RED is on Safety Patrol this week.  Safety Patrol Schedule

NO SCHOOL Friday, October 7th, LEAP Day.

Monday, October 3rd - Friday, October 7th
The first week of October is when we have our student/parent goal setting conferences with teachers. To make time for conferences, the week's schedule is as follows:
   Monday: students released to buses at noon (no lunch at school)
   Tuesday: students released to buses at noon (no lunch at school)
   Wednesday: students released to buses at 2pm (regular Wednesday schedule)
   Thursday: students released to buses at noon (no lunch at school)
   Friday: LEAP day (teacher in-service), no school for students

Important Notes for Half-Day Kindergarteners:
   Monday, 10/3, AM Kindergarten attends and will dismiss at noon
   Tuesday, 10/4 PM Kindergarten attends and will dismiss at noon        
   Thursday, 10/6 AM Kindergarten attends and will dismiss at noon

Student safety must always be a priority for any Principal, and I need support from the parents of the Dickinson Learning Community to ensure the safety of all students through careful review of 3 areas of need I have observed in the first month. 

The first area of concern is regarding Dickinson students that walk or ride their bikes to school in the morning, that are arriving too early. We do not provide adult crossing supervision or campus supervision prior to 8:45 am. Explorer students may arrive at 8:30 due to the early start time of their school, as they have parent supervision to ensure their safety. 

Secondly, morning vehicle traffic behaviors along 208th and Union Hill Rd have been of concern due to lack of regard for student safety. I have contacted the King County Sheriff for traffic support, but anything you can do to help drivers to slow down, come to complete stops, and be aware of our school zone and crossing is appreciated. 

The final area where parents can make a difference is during AM car drop off.  It is very important that all drivers observe our rules for vehicles, as they are in place for the safety of all students:
  1.  Pull all the way forward in the driveway
  2.  Students exit the vehicle curbside quickly
  3.  All vehicles wait in a single-file line to advance forward to the exit 

The safety of our students is not an area for compromise. I am assisting with AM drop off as often as I can, but I need the support of our parent community to follow the rules in place regardless of whether the Principal is there! 

On a positive note, our students and staff have really begun to settle into a wonderfully successful routine during the school day.  I am so proud of our hard working Learning Community, and I know that our team is looking forward to spending time with you during your student conference to share more about the great things going on at Dickinson and Explorer.

Sincerely,
Karen Barker
Principal, Dickinson Learning Community
Lake Washington School District

Starting Monday, October 3rd, Dickinson/Explorer will be collecting non-perishable food items for our "Fall Harvest" Food Drive. Many local families are in need this year, and many kids are going hungry. Donations to our food drive will be delivered to organizations that help these families.
Here are "Kid-Friendly" items that are needed most:
   Peanut Butter/Jelly (in plastic jars, not glass)
   Crackers (Ritz, Saltines, Graham, etc)
   Pasta
   Mac-N-Cheese
   Instant Oatmeal
   Carnation Instant Breakfast packets
   Pancake Mix/Syrup
   Granola bars/protein bars
   Applesauce
   Microwave popcorn
   Individually packaged snack crackers (goldfish, PB sandwich, etc. anything

    sized for a lunch box)
   Fruit snacks/Fruit leather
   Canned fruit/veggies/refried beans
   Canned soup (chicken noodle)
This food drive is also a great way to get students involved in community service. Ask your child to pick the item(s) they would most like to eat; have your Girl Scout/Boy Scout troop collect items; students could earn money and shop for items to donate.

A donation box will be outside the school office from October 3rd until October 21st. Donations can be sent with your student or dropped off by you during the school day. If you have any questions, please contact Shauna Yusko (syusko@dickinsonptsa.org or pantrypacks@gmail.com).
Thank you for helping us help those in our community who need it most.

Wednesday, October 5th 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, DonorsChoose and Starbucks have partnered in a special campaign to support King County public schools - and you can participate! On October 5th, Starbucks stores throughout King County will be distributing $10 DonorsChoose gift cards to customers, redeemable for use at www.donorschoose.org/kingcounty2011. There are dozens of requests from King County teachers for classroom materials and school-level project support; with your DonorsChoose gift card, you can make a difference in our public school system.
Arrive early on October 5th at your neighborhood Starbucks as these free $10 DonorsChoose gift cards will be distributed to customers on a first-come, first-serve basis. Make sure you have the opportunity to support the King County teacher and classroom of your choice!

For all you gardeners out there, we need parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle volunteers for our school's unique Wetland Program. Students love to get their hands dirty planting and weeding. This is a unique opportunity for students to learn about the natural world and to take a leadership role in protecting and promoting our exceptional ecosystem. Did you know that last year our school earned the Eco-Schools USA Bronze Award for our Wetlands program?
Volunteers are needed in each classroom to coordinate the classroom teaching and the hands-on work outside. Although Spring is when we do most of the work, students will be going to the wetlands starting next month.

No experience necessary - just sign up and join the fun. Please email Lisa at ltraynor@dickinsonptsa.org to sign up or if you have any questions.

Thanks to all our families who joined PTSA so far this year! We did not have any class with 100%, but had great participation and are glad to give ice cream parties to the classes with the highest participation rates. We will be giving an ice cream party to two classes in K-3, one in 4-6 and one from Explorer. And the winners are...
     K-3- Its a tie between Mrs Pietersen's AM class and Mrs. Davis with 81% each
     4-6- Mrs. Williams with 92%
     Explorer- Mrs. Shaw with 96%

Congratulations to the winners! We will be contacting teachers shortly to arrange the parties.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO JOIN PTSA!  Membership forms are available online. You can also contact Laura Cannistra (lcannistra@dickinsonptsa.org or 425-968-5697) or Marcia Stann (mstann@dickinsonptsa.org) if you need a form sent to you.  Scholarships are still available.

Student directories will be coming home soon. If you did not fill out a directory form your contact information will not be in the directory. The directory is a great way to contact other families for playdates and birthday parties. PTSA membership is not required to be in the directory. We will be working hard to get the directories home soon, please fill out the directory form to be included. You can find the form online.

For families with multiple households or residences:
It has come to our attention that the directory form is not sufficient for those who have children residing in multiple households. If you would like to add information to your directory listing, please contact Marcia Stann (mstann@dickinsonptsa.org) or Laura Cannistra (lcannistra@dickinsonptsa.org) and we will work with you to list your information in the manner that you would prefer. Please contact us as soon as possible. We apologize for this oversight.

Percussion Ensemble will be auditioning for new members for our fifth season on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 from 11:00 - 11:30 am, in Room 137 (Mr. Kelleher's classroom). 

Percussion Ensemble is a *select* group of students from Fifth and Sixth Grade at Emily Dickinson/Explorer Elementary schools. Not all students who audition will be chosen. Current members do not have to re-audition, but if they will not be continuing they need to notify Mr. Kelleher of their decision by Wednesday, October 12, 2011, or they will lose their seat.
Due to some very positive changes in our recess and lunch schedule, Percussion Ensemble rehearses once a week from 11:00 -11:30 during our school day. Percussion Ensemble is a *year-long commitment*.  Dickinson students will have to miss their lunch recess every Wednesday afternoon to participate in Percussion Ensemble. Explorer students will be missing 30 minutes of class time to participate. *Important* Please discuss this commitment to the Percussion Ensemble, and keeping current with homework with your student before allowing them to audition.  
Percussion Ensemble plays at most assemblies here at Dickinson/Explorer, and is featured at two concerts - one in December and one in May/June.  I am always looking for other possible performance opportunities. Percussion Ensemble has a uniform we wear when we perform.  This polo shirt will be ordered once our Ensemble is chosen.  Cost in the past has been around $18.00 - there are scholarships available for those who qualify. Percussion Ensemble Permission Form.

The Foundation thanks all of those who donated during this year's back-to-school campaign. Donors represented nearly all District schools, and also included many first-time donors. The Foundation is truly appreciative of all donations and works hard to ensure that they are used to directly support student learning. 
Donations fund reading programs like "Blazing Books for Boys" that identify and provide books that better appeal to boys. Research shows that boys gradually read less than girls over time, and books targeted to boys can help alleviate that trend. Visit the Foundation website to discover more about the programs that your donations support and to learn about how teachers, staff, and parents can apply for grants this fall.
There is still time to contribute to the back-to-school campaign. Send in the donation form or give directly on the website at www.lwsf.org. Also remember that during workplace giving campaigns, you can designate the Lake Washington Schools Foundation through United Way or similar giving methods.
Know that your donations do make a difference in the lives of students. For more information about the Foundation and volunteer opportunities, visit www.lwsf.org or email info@lwsf.org.

Six-week series begins Thursday, September 29th - November 3rd, 7-9pm: Sara Gardner, Series: Helping the Behaviorally Challenging Child, Series Fee $120, LWSD Resource Center Board Room, Register by Tuesday, September 27th. 

Details including Times and Locations on the LW PTSA Council Website.

• It's not too late to join Cub Scouts! If you missed our September joining night...don't fret! Boys in first through fifth grade can join Cub Scout Pack 546 at any time! Our next pack meeting is October 3rd, 6:30pm in the Dickinson Commons. If you have questions, email pack546@hotmail.com or call Holly White at 836-8727.
• City of Redmond and The Women's Sports Foundation GoGirlGo! Seattle is proud to offer the movie Finding Kind, on October 15th from 2:30 - 5pm at the Lake Washington Resource Center in Redmond Town Center. The movie is a documentary about bringing awareness of the effects of meanness within the girl world. It has serious content. It is recommended for ages 10 and up.  Tickets are $10 online at www.findingkind.com.

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