Royal Decree Family Newsletter
Welcome Back
January Family Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Jan. 6 - School Resumes
Jan. 7 - DGS Parents Club Meeting (7:00 pm)
Jan. 10 -
- DGS Spirit Day (Popcorn at Lunch)
- Report Cards Issued
Jan. 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School)
Jan. 29 - 3rd Grade Riverfront Museum Field Trip
January Staff Birthdays
Jan. 30 - Nancy Riekena
Spring Semester Assessments
STAR Winter Benchmarks - Jan. 6-22
- All Students
CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) - Week of Feb. 3
- 2nd and 4th grade students (as well as new 3rd and 5th graders)
- Want to practice? Here are some practice tests if interested.
I.A.R. (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) - April 7-18
- 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades
I.S.A. (Illinois Science Assessment) - April 22-25
- 5th grade only
BIST Parent Resources
Have you ever had questions about BIST at DGS and how it can be applied at home? Check out this link: BIST Home to School Connections for Parents. It is full of great information on the following topics:
- Household expectations
- Caring confrontation
- Protective planning
- Outlasting the 'acting out'
- De-escalating behaviors
- Avoid power struggles
- ...and more!
Attendance
On time attendance is important and necessary for learning. If your child will be absent due to an appointment or is ill, please notify the office by 8:00 am each day.
You can call the office or email your absence to:
Mrs. Kamin lkamin@dunlapcusd.net and
Mrs. Sullivan msullivan@dunlapcusd.net.
Recess
Please make sure your child is prepared and dressed appropriately for outside recess. Students will go outside for recess anytime the temperature is 15 degrees or above (including wind chill).
Parents cannot request that students stay inside based solely on the temperature. It is important for the students to get outside and play when possible during the winter months.
Any child who is exempt from physical education for medical reasons will not be allowed to participate in outdoor recess activities. Re-injury on the playground could occur. Arrangements for indoor recess in the main office or a supervised classroom will be made.
Delayed Start
There may be times when the weather is such that delaying the start of school by two hours would provide for a safer environment for our students and staff. This decision will be announced no later than 6:30 am on the day of the delayed start via School Messenger system as well as local TV stations.
On these days, buses will run and morning pick up times will be two hours later than normal. Classes will begin two hours later than their regularly scheduled time. There will be no morning Early Childhood or Bright Futures classes, but the afternoon classes will run at the normal time. School will still dismiss at the regular time. If the district decides to implement a delayed start for the school day, all notifications will be sent in the same manner as the closing of school.
Weather Forecast
Weather conditions and events are unpredictable. In general, school will not be canceled or dismissed early solely on a weather forecast. Weather events must be occurring and deteriorating for school to be cancelled or for us to dismiss early.
- Snow: Snow is not a primary reason for closing school. As long as roads are not drifting shut, it’s possible we would have school even with a sizable snowfall.
- Road Conditions: As referenced above, road conditions dictate many of our decisions. Due to the fact the district is widely spread out, we have an early morning process (before 5:00 a.m.) of checking our rural and city roads.
- Cold: Wind chill and air temperature will also be considered when making a decision relating to cold weather. However, 0-degree temperatures are not uncommon for our area.
Birthday Treats
To promote a positive, safe, and healthy lifestyle and classroom learning community, birthday celebrations at school will not include treats or favors from home. Teachers will choose to celebrate students in their classroom in grade and age appropriate ways.
A Note from the President
The next Parents Club meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 7th, 2025 at 7:00 pm in the DGS
Café. All parents and guardians of DGS Royals and DGS staff are welcome! We hope you
can join us!
Other events to watch for will be additional the Spring Scholastic Book Fair with the very
popular Grand Event, Muffins for Moms, and more!
Thank you to all our DGS Royal families for your support of the DGS Parents Club through
volunteering, attending events, and participating in our fundraisers. We appreciate all of
you!
We hope all our DGS Royal families have a healthy, safe, and wonderful holiday season
with their families!
Happy Holidays,
Annalee Huntington
DGS Parents Club President
DGS Carnival
The Parents Club will be hosting the fun and exciting Carnival on Saturday, Feb. 22nd, from 3:00-7:00 pm!
Games! Food! Fun! Raffles! Silent Auction! Photo booth! Face painting! Information will be coming home in January on how you can donate to support our carnival. There will also be information on raffle tickets, food order forms, basket raffle donations, and volunteer opportunities. So, keep an eye out for all of that!
We are looking for any families and businesses who would like to make a monetary or any kind donation to one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. If you have any questions about donating, please contact me at dunlapparentsclub@gmail.com. Donations can be mailed to DGS or dropped off in the school office.
Please plan to join us on Saturday, Feb. 22nd, for our Carnival at Dunlap Grade School for dinner, carnival games, an inflatable game, balloons, face painting, and more, including our big raffle prizes, general raffle prizes, silent auction, and classroom baskets!
Dunlap Gives Back
It is our mission to serve Each Student, Every Day!
Dunlap Gives Back serves to supply students and families with resources to meet their basic needs to ensure that all children are equipped with the resources they need to be prepared to learn.
If you are a staff member, family member, or student, please use this form to request resources. Items that can be requested include, but are not limited to food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene supplies, ect. If further support or resources are required, please email Director of Student Services, Mandy Ellis, at mellis@dunlapcusd.net.
All requests will be confidential and protect the privacy of the student and family.
Dunlap Shine Award
The Dunlap School District Shine Award honors employees who go above and beyond for the students and schools in our community. Honorees positively influence, inspire, and leave a lasting impact in the work that they do every day, helping to fulfill the overall District mission to empower all students to reach their individual potential.
Nominations can be submitted by students, parents, District employees, business, or community members by completing the following nomination form. District employees will be selected and honored throughout the school year to receive this prestigious honor.
Selected nominees will receive a crystal apple in recognition of their exemplary efforts, provided by Horace Mann. Additionally, Peoria Prints & Graphic Designs will provide yard signs for staff to celebrate their achievement at home!
Please provide your email in the field below so that a copy of your nomination will be sent to your email address and so that we can contact you with any additional questions.