The Bear Essentials

Greetings Dyer Families!

We have had a wonderful first week of school here at Dyer Elementary! Our students in have settled in nicely and are already familiar with their way around campus! We are excited for another awesome school year!

This is the first edition of our 2024-2025 weekly school newsletter, The Bear Essentials. We will publish The Bear Essentials each Friday via email, and in Parent Square. Please be sure to read each edition as this is the best way to stay informed about school and community events. Should you find that you need to update your email address in our system, please contact our front office for assistance.

A link to the current school newsletter as well as archived editions can be found on our school website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/DyerES

Below are a few reminders as we begin the new school year:

• Free & Reduced lunch waivers must be renewed each school year. Complete a meal application by Wed., Sept. 11, to continue meal benefits and ensure added support for your school! In order to receive free or reduced-price meal benefits, families must complete the Free and Reduced-price Meal Application and meet eligibility requirements. Click here to learn more and find a link to the application. It's More Than a Meal! Beyond the Free & Reduced meal price benefits, filling out an application has other positive benefits.

  
  

• There are no vehicles permitted in the bus lanes during arrival (7:45-8:25AM) and dismissal (2:25-3:15PM). If you need to visit the school during these times, please park in the side parking lot as the front parking lot will be closed for loading and unloading buses.

• The safety & security of our students and staff is a top priority! All visitors must present a photo ID to check in and obtain a visitors pass. We are excited to welcome visitors for lunches after Labor Day. Please watch for more information on how and when you can come visit.

• Transportation changes must be submitted in writing, and sent to school with your student in the morning. (We cannot accept transportation changes over the phone or via fax/email.) Bus passes are for emergencies only. Parents with more than one student, please be sure to write a note to each homeroom teacher to alert them to the change in dismissal procedures.

• There are no check-outs after 2:15. Also, please remember to send a note to the teacher letting them know you will be checking your child out early. This will ensure your child has his/her belongings with them when you arrive. (Remember, classrooms are locked when not in use, if you arrive when your child's class is traveling, your child cannot access their belongings.) This policy is in place to ensure the safety of all students. While we dismiss at 2:45, we begin the process of distributing bus passes and distributing transportation change reminders at 2:15 and these tasks must be our main focus during that time to ensure each student gets home safely.

• All students must have a transportation tag attached to their backpack. If you purchase your child a new backpack throughout the year, please remove the tag from the old backpack and send it in to school with your child. We will attach it to their new backpack for you.

• Car Riders, please be reminded there are no left turns when exiting on to Hurricane Shoals Road. Also, car riders ends at 3:10PM, we've been giving grace this first week, but will need to begin adhering to that cut off time beginning on Monday.
• If you need a car rider tag for occasional use, you can purchase one on MyPaymentsPlus. We will send your tag home in your child's bookbag. Be sure to allow 48 hours for processing.

• Ice Cream will be sold during lunch each Friday starting 9/6. The cost is $2.

• Friday's are spirit wear days. Staff and students are encouraged to wear their Dyer/Mountain View spirit wear each Friday.

As many of you are aware, we use the PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions & Support) framework at Dyer ES. This program takes a proactive and positive approach to teach students about behavior expectations.

During the first two weeks of school (and beyond) students will learn about the behavior expectations in each area of the school from the classrooms, to hallways, cafeteria, buses and so on. We teach these expectations to students using the acronym BEARS.

• Brave
• Engaged
• Accountable
• Respectful
• Safe

Students are acknowledged and praised for exhibiting desired behaviors. All staff will be awarding students "BEARS Bucks" that can be redeemed for prizes/rewards in their classroom, as well as in the school store, The Trading Post, where they can purchase entries to special events and raffles.

This year, we are also incorporating "qualifying events", these are events in which students automatically earn entry when they earn a set number of points, they will not need to spend their BEARS Bucks to attend. Our first "Qualifying Event" of the school year, is a Back to School Bash! Students who earn 50 BEARS Bucks by 8/29 will qualify to attend a special dance during specials on Friday 8/30!

Parents, you can help support this program in a variety of ways:

• Review the DES behavior expectations with your child using our BEARS acronym.

• Talk to your child and ask them what they are doing to earn BEARS Bucks, and help them set goals for themselves. Do they want to purchase something special off of their teacher's prize cart, or earn enough BEARS Bucks to qualify for a monthly celebration? Perhaps they have their hearts set on purchasing a ticket to a special event.

• Help solicit local businesses for small gifts and/or gift cards for rewards.

• Donate prizes for students. Anything from dollar tree/Oriental trading items to gift cards.

• Make a financial contribution of $5 per student (part of Online Orientation fees) to help offset the cost of student prizes/raffles & PBIS Rewards Program software.

• Support our PBIS (BEARS) fundraisers throughout the year. We already have three fundraisers up and running, birthday messages on our marquee, birthday ICEE treats for the class and Bruster's Blue Ice Days!

• Join our PBIS team! We are currently looking for a parent representative. If you are interested in learning more about this volunteer opportunity, please email Jennifer York at Jennifer.York@gcpsk12.org

We will continue to use the PBIS Rewards program to issue and redeem BEARS Bucks. Parents will also have the ability to utilize the PBIS Family App. where you can see how many points (BEARS bucks) your child has earned, which teachers have awarded them, and how they are spending their points. More information about the App will be shared in the coming weeks, please keep an eye out!

Hello Bear Families!
We’re excited to announce an opportunity for you to make a meaningful impact on our school community. Have you ever wondered how decisions are made at Dyer Elementary? Now’s your chance to be part of it!

Click here to read the latest newsletter from our Principal, Mr. DiFilippo, about joining the School Council. Discover how you can contribute to shaping the future of our students and school. Your voice matters!

https://secure.smore.com/n/851hr

Together, let’s continue to make Dyer Elementary a fantastic place for our kids to learn and grow.

We look forward to seeing you get involved!

Full Pay Meal prices have increased by 25 cents

Student meal prices:

• PK-12 Breakfast is $1.75
• ES Lunch is $2.50

Adult meal prices:

• Breakfast - $2.75
• Lunch - $4.00

Cafeteria Information: View school menus, information about meal pricing, and more...

Lunch Visitation: Parent lunch visitation will begin after Labor Day when schedules and routines have been established. The schedule will be published in Bear Essentials after the start of school.

• Free & Reduced Lunch Application: Opens July 29th, Must be renewed each year.

This year we will continue to implement and expand our PBIS program school-wide. The goal of this program is to not only notice positive behavior, but also to reward that behavior. You can help support the funding of this program, and wish your child a happy birthday on our school marquee at the same time. It's a win-win! For a $10 contribution, a Happy Birthday message along with your child's first name and last initial will be displayed on our marquee for three days during the week of your child's birthday. Summer birthday? Not a problem, We will display summer birthday messages during the last week of school and during their birthday week. NOTE: Your child's name will be displayed on their birth date as well as the day immediately before and after. Orders can be placed via Mypaymentsplus.com under the School Events tab. Please note, requests will be processed the next business day.

Parents also have the option to purchase ICEES for their child's class as a birthday treat. In addition to saving you a trip to drop off treats, these ICEES are free from most common allergens, which means everyone can enjoy them! The cost to purchase ICEES for every student in your child's class is $30 and all proceeds benefit our BEARS (PBIS) program. You can purchase them in advance on MyPaymentsPlus. ICEES will be distributed on your child's birthday during lunch, or the day prior/after if it falls on a non school-day.

Please be sure to review Dyer's birthday celebration policy in the Dyer Elementary Student/Parent Supplemental Handbook.

Membership Drive Ends at noon on 08/30

The class (and teacher) with the highest dollar amount in membership donations per grade level by noon on Friday August 30th will win a icee party and their teacher will be awarded a $25 Amazon Giftcard.

my.cheddarup.com/c/pto-membership-drive-20251

PJ Day on Friday August 23rd

Join us for PJ's for PTO on Friday August 23rd!

https://pj-s-for-pto.cheddarup.com

Spirit Wear Link

If you missed us at Open House, Dyer spirit wear can be purchased via the following link!! Orders will be filled and placed in your child's homeroom teachers box for distribution.

my.cheddarup.com/c/school-spirit-wear-27933

Parent Volunteer Signup

Please join us and volunteer today!!

Now accepting all levels of volunteerism; we will happily train on site, we do not bite and no amount of time is too small!!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9s89O4bvnCqvKbUeP03ajfhA53r0-bum_Ym-9Fn1RCkA9qA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

Small Business Fall Festival & Marketplace Booth OR Business Sponsor

Do you or someone you know operate a local business or have a side hustle? Would you like to reach hundreds of people that are all in one place? This year Dyer PTO is offering a Marketplace shopping experience along with our Fall Festival and we would love for you to join us!

Reserve your spot today!!

my.cheddarup.com/c/fall-festival-and-marketplace-vendor-payment

my.cheddarup.com/c/2024-2025-dyer-elementary-business-sponsorship

Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/dyeres
Location: 1707 Hurricane Shoals Road, Dacula, GA, USA
Phone: 770-963-6214
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DyerES/