![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/plasticalphabet.32a11951.jpg)
September 2023 Newsletter
Carl L. Dixson Primary School
Dixson Events
We welcomed our district’s youngest learners and their families to Dixson on September 5th!
Start with Hello week began on September 18th! In how many different ways can you say "hello"?
Parents and guardians met with our staff and visited classrooms at our Back to School Night on September 19th.
We welcomed the families of our ELLs and explained programming and placement at our ENL Parent Night on September 19th.
Dads and guardians were invited to take their child to school on September 21st!
Kindergarten Updates
Students are learning:
- ELA: How to make an All Star paper using crayons, pencils, scissors and glue. We have been listening to read alouds and completing a writing prompt in our Writer’s Notebook. We began our exploration of books.
- Phonics: Our names, the writing lines (sky line-plane line-grass line-worm line), letters Tt, Bb, Ff, Nn
- Trick words: I, see, a
- Math: We have been exploring Math in our world by counting, sorting and making patterns. We will begin to focus on counting and identifying numbers 1-5.
- Social Studies: School rules and routines, Ways to say Hello, All About Me
- Science: We began the year talking about what a scientist is and the tools they use. We began a discussion about weather and how we can tell what the temperature is.
- We are focusing on the following people for Hispanic Heritage month by watching a slideshow and completing a coloring book page on each person:
Julia Alvarez - Author and Educator
Rafael Nadal - Professional Tennis Player
Zoe Saldana - Actress
Joe P. Martinez - Served in the U.S. Army
Beginning of year assessments:
- Kindergarten students new to our school are taking the DIAL Screener. Teachers and staff use information from the screener to learn a little more about each student and their readiness for school.
- All students will be taking benchmark assessments in Reading and Math using I-ready and AIMSWEB. Students will take these assessments three times this school year (fall, winter, and spring).
1st Grade Updates
Students are learning:
- ELA: First Graders have been actively engaged in classroom read alouds and discussions. They are building stamina as independent readers and writers. Students have been reading and writing words with different word families, such as: at, am, and, ed, en and et. During writing, first graders have become cartographers as they have been drawing and labeling maps of their homes, classrooms, and neighborhoods.
- Math: All first graders have had a chance to share, explore, and practice their math super powers. Students discussed how they see math in their everyday world and how they think about math.
- Science: Our first grade scientists have had lots of time to observe and investigate shadows. We have talked about how shadows change shape and location depending on the position of the light source.
- Social Studies: Students are learning all about who is who in the DIxson School Community and how they are important members of our classroom community.
- First grade has learned about many famous Hispanic athletes, artists, and musicians such as: Pele, Lionel Messi, Diego Rivera and Celia Cruz.
Beginning of year assessments:
- All students will be taking benchmark assessments in Reading and Math using I-ready and AIMSWEB. Students will take these assessments three times this school year (fall, winter, and spring).
Special Classes
Art with Ms. Sanft
Ms. Sanft and her students have been getting to know each other and going over the routines in the Art classroom. The energy and excitement in the Art classroom is wonderful!
Kindergarten students are learning about shapes. They have just started a Fall project about apples!
As part of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, 1st graders looked at self-portraits made by Frida Kahlo. Students have begun to create portraits of Frida, in her style!
Music with Mr. Funke
Students have been focused on learning about steady beats and group singing. We even have some solo singers too! Students also practice being kind to one another!
Students have enjoyed a number of movement activities including a song about crunchy leaves and the fall season that even includes a dance!
Library with Ms. Watson
- The library is a land of discovery through literature! Students will explore different types of literature to discover which are some of their favorites!
- Every month, students will focus on a different theme. They started with reading a fiction book on celebrations! Next, students will discuss what nonfiction means, read a book, and watch a film about different famous Hispanic Americans.
Physical Education with Mr. Tiernan
- Students are off and running in our Training Camp Unit! Our focus has been developing motor skills including running, skipping, and galloping. Students learn to work together, take turns, and practice their motor skills through interactive games!
- Please have your child wear sneakers on the days that they have physical education class.
Nurse Notes
Please contact Nurse Carlee if your child is going to be absent.
Provide the REASON (“is absent due to”)
Phone: 914-592-1063
TalkingPoints
Email ccharles@eufsd.org
Immunizations and annual physicals are required by law. Please provide updated information to Nurse Carlee.
Vision and hearing screening test will be done on all students in the upcoming months. If you have any questions about this, please reach out to Nurse Carlee.
An emergency card needs to be submitted every year. If you need another copy, reach out to the main office. Please notify the main office of any changes to this information throughout the year.
Students go outside during recess daily as long as the temperature is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. As the weather begins to get cooler, please send your child with a jacket, gloves, and hat. Also, we ask that you send your child with safe shoes for play (no open toe or open back shoes).
If your child needs to take medication during school hours, please contact Nurse Carlee.
We are an Allergy Aware School, NOT an Allergen Free school!
Students should not share food.
Please try to avoid sending peanut and tree nut foods/snacks to school.
Do not send birthday party snacks which might contain nuts.
Important Safety and Security Updates
Remember to bring your identification card when picking up students.
All visitors must check-in at the Main Office and present an identification card in order to get a visitor's pass.
If you wish to change your child's dismissal status, please notify your child's classroom teacher or the main office (for example your child is being picked up instead of taking the bus).
Students arriving late or leaving early must be signed in/out from the Main Office.
Students have participated in several fire drills, an emergency early dismissal drill, a lockout drill, and a bus evacuation drill. We will continue to practice these safety drills and more in the upcoming months, including lockdown drills. shelter-in-place drills, and hold-in place drills.
Please do not park or walk through the staff parking lot as it is an active lot.
The playground is strictly for school use only during school hours.
We do not permit the release of students to parents or guardians during the following transitional times:
Class movement between the annex building and main building
Movement between lunch and recess
3:00pm- 3:20pm (2:35-2:55 on Mondays)
**Please make arrangements with the main office in advance so that your child can be picked up before or after these transitional times.**
Upcoming Dates to Remember
- October 3 - Fitness Friday (rescheduled from 09/29/2023)
- October 4 - BOE meeting (7pm at AHHS)
- October 9 - Schools Closed
October 10 - Fire Safety Presentation
October 10 - Hot Chocolate & Cider with the Supt (6:30pm at Grady)
October 12 - Picture Day
October 13 - Silly Sock Day
October 13 - Special Performance - Cumbia for Kids (tentative)
October 16 - Beginning of Kindness Week
October 18 - Anti Bully Day
October 25 - ApplePalooza
October 27 - Fitness Friday
October 27 - PTSA Trunk or Treat (6 - 8pm)
October 31 - Fall Festival, Halloween Parade
Contact Us
Samone Grixti
Principal
914-592-2092
Helen Pacheco
School Secretary
914-592-2092
Carlee Charles
Nurse
914-592-1063
District Website: https://www.eufsd.org/
School Website: https://www.eufsd.org/Domain/10