Dolphin "Pod" Cast

We look forward to seeing all of you during parent teacher conferences which will be held on 11/25 & 11/26. Use this link https://docs.google.com/document/d/1owEAK0PStNXiA9EHXmoTkJjw1u4wFSYU_pFaGAtMjHY/edit?usp=sharing to find your child's teacher conference schedule and to sign up for a day/time.

Teachers will be sharing data with families around where your student is, where they should be by the end of the year, overall information about how things are going in class day to day with respect to academics, teachers will also be explaining how the progress report works and sharing work samples with you from your student.

Mr. McDowell has a community organization that is looking to help families in need with winter outerwear, gloves, scarves, coats, and hats. If you'd like to be considered, please email Mr. McDowell scott.mcdowell@colonial.k12.de.us.

We are happy to announce Distinguish Dolphins is coming in December! Students have worked hard to come up with meaning for the acronym Dolphins-Dependable, Owns Their Actions, Leader, Positive Attitude, Hardworking, Inclusive, Never Gives Up! Click the poster below for a further explanation of what a Distinguish Dolphin is. Our first Distinguished Dolphins ceremony will be Dec. 13. More details will come as we get closer.

Snack in the classroom, our nutrition department provides fresh fruits and vegetables to students Tuesday-Thursday. The items provided are grapes, melons, cucumbers, peas, mango, etc. Your student is not required to accept this snack; however, if you are providing your child a snack from home, it needs to be a healthy, nut and allergen free and snack size. Pretzels, goldfish, cheese stick, etc. Large bags of chips and cheetos, etc. is not an appropriate snack for school. Students are working as they snack, so they need to have clean fingers and be able to work while eating. This is not a second lunch. Candy of any kind is not allowed.

Dismissal Changes- Any dismissal changes should be made in writing either on Class Dojo, email, or a written note to your child's teacher. This helps us ensure students are getting to the proper location for dismissal. Thank you for your help with this.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• November 25 & 26 Parent Teacher Conferences
• November 27-29 No School for Students-Thanksgiving
• December 4 Family Math Game Night
• December 9-13 Book Fair
• December 13 Distinguished Dolphin Ceremony
• December 19 Winter Concert
• December 23 January 3- Winter Break

Colonial Upcoming Events

A friendly reminder about students and cell phones:

Cell phones and smart watches are not permitted to be out at any point during the school day. That includes students taking them to the restroom to use. All classrooms have phones and if a student is not feeling well, Nurse Salter is here to assist. Cell phone use in the school building during the school day is prohibited. Phones & smart watches that come to school are to be in student back packs and on silent and should not be seen. Consequences including but not limited to confiscation, around the use of cell phones were discussed with students during our classroom visits.

According to the Colonial School District Code of Conduct: Unauthorized use of communication devices/cell phones- "The use of communications devices such as but not limited to, cell phones and electronic pager, are prohibited in certain areas of the school environment. The unauthorized possession, and/or use of such communication devices and other devices that may be disruptive to the educational process are prohibited. Possession is defined as the display or use of such a device in an unauthorized area or during an unauthorized time in the school setting."

The Code of Conduct can be viewed here.

Student Policies & Code of Conduct | Colonial School District

Ms. Rhodes here with another reading tip! Encourage repeated reading by having your child read a favorite story or passage multiple times, aiming for smoother and more expressive reading each time. This practice boosts confidence, reinforces word recognition, and improves overall reading fluency. Repeated readings also allow your child to focus more on understanding the story rather than decoding or sounding out individual words.

Mrs. H here with some BIG news!!! Our students have reached an incredible goal: 100,000 ST Math puzzles completed! Students exceeded the goal with a total of 103, 219 puzzles!!!!This achievement reflects the hard work, determination, and positive attitudes of our young mathematicians.

Throughout this journey, our students have demonstrated our core math values by owning their brilliance, and being bold and brave as they tackled each puzzle. We couldn’t be prouder of their effort and growth!

As we head into fall break, let’s keep those math brains active! Here’s a simple tip: Look for math in everyday activities. Whether it’s measuring ingredients while cooking, estimating the total at the grocery store, or practicing math facts, there are countless ways to make math fun and engaging during the break.

Thank you for supporting our students and celebrating this wonderful accomplishment. Be on the lookout for our next ST Math Challenge!

Welcome to Carrie Downie, Ms. Purcell!

Vision, hearing, and scoliosis screenings are being completed over the next few weeks. If you student fails one of the screenings, you will receive a letter and referral form in the mail. For failed vision screenings, students have the option to receive free examinations and glasses, if appropriate, from the Vision to Learn van. There is no date scheduled yet but completing the consent form and returning it to the nurse ASAP will allow your student to be scheduled with them when we know the date that they will be visiting CD. If you prefer that your student, see an eye specialist of your choosing or already has one, please have the eye specialist complete the other form located in the envelope you receive. If you receive a referral letter for hearing or scoliosis/posture, please take the referral form to your child’s pediatrician and have them complete the form. The referral form for hearing, scoliosis, and vision (if choosing not to use Vision to Learn), must be returned to the nurse before April 30, 2025. If you would like your child to see Vision to Learn, please complete the consent form included in the envelope and return asap.

Additionally, the Nemours Wellness Center is a great resource for general health concerns including sick visits, physical exams, immunizations, lead levels, etc. And lastly, if your child is not feeling well and has an elevated temperature/fever, diarrhea/vomiting, cough/congestion/sore throat, rash or any other viral illness that is not related to seasonal allergies, please keep them home and contact their PCP -or- the Nemours School-Based Wellness Center to be evaluated. See links below!

Nemours SBWC : https://app.nemours.org/sbhc

At Carrie Downie our staff uses Class Dojo and School Messenger to communicate with families. Be sure you are connecting with your student's classroom Dojo page for ease in messaging their teacher. District and school administrators use School Messenger to communicate with families, please be sure we have your current email and phone number to ensure you are receiving all information.

Ms. Dupree is our Communities in Schools for this school year. She is a great resource for our students and community. Ms. Dupree brings community resources into our school to ensure students have what they need to succeed in school, the workforce, and life, regardless of their identity, ability, zip code, or socio-economic background. Communities in schools provides academic support, social-emotional learning, family engagement, basic needs support, and enrichment activities. Ms. Dupree can be reached via email at kendra.dupree@colonial.k12.de.us.

• School begins at 8:45am, students arriving after 9:00am are late and will need to be signed in at the main office with Ms. Gina
• Dismissal begins at 3:35pm, no early dismissals after 2:45pm
• Parents are not permitted to walk their child to their classroom.
• No outside food coming from home to be used for classroom parties, celebrations, events and/or rewards for student behavior due to monitoring food allergies, reducing food safety concerns and consumption of excess calories during the school day to meet Smart Snack guidelines.
• Please be sure your child has the proper footwear for recess, closed toe shoes keep them safe and prevent injury
• When students have physical education they must wear sneakers for safety
• If you would like to volunteer for upcoming field trips throughout the school year, you must complete a volunteer/background check form on Colonial's website and be approved; see link below.

Nemours Wellness Center

Carrie Downie's Wellness Center is excited for a new school year!

What's a school-based health center?

A school-based health center (SBHC) is a medical office located inside your child's school. Nurse practitioners and behavioral health therapists offer well-child visits, sick visits, vaccinations, and mental health care to students. Your child can get free, high-quality care, that's safe and convenient.

How much does a visit cost?

If your child doesn't have insurance, their care is free. If your child has insurance, the school-based health center will file a claim directly. (Note: No co-pay, co-insurance or deductible will be charged to you).

Who runs the SBHC?

Your child's school-based health center is a partnership between their school district, Nemours Children’s Health and the Delaware Division of Public Health. These three organizations work together to run the center.

Staff:

Physical Health Practitioner - Natalie

Behavioral Health - Jason

Enroll using the link below.