From the Castle

Here we go! The school year is upon us! This summer has been truly an amazing one, and if the past two days are any indication, our year will be FANTASTIC! Between Freshman Orientation and the Battle of Chester, our community has come together to celebrate the excitement, possibilities, and connections that a new year brings. I look forward to this year...getting to know your children, building relationships with them, and working side-by-side to create an environment that is safe, nurturing, and relentlessly focused on excellence!

In this issue of From the Castle, there is important information about the month of September you will want to know. In particular, the first week of school is full of anticipation and nervous energy. To kick off the new day, the new Dale, and the new era, we will not have a typical and traditional first day of school. Instead, we will have a celebration! You can have the confidence and peace of mind knowing that your children are going to a school where they are loved, cared for, and challenged. Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year. It is going to be AWESOME!

#EveryKnightEveryDay

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @GoTDKnights, Facebook: Thomas Dale, and Instagram: @GoTDKnights. Our website is updated regularly for more information: https://sites.google.com/a/ccpsnet.net/tdhs/.

THE BIG PUSH IS ON!! Yes, purchasing back to school supplies, clothes and of course…joining the Thomas Dale Parent Teacher Student Association. Membership is $10 and joining is SO EASY to do this year. Simply enroll via the National PTA website. Help TDHS reach its goal of 100% parent, teacher and student participation!

Is your child an artist, singer, poet, photographer? Put their creativity to work by participating in the PTA’s Reflection Competition. Each year students of all ages are encouraged to submit an original work of art in the medium of their choice – dance choreography, film production, literature, music competition, photography and visual arts – reflecting on this year’s theme: Heroes Among Us. Packets to be released very soon!

Our first meeting of the year will be held on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 @ 6:00 pm in the Library at Main campus. Our officers will be introduced and activities for the year will be discussed. Please join us for the kickoff to a grand start!

Your input is encouraged as we endeavor to provide quality programs for the Thomas Dale family. Please contact US anytime about PTSA events and activities! We are here to assist you in any way.

Wishing each of you a great school year and thank you for your support!

Warm regards,

YOUR TDHS PTSA

Contact Information:

EMAIL: tdhsptsa@gmail.com

MOBILE: (804) 621-5406

It will be our pleasure to open our doors to you and welcome you to Thomas Dale for our Back-to-School Knight and Open House. Join us on Monday, September 17, from 6:30-8pm to:

• Meet your child's teachers
• Build trust and open the lines of communication
• Establish partnerships
• Experience a day in the life of a Knight
• Engage in what's next for Thomas Dale High School and the Chester community
• Build relationships that last a lifetime: "Once a Knight, Always a Knight"

The evening will begin promptly in your child's 1st period class. We look forward to seeing you there!

• Did You Miss It? We wanted to ensure you had some of our community and parent presentations available. Here is the slideshow from the Freshman Orientation. Here is the information from the Fall Sports Meeting. Here is the information from our Athletic Trainer.
• Student Advisory Council. Student voice, leadership, and agency are important elements for our school culture. Dr. Jones will organize a Student Advisory Council consisting of a diverse representation of our student body. Click HERE for the application. Hard copies are available in the main offices at both West and Main. Applications are due by 3:00pm on Friday, September 14.
• Click HERE to access news and announcements from our Library!
• Homeroom (HR) on your child's schedule. You will notice HR with a grade level on your child's schedule. Every time we have Enrichment on the bell schedule, this is where your child should report.
• Thomas Dale is proud to be a high-quality public educational setting and center of the Chester community. Because of the nature of our service and purpose, there are a few reminders about what is not permitted on school grounds at any time: weapons, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products of any kind (including vapor).

There is only one first day of school each year. This year, we will make it the best day of our students' lives! On the first day of school, we will build relationships, establish trust, open lines of communication, and connect with each other and our school. ALL teachers will see ALL of their students, and ALL students will see ALL of their teachers...on the first day! All class assemblies will be part of the first day to set the tone and expectations for an AMAZING year! To end our day, we will rock out at a PEP RALLY!!!

Let's make our first day of school count... making it all about relationships, connections, excitement, and joy! An overwhelming feeling that school really is an AWESOME place!

To do so, we will adjust our bell schedule so that students attend all 7 of their classes on the first day. Logistics regarding the day and specifics regarding the pep rally are forthcoming. This day is not an "Even" day or an "Odd" day...it's an "ALL" Day. Let's make September 4 AMAZING! Please click HERE to unlock the schedule for our first day of school!

Parents who will drop their children off at school:

Please follow the map below for the traffic pattern. You will come in the main entrance off of Route 10, turn right at the school, and follow the pattern around to the back of the school (near the stadium) to drop your child(ren) off at Door 14. After dropping your child off, you will continue around the school to exit on Old Centralia Road.

Students with parking passes:

Please be patient and flexible during the first week of school. If someone is in your designated parking space that you paid for, please select another space during the first week. We will begin enforcing the parking policy on Monday, September 10. Thank you in advance!

Want to be a part of the Thomas Dale experience?

We need YOU! Volunteers, substitute teachers, job experience hosts, guest speakers...we are leaning on your leadership and helping hands to work ourselves towards a community school. Be a part of this excitement...don't just watch it pass you by!

Our 2018-2019 School Improvement and Innovation Plan Focus Area #5: Engage the community in relevant and meaningful partnerships.

Strategies:

• Social Media “Blitz”

• Community-to-School events

• First 100 days Entry reflection (Dr. Jones address in Late-fall or Early-winter)

• Job Shadow Day (Early-spring)

• Community Service (Two separate events; one in the winter, one in the spring)

• School-to-Community events

• ChesterFest

• TBD (Winter parade?)

• Bold Move

• Dale-gate before each home football game

Before each home football game, we will host a Dale-gate. It's how Thomas Dale tailgates! Join us to enjoy friends, family, and good food. See you there!

A Mighty HOOAH!!! To All from the Thomas Dale Army JROTC Screaming Knights Battalion. Our Mission is “To Motivate Young People To Be Better Citizens.” Army JROTC is a leadership development program which provides a quality citizenship, character while fostering partnerships with communities and educational institutions. This will provide us the opportunity to partner with our community to develop and improve communication/relationship.

Our leadership helps support military-connected students with a focus on four major areas—academics, communication, relationships, and bridging/orienting new students to Thomas Dale and the community. “Fall in and March with Us,” this school year, with on-going information shared in the Castle Newsletter Please click here and stay connected

Stay connected to OUR CALENDAR and mark yours!

September 4 - First Day of School (click HERE for the bell schedule)

September 7 - Dale-gate

September 10 - Chromebook Distribution

September 11 - PTSA Meeting at 6pm in the Library at Main

September 11 - Community Engagement Meeting at 7pm

September 12 - Coffee with the Principal (7-8am at West Campus)

September 12 - Sunset Snacks with the Principal (7-8pm at Main Campus)

September 14 - Student Advisory Council Applications Due

September 17 - Back-to-School Night (6:30-8pm)

September 21 - Dale-gate

September 28 and October 1 - Vision and Hearing Screenings

September 28 - Next issue of From the Castle

September 28 - Dale-gate

Stay In-the-Know! There have been almost 1,400 views of our newsletter, From the Castle! Click below for previous issues.

• August 2018
  

For direct questions about From the Castle, please contact Dr. Chris Jones at christopherm_jones@ccpsnet.net or 768-6245.

Email: christopherm_jones@ccpsnet.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/ccpsnet.net/tdhs/
Location: 3626 W. Hundred Rd. Chester, VA 23831
Phone: (804) 768-6245
Facebook: facebook.com/gotdknights
Twitter: @GoTDKnights

Our bell schedule reflects a commitment to high-quality instruction, support and challenge based on students' needs, and a focus on the social-emotional development of our Knights. Balancing the rigors of academics with the realities of teenage life in 2018 and beyond, we aim to provide a learning environment where students can pursue their goals, dreams, and personal pathways in a place that is welcoming, connected, and full of joy!

August is the perfect month to get those back-to-school clothes. To help you make decisions about what to purchase, please follow the dress code guidelines outlined by Chesterfield County Public Schools (click HERE for the direct link). Please pay particular attention to the dress code, as we intend to hold students accountable to the expectations.

All students who attend any public school in Chesterfield County are expected to dress appropriately for a K-12 educational environment. Clothing shall fit, be neat and clean, and conform to standards of safety, good taste, appropriateness, and decency. Any clothing that interferes with or disrupts the educational environment is prohibited. Among other things, the following are prohibited:

• Clothing with language or images that are vulgar, discriminatory, or obscene;
• Clothing that promotes or depicts illegal or violent behavior or items prohibited in a school setting, such as weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or drug paraphernalia;
• Clothing that contains threats such as gang symbols;
• Clothing that exposes cleavage, private parts, the midriff, or undergarments;
• Sagging or low-cut pants;
• Tube tops, halter tops, tank tops, backless blouses or blouses with only ties in the back;
• Clothing constructed of see-through material; and,
• Head coverings, unless required for religious or medical purposes. The parent(s) of any student required to wear a head covering based on religious beliefs, medical needs, or other good cause, should contact the principal of the student’s school.

Students not complying with this policy will be asked to take appropriate action including, but not limited to, covering the noncomplying clothing, changing clothes, reporting to in-school detention, or being sent home. Repeated infractions will result in disciplinary action. This policy is intended to constitute the minimum expectation for student attire throughout the school division. However, individual schools may adopt more restrictive expectations. In CCPS middle and high schools, we also restrict leggings, yoga pants, and other tight-fitting leg coverings unless worn under a skirt, dress, or other similar garment.

Parking on school grounds is a privilege we are honored to extend to our students. Please click HERE for the Parking Application Form. We are excited to offer a few chances before school starts to purchase parking passes. We will sell parking passes to SENIORS on Monday and Tuesday, August 20 and 21 from 11am to 1pm in the Main Campus Front Office. Juniors and Seniors can purchase their passes on Thursday, August 23 from 10am to 2pm in the Main Campus Front Office. We will also sell parking passes during lunches throughout the first week of school. We will begin holding students accountable for having their parking pass hang tag visible in their rear-view mirror on Monday, September 10, 2018.

This year, students will be assigned a numbered parking space. Please note that students without a decal or students who park in unauthorized parking spaces, including any space assigned to others, are subject to the following consequences:

1. The first time, students will receive a warning sticker and have an opportunity to purchase a parking pass.
2. The second time, a student will receive another warning sticker and another opportunity to purchase a parking pass.
3. The third time, the student will receive another warning sticker and will be redirected by an administrator, with a warning that another offense will lead to a vehicle immobilizer being applied. The student will be highly encouraged to purchase a parking pass.
4. The fourth time, the student will have a vehicle immobilizer applied to one of the vehicles wheels. Students will need to notify administration and will have another opportunity to purchase a parking pass.
5. The fifth time, the vehicle will be towed at the operator's expense.

Parents and Students, please do not put us in a position to go this far. Parking privileges may be revoked at any time, without a refund. Vehicles parked on school grounds are subject to search.

Please bring the following documents to purchase a TDHS parking decal:

• A completed Parking Application Form (PAF) signed by the student AND THE PARENT/GUARDIAN
• Vehicle registration for cars listed on the PAF
• Valid driver’s license (NO learner’s permits accepted)
• $50.00 check made payable to Thomas Dale High /School or Cash