Dicken Family Newsletter
10.20.23
Principal's Corner
Upcoming Dates
Friday, October 27 - 5:00 - 7:00 Pumpkin Patch
Tuesday, October 31 - 9:30 All School Halloween Parade
Tuesday, October 31 - 1:00 Early Release Day
The Character Effect
This week classrooms learned about "Perseverance". See below for language and prompts on this strength of the week!
Library News from Ms. McHale
Do you love our school libraries?
Our district librarians are looking for parents/guardians to form a "Friends of the AAPS School Libraries" group to support and advocate for our district school libraries. Our main goal is to strive for equity across all AAPS school libraries.
Please submit this Google form if you are interested in meeting on a monthly basis at Huron Library in the evening (dates TBD to start the second week of November) during the school year to:
Learn more about our school library programs and how to support them
Develop fundraising opportunities to support buying print books for all of our school libraries
Learn about the AAPS book challenge process and how to advocate for the freedom to read
Learn about volunteer opportunities in the school libraries
Share your support for school libraries on social media
Share ideas with the group on how to support and advocate for our school libraries
EduStaff Substitute Teacher Positions
As we are headed into the Winter season, which also may be known as cold/flu/COVID season, the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) is looking for substitute teachers and paraeducators to support our classrooms. If you are a passionate person who enjoys connection with students EduStaff is looking for you. Substitute positions are necessary and meaningful work that enriches the lives of students in our community. If you, your family or friends are interested in making an impact, we encourage you to support the AAPS team as a substitute teacher or paraeducator. Start your application at https://www.edustaff.org/
Noon Hour Supervisors
We are still looking to hire Noon Hour Supervisors! This is a great way to support our school and be part of the community. This position is an hourly pay from 11:00 - 1:30 daily. If you are interested, please apply here. Look for Job #15299.
If you are not interested in working lunch daily, we can always use more parent volunteers. Please fill out the Parent Volunteer Form and email our noon hour coordinator, Jean Kim, if you are interested: kimhy@aaps.k12.mi.us
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All the Best,
Heather
Fall Family Day—Hands-On History: Ancient Technologies, Modern Discoveries
Join the Kelsey Museum of Archeology for our fall Family Day, on Sunday, October 22, 2023, from 12 to 3 PM, as we explore the theme of “Archaeology and Technology” in honor of International Archaeology Day!
PTO News
Message from the PTO President
Happy Friday.
At the monthly PTO meeting last night the board voted to approve our 2023-2024 budget which can be found here. We are excited about all of the incredible experiences and enrichment opportunities we have planned for the Dicken community over the school year.
We are just one week away from our Pumpkin Patch festivities. Thank you so much to our hospitality committee for spearheading this event, it sounds like it is going to be so much fun! None of these events can happen without the support of our community and we are still in need of many volunteers to help the event run smoothly. If you are planning to attend the Pumpkin Patch, please consider taking a look at the Sign Up Genius and signing up for a volunteering slot.
Have a great weekend and Go Blue!
Hallie
—Hallie Jewell, Dicken PTO President
Want to connect with other parents and caregivers outside of school?
Click here for the Dicken Elementary Parents Facebook group.
Find information about events, meeting minutes, and more on the PTO website at www.dickenpto.com
Upcoming PTO Meeting Dates
All PTO Meetings take place on the third Thursday of each month from 7 - 8:30 pm via Zoom.
All Dicken community members are welcome to attend PTO meetings - please email dickenptopresident@gmail.com for the Zoom link!
Thursday, November 16
Thursday, December 21
Thursday, January 18
Thursday, February 15
Thursday, March 21
Thursday, April 18
Thursday, May 16
Thursday, June 20
To see all Dicken school & PTO events in one place, click here for our PTO Google Calendar.
Another helpful link: the AAPS School Calendar.
Please Add Your Contact Info to the Dicken Directory!
Dicken Pumpkin Patch - Friday, October 27 - Rain or Shine!
Each student will received an envelope this week containing even more event details, ten free tickets and a ticket pre-order form (which can also be downloaded here).
You can expect a variety of favorite activities from years past as well as some fun new surprises. To participate in the pumpkin carving contest, bring your homemade creation to the front steps of the school between 3:45pm and 5:00pm on Friday, October 27th. Please place it on a piece of paper with your contact information or use another method to ensure we can identify your pumpkin’s owner.
The Runnymede loop and lot will be closed directly after school is dismissed on Friday, October 27th. During the event, everyone will have access to indoor bathrooms and water fountains. Food trucks will be on site if you want to purchase dinner but feel free to bring a picnic from home.
Thanks for a Successful Dicken Dash!
The Dash was a great success this year, both as an event and as a fundraiser, thanks to our students' enthusiasm and participation, 24 community business sponsors, hundreds of donors on 99pledges, and dozens of volunteers.
Below are just a few of the statistics about the wonderful community support and student involvement at the Dash this year:
Fundraising - $40,138.58
- Community Sponsors - $8,450 from 24 community business sponsors
- 99pledges Donations - $31,688.58 raised from 99pledges donations
Student Participation & Laps
- 1,532 total laps run, totaling 383 miles!
- Highest lap totals by class:
- Chartier - 152.5
- Hane - 151
- Miller - 136.5
- Hubbard - 119
- Highest 99pledges fundraising totals by class:
- Brogno - $3,395
- Miller - $3,160
- Gargaro - $2,575
- Posey - $2,503
THANK YOU to everyone who sponsored, donated, or volunteered your time for this event.
Scholastic Book Fair is Coming!
Scholastic Book Fair is coming back to Dicken after a several year hiatus! Scholastic Book Fair will be open during your child(ren)'s library time as well as open to the Community on Monday, Nov. 6th from 1:15-3:15 and a Community Evening on Friday, Nov. 10th from 4-7.
Please visit the Scholastic Book Fair Booth at the Pumpkin Patch to learn more details and try the bookmark pull for a chance to win a book fair gift certificate!
More information will be sent out closer to the event, but if you have any questions, please email kolkakristen@gmail.com.
Mabel's Labels Fundraiser!
Support our Fundraiser - Dicken Elementary PTO
Buy Mabel's Labels waterproof, durable labels to help reduce classroom mix-ups and keep your items coming home!
Use code: BTS10 for 10% off your purchase
Search Dicken Elementary PTO (Ann Arbor) on the Mabel's Labels website for a portion of your purchase to go directly toward our school!