Welcome Back Fall 2024

Dear Dickinson and Explorer Communities,
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at Emily Dickinson Elementary and Explorer Community Schools!
I am excited for the year ahead.  We are readying our school for return to action in just a few short weeks.  
Our staff will be returning to school this month to prepare for the school year. I wanted to also take a moment to provide families with various updates about our schools, information about our August/September events, and other important reminders. Please carefully read the entirety of this letter so you are caught up on the following items:

• Student Class Assignment and School Supplies
• Family Connection Conferences HALF DAYS
• Kindergarten Families
• Dickinson Back to School and Explorer Social Events
• Staffing Updates
• Upcoming Events
• PTSA Membership and Newsletters

 
We are nearly at that time when we will be together again. I am looking forward to seeing our returning families and getting to know our new families!
Go Dreagles!
Taylor Davis,
Principal
Emily Dickinson Elementary & Explorer Community Schools
 
Student Class Assignments and School Supplies:
 Parents can log into Family Access after 4:00 PM on Wednesday, Aug. 28 to see their child(ren)’s teacher(s).   Your child’s teacher will be reaching out directly to you through Parent Square to sign up for our September Family Connection Conferences being held the first week of school.
Students will need a variety of school supplies for this year. Our teachers have updated their student supply lists and published them on our website. Kindergarten supply information will be communicated to families separately from the grade level team, keep an eye out for that to come out soon.
Please read the school supply list  information on our webpage for specifics for each grade level.  You may find that you have many of these items or similar items already at home.  Some grade levels have listed a fee. Scholarships will be available for these fees if needed, just let our counselor or principals know.
Thanks to our PTSA, this year you can purchase your school supplies online! Follow the link below or scan the QR code in the flyer to visit our school's online store.  From there, you can select the box(es) for your student's grade(s). Each box comes with the full list of class supplies, but can be modified so you can purchase only what you need.  Boxes will be shipped to your home and can be brought to school on the first day. Online school supply purchasing here!
Family Connection Conferences the First Three Days of School
We will be hosting Family Connection Conferences the first three days of school again this year. Last year, we found these very valuable in establishing relationships between our teachers and families. This set up our school year for great success.
All families will schedule conferences with their child’s teacher(s) on September 3, 4, or 5. Conference scheduling information will be sent directly to you after class lists are released on August 28th.   
Dickinson will be dismissed at 12:20pm on conference days. Explorer will be dismissed at 12:05pm on conference days. Students will not attend the regular lunch service. Please plan to bring your child to the conference.  We encourage all conferences to be in-person and can accommodate a virtual conference on Teams if you prefer.
Families wishing to have a food service lunch for purchase provided to their child need to sign up for this option by 3:00pm, August 26 by completing this form E-Order Form Sept 2024.  Students will be called out of class to eat their sack lunch at school prior to dismissal.
For Our Kindergarten Families
Kindergarten Social
 Wednesday, August 21 from 2-2:30pm
Dickinson Commons
 
Incoming Kindergarten students are invited to do a 20-30 minute activity with the Kindergarten teachers. Parents, you will be directed to the Commons with your student but will be asked to wait for them outside (please stay on campus). While waiting, parents will be encouraged to participate in a community building activity. You will then reconnect with your student out on the playground and are welcome to stay and play. We will provide popsicles at this time. 
Part of the requirements for all day kindergarten are WAKids Family Connection Meetings with each incoming family and kindergartener. Our Family Connection Meetings will be scheduled for the first three days of regular school (September 5-7).  There will be no school for your kindergartener on these days.
Staggered Start for Kindergarteners on Friday, Sept 6 or Monday, Sept 9
To help launch our kindergarteners successfully, all elementary schools will have a staggered start for kindergarten. Half our kindergarteners will come for their first day of school on Friday, September 6 and the other half for their first day on Monday, September 9.  All will come to school on Tuesday, September 10.  Your assigned first day will be sent to you in late August.
Staffing Update:
 Each year, we have changes to our staffing based on a variety of factors.  This year is no different.  Here are the staffing changes for this school year.
Certificated Staffing Updates:

• Taylor Davis, Principal
• Jaimee Farrell, Counselor
• Maryziel Galarpe, Kindergarten
• Taylor McHugh, 3rd grade returning from leave
• Nicole Ross, 2nd grade
• Angela Woehlbrandt, transitioning to 2nd grade from K5HC
• Brandon Taylor, Technical Support Specialist
• We are awaiting assignment of our K5HC Teacher

 
Dickinson Meet & Greet and Back to School Community Event
 We will host this event again this year on Thursday, August 29th from 5:00-6:30. This will be a chance for families to meet their teachers and see their classrooms, make connections with other Dragon families, and bring our community together. This will be an organized event hosted by our Dickinson PTSA.
Directly after the Meet and Greet portion, our PTSA will host a gathering in the Commons. This is a chance for students and families to mingle and to see the programs and offerings from our PTSA.  
This event is designed for families to be together with their children.  You are asked to mingle and make connections with staff and other Dickinson families. Please keep your child(ren) with you to participate together as a family.  We are working to make this memorable for our families.  
This event will be in place of our traditional grade level curriculum night. Information about this year’s academic programs and other specific classroom expectations and experiences will be sent home by our teachers.
Explorer Back to School Social
This event will be hosted again at Grass Lawn Park on Wednesday, August 28th from 4:30-5:30. This will be in the place of a traditional Meet & Greet for Explorer students and families to meet their teachers and connect as a school community. This will be hosted by the Explorer Steering Committee and classroom teachers.
ParentSquare: Our school-to-family communication tool
 Last year, our school district launched the ParentSquare as our new communication hub between school and home. This unified communications platform is designed to keep families informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with LWSD. It provides a safe way for district administrators, school administrators, teachers, staff and families to:

• Send and receive school and class information
• Set their language preference to receive translated communications in languages other than English (100+ language options available)
• See calendar items
• Sign up to volunteer
• Schedule parent-teacher conferences

 
August and September Important Events:

Date	Event	Information
Mon., Aug 19	Office Opens to in-person inquires	Office staff available via phone/email on 8/14
Wed., Aug 22	In-coming Kindergarten Social	Kinder families see your invitation sent by Kinder teachers
Wed., Aug. 28	Class List Released in Skyward @ 4pm   Welcome letter from your child’s teacher	Families can learn their students’ teacher by logging into Family Access after 4 pm
Wed., Aug 28	Explorer Back to School Social 4:30-5:30pm	This is an opportunity to connect with your teacher and classmates. Hosted by the Explorer Steering Committee and classroom teachers. Location – Grass Lawn Park
Thur., Aug. 29	Dickinson Back to School Event 5:00-5:30 - Families and students class visits 5:30 -6:30 – Commons for community gather	This is an opportunity to connect with your teacher and classmates. Students and their families will start with classroom/teacher visits and then transition to the Commons for a community gathering hosted by our PTSA.
Tues., Sept 3	First Day of School for grades 1-5
Sept 3-5	Grades 1-5 Family Connection Conferences in the afternoon – bring your child	Dismissal at 12:20pm for Dickinson and 12:05pm for Explorer See message from your child’s teacher on Wednesday, August 28 for sign up conference information
Sept 3-5	Kindergarten Family Connection Meetings	Kindergarten parents and students meet individually with their child’s kindergarten teacher for a 20-40 minute meeting.
Fri., Sept 6	First Day of kindergarten Group A
Mon. Sept 9	First Day of kindergarten Group B
Tues. Sept 10	All students attending full days at Blackwell	And we are all back!

 
Join PTSA and opt into the PTSA Newsletter:
 The Dickinson PTSA and Explorer Steering Committee welcomes our families to our school communities!  We want to help you stay informed of the many fun activities and ways to get involved supporting our students' learning and our school community.  We encourage all families to join the PTSA and to support our school.