Dicken Family Newsletter
3.15.24
Principal's Corner
Dear Families,
Thank you to all who were able to come out to our staff Read Alouds at Schuler Bookstore, and for supporting Dicken by shopping there last week. Many thanks to our kind PTO who provided the staff with Girl Scout cookies this week -- what a fun surprise!
Upcoming Dates
Friday, March 22 - Report Cards emailed home
Friday, March 22- Last day before Spring Break
Monday, March 25 - Friday, March 29 - No School - Spring Break
Monday, April 1 - School Resumes
Wed. April 3 - Sat. April 6 - Used Book Festival
Wed. April 10 - Early Release, 1:00 Disimissal
March is Reading Month - Remaining Spirit Day
- Friday, March 22: RAINBOW day / SNUGGLE UP and read! Wear any or all colors of the rainbow or pajamas/comfy clothes, bring your favorite book and stuffed animal. Get cozy today while you read.
Coming Soon: The Solar Eclipse of 2024 !!
On Monday, April 8, Ann Arbor and much of North America will be treated to a special show in our skies. Unless its very cloudy, we will be able to view an almost total solar eclipse where the moon will line up in a way that it blocks almost all of the sun. An eclipse this dramatic doesn’t come along often and we want to make sure students can view it safely. Monday, April 8, 2024 will be an excellent teachable moment opportunity for students to learn about eclipses since we will have an opportunity to view close to a total eclipse.
Everyone needs to know that you should never look at the sun directly without solar viewing glasses, even when it is partially eclipsed. This is a particularly important reminder this year because the primary viewing time for the eclipse will occur near the time students are released from school for the day. The eclipse will last from 1:57 through 4:26, however the maximum eclipse will occur at 3:16.
We recommend conversation with students who walk and ride the bus to remind them about these items:
- They should not looking directly at the sun during the eclipse.
- Expect that the skies will darken during this time, earlier than you might expect this time of year.
In addition to in-school learning opportunities about eclipses, thanks to a very generous donation from Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union, the district will be making solar viewing glasses available to all staff, students and bus drivers to ensure a safe and educational eclipse viewing experience. Students will take their eclipse glasses home for the walk or bus ride.
At Dicken, we plan to gather on the basketball courts behind the school. Families are welcome to join us. Please make contact with your child's teacher before leaving, if you will be taking them home a little early with you (just as we do for the Dicken Dash).
More information about the coming eclipse can be found at: NASA.gov/eclipses.
2024 LaFontaine Teacher of the Year
Nominations are being accepted for the 2024 LaFontaine Teacher of the Year through Thursday, March 21st. The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber and LaFontaine Automotive Group are looking to identify from among many outstanding teachers from across Washtenaw County to serve as a visible and vocal representative of what is best in the profession. Click here for more information and to nominate a teacher.
My Future Fund - Time to Jump Start College Savings
Parents of students in 1st through 6th grade, be sure to complete the My Future Fund Release of Information Form by March 19th to be included in the next round of deposits. This is a free program for our students to get a jump start on saving for college and career training. Most students will be automatically enrolled unless they opt out. Some students may be eligible for an additional $475 based on family income. Please visit www.myfuturefund.org for more information.
The Character Effect
This week, students learned about the character strength of "Intentional". Here is what was shared by our SLT members on the announcements this week: "Intentional is defined as, I am
thoughtful in working to improve myself and my world. Be prepared to Strength Spot Intentional in yourself and in others this week. Visualize a wish or goal you have. Imagine how it will feel to have achieved your goal. Tap into the excitement you feel. You can use that energy of success to help you plan and take steps to actually achieving your goal.."
All the Best,
Heather
PTO News
Message from the PTO President
Happy Friday Dolphins,
March seems to be flying by, I can't believe next week is the last week of March Is Reading Month and the last week before spring break! Make sure your students turn in their Reading Bingo cards and book covers to be included in the drawing for Schuler's Bookstore gift cards.
The March is Reading Month Fundraiser is at 15% community participation and we are almost to 40% of our goal, keep up the great work Dolphins! The funds raised during this fundraiser help our PTO with all of the activities and events that we do throughout the year including yearbooks for every student, 5th grade promotion activities, field day festivities, teacher grants and stipends, field trips, disability awareness workshop, the community garden and countless other initiatives.
Here are a few ways that the Dicken PTO has used the funds we've raised this year to help our school this week:
- To show our appreciation for our amazing Dicken teachers and staff, the PTO supported our Dicken Brownie and Junior Girl Scout troops and purchased 60 boxes of girl scout cookies so that everyone could take home a box of cookies after their potluck on Wednesday.
- The PTO purchased healthy snacks this week for the office for students who get hungry throughout the day. We also got healthy snacks for the staff lounge to make sure that our wonderful Dicken staff stay caffeinated and energized at school!
Our upcoming board meeting is next Thursday night over Zoom and we welcome all community members to join us. We will be discussing next year's board and some of the openings that we will have, so if you are interested in joining the PTO board next year, it would be a great meeting to attend. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Have a great weekend,
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.
Click here for the Zoom link.
Thursday, March 21
Thursday, April 18
Thursday, May 16
Thursday, June 20
More Helpful Links:
March is Reading Month Updates
Thank you for another great week of March is reading month. Currently, we're at 40% of the fundraising goal of $12,000! Thank you for your continued support. As we near the last week of school before spring break, any efforts to push for additional donations are greatly appreciated. No amount is too small!
Many thanks to teachers and staff that read to our community last Saturday at Schuler. We had a great turnout and we’ll be getting back over $600 of your shopping dollars. Thank you for your support and engagement!
Next Friday is our last Spirit Day of the month – RAINBOW day / SNUGGLE UP and read (wear any or all colors of the rainbow, pajamas, or comfy clothes).
We received so many completed bingo cards this week! Thank you for supporting the students with their reading! We’ve also received a few art works – they will be proudly displayed in the display case outside of the office. Please feel free to continue to create book covers and complete bingo cards through spring break to encourage reading. We will make final collections on Friday, April 5.
There are local AADL events during the week of spring break. Below are 2 at the Westgate location for you to check out and to meet up with other students & families over break.
- Monday, March 25th, 1PM – 3PM
- Ann Arbor District Library has Make a Fairy House for Michigan Mammals planned at the Westgate shopping center location for a fun spring break activity.
- Thursday, March 28th, 2PM – 3PM
- Ann Arbor District Library has Balloon-Powered Cars at the Westgate shopping center location for a fun spring break activity.
Give Kids a Smile Day: Saturday, March 16.
Give Kids A Smile Day will be taking place again this year on Saturday March 16th, 2024 from 8am-noon at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. This is an annual event held countrywide run by faculty, dental students, and dental hygiene students to provide free dental care for children regardless of insurance status. Our mission is to provide the underserved pediatric populations of the southeast Michigan community with much needed oral health care as well as the education to prevent dental disease and promote lifelong oral health.
On Saturday March 16th, from 8am to noon, dental exams, cleanings, x-rays and possibly sealants will be provided for free regardless of insurance status for children ages 4-14 on a first-come, first-serve basis by qualified dental students and hygiene students.
Our website is www.gkasumich.org and all children must be pre-registered using this form.
New Musical, Luna Vacía, Presented Totally In Spanish!
Black and Brown Theatre proudly presents a new musical: Luna vacía presented entirely in Spanish. The musical is based on a traditional Caribbean folktale similar to The Giving Tree which explains why the moon only appears at night and why it turns to sliver. The new music is a mix of Latin Pop, R&B and Funk which makes for a fun event for the whole family regardless of what language audiences speak.
Luna vacía performs Saturday March 30 at 3pm at the Ypsilanti Lincoln Performing Arts Center: 7425 Willis Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Admission is free and open to the public but early arrival is encouraged as seating is first come, first serve. Run time is approximately one hour and is recommended for ages 5 and up. Luna Vacía is presented thanks to a generous donation from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.
For more information, please visit: www.blackandbrowntheatre.org or follow @bandbtheatre on social media.
Dicken's USED BOOK FESTIVAL: April 3-6
For those catching leprechauns this weekend, save those coins to shop at the Dicken Used Book Festival! Every student will get to pick one book for free, and they may bring additional cash to purchase additional books (at 25 cents each). Kiddo shopping days are Weds, April 3rd-Friday April 5th during library time. Mark your calendars for COMMUNITY SHOPPING DAY, Saturday, April 6th, from 11-3. We hope everyone will stop by and shop!
Thank you to all the families who have donated books so far! We will be accepting book donations through Spring Break @ the Register House, 1737 Sanford Pl. We are accepting ALL books: Adult, kids and baby. Please, no magazines or audio visual materials.
The next newsletter will have a volunteer sign up sheet for those who want to help watch Book Joy and help kiddos shop during their library hours. If your kiddo has a library on Monday/Tuesday, they have a shopping time on Friday.
Questions? Please reach out to Erin at Erin7register@gmail.com
Big Blue Swim School - Spring Savings ends Sunday!
Thinking of getting your Dolphin in the water for swim lessons this spring? Dicken Dash supporter, Big Blue Swim School, reached out to share their current promotion with our community. Offer ends March 17 - this Sunday!
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!