Student Drop-off & Pick-up:
                Morning car drop off is done in the circle drive in front of the school.  Please pull around to the farthest spot possible and have your student exit curbside only. You must wait for the cars in front of you to advance before exiting through the circle. For the safety of our children, do not pull your car out of line to exit.
                Afternoon car pick-up is in the wetlands parking lot only. If students are not picked up by 3:45 they will be escorted back to the office. There is NO ADULT SUPERVISION in the classic lot by the Boys & Girls club. For your student's safety, we ask that all car pick-ups be done in the wetlands lot. NOTE:  Explorer parents may use the circle drive to pick up due to their early release time so that they will have left campus by the time Dickinson release begins. The 3:00 pick up time at the circle drive is reserved for Learning Center students and their parents due to a high level of needs regarding mobility.

Technology & Cell Phones Policy:
                We encourage all personal technology to be left at home, as we cannot be responsible for its care or safe return home. Our policy is "off & away until the end of the day"! The end of the day should be considered when the student is either off the bus or in their car. End of day plans should be made in advance. Students may come to the office to use either our landline or their cell phone on a case by case basis in the office area. 

Student Behavior Expectations:
                Our new school-wide behavior expectations are going to be taught to the students in class on Tuesday. I am currently revising the student handbook to reflect this information and will be sending it home during the first week of school. Parents will need to sign a tear-off form signifying that you have reviewed this information with your child.

I am very excited for the first day of school to finally be here, and to get about the business of student learning!
Karen Barker

Tuesday, September 6th, 9am 

The first day of school is fast approaching! We will have our first day on Tuesday, September 6th, starting at 9am. Remember, if your child is most often going to ride the bus, it is a good idea to have them get used to it by riding the bus on the first day. You can always drive to school yourself if you'd like to get any of those great First Day of School photos.  

Tuesday, September 6th, 9am

Our Welcome Back Tea for Parents will be held on September 6th, at 9am. This is a wonderful time to make new friends, reconnect with old friends, welcome new families to our school and meet Principal Barker. It's a great opportunity to learn about the different clubs and activities in our school and the many volunteer opportunities that exist. Please join us for coffee and light breakfast snacks in the Commons. Younger siblings are welcome; we will have an activity table for them. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you do any of your Back to School shopping online with Amazon.com, please remember to use this link. Every time you click this link before shopping, the PTSA will receive cash back from your purchase! The link is also available on our PTSA homepage. Thank you so much for supporting your PTSA.

School Supply lists are posted on the Dickinson website.

There are many ways you can participate in your child's education in the classroom as well as with the PTSA. Please look for the Volunteer Form in your First Day Packet, where you can learn more about the various ways to help out. We will no longer be having sign up sheets at the Welcome Tea or Curriculum Nights, so please send in your Volunteer Form to get involved.

Looking for a way to get involved? The Membership Committee is looking for a new Teacher Appreciation Chair. Primary responsibilities include coordinating monthly staff breakfasts and the staff luncheon during Staff Appreciation week in May.  Contact Laura Cannistra (lcannistra@dickinsonptsa.org) or Marcia Stann (mstann@dickinsonptsa.org) with any questions. 

The school district requires that you reapply every two years to be an approved volunteer. There is a form online, or you can pick one up at the school office. You will not be able to volunteer in the classroom or on field trips unless your volunteer application is current.

"DIVERSITY MEANS..." 

The Reflections program is sponsored by the National PTA and encourages students to pursue artistic expression through participation in its annual Reflections Program. Reflections offers all students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students in preschool through grade 12 are encouraged to create and submit works of art in any of six areas: dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts (which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage).

This year's theme is "Diversity Means.."
Dickinson and Explorer students, K-6, are invited and encouraged to use their creative talents to demonstrate their interpretation of "Diversity Means...". Students may submit an entry of their original work in any of the six arts areas listed above. 
Submission deadlines will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information contact Christine Cherkis (ccherkis@dickinsonptsa.org) or Holly White (hwhite@dickinsonptsa.org). 

It's that time of year again - time to enroll for choir at Dickinson/Explorer. Choir is a before school with occasional evening performances. There are two choirs at Dickinson/Explorer:
Primary Choir (grades 1 & 2, Kindergarten can join in January) Primary Choir meets on Tuesday mornings from 8:15 - 8:55 (Explorer students are released for the start of their school day)
Intermediate Choir (grades 3 - 6) Intermediate Choir meets on Wednesday mornings from 8:15 - 8:55  (Explorer students are released for the start of their school day)
Enrollment for both choirs opens Monday, September 5, 2011.
Enrollment for both choirs *closes* Friday, September 30, 2011.
(Closing date is necessary to facilitate preparation for the first choir class - Please note, Students who do not enroll by Friday, September 30th will have to wait until the January term to enroll)
First day of Primary Choir - Tuesday, October 4, 2011
First day of Intermediate Choir - Wednesday, October 5, 2011 

There is a $10 fee per child for each choir term. Please bring cash/check (made out to Dickinson PTSA) to the first choir rehearsal. To enroll your student, please email the following information to jkelleher@lwsd.org: 

Student Name
Parent Name
Teacher's Name
Parent's email address 

I am looking forward to another great year in choir.
John Kelleher

Sign up now for Math Club! There are two different Math Clubs available, one for 3rd and 4th graders and the other for 5th and 6th graders. These competitive teams are open to math learners of all levels. Math Club is a wonderful opportunity to build math competency and have fun! Carol Woodard runs both clubs with enthusiasm and great skill. Math club challenges, entertains and is a great experience for all participants.

     3rd and 4th Grade Math Club Information and Contract
     5th and 6th Grade Math Club Information and Contract 

• 1st through 4th Grade Boys - You're Invited to Join Cub Scouts! Cub Scout Pack 546 will have our first pack meeting of the year and "Joining Night" on Monday, September 12th, 6:30pm in the Dickinson Commons. Our special guest entertainment is Mad Science--"Up, Up and Away!" This event will illustrate the principles of air pressure. For more information on Cub Scouts contact Holly White (425-836-8727) or pack546@hotmail.com.
• Eastlake Select Girls Basketball Tryouts: Sunday, September 18th at Eastlake High School. Please refer to website for more information, www.eastlakegirlsbasketball.org.
• Smart with Art/First Friday Workshops at BAM (Bellevue Art Museum). Parents: Drop off your kids for an exciting art workshop and you can enjoy some free time for yourself! First Friday of the Month (open to students age 5 & up), 5:30-7:30pm, Pizza Dinner provided. Visit the museum and create an integrated work of art in the studio! $30 per child (sibling discount available), fee covers dinner, tour, and art materials. Upcoming October 7th session will highlight the special exhibition, Michael Cooper: A Sculptural Odyssey 1968-2001. Here is your opportunity to get creative by building, painting, collaging and designing your own wooden car inspired by the work of artist Michael Cooper. Sign up for workshops at www.smartwithart.net.

Please remember to add messenger@dickinsonptsa.org to the safe senders list of your email provider.  For help, go to www.safesenderslist.com. 

- Dickinson PTSA