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Principal's Wecome
It's amazing how quickly summer passes, but nonetheless, it's time for the
beginning of another great school year! The teachers have been working all summer to make sure their classrooms are ready to receive your little ones on Monday, August 13. We know that this year will be the best ever!
There are a few changes that will impact your students this year. First, our BOE approved the increase of class size by two students. The maximum size for kindergarten is 24, grades 1-3 is 27, and grades 4-5 is 34. We will watch our registration numbers closely to see if they approach the maximum class size. If indeed, we have larger classes, we will work closely with our teachers to make sure students still receive a quality education.
Second, our start time has moved to 7:45 AM. According to BOE policy, schools with grades 4 and 5 are required to have 6 hours of instruction not including recess and lunch. The early start time will hopefully address some of our traffic issues. Students will not go to the classrooms until 7:30 each morning which will allow teachers to continue holding morning tutorial sessions as needed.
Another notable change is with the Director of our After School Program. Mrs. Goodman, EIP math teacher, has agreed to serve as Director this year along with Co-Director, Sherrell Glenn. Both teachers are committed to a quality program with more attention given to individual students.
This year we are beginning a schoolwide behavior incentive program called Positive Paws. We will teach behavior expectations to students during the first week of school and then begin rewarding good direction followers with a Tiger Paw Card. The individual cards will be turned in each month to earn the class a big tiger paw for the classroom door. You will hear more about this program in the next few weeks.
I'm looking forward to a great year at Dunwoody! I'm also looking forward
to seeing all new and returning parents next Wednesday, August 8 at registration day!
Jennifer P. Sanders
Principal
Dunwoody Elementary School |
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Principal's Message
The new start time for Dunwoody Elementary is 7:45 AM, and the school day
will end at 2:30 PM.
The previous Dunwoody Elementary schedule, (8 AM - 2:30 PM) which includes
15 minutes for recess and 30 minutes for lunch, is out of compliance with
the Board policy which states:
A minimum instructional schedule of five and one half hours for
kindergarten through third grade and a minimum instructional schedule of
six hours for grades four through twelve shall be provided for each school
day. Periods for homeroom, lunch and other activities shall be scheduled
in addition to the instructional schedule. The Superintendent may make
scheduling changes to the school day that meet applicable legal
requirements, the rules of the State Board of Education and the
accrediting agencies.
As a result, the Dunwoody area elementary schools will all begin at 7:45
AM. The option to extend the school day by 15 minutes was denied due to
the stress it would put on the tiered bus system. As a benefit of the
earlier start time, our morning traffic will not conflict with the high
school, and thus, hopefully improve our morning traffic flow. |
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Important Dates
Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5 - Grounds Clean Up Day
Starting at 8:30 a.m. Come out to DES to help spruce up the grounds and beds before the start of school. We'll spread mulch, weed and plant, so bring your garden gloves, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes and small shovels. Don't forget your sunscreen and water. Thank you in advance for your support of your community school.
Wednesday, August 8 - Registration Day
7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., come by and show your proof of residency before completing your required school paperwork and visiting the PTO-related tables. Special note: Georgia Natural Gas Customers are encouraged to bring their recent statement for Proof of Residency and to sign up to be a complimentary participant in the True Blue Schools Program. You may also meet your child's teacher and visit his/her classroom with school supplies and your student if you wish. Note: Off-site parking is available at Georgia Perimeter College.
Friday, August 10 - Open House
4:30-6:30 p.m.
This is another chance for students and parents to meet teachers, see the classroom and deliver school supplies. If you did this on Wednesday there is no need to come to the school on Open House.
Monday, August 13 - First day of School; Note: hours of school are 7:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Monday, August 13 - PTO's Welcome Back Coffee (note: new start time)
7:45-9 a.m. in the Media Center - come rekindle friendships, share your summer excitement and have a cup of coffee
Monday, August 13 - Board of Directors meeting
9-11 a.m. in the Media Center
Tuesday, August 21 - Principal's Coffee (note: new start time)
7:45-8:45 a.m. in the Media Center - get to know our principal, Jennifer Sanders by attending this morning get together
Tuesday, August 21 - Room Parent Meetings
9-10 a.m. or 6-7 p.m. in the Media Center - for those parents notified that they will be the room parent for their child's classroom
Wednesday, August 29 - Gifted Informational Meeting
5-6 p.m. - Mrs. Sanders and team will provide answers to your questions about the Gifted program for DeKalb County schools
Parents - for all large DES events, please know that off site parking is available at Georgia Perimeter College just next door to our campus.
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Tiger Fund
We are excited to kick off your 2012-2013 DES Tiger Fund at Registration on Wednesday, August 8! The new 2012-2013 Tiger Fund Magnets will be available at Registration when you make your donation!
The Tiger Fund is the primary fundraiser for the DES PTO. It's an easy way of raising funds for our school - no wrapping paper or candy to sell; no bothering your friends and neighbors to sponsor your children. Best of all, every dollar contributed stays at DES. In addition, your contribution is 100% tax deductible and many employers will even match your contribution! We will be available at Registration and Open House to accept donations in the form of cash, check or credit card. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Whitney Samuelson at wmsamuelson@yahoo.com or Cassie Odom at cassiesodom@gmail.com your Tiger Fund co-chairs. |
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Bus Schedules
DeKalb County School District bus schedules are available on line. We will also have copies of the schedules for parents on Registration Day at the Transportation table. The online link for the schedules is:
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/transportation/bus-routes/dunwoodyEs.
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 School Start Time Please note: DES has a new start time. The school day will now start at 7:45 a.m. Please adjust your schedules accordingly so that your child is not late for school. |
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PTO Website
In an effort to keep our DES families informed of school and local happenings we have posted Dunwoody events and activities on the PTO website under "News & Events." Be sure to check the website often at www.dunwoodypto.com . |
Tiger Talk Newsletters Archived Ever need to find an old newsletter to get an announcement? Tired of searching through your thousands of emails for it? All newsletters are archived on www.dunwoodypto.com. Look for "Tiger Talk" under the "news" menu. |
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How to Send an Announcement Using Tiger Talk
Tiger Talk is the weekly e-newsletter of the Dunwoody Elementary School PTO. Every Sunday, we publish information that is pertinent to the students and parents of DES. The submission deadline for each issue is 6 p.m. on Tuesday. All announcements must be brief and sent in writing as an email to Dunwoody.TigerTalk@gmail.com. Announcements will run for two weeks prior to the event or as applicable. If you have any questions about Tiger Talk, please contact the editors at Dunwoody.TigerTalk@gmail.com. |
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Important Dates |
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Wed., August 8 - Registration Day
7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.,
Fri., August 10 - Open House
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Mon., August 13 - First day of School; Note: hours of school are 7:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Mon., August 13 - PTO's Welcome Back Coffee (note: new start time)
7:45-9 a.m. in the Media Center -
Mon., August 13 - Board of Directors meeting
9-11 a.m. in the Media Center
Tues., August 21 - Principal's Coffee (note: new start time)
7:45-8:45 a.m. in the Media Center
Tues., August 21 - Room Parent Meetings
9-10 a.m. or 6-7 p.m. in the Media Center
Wed., August 29 - Gifted Informational Meeting
5-6 p.m
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