Wave Newsletter ~ September 19, 2019

Tue, 10/01/2019 - 3:07pm

Wave Newsletter ~ September 19, 2019

 

Important Dates

September

20 - School Spirit Day - wear your favorite sport’s team apparel or school colors

30 - Schools and offices closed

October

4 - Picture Day - Individual Student pictures taken

21 - Flu Clinic

 

On Deck with the Administrators

 

Dear Dayton Oaks families,

                       

The school year is well underway, and it was wonderful to see everyone at our ice cream social last Friday, as well as Back-to-School nights this week. Thank you all for kicking off a wonderful school year. The following link provides key general information from presentations Back to School Night Information. At this time of the school year, it is always exciting to see students transitioning into reading groups and math activities, as they begin their journey of instructional growth and learning. With Fall right around the corner, it also reminds us of football season, leaves changing and fun Fall activities. Please stay connected to our school community for all the latest news, via our Dayton Oaks website.

                       

I would like to take this opportunity to remind families of the importance of safety, when dropping off and picking up your child. Our staff is committed to making sure dismissals and arrivals are safe for everyone involved, and we need your help. First, please use the HCPSS buses. This will cut down on the amount of traffic, and the risk of an accident. If you need to drop your child off, please avoid parking and walking your child into the building, unless you have an appointment. This will reduce pedestrians walking across the car loop. Thank you for helping us make arrival and dismissal safe for everyone.

                       

As I have walked around the building, it is so exciting to see students and teams grounded in common behavioral expectations, as they work collaboratively to move “Dani the Dolphin.” As a reminder, please review and reinforce the school-wide expectations; Being dependable, Being involved and Organized, Being very respectful, and Putting forth your best effort. When home and school reinforces common messages, the outcome can be very powerful. Please also ask your child how they have contributed to the friendship, inclusion, success and happiness of others at Dayton Oaks. 

                       

We are so excited about the endless possibilities this year brings at our school.  We look forward to seeing the many ways you will all contribute to our school.

 

Sincerely,

NIgel La Roche            Adrienne Williams-McKinney

Principal                Assistant Principal

 

Counselor’s Corner

 

The school year is off to a great start! I love walking through the building and seeing our classrooms as little communities already. My September lessons are continuing throughout the building as students are reviewing who I am and what I do at Dayton Oaks.

I am also preparing for my October lessons, which will focus on inclusion and belonging. I wanted to share a summary of an article I read over the summer from the Big Life Journal. I hope these tips are helpful in supporting your child outside of school. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.                  -Mrs. Dix, School Counselor

 

“7 Steps to Raising Inclusive Kids.”

  1. Model inclusive behavior

  2. Build empathy—Talk about how others are feeling & imagine how it would feel to be in their position

  3. Answer questions—Talk openly & know that is OK to say, “I don’t know!” You can gather the age-appropriate information and share it with your child later.

  4. Emphasize that there is no “normal” when it comes to people

  5. Normalize differences by increasing exposure to different cultures

  6. Emphasize similarities—“We all share the experience of being human!”

  7. Read books that celebrate differences

 

“ It’s not our backgrounds, appearances, or income that defines us. The way we treat others and the choices we make are far more important.” –The Big Life Journal

 

Literacy Lowdown

 

Students are jumping back into the swing of things here at school and literacy is abuzz every corner I turn. Many discussions have centered around friendship, inclusion, success, and happiness while reading or writing. You can continue to support these discussions at home through stories that can be read together. 

 

Grades K-2           

This is a story about what happens when Red declares his superiority to Blue and Yellow. The colors, and readers, will all learn an important lesson about appreciating differences.

 

                          Grades 3-5

This novel is about Melody, and 11-year old girl, whose mind works well but she cannot speak. Through the challenges she faces, Melody learns to fight for what she wants. The reader is brought into a world of an amazing girl who eventually learns that she is no different from the kids around her despite her physical disabilities.

 

Hints from the Health Room

Sign up for the DOES Flu Clinic

 

Sign Up Online Now for the School Flu Clinic

 

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a serious illness that affects people of all ages.  One of the best ways to prevent the flu is through vaccinations. We are pleased to again join with the Maryland Partnership for Prevention (MPP) and the Howard County Health Department to offer flu vaccinations for students at our schools.

 

This year, you may give permission for your child to be vaccinated using (1) an online form at www.vaccineconsent.com or (2) the hard copy form that will be sent home. We urge you to protect your family from the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu shot. Please visit www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm for more information about the flu vaccine.

 

Our Flu Clinic here at Dayton Oaks Elementary will be held on October 21.  We will send a notice home the day your student is vaccinated. 

 

If you want your child to be vaccinated, please:

  1. Complete the consent form online at www.vaccineconsent.com  OR fill out every section of the paper Consent Form.  If you fill out the paper consent, write neatly and use ink.  ​The hard copy consents will go home in the student's Thursday folder the week of Sept 16. Only fill out the hard copy consent or the online consent.  Do NOT fill out both.

  2. Use your insurance card to fill out your insurance information accurately.  Your insurance company will be billed.  There is no co-pay or deductible. You will NOT be charged by us or your insurance company. 

  3. Read the Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) and talk to your health care provider or the school nurse about any questions you have. You can print your own VIS from https://tinyurl.com/2019FluVIS 

  4. Return the consent form no later than October 7, 2019 to your child's teacher.

To complete the consent form online, go to:

www.vaccineconsent.com

 

MAP Testing (Grades 1-5) Fall 2019

 

Beginning next week, students in grades 1-5 are participating in the MAP assessment.  MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) is an un-timed, computer-adaptive assessment that provides our teachers with detailed, specific information about where your child is performing in Reading and Mathematics. Our grade level teams collaborate to analyze the data from the MAP assessment and plan instruction that builds on your child’s strengths and supports areas where there is room for improvement.

 

Though the assessment is un-timed, students typically finish each session in approximately one hour. There are two sessions scheduled for each grade level: one for reading and one for mathematics. Make-up sessions will be scheduled for students who are absent on specified testing dates.

 

You do not need to do anything special to prepare your child for the MAP assessment other than ensure he or she has a good breakfast and a good night’s rest the night before. We do ask that you avoid scheduling appointments on the day when your child will be assessed (dates/times listed below). Students who are absent on the day their grade takes the assessment will be afforded the opportunity for a make-up session on another date.

 

MATH TESTING DATES

September 23, 2019 – MAP (MATH) testing Grade 1 @ 9:10

October 1, 2019 – MAP (MATH) testing Grade 2 @ 9:10

October 3, 2019 – MAP (MATH) testing Grade 3 @ 10:30

October 10, 2019 – MAP (MATH) testing Grade 4 @ 1:10

October 7, 2019 – MAP (MATH) testing Grade 5 @ 11:05

 

READING TESTING DATES

September 25, 2019 – MAP (READING) testing Grade 1 @ 9:10

October 14, 2019 – MAP (READING) testing Grade 2 @ 9:10

October 24, 2019 – MAP (READING) testing Grade 3 @ 11:05

October 23, 2019 – MAP (READING) testing Grade 4 @ 9:05

October 22, 2019 – MAP (READING) testing Grade 5 @ 11:10

 

Parents will receive a report on their child’s performance on the MAP assessment later this fall. More information about MAP, how it is scored, and how you can interpret your child’s performance is available at https://www.nwea.org/map-growth/.

 

New Quick and Easy Way for Parents to Send in Absence Excuses to Dayton Oaks!

 

While parents can continue to send in a paper excuse note to your child’s teacher when your child returns from an absence, we are launching a new email address to receive and archive absence excuse notes. We are encouraging the use of email over paper notes when possible.

 

    Email DOESabsence@hcpss.org.

    Include your child(ren)’s  full name in the subject line.

    Include parent’s full name and phone number.

    Include the date your child(ren) was absent and the reason.

    Include doctor’s notes or other documentation as attachments if needed.

    If you there is a health issue you would like the teacher and health office to know about, you can use this email address as well.

    Do not use this email to notify us of dismissal changes and early dismissals. It is for full day absences only.

 

We hope that DOESabsence@hcpss.org is an easier way for parents to provide documentation for student absences.

 

Important: HCPSS Connect-Update Your Family File Now!

We have 648 families that have completed their Family File information!

All parents must complete a Family File for all of their HCPSS children every year.

HCPSS Connect is the one-stop portal to access Synergy, Canvas, and the Family File.

You can access HCPSS Connect here http://www.hcpss.org/connect/

HCPSS CONNECT DIRECTORY

Parents/guardians who have completed their Family File can now access their school directory in HCPSS Connect. The directory will display only the information that parents select when completing Family File. The directory will update daily as families complete Family File or change their information.

To access the directory for your school, log in to HCPSS Connect and select Family File/School Directory in the left menu, and then School Directory.

Information in the directory is for personal use only and may not be distributed, sold or shared in any way. Parents who do not wish to be included in the directory should update their Family File permissions.

 

Picture Day

Students will have individual pictures taken on Friday, October 4, 2019.

Please see the attached pre-order card.

 

Volunteering at Dayton Oaks

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Dayton Oaks! We value our volunteers and the contributions they make to our students and school.

According to HCPSS Board Policy, all parent volunteers must complete a Confidentiality Training Course and the Child Abuse and Neglect Training Course. The Confidentiality Training Course is about protecting the privacy of our students, staff, and schools and is available at https://www.hcpss.org/parents/volunteer-information/. After you view the Training Course, download and print the Parent Volunteer Certification Form.  The Child Abuse and Neglect Training requires you to view the MD State Law & HCPSS Policy 1030 at https://www.hcpss.org/f/employees/childabuse_ppt.pdf.  After viewing, please complete the Child Abuse Awareness Training Certificate.

Please bring your completion certificates to the front office.

 

Click here to see what’s going on in your school - DOES Celebrations 2019-20

 

Community News and Programs

Please visit the Community News and Programs page at http://www.hcpss.org/community-news-and-programs/ for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.

 

Your child's Thursday folder was sent home today. Please review for important academic information and general school notes and return on/before Monday. Thank you.