Dicken Family Newsletter
4.11.21
Principal's Corner
Dear Families,
Our second week of hybrid learning with many of our first and second graders went wonderfully. We look forward to welcoming many third grade Dolphins back this week. We thank those of you with fourth and fifth graders for your patience on the delay of return to hybrid. I know how difficult this year has been and that it's very disappointing for your children. We are working to maintain our safety measures as numbers rise among young children. As always, if you have any questions or needs please feel free to reach out. Thanks again so much for your cooperation and understanding.
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, April 12 - 3rd Grade Cohort 1 - In Person Hybrid return
- Thursday, April 15 - 3rd Grade Cohort 2 - In Person Hybrid return
- Thursday April 15 & Friday April 16 - Asynchronous Learning for Grades 4 & 5
Staff Update
We are pleased to welcome Ms. Crystal Baker as our third building sub, in addition to Ms. Bottai and Ms. Baughman. These three teachers will be supporting students during the school day, including transition times and lunch, as well as serving as guest teachers when classroom teachers may be absent. We are very lucky to have each of them on our team!
Synchronous Specials
All special area classes will return to being synchronous beginning Monday, April 12. We will follow the new specials schedule shared by classroom teachers. Thank you again for your flexibility during the transition weeks of asynchronous specials. A reminder that Cohort 3 students may choose to attend each special a second time each week if they would like, as long as it does not impact key classroom instructional time. Although the special would be a repeated lesson, if it is an area of interest your child may find it enjoyable and it would allow them to interact with more students from their grade level.
Daily Student Pre-Screener
Please remember to use this pre-screener to determine whether your child should stay home if they are not feeling well. With the increase in cases, it is especially important that we all do our part to keep one another healthy. To clarify, there is not an online screener you need to submit for your child(ren) each day. This is purely for your own guidance. Thank you!
Late Arrivals
A reminder that if your child arrives to school after 9:10, they should ring the buzzer at the main entrance, rather than go to their designated door. Thank you!
School Breakfast and Lunches - Reminder
Student breakfast/lunch will be offered free of charge for the rest of the school year but you must order lunch for your student! First, you must register for the program at sendmoneytoschool.com
Families will then need to order student lunches using the new
AAPS Online Student Lunch Ordering system.
Clarification on Ordering Meals:
The Meal Magic systems only allows meal ordering 7 days ahead of time so families may order one week at a time.
Questions? Contact AAPS Food Service at 734-994-2265.
Noon Hour Supervisor Positions
We are still looking to hire Noon Hour supervisors for our return to in person hybrid school. If you are interested the job posting can be found here. Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Dorris if you'd like to learn more. dorris@aaps.k12.mi.us
Arrival / Dismissal Plans for Return to Hybrid - Reminder
If you have yet to read through our Return to School Handbook, please take the time to do so and review with your child(ren).
Important return to hybrid reminders:
Dicken Transportation survey: Please fill this form out which will help teachers plan for arrival/dismissal. Please fill this out whether or not your students will ride the bus. Thank you!
Driveline reminders:
Each FAMILY should hang their family ID tag on their rearview mirror for easy identification. Parents do not need an app.
Staff will use the Driveline app to notify teachers.
- Students will use designated exits and walk to their car.
**Your unique Driveline tag family number was emailed out on Wednesday, March 24. Before you receive your Driveline tags, please write your tag number on a sheet of paper for your child's first day of school.
Parent Drop off / Pick Locations (see map below)
Grades 3 - 5 families: Carol St. entrance and loop
Grades K - 2 families: Runnymede entrance - first loop
Y5 families: Dicken Drive
Buses: Runnymede entrance - second loop
Students will enter and exit Dicken through the designated doors, assigned by classroom teacher. (See map below). We have painted blue hash marks 3 feet apart leading to each designated entrance.
Student & Family Help Desk Live Hours
The Student & Family Help Desk is available 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
- The AAPS Community Resource page
- Food Distribution Plan
- AAPS 2020-21 Calendar
- COVID-19 Metrics Dashboard
- COVID- 19 Cases Dashboard
All the best,
Heather
PTO News
Equity Challenge
We have an exciting opportunity to share with you that will continue our community’s commitment to equity and anti-racism. We are partnering with Lawton Elementary to co-sponsor a Racial Equity Challenge this month for parents/caregivers and staff. The event will be held on April 27 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm via Zoom.
This Challenge will raise your awareness, change your understanding and shift the way you behave.
The Challenge goes beyond individual or interpersonal racism by helping to demystify structural and institutional racism and white supremacist patterns that are sometimes invisible to people.
Finally, the Challenge inspires us to act, on our own or with others in our school, community, organizations, businesses or groups, to dismantle these systems.
We will be sending a separate email with more details shortly and hope you will consider participating. Please reach out to Jenifer Miller (timandjenm@gmail.com) or Heather Halabu (halabu@aaps.k12.mi.us) with any questions. Thank you!
Welcome Back to School Book
In celebration of March is Reading month and our return to school, the PTO worked with classroom teachers to select a new book for each of our Dicken students. Each classroom has the same book selection and we are excited for your students to get their new books and start reading!
These books will be distributed by classroom teachers during the school day to Y5-3rd grade students the week of April 12 and 4th-5th graders the week of April 19th.
For those students who are remaining virtual in cohort 3, we will have a distribution day on Wednesday, April 21st from 4-5:30 pm; please stop by Dicken (near the playground) during that time to collect your book. If you are unable to come during the pick up times, please email the PTO at dickenptopresident@gmail.com and we will arrange a time for you to collect your student's books. Happy Reading!
Teachers & Staff in Need of Clorox Wipes
As students begin their return to school, the teachers & staff are going through their Clorox wipes rather quickly. If you are able, please send your student(s) to school with this much needed item. As always, your support continues to be appreciated!
Support Our Dicken Garden
Calling all pickup truck owners, Dicken garden needs you! Starting Saturday, April 17, the City of Ann Arbor will be giving away free compost on Saturdays from 7am to 11am. The limit is one cubic yard per person (but not strictly enforced), Ann Arbor residents only, and you have to load it yourself and bring your own containers. Let us know if you can pick some up!
We are also looking for volunteers to help prepare the beds for planting, start seeds at home (we'll provide materials) and do some other small tasks around the garden. Later, there will be opportunities to plant seedlings with your kids, and of course water and weed all summer long.
Please join our volunteer list, even if you are not sure you can help. Access to the garden will be limited to volunteers and teachers/students this year (no more drop-in gardening). Stay informed on what's happening in the garden by contacting Anne Erickson, amcerickson@gmail.com, or Kristin Dickinson, kad341@gmail.com, or joining our Facebook group Dicken Elementary Garden: https://www.facebook.com/groups/188650739733045/.
Gym Kits Update
Thank you to all who contributed supplies for the gym kits. They will be passed out at school and at Peace Neighborhood Center next week. If you know a student who could use a kit (5 paper plates, 8 cups and a ball) we have some extras. Contact Anne Erickson at amcerickson@gmail.com.
Dicken Fundraiser - Community Night Out
Pick up dinner and raise money for Dicken! Chipotle at Briarwood Mall will be donating 33% of proceeds to the Dicken PTO for purchases made on Wednesday, April 21st from 4:00 – 8:00 PM. Pick up orders can be placed on Chipotle.com or through the Chipotle app, you must use promo code RWWTFGG for your purchase to count towards the fundraiser. If ordering in person you can just tell the cashier you’re supporting Dicken!
Plan to pick up some tacos, chips and guacamole (YUM!!!) and support your Dicken Dolphins. Be sure to tell family, friends and neighbors too!
School spirit tastes great!
Chipotle Fundraiser Online Instructions
Open PTO Board Positions for 2021-2022 School Year
The Dicken PTO needs you to fill open board positions. All Dicken parents are part of the PTO, but our executive board meets monthly to discuss and vote on various items related to fundraising and supporting our students and staff.
We encourage all parents to consider being involved with the PTO! Meetings are held one evening per month, for about 2 hours. If you have any interest in serving on the PTO board for the 2021-22 school year, please reach out to Jenifer Miller at dickenptopresident@gmail.com. Many board positions are filled by co-chairs, so please reach out even if you're not sure you want to handle one of these positions on your own. At this time we are looking for people for the following positions:
Co-President
The president-elect shall preside during the absence of the president and work with the president so as to prepare for assuming the office the following school year. If the office of president should be vacated, the president-elect shall become president.
Treasurer-Elect
The treasurer-elect shall preside during the absence of the treasurer and work with the treasurer so as to prepare for assuming office the following school year. If the office of treasurer should be vacated, the treasurer-elect shall become treasurer.
Communications Coordinator
The communications coordinator shall be responsible for:
Update of entrance bulletin board area on a monthly basis;
Email and flier protocol and distribution to parents and community;
Coordinate weekly Dicken Family Newsletter; and
Create and distribute press releases and invite press photographers to school events.
Update Parent/PTO Facebook Page with current events
Fundraising/Auction Chair
The fundraising coordinator shall identify and coordinate fundraising activities to meet the financial need as established by the annual budget. The fundraising coordinator shall act as liaison between the executive board and committee members in charge of:
EGGS (Everybody Goes Grocery Shopping);
Ice Cream Social (June);
Silent Auction (Spring);
Dicken Spirit Wear (including Kindergarten Round-Up in Feb/Mar);
Used Book Sale (Winter); and
Dicken family fundraisers (pizza kits, wrapping paper, etc.).
Room Parent Coordinator
The room parent coordinator shall:
Act as head of room parents, recruiting and assigning room parents;
Organize and conduct room parent meetings;
Coordinate teacher/staff/volunteer recognition events within the school year;
Book, coordinate, and attend (or have an alternate) monthly grade level movie and activity nights with room parents from each grade;
Collect email addresses from room parents for each class’s email distribution list; and
Work closely with volunteer coordinator to elicit parent volunteers for school and grade level events.
Volunteer Coordinator
The volunteer coordinator shall work with staff and the PTO to determine what activities require volunteers, identify volunteers through the use of the sign-up forms and other means, and provide volunteer lists to responsible staff and activity chairs. The volunteer coordinator shall be responsible for:
Working with committee head for the preparation and distribution of “Time & Talent” sheet (September & January);
Working with all committee heads to ensure volunteer needs are being met;
Staffing the volunteer table at curriculum night and kindergarten round-up; and
Working closely with the Room Parent Coordinator to meet volunteer needs.
Hospitality
The hospitality chairperson shall schedule and arrange refreshments for:
Several “teacher treat days” during the school year;
PTO general meetings;
Kindergarten Round-Up (Feb/Mar);
NAAPID (Feb);
Welcome coffee (1st day of school);
Curriculum Night (late Sept);
Coordinate with teacher appreciation week (June) committee head; and
Assess, maintain, and purchase (if needed, with board approval) hospitality equipment.
Original Works Art Fundraiser
WHAT: ORIGINAL WORKS ART FUNDRAISER
WHO: Any Dicken Students, Parents, or Siblings
WHEN: Deadline to submit artwork is April 23, 2021, but orders will be filled as they are placed, so the sooner you order, the sooner you'll get your items.
Original Works is a company that takes our children's art and reproduces it on a wide variety of items. They donate a generous portion (33%) of the cost of the items to Dicken. This is the only fundraiser that specifically supports our art programming at Dicken.
In year's past, Ms. Erickson, our esteemed art teacher, led students in each grade to complete specific artwork for this project. This year, children will make art at home and send a digital copy of the art to Original Works and you can order online. Please let me know if you have any questions or need help ordering. Janine Hutchinson 734-913-9418 or jmhutch@umich.edu
Original Works Flyer - English
Original Works Flyer - Spanish
Have an item for the blast? Email it to dolphinsblast@gmail.com. Blast items kindly requested by 5 p.m. Friday.