Dragon Dispatch

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at Denison! We are so excited to welcome our Dragons, both returning and those new to Denison, to the new school year! We have many awesome things planned, including increasing our community partnerships, improving our already strong academics, and engaging more with our families. Denison is now ranked 11th in the district in academics, an amazing accomplishment! We have improved our Performance Index, which is a measure of our proficiency, by 39 points in the past 3 years! We are confident we will improve another 10-12 points this year and every year moving forward. Congratulations to all of our Dragons and Dragon Keepers (teachers and staff) for being DILIGENT DRAGONS!

This is one of the longer newsletters of the year, but please read thoroughly so you are ready for the first day of school!

If you have any enrollment needs, please contact the main office at 216-838-3250, or the CMSD enrollment office at 216-838-3675. For our youngest Dragons in PreK, please reach out as soon as possible, because PreK requires more paperwork and appointments. We still have spots in both PreK and Kindergarten, but we are reaching enrollment capacity quickly in all grade levels, so don't wait!

A major change this year is our cell phone policy. Students are not permitted to access their phones during the day. The policy has been emailed, posted, and is attached below. This is non-negotiable, a district policy, and a state law. This policy will ensure that students are more attentive and focused, learning more, and less likely to engage in or be a victim of cyber-bullying. Please speak with your Dragons about the importance of being fully engaged, every day, on time, at school.

We will continue teaching our core values this year, as well as focusing on improving attendance. Thank you in advance for supporting our Dragons in displaying our PBIS expectations and embodying the characteristics of a Denison Dragon. Remember to tell our Dragons daily:

DRAGONs Are:

Diligent

Respectful

Accountable

Goal-oriented

Open-minded

Noble

Grades 1-8 start Monday, August 19, Kindergarten starts Friday, August 23, and PreK starts Tuesday, September 3. Breakfast for grades K-8 starts at 8:10, school starts at 8:35, and the day ends at 3:05. We do not have an afterschool program this year, so all Dragons must be picked up at 3:05. We can't wait to see everyone on your first day of school!

Thank you all for your continued support! As always, please reach out at any time if you need anything.

All staff email addresses are on our website, http://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/denison

GO DRAGONS!

Yours In Education,

Principal Sullivan

• Every Friday is Spirit Day at Denison! Encourage scholars to wear their school shirts from last year, or anything green and white.
• We will oreder new Dragon gear for this year in September.
• Please start showing your Dragon Pride Early!
• Student of the Month will be displayed in our newsletters and on Instagram. We also will continue our Positive Behavior Referrals, which always make everyone proud!

Most information for CMSD can be found by accessing the parent website. This includes menus, transportation, dress codes, the online gradebook, and much more. I have highlighted some of these links, but check out the page for resources.

Click here to access CMSD's parent page.

Please make sure you are updating your emergency contact information. We have several families with no working numbers on file, and that is a major security risk. We need families to pick up when we call, whether it is for a sick child, a positive praise, an academic concern, or a behavior issue. We also need to be able to contact all guardians in the event of an emergency. Please update your information and make sure to let us know when anything changes.

Also, most school and district communications will come via email, and then robo-call. If you do not receive our calls or emails, please let us know. If we do not have a working email address on file, we need one!

• Although we usually do not see extreme behaviors at Denison, we want to remind all students and families of the expectations.
• Please review the Code of Conduct, and contact any administrator, teacher, or staff member with any questions.
• We focus on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports so that our Dragons can stay away from negative consequences, but it is important to stay informed.

CLICK HERE FOR THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

The biggest issue we have is shoes - students cannot wear any open-toed (SLIDES) shoes, not even with socks, and all shoes must have a back (CROCS NEED SPORT MODE STRAP).

The responsibility for the dress and appearance of a student rests primarily with the student and their parents or guardians. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment, the district believes in the following basic principles:

• All students are encouraged to dress in a manner that is appropriate, comfortable and conducive to an active academic school day.
• Students should be able to wear clothing without fear of or actual unnecessary discipline or body shaming.
• The student dress code should serve to support all students to develop a body-positive self-image.
• The district standard dress and appearance policy is gender neutral and applies to all students equally regardless of gender on school campuses and at school-sponsored functions and will be enforced consistently and fairly by all members of the school staff.

• clothing where the buttocks or torso is exposed, i.e., tube tops, half shirts, halters
  
• clothing that is see-through. (clothing must be opaque)
  
• clothing or accessories that show profanity, obscene words or pictures, sexually suggestive statements, violence, or incitement to violence
  
• clothing representing gang-related activities
  
• clothing where the entire thigh is exposed, such as micro minis or short shorts.
  
• bathing suits or cut-offs
  
• the wearing and carrying of tobacco promotional items, or items promoting controlled substances (drugs) and/or alcohol
  
• clothing where undergarments are exposed
  
• clothing that has text or visual images that is libelous, bullying, constitutes harassment or discrimination
  
• footwear must be worn at school and all functions no backless or open toe footwear
  

To read the rest of the Student Dress Expectations, including examples of inappropriate clothing and potential consequences, please click here.

• All students will receive school supply packs and free backpacks (if needed).
• Students and families are responsible for caring for supplies and backpacks.
• Any additional supply requests from teachers (should be minimal requests) are being sent home in teacher introduction letters.

Please log in to the EDULOG Parent Portal for your child's transportation information. If you need transportation assistance, call 216.838.4BUS (216.838.4287). If you need your child's student ID number, contact the main office, or email any staff member.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EDULOG PARENT PORTAL

CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO DOWNLOAD THE EDULOG APP

• We will conduct our first Emergency and Fire Drills of the year in the first 10 days of school. Please remind your Dragons to practice proper drill procedures - no talking, follow instructions, move in a safe and orderly manner.
• Early dismissal ends at 2:30, and anyone picking up a student needs to show a photo ID. If the person picking up is not on the emergency contact list, a guardian will be contacted if written permission has not been granted. If you must pick up your child between 2:30-3:05, it should be on an emergency/limited basis, and you must call the main office prior to inform us.
• Please speak with your students about playground procedures and rules. On the weekends, the school is not supervised, and there are often people at the playground who do not attend Denison. If you allow your students to play, please know that you are responsible for their behavior, and it is not always safe at the playground after hours. Talk to your students about the playground and supervise them, please.
• Denison's camera system has been updated, and all cameras are functioning.
• All students must have their bags checked daily and turn in cell phones/watches/bluetooth headphones.
• No weapons may be brought into the building (this includes parents/guardians/guests), and we cannot hold items (including pepper spray, lighters, etc.).

• Breakfast starts at 8:10.
• School starts at 8:35. If your child misses one hour per day for 180 days, that is the equivalent of missing 30 days of school! Be on time!
• Dismissal is at 3:05 (Please pick up your scholars on time, as we do not have aftercare, and make arrangements for rides if you are going to be late).
• DO NOT PARK IN THE BUS LANE, EVER! Please do not move the cones, do not sneak in if the cones are not up, do not back down the one-way lane, etc. This is a major safety issue. We have students walking on campus, on the playground, transitioning from PE, etc.
• Drop off: Park in the lot or on street, walk your child to the front door, exit on the Denison Side from lot.
  
• Pick up: Park in lot or on street, come to front of building, exit on the Denison Side from lot. ​
  
• PreK-3 lunch is 11:05-11:45; 4-8 lunch is 11:55-12:35. Menus are located on the CMSD parent page linked above.
  
• All students will attend recess outside daily unless temperatures are below 32 degress, so please dress students according to weather.
  
• The new cell phone policy is attached in this newsletter twice. Students will use Yondr pouches for cell phones. Our pouches should arrive this week. Until then, we will collect, label, and secure all cell phones in the main office. This is a non-negotiable, a district policy, and a state law. All students must comply.

August

• 8/19: First Day of School (1st-8th).
• 8/23: First Day of Kindergarten.
• 8/28: Free Haircuts (See attached letter which we will also send home in backpacks)

September

• 9/2: Labor Day: No School for Students & Staff
• 9/3: First Day of PreSchool
• 9/12: Open House & 8th Grade Parent Night
• 9/19: Father's Walk
• 9/20: KDG Professional Development Day: No School for KDG Students
• 9/27: PreK Professional Development Day: No School for PreK Students

Assistant Principal Kelly Walland

Secretary TBA

Security Officer Tiesha Johnson

Email: jennifer.sullivan@clevelandmetroschools.org
Website: https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/denison
Location: 3799 West 33rd Street, Cleveland, OH, USA
Phone: 216.838.3250