DH Virtual Backpack

• Highlands on the Island (Back to School Event) - August 22
• Open House - August 26, 6:00 - 8:00
• LATE START - September 2
• Donuts with Grown Ups! - September 4
• NO SCHOOL - September 7
• PTC Meeting - September 8
• Picture Day - September 11
• Fall Fest - September 25

Open House is coming up on August 26th. Please join us at Dundee Highland to learn more about your student's teacher, our curriculum, and daily routines. Also join us in the gym between 6:30 and 7:30 to meet with specials teachers, support staff, and the administrative team. The schedule for the evening is as follows:

• Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
• Session 1: 6:00 - 6:25
• Session 2: 6:30 - 6:55
• 3rd Grade - 5th Grade
• Session 1: 7:00 - 7:25
• Session 2: 7:30 - 7:55
• Specials, EL, Interventionists, Support Staff
• Gym: 6:30 - 7:30

Please note that there are two sessions for each grade level. This allows families who have multiple students to attend a session for each student. We hope to see you at Open House!

We are excited to introduce a new Elementary Family FAQ designed to provide quick answers to many of the questions families commonly have throughout the school year. The FAQ includes information on topics such as attendance, arrival and dismissal procedures, lunch, birthdays, visitors, transportation, and more.

To make information easy to find and ensure it stays up to date, the FAQ is available on the District website and can also be accessed from our school's About page.

• PLEASE VIEW THE DOCUMENT AS IT INCLUDES UPDATE INFORMATION ABOUT OUTSIDE FOOD AND BRINGING LUNCH FOR YOUR STUDENTS.
• View the Elementary Family FAQ here: https://www.d300.org/about/elementary-faq

We encourage all families to bookmark this resource for easy reference throughout the school year. Parents must also acknowledge the parent handbook by August 25th. See below for further directions.

5th Grade Families - See the below flyer for more information about the 5th Grade Band and Orchestra Night that is coming up on September 3rd.

We cordially invite you for some DONUTS WITH GROWN UPS on September 4th at Dundee Highlands! We will meet on the lawn next to the bell starting at 7:15 AM. Bring a grown up, bring a blanket, bring the joy, and enjoy a donut on us! If you are planning on coming, please complete the RSVP form that is linked below by September 1st. Thank you!

Our first Late Start is coming up on September 2nd. On a Late Start, the school day begins at 10:00 AM and concludes at 2:15 PM. Bus routes are delayed by two hours and our outside supervision will begin at 9:45 AM. Currently, our Late Start Childcare is FULL. We do have a wait list available for any families who would be interested in utilizing the Late Start Childcare. Students who are not accepted into the Late Start Childcare will be turned away on Late Start days.

If you have been approved for Late Start Childcare, students must be dropped off in our car rider lane beginning at 7:45 AM. There is NO bus transportation in the morning for Late Start Childcare. Please reach out to Mr. Kouri or Mrs. Dietz if you have additional questions.

Arrival:

• Students should arrive at school between 7:45 am and 7:55 am. Students are marked tardy if they arrive after 8:00 am. Students arriving late should enter the main door and stop at the office for a tardy pass. Students riding a bus that arrives late to school will not be marked tardy.

Dismissal:

• School dismissal is at 2:15 p.m. Students are supervised by teachers as they leave the building each day. Supervisors are located throughout the building and outside to ensure an orderly and safe dismissal.

• If you know before your student goes off to school that their transportation is going to change for the day, you must notify the teacher/main office indicating the change. Please be advised that students will not be allowed to ride on a bus other than the one they are assigned to.

• Students are discouraged from returning to school for things they have forgotten. They should be encouraged to be responsible to gather what they need before they leave school. If a student or parent does return to school, they should check in at the office to gain admittance to the classroom.

Car Rider Information:

1. Approach the school from the east side of the building, heading west on Edwards Avenue.

2. Turn right into the parking lot and follow the arrows to the right.

3. Continue pulling forward until your car is in the YELLOW zone.

4. Once in the YELLOW zone, allow your child to quickly exit or enter your vehicle.

5. Slowly move forward and exit the parking lot by turning RIGHT (right turn only)

Important Reminder: Cell phones cannot be used while operating a motor vehicle on school grounds or in a school zone. This is a state law. Thanks for your help in keeping our kids safe.

Meals can be purchased in cash, or meal accounts can be funded via PushCoin, the online payment platform used by the district that is accessible to families via www.PushCoin.com.

District 300 encourages parents and guardians to set up a PushCoin account before the first day of school by following these PushCoin account instructions. (Additional details about PushCoin are available via this FAQ sheet.)

Please note: For students making cash payments in the cafeteria, any remaining change will be added to the student's PushCoin account.

District 300’s transportation provider, Durham School Services, is making available a bus tracking app called BusZone, which replaces the Durham Bus Tracker app.

BusZone allows parents, guardians, and students to monitor the location of a particular bus and/or possible delays in a bus arriving at a specific stop.

In addition, BusZone prioritizes security: All user information is locked down and password protected within the app to prevent unauthorized people from opening the app and viewing a student’s bus information.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. A parent must have a smartphone, tablet, or similar device to download the app.

Use of the app is purely voluntary. No cost is associated with the app; however, associated data charges may apply and will be the user's responsibility.

BusZone app: Additional information, including how to set it up once downloaded and how it works with Zonar ZPass.

There could be a $3 fee charged to students who need to have their ZPass card replaced more than 2 times during a school year. The fee would be charged to the student's account for each additional replacement card issued after the first 2 cards issued to the student. This amount covers the cost of the ZPass card.

DHES is partnering with the D300 Food Pantry to feed families in need in our community. Any nonperishable food items can be brought to the office. Additionally, personal hygiene, cleaning supplies, and baby items are all needed. For more information visit https://www.d300foodpantry.org/. Thank you so much for your help!

Directions for subscribing to the DHES Calendar

This year, the PTC will be organizing Head Room Helpers for the year. The Head Room Helper sign-up will be sent out on August 21st at 8:00 PM. This is a first come first serve opportunity and there will be other opportunities for volunteers. Please see the flyer below for more information.

Our first Dine 'n Share fundraiser is scheduled for August 27th. Eat at Panera Bread in Carpentersville on the 27th and 20% of the sales will go to Dundee Highlands PTC! You must show the flyer in order to get credit! Or order online using the code on the flyer below.

Our PTC is always looking for additional help to run our special events for students. Our Bingo Night is coming up on March 20th and we will be in need of a lot of helpers to pull it off! Below you can express your interest in volunteering your time! Thank you for your consideration!

Website: https://www.d300.org/dhes
Location: 407 South 5th Street, West Dundee, IL, USA
Phone: 224-484-4700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D300DHES