DUNNING NOTES FROM the OFFICE
December 5th, 2021
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All previous Notes From the Office are available by using this LINK.
Dates to Remember
DECEMBER
Monday, 6th- PTO Meeting, 5:30 - 6:30, Dunning Cafeteria
- Dine In w/Dunning, La Cantina, 3:30 - Closing
Friday, 24th - Friday, 31st
- No School: Winter Recess
JANUARY
Monday, 17th
- No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Elementary Report Cards (Semester 1)
FEBRUARY
Thursday 10th
- Family, Friends, and Neighbor Days - No Homework
- No School: Presidents Day
- No School: February Recess
What's New This Week:
- The Scholastic Book Fair has officially CLOSED!
- PTO Meeting
- Timothy's Toy Box
- Dine In With Dunning
- Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
- Breakfast & Lunch Information
- Kindergarten Pre-Registration is Open!
- The Gift Of Attendance
- Vaccination Letter for Children Ages 5-11 (DPH and DESE)
- Amazon Smile
- Dunning Spirit Wear
- Test & Stay
- PTO News
- Dunning Directory
- P-EBT and SNAP (Food Support)
- Community Resources
Important Links:
- Change in Dismissal Form
- City of Framingham COVID-19 Testing Information
- Weekly Food Resource Guide
- Housing Help
- Resources if You Are Struggling to Make Rent or Mortgage Payments
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time to share any questions, concerns, thoughts, or ideas.
Michele & Kathie
The Scholastic Book Fair has officially CLOSED!
Thank you to our entire school community for your shopping. I am so pleased to announce that our sales were just over $9,000! That allowed us to make sure every student who wanted a book in our Dunning School was able to pick one out. We also used some of the Scholastic money to put new titles into our Library benefitting all the kids.
The book fair isn't a big "money maker" - but the books are well priced and honestly there is nothing like the excitement of watching a kid pick out a book they really want. The biggest benefit of the book fair is to get books into the hands of EVERY Dunning Panda.
This book fair is a big task and I could NOT have done it without some serious help. I want to thank Michele Schecter - not only for making this happen behind the scenes but also she helped with the physical setup after what was already a long day at work! We were the first school in Framingham to bring the book fair back in person and clearly it was a success. I want to thank Christine Trostel who was working the fair every single day making sure volunteers knew how to run the register and the logistics of the kids/classes/wishlists. She was my "brain" when I wasn't there and it could not have worked without her. I also want to thank Marci Donnelly, Meghan Wilson, Melissa Theroux, Jen Ronan, Sarah Rush, Erin Sexton, Katelyn MacDonald, Liza Peck, Kate Jashari, Ashley Hebert, Tim Huq, Rena Briggs, Devry Yeager and Jen Hyman for the shifts they took over the last two weeks. I truly appreciate your time and help with all the kids!
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and keep reading!
Beth Last
PTO Meeting
Just a reminder that the PTO meeting will be held tomorrow, Monday, at 5:30pm at Dunning!
The PTO will not be able to offer babysitters for the kids at this time as we can no longer gather groups of kids in the gym that wouldn't normally be grouped together in the school.
The PTO also can no longer offer dinner at the meetings but they will have individually wrapped Framingham Bakery pizza for everyone to take home to their families for dinner!
The meeting will be live streamed on the PTO page if you cannot attend in person. The live stream will have the captions option for translation as well! Look for the link on the PTO page on Monday!
Timothy's Toy Box
Holiday Toy Donations
Our Story…in 2007 my son Timothy and I set up a non-profit corporation to help local children in need during the holiday season. We give the children toys for Christmas that may not have received any gifts if we did not help. We want to help as many children as we can to have a merry little Christmas!
Since 2007 we have delivered over 21,000 new toys and gifts to local homeless shelters, churches, schools, hospitals as well as many other local families in need. We also purchase wrapping paper, tape, scissors, tags, batteries and blankets for the parents so that they have everything they need.
We receive a copy of all the children’s Christmas wish list items and we have been able to make all their Christmas wishes come true thanks to the help of many of our family, friends, neighbors and company sponsors. Timothy and I really enjoy doing this together and we will continue to do this every year. It is a great way for kids to be involved in helping others while having fun at the same time!
This year we will be helping over 400 local children in need!!!
We REALLY need your help in any of the following ways to make our 15th season a success:
1. Donate checks made payable to Timothy’s Toy Box Inc. OR donate online at www.timothystoybox.com
2. Donate NEW, unused, unwrapped toys/gifts appropriate for ages Infant – 15 years.
• Any type of NEW toys, games, books, crafts, and gifts are great! Here is a list of some of the most requested items if you need some ideas: Legos sets, footballs, soccer balls, Red Sox or Patriots gear, learning toys, hair accessories, nail polish or makeup kits, superhero figures, Mickey/Minnie Mouse, musical activity toys, Nerf toys, Barbie, slime kits, Shopkins, remote control cars/trucks, wrestling figures and of course whatever the new hot toys of the year are. Donations can be shipped directly to our address at 4 Anderson Road, Framingham, MA 01701 or can be dropped off to the donation box at Dunning by Friday 12/10/21.
3. Donate Gift Cards to places like Walmart, Target, Christmas Tree Shop, Five Below, Visa, Amazon, iTunes, etc.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail or call us!
Thank you in advance for your support!
Sharon & Tim Gilbert
Timothy’s Toy Box Inc.
4 Anderson Road
Framingham, MA 01701
E-mail: timothystoybox@rcn.com Phone: 508-877-0784 Website: www.timothystoybox.com
Dine In With Dunning
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021 AT 3:30 PM – 11 PM
Enjoy a meal at LaCantina, present the flyer and 20% of your bill will be donated to Dunning!
Make plans with other Dunning families and make it a night out!
- Eat anytime from open at 3:30pm to close!
- Seating available inside the dining room or outside in the tent.
- Dine-In Only, No Take Out.
- Alcohol is included.
School Hours
Early Release Days
- 1:05pm dismissal
- Lunch IS served
- If your child rides the bus, you can expect them to arrive at their stop approximately two and a half hours earlier than normal.
- Early Release Thursdays:
- 3/3, 4/28, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19 5/26
Half Days
- Students are dismissed at 12:30pm.
- Lunch IS NOT served.
- If your child rides the bus, you can expect them to arrive at their stop approximately three hours earlier than normal.
- Half Days: 11/24 and the last day of school.
Kindergarten Pre-Registration is Open!
Dear Framingham Families,
If you have or know a child that will be five years old by August 31, 2022, online pre-registration for incoming Kindergarteners for the 2022-2023 school year is now open at https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/kindergarten. Please disregard if this message does not apply to you.
All new incoming Kindergarteners must be registered - even if you already have children in Framingham Public Schools.
New and Noteworthy:
- The Parent Information Center is now called the Department of Student Registration. Located at the Farley Building in the growing Welcome Center, the department has been renamed to align with their primary function. If people refer you to the Parent Information Center, please note that this is the same as Student Registration.
- Framingham Public Schools in collaboration with our community partners, the MetroWest YMCA and Framingham State University Centers for Early Childhood Education, are offering a brand new Preschool Expansion Program. This partnership will be enrolling 4 year-old children who’ve not yet had access to early learning opportunities and provides access to high quality pre-k education before they start Kindergarten next year. The program begins in early 2022 and offers financial assistance based on family need. For more information please contact Christina Shea, Early Education Manager at 508-782-6898. More to come on this exciting partnership and opportunity!
Thank you and have a great evening.
Sincerely,
Department of Student Registration
508-424-3420
register@framingham.k12.ma.us
The Gift Of Attendance
We know this is a hard time, and some absences may be due to illness or other challenges such as Covid-19 quarantine.
Attendance matters because missing 10%+ of school days (just two days per month) can drastically impact your child's education
Are you planning a family trip for the holidays? As you think about your arrangements, we want to stress the importance of sending your child to school every day possible. Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after the winter holiday as families squeeze in a few more vacation days. We know that just a few missed days here and there, even if they’re excused absences, can add up to too much lost learning time and put your child behind in school. This is as true in kindergarten as it is in high school. Put simply, too many absences at any age can affect a student’s chances for academic success and eventually for graduation.
Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
Kindergartners and 1st graders who miss 10%+ school days are much less likely to learn to read by the end of 3rd grade
Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away. The costs of plane tickets often influence when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school— and the message you will be sending about the importance of attendance. Even if you’ve got a homework packet from the teacher, it doesn’t make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning, right up until vacation starts and the first day back. You can help us convey that message.
This holiday season, give your children the gift of an education and the habit of attendance.
Vaccination Letter for Children Ages 5-11 (DPH and DESE)
Dear Parents and Guardians,
This week the FDA and CDC recommended COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11 years old. We’d like to provide you with current information and resources on vaccination and, now that the vaccine has been approved for this younger age group, we encourage you to have your child vaccinated to protect themselves, your family, and the school community.
While COVID-19 is generally less serious for school-age children than for older adults, children can become infected, and some may get very sick or suffer serious complications. Children can spread COVID-19 to others. Fortunately, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has now been approved for individuals ages 5 and up. The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective against infection, serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Over 70 percent of Massachusetts youth ages 12-17 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Getting your child vaccinated will help limit COVID-19 spread in our school and community, and it can help keep your child and their schoolmates in school.
Please speak to your child’s doctor about their plans to administer the vaccine and raise any questions or concerns you have about the vaccine and your child.
More information about local COVID-19 vaccine clinics for our 5-11 year old students will be provided in the coming days.
There are also hundreds of vaccination sites across the state that have indicated their willingness to vaccinate children 5 and up. Many accept walk-in appointments, including CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, Market Basket and other grocery chains, and community health centers. More information on these sites, as well as safety information and helpful questions and answers, are all available at www.mass.gov/covidvaccine.
As a reminder:
The COVID vaccine is free for all, and no ID or insurance is needed to be vaccinated;
You can get vaccinated even if you are undocumented. Getting a vaccine will not impact your or your family’s immigration status. The Public Charge rule does NOT apply to getting the vaccine.
Getting your family vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones. We appreciate your help to keep all of our students, faculty, staff, and volunteers, as well as our community, safe and healthy this fall and all year long.
Margaret R. Cooke
Acting Commissioner
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Jeffrey C. Riley
Commissioner
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
amazon smile
Make a difference this holiday. Shop for gifts at smile.amazon.com to generate donations for Charlotte A. Dunning PTO.
Simply search “Charlotte A. Dunning PTO” and make Dunning your charity of choice.
When shopping at make sure to shop at smile.amazon.com and
you will automatically donate every time you shop!!
Need help setting up in the Amazon app?
Follow the instructions below to select "Charlotte A. Dunning PTO" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. Amazon will donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to Dunning.
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
3. Select "Charlotte A. Dunning PTO" as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
Dunning Spirit Wear
Adult's and children's sizes!! Sweatshirts, t-shirts, pajama pants and more!! We even have umbrellas and winter hats for those rainy/snowy drop offs and pick ups!
Because of the amazing job our community did during the FunRun Fundraiser we are able to offer the gear this year at cost with no mark up! We may not be able to do this in future years so take advantage now and stock up on your Dunning gear. Makes great holiday gifts as well!
The site will be open all year long for ordering, no end date!!
Click HERE for online ordering
Test and Stay
We continue to encourage all families to provide consent for in-school COVID testing.
This can be done through a Google Form or a printed paper (Student consent form for COVID-19 testing) you can give your school nurse. This must be completed even if you participated in weekly testing last year.
You will need your students’ LASID number to complete the Consent Form:
Student Name: [FirstName] [LastName]
LASID: [LASID]
The Consent Form covers three different COVID testing options:
Pooled Testing (Currently happening each week across schools: regular, group testing to narrow down any asymptomatic cases.)
Test and Stay Testing (Starting the Week of October 4, 2021: daily individual tests for students who have been identified as a close contact of a positive case in the classroom to allow them to remain in school as long as they are symptom free).
Diagnostic Testing (We are not currently offering individual testing in school for students who have symptoms, but the City of Framingham's website provides places for families to pursue their own COVID Testing.)
The Test and Stay option helps us accomplish our primary goal that students remain in school as much as possible. Students who are identified as close contacts in school will take rapid antigen tests in school over the course of a 7-day period to confirm they are negative for COVID-19. Test and Stay will be utilized in cases where students are identified as close contacts of an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 and the exposure occurred during the school day.
In addition to launching the Test and Stay testing, schools will also continue with additional risk mitigation efforts like proper mask-wearing, physical distancing when possible, keeping classmates together, monitoring for symptoms daily, and more. It is important to note that certain situations may not warrant participation in Test and Stay and in some cases full quarantine at home may be necessary.
We appreciate everyone's patience, understanding, and flexibility as we continue to adjust our practices with the health and safety of our students and staff as the most important driver in our decision-making.
PTO News
Future PTO Meetings:
Time:
- All meetings will be 5:30pm- 6:30pm
Dates:
- Monday, December 6th
- Wednesday, March 9th
- Thursday, April 28th
- Friday, June 10th
P-EBT and SNAP (Food Support)
Since P-EBT was created to replace school meals, students who return to in-person learning will not get P-EBT funds for the months that they are in school in-person.
:
- ALL kids can get free meals at school (P-EBT was created to replace school meals)
- P-EBT will be available this summer - keep your cards!
- You can still use your P-EBT money from previous months if you have it - previous funds don't go away!
- Apply for SNAP and get the MAXIMUM dollar amount during COVID-19
Food Funds for Kids 0-5 Years Old on SNAP
Fundos para alimentação para crianças de 0-5 anos de idade no SNAP
Asistencia de alimentos para niños de 0 a 5 años con SNAP
For more information or to apply, visit: www.map-ebt.org/snap.
Community Resources
Community Meeting Video Links
October Community Meeting: Staff/Respect
December Community Meeting: 1st Grade/Responsibility
February Community Meeting: 3rd Grade/Compassion
March Community Meeting: Kindergarten/Confidence
April Community Meeting: 2nd Grade/Determination
May Community Meeting: 4th Grade/Cooperation
June Community Meeting: 5th Grade/Pride
Visit the Dunning Website
Join the Dunning PTO FB Page
If you are not already a member, please join the PTO FB page. It is a great way to stay connected with the Dunning Community! www.facebook.com/groups/228212977304928/?ref=bookmarks