Dogwood Dispatch

Fall is in the air! It has been a wonderful start to the school year!

Our teachers and students have spent time over this first month of school getting to know each other, building their classroom communities and focusing on positive expected behaviors and routines for success. When our students know our expectations and routines, and when they feel safe and comfortable in their classroom, all can work to their potential. We thank you our parents for your support with our efforts.

The DEL PTA and our staff continue to work together in all areas to help make the start of the school year go as smooth as possible. We are better when we work together! The PTA, our teachers and I have been collaborating on ways to provide our students with enriching experiences that will serve to enhance student learning. Our first PTA Cultural Arts funded schoolwide assembly was with musician Jarad Campbell. It was amazing! Students enjoyed singing together as concepts of being a friend, kindness and making good choices were reinforced through song.

Read on in this newsletter to learn about upcoming events for October such as Red Ribbon Week, Unity Day and our Big Apple Crunch! If you haven't followed Dogwood on Twitter yet, please consider doing so! (@SCSD_DEL). We post pictures there of many of the activities your students are participating in throughout the school day.

As the Autumn season is upon us, and the green leaves change to shades of orange, gold and red, we look forward to our journey through the school year and the exciting times ahead of us at Dogwood!

Sincerely,

Renee Carpenter

rcarpenter@smithtown.k12.ny.us

Did you know that October is Brain Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) Awareness Month?

AVM's are thought to be congenital (present at birth) and are abnormal connections between arteries and veins, usually in the brain or spine. They can be fatal if left undetected.

This month is near and dear to the heart of Gina Keely, who's daughter Paige Elizabeth Keely died in 2018 at the age of 6 from an undiagnosed brain AVM. Paige was a first grader at St. James Elementary School.

Please watch Mrs. Keely's elementary educational AVM video posted on the Smithtown Central School District website. She hopes to share it with students throughout the SCSD this month.

For more information on the the foundation Mrs. Keely started for her daughter click HERE

We are proud of our Dogwood faculty, students and community who came together to raise $418.00 for the Paige Keely Foundation. Thank you for supporting this cause by purchasing the AVM bracelets.

Dogwood Elementary PTA Red Ribbon Week

Monday October 23rd through Friday October 27th is Red Ribbon Week. This week raises awareness of the dangers of drugs, alcohol and bullying, at an age appropriate developmental level.

To reinforce how important it is to take a stand against drugs and bullies, the children can participate in daily themes:

Monday – “Synergize- We are a TEAM, no need for drugs”

**Wear your favorite team jersey, t-shirt, sweatshirt or hat.

Tuesday – “Seek First to Understand then to be Understood- Stop Bullying”

**Everyone is unique and should be treated with respect. Wear your clothes mismatched and backwards, wear your hair crazy…Be Different!!

Wednesday – “Think Win Win- We work collaboratively as a Dogwood team!”

**Wear your school colors/spirit wear.

Thursday – BIG APPLE CRUNCH DAY- Bring in your favorite type of apple to eat for snack as all of Dogwood “crunches” together to inspire healthy eating.

**Wear the color of your favorite apple; will it be green, yellow or red?

Friday – “Begin with the End in Mind- Follow your Dreams, Say No to Drugs”

**Wear your pajamas to school.

A longtime tradition at Dogwood is our Pumpkin Patch! Each class is assigned a time to visit the Pumpkin Patch during the day which will be shared with parents should they want to observe from outside the fenced turf area during their child's time slot. We will be sure to take pictures and post them on our DEL Twitter page for your enjoyment.

Our Pumpkin Patch celebration will be held on October 31. Our PTA will be supplying students with pumpkins to take home. We thank the PTA for organizing this event. All children are invited to wear costumes to school for the entire day, providing they meet the following safety requirements:

• The costumes should be such that the child can comfortably and safely participate in all of the day’s routines, including physical education class and getting on and off the bus. They must be able to put their costume on by themselves.

• Your child (including kindergarten children) must be able to use bathroom facilities by himself/herself.

• No props or accessories resembling weapons or capable of harming another child will be permitted – this includes toy guns, swords, broomsticks, etc.

• Please do not send your child to school with make-up to be applied – any makeup should be put on at home prior to coming to school. Please test the make-up beforehand to make sure your child is not allergic. Keep makeup to a minimum, since over the course of the day, it may become uncomfortable for the child.

• Costumes with gore or frightening qualities are not permitted so as not to scare our younger students.

• Please make sure that the length of your child’s costume is short enough to prevent tripping.

In addition, in support of the District’s Health and Wellness Committee, and to protect students with allergies, please remember that goodie bags are not permitted. We also do not have the staffing to check all goodie bags for safety. Please do not send them in and put us in the position of having to send them home with you or your child. Teachers and volunteers do a terrific job at making the day enjoyable for our students! Class parents are working with teachers to organize a holiday party. Please do not send in any food for the party unless you are asked to do so by the class parent or teacher. We have strict guidelines for food and wish to ensure our children with allergies are not around any food items in the classroom that may be harmful to them. It's going to be a great day and we look forward to this celebration.

On October 18 we will celebrate Unity Day! On Unity Day people come together — in schools, communities and online —to send one large ORANGE message of support, hope and unity to show that we are united against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and friendship.

We are asking students to wear ORANGE this day! Students will work together to make a class pledge and share it with the school at our assembly! Pictures will be posted on our Twitter page @SCSD_DEL

On October 26, Dogwood students will celebrate Big Apple Crunch Day! Big Apple Crunch is a Health and Wellness initiative focused on teaching students to make healthy food choices so they can feel their best!

Students are encouraged to bring an apple to school that day to participate in a school-wide crunch and wear the color of their favorite apple (red, yellow or green)!

"Lace Up for Kids" Campaign

September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and is globally represented by the color gold. We are so proud of our students and school community for stepping up to show support. Everyone here at Dogwood swapped out their shoelaces for gold laces. Students wore gold to come together showing support and love for those in need.

Please remember to update your emergency information utilizing our Parent Portal if you have not already done so. For those of you who have not yet logged on to our Parent Portal this year, please feel free to log on in the upcoming days to make any necessary additions or adjustments. After you have made your entries, you must hit submit in order for your information to be updated. If there is no change, simply log on to the portal and hit submit. You may call Mrs. Hunstein our Main Office secretary at 382-4255 or Mrs. Richardson in the Health Office at 382-4261 if you need assistance.

The district uses an automated School Messenger system in the event of an emergency to convey important information which must reach our Dogwood parents. Providing complete contact information is essential in helping us keep you informed.

Join Dogwood on Twitter to check out the "inside scoop" on teaching and learning! @SCSD_DEL

https://twitter.com/SCSD_DEL

http://www.smithtown.k12.ny.us/schools/del

https://www.facebook.com/DogwoodElPTA

In the event of a school closing or early dismissal during the school year the District will be contacting you via the School Messenger system. In the event of an early dismissal, the system will send a message to each of your listed contacts. For a school closing your primary contact will be receiving the message. It is extremely important for the Parent Portal to reflect your up-to-date phone numbers (home, work, & cell) for both parents in the event that we have to reach you in an emergency.

If your child is absent for any reason, please contact the Health Office at 382-4260 and leave a message on the voice mail, which is available 24 hours a day. To help ensure the safety of our students, we will have to call you regarding an absence if you do not contact us. An absence note must be sent in with your child with the date(s) and reason for absence when he/she returns to school.

Dismissal is running terrific due to your help! Thank you for adhering to the following guidelines for dismissal:

If you are a parent of a kindergarten through fifth grade student who will be picked up via car for dismissal, please do not come to the school or park on Dogwood Drive until 3:15pm.

We need to keep Dogwood Drive clear for parents of the UPK SCOPE program to pick up their children before our K-5 dismissal can begin.

Please send in a note to your child's teacher each day if your child will be going home as a walker (picked up via car or via door by our front turf/gate).

If you questions related to transporation, please reach out to the Transportation Department at 631-382-4100. For calls after 4pm please call Town Bus Company at 631-862-2019 for big buses and Suffolk Transportation for the mini buses at 631-737-0695 ext. 16 as the school's Main Office closes at 4pm.

Thank you for your help with making our dismissal run smoothly.

10/3 School Photo Day : Pictures taken while students are in school.

10/09 Columbus Day – School is closed.

10/10 BOE mtg. @ 8 pm and Wear Pink for Page and Crazy Hair Day! (AVM Awareness Day)

10/10 4pm-6pm PTA Plant Sale Pick Up

10/12 Family Connect Night- No Homework on this night! Spend time with your family.

10/13: 5th Gr. Field Trip

10/17 PTA mtg. @ 7 pm In Person

10/18 Unity Day: Wear orange and be a friend, not a bully!

10/19 Barnes and Nobel Event

10/23-10/27 Red Ribbon Week

10/24 BOE Meeting @ 8pm

10/26 Big Apple Crunch, Bring an apple and wear the color of your favorite apple.

10/27 Author of the Month Assembly: 10:20

10/31 DEL Pumpkin Patch! Students may come to school dressed in their costume.