AFTER SCHOOL ROCKS!
Welcome to the new school year! I hope everyone had a great summer and that you are ready for a fantastic school year!
Last year, I was amazed by the wonderful activities offered after hours at the school, but I totally forgot to blog about it until after the programs began. This year, I sent my kids on a “Dolphin Dive” mission – to collect a copy of all of the information about the extra curricular activities offered at DSES. Not only did they collect the information, but they spent the car ride home planning out their after school activities.
10 and Under Tennis. Atlanta is a tennis town (look at the popularity of ALTA), so it is only natural that DSES offer tennis as an after school program. With this kid-friendly program, children learn to play using smaller rackets and slower balls. Tennis is offered twice a week – grades K through 2 meet on Monday and Wednesday, and grades 3-5 meet on Tuesday and Thursday. Class time begins at 2:35 each day, but additional class times will be offered if enough of students enroll. The cost is $100 for eight weeks. For more information, check out the website www.10andundertennis.com. You can also contact the tennis coach, Julius Robertson, a certified tennis professional, at Julius@AtlantaTennisCoach.com or 404.291.4550.
Championship Chess Club. My oldest cannot wait to join the Chess club. This club aspires to offer two levels of chess on Thursday afternoon from 2:20-3:20 in the Art room – one level for beginning players in first grade and below, and one level for children who already know the basics. The program costs $130 for 8 weeks. However, the Club must have 15 interested families to offer this program. If you are interested, please send an email to chess@championshipchess.net, and type Dunwoody Springs Chess Club Interest in the subject line. I hope that DSES can create a competitive team this year!
GolfSquad offers two programs this fall – a Fall program for children ages 7 and up, and a Fall Primer program for ages 4-6. The Fall program meets for one hour each week for twelve weeks and teaches golf basics. The Fall Primer program meets for 30 minutes weekly for 12 weeks. In addition to learning golf skills, the program incorporates simple math skills and golf vocabulary. Children in both programs receive a handbook, a visor and water bottle. All training equipment and clubs are provided. I don’t have information on the days or cost of the program, but I will add an update when I receive it. For more information, go to GolfSquad.com or contact Ysreen Shores at 864-237-4553.
Imagine That! TechnoScience. These classes look very cool. Offered every Friday from Sept. 7 – Dec. 14, this program offers Lego Robotics, programming and Technology as well as Hands On Investigative Science that teaches physics and physiology. Each program offers a challenge for the students to solve: How do you explore an ancient tomb loaded with booby traps? How can you protect an egg when dropping it from a tall tower? Classes cost $298 if you register before August 27, and $318 thereafter. For more information, check out the website at www.imaginethatfun.com, or contact the program at fun@imaginethatfun.com or 770.455.1980.
Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department. Sandy Springs offers the best program deals around. For $25.00 (no, I did not leave off a zero), your child can attend soccer or basketball for an 8-week session. The Fall Soccer program begins in September and is offered 3 days a week from 2:30 – 4. PreK and K play on Monday; 1st and 2nd grade play on Tuesday, and 3-5 play on Thursday. Basketball will begin in the winter, and soccer will be offered again in the spring. For more information, contact our own school nurse, Paula Geiss, or call Trevor Ramos at 770.206.2040.
I hope you have found something for your child to enjoy once the school day ends! Check out the blog for any additional programs that are offered this fall and throughout the school year.
UPDATE on GOLF SQUAD:
The GolfSquad program will begin Monday, September 17, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM, and the program will run 12 weeks. The cost is $250. Grab your clubs!
Less Than Two Weeks and Counting!
Happy August to my fellow Dolphins! Can you believe that school starts two weeks from today? As usual, I have no idea where the summer went.
I would like to welcome the new families to Dunwoody Springs Elementary School. We have a fabulous PTA, and we look forward to you joining our community.
The Dolphin Dive. You should have received a mailer with information about this year’s registration, known as the Dolphin Dive. Here, you will meet your students’ teachers, get school bus and carpool numbers, register for discounted school lunches (if you qualify), and learn about some of the fantastic after-school programs offered at Dunwoody Springs.
This year’s Dolphin Dive is scheduled for August 9. Please register your children entering Pre-K to 2nd grade from 3-4:30pm, and 3rd to 5th grade from 4 – 6pm. If you have children in multiple grades, you should be able to register all of them at one time. Remember that you will save lots of time by filling out the paperwork you received in the mail ahead of time and bringing it with you to Dolphin Dive.
PTA Registration. The registration information also included information about joining the PTA. For $10 per child, you can help sponsor a variety of PTA projects this year, including Read 2 Lead, the Reflections Art Program, and staff appreciation events.
New School Year, New School Website. Take a few minutes to check out the new school website, located at http://school.fultonschools.org/es/dunwoodysprings.
When I last checked, the old website was still live. The old website is brown and green; the new website is white and blue and has the dolphin logo. We hope that the old site will be taken down soon and the new website will be updated with all the information that you need.
School Supplies. Have you noticed all the summer school supply sales? Apparently, retail sales have been depressed all summer, so retailers have been trying to pull us in with some really incredible sales on school supplies. Check out the Sunday flyers this week for sales at Office Depot, Office Max and Staples for some great deals. A list of school supplies is still found on the old website under Fall 2011.
For those new parents, please be aware that Dunwoody Springs has a dress code (uniform guidelines are posted on the website). I will try to post great deals on uniform clothing as I find them. I will tell you that I’ve had great luck at Children’s Place and Lands’ End in the past.
This weeks’ Sunday paper showed the following deals:
– Walgreens – 29¢ Paper Mate Pens and Mechanical pencils; 49¢ single subject notebooks; 9¢ two pocket folders
– Walmart – 97¢ zipper binders or pencil boxes; 50¢ CraZArt washable markers and colored pencils; $1.84 6 count pink erasers; 82¢ filler paper
– Target – never the best pricing for school supplies until about a week after school starts. Then, stock up for this year and next!
– CVS – Lots of $1 items – composition books, pencils, scissors, 1 subject notebooks
– Office Depot – 1¢ folders; 25¢ composition notebooks, pens, crayons
Also, take note of the upcoming tax free shopping days on August 10 – 11. Beware – pricing is not always the cheapest during these days, but many items are tax free.
Feel free to send the blog the best deal you have found; I’ll be happy to share it with the community.
Happy Shopping! Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Groundhog Day News
Happy Groundhog Day!
First, thank you to everyone who participated in the Career Day last Friday. I went to two classes about being an attorney and a small business owner, and the kids were very excited and interested. Admittedly, they were a little disappointed to learn that they were going to have to use math and grammar as adults. I had a great time and look forward to coming back next year.
And now for the scoop on the DSES Talent Show. Apparently, the judges were blown away by the talent on that stage. Make sure you have marked your calendars for February 24, 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Doors open at 5 pm for dinner.
Are you the parent of a budding middle school child? If so, be sure to attend an Open House and School Tour with Dr. Kay Walker, Principal of Sandy Springs Charter Middle School, to learn what to expect over the next three years. The next sessions are February 16, 9:00 am; March 15, 9:00 am; and April 17, 6:30 pm. Check out the schools’ website at http://www.ssmsonline.org; it’s a wealth of information.
Apparently, the Dunwoody Springs Elementary Sweatshirt is a hot item this year. The PTA has heard your demands and will sell sweatshirts again during the Valentine’s Day Lunch on February 14. I am going to try to attach an order form to the blog. Please fill it out and send it in ASAP to reserve your sweatshirt!
Free Item of the Week. This “to do” is too good to be true. Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA has FREE admission (yes, FREE) until February 29. Normally, admission costs a minimum of $18.00 per adult and $9.00 per child. While all the flowers may not be in bloom, you can still visit the butterfly exhibit, view the floral exhibits in the horticultural center, or walk/hike/bike the many trails. I may not be able to predict the future, but I see my car heading toward Callaway very soon. For more information, visit www.callawaygardens.com.
Mark your calendars for February 12. If you are a yarn or fiber fiend like me, or if you have the desire to do something a little crafty, check out the weaving open house at the Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild. Instructors will be on hand to demonstrate a variety of weaving methods (floor-loom, rigid-heddle, inkle, tapestry, basketmaking, and card weaving), along with kumihimo braiding, spinning, crochet, and knitting. There will be activities for children, refreshments, door prizes, and raffles. For more information, check out http://chgweavers.wordpress.com.
Congratulations to the first official prize-winner of the Dolphin Blog, Sunshine Jones, mom to third grade student Dameon. With her input as to how she helps her child stay organized, she won a $10.00 Starbucks gift card, courtesy the Dolphin Diva herself. What, you’re a Starbucks fanatic and missed the contest?! Check back with the blog soon; I see a second contest in our future . . . . .
With that little cliff hanger, the PTA hopes you have a fabulous week!
Welcome Back!
Oh behalf of the PTA, the Dolphin Diva would like to welcome you back to school! We hope you had a very restful and happy vacation, and we wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
We have a lot of exciting activities this month.
This Friday, Jan. 13, is our PTA Annual Teacher’s Appreciation Chili Luncheon. Please bring one of the following:
Chili – 20 gallon bags of regular, vegetarian, turkey or chicken chili
Crackers or bread
Cheese – 10 bags
Sour Cream – 10 containers
Hot Sauce
Jalapeno slices
Desserts
Of note, I just checked CouponMom.com, and Kroger has 16 oz of shredded cheese on sale for $2.99, ground beef in the roll on sale for $2.69/lb, and sour cream on sale for $1.99. Publix has several different cheeses on sale, including Cabot (8 oz bar for $2.50), Sargento (8 oz for $2.50) and DiGiorno Cheese (6 oz cup in deli for $2.40). Publix also has Jennie O’s ground turkey on sale for $3.49/lb.
School is closed on Monday, Jan. 16, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Feel free to post any plans you may have for your children that day on the website; I’m sure we all could use a few good ideas.
Friday, January 27, is Career Day. Please contact your children’s teachers and volunteer to speak about your career. Last year, I spoke to a class about owning my own business, and I’m pretty sure we had a few budding entrepreneurs.
With the new semester comes new after-school activities. The World Language Institute, Inc. offers a full immersion Spanish class on Wednesdays from 2:30 – 3:30 pm. Classes start Wednesday, Jan 11, and runs every Wednesday until May 9. Space is limited to 12 students, and the cost is $255 for this semester. If you are interested, please contact the Language Learning Center at 678-242-8712.
Finally, I hope you will join me in this New Year’s Resolution: remembering to log in my children’s reading minutes into the Read to Lead Website. I am the worst about this, but I know that by making this confession, you will keep my nose to the grindstone and my children’s noses to their books.
Have a great week!
Reflections Deadline is almost here!
REFLECTIONS: Just a few days left for the Reflections deadline of Monday, October 10. Get your creative juices flowing, and submit your entry today!
Fundraisers, Speakers and Reflections, Oh My!
Block Party:
Thank you for everyone who attended and volunteered for the Block Party! The event was fun for everyone, and I don’t think we could have asked for better weather. I worked in the hot dog stand and had a great time meeting everyone.
This Week’s Events:
September 29 – The North Fulton Counsel PTA is meeting from 6-7pm at DSES. The keynote speaker is the new Fulton County school superintendent, Dr. Robert Arvossa.
September 30 – This is the last day of the Great American Fundraiser. Turn in your forms! And be sure to buy frozen cookie dough. Not only is it tasty, but it also comes in handy when your child informs you at 9pm that she has to bring something for a school event in the morning.
September 30 – If you have been meaning to have your child join the DSES band (run by Music Matters and led by our very own Mr. Patrick McAvoy), now is the time to do it. September 30 is the deadline. For more information and to register, check out www.mmafterschool.com or contact Mr. McAvoy.
A few additional reminders:
– Reflections: Start your projects! The deadline is October 10.
– Box Tops: Bring them in to earn money for the school.
Have a great weekend! And for those observing Rosh Hashanah – Shanah Tovah! Have a happy and healthy new year!
Reflections – A Time for Budding Artists to Shine
Let’s make some art!!! The 2011 Reflections Art Contest has begun!
This is such a great program to let your child express themselves through their artwork and be recognized for it! Plus, it’s really easy to enter! All your child has to do is create a piece of art in one or more of six areas, relating to this year’s theme: “Diversity Means…”. Ask your child what this means to them and discuss! Help them get their artistic juices going, and portray what ’diversity’ means to them.
The six categories are: Literature, Musical composition, Photography, Visual Arts (ex. drawing, painting, print making, and collage), Dance choreography and Film/video production. Enter one or more categories! Every student that enters the contest will be recognized in an awards ceremony!
The due date for all entries is MONDAY OCTOBER 10. Just ask your child’s teachers for detailed rules and entry forms OR go online –
http://georgiapta.org/resources-student-reflections.html.
Parents, we need your help to encourage your child to participate in this wonderful program, and see the artist in them shine J !
I am adding below links to some of the primary (elementary school) winning items last year with hope they can inspire the artist in your house. Check out these and the other winning submissions at http://www.ptareflections.org/cs/program_gallery .
Visual Arts:
Photography:
Literature: pta-reflections.2010 lit winner
Dance Choreography: pta-reflections 2010 dance winner
Musical Composition: Beauty is Music
Film Production: Tollgate Childrens Garden
Busy, Busy Week: Picture day, Block Party, Reflections and More
Happy Friday Everyone!
I hope you are having a great September. Can you believe that school started a month ago?
Picture Day. I hope you child looked his or her best for Picture day today. If you are like me and forgot to turn in your order form, you will be very excited to learn that you can order your pictures on line. Go to http://www.mylifetouch.com and enter the Picture Day ID AG201426Y0.
Block Party. The DSES Block Party is next Saturday, September 24. You can believe that I won’t forget; my kids are so excited that they remind me daily. If you haven’t volunteered, there are still some positions available. I believe that the morning slots are filled, but I doubt that anyone will turn you away. Contact Robin Winner robint06@aim.com if you would like to volunteer. I am working a 2-4 pm slot, so come by and say hello.
Reflections. This is an awesome nationwide PTA program that brings out the artist in each child. This competition is available to all students, grades Pre-K to 12th grade. Each participant creates a project in one of six areas: literature, musical composition, photography, dance choreography, film / video production, or visual arts (drawing, painting, printmaking, collage). Each submission is judged at the school level, and winners advance to the next level until they reach the national competition.
You should have received a letter explaining this program, and I am going to attempt to link the letter DSES PTA Reflections. This year’s theme is “Diversity means. . . .” Entries are due Monday, October 10. For more information, see http://georgiapta.org/resources-student-reflections.html.
Volunteer Day. This Thursday, Sept. 22, is Volunteer Day at DSES. Come by and give a hand to the teachers and staff: listen to the children read, laminate class projects, shelve books in the library. I volunteered last spring, and I thought it was a great way to meet other parents, teachers and staff. It also reminded me how much work is needed to provide this level of education to our students. And if that weren’t enough incentive, I think you even get free coffee.
Lunch N Learn. Once you have finished volunteering, stroll to the media center for some Adult Education. At noon, Cynthia Roman from the Latin American Association is providing a workshop about Adult Education, Family Services, Employment and Youth, and Academic Achievement for a Successful School Year. This should be an amazing workshop.
Comcast Deal. Comcast has a program offering families a $150 Netbook and to purchase internet access at their homes for $9.95/month. To qualify, you must (1) Be located where Comcast offers Internet service, (2) Have at least one child receiving free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program; (3) Have not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days, and (4) Not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment. For more information, check out http://www.internetessentials.com/how/index.html.
And Finally, Some Weekend Fun. The weather should be great this weekend – a perfect excuse to attend the 2011 Sandy Springs Festival located at Heritage Green, 6075 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs, Georgia. The two-day festival features a car show, a pet parade, a 5K and 10K race, lots of vendors, food and fun. Tickets are $5 per adult, $2 per child age 6 and over, and free for children age 5 and younger. Two-day passes are also available. For details, check out http://www.sandyspringsfestival.com/
On that festive note, have a great weekend!
Important September Dates
Hello Fellow Dolphins!
I wanted to send this quick reminder that tonight, Thursday night is Curriculum Night at the school. The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 and consists of two-one hour sessions (5:30-6:30, 6:30-7:30). Come learn about what the students will learn this year and how you can support your child/children in this process. Childcare is available for school-age children (not for infants). Also, you will have the opportunity to purchase spiritwear and raffle tickets for the iPad 2.
We have a few other notable events occurring this month:
September 9 – In the spirit of 9/11, help us show our support for the local fire and police departments for the sacrifices they make to protect our community. Please donate individually packed snack-items or drinks so that the students can make snack bags to donate to these valuable (perhaps, invaluable is a better word) members of our community.
Keeping that community spirit feeling alive, September 9 is also the kickoff for the Great American Fundraiser. I love catalog fundraisers because you can sit in the comfort of your own home, shop for the holidays, and raise money for the school at the same time. This is a no-brainer.
September 14 – PTA Spirit Night at Buffalo Wild Wings, 8371 Roswell Road, 5-7 pm. Ten percent of school sales will be donated to school programs. All students who participate get a homework pass. (Let me get this straight. . . . Someone else cooks dinner and we get night without a homework fight. Another no-brainer.)
September 22 – Lunch-n-Learn at 12 pm. Details to follow.
September 24 – DSES Block Party from 12-4pm. Our largest school fundraiser promises to be outstanding. Come enjoy Hey Ya as well as DSES’s own Donte – DJ Face. And let’s not forget the music, games, food and prizes. We still need volunteers to work 2-hour shifts, and each volunteer has free admission to the party. Send me an e-mail if you are interested.
I look forward to seeing everyone this evening!
Thank You for a Successful Dolphin Dive 2011
Dolphin Dive 2011 was a huge success. It was great to see so many excited students AND parents at this annual event. A big THANK YOU to all of the parents who sponsored their children through the DSES PTA. Your sponsorship dollars will enable our students to enjoy many enrichment programs that would not be possible without your support. Next time you are in the school, check out the sponsorship walls in the lobby, it is quite impressive! We appreciate all of our teacher’s hard work in getting their classrooms ready and pre-planning for an amazing school year to come.
Congratulations to Starnita James the winner of our $100 Visa gift card raffle!
Dunwoody Springs Elementary School PTA 