Happy New Year
Dear DCPHW Families,
I hope your holidays were restful and enjoyable. The beginning of a new year often inspires us to create new goals or resolutions for ourselves. It is also a great time to help your student(s) develop the habit of reviewing their own goals and plans. Research shows that when we set goals and receive specific feedback about our goals, we are more likely to be successful.
Throughout the school year, teachers work with students to create their own individual goals and plan to help them achieve these goals. They create a goal that is specific and measurable such as improving their score on MAP (NWEA) or increasing the number of sight words they recognize. When a child creates a plan for improving their achievement, it gives them ownership of their learning and empowers them to reach that goal. Students need to be aware that hard work and persistence are the ways to success. Praising students for their efforts toward achieving their goals is extremely important and allows students to develop a Growth Mindset.
You play an important role in the success of your child’s education. Teaching your child to persevere when things are difficult will promote his/her self-esteem. Help them achieve their goals in the classroom by remaining connected to the process. Finally, supporting their education ensures your child will succeed.
Please read on for all the information you need for a successful return.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025
-Mrs. Dietz
- Starting January 13, students will take their second MAP Growth test from NWEA on a computer or tablet. We give MAP Growth tests to determine students' instructional levels and to measure academic growth throughout the school year in Language Arts and Mathematics.
- This first test was given at the beginning of the year for teachers to use as a benchmark of where each child is academically. This next test is given to check progress and the last test will be given at the end of the year to determine growth.
- MAP Growth tests are unique in that they adapt to your child’s level of learning. If your child answers a question correctly, the next question is more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the next one is easier. This results in a detailed picture of what your child knows and is ready to learn—whether it is on, above, or below their grade level.
- Since MAP Growth tests provide immediate and accurate information about your child’s learning, it is easy for teachers to identify students with similar scores that are generally ready for instruction in similar skills and topics, and then plan instruction accordingly.
- We are truly excited to focus on your child’s individual growth and achievement.
- For more information about the MAP Growth test, visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/family-toolkit/.
Class Dojo
A great way to stay connected to our school AND your child's teacher is to get connected on class dojo. If you are not already connected, please be sure to click the link and get connected today!
Class Dojo Link: https://www.classdojo.com/ul/p/addKid?target=school&schoolID=59afdaed2d941ac460b96b5a
Please be sure to check Class Dojo DAILY
Winter Transportation
Basic bus rules apply all year long, but now that winter is here we would like to review some that specifically pertain to this time of year.
- Students should be at the bus stop at least 10 minutes before the bus normally arrives. Drivers are not able to wait for tardy students
- Wait on the sidewalk for the bus to arrive or stay as far back from the roadway as possible. Icy conditions can make it difficult for drivers to stop.
- Do NOT approach the bus until it has come to a complete stop.
- Cross in front of the bus ONLY after you receive a signal from the driver. Visibility may be limited due to weather conditions.
- Students must remain seated at ALL times. They should only leave their seat when the bus comes to a complete stop.
- Students need to dress appropriately for the weather. Coats, boots, mittens, hats, scarves need to be put on BEFORE entering or leaving the bus. If you forget something, just ask the driver.
Please be patient when waiting for the bus to arrive before and after school. Snow, rain, sleet and other inclement weather will cause traffic delays and the buses may run behind schedule. Student safety is top priority and drivers will use caution when driving in poor conditions.
Transportation Questions: Please reach out to Mr. Cunningham at
Intent to Return/Re-Enrollment
Thank you for being a part of our school family this past year!
The time has come to let us know if you are planning on joining us next year as well. Re-Enrollment forms will be sent home with your child(ren), please be sure to fill out and send back.
If you have a new scholar that will be joining us this year; or, if you know of someone who may be interested in joining us, please be sure to let us know
Thank you for choosing our school! We hope you've had a great school year!
DCPHW will be participating in The Great Kindness Challenge! During the week of January 27th -31st. We will join thousands of schools across the country to create a culture of kindness. Your child is part of a powerful and positive bullying prevention initiative that will lead to more kindness, unity, and respect at school and beyond.
Each day of The Great Kindness Challenge, students are invited to participate in our spirit days (below). Additionally, students will complete a Kindness Checklist to show how they can make a difference by being kind. The checklist needs to be returned to the teacher by Friday, January 31st. Classes with the most participation will win a prize.
Link to the checklist: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G-atywdqlp3SII-Yyuzgv-a9Es-Ekujc/view?usp=sharing
Link to Spirit Week Days: The Great Kindness Challenge
You and your family can also participate in The Great Kindness Challenge at home. For more information, please visit: www.greatkindnesschallenge.org
Thank you in advance for helping to create a culture of kindness and compassion in our community and beyond!
Our goal is to ensure that 100% of our students attend school regularly. Our current weekly attendance rate is 84%. We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school — regardless of the reason — it can cause them to fall behind academically. Research shows:
- Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk of dropping out of school.
- By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th-grade test scores.
Absences can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!
January 20th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Federal Holiday)
Check out these great resources to learn more about MLK day.
What You Should Know About Martin L. King Jr. Day of Service
A guide to resources for parents on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Inclement Weather
How to find out if we have a weather-related delay/school closing:
- Check local news station
- Check our school website: https://www.phalenacademies.org/domain/274
- Make sure you are registered on our school notification system
- Check Class Dojo
1/6: School Resumes
1/10: Q2 Ends
1/11: Q3 Beings
1/13-1/31- Winter NWEA Testing
1/14: Tigers Den Parent Meeting 4:00pm
1/17: Q2 Report Cards go home
1/20: MLK Day: No School
1/24: Q2 Honors Assembly
1/27-1/31: The Great Kindness Challenge (linked is spirit week)
1/28: Board Meeting @ Redford
Looking ahead:
2/12: COUNT DAY
2/13 :Chucks & Tuxs (Daddy/Daughter Dance) *More info to come*
2/14: NO School (Staff PD)
2/17: No School (Presidents Day)
2/20: Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:45-5:30pm
2/21: 1/2 day- Dismissal at 11:30am
2/21: Parent/Teacher Conferences 12:00-3:30pm
Bullying Prevention:
What is Bullying? A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself. Bullying has three major components:
- Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions.
- Bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time.
- Bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength.
Bullying can take many different forms such as hitting, verbal harassment, spreading false rumors, excluding someone from a group or sending disrespectful messages on a cell phone or over the internet.
What DCPHW is Doing to Prevent Bullying?
* We are kicking off an Anti-Bullying Campaign to bring awareness to all stakeholders
* We will create common bullying prevention language to use throughout the entire school
* Our walls will talk with bullying prevention graphics/knowledge
* We will host a family workshop on the topic of bullying (be on the lookout for more information)
* We created a positive behavior system (PRIDE POINTS) to encourage positive behavior and decrease negative behaviors
*We are participating in the Great Kindness Challenge to promote a culture of kindness
Q2 Honors Assembly
It's that time again-- On 1/24, we are hosting our Q2 honors assembly. This is a time for us to recognize our highest-achieving students, students who do an outstanding job representing PRIDE, and students who have not missed a single day of school (perfect attendance). Students receiving an award will come home with a letter inviting them and you to our Q2 honors assembly.
*More information to come on time*
Cell Phones/Electronic Devices
We believe that cell phones & electronic devices have great utility. We have also found that learning and social behavior improve drastically when students are fully present so they can engage with their teachers and classmates.
Just a reminder: Our school is a phone/electronics-FREE space
- Student cell phones need to be turned off and in a student's backpack/locker/or turned in to teacher/office/bucket
- If a student is caught with or using their cellphone throughout the day, their device will be taken to the office and held until a parent is able to pick it up
- If a student needs to contact a parent, they may do so by asking a staff member or coming to the office.
You can find more about our cellphone policy in our student code of conduct found on our school website.
We are looking for volunteers for the following:
- Parking Lot (Arrival/Dismissal)
- Lunch Room Monitors
- Popcorn Friday During Lunch
*If you are interested, please fill out the following sign up form:
Tigers Den: PTO
The Tiger Den PTO is our Parent Teacher Organization. Our main goal is to establish and maintain a working relationship among parents, the school, and the community. We wish to enhance and support the educational programs and extracurricular activities of the school. We also want to encourage parental involvement in the school.
It is so easy to join the team-
If you would like to learn more...
please come to our next Tiger's Den meeting on
Tuesday, January 14th from 4:00 pm-5:00 pm.
*children are welcome to attend*
