Dicken Family Newsletter
12.13.20
Principal's Corner
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe that this is our last week of school for the year of 2020. This year has brought a tremendous amount of challenge to all of our lives, however it has also brought to the forefront that relationships are key to the success and happiness of our students.The support you have given your children at home, the dedication and creativity that our teachers have shown, the efforts the PTO has made to allow us to stay connected as a community, all are truly incredible. I wish you and yours a safe and restful Winter Break.
Virtual Principal's Coffee
Our next Principal's Coffee will be held Friday, December 18 from 9:00 to 9:30. Please feel free to drop by!
https://a2schools.zoom.us/j/91000584718
Winter Assembly
We will have one more assembly to round out 2020 on Friday, December 18th at 1:45, Zoom link: https://a2schools.zoom.us/j/99245901078 A reminder that this assembly will again be in a webinar format, where participants will be able to view the staff and the Student Lighthouse Team, who will lead the assembly again. Looking forward to seeing you there! Please see the reminder below from Ms. Brogno:
We want to include as many dolphins as possible in our next assembly!!
The theme of our Winter Break assembly is "Self-Care: How will you Sharpen your Saw over Break?" Remember: Sharpen your Saw means taking care of your body, mind, heart, and soul.
Please have your child(ren) submit a 15 - 30 second video about how he/she/they will be sharpening their saws over break.
DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16th to brognoj@aaps.k12.mi.us
Winter Break
A reminder that our break runs from December 18 - January 3. School will resume on January 4. Thank you!
Message from Nurse Keely
I apologize that this message from Nurse Keely was originally locked when I sent it out last week. I am sharing again now that the settings have been corrected.
Report Cards
Report Cards will be sent Home Electronically at the end of this week, including NWEA reports. As you might expect, remote learning impacts how well our teachers are able to understand and know some of your child's social, emotional and academic skills. With this in mind, you may see blanks for some outcomes on the report card. A reminder that any items left blank have not been assessed. In some cases this may be due to limited attendance or participation. Students who receive SISS services will receive an SISS progress report in the US mail. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Building Updates
Our facilities department has taken great measures over the past few months to ensure our buildings are as clean as possible when the time comes to return to in person learning. There is a full presentation on the District website that was presented to BOE in October which details the updates that have occurred. https://www.a2schools.org/Page/16808 In summary, they have completed a deep clean, scrubbing, waxing along with replacement of all water filters. The district has hired an outside Engineer firm to help commission all of the HVAC units. During this process the district has cleaned every HV heating coil, the units themselves, replaced all the filters, and commissioned the unit which includes an enhancement mode of bringing in more fresh air. They have also installed touchless fixtures throughout the building, repaired/replaced all the exhaust fans to ensure they are working properly. Finally, our custodial team (ABM) disinfects the building after anyone enters or leaves the building.
Semester Opportunity To Change Enrollment - Reminder
Over the past semester, I have had conversations with some families that expressed interest in exploring asynchronous instruction that is offered through A2 Virtual+ Elementary. While we’d love to keep your child here at Dicken Elementary at this time we are offering families an opportunity to adjust their enrollment selection. As you consider your options, please note that the Classroom Connect program and A2Virtual Academy follow different pacing and sequencing of the learning standards. This may result in gaps and overlaps of instruction.
An A2Virtual Academy informational meeting will be held on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 6:00-7:00 p.m. Join the meeting with this link: https://a2schools.zoom.us/j/91756772137. Information is also available at a2schools.org/a2ve .
Click HERE to express your interest in enrolling your child in the A2Virtual Academy by Tuesday, December 15th, 2020.
Student & Family Help Desk Live Hours
The Student & Family Help Desk has moved to new live service hours of 7:30AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday. As always, families can leave a voicemail after hours as well as send an email to the help desk. 734-997-1222. Ayuda en Español: 734-997-1246
Helpful Links on the AAPS Website
All the best,
Heather
Translated Family Newsletters (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
PTO News
Have an item for the blast? Email it to dolphinsblast@gmail.com. Blast items kindly requested by 5 p.m. Friday.
Last Call for the Dicken Online Auction
Bidding end’s tonight at 9pm for our online auction. We have incredible teacher experiences available as well as gift cards to favorite local businesses that were generously donated last winter.
Due to the online platform we were only able to have one winner per teacher experience, but many of the teacher experiences include students and friends - so collaborate and pool resources with friends/classmates to give your kids some wonderful experiences with our wonderful Dicken teachers and their friends.
Once the auction ends, invoices will be sent out for winning bids. After payment is confirmed, our auction co-chairs Hallie Jewell and Emma Boley will reach out to coordinate pick up of gift cards and auction items.
https://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/home.cfm?auctionID=25104
Thank you to the generous donors who made this event possible, especially our teachers! Happy holidays and happy shopping!
Read-a-thon Gift Card Winners
During Thursday night’s PTO meeting we drew the winners for the Read-a-thon gift cards. There were 5 ($20) winners to Nicola’s Bookstore and 5 ($20) winners to Literati Bookstore. Anyone (student or staff) who submitted their read-a-thon minutes to the google spreadsheet before 12/1 was eligible to win the prizes. Congrats to all the winners and all those who participated. Please contact Hallie Jewell (halliestover@gmail.com) to coordinate picking up your gift card!
Nicola’s Winners:
1. Katie Kipp-Dohm
2. NoahAnkeney
3. Kristina Rossi
4. Ryan Li
5. Sarah Marcelo Dionico
Literati’s Winners:
1. Lindsey Lypka
2. Vivian Diedrich
3. Ele Jewell
4. Evelyn Crawforth
5. Jamie Trentacosta
Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO)
What: Science Olympiad 2021 – Dicken Parents Meeting
When: Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.
Who: Parents of any Dicken 2nd through 5th graders who might be interested in Science Olympiad
Details: Due to the pandemic, Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) will be much different this year than in previous years. Instead of a competition, WESO in 2021 will focus on participation and individual learning. Each month (January through May) will feature a different science-related topic, which will combine online learning with hands-on activities. At the end of each month, students will turn in projects and/or take an assessment on the material presented. Prizes will be awarded for successful completion of the material each month. Students may participate for as many or as few of the months as they wish. The material is being designed to be fun and to require minimal oversight from parents.
Because WESO will be so different this year, if your child might be interested in participating, please plan on attending our virtual informational meeting (see details above). If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Nick Hutchinson at DickenWESO@gmail.com.
PTOC Meeting Monday, December 14th
Ann Arbor PTO Council: Surviving Together - Engaging, Thriving, Inspiring!
Please join us for our next PTO Council Member Meeting 2020-21!
DATE: Monday, December 14
TIME: 7:00-8:30 pm
MEETING TOPICS
· Round-Table Discussion: Differences in the role of PTOs during a pandemic
· Open Mic for questions and answers.
We look forward to seeing you!
LOCATION: Virtual Zoom Meeting (not Webinar, so you'll be able to participate!)
· Join December 14, 2020 PTOC General Meeting (Meeting ID: 980 2292 0551 Passcode: 540534)
JOINING INSTRUCTIONS
· The PTOC meeting will be conducted virtually on the Zoom Meeting platform. Simply click on this link to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 980 2292 0551 Passcode: 540534)
· When you arrive, PTOC Reps and guests, please type your school and name in the chat for attendance.
Find out more at our PTO Council website
AAPS Winter Giving Program
One in four AAPS students is experiencing hard times.
Please consider helping to make the Winter season a little brighter for our community by providing gift cards, Winter clothes, and gifts.
It makes a lot of sense to invest in our local community. At this time, there are not enough gift cards for all the families requesting assistance.
December 14th is the date to donate before Winter Break.
The new CARES Act adjustments to taxes allows for $300 charitable giving when you claim the standard deduction. Two relevant links are here and here.
Thank you for all you do to make our community stronger.
Peace Neighborhood Center Wishlist
Peace Neighborhood Center Wishlist - Please consider contributing to students in need, if you are able. Items can be shipped directly to Peace Neighborhood Center at 1111 N. Maple Road, Ann Arbor 48103.
Thank you for your support!
Dicken Community Shopping Guide
The PTO is putting together a holiday shopping guide featuring Dicken parent/caregiver-owned businesses and services. The shopping guide will include all types of businesses, not just those that are good for purchasing Christmas gifts.
Please help the Dicken community by passing along this information to alumni families, so that they may also be featured. If you’d like to be included or have any feedback on this idea please email us at dickenptopresident@gmail.com.