Dear Families,

We had a wonderful first week here at Dicken! It was lovely to see the students reconnect with friends and learn the new routines. This year we will be implementing a school wide Social Emotional Learning framework called "The Character Effect" (TCE) where children learn about character strengths and how to spot strengths in themselves and others. The entire school will learn about the same strength each week. I'll share the strength each week in our family newsletter. This week was an overview and introduction.

Upcoming Dates

• Friday, September 1 - No School - Labor Day Weekend

• Monday, September 4 - No School - Labor Day

• Tuesday, September 12 - 6:00 - 7:30 - Curriculum Night

Appreciation

Thank you to our PTO for welcoming staff with a beautiful luncheon during our opening week Professional Development!

Family Handbook

Please take some time to review our Family Handbook, especially for those new to Dicken Elementary. A reminder that the second loop closest to the lower elementary playground is reserved for buses only. Thank you!

Free Breakfast and Lunch

The Michigan School Meals Program is providing free breakfast and lunch for ALL students in Michigan. Please see the information below:

• ALL FAMILIES MUST COMPLETE A FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH FORM

• No matter your status or interest in breakfast/lunch

• Only complete meals are free. If you buy a la carte (such as a getting a milk) it still costs the usual amount.

**If your child would like to eat breakfast, they should come through the front entrance beginning at 8:30 am.

Noon Hour Supervisors

We are hiring Noon Hour Supervisors! This is a great way to support our school and be part of the community. This position is an hourly pay from 11:00 - 1:30 daily. If you are interested, please apply here. Look for Job #15299.

If you are not interested in working lunch daily, we can always use more parent volunteers. Please fill out the Parent Volunteer Form and email our noon hour coordinator, Jean Kim, if you are interested: kimhy@aaps.k12.mi.us

~~~

All the Best,

Heather

Message from the PTO President

Welcome families to another exciting year at Dicken! Hopefully you all enjoyed the summer break and are finding your groove getting back into the swing of things and new school routines.

The Dicken Elementary PTO is a volunteer organization made up of families, teachers and administration that seeks to strengthen the education and social environment of Dicken Elementary. All parents and guardians of Dicken students, along with all Dicken teachers and staff, are automatically part of the PTO. To get further involved, we welcome you to volunteer at school events, be a room parent in your child(ren)'s classroom, or hold a position on the PTO board.

The PTO organizes two large fundraisers throughout the year - the Dicken Dash (save the date for the afternoon of Friday, October 6th!) and the Read-a-Thon during March is Reading month. The funds raised during these events are used to pay for all of the PTO initiatives throughout the year, which include everything from educational and cultural enrichment events at the school (such as musical performances and Super Science Day), classroom field trips, teacher grants and stipends, community events like the Pumpkin Patch, books for each student during March is Reading month, and yearbooks during the last week of school.

The PTO board is already busy purchasing a new ice maker for the nurse's office, working with teachers and lunchroom staff to buy new lunch carts for the classrooms, stocking the staff lounge with welcome back snacks for our wonderful staff, lining up some incredible enrichment assemblies for the fall semester, organizing our first Community Night Out for next Thursday at Pizza House, and beginning our major fundraising efforts for the upcoming Dicken Dash.

Please reach out if you have any ideas, questions, or concerns that the PTO can help with. I look forward to seeing many of you at Curriculum Night on Tuesday, September 12. During Curriculum Night, I will be presenting more about what the PTO does for Dicken and its students and staff. Have a great long weekend - I look forward to getting to know more of you this school year.

—Hallie Jewell, Dicken PTO President

dickenptopresident@gmail.com

Click here for the Dicken Elementary Parents Facebook group

Find information about events, meeting minutes, and more on the PTO website at www.dickenpto.com

All PTO Meetings take place on the third Thursday of each month from 7 - 8:30 pm.

Thursday, September 21

Thursday, October 19

Thursday, November 16

Thursday, December 21

Thursday, January 18

Thursday, February 15

Thursday, March 21

Thursday, April 18

Thursday, May 16

Thursday, June 20

To see all Dicken school & PTO events in one place, click here for our PTO Google Calendar.

Another helpful link: the AAPS School Calendar.

Last year over 40% of the businesses who sponsored the Dicken Dash were connected to Dicken Families (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles). Sponsorship levels range from $100-$1000. The PTO has been reaching out to past sponsors and potential new sponsors, and we welcome any recommendations or sponsorships from the community - just email us at dickendash@gmail.com. Thank you!

And a huge thank you to the businesses that have already generously agreed to sponsor the 2023 Dicken Dash:

• Abby Rose Photo
• Blossom Dental
• Carlisle/Wortman Associates
• Christina Kim, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Investment
• McNamara Orthodontics
  
• Rise Wellness Collaborative
• StudioStudio
• Thriving Minds
• Unwind Salon

Fall Running Club will start on Wednesday, September 5th and conclude on Wednesday, October 4th. Our short season will be a great way to get ready for the DickenDash and/or DickenRun. Running club meets from 4-5pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and is open to all Dicken Students… at no cost! Kids run laps on a ¼ mile loop on the north side of the school (with guards on each corner) to earn mileage awards. It’s a great way to get moving after the school day and fast-or-slow, it’s always fun!

Register for Fall Running Club here.

In addition to the 2 main fundraisers run by the PTO each year, our PTO arranges a few mini opportunities to support the school. Community Night Out (CNO) is a way to support a local restaurant, while also sending some dollars to our school!

The first CNO will take place Thursday, September 7 from 10:30 am - 4:30 am. Order from Pizza House Ann Arbor, and 15% of sales will go toward Dicken.

The Dicken Spirit Wear sale is open until September 10. Select "I'll pick it up myself" at checkout to have your items shipped right to the school.

Want to learn more about Girl Scouts?

Please join us on September 6th at 4:30 pm or 5:30 pm for a Discovery Night!

Location: Ann Arbor District Library: Pittsfield Branch, Muskrat Room

Please RSVP to Tamara at tratcliffe@gshom.org

Join Cub Scouts to build character, enjoy STEM projects and participate in philanthropic activities. Students kindergarten through fifth grade are offered opportunities to develop self-confidence, try new things and learn team building skills. All are welcome!

We are a diverse, inclusive, non-denominational Pack that meets at Lawton Elementary. Although we recruit from Lawton and Dicken, we welcome students from all schools and home schools. Our goal is to help young people make ethical choices by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. Our Cub Scout Motto is “Do your best.”

Meet us and learn more:

• Wednesday, September 20 - Cub Scout Open House and Pack Meeting 6:30 pm at Lawton
  
  

About Pack 131

• Recruits from Lawton and Dicken and based in the Lawton/Lansdowne area for nearly 60 years
• Chartered by Erwin Prieskorn American Legion Post 46
• Welcomes boys and girls, kindergarten through 5th grade
• Meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at Lawton (6:30 pm)
• Activities include: campouts, nature hikes, Pinewood Derby, AirZoo Overnight, USS Silversides submarine overnight in Muskegon and Service projects
• All leaders trained in Youth Protection
• Membership and Pack Dues for new members will be $235, which includes registration, insurance, awards and many activities
• Uniforms, Scout magazine, and some events are in addition to the membership and dues
• Financial assistance and camperships available for dues, uniforms and event fees
• Family-friendly environment: siblings welcome at all Pack events!