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April Newsletter 23-24
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A Note From Dr. Hooton
Happy April Duello Families,
As we look ahead to spring, in addition to the impending sunshine, help us stay connected to your family by sharing a bit of social media fun! Share a picture of your family engaged in our mission - “Learning, Growing, Leading … Together”. This could be a picture of your family engaged in a variety of activities that promote our mission: learning about a new board game, being leaders by helping one another clean out the garage, or taking a walk! Share your family living the Duello mission on Instagram or Twitter by tagging @DUE _Principal with the hashtag #WeAreDuello. We cannot wait to see the fun that your family shares!
Planning continues for the remainder of this year and next year. Please remember the following:
Kindergarten Registration - please enroll any incoming K students as soon as possible! We welcome you to register them at the Duello office.
Mustang Pride,
Dr. Hooton
Upcoming Dates
April 2- No School, Closed for PD Day
April 8- Solar Eclipse Day
April 11- First Grade Concert
April 12- First Grade Field Trip
April 15- Late Start Day
April 19- Third Grade Field Trip
April 22- Middle School Transition Visits
April 22- Kindergarten Field Trip
April 24- Second Grade Field Trip
April 25- PTA Great Skate Night
Solar Eclipse Info
We are excited to announce that Duello Elementary will be participating in a unique educational opportunity: observing the April 8 solar eclipse!
On April 8, we will follow our Early Release Schedule for specials and lunches to ensure all classes are able to participate.
The plan is as follows:
- 8:20-1:10 Run Early Release Schedule for specials and lunch
- 1:45 Go outside to their viewing area
- At 1:59 p.m., here at Duello, we will be closest to totality. Our area will never reach full totality so we will not be telling students to take off their glasses at any time.
- 2:15 p.m., all classes should be back inside and we will dismiss school at our normal time.
Please read over the attached document in regards to more details about opting your child out of the event. We are not inviting parents to the event, we only have enough glasses for our staff and students. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in making this event safe and successful for everyone!
Leaders Coming Together For A Cause
Special Areas Update
Updates From Our PTA
Weather Related Information/ AMI Information
Since we have used five of our District's six built-in snow days this school year, we wanted to share the next steps in case we surpass the maximum number of allotted snow days in the coming months.
DESE allows school districts to count up to 36 hours of instruction through Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI), such as virtual learning or assignments to be completed at home, during emergencies, or extended closures.
Our District has not used AMI for weather-related closures in the past, but if we exceed our six built-in snow days this year, the WSD will utilize AMI to keep students engaged in learning and prevent extending the school year into the summer break. On AMI days, families and staff will be notified through the regular district communication channels (phone call, text, social media). Student attendance will be recorded on days when AMI is assigned and will be documented by the completion of assignments and turning in activities. Assignments will be turned in either through Canvas or by returning them to their teacher on the next in-person learning day. Educators will be available electronically by email during AMI days for guidance with instruction.
Please work with your students' teacher(s) to address any questions.
Mic Drop Moments
Lisa recently changed her role up a bit and showed so much flexibility during the change. She embodies a growth mindset in all that she does and truly seeks first to understand prior to being understood. Not only does she support our students each and everyday academically and socially BUT she also goes the extra mile to learn their individual interest and build connections. Additionally, the other day, we were down a custodian and she took over a custodial duty without being asked! We appreciate her!
Mrs. Delcour steps up and helps out wherever she is needed without hesitation. She shows up each day to support our students and staff. The other day, we were down a custodian and she took over a custodial duty without being asked, simply because she cares for and takes pride in our school.
Mrs. Stillman is always there to help her students in any way needed. She takes time to meet with students one on one to build strong relationships and ensure they are heard and loved. She is a great team member, always willing to share ideas and help in any capacity.
Ms. Garry is positive, caring, loving, and works well with all students. She takes the time to connect to get to know and understand the students she works with each day! She has helped one of our students grow leaps and bounds this year!
Mrs. Lembke can be seen with a smile on her face wherever she goes and whatever she does. She spreads her love and positivity everywhere. Her unconditional love for her students is evident and she works to make each student feel loved and supported.
Mrs. Kinnison is one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I’ve ever met. She puts so much work into making sure her students are having fun, learning and growing.
Mrs. Strain is one of a kind! As the teacher of Stepping Stones, she provides a safe learning environment for her students to learn and grow. She makes sure each one of her students is loved. She remains positive even through tough times. We appreciate her dedication to her students.
Shout out to the third grade team for all the help and support you gave Mrs. Hilgendorf while she was filling in for Mrs.Stillman.The team works so hard and Mrs. Hilgendorf wanted to share her appreciation to the team!
Mic Drop Moment from a Parent: I would love to give a shoutout to Mr. Chris who drives bus #10. He went above and beyond for my daughter who left her lunchbox on the bus after school. We are grateful! Thank you Mr. Chris!
Mrs. Cherie Jones works hard each day to make sure all of her students are being successful. She meets her students where they are and helps them grow! She spends time getting to know her students strengths and areas for improvement and finds ways to help them be successful.
Ms. Chapman is so supportive and willing to step in to help anywhere in the building. She helps Mrs. Kastner makes sure the library is organized and ready for students to learn. She is kind and caring and a great listener. Thanks for always going above and beyond!
Mrs. Pennington has become one of our in-house experts for LETRS training. She has worked hard this year to become trained and has implemented these practices into her daily instruction. The growth her students are making is due to explicit instruction of skills!
Mrs. Gaffney is a true gem for Duello! Not only is she an amazing teacher and loves her students unconditionally, she is a leader and advocate for our Duello community. She has dedicated extra time to ensuring we create opportunities for development of leaders!
Today is Election Day!
April 2, 2024, is Election Day, and the WSD has two Board of Education seats on the ballot. Get to know the candidates, the open seats are currently held by Shannon Stolle and Jason Goodson, and each seat is for a three-year term.
Late Start Information
The WSD will be providing supervision for K-5 students who need to be dropped off at the regular start time on scheduled Late Start Days this school year. This is separate from our Before Care Program through Chautauqua.
WSD Parents: to register your student, visit https://wsdr4.revtrak.net/ and select your student's Elementary School, followed by clicking "Late Start Registration" and completing the form for your student. Please register each student attending separately.
The fee is $10.36 (which includes a transaction fee) per child for each late start day you would like to register for.
Please visit our Late Start page on our District website for more information.
General Information
Morning/Afternoon Schedule
- Doors open at 8:05 a.m.
- Breakfast from 8:05 a.m.-8:20 a.m.
- Dismissal begins at 3:15 p.m.
Lunch/Recess/Specials Schedule
Reporting Absences
Regular school attendance is critical to your child’s success at school. In the event that your child should need to be absent from school, please notify the office at (636) 327-6050 and press 1 to report that absence. Please leave your name, your child’s name, and grade, the teacher's name, and the reason for absence. You may also email attendance changes to attendance.duello@wsdr4.org
Arrival and Dismissal
This is an important reminder of the drop-off and pick-up procedures that we will enforce for the safety and efficiency of the students and parents at Duello. Staff supervision and student drop-off begin at 8:05 a.m. If you arrive early, please wait with your child(ren) until 8:05 a.m. to assure that they are supervised. Parents should not drop students off in the parking lot in order to avoid the drop-off line.
Walkers- Walkers are defined as students who walk or ride their bike home. These students will be dismissed and will either travel home alone or meet their parent/guardian. The parking lot is not a designated crosswalk and is extremely dangerous for students to walk through unattended. Please do not bypass the carline for convenience and put your child and others in danger.
Car Riders- Car Riders are defined as students who will have parents/guardians who will utilize our car rider line to drive through and pick their child up. This is the most efficient way if a parent is coming to pick their child up. The line might look long but it moves quickly.
Car Rider Drop Off- Parents, if you are dropping off in the car rider line in the morning and your child needs assistance getting out of the car, please put your flashers on and a staff member will help assist getting your child out of the car.
A smooth and efficient procedure takes all of us working together. I appreciate and expect all parents to follow the outlined procedures.
Would you like to volunteer at your student's school? Would you like to attend field trips? Please read the information at this link for more information, and to sign up to volunteer!
Opt Out Communication
Please read the attachment for more information on opting your student(s) out of presentations.
Mrs. Amber Houdei | Assistant Principal
1814 Duello Road
Lake St. Louis, MO 63367
636.327.6050