Dryden Community Schools Newsletter

Dear #proudcardinal Families,

As the 2023-2024 school year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible accomplishments of our students. Throughout the year, we have witnessed remarkable growth, creativity, and resilience in each and every one of our students. From academic achievements to artistic endeavors, from athletic triumphs to acts of kindness, our students have continually impressed us with their dedication and passion.

I am immensely proud of the Dryden High School 143rd graduating Class of 2024, who are embarking on new adventures and chapters in their lives. Their hard work, determination, and leadership have left a lasting impact on our school community, and we are excited to see all that they will achieve in the future.

To all of our students, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your enthusiasm, curiosity, and spirit. You have inspired us with your talents and reminded us of the limitless potential that exists within each of you.

As we bid farewell to another school year, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of our families for a happy and safe summer. May this be a time of relaxation, exploration, and cherished moments spent with loved ones.

Please remember to take care of yourselves and each other, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the fall for another year of learning and growth.

Yours in Education,

Mary Finnigan

Superintendent

Thank you, voters, for your support of our May 2023 Bond Proposal. We appreciate your trust in us to be responsible financial stewards and allocate money in the best interest of our students.

It will be a busy summer at Dryden Elementary and Dryden High School. These projects are expected to be completed by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year:

Dryden Elementary School

• New roof
• New boilers
• New heating and cooling system
• New sign

Dryden High School

• New roof
• New boilers
• New heating and cooling system
• New sign
• New drinking water system
• New hot water heater

You may have noticed an addition to the scenery on Rochester Road near Dryden High School. With financial help from the AAA Auto Club Group Foundation, Four County Community Foundation, and Dryden Township, a new school zone warning system was installed this spring. The system reminds drivers to keep to the school zone speed limit at the beginning and end of our school days. Many thanks to the contributors and Director of Maintenance Jim Honnold, who oversaw the installation. We appreciate your efforts in keeping our students safe!

Photo (L to R): Dryden Community Schools Superintendent Mary Finnigan, School Resource Officer Greg Betts, Four County Community Foundation Communications Specialist Maria Brown, Dryden Township Police Chief Shawn Peters.

The School of Choice window is now open through August 22, 2024 . Applications MUST be submitted by August 22 to either the High School or Elementary School secretaries.

School of Choice applications can be found on our website at the link below. Please feel free to contact Lori Hall at lhall@drydenschools.org or 810-448-4090 for more information.

All incoming Begindergarten, Kindergarten, and 7th Grade Students must be up-to-date on their immunizations by this fall. Lapeer County Health Department has the Tdap., Meningitis, and Chickenpox (varicella) vaccines along with all CDC and ACIP recommended vaccines available for children needing them to meet school requirements.

Call 810-667-0448 to see if your child’s immunizations are up-to-date before the new school year this fall. If you choose to get a waiver, you must make an appointment with the Lapeer County Health Department to receive one.

Please mail, bring to the high school office, or fax to 810-796-3698, a copy of your child’s updated immunization record on or before Monday, August 19, 2024. If you have any further questions, please contact Lori Hall at 810-448-4090 or at lhall@drydenschools.org

Dear Cardinal Families,

This week marks the end of our school year with three half-days of school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (June 5, 6, and 7). Students will attend each of their classes for an extended exam period, and school will be dismissed at 10:35 a.m. each day. High school students may be taking an exam or completing a project; junior high classes do not have exams.

Dryden High School's summer office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for the months of June (beginning June 10), July, and August (until school starts). The building is closed on Fridays.

Thank you for your endless support of our students this year. We are proud to work with our students and their families to create successful learning opportunities for all, and we wish you a happy and healthy summer break filled with lasting memories.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions or if we can help in any way.

Warmly,

Mary Finnigan

Dryden Junior/Senior High School Principal

College Decision Day is a national celebration of all high school seniors and transfer students, especially those from low-income, underrepresented, and first-generation college-going backgrounds who have committed to pursuing higher education — whether at a community college, a four-year college or university, or a professional training program, or by joining the military. Former First Lady Michelle Obama started celebrating College Signing Day at the White House as part of the Reach Higher initiative. As the tradition continues, we were thrilled to take part in a network of over 2500 events nationwide right here in Dryden. Celebrating our seniors' success means more than a party; it means they know we are proud of their hard work, invested in their futures, and excited to see what they do next.

Our College Decision Day event took place on May 1. Seniors were encouraged to wear a shirt with the name of their chosen school, program, or military branch.

Students completed four stations:

1. Intention: students decorated the Commons Area windows with their higher education commitment

2. Photos: students had an opportunity for group pictures

3. Gratitude: students wrote a thank you note to someone who has helped them reach their goals

4. Advice: students signed a banner giving advice to underclassmen

On Saturday, April 27, Dryden Community Schools proudly celebrated our students' achievements during the 12th annual Fine Arts Festival. K-12 student art was displayed in the library and hallways, the Dryden Bands performed concerts, and the Drama Club presented their production of The Day the Internet Died. Thank you to all who attended and supported our students!

On Saturday, May 11, 2024, the Dryden Junior/Senior Prom was held at Castle Creek Golf Club in Lum with the theme "Once Upon a Time". Sixty-seven students and guests enjoyed a catered dinner by Bryan's Market, desserts by Sweet Peas Cakes & Cookies, and entertainment by K & K Trinity Entertainment. Seniors Michael Hickmott and Lily Finnigan were crowned Prom King and Queen. The Prom Committee (Noah Hall, Lily Wright, Aubrie Miller, Jalynn Delmotte, Mikayla Fleming, and Sean Finnigan) enjoyed the evening after many months of planning and many hours of hard work.

In education, dual enrollment (DE) involves students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, it refers to high school students taking college courses. The state of Michigan allows students in grades 9 through 12 to enroll in post-secondary courses. Students can take up to 10 college courses while in high school. Contact Mrs. Fleming for additional information, if interested (kfleming@drydenschools.org).

OPPORTUNITIES WITH SIX HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERS!

Students enrolled in the Dryden Early College Academy have the opportunity to continue their education at one of six post-secondary institutions: Baker College, Ferris State University, Oakland University, Macomb Community College, Mott Community College, or the University of Michigan-Flint.

Dear Cardinal Families,

It seems like only yesterday I was writing my welcome back piece, and in the blink of an eye, another school year is coming to a close. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Cardinal Family- students, parents, staff, and community members- for the love and support that surrounds me and my family during my cancer journey. I appreciate your patience and understanding as things slowly return to normal. I am thankful and happy to report that things are going very well. My medical team is amazing! They continue to keep a close eye on me, and I am following their advice. Again, thank you for enveloping me and my family through your acts of kindness, prayers, sweet words and wishes, and positive thoughts. It matters more than you know and helps me gain the strength and energy to beat this.

We at Dryden Elementary remain focused on the positive and steadfast in our commitment to continuous improvement. Our students, teachers, and families are the BEST! The growth that they have demonstrated is nothing short of incredible. We will continue to look at our data and keep moving forward. There’s a lot of excitement around the bond work that is to begin on our roof, boilers, and heating and cooling systems. We anticipate this work to be completed by our SnoCone Social in August! When there are updates that might affect the operations of our summer programming and/or school, we will do our best to communicate them to you. We appreciate your patience and flexibility through the process of upgrading our facilities. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Please help us combat the Summer Slide and its impact by reading and writing daily, practicing math facts, visiting the library, having family game nights, talking about adventures you have gone on or are eagerly anticipating, and/or taking a free virtual field trip. There is limited summer programming through Cardinal Camp, Cardinal Early Learning Academy, and Cardinal Club.

Here are a few upcoming dates to help keep you in the know:

• Summer hours for Dryden Elementary are 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Monday-Thursday, from June 10 - June 28. The office will reopen on August 5 at 9:00 AM. The office will remain closed on Fridays through August.

• School playgrounds will be closed to the public when summer programming is in session. Please see posted signs for more information/guidelines, including those regarding hours and supervision.

• Cardinal Camp will run from June 11th - July 25th (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. We will be closed July 1st through 5th.

• Kindergarten Jump Start will run from June 11th - July 25th (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. We will be closed July 1st through 5th.

• SnoCone Social is August 14th from 4:00 - 7:00 PM.

• First day of school is August 19th and will be a half day.

• Summer Child Care: June 10th - August 12th; Monday - Thursday from 6:30 AM - 6:00 PM; Closed July 1st through 4th.

• If you are in need of information for Fall registration for our Cardinal Early Learning Academy or Cardinal Club (Latchkey), please contact Mrs. Pocius or Ms. Fitchett at 810-448-4085.

• GSRP is accepting applications now for the 2024-25 school year. Please contact Mrs. Koroleski and Mrs. Rhodes for more information: (lkoroleski@drydenschools.org) and (krhodes@drydenschools.org)

• We are accepting School of Choice applications for Fall through August 22nd.

On behalf of our entire staff, thank you for your continued support and trust in us. We are honored to be part of your child’s educational journey and can’t wait to see you in August!

Sincerely,

Stacey Abromaitis

Principal

Dryden Elementary

The Lapeer County Children’s Savings Program

The Lapeer County Education Attainment Fund (LEAF) is a children’s savings program brought to you by the Lapeer County Community Foundation, ELGA Credit Union and the Lapeer County Intermediate School District. LEAF provides kindergarteners with a savings account seeded with $25, and is designed to help students start saving for college or career training expenses. Currently all Begindergarten through fourth grade students in a public school in Lapeer County, including students at Dryden Elementary School, are enrolled in the LEAF program.

LEAF also provides financial education to students. Every year ELGA Credit Union staff come to Dryden Elementary school to help students learn about saving and planning for the future. This year our fourth graders, the oldest students in the LEAF program, took a field trip to the Dryden branch of the Oxford Bank.

The LEAF account is a CSA (Children’s Savings Account.) All savings are dedicated to career training/education after high school. This includes tuition for traditional 2/4-year degrees, professional training, or skilled trades’ certification. LEAF can also be used for other educational expenses such as lab supplies and textbooks. For more information, see the LEAF program under the elementary school on our district website.

We have enjoyed watching all of our student-athletes participate in a variety of sports this year. Nearly half of the students at Dryden Schools play at least one sport. We would like to see more of our students playing with their friends next year and boost participation. Please encourage your classmates or students to get out there and join a team.

All students interested in playing sports in the 2024-2025 school year will need the following on file in the office prior to playing:

1. A PHYSICAL on file PRIOR to any conditioning/practicing. The form can be picked up at the HS office or printed from the MHSAA website. Student-athletes can get their physicals at their doctor’s office or an Urgent Care. (https://www.mhsaa.com/about/general-resources/health-safety/physical-exammedical-history-forms)

2. A signed concussion form. This form is available online.

(https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1940053/Parent___Athlete_Fact_Sheet.pdf)

Both documents must be turned into the office. You will not be allowed to try-out/practice without these documents. If you have any questions about athletics, please visit our page:

https://www.drydenschools.org/page/athletics.

All High School sports practices/tryouts will begin as follows for the 2024-2025 School Year:

• Fall Sports

• Aug 12

• Football

• Cross Country

• Volleyball

• Football Sideline Cheer

• Winter Sports

• Nov 11

• Competitive Cheer

• Basketball Sideline Cheer

• Boys Basketball

• Nov 14

• Bowling

• Nov 18

• Girls Basketball

• Spring Sports

• Mar 10

• Baseball

• Golf

• Softball

• Track

• Girls Soccer*

(* Cooperative with Imlay City)

Coaches will host conditioning & summer workouts throughout the summer. Please check out the Dryden Community Schools and Dryden Athletic Boosters Facebook pages for more details. If you have any questions about a sport, feel free to contact the coach for more information. (https://www.drydenschools.org/page/sport-coach-contacts)

We also provide the following Junior Sports for students in grades 6-8 throughout the school year.

• FALL Sports will start 1st day of school

• Cross Country

• Volleyball

• WINTER Sports

• Basketball

• Girls: Nov-Dec

• Boys: Jan-Feb

• SPRING Sports will start after Spring Break

• Track

• Baseball (7th & 8th only)

As always, Go Cardinals!

Ms. Loraine Brinker

Assistant Principal/Athletic Director

#PROUDCardinal

Four County Community Foundation holds several funds that award grants directly to your local community. Grants support your schools, your museums, your food pantries, your local parks and trails and so much more. Consider donating to your Community Fund today!

Your donation will come right back to your local community.

Stacey Abromaitis

Dryden Elementary School Principal

Loraine Brinker

Athletic Director

Dryden High School Assistant Principal

Mary Finnigan

Superintendent

Dryden High School Principal

Email: MFinnigan@drydenschools.org
Website: https://www.drydenschools.org/
Location: 3866 Rochester Road, Dryden, MI, USA
Phone: 810-796-9534
Facebook: facebook.com/DrydenCommunitySchools