Hello Dickinson Families!

I want to start off by thanking everyone for your support this past October. There were many things going on and our dolphins continued to shine everyday.

In November our third, fourth, and fifth grade students take benchmarks. These benchmarks will cover grade level standards that have been taught. This is a summative test that allows teachers to plan instruction around the standards that students did well on and what they need to continue to review. Our campus believes in having students set goals for this test in order for them to know what their strengths and areas of growth are in their learning. This is not a grade, however the results are used to determine next steps for learning. Please encourage your students to try their best, not stress, and remind them that their hard work everyday will pay off. Teachers will be sending home dates and results after the benchmark tests have been taken.

This Tuesday, November 5th our campus will be closed to visitors for Election Day. Students are allowed to wear red, white, and blue. As we prepare for Election Day, I want to assure you that the safety of our students is our top priority. Our campus will be hosting polling stations, and we are implementing additional safety measures to ensure a secure environment for everyone. I want to assure you that our campus administration team and Officer Nash have worked through the details to ensure that students will not be mingling with the citizens. We will have a metal gate closed in our main hallway to be sure the voters to dot have access to our building. Thank you for your cooperation!

Third grade parents are invited to our Veteran’s Day program this Thursday, November 7th at 6:00 in the gym. This is a special time to honor all who have served for our country. Hope to see you there!

Looking forward to another fabulous week of learning!

If you have any concerns or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warm Regards,

Channon Almendarez

#dolphinproud

GT PARENT ADVISORY

Information for family & community on Gifted & Talented identification and assessment is shared annually. Initial informational & advisory with an elementary focus on program updates for the 2024- 2025 school year. All parents are welcome to attend. Please register by clicking the link or scanning the QR code on the flyer below.. Registration closes November 5, 2024.

Review the pdf attachment below for more information.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the families who backed our Fall Literati Book Fair! It was a tremendous success, and our Dolphins have enriched their home libraries with many new books. Thank you for nurturing the readers in your lives and for supporting our school library!

Remember to encourage your Dolphin to log their reading minutes in Beanstack, allowing them to earn a special Brag Tag and their name on the Beanstack Wall of Fame.

For detailed instructions, check the How-To document located in the Repeated Information section of the newsletter.

George Ranch Junior FFA membership is now open! Junior FFA is a great way to meet new friends from all over the Maroon track, participate in fun activities, engage with our community through service projects and learn about animals and agriculture! Click the link to join: https://forms.office.com/r/3wbrcZbAvq

This year to ensure your child's safety all change of transportation notes must be sent to the front office or you can call by 2:00 to make a change. Teachers need to focus on instruction during the day so please do not send them any emails for a change. Please call the front office at 832-223-1400. There is a form below you can print and have for your file in case you want to send in a note. A handwritten note will be accepted as well. Thank you for your understanding!

Annual Volunteer Background Checks Via Raptor

Want to volunteer? Plan to attend field trips? Assist with Holiday Parties?

Dickinson Elementary has an amazing reputation for partnering with our parents and community to serve our students in a multitude of ways. It's important to review and update the volunteer application regularly to ensure it meets current safety standards and legal requirements. This process helps to create a safe and supportive environment for both volunteers and the children they interact with.

If you completed this task last year, you received a message via e-mail like this sample:

Hello,

Your ability to volunteer at Lamar Consolidated ISD will end on 6/30/2024. If you plan to volunteer after that date, please take this time to complete a volunteer application by selecting this link https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NTk1OmVuLVVT.

Thank you,

District Volunteer Coordinator

For our new volunteers, please follow these steps to become a volunteer at Dickinson:

1.) Apply to volunteer by completing the volunteer application found https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NTk1OmVuLVVT

2.) After you receive your volunteer clearance email, contact the campus or department you wish to support as a volunteer to receive information on next steps.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the district’s various volunteer opportunities, please contact:

Asia S. Duhon (Partners in Education Coordinator) at mailto:Asia.Duhon@LCISD.org OR 832-223-0383.

Technology Devices

Personal Technology Lamar CISD believes that appropriate use of students’ technology devices enhances our students’ education. This includes but is not limited to: cell phones, smart phones, iPods, iPads, electronic tablets, and laptop computers. At Dickinson Elementary: All electronic devices stated above, including Smart Watches, must remain in the student's backpack turned off during the instructional day. Please review the code of conduct below regarding cell phone(electronic devices) policy. We have technology available for students to use while on campus. Thank you for reviewing this information with your child before school starts. We want to ensure that students are engaged in their learning and want to help minimize distractions.

Our Site Based Management Team voted and decided to make a slight change to the Dickinson dress code. Students may wear a collared (polo style, no logo) solid color navy blue, light blue, red, or white tops. A Dickinson spirit shirt may be worn any day of the week. Bottoms, including leggings may be in solid color khaki, navy blue or black pants, capris, shorts, skirts, skorts, or jumpers. If leggings or tights are worn, they must be under shorts, skirts, or jumpers. Blue denim jeans permitted on Fridays.

This is a video that all of the students and staff were required to watch as part of our safety protocol. LCISD is committed to keeping all of our students and staff safe. If you ever have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Our fence is completed. I am currently working with maintenance and operations to get some signage with hours and expectations during non-school hours.

Get your Dolphin reading and logging their reading minutes with our Beanstack Reading Challenges! The Library sponsors monthly challenges where students read and then log their reading minutes through ClassLink and the Beanstack app. Students who complete challenges within the challenge dates will earn a Brag Tag to celebrate their reading achievement.

Safety is our top priority! In Lamar CISD, we follow the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to prepare and respond to crisis situations should there ever be a need. It is important to be prepared for a quick response to keep our staff and students safe. When we practice drills, parents will receive an e-mail that we practiced a drill. Below is information about the SRP so that you can keep informed about the protocols we have in place. We need your support for when you visit the campus by wearing your visitor badge on the left or right side of your chest / torso in visible view for our staff members to see at a quick glance. The sticker badge should not be worn on the pants, arm, purse or other areas besides the upper chest area. Thank you for your help keeping our dolphins and staff safe!

The culture of Dickinson Elementary includes a partnership with our community. Last year, our parents volunteered hundreds of hours to support our students and staff. We value our partnership as together we educate our dolphins. This year all volunteers are required to register as a volunteer. This includes PTO Board Members, work room volunteers, Watch Dog Dad volunteers, room parents, field day volunteers, library volunteers, and the list continues! Please visit this website to begin the process:

https://www.lcisd.org/community/volunteers

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the front office at 832-223-1400.

Thank you for giving the gift of time for the success of our campus! What you value, you give your time to! - Channon Almendarez

• November 1st-30th: Read Grateful Beanstack Reading Challenge
• November 12th: Student Thanksgiving Celebration during lunch: Campus will be closed to lunch visitors on this day.
• November 22nd: Student Holiday
• November 25th-November 29th: Thanksgiving Break.
• December 6th: Reading Junior High Band visits Dickinson
• December 16th: Rudolph Day Sponsored by House Council
• December 17th: Sing Along & First Grade Program @ 6:00
• December 18th: UIL Celebration & Awards @ 7:30 AM
• December 19th: Winter Holiday Parties
• December 20th: Student Holiday / Staff Planning & Work Day
• December 21st-January 6th: Winter Break

Email: channon.almendarez@lcisd.org
Website: https://www.lcisd.org/campuses/dickinson/home
Location: 7110 Greatwood Pkwy, Sugar Land, TX 77479, USA
Phone: 832-223-1400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dickinsondolphins