South Elementary School News

Dear South School Families,

Happy December! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. As the holiday season begins, we're thrilled to share the exciting activities and events planned for our students. Don't miss the rest of our newsletter for all the details. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Tracie Murphy, Principal

South Elementary School

If your child has a South School “Where the Adventure Begins” shirt, we will have several days throughout the school year that we will wear these shirts. (This is optional.) Let’s show our Dover South School pride on the following dates:

November 1, 2024

January 10, 2025

February 7, 2025

March 28,2025

April 4, 2025

May 2, 2025

The Dover Elementary PTG is holding a winter wear sale again this year. Get your winter Dover Gear and be prepared for the cold weather. A flyer was sent home with all of the details; however, you can also check out the items and purchase them at the following link. Spirit Wear — Dover Elementary PTG

The holiday season is a wonderful time to instill the importance of helping others in our young students. Dover Elementary Schools will be holding a Christmas Give collection drive from December 11th - 20th. We encourage you to donate at least 50¢ per day to support families facing difficult times. Your generous contribution will help brighten the Christmas season for those in need.

Special Dress-Up Days

Donate 50¢ each day to participate in the special dress-up days below.

Wednesday, December 11-Crazy Sock Day: Wear your favorite crazy holiday socks or mismatch
socks.

Thursday, December 12-Polar Express Day: Wear your favorite winter/holiday pajamas.

Friday, December 13-Brr….It’s Cold Outside: Wear your favorite holiday/winter
sweatshirt/sweater.

Monday, December 16-Red & Green Day: Preschool and Kindergarten students-wear RED,
1st grade students-wear GREEN.

Tuesday, December 17-Candy Cane Day: Wear Red and White. (Everyone gets a candy cane!!)

Wednesday, December 18- Holiday Headgear Day: Wear your favorite holiday hat, reindeer
antlers, holiday headband or bow.

Thursday, December 19-Grinch Day: Wear your Whoville best or Grinch green.

Friday, December 20- All Decked Out: Dress in your favorite holiday attire.

Get ready for a fun-filled night of fitness and family bonding! South School's PTG is excited to host our first-ever Family Fitness Night on December 5th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Join us for a variety of interactive activities, including karate, yoga, and hip-hop dance. We'll also have a station for creating delicious and healthy snacks. This is a fantastic opportunity to stay active and have a blast with your loved ones. Don't miss out on this exciting event!

You will be amazed by the creativity of our preschool students! On Thursday, December 12th, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, we invite you to our Preschool Art Fair. Our young artists will proudly display their artwork and perform a delightful holiday song. This event will feature a variety of activities that celebrate the arts in our school and community. Come join us to admire our students' talents, learn about exciting family activities, and experience the joy of art together. We hope to see you there!

Our "Holiday Treasures" Santa Shop will be open December 10th - 12th, 2024! This is a special opportunity for your child to shop for gifts for loved ones. With a variety of items available, they can find the perfect present for everyone on their list. To participate, please fill out the envelope sent home and include cash or a check made out to Dover Elementary PTG. Return the completed envelope and payment with your child on their designated shopping day.

If you would like to volunteer at the Santa Shop, please click the link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849AFAC29A4FFC16-53342863-santa

Parents or Guardians are required to call the school office to report his/her child absent. If no call is made, the school will attempt to call you. Parents are responsible for informing the school of his/her child's absence and the reason for the absence. Please call the school office between 8:00 A.M. and 8:30 A.M. Upon returning to school, a written note is required explaining the reason for the absence. Please refer to our Elementary Handbook for our entire attendance policies and procedures.

For your planning, Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day will be April 25th, 2025 at 2:00 P.M.

To ensure the safety of your child, we have a strict procedure for student check-in and check-out. When picking up your child during school hours, please proceed to the school office. Your child must be signed out before leaving the building. Please provide a reason for early pick-up on the sign-out sheet. Similarly, if your child arrives late to school, they must be signed in at the office. Please do not drop them off at the door; escort them to the office for check-in.

To maintain a secure environment, all school doors remain locked throughout the day. Visitors must enter through the office door and activate the monitoring device. Once identified, office personnel will unlock the door. If you need to visit any other part of the building, you must present a photo ID, which will be scanned to issue a visitor badge. Your cooperation in following these safety protocols is greatly appreciated.

The colder weather has arrived. It is time to get those hats and gloves out. We try to go outside as long as it is dry. Please check the weather each day to be sure your child is dressed warm enough when waiting for the bus and for outside recess.

Holiday Party Schedule

Holiday parties will take place on Friday, December 20th.

• Preschool: 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM
• Kindergarten and First Grade: 2:30 PM

Important Reminders:

• Room Parents: Please arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the start of your child's party.
• Driver's License: If we haven't scanned your driver's license yet, please stop by before the party day to expedite the check-in process.
• Volunteer Coordination: Our PTG officers will reach out to the head room parent of each class. This parent will then coordinate with other parents for volunteers and donations.
• Questions or Assistance: Please contact a PTG officer or your child's teacher.

We thank our PTG for their continued support of our staff and students.

• Children who will be 5 years old on or before August 1, 2025, are eligible to enroll in kindergarten for the upcoming school year.

Enrollment Process:

• Online Enrollment: Starting January 21, 2025, you can begin the online enrollment process by visiting the Dover City Schools website (www.dovertornadoes.com) and following the instructions under the "Parents" tab.
• Required Documents: More information about the specific documents needed for enrollment will be provided soon.

Be sure to watch for updates from Dover City Schools regarding the enrollment process and required documentation.

Throughout the school year, we conduct several safety drills. These drills are required and also help

our students and staff know what to do in the event of an unlikely emergency. The following drills

are conducted throughout the school year; Fire drills, evacuation drills, intruder drills, reverse evacuation drills and tornado drills. Teachers review these with students before they are conducted. Our local Police department and first responders are also involved with conducting drills. If you have any questions regarding these required drills, please feel free to contact the school for more information.

There will be no school December 23rd-January 3rd for winter break. Classes will resume on Monday, January 6th.

Prompt payment of workbook and supply fees is greatly appreciated. The fee for K-1 st grades is $25.00. As always, thank you for your cooperation. Pre-school tuition must also be paid by the first of each month. Our preschool tuition is currently $130.00 per month. Failure to pay your preschool tuition will forfeit your spot in our program.

Students can enter the building at 8:40 A.M. The first bell rings at 8:40 A.M. Students must be in their seats ready to work at 8:55 A.M. when the bell rings in order to be considered on time for school. Good habits begin early so it is important that children are on time and ready to begin their day. Dismissal

begins at 3:20 P.M.

Communication between home and school is very important. In order to keep you up-to-date with what is happening, we have several methods of communication.

1. Email Newsletters: Be sure to check your email for monthly newsletters and occasional updates.

Should your email address change, please let us know.

2. Phone Notification System: In the event of any emergency or to share important information, Dover Schools has a phone notification system. Please be sure to notify us if you change your phone number.

3. Staff Email: Each staff member has an email where they can be reached.

4. Voicemail: Each staff member has voice mail where you can leave a message if needed. Simply call the office and ask for the staff member you need. Mrs. Polce can transfer you to the proper voice mail box to leave your message.

5. Facebook: Check us out on Facebook to see what all is happening at Dover City Schools.

December 3rd: Classes resume

December 5th: Family Fitness Night 6-7:30

December 9ht-13th: Santa Shop

December 12th: Preschool Arts Fair

December 20th: Holiday Parties

December 23rd-January 3rd: Winter Break

January 6th: Classes Resume