The Ditson Buzz 🐝🐝🐝
Ditson Family Newsletter - August 23, 2024
Dear Ditson Families,
It is hard to believe that summer is coming to a close and we are starting another school year! Teachers have been in school preparing their classrooms in anticipation of their new students and an exciting school year ahead! And, our custodians have made our building look as though it is brand new!
This letter will provide you with important information and a link to both the Ditson School Procedures and the Billerica Public Schools Elementary Student Handbook. Please take time to review both as they contain important information regarding school policies and procedures. More information will follow at our Back to School Night on September 19th.
The first day of school for grades 1-4 is Wednesday, September 4th and the first day for Kindergarten is Thursday, September 5th. Kindergarten orientation will occur on Wednesday, September 4th from 9:30 -10:30AM.
The school day starts promptly at 8:35 with school doors opening at 8:25. Please note that we do not have staff on duty until 8:25. If you feel that you need to drop your child off earlier, we are excited to let you know that the Ditson is offering Early Morning Care starting at 6:30 AM. You can find more information at: Early Morning Care Registration Form
For safety purposes, students that are TARDY, entering the building after 8:35, MUST be accompanied by a parent and MUST be signed into school.
Please know that school lunches and breakfasts are free of charge this year. Your child(ren) will be assigned a PIN number and will need to learn and use that number each time they have a school lunch or breakfast.
Again, Welcome to the 2024 -2025 school year at the Ditson School! I look forward to a great year of partnership in support of all our students and hope to see you all at our Back to School Night on Sept. 19th.
Sincerely,
Victoria Hatem
Wednesday, September 4th -- 1st Day of School Grades 1-4
Wednesday, September 4th -- Kindergarten Orientation @ 9:30 am
Thursday, September 5th -- 1st Day of School for Kindergarten Students
Friday, September 6th -- DSA Family Slush Night
Tuesday, September 17th -- Early Release Day
Thursday, September 19th -- Back to School Night 6:00-8:00 pm
Monday, October 14th -- No School/Indigenous People Day
Wednesday, October 16th -- Picture Day
Friday, October 18th -- Trimester 1 Progress Reports Issued
Procedural Manual
Attached, please find the Ditson 2024-2025 Procedural Manual. Please take the time to review this document as it holds important information for you and your child.
Bus Routes
To simplify the bus number process, we're aligning our bus numbers at the Ditson with the route numbers provided by Eastern Bus. Updated bus routes for the 2024-2025 school year are available below. You can also find a comparison of old and new bus numbers below. If you have any questions, please reach out. We'll review these new numbers with students during their first week of school during morning arrival.
2024 - 2025 Ditson Elementary School Bus Routes
- Bus 1 is still Bus 1
- Formerly Bus 2 is now Bus 19
- Formerly Bus 3 is now Bus 21
- Formerly Bus 4 is now Bus 24
- Formerly Bus 5 is now Bus 16
- Formerly Bus 6 is now Bus 2
- Formerly Bus 7 is now Bus 14
- Formerly Bus 8 is now Bus 4
Photo-Opt Out
Meet Cooper - Therapy Dog Opt Out
This year, Mr. Lutinski will again be accompanied to school by, Cooper. Cooper, a 2.5 year-old miniature goldendoodle, is a certified therapy dog through Therapy Dog International (TDI). Therapy dogs are not service dogs, and as such work with their handler to provide support and comfort to other people (students and staff).
This is a wonderful opportunity for our school community. Research has shown that therapy dogs support psychological growth and increase social skills and self-esteem in children and adolescents. Therapy dogs are trained to provide emotional support, positively impacting reading progress, emotional functioning, and communication skills. They help student learn compassion, empathy, responsibility, respect, and self-discipline as well as decrease levels of anxiety.
Cooper will be on a leash at all times and will not enter the cafeteria. He will be used in counseling sessions, 1:1 support, and in classrooms/groups. All contact with Cooper is voluntary. If your child has allergies or has a fear of dogs, please indicate on the attached form to opt-out.
If you DO NOT want your child to have contact with a therapy dog, please complete this GOOGLE FORM by Friday, September 6th. If you have any questions or concerns or would like more information, please contact Matt Lutinski, Assistant Principal at 978-528-8510 or mlutinski@billericak12.com.
Student Arrival
Teachers are on duty at 8:25 in the morning. Students should not be dropped off before that time. To ensure the safety of all students, please adhere to the following drop-off procedures:
Morning Entrance: Access to the Ditson School via the bridge is restricted to staff, school buses, and parents/guardians dropping off students.
Drop-Off Locations:
Designated Drop-Off Area: Parents/guardians may drop off students in the designated area in front of the school. Please do not park or leave your vehicle unattended.
Walking Students to School: Parents/guardians wishing to walk their children to school must park in the lot before the bridge near the basketball court.
Car Line Procedures:
All students must be dropped off through the car line.
Grade-specific drop-off areas are found on the map below
To maintain traffic flow, please remain in your vehicle during drop-off.
Student Dismissal
Car Pick-up:
Proceed to the designated car pick-up area for your child's grade.
Display your car tag on your dashboard or driver’s side window.
Follow the directions of school staff and do not pass other vehicles.
Walker Pick-up:
Park in the lot before the bridge and walk to the school. Students who walk home will be dismissed from the side door closest to the Kindergarten playground.
Bus Dismissal:
Students will board their assigned buses after the bus number is called.
Important Reminders:
Designate your child's dismissal method (bus, car, walker) to the school office.
Changes to dismissal arrangements require written notification to the school office before 2:00 PM, unless in urgent circumstances.
Send an email to dmaguire@billericak12.com and your child's teacher
Use the Ditson School App – Dismissal Form
There is no vehicle access from McHugh Avenue to the Ditson School
Early Dismissal
To ensure the safety of your child, please follow these procedures for early dismissals:
Parent/Guardian Pickup: A parent or guardian must come to the main office to sign the student out.
Authorized Adult Pickup: If someone other than a parent or guardian will be picking up your child, written authorization with the adult’s name is required. We will verify identification.
No Unattended Dismissals: Students may not walk or bike home alone.
Early Dismissal Requests: Please notify the school office before 2:00 PM for early dismissals (excluding emergencies).
Ditson School App
Improving student learning outcomes is the top priority for all of us here at the Ditson Elementary School. We know that parent and family engagement is one of the biggest factors in student success, and our new Ditson Elementary School App will allow parents to easily connect with what is going on at the school. From in-app translations to push notifications for urgent messages, we know this will be an impactful addition to our existing methods of communicating with families.
Girls on the Run
Dear Parents/Guardians,
My name is Chris Vecchi, and I am excited to announce that a group of Ditson colleagues and parents will be bringing the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program to our school this upcoming year. This eight-week after-school program is designed to foster the physical, emotional, and social growth of young girls, culminating in a celebratory 5K race at Suffolk Downs. The program is open to all 3rd and 4th grade students.
We invite you to consider enrolling your daughter in this nationally acclaimed program, which teaches girls the importance of strength, confidence, and connection. Our coaching team has undergone extensive training, and two of us are certified Running Response Coaches. A pre-season parent meeting will provide additional details about the program.
Attached, you will find information about GOTR, including a QR code linking to the online registration form. Please note that registration and tuition payments are processed directly through the GOTR Boston office. Financial assistance is available; please refer to the tuition contact information provided for more details. Due to limited spots, we encourage early registration.
We are enthusiastic about bringing GOTR to Ditson and hope your daughter will join us.
Sincerely,
The GOTR Coaching Team
Ditson School
Kindergarten Orientation is Coming Soon!
We're excited to welcome our incoming Kindergarten families to Ditson Elementary School! Kindergarten Orientation will take place on Wednesday, September 4th at 9:30 AM. During orientation, students and families will have the opportunity to meet their kindergarten teacher and learn more about what to expect in Kindergarten.
If you haven't already done so, please be sure to complete the 24/25 Kindergarten Student Transportation Survey. This information will help us plan for transportation needs. If you've already completed the survey, there's no need to do it again.
We look forward to meeting you and your child soon!
