Dicken Family Newsletter
12.8.23
Principal's Corner
Upcoming Dates
Friday, December 22 - Last Day of School before Winter Break
SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, January 30 - Winter Walk! (Inclement WeatherBack up date of Thursday Feb. 1)
December 18 - 22: Spirit Week
The Student Lighthouse Team is planning the following Spirit Days for our last week before break (not next week, but the week following)!
Monday: Dress in winter themed clothes of a snow person
Tuesday: Dress like your favorite candy or holiday treat
Wednesday: Students dress like teachers and Teachers dress like students
Thursday: Dress like your favorite movie or book character
Friday: PJs and stuffies!
Morning Meeting Pods
We had a great time making friendship bracelets highlighting our "Strengths of the Week" today at all school Pods! Many thanks to the PTO for funding this activity!
From the Art Room: A Heads Up About the Winter Walk!!!
The winter walk is an evening of art out in nature! Students create luminaries and on a snowy winter evening in January you will be invited to walk a path at night lined by the hundreds of glowing art luminaries!
Our 1st - 5th grade artists will be creating luminaries for this year’s Winter Walk within the next couple months. If you have a child who is in 1st - 5th grade (no young fives or kindergartners), then start to keep your eyes open for clear glass jars or vases when you are out on errands.
You will be asked to bring in one wide-mouth clear glass jar (big enough for an adult hand to fit inside) to the art room by a specific date. Glass jars, or small vases can be found easily around your home, check your recycling bins (pickle jars work well). If you cannot find a jar at home, you can get one at many second-hand stores, Michael’s Craft store or many Dollar Stores. The glass jars or vases must not have anything on them (just clear glass). If you still are unable to find a glass jar, please let us know, we will find one for you.
This is just a heads up to let you know to start looking for vases and jars. Your student will bring home a flyer with a more specific date for dropping off the vase or jar within the next few weeks.
Thanks so much!
Please email me if you have any questions! ( ericksot@aaps.k12.mi.us )
Sincerely, Ms Erickson (The Art Teacher!)
~~~
All the Best,
Heather
PTO News
Message from the PTO President
Happy Friday Dolphins,
I hope that you have all had a great week. Thank you to the families who participated in the Community Night Out at Chipotle on Tuesday evening. The funds we raise at these events help support the PTO efforts throughout the year. If you have suggestions for other local restaurants that you think would do a fundraising event for Dicken please reach out to the PTO.
This morning the Y5, K, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade classes had a field trip to Hill Auditorium on the University of Michigan campus to see Jake Shimabukuro and a fabulous ukulele performance. From the Beatles to Queen and a few holiday classics - the students heard great music and learned a lot about the ukulele! Ask your students this weekend about what they enjoyed the most!
This morning in Pods, the groups made beaded friendship bracelets based on the character strengths that they have been learning about. I can't wait to see what they all bring home today! Thank you to Mrs. Kairys for organizing this project.
Here are a few other ways that the Dicken PTO has used the funds we've raised this year to help our school this week:
- We voted to approve a grant request from the reading specialist team to purchase the Lively Letters program that will increase knowledge of letter name and letter sound correspondences to achieve a strong literacy foundation for our students who need additional support.
- We voted to approve a grant request from PTLW teacher Lauren Chappell to celebrate the end of the kindergartner's PLTW Structure and Function Unit with an enrichment activity that supports the ELA lessons of the Gingerbread Boy Folktales.
If you have any questions about these initiatives or have ideas for other funding opportunities please do not hesitate to reach out!
Have a great weekend,
Hallie
—Hallie Jewell, Dicken PTO President
Want to connect with other parents and caregivers outside of school?
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
Upcoming PTO Meeting Dates
All PTO Meetings take place on the third Thursday of each month from 7 - 8:30 pm via Zoom.
All Dicken community members are welcome to attend PTO meetings.
Click here for the Zoom link.
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.
The Dicken Directory is Here! Still Time to Add Your Info!
The 2023 - 2024 Dicken Directory is here!
New After School Opportunity: The Dicken Green Team
Mabel's Labels Fundraiser!
Support our Fundraiser - Dicken Elementary PTO
Buy Mabel's Labels waterproof, durable labels to help reduce classroom mix-ups and keep your items coming home!
Use code: BTS10 for 10% off your purchase
Search Dicken Elementary PTO (Ann Arbor) on the Mabel's Labels website for a portion of your purchase to go directly toward our school!