May Newsletter 25'
A Note From Dr. Hooton
Duello Families,
It is hard to believe that another school year is coming to an end. Mrs. Houdei and I have had an amazing year due to our amazing staff, students, and Duello families. We feel so honored to be a part of this special community. Together as a school, we have learned much and shared experiences that will remain with us in the years to come. The strength of our community and passion to make our school a wonderful place of learning for our students inspire me on a daily basis. Special thanks to all of you who contributed in many ways: leading and serving on our PTA, sending donations into the classrooms, volunteering in our classrooms, and supporting our work in countless ways. Thank you for supporting us as we have worked to provide rich, engaging, and well-rounded experiences for your children and for partnering with us to encourage the joy, wonder, and love of learning that we believe helps students develop into life-long learners and leaders.
The next few weeks are full of plans for continued learning, community building, and fun! Along with this fun comes the Missouri Assessment Program testing. The MAP test will be given the week of May 5. We are excited to have our students show all they know and do their best!
The MAP test will be given as follows:
Third & Fourth Grade testing will be on Monday, May 5-Thursday, May 8.
Fifth Grade testing will be on Tuesday, May 6-Thursday, May 8.
We are looking forward to an exciting and busy end of the year. Please be sure to read through the newsletter carefully and reach out if you have any questions.
For trusting us with your children, supporting our school, and partnering with us to make this such an amazing year, we are truly grateful! Thank you!
- Dr. Alicia Hooton
Duello Planting Day: May 4
We’re excited to invite all Duello families to our upcoming Planting Day as we get our outdoor classroom ready for a new season of learning and fun! Come roll up your sleeves and help us plant, spruce things up, and bring new life to our beautiful outdoor space. There will be crafts for little ones too—kindness rocks to paint and colorful suncatchers to create! It’s a great way to build community, enjoy the fresh air, and make our outdoor space shine. We can’t wait to see you there!
Upcoming Dates
May 1: 5th Grade START Graduation 9:30 a.m.
May 4: Community Planting Day
May 5-May 8: MAP testing grades 3-5
May 5-May 9: National Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7: 80's Themed Choir Concert
May 13: Kindergarten Celebration 9:30 a.m.
May 14: PTA Meeting at Duello 5:00 p.m.
May 15: Career Day
May 15: 5th Grade End of the Year Celebration
May 20: Talent Show 1:30 p.m.
May 21: Field Day
May 22: 5th Grade End of the Year Picnic and Yard Games
May 23: Last Day of School (ERD) + 5th Grade Clap Out
National Teacher Appreciation Week | May 5-9
Teacher Appreciation Week allows us a special time to honor the inspiring contributions of our amazing Mustang staff, who tirelessly guide and inspire students every day. Our teachers play such a vital role in not only our Duello community but our society, illuminating the path to knowledge and growth. They selflessly dedicate themselves to our Mustangs, day in and day out.
During this special week, let us express our heartfelt gratitude to these extraordinary individuals who do so much for others. Please click the button below to send in shout outs recognizing the great work that our staff is doing or thanking them for their support with your student. We will print out and share all submissions with our staff.
BOGO Book Fair
Our BOGO Book Fair will be May 12, 13, and 14. Everything is buy one, get one free! Stock up for the summer! Don't forget the best way to shop is by setting up a cashless eWallet. Visit our book fair homepage and set up your kiddos eWallet (linked in the graphic).
We are also having our Share the Fair Coin Challenge again. All coins collected will be spent at the bookfair by classroom teachers for their classroom libraries. In addition, Scholastic will donate one book for every $1 we raise to schools in need! Win, Win! Coin challenge starts May 5!
Field Day
Duello's Field Day will be on May 21. Students in grades K-2 will participate from 9-11:15 a.m. and grades 3-5 will participate from 12-2:15 p.m. Please dress appropriately for movement. Tennis shoes must be worn. No flip flops or crocs allowed! Don’t forget a water bottle and please apply sunscreen at home. Also, be sure to bring a complete change of clothes for after your field day time. Don’t forget socks and underwear!
Next Years School Wide Theme
Our school voted on our theme for next school year and the winner is... Camping!
Trees on the bulletin boards, tents in the hallways, and little paper campfires glowing with orange and red tissue paper flames…Camp Duello!
We will start the year by talking about what Camp Duello means: learning new things, working together like a team, being brave when things get tricky, and showing leadership every day. We even will have students decorate their our own class Camp flags. I can already tell next year is going to be a year full of continued learning, laughter, and big adventures. At Camp Duello, every day is a chance to explore, grow, and lead. And we are ready for the journey. Adventure awaits..
Help us start out the year in FULL theme by purchasing some items below!
Specialist Newsletter
Important Calendar Change for 2024-25
General Information
Morning/Afternoon Schedule
- Doors open at 8:05 a.m.
- Breakfast from 8:05 a.m.-8:20 a.m.
- Dismissal begins at 3:15 p.m.
Reporting Absences
Regular school attendance is critical to your child’s success at school. In the event that your child should need to be absent from school, please notify the office at (636) 327-6050 and press 1 to report that absence. Please leave your name, your child’s name, and grade, the teacher's name, and the reason for absence. You may also email attendance changes to attendance.duello@wsdr4.org
Arrival and Dismissal
This is an important reminder of the drop-off and pick-up procedures that we will enforce for the safety and efficiency of the students and parents at Duello. Staff supervision and student drop-off begin at 8:05 a.m. If you arrive early, please wait with your child(ren) until 8:05 a.m. to assure that they are supervised. Parents should not drop students off in the parking lot in order to avoid the drop-off line.
Walkers- Walkers are defined as students who walk or ride their bike home. These students will be dismissed and will either travel home alone or meet their parent/guardian. The parking lot is not a designated crosswalk and is extremely dangerous for students to walk through unattended. Please do not bypass the carline for convenience and put your child and others in danger.
Car Riders- Car Riders are defined as students who will have parents/guardians who will utilize our car rider line to drive through and pick their child up. This is the most efficient way if a parent is coming to pick their child up. The line might look long but it moves quickly.
Car Rider Drop Off- Parents, if you are dropping off in the car rider line in the morning and your child needs assistance getting out of the car, please put your flashers on and a staff member will help assist getting your child out of the car.
A smooth and efficient procedure takes all of us working together. I appreciate and expect all parents to follow the outlined procedures.
Lunch Times
Regular Day Lunch Times:
Kindergarten: 11:00-11:20
First: 12:15-12:35
Second: 10:35-10:55
Third: 11:50-12:10
Fourth:11:25-11:45
Fifth: 12:40-1:00
Late Start Lunch Times:
Kindergarten: 11:00-11:20
First: 11:25-11:45
Second: 10:35-10:55
Third: 11:50-12:10
Fourth: 12:15-12:35
Fifth: 12:40-1:00
Early Release Lunch Times:
Kindergarten: 10:20-10:40
First: 10:45-11:05
Third: 11:10-11:30
Second: 11:35-11:55
Fourth: 12:00-12:20
Fifth: 12:25-12:45
Opt Out Communication
Throughout the duration of the academic year, the Wentzville School District partners with community agencies that specialize in providing students, families, and educators with preventative education. Agency presenters are credentialed, coordinated through the District, and under the supervision of building administrators. Presentation topics are targeted toward specific grade levels. All students will participate in each program unless you choose to opt your child out of the lesson(s). If you are interested in opting your student(s) out of the presentation(s), please click the appropriate link(s) below.
Mrs. Amber Houdei | Assistant Principal
1814 Duello Road
Lake St. Louis, MO 63367
636.327.6050