Royal Decree
Monthly Newsletter September 2021
September at a Glance
September 2, 2021: 5th Grade Band Instrument Sign up at Ridgeview 4:30pm-6pm.
September 3, 2021: NO SCHOOL/Institute Day
September 6, 2021: NO SCHOOL/Labor Day
September 7, 2021: DGS Library Visits Begin
September 7, 2021: Curriculum Night 6:30pm
September 8, 2021: 1st Grade Field Trip to the HULT CenterSeptember 10:2021: Spirit Friday/Wear Blue/Yellow
September 14, 2021: 3rd Grade Field Trip to the HULT Center
September 14, 2021: Parents Club Meeting 7pm
September 22, 2021: Board of Education Meeting at 6pm DHS
September 23, 2021: Fall Picture Day
September 24, 2021: 1/2 Day: 11:15am Dismissal
Staff September Birthdays
September 15: Mrs. Hoehne
September 16: Mrs. Graber
September 17: Mr. Rankin
Parent Curriculum Night
DGS teachers will host a parent-only Curriculum Night on Tuesday, September 7 from 6:30-7:30. This night is intended to explain the following topics related to your child’s education this year:
Overview of the academic and social-emotional curriculum
How student progress will be communicated
Classroom expectations and routines
Overview of 1:1 chromebook usage
Means and expectations regarding communication
There will be 2 identical presentations in each classroom to help accommodate parents who have more than one child. The first presentation will take place from 6:30-7:00 and the second presentation will take place from 7:00-7:30. The evening will conclude at 7:30.
Birthday Celebrations
To promote a positive, safe, and healthy lifestyle and classroom learning community; birthday celebrations at school will not include treats or favors from home. Teachers will choose to celebrate students in their classroom in grade and age appropriate ways.
Morning Arrival Procedures
Due to congestion in the parking lot in the mornings, it is important to maintain consistent flow and drop off procedures. Please note these morning procedures:
- All buses will drop off in the back parking lot. Parents will drop off in the circle parking lot in the front of the school.
- All bus riders enter the building through the gym doors. Car and bike riders should enter through the main entrance in the front of the building.
- Students who ride bicycles are to put bikes in the bike rack when they arrive at school. It is strongly recommended that all bikes be locked to the rack. The school is not responsible for bikes left at the rack.
- The earliest students should be dropped off to school is 7:24am.
- Students should be ready with their materials for the day upon pulling up to the entrance and immediately exit the vehicle. It is suggested that students exit vehicles on the passenger side. Parents should remain in their vehicles.
- Please do not pass other vehicles that are dropping off students. This is for the safety of our students.
- Please pull forward when dropping off and picking up students. This may include pulling forward past the entrance of the school building. The areas marked “No Parking” should not be parked on for extended periods of time or when the driver exits the vehicle, but can be crossed as a loading zone.
- If a student requires adult assistance to get out of the vehicle or with supplies (instruments, classroom projects, etc.), please park in a designated parking spot and walk the student across the parking lot to not hinder traffic flow.
- Please be cognizant of other drivers and families that may be behind you. If your student requires additional time to exit the vehicle, please pull forward into a parking spot.
- Front doors will be locked beginning at 7:39am. Students arriving after that time will be marked tardy.
- Illinois State Law prohibits cell phone use on school grounds while operating a motor vehicle.
- When students arrive to school, they will proceed immediately to their classrooms.
- Being on time to school is an important lifelong trait to develop and being on time sets the tone for a positive and productive day for children. Please make every effort to have your child here at school on time each and every day.
- Once a student has arrived at school, he/she may not leave the school grounds without the permission of the office.
Thank you for your assistance in ensuring effective and efficient morning drop-off procedures.
Afternoon Dismissal
Royals that are being picked up will go with their teachers to the gym and line up. If your Royal is being picked up, that will be done in the rear of the building per the diagram below. To help expedite the process, we encourage you to write your child's names on a piece of paper to show staff at the gate so they can be called. Adults should stay in their vehicles.
If your child requires assistance with a car seat or seat belt, please pull to the side so that we can dismiss the remaining vehicles.
School Lunches
A milk comes with each hot lunch. If your student chooses to purchase a second milk or would like a milk or bottle of water to go with their lunch from home there is an additional cost.
Extra Milk: $0.45
Bottle of Water: $0.60
You may also deposit money in your child’s lunch account by visiting www.myschoolbucks.com and following the instructions for setting up an online account.
All lunches will be served in the cafeteria this year. Students may bring their own lunch from home or receive a school lunch. All meals provided by the district have been and will continue to be peanut free.
Dunlap does not offer a breakfast program, so please make sure your child has breakfast each morning. Lunch menus can be found on the Dunlap Grade School website under the Quicklinks heading at the top of the page. A list of ingredients can be found within the Food Service link on the District website. The August Lunch menu, a list of lunch procedures and a list of lunch prices can also be found within the Food Service Department tab at the top of the Dunlap District webpage. If you would like to apply for the free and reduced lunch program, and have not yet been approved, please utilize the online application feature found under the Food Service Department tab after August 2, 2021.
School Security, Visitors, and Volunteers
That being said, current health mitigations for 2021-2022 do not allow for classroom volunteers and visitors at this time.
Mandatory Safety Drills
Fire Drills
Monday, August 23, 2021
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Friday, August 27, 2021
Law Enforcement Drill
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Severe Weather Drill
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Bus Drill
To be determined by the Transportation Department
STAR Benchmark Assessments
Students will take the STAR Math and Reading Assessments three times this year. You can read more about these assessments HERE
Teachers will use this information to guide their instructional practices and develop plans for the teaching.
Parents will receive copies of these reports in September.
Physical Education Excusal
A parent/guardian may excuse a student from physical education for up to two days. Any long term physical education excuse must be requested in writing from the student’s health care provider, specifying the length of time your child is to be exempted. A written note from the health care provider should be submitted for the student to resume full activities.
Any child who is exempt from physical education for medical reasons will not be allowed to participate in outdoor recess activities. Re-injury on the playground could occur, resulting in prolonging the child’s healing and recovery period. Arrangements for indoor recess in the main office or a supervised classroom will be made.
Any child who is exempt from physical education for medical reasons will not be permitted to participate in school sponsored sports.
The BIST Approach
B.I.S.T. is a school-wide behavior management plan that increases student learning time, stops disruptive/hurtful behavior, and teaches skills that will lead to life success.
- Early Intervention (When)
Utilizing the expectations that it's never okay to be disruptive or hurtful allows adults to intervene consistently with all students. A student will be asked one time per activity to stop a behavior that is disruptive or hurtful. Adults will intervene in a quick, kind, calm and firm manner if a student cannot meet this expectation.
- Caring Confrontation (How)
Caring Confrontation is a language of partnership when intervening with a student’s disruptive or hurtful behavior. With the intent of creating awareness of the situation and one's actions, Caring Confrontation provides the student with an opportunity to meet the set standard and partner with the adult.
∘ “I see …" (disruptive behavior)
∘ “Can you …" (desired behavior)
∘ “Even though …" (student’s feelings) - Protective Plan (What)
Protective Plans provides an opportunity for the adult and student to identify a missing skill and partner together to develop the skill. Teaching replacement skills and practicing the Goals For Life helps students manage their behaviors and move toward making life changes.
- Outlasting the Acting Out
Maintaining a relationship and restrictions while guiding the student to identify their level in the Continuum of Change (Noncompliance, Compliance, Partnership, Independence) until the student is able to partner with and be coached by adults.
BIST CONCEPTS
- Buddy Room: A seat in another teacher’s classroom to help a student regroup, complete a Think Sheet and process with an adult so they may return to the classroom Safe Seat.
- Class Meeting: Weekly meetings facilitated by the adult to help students problem solve, plan events and maintain a positive classroom community.
- Goals for Life: Goals we help students obtain so they may have the life they want and deserve. Goals for Life are based on the beliefs that:
1. I can make good choices, even if I am mad.
2. I can be okay, even if others are not okay.
3. I can do something, even if I don’t want to (or even if it’s hard). - Processing: Questions the adult asks the student so he/she may take ownership, practice skills and create a plan to make better choices.
- Recovery/Focus Room: A place where students can go to practice replacement skills, calm down, prepare an apology or create a plan to make better choices.
- Replacement Skills: Desired student behaviors that are practiced during Triage so the student can be successful at school.
- Safe Seat: A seat in the classroom away from other students to help a student regroup, process with an adult, then rejoin the class.
- Target Behavior Sheet: A daily visual of goals the student is working on to help him/her problem solve.
- Think Sheet: A tool a student completes to help him/her take ownership of the problem, partner with adults and create a plan to be successful.
- Triage: Daily adult “check in” to practice replacement skills, assess emotions, focus on what it means to have a successful day and formulate solutions to problems.
Staff Birthdays
Carly Snodgrass August 8
Carly Olson August 18
Jessica Bremer August 19
Genia Workheiser August 19
Rachel Klein August 20
3rd-5th Grade Running Club
The DGS Running Club for 3rd -5th Graders will be returning for another season this Spring. We are planning to start in late September/early October and run once a week until winter break at the end of December. Please keep an eye out for more information about sign up, dates, and t-shirts in early September.
Parents Club Corner
Upcoming Meeting:
The next meeting for the DGS Parents club will be held Tuesday, September 14th at 7pm in the DGS cafeteria. A live stream link will be available via zoom for those who wish to participate virtually. All parents of DGS students are members and are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Melissa Markle at president@dunlapgradeparentsclub.com
Spiritwear:
Forms to order DGS and DHS Spirit Wear will be coming home soon! If you missed our table at Back To School Night, please check us out at the Curriculum Night. We will have sample sizes to try-on, so you can be sure to get the sizes you need. Since these are custom designs, we will not be able to take returns or issue refunds.
Book Fair:
We are excited to host our in person Fall Book Fair, and let Books Bring Us Together! on Friday, October 1st in the DGS gymnasium. The event will be held after school from 2:45pm - 6:00pm. Masks will be required for all attendees. Throughout the week, we will have a variety of activities students can participate in to show their support for the fair.
· Start collecting coins to help the school raise money for our “All for Books” birthday awards program.
· Be one of the “cool’ kids by taking part in our dress up days.
· Students will attend a book fair preview to see and hear about what’s new. Ask to see their book wish list!
Stay tuned for more information as the fair nears. The Parents’ Club Book Fair Committee is excited to let Books Bring Us Together so we can share our favorite book characters from old and new books with everyone!
Royal Rock:
The ROYAL Rock is an opportunity to share exciting events with our school community by painting your own message. Parents, students, and staff may “Rent the Rock” to recognize a student’s birthday, show school spirit, wish a team good luck, thank a teacher, congratulate events, etc. It is a great way to spread positive messages and increase excitement!
100% of rental payments benefit Dunlap Grade School Parents’ Club and help us support our students and teachers! To make sure you get the dates you want, sign up today. Payments can be made through the Parents' Club PayPal account (paypalme/DGSRentTheRoyalRock) or by cash or check to the school office. Check out the DGS Parents' Club website for specifics details about how to rent the rock and a video painting tutorial video (https://dunlapgradeparentsclub.com/rent-the-royal-rock/) You can sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E49ACA722A6FA7-dgsrent1
Royal Fun Run:
Mark your calendars for the Royal Run! Although we just had the Fun Run last Spring, we will be having this year's Fun Run this Spring, because we save a lot of money on the on-line donation platform we use by having the events back to back. So this Spring the Fun Run will take place on Thursday, October 14th during the school day. To keep down the congestion on the obstacles, we will be having each grade run at separate times during their PE classes. We will be sending out a Sign-Up Genius looking for volunteers to help throughout the day. Please consider signing up to help with your kid(s) grade, or with the setup and/or tear down of the obstacles! The Royal Fun Run is a big hit with the kids and a big (but easy) fundraiser for DGS, so please consider helping us make this event successful again this year!