Duniway Dispatch

August 5th, 2024

August 30, 2024

Calendar

September and October

September 2: Schools Closed
September 3: First official full day for all kindergarteners
September 3: Boohoo Breakfast for Kinder Parents, Cafeteria, 8 a.m.
September 5: Fire Drill, 9:35am
September 6: Duniway Field Day
September 10: General PTA Meeting, Library, 7 p.m.
September 25: Early release - dismissal at 11:50 a.m.
September 26: Back to School Night, 6-7:30 p.m.
September 30 to October 4: Scholastic Book Fair
October 11: No school for students
October 21: Picture Day
October 25: Principal Coffee, Cafeteria, 8 a.m.
October 23: Early release - dismissal at 11:50 a.m.

2024-25 District Calendar

Principal's Message

Dear Duniway Families,

Happy Friday and I hope you and your families have had a great first week of the 2024-25 school year! This week has flown by and it has been great to see the students settling into the routines of this new start. As you know, I am new to Duniway and I have enjoyed the chance to get to know many of our awesome students; learning their interests, what makes them laugh, what games they like to play at recess, what foods they like to eat and much more. What is clear to me is that our students enjoy learning and they are excited to "grow their brains" this year. Also this week I have enjoyed the chance to get to know many of you better and I have begun my quest to learn every student and every parent's name (I like taking on this challenge). I have enjoyed learning about your interests as well and your passion for ensuring that Duniway is the strongest and most successful school it can be. Please see the remainder of the newsletter below to learn more about upcoming events and activities. I hope you enjoy a restful, long, Labor Day Weekend! See you next week!

Best,

John Melvin

Principal

New Arrival Procedure - Grades 2-5 - Starting on Tuesday, September 3

Families, as we have mentioned, there will be a new arrival procedure for students in Grades 2-5 starting on Tuesday, September 3. Students will assemble in front of their grade level entrance and they do not need to form lines by class. A Duniway staff member will open doors @ 7:55am at the first bell. Students will walk calmly to their classrooms (do not need to be lines), put their backpack in their locker, and go to class. Teachers will greet students at the classroom door. The doors to the outside entrances will stay open until 8am. Students arriving after 8am should go to main entrance and office to sign in. (Note: the arrival procedure for Kinder and First Graders will remain the same as this week- entering directly through the classroom door from 7:55-8:00am.)

Student Expectations while waiting for the first bell:

Keep calm/safe bodies in front of doors
Stay off stairs/ramps
Embrace community- (ie- say hello to your classmates, community)

Student Expectations while walking to class @ 7:55am-8am:

walk calmly to classrooms, use inside voices
put backpack in locker and go to class
be in seat or class circle by 8am for start of class

We know that the switch to an earlier start time has been a big change for everyone and we appreciate your flexibility as we adapt to these new routines. This revised routine will create a smoother start of the day and will allow teachers to begin class @ 8am. This year we are using a new Social Emotional Learning curriculum (Wayfinder) and we are excited to share these lessons and activities with students to start off the day. We will be sharing more about the Wayfinder curriculum with you all in coming newsletters and through school events.

Field Day will be Friday, September 6th

It is a long standing Duniway tradition to celebrate our community and welcome students back to school with a fall field day.

Field day will run in two sessions:

K-2 9:30-10:30 a.m.
3-5 12:45-1:45 p.m.

Please send your student to school in shoes that are good for running around outside and clothes that are okay to get a little wet/dirty. If you are interested in volunteering to help run a station please look for the field day volunteer sign-up on Konstella.

After School Clubs and Classes

Registration for after school activities is now open. The PTA is excited to offer several new classes in addition to favorites from previous years. Check out the list of activities and registration info here.

Duniway Choir

Our Duniway Choir is starting for the 2024-2025 school year and we’d love to have your child join! We are a non-auditioned after school club led by Mrs. Adams that is open to all students in grades 3, 4, and 5 that demonstrate responsibility, focus, and a love for singing. Singers of all experience levels are welcome. We rehearse Thursday afternoons from 2:30-3:15pm in the auditorium. Sign-up here!

Join a PTA Committee!

Are you interested in making an impact at Duniway? Please consider joining a PTA committee. We have a number of committees looking for new leadership. Committees include Holiday Home Tour (high need), Carnival (high need), Advocacy, OBOB, Winter Dance, Variety Show, Green Team, Book Fair and more! Please check out Konstella for descriptions of the committees and sign up for something that interests you HERE.

Volunteering at Duniway

All volunteers must have approved background checks, which are good for three years. Please be sure to submit your application today!

Picture Day is October 21st!

Picture day information, online ordering, and our customer advocate team are all at your fingertips. Visit mydorian.com, search for Duniway, and click on the green Order button or yellow Help button associated with our picture day.

You can order online now and for up to four (4) days after picture day.