January Newsletter 23-24
A Note From Dr. Hooton
Happy New Year Mustangs!
It’s time to bid farewell to 2023 and welcome in 2024! I’m entering this new year with gratitude for my Duello Family. My hope is that our community continues to show kindness, compassion, and grace towards one another. I also hope that we continue to love our children so much that they feel safe to continue to learn, grow, and excel here at school.
We look forward to this second half of the school year with you. As a staff, we are focused on learning, leading, and growing…together!
Sincerely,
Dr. HootonUpcoming Events
- Thursday, January 4: WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!
- Monday, January 8: Late Start - Doors open at 10:05 a.m.
- Wednesday, January 10: PTA Meeting here from 5-6 p.m.
- Monday, January 15: NO SCHOOL- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Friday, January 19: Spelling Bee
DUELLO MIC DROPS
Mrs. Lisa, Instructional Assistant
Ms. Rita, Custodian
Rita is the BEST! She does an incredible job at keeping our school both safe and clean. You can tell how much she loves the students, and she is an absolute treasure to have at Duello. Ms. Rita, we love and appreciate you so very much!!
Mrs. Nickell, 4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Jones, Special Education Teacher
Mrs. (Leonard) Jones is an amazing Special Education Teacher. She is a true advocate for her students and goes above and beyond every day to ensure their success. She is effective in her communication with students, staff and parents. She is reflective of her own practices and is willing to make changes that best fit the students she sees. Her hard work is seen and very appreciated by her Duello family!
Coach Poulter, PE Teacher
Mrs. Houdei, Assistant Principal
Amber is such a great addition to Duello! She brings so much joy to everyone around her, and all of these Christmas themed days, activities, and gifts have been SO much fun! Thank you, Amber, for being so entertaining, considerate, and bubbly! We love you!
Mrs. Kim, Lead Custodian
Kim is a fantastic custodian! She does an incredible job keeping the school beautiful, very clean, and safe. She is a wonderful person who works extremely hard. Kim, please know your VERY hard work has not gone unnoticed- we are so very appreciative of you and all you do!
Mr. Mike, Custodian
Mr. Mike is so much fun and makes everyone immediately feel welcome- including parents! He always has a joke or news to share, and he does an amazing job at keeping our building safe and clean. Hey Mr. Mike, what did the custodian say when he jumped out of the closet? ........ "SUPPLIES!!!!"
Ms. Thomas, Art Teacher
Miss Thomas worked hard to provide the experience of clay with her students this year. She worked so hard to make sure all students had a clay project they could bring home. She comes to school super early every day to prepare for the students to have amazing art experiences. Thank you for your dedication Miss Thomas.
Mrs. Allie, Instructional Assistant
Allie has worked hard to show that she wants to learn and grow here at Duello. She has taken initiative and been working hard to build relationships with the special kiddos she spends most of her days with. We are so lucky to have her here at Duello!
Officer Doten, School Resource Officer
Officer Doten has been showing up and filling in where there is a need at the drop of a hat. He helped hang lights, assist with classes, fill in up front in the office when we were short staffed and much more. It is noticed and appreciated!
Kim Crumes, Instructional Assistant
Kim is such an incredibly sweet person with an infectious smile! She's a really good friend and coworker, and does a great job making people feel good about themselves. Kim, you're a precious gem! Thanks for all you do!
Mrs. Welschmeyer, ESC in SS
Christina goes above and beyond her title of ESC. She works daily with students who are the hardest to reach. She continues to show up, even on the hard days, with the most positive attitude. She is not afraid to have the hard conversations with students and help them through them with a smile. Stepping Stones could not survive without her!
Mrs. McDowell, Kindergarten Teacher
McDowell is always efficient, kind and ready to help. She models habit 3: seek first to understand then to be understood. She is one of kind!
Mr. Hayes, Music/Computers Teacher
The Duello Community is so lucky to have Matt join our family this year. Not only does he come with a wealth of music knowledge and experience, he is also a team player and quick to jump in to offer help. He is always smiling and positive and the kids easily relate to him. He was a big help in making things run smoothly for the 5th grade concert from set up to sound, and even volunteered to be a backstage manager the evening of the event. We are so glad you are a Mustang, Mr. Hayes.
Mrs. Novak, 4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Novak always puts 110% into everything she does! She cares about all kids, and does so many things for our school to help everyone stay on track, and be successful. She also makes learning fun for her students, and helps them to grow in many ways!
🎤 Wish to celebrate or appreciate a Duello staff member? Looking to give a general shoutout highlighting DUE's bright spots? We will share our Mic Drop Moments via the monthly newsletter, our weekly staff newsletter, and social media!
Access i-Ready For Families Report
Please click here to read about this exciting new update!
Kindergarten Registration
All children who will turn five before Aug. 1, 2024, are eligible to attend kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year. View registration event dates, starting as early as Jan. 11, and get more information here.
Reading Success Plan - Parent Communication
The Counselor's Newsletter
Happy Holidays and Thank you from the Duello Counselors!!
Thank you so much to everyone who supported Morning Star Church's Christmas Shoppe by purchasing items off of the registry or sending items to school to support Christmas Shoppe and other programs this holiday season.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in Gobble Grams!! Students and teachers enjoyed receiving special messages and a sweet treat. Additionally, as a school, we raised over $1,400 that was used to purchase items for families in need at Duello and across the community through Morning Star's Christmas Shoppe and the district Holiday Assistance program.
We also want to give a shout out and a big Thank you to the Wentzville Fire Department who provided winter coats to hundreds of district students.
Duello truly is a generous and loving community, and we appreciate you every day!!
Enjoy your holidays with your families and please reach out to us anytime we can support you in any way.
Jacki Fine & Devon Spyers
Counselor Grades 3-5 & K-2
Duello Elementary
636-327-6050 ext. 47324 & ext. 47241
PTA Updates
Mental Health
Mental health is extremely important, so we take extra care that our students have various materials available to them. Please view this link to read about our mental health resources and services.
Opt-Out Communication
Please read the attached document for more information on opting your student(s) out of presentations.
Student Misconduct and Consequences
Please read the revised and updated document at this link from our Student Services department.
Leader in Me
Read the document at this link to learn more about the amazing program- Leader in Me!
Late Start Information
The WSD will be providing supervision for K-5 students who need to be dropped off at the regular start time on scheduled Late Start Days this school year. This is separate from our Before Care Program through Chautauqua.
WSD Parents: to register your student, visit https://wsdr4.revtrak.net/ and select your student's Elementary School, followed by clicking "Late Start Registration" and completing the form for your student. Please register each student attending separately.
The fee is $10.36 (which includes a transaction fee) per child for each late start day you would like to register for.
Please visit our Late Start page on our District website for more information.
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.
Lunch/Recess/Specials Schedule
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- Now that we are a month into school, we wanted to share and remind parents that 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.
Child Nutrition Updates
Breakfast K-12: $2.00
Elementary Lunch K-5: $3.10
Secondary Lunch 6-12: $3.15
Reduced Price Meals:
Breakfast: $0.30
Lunch: $0.40
Click here to see the breakfast and lunch menus for the 23-24 school year.
Applications for free & reduced priced meals are available here or at any school office. In an effort to assist families as we transition back to paid meals, the USDA has increased the income guidelines used to determine eligibility. Click here to see the new guidelines.
If you believe your family would qualify for this program, please fill out an application.
Applications can be returned by the following methods:
Scan and email to: marysanzottera@wsdr4.org
Fax: 636-327-3961
Mail: Child Nutrition Services, 101 Support Services Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385
Volunteer Registration Form Updates
Would you like to volunteer at your student's school? Would you like to attend field trips? Please read the information at this link for more information, and to sign up to volunteer!
Mrs. Amber Houdei | Assistant Principal
1814 Duello Road
Lake St. Louis, MO 63367
636.327.6050