Week of September 23rd

Please remember that the DPS playground is not available for public use until 3:00PM due to our 3PK students school day ending then. I appreciate your understanding that we need to keep our littlest learners safe!

10/3 - 3PK-2nd Grade School Pictures

10/7 - Fire Prevention Week

10/14- Columbus Day (No School)

10/21- Book Fair this week

10/24 - Open House 5:30-6:30 pm

The speech and language pathologists have been working very hard to complete the speech articulation screenings with all DPS students. We are very lucky to have them keep a close eye on children's speech development and provide various levels of service if needs are identified. Parents are always notified by a letter if services are recommended.

Also, the AIS teachers have completed their benchmark assessments in the areas of English Language Arts (ELA) and math through aimswebPlus assessments and building level assessments. Students who need additional support in these academic areas based on the results of these assessments will get a letter sent home.

Our first whole school meeting was this afternoon! It was great to get back together as a whole school community! Mrs. Wadsworth and Ms. Cross-Gray led the meeting with some special guests, including Student Lighthouse members from last year, Mrs. Goho, Mr. Wampole, Mrs. Padden, and Mrs. Leven.

The meeting included -

• Singing our DPS school song
• What it means to be a leader and what a leader looks like
• What Student Lighthouse leaders have done in the past
• A reminder for K-2nd graders to complete the application by Monday if interested in being 1 of the 20 students selected
• What special area classroom awards are and how they are tied to the 8 Habits
• Announcement of our 1st and 2nd grade Golden Spatula cafeteria winners from this week
• A sing along with Mrs. Leven

Mrs. Barber's 4 Pre-K students are slowly but surely settling into their new school routines and the excitement in the air is hard to miss.

Throughout the day, students are engaging in a variety of hands-on learning experiences. From playing with blocks to exploring the various manipulatives and activities in the classroom and making a paper Elmer the Elephant, there's never a dull moment.

I enjoyed getting into classrooms to do a read aloud with 3PK-2nd graders this week. I'll continue visiting the remaining classrooms next week!

Join us in celebrating Deaf awareness week beginning Monday, September 23rd, 2024

The color blue has been used by the World Federation of the Deaf since its founding in 1951, and the Blue Ribbon has been used as a symbol of deaf communities’ work over the centuries for equality in society and recognition of their national sign languages. The Blue Light Challenge is an unique opportunity for the national governments to partner with their nations associations of deaf people in achieving the human rights of their deaf communities. Join us in Shining a Blue Light on Sign Languages by wearing blue on Monday September 23rd.

Monday 9/23 - Wear blue and learn your ABC’s ASL ABC Song - Learn Sign Language Alphabet

Tuesday 9/24 - Learn how Sign Language started The Story of ASL

Wednesday 9/25 - Did you know that Deaf students started the football huddle we use today?

Deaf Gain: Football Huddle

Thursday 9/26 - Lip reading is something that people with hearing loss depend on but it is more difficult than you think. Try this lip reading video! Challenge # 3 - The Lip Reading Challenge- Jessica Marie Flores

• Play the whisper game at home. Put on headphones with some light music and try to understand what someone else is saying to you.

Friday 9/27 - Learn what it sounds like to have hearing loss. Try out these simulators.

https://www.hearinglikeme.com/hearing-loss-simulator/ or https://www.starkey.com/hearing-loss-simulator/simulator

The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure environment, we regularly conduct fire drills and lockdown drills to ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency.

Fire Drills:

A fire drill is held periodically to practice safe and efficient evacuation procedures. These drills teach students to respond quickly and calmly in case of a fire or other emergency that requires evacuation. Teachers and staff are trained to guide students to designated safe areas outside the school building.

Lockdown Drills:

A lockdown drill is used for Safety Preparedness: Lockdown drills teach students how to stay safe in various scenarios, such as if there is an intruder on campus. Practicing these drills regularly helps students and staff understand the procedures in case there is a real emergency.

Other safety measures:

Lockout

A lockout is used when there is a potential threat outside the school but no immediate danger inside the building. During a lockout, all exterior doors are secured, and no one is allowed to enter or leave the building. Normal activities continue inside the school when deemed safe for students, faculty and staff.

Hold-in-Place / Shelter-in-Place

A hold-in-place / shelter-in-place is used when there is a situation inside the school, such as a medical emergency or a maintenance issue, that requires students to remain in their current locations. Hallways are cleared, and movement around the school is limited until the situation is resolved.

Teachers guide students through the process, ensuring that everyone knows how to respond efficiently and safely. We understand that these drills may cause some anxiety, especially for younger students. Our teachers make every effort to explain the purpose of the drills in a reassuring manner, and we encourage you to speak with your children at home to reinforce the importance of staying calm and following safety instructions.

Please note that next week we will have 2 more fire drills. Throughout the school year I will provide you with a heads up prior to drills.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our students safe.

September 9, 2024

Dear Families, Students, and Members of the Dansville Central School District Community,

What does the future of our district hold? What are our core values that drive who we are and how we do things? We invite everyone to help answer these questions as we plan forward.

We are excited to announce the launch of our new strategic planning process, a pivotal initiative that will shape the future of our district. As we begin this journey, we want to emphasize the importance of your involvement. As we move Dansville forward, we are committed to stakeholder engagement and collective ownership of the future of our schools.

The updated Strategic Plan will aim to create a roadmap that not only reflects the aspects of our school that are already working well but also addresses areas in which we can make improvements. We are committed to considering your perspectives and opinions on the direction we should take.

We genuinely value your input in making our updated Strategic Plan the best it can be. We encourage you to share your insights on what we are excelling at and where there's room for growth. Additionally, we are eager to hear your thoughts on what we should prioritize for the future.

To participate and share your valuable feedback, use your SmartPhone to capture the QR code below OR follow this link: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/506270916/survey.

This survey platform allows participants to share thoughts you have anonymously. Participants can

submit as many thoughts as they would like. You can also view and rate the feedback and thoughts

provided by other community members. We encourage an open and ongoing dialogue, so feel free to revisit the platform often and keep the conversation alive.

Your feedback will be instrumental in guiding our future plans, so we urge you to make your voice heard. The survey will remain accessible until Friday, October 11 th .

Thank you for your engagement and support as we work together to shape the future of Dansville

Central Schools!

Sincerely,

Kelly M. Zimmerman,

Superintendent of Schools

This group of K-2nd grade students will meet with Ms. Cross-Gray and Mrs. Wadsworth one time each month after school to share suggestions about creating leadership activities throughout the school year (for example helping to plan our monthly morning meetings, leadership day, spirit weeks, etc.). This is a very important job and will be a great way to help the Primary School be even better! Applications will be sent home by Monday, September 9th. Your K-2nd grade student is invited to apply for this position by Monday, September 23rd. A few students per grade level will be selected to join the committee. Please keep an eye out for more information.

Below is a link the 2024-2025 DPS Parent/Student Handbook. This will serve as an excellent resource to you throughout the school year.

Arrival

All 4PK-2nd grade students will enter at the main entrance of school and must be to school by 8:00.

• Students can be dropped off anytime from 7:40-8:00.
• Breakfast will be served from 7:40-8:10.
• Buses unload students at 7:40.

All 3PK students will enter at the side door at 9:00 for the AM program or 12:30 for the PM program.

Dismissal

Dismissal changes must be made before 1:00pm. Parent pick-up will begin at 2:15pm each day at the following doors based on last name. Please make sure we have the name of the person picking up and that person has a driver's license for identification.

• A-C at the ELC doorway on the parking lot side
  
• D-H at the back playground door
  
• I-Q at the first door on the left in the driveway between the HS & PS
  
• R-Z at the second door on the left in the driveway between the HS & PS

All 3PK AM and PM students will exit at the side door at 11:30 for the AM program and 3:00 for the PM program. Our 3PK students are dropped off and picked up in the small Primary Bus Loop during the following times: 8:45-9:00, 11:20-11:35, 12:20-12:30, and 2:50-3:05. Please consider parking in a different location so that you aren't trapped in the loop.

If your child arrives at school after 8:00am, he/she is considered tardy. Please walk your child into the school main entrance to complete an excuse. Then staff will give your child a tardy pass and he/she can walk to class independently. Please note this is a change in practice in order to ensure student safety in the parking lot and to keep accurate attendance records.

Please note that this year our 4PK students have a different menu than our K-2nd grade students.

This year students will be able to PURCHASE the following additional treats at lunch time -

Ice Cream - $1.75

Cookies - $1.25

Fruit Snacks - $0.75

Save the date - DPS school pictures will be Thursday, October 3rd. The order form is attached for your reference and will be sent home with children in the upcoming weeks. Please note you can pay by check or online at - https://vando.imagequix.com/196XY9D (School Code - 24DVP)