Dear New Families,

On behalf of our PTO, I want to welcome you to Dogwood Elementary School!  We are thrilled to welcome you into our Dolphin Family!  We want to make this transition as easy as possible for you, so please feel free to contact me with any questions.  All of us look forward to getting to know you and serving our school community alongside you.

I hope to see you at the New Parent Reception on August 15th from 5:15-6:15 pm in the cafeteria.  Our teachers, staff and PTO Board will share some very helpful information to get our school year off to a great start.  The Kindergarten Parent Meeting will be immediately following in your child's classroom.  We ask that parents only are in attendance this night.

Kindergarten Families are invited to attend the Kindergarten Meet and Greet on August 17th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at Dogwood Park.  Drop by to meet new classmates and their families!  We will take a special Class of 2032 picture at 11:00 am with Daisy the Dolphin that you won't want to miss!  MemPops will be selling delicious icy treats for $4 and lots of fun is planned for your whole family.  (In case of inclement weather, an update will be posted to the Dogwood Elementary PTO Facebook page on Saturday morning.)

See you there!

Carie Alley

New Parent Liaison

cfinche@yahoo.com 

• Meet your child's teacher. Class lists will be posted at every classroom.  
• Pickup pre-ordered school supply boxes.
• Drop off supplies in your child's classroom.
• Receive bus or car line number.
• Set up lunch account.
• Purchase items from the Dogwood Bookstore (agenda books, nap mats, recorders, chair bags, etc.)
• Sign up for before/after care with REACH.
• Pay the Student Instructional Fee.
• Order your class t-shirt.
• Vote for the movie you would like selected for Family Movie Night!

We are excited to announce that the PTO Membership and Family Donation Drives will be held concurrently from August 8th - September 6th. 

Joining the PTO is one of the easiest ways to support your student, your teachers, and your school.  Your membership fee will also provide you access to the online PTO directory, which provides member/student contact information.

The Family Donation Drive raises money for the school - 100% of which is donated directly to Dogwood.  In the past, these funds were used for classroom technology, educational resources, teacher funds, and professional development.  

Information regarding the Membership and Donations Drives will be available at Meet the Teacher as well as via email on the evening of August 8th.  

Do you want to build a snowman?  Falcon Footlights Booster Club brings a production of Frozen Jr to the Farmington Elementary Stage this fall!  Auditions are open to DES, FES, FHES and HMS students from 1st through 8th grade.  Audition workshops will be hosted at FES August 13th and 14th.  

Reserve your spot  for an audition time. 

Auditions will take place August 25th.  More information can be found on the Falcon Footlights Booster Club Facebook page.

If you did not pre-order your school supplies, you can find your class supply list below.  

(Please note that the 3rd grade list is current for this year, even though the date is incorrect)

• 'Team' practices begin the week of August 19
• Small-sided Game Festival (SoccerFEST) will take place on Saturday, August 24
• REC matches begin Saturday, September 7

School will be starting soon, but your child still has time to complete their summer reading!   Summer reading information and "READO" forms (grades K-2 and 3-5) may be found on our librarian's website. Return completed "READO" forms to your child's homeroom teacher in August for a prize! 

Please visit the Dogwood PTO website to learn more about the PTO, our events, and ways you can get involved! The PTO Guidebook can also be found here!

If you are a parent of a Dogwood student, you can also request to join the  Dogwood PTO Facebook Page to keep up to date with PTO and school events.  Be sure to answer the membership question to gain access, as it is a closed group for parents only. 

Looking for an easy way to avoid your child's possessions ending up in the Lost and Found?  Check out  Mabel's Labels Fundraising, enter Dogwood Elementary School PTO, and a portion of your purchase will be donated to the DES PTO!

Kindergarten Families are invited to meet their new classmates on Saturday, August 17th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Dogwood Park.  Face painting, Mempops ($4 each), and a bounce house is just some of the fun in store for your family!  A special Class of 2032 picture with Daisy the Dolphin is planned for 11:00 am.

Contact Carie Alley with questions.

New Parents are invited to join us in the cafeteria for a presentation from our Dogwood administration, faculty and PTO at 5:15 pm on Thursday, August 15th.  We welcome you to the Dogwood family!  (Kindergarten Curriculum Night is held in your child's classroom immediately following the reception.)

Contact Carie Alley with questions.

Thursday, August 8	Open House	4-7 PM
Thursday, August 8- Friday September 6	PTO Membership Drive and Family Donation Drive
Monday, August 12	FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL	8:45 AM
August 12-16	Kindergarten Phase in Week	8:45 AM-3:45 PM
Thursday, August 15	New Parent Reception (cafeteria) and Kindergarten Curriculum Night (your child's classroom)	5:15-7:15 PM
Saturday, August 17	Kindergarten Meet and Greet at Dogwood Park	10-12 AM
Monday, August 19	Grade 2 Curriculum Night	5:00 PM
Monday, August 19	Grade 1 Curriculum Night	6:00 PM
Tuesday, August 20	General PTO Meeting	9:00 AM
Tuesday, August 20	Grade 3 Curriculum Night	5:00 PM
Tuesday, August 20	Grade 4 Curriculum Night	6:00 PM
Thursday, August 22	PreK Curriculum Night	5:00 PM
Thursday, August 22	Grade 5 Curriculum Night	5:00 PM
Thursday, August 22	Special Education and Gifted Curriculum Night	6:00 PM
Thursday, August 22	Grade 5 Washington D.C. trip meeting	6:00 PM

There are several ways to keep up to date with all Dogwood events.  You can subscribe to the  Google Calendar or the  iPhone Calendar, and have all events downloaded directly to your phone and updated throughout the year.  Prefer everything on paper?  You can purchase a print 12 month calendar featuring artwork by Dogwood students for only $5.00 on  My School Bucks.