Sunday Snapshot
Week of August 31, 2026
Welcome Back!
Dear Viking Families,
Welcome to week one!
Tomorrow, Aug. 31st, we welcome back our 1st through 4th graders for their first full day of school. Families may walk their children to class if they wish. We will have the same three entrances open as at Open House to assist with parking. Please be sure not to park in the bus line up on Ypsilanti Street. If you are dropping off like normal and not entering the building with your child, please utilize the loop as our staff will assist with students getting out of the car and into the building. Please be patient and courteous while taking turns with parking so that we can keep everyone safe on what is sure to be a busy morning! Reminder: If you do not have a handicap parking plate or placard, do not park in those spaces. We have families who need to utilize those spaces and we must keep those spots open for them.
Tomorrow, Aug. 31st, is also the Soft Start for our Young Fives and Kindergarten students. Please utilize the sign up link to refer to your appointment time and you will enter the building at the Adams Street entrance for those appointments. The first full day of school for Y5 & K will be Tuesday, Sept. 1st and we will also allow those families to walk their children to class. All parents must exit the building by 8:35 when classes begin. We will be using ONLY the ADAMS STREET ENTRANCE on Tuesday morning for those who want to walk Y5 & K students to class. Don't worry if you aren't able to walk your child to class, we have plenty of extra staff on hand to assist students with getting where they belong the first couple of weeks of school.
Thank you for trusting us with your child’s learning journey. We can’t wait to see all the great things our Vikings will accomplish this year!
With Viking Pride,
Mrs. Love
Upcoming Events
August/September
- 8/24 Cones with Cops at DQ 7-8 pm
- 8/25 & 8/26 DCS Staff Professional Learning
- 8/26 1st-4th Grade Open House 4:00-6:00 pm
- 8/31 First day of school for 1st-4th grades
- 8/31 Soft Start for Young Fives & Kindergarten students (by appointment)
- 9/1 First day of school for Young Fives & Kindergarten students
- 9/3 School Picture Day
- 9/4 No School
- 9/7 No School: Labor Day
- 9/8-9/18 Fall Math & Reading Assessments
- 9/14 DCS Board of Ed Meeting 5:30 pm
- 9/15 PTO Meeting 4:00 pm in Mrs. Love's Office
- 9/18 PTO Read a Thon Kick Off
Young Fives & Kindergarten Soft Start Open House
Dismissal Procedures
Pick Ups: If you are PICKING UP your child with a VEHICLE, you should utilize the traffic loop at the north side of the building. Please have your child's neon green name card in your dash to assist our staff in matching you to your child. This is the safest way for our staff to get your child to your vehicle. There is no sidewalk to get to the loop, so please do not walk through the loop area.
Walkers & Bikers: If your child is walking or riding a bike home, they will be dismissed from the Adams Street exit at the old office doors. If you are walking with your child, please wait for them to be dismissed in the grass. No vehicles should be parked/picking up in this area. Please remind your children on bikes/scooters to walk them until they are past the bus area for safety.
Bus Riders: If your child rides the bus home, they will continue to use the exit on the corner of Adams & Ypsilanti Streets and they will walk north up Ypsilanti Street to enter the bus.
It is imperative that ALL families follow the provided procedures so as to support us in getting hundreds of students out of the building at the same time as efficiently and safely as possible. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
*Morning procedures will remain the same with drop off students entering through the traffic loop and bus riders and walkers entering on the corner of Adams & Ypsilanti Street.
How to Be Connected to DES
Welcome to Aptegy Rooms for DCS!
We have transitioned to Apptegy Rooms over the summer 2026 for most school communications. Announcements and messages will be organized by students' classes and activities. Rooms will be your one-stop-shop for routine announcements from teachers and staff. You'll be able to message staff members right from the DCS app (Google Play Store | iOS App Store) just like we did previously with Bloomz.
More information will be coming from your child's teacher. For now, take some time to familiarize yourself with the DCS app and the basics of messaging with Rooms. If you have any questions, please reach out to us in the Tech Office at tech@dundeeschools.org.
Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Additionally, don't forget to have your parent portal set up in Infinite Campus (Instructions in the photo below). You will use this to pay for all field trips, access report cards, add money to your child's lunch account for extras or a la carte, and to review your child's attendance and registration information. 4th grade students ill be able to purchase snacks on the a la carte line once per week with funds on their account. Please call the office with any questions.
Meet our Canine Student Teacher: Moana
Meet our DES Staff
Mental Health Matters
Welcome Back to School!
We’re excited to welcome our students and families back for another wonderful school year! As you adjust to new routines, remember that mental health is just as important as academics. Your school social workers, Brandy Raymer, LLMSW (General Education Social Worker) and Katie Carter, LMSW (Special Education Social Worker) are here to support you.
If you or your family are looking for mental health or counseling services, Care Solace is a free, confidential resource that can quickly connect you to local providers. You can learn more at www.caresolace.com. For additional resources, The Monroe County Family Resource Guide is linked below.
Back-to-School Self-Care Tip: Start each evening by preparing for the next day—lay out clothes, pack lunches, and set aside a few minutes for deep breathing or reading. A calm evening makes for a smoother morning!
Substitutes Needed!
Notes from the Nurse
I am excited to get this school year going and cannot wait to see all of the students in the hallways again.
My hours are 8:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. If you have medication(s) your child will need to take during the school year, please bring them to school, along with the appropriate paperwork, anytime during office hours before school begins or at Open House. I look forward to a great school year! GO VIKINGS!
-Nurse Palmer
DES School Supply Lists
Food Service Updates
All DES students will receive FREE breakfast and lunch during the 26/27 school year.
It is still very important to complete the free and reduced application forms in your back to school paperwork, regardless of your qualification status. This application process is essential for the district as it helps secure vital funding from the state and federal sources. Regardless of your income, please fill out this application. Thank you for your help with this matter!
Breakfast Menu
Lunch Menu
PTO Updates
Our PTO has many fun events planned for our students and staff this year! We hope you'll find an opportunity to help support them in their good work!
- First PTO Meeting is September 15th at 4:00 pm in Mrs. Love's Office
- PTO Read-a-Thon September 18th-October 9th
- PTO Fall Book Fair
- PTO Holiday Shop
- PTO Spring Book Fair
DES Curriculum
Math: Everyday Math
ELA: Fishtank ELA (Grades K-4) Three Cheers for Pre-K (Grade Y5)
Phonics/Phonemic Awareness: Heggerty & UFLI
Social Studies: Scholastic News (Grades Y5-3) Atlas (Grade 4)
Science: National Geographic & Mystery Science
Social-Emotional Skills: Courageous Choices
Important DES Information
DES Full School Day Hours:
- The school day begins at 8:35 am and ends at 3:40 pm
- Our staff begins monitoring students at 8:15 am. Please do not drop off students prior to 8:15 am as there will not be any DES staff available to supervise them. Students dropped off from 8:15-8:25 will go to the playground with our supervisors and will then be dismissed to their classrooms. Students who purchase school breakfast will go to the cafeteria when they arrive unless they are in Y5 or kindergarten (their breakfast is served in the classroom).
Elementary School Handbook:
Dundee Community Schools Calendar:
Click for the District Calendar
Infinite Campus Parent Portal, Care Solace, OK2Say Links:
https://dundeemi.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/dundee.jsp
School Meal Payments:
At this time, breakfast and lunch are FREE for ALL students through September 30th, until we know plans for the state's budget. More information will come regarding next steps. We ask that all families please fill out the free/reduced meal form on our website, even if you don't normally qualify as this helps with important at-risk funding for the district.
Link to Food Service Department:
https://dundeecommunityschools.nutrislice.com/menu/dundee-elementary-school-k-5/lunch/2022-08-28
DES Facebook Page:
For reporting a student absent:
734-529-7044 Press 1
School Nurse: Rachel Palmer
734-529-2350 ext. 11013
Dundee Elementary School Vision & Mission Statements
Dundee Community Schools Vision & Mission Statements
Vision Statement
“Students First” – Inspire, Educate, Innovate, Celebrate
Mission Statement
Dundee Community Schools is setting a course for student success. We will challenge and inspire every student, every day, in every class through innovation and dedication ‐ promoting knowledgeable, responsible, and caring citizens.
Contact Information
420 Ypsilanti Dr.
Dundee, MI 48131
School Phone: 734-529-7044
School Fax: 734-529-3741
Principal: Mrs. Love shana.love@dundeeschools.org
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Cheney Nicole.cheney@dundeeschools.org