Hello Davis families!

Welcome to Week 6! We are only 4 weeks away from progress reports, Parent-Teacher Conferences, and Fall Break! If your student is like many, you may find it challenging to pry information out of them about their school day, even 6 weeks in. A simple "How was your day?" may result in a noncommital shrug or a vague response of "okay." To help you learn more about your student's day and solicit more than a one-word response, try these simple suggestions from Scholastic which recommends asking specific yet open-ended questions.

• Tell me about your day
• What's the biggest difference between this year and last year?
• What was the hardest thing you had to do today?

These suggestions and more will help to facilitate conversations about your student's school day. Teachers are also available to communicate with you to strengthen the partnership between school and home.

Our Tiger Tenets :

BE SAFE.

BE RESPECTFUL.

BE RESPONSIBLE.

Science Camp is only 2 weeks away! Please be sure to submit your student's registration packet if you have not yet done so. We’re excited that your students will have a fantastic opportunity to explore ecosystems, astronomy, watersheds, and more! The packing lists have been sent home, and we’re looking forward to presenting this enriching learning experience. Please review the materials and encourage your student to dive into these fascinating topics while participating in outdoor education!

Is your student a gifted writer? If so, here is their opporutnity to shine. The Art Raab Memorial Essay competition is open to all Lodi Unified School District students in fifth and sixth grades. Students will be judged on content and relevance to the theme (50 points), effective expression (30 points) and grammar and originality (10 points each).

Click on the link below for the flyer:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mLsNuKXOP-MvvMpIoxYREeYaCU_hhGEQ/view?usp=sharing

Many school districts have implemented or are on their way to implementing policies that address smartphone use by students during the school day and the governor has voiced his support on a number of occasions. We believe it is important to gather input from students, staff and our families as we develop our policy.

To access the ThoughtExchange and provide your input, click here:

https://tejoin.com/scroll/643665866

Thank you to Megan Cagle, Lilyann Ceja, Mayra Barreras, and Edward Cruz for representing our Davis parents on the School Site Council.

We have one additional spot available for interested parents. Please contact Ms. Cruz at macruz@lodiusd.net for details. Our first meeting is on Tuesday, September 17th at 3:30 pm in the School Library, with a virtual attendance option available.

With approval from the local governing board, Davis Elementary School has jointly developed with parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy, agreed upon by such parents, and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. The policy can be found here and paper copies are available in the office for families, if requested.

Adults interested in volunteering in their student's classroom or chaperoning a field trip will need to complete the Volunteer Request Form and be fingerprinted. Please connect with your student's teacher to determine volunteer opportunities. We are currently seeking volunteers to support in supervision of students during lunch between 10:30 am - 1:00 pm. If you are available, please contact the office or scan the QR code.

We are excited to announce that this year, families will be able to verify their child's elementary school teacher and secondary school class schedule through our online data confirmation process. Starting on July 19, 2024, at 10:00 AM, parents who have completed the online data confirmation will be able to access this information. We encourage all parents to complete the online data confirmation process by following the instructions in the flyer below.

You can now go online to fill out your Data Confirmation! Click here or on the flyer below to get started.

Please remember that the front gate does not open until 7:40 am as there is no supervision for students prior to this time. It is important that students come to school dressed appropriately, including wearing school-appropriate shoes. If your student comes to school in Crocs or sandals, they will be asked to sit out PE and may not go in the barkbox or onto the fields during recess due to safety concerns.

Students who wish to eat breakfast in the cafeteria should arrive no later than 7:45 am. For students arriving by bus, please proceed immediately to the cafeteria. The cafeteria will be cleared out 15 minutes after the latest bus arrives to ensure that students do not miss instructional time.

District-issued Chromebooks are provided to your student to support in their learning. Please remind your students to charge their Chromebooks overnight, ensuring they are ready for the next day's learning activities. The Chromebook Care Plan is offered as an optional coverage plan to help families with repair costs of district-issued Chromebooks. More information can be found here.

Please remember that if your student has not yet been dismissed and you are in the loading zone, staff will be asking you to park or loop around to allow other parents to load their students who are waiting. We also ask that you model safe behaviors and use the crosswalk. Our Tigers know this is a Tiger Tenet and a way to be safe!

We thank you for your patience and for working with our staff to ensure dismissal occurs smoothly.

If your student will be out, be sure to call the office at 209-953-8301 to report your their absence. Students who have a medical or dental appointment will need to bring a note from their doctor upon their return.

Additionally, it is important your student arrives on time, ready to learn. School starts at 8:00 am and students are expected to be in their classes at this time.

Birthday treats must be store-bought. Please arrange with your student's teacher 1 or 2 days in advance of the birthday to have enough for the entire class. Treats will be distributed at recess, lunch, or dismissal depending upon class schedule and are limited to snacks. Please do not send sodas, pizzas, or similar items as they will not be delivered to your student's class.

Additionally, Davis Elementary does not accept deliveries of balloons, flowers, etc. for students. These deliveries are an interruption to our classes and learning environment. Please arrange to have deliveries made at home.