with A-L should attend between 4:00-5:30 p.m., and those with last names beginning with M-Z should attend between 5:30-7:00 p.m.

On Monday, August 17, we will hold 7th Grade and New Student Orientation. We are so happy that you are joining us for the 2020/2021 school year! This year we are splitting our orientation into two sessions to keep students safe and comply with state guidelines.

Last names A through N will attend from 10:00 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.

Lunch will be served at 11:00 a.m.

Last Names O through Z will attend from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lunch will be served at 11:30 am.

We will be going over school schedules, practicing locker combinations, making sure email and PowerSchool work, and practicing getting lunch.

Masks will be MANDATORY for this day. If your student has a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask we must receive a signed note from a physician turned into the high school office no later than Thursday, August 13. We are excited to meet you!

We have a new start and end time to our day. Classes will begin at 7:25 a.m., and students will be dismissed at 2:25 p.m.

If you have any questions or if we can help in any way, please let us know.

See you on August 24!

Warmly,

Mary Finnigan

Dryden Junior/Senior High School Principal

Dryden Bands and Music Boosters will be hosting a safe & unique event

this Labor Day weekend to help raise funds for our growing program!

Contracts to sell items during the Virtual Variety Sale are due August 28!

Click here to view a copy of the contract: https://docs.google.com/document/d/119-M-bQp7zgUVaJ3oH9QPCwnS03BV_IJx7nWa-ueMJc/edit

Here are the highlights:

• Virtual “table” rentals are $20
• Large Items are $2 each
• Newsfeed Shoutouts are by donation
• Customer access is FREE

All proceeds go toward continuing to build our growing Band & Music Program! ️🖤️🖤

The Early College High School Initiative provides students the opportunity to receive a high school diploma and an Associate degree or up to two years of college credit by taking a mixture of high school and college classes.

Dryden High School partners with the following institutions: Oakland University, Ferris State University, University of Michigan - Flint, Mott Community College, Macomb Community College, and Baker College.

Feel free to contact Mrs. Fleming for additional information (kfleming@dryden.k12.mi.us).

Counselor

Dryden Junior/Senior High School

As another summer winds down, I would like to welcome everyone back for what is sure to be an interesting year! Our student-athletes have been prepping for this Fall season during summer workouts.

Students who participated in a sport last year and have a 2019-20 physical on file will need to complete the 2020-21 MHSAA Sports Health Questionnaire and may not need to get a new physical. The form can either be picked up at the HS office or printed from the MHSAA website. (https://www.mhsaa.com/Schools/Forms-Resources)

Students that did NOT participate in a sport last school year and do not have a physical on file WILL NEED to get a PHYSICAL PRIOR to any practicing. The form can also be picked up at the HS office or printed from the MHSAA website. (https://www.mhsaa.com/Schools/Forms-Resources)

Here are the High School start dates for each sport this season:

Fall:

August 10: Football

August 12: Cross Country, Boys Soccer, Sideline Cheer, and Volleyball

Winter:

November 9: Girls Sideline Cheer, Basketball and Competitive Cheer

November 16: Boys Basketball, Bowling, and Wrestling

Spring:

March 15: Baseball, Golf, Girls Soccer, Softball, and Track & Field

We also offer the following Junior High sports for students in grades 6-8:

Fall: Cross Country, Football, Sideline Cheer, and Volleyball

Winter: Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, and Sideline Cheer

Spring: Track & Field

We would also like to thank the Dryden Athletic Boosters for their support and gracious gift of the two new Pixellot Systems. These new camera systems have been installed in the HS Gym and Stremler Field. We will schedule our games on the NFHS Network so Cardinal Fans will be able to enjoy the game from anywhere. We will have more information soon!

As always, Go Cardinals!

Ms. Loraine Brinker

Assistant Principal/Athletic Director

September 14, 2020

October 12, 2020

November 9, 2020

December 14, 2020

January 11, 2021

All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.,

will be held in the Dryden High School Library,

and are open to the public.