GREEN is on Safety Patrol this week.  Safety Patrol Schedule

Dear Dickinson & Explorer Families,

I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all parents that attended Goal Setting conferences this week! This early connection between teacher, student and parents is one of the keys to success this year. I was particularly impressed with the student presentations I attended in the intermediate grades, yet another indicator of the excellent work students are doing in our learning community.

During all-day LEAP on Friday October 7th, our staff worked to improve student learning by focusing upon three areas: reflection upon student achievement in the past school year, goal setting for increasing student achievement for this coming year, and planning for incorporating our levy-funded netbook technology into our classrooms. Your teaching staff is one of the most talented, and dedicated, in our district. Our work in these areas contributed to our mission to collaborate effectively as a team to improve student learning in all areas. By continuing to work together as a team, I know that we are going to succeed in our mission to improve student learning.

I hope to see many of you at the PTSA meeting this Thursday night, where we will be allowing parents to have a sneak peak at the netbook technology that we are using in the classrooms this year, as well as online resources available to support student learning at home. This should be a fun and informative event for Dickinson & Explorer families!

Looking forward to a wonderful week,
Karen Barker

The enrollment deadline has been extended! You can still sign up your child to be a part of the Dickinson/Explorer Choir! 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)
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. There are scholarships available. 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

Friday October 14th 

Sign up today! The deadline for submitting contracts and payments for: 1st and 2nd Grade Math Club, 3rd and 4th Grade Math Club, and5th and 6th Grade Math Club is this Friday, October 14th.

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.

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.

Temperament Workshop - Yours and Your Child's, four Saturday Workshop - October 15 & 22, November 12 & 19, 9:30- 11:30am, Fee:  $95, includes book.

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

• 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