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Calendar At a Glance
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This Week
Tuesday, January 14 - School Council Meeting
Tuesday, January 14 - Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
Friday, January 17 - All Pro Dad's Breakfast
Next Week
Monday, January 20 - NO SCHOOL - MLK Day
Thursday, January 23 -
PTO General Membership and Nominating Committee Meeting
Thursday, January 23 - Prospective Parent Night
Friday, January 24 - PAJAMA DAY
View the complete calendar on the Dunwoody Elementary PTO Website, and/or Subscribe to the GMail Calendar
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From our Principal
Greetings Dunwoody Elementary School Community!
Wow! What a bang to the new year! Cold temperatures, no water, and an evacuation - What more will the winter hold in store for us? When large scale events such as an evacuation go smoothly, it's because everyone worked together as a team. We have thanked the obvious players like our teachers, secretaries, and neighbors at DHS, but we've not mentioned the quiet, behind the scenes people who are instrumental to our success.
Our wonderful cafeteria staff kicked into gear way before the news of "no water" became public knowledge. As soon as breakfast was completed and cleaned, the crew headed to the high school with food in tow. They shared the kitchen and serving lines with the Dunwoody High School staff making sure that all our students were fed on time. The custodial crew under the excellent direction of Mr. Frank Brake, arrived ready to assist with bathroom supplies, trashcans for lunch, clean-up spills, and other help as they saw the need. All additional staff not in charge of a homeroom took initiative to create signs, assist in the classrooms, and serve as "runners" for the office.
Our nurse, Mrs. Stephanie Clark, had student medications, emergency kits, and student records ready to travel in an instant. The high school tried to set-up her make-shift clinic on a floor above the students, but she insisted that she felt more comfortable being near to her children. She worried about diabetic students being off schedule, allergy students being exposed to a new environment, and asthma students reacting poorly to the extreme cold. She took conservative precautions to make sure all of our students remained safe and healthy.
We are just so fortunate to have a staff of dedicated individuals who truly love and care about the students. Everyone followed the emergency evacuation plan as written. Evacuation kits and emergency folders were prepared at the beginning of the school year and checked by the DeKalb Schools Safety Audit Team. Our staff members were ready for immediate action!
The evacuation was definitely a learning experience for our students. In the event of danger, I know that our staff and students will be able to react quickly and know the procedure. Our teachers and administrators are reflecting on the events of the day to determine what went well and what could be done better. I appreciate having the "practice" run, and hope that we never have to experience a true emergency.
Last but definitely not least, I must thank our Tiger Talk editor, Mrs.
Cara Engel, and our Technology Chair, Mr. Jason Seitz. Both of these wonderful parent volunteers have never failed to be ready on a moment's notice to send out my emergency messages. Their volunteer jobs are constant and time consuming, but they never complain despite our delinquent reports or emergency needs. I rely on Mrs. Engel and Mr. Seitz heavily as my connection to the community when events like broken water mains throw us a curve ball.
Happy New Year to the Dunwoody Community, and I hope our first few days are not indicative of what the new year holds for us!
Jennifer P. Sanders
Principal
Dunwoody Elementary School
1923 Womack Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338
Phone (678) 875-4002
Fax (678)-875-4010 |
From the PTO Co-Presidents
We were ready for our families to get back into a routine last week, however the weather was rather uncooperative and provided an exciting start to the second semester! First, we had Tuesday's frigid temperatures, and then Wednesday's water main break. Thank you to the faculty, staff and administration for keeping our children safe, and doing an amazing job of evacuating the over 900 students at DES on Wednesday.
DeKalb County notified parents of the school closure and evacuation via e-mail and by phone tree. For families that did not receive an update from DeKalb County, information will be sent home in TIP regarding how to update your information. Also, DES has a new and improved website. In addition to DeKalb County's update, DES uses Facebook, Twitter and Tiger Talk to disseminate information.
- To receive text notifications from our DES Twitter account, please follow @DESalerts, then click on the User Actions button to "Turn on Mobile Notifications."
- To receive notifications from the DES Facebook page, please make sure you turn on NOTIFICATIONS by visiting our page and hovering over the LIKED button and selecting "Get Notifications."
- Sign-up for Tiger Talk via the PTO website, dunwoodypto.com. Thank you to all of the parents who help our DES technology run smoothly!
Local author Carmen Deedy charmed our students and staff last Thursday and Friday with her tremendously funny and fascinating story telling abilities! Mrs. Deedy spoke with the students about her work and graciously autographed our student's books. We would like to thank Primrose for their generous donation, which partially sponsored this very exciting event along with the Tiger Fund. A big thank you to all of the families that have donated to the Tiger Fund to make wonderful events like this possible!
As we enter the second semester, please consider volunteering your time and talents. We have many volunteer opportunities throughout the school, and it's a great way to get involved! Please visit dunwoodypto.com to see all of our volunteer opportunities. We have a place for you! We could not give your children all of the special programs and activities without our volunteers, so please consider giving your time. We are still asking for 20+ hours from all parents. Please log your volunteer hours on the PTO website. In May, there is a fabulous brunch and raffle for all volunteers who have logged more than 20 hours. Volunteers receive a raffle ticket for each 10 hours logged.
Amy LeVasseur & Amanda Rountree
PTO Co-Presidents
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School Council Meeting
The next School Council meeting with take place on Tuesday, January 14th at 3:00pm in the media center. The DES School Council is an advisory body that provides recommendations to the school principal on matters related to student achievement and school improvement. We also attempt to strengthen the partnership between parents, teachers, and the community. We welcome you to join us.
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Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
Come one, come all to Chick-fil-A Spirit Night on Tuesday, January 14 from 5pm-8pm at Chick-fil-A Perimeter Pointe.
DES gets credit for all sales from our school community, dine-in or drive-through, anytime between 5pm and 8pm, so please be sure to mention "DES" at the time of purchase. 
Ice cream will be served in the dining hall by staff members of Dunwoody Elementary.
Thank you Chick-fil-A of Perimeter Pointe for your support of DES!
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PCMS Informational Coffees
Peachtree Charter Middle School invites all parents of 5th graders to our upcoming informational coffees to learn more about PCMS and what you need to know to prepare your rising 6th grader for middle school.
The informational coffees will be held in the PCMS Media Center on Tuesday, January 14, at 9:00am, and Sunday, February 2, at 2:00pm. The informational sessions will last 1 hour and will be followed by a school tour.
You will receive information about the summer bridge program offered to 6th graders to help with the transition to PCMS, typical 6th grade schedules, band/orchestra/choral offerings, daily PE, and the accelerated math program.
You will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the school's principal and teachers.
Additionally, PCMS Spirit Wear will be available for purchase following the coffees in the school store on January 14 from 10:00-11:00am and on February 2 from 3:00-4:00pm. Cash or check only.
Tours of PCMS are offered to parents by appointment if you are not able to
attend one of the coffees.
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Nominating Committee Meeting
Our 2014-2015 School Year PTO Board Nominating Committee Meeting is on Thursday, January 23rd at 5:00pm.
The time has come to choose our PTO Board for next year. At a very brief PTO meeting in the cafeteria, on Thursday, January 23rd at 5pm, we will take names of those PTO members wishing to serve on the Nominating Committee. This Committee will create a slate of officers for the PTO Executive Board for 2014-2015. Any member of the PTO who is in good standing and has paid their dues can take part in this process. You can suggest someone to serve on the Nominating Committee or you can volunteer yourself to serve. We will vote on 7 members and 1 alternate for the Nominating Committee. Please take time and consider serving or nominating another PTO member to serve on this very important Committee.
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Prospective Parent Night
Our Prospective Parent Night is on Thursday, January 23rd at 6:00pm in the cafeteria, immediately following the PTO General Membership Meeting. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to get to know our school. Please spread the word about all the wonderful things that are happening at DES and send your friends and neighbors to Prospective Parent Night. Parents of rising Pre-K and Kindergarten students, as well as any parents interested in learning more about DES, are invited to attend. Guests will have the opportunity to meet our principal, assistant principals and PTO representatives, as well as learn more about our school and take a short tour of our beautiful building. We look forward to sharing our school! Please spread the word to your neighbors and friends with elementary-age children and who live in the DES community.
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Box Tops Deadline
Box Tops for Education has changed their schedule  a little this year! As a result, the next deadline for Box Top submission will be Friday, February 14, 2014! So, look in your pantry, check with your grandparents and neighbors, and turn your Box Tops into the red school house located in the foyer of the school! Each Box Top is worth $0.10 in CASH to the school! Please submit your Box Tops labeled with your child's name, grade, and teacher. For every 50 turned in, the student will be eligible for a drawing for a prize at the end of the year!
Also, the program is now offering "eBoxTops" for those of you who shop online! Simply go to the following website: http://www.boxtops4education.com/marketplace/browsestores
to find links to many online retailers including Gap, Nordstrom, Target, WalMart, Snapfish, Crate and Barrel and MANY more! At no additional charge to you, for every $10 you spend at these retailers, the school gets $0.20 automatically!
Thanks for your participation, and please contact Megan Cann (megancann00@hotmail.com, 404-944-7073) with any questions!
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Donate Your Used Sneakers
As you clean out the old to make room for the new, please send in your unwanted rubber soled shoes and sneakers to Girls on the Run. GOTR at DES will be collecting used sneakers to be donated to the EcoSneaker program. We will be taking donations until April. Donations can be dropped off in Ms. Young's Kindergarten class (#1329).
Ms. Young
GOTR Site Coordinator
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Media Center Help Needed
We often need help in the media center to reshelve books. The time you volunteer can be 45 minutes or 1 hour. You can come anytime between 11am and 1pm. The link to sign up is:
Thanks!
Dana Coulter
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DES Girls on the Run
It's that time again! Time to lace up  your shoes and get ready to run with Girls on the Run. Registration opens on January 15th and closes on February 16th. We will have two teams for the spring season. One team will meet on Monday and Thursday, and the other team will meet on Tuesday and Thursday. Participants must be able to commit to both days. Please visit the GOTR website to register and for more information. http://girlsontherunatlanta.org/
Ms. Young
GOTR Site Coordinator
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Tiger Fund Classroom Challenge Winners
Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Tiger Fund! We have collected $46,107 so far with 55% of families donating to the fund.
The 1st place winner of the Classroom Challenge is Ms. Mach's 2nd grade class with 92% participation! WOW!! They will receive a party at the Sandy Springs Fun House. Ms. Shelton and Ms. Johnston's Kindergarten classes were in 2nd and 3rd place with 81% and 80% participation. Their classes will receive a special fun dress up day!
Thank you again to all of you who have contributed to the Tiger Fund! We will continue collecting donations throughout the year so please give (more) if you are able. These funds are critical to ensuring a fun and educational year for our students so every dollar given is truly appreciated!
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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 10pm 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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Our school's Facebook page and Twitter account will be used to promote upcoming school events and communications. We will also allow comments from our DES community but through daily monitoring we will remove anything that is not appropriate.
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