Dicken Family Newsletter
11.22.20
Principal's Corner
Dear Families,
As we enter this season of gratitude, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support of our staff and students during virtual learning. I myself am extremely grateful for the incredibly dedicated staff we have at Dicken, our enthusiastic PTO and parent community, and students who give it their all each day despite these unique circumstances. While beginning my journey at Dicken virtually has been a challenge, I'm immensely grateful to all of you for being so welcoming and supportive. I truly look forward to the day where we can all be together again in person!
Thanksgiving Assembly
A reminder that we will be having an assembly for the Dicken Community on Monday, November 23 at 1:30. Our Student Lighthouse Team will be leading the assembly. A reminder that if your child is on the Lighthouse Team, they will need to login from their own account in order to be viewed as a panelist.
We will also be welcoming a couple of very special guests! Looking forward to seeing you there.
Zoom link: https://a2schools.zoom.us/j/99751858639
Teaching Children about Gratitude
This article includes some great ideas for teaching children the valuable practice of gratitude.
Thanksgiving Break
A reminder that there is no school from Wednesday, November 25 - Friday November 27.
Due to the break, AAPS Food Distribution will only occur on Monday, November 23. Seven days worth of food will be distributed at each location. Regular twice-a- week food distribution will begin again on Monday, November 30 until winter break when AAPS will again distribute seven days worth of food on December 21 & 28 at all locations.
Winter Walk Alternative
A reminder that our Winter Walk will take place on November 23 and 24, beginning at 6:00 pm. Please see this note with details from Ms. Erickson.
We would love to share photos of the children's luminaries. Please feel free to email them to Mrs. Halabu at halabu@aaps.k12.mi.us. Thank you!
Closing Circle Shift
As you know, our amazing team of teachers is heavily invested in the social-emotional development of your child. The teachers offer many opportunities for social-emotion growth, including Morning Meeting and Closing Circle which are valued Responsive Classroom practices. We strive to have every student experience these practices as consistently as possible.
For the last few months we have been tracking attendance data. The excellent news is we have approximately 98% student participation rate for Morning Meetings! However, our Closing Circle is more challenging, as is evident based on the participation rate of 52%. Therefore, beginning Monday, November 30th, after Thanksgiving break, our teachers will be adjusting the Closing Circle time to occur earlier in the day. The Closing Circle time will be moved up in the day and will occur sometime between 1:13-1:43 p.m. . Your child’s teacher will share the specific schedule adjustment with you over the next week.
Please know that teachers will continue to be available to assist students individually or in small groups and/or provide asynchronous feedback for the balance of the school day, ending at 3:13 p.m.
Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience
With funding provided by the Miles Jeffrey Roberts Foundation, and with support from the Washtenaw ISD and Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, the AAPS is providing all families with the opportunity to view Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience. For more information, please see the district’s website, or CLICK HERE to register for on-demand access to the documentary. Due to the content of the documentary, it is intended for students in grades 6-12. Families may also register to view the original Screenagers documentary which may be more suited for 4th and 5th grade students. After completing registration, families will gain on-demand access to the documentary between November 20 and January 10.
AAPS invites you to attend a Facebook Live event on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at 7:00 PM. This event will feature mental health professionals and educators from across the county speak to the documentary and the local supports and resources for students and families. Complete details about this event will be shared when we return from winter break, but mark your calendar now!
If your student or family is ever in need of immediate and urgent support, here are two resources: Washtenaw County Community Mental Health - Crisis Line: 734-544-3050 and Ozone House - Crisis Line: 734-662-2222.
Helpful Links on the AAPS Website
- The AAPS Community Resource page
- Food Distribution Plan
- AAPS 2020-21 Calendar
- Return to School Metrics
Wishing you a lovely and safe Thanksgiving Break!
All the best,
Heather
PTO News
Have an item for the blast? Email it to dolphinsblast@gmail.com. Blast items kindly requested by 5 p.m. Friday.
Order your Spirit Wear by Nov 24th
Order your Spirit Wear just in time for the holiday season! Orders need to be placed by midnight on November 24th and will ship on December 10th.
Dicken Read-a-thon Update
We have finished our first week of the Dicken read-a-thon and have had some great participation. We hope to continue our momentum going into our last week! Please remember to log your reading minutes on the Google form - it is the only way that we can tell how much each student is reading. All donations that are made based on minutes read are calculated on the minutes submitted on the google form.
As of this morning our stats are:
Fundraising total as of Sunday morning on 99 Pledges: $8,127
Minutes logged on google forms: 9,179
Ms. Halabu has sent a read aloud story for everyone to enjoy on Vimeo. Please take a moment to check it out and then log your minutes!
We also have donations from every classroom which is incredible. Thank you for your continued support and keep reading and logging your minutes!
PTO Online Presence
The PTO is working on being more accessible through social media. Below are two options to help your family stay informed on what is taking place through the school and community.
Please "Like" us on Facebook
Stay connected to other Dicken Families by joining Dicken Elementary Parents - Facebook group
Support Dicken While Buying Gift Cards
You can buy electronic gift cards at face value and a percentage goes to Dicken. The enrollment code for Dicken is: 3D27BEEF61285. The best way to pay is with a linked bank account ($0.15/order), but you can do credit card for 2.6% fee.