News and events

November 3, 2025

Monday, Nov. 10 - PTO Meeting, 6:00pm, Dayton Library

Tuesday, Nov. 11 - Donuts with My Vet

Monday, Nov. 24 - No School - PLC/Staff Development

Tuesday, Nov. 25 - No School - Staff Planning/Grading

Wednesday, Nov. 26 - No School - Conference Conversion Day

Thursday, Nov. 27 - District Closed, NO SCHOOL - Holiday

Friday, Nov. 28 - District Closed, NO SCHOOL - Holiday

Happy November!

October was a fantastic month at Dayton Elementary! Our students excelled in their learning, focused on responsibility, and enjoyed special community events like the PTO's Trunk or Treat.

This month, we shift our school-wide focus to Gratitude—choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for in our wonderful school community.

Honoring Our Veterans

We are especially grateful for the brave service of our veterans.

We invite all students and their veteran family members to our special “Donuts with My Vet” program on Friday, November 11th, at 8:30 AM in the cafeteria. It’s a small way for us to say thank you. Please RSVP to this event by Nov. 4th using the link listed on the invitation. To all who have served, thank you for your commitment and sacrifice. Your service is an inspiration to us all.

Gratitude Resources

Looking to support your conversations about gratitude at home? Please find our grade-specific family connection resources below:

Kindergarten Family Connection

1st Grade Family Connection

2nd Grade Family Connection

3rd Grade Family Connection

4th Grade Family Connection

5th Grade Family Connection

It is an absolute honor to partner with you in your child’s education. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can do to make your student's experience at Dayton Elementary even better!

-Mrs. Wippler

Please note that there is NO SCHOOL for elementary students on the following dates:

Monday, Nov. 24

Tuesday, Nov. 25

Wednesday, Nov. 26

Thursday, Nov. 27

Friday, Nov. 28

See the full calendar here.

K- Makenna J., KKAT

1- Emeri V., 1BM

2- Aaron C., 2FI

3- Aria B., 3ST

4- Jocelyn R., 4LO

5- Alyssa L., 5SO

Art

This trimester, Fourth Grade students are exploring how art communicates by sharing ideas, information, and emotions. They are creating food trucks and considering how aesthetic, thoughtful illustrations can help a business and persuade people to try something new. Ask your student what food or drink they might serve if they owned a food truck! How would you decorate it to make it interesting to people?

Core

Kindergarten - Students are finishing up their Seesaw activities on learning to navigate each tool in the Seesaw application. Be on the lookout for all of the fun things they drew, took pictures of, and recorded!

First Grade - Students are finishing up their Seesaw activities on Firesafety. Be on the lookout for their activity in their journals, especially the recordings of how to say “no” if a friend asks you to do something that is unsafe.

Second Grade - Our 2nd graders have been busy strengthening their keyboarding skills, focusing on the "home row" to learn which fingers are responsible for each letter—a foundational skill for future typing success! During the month of November, we will turn our focus to health topics such as emotions, showing kindness toward others and safety signs all around us. We will use the Seesaw application to showcase our learning while understanding how to use the variety of Seesaw tools.

Third Grade - This month, we've focused on fire safety, and we urge every family to take the crucial step of creating and practicing a home fire escape plan.

As we move into November, we will explore key aspects of student well-being. We'll cover bike safety and review important rules for safe play with playground safety.Students will also be doing introductory research to learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits.

Fourth Grade - Students will continue to take notes and create a slideshow on personal safety. We have started articles on “How to Handle Peer Pressure” and will continue to work on staying safe around drugs and alcohol.

Fifth Grade - Students have picked their own topics regarding personal health and/or safety for a project they will continue to work on through November. Each student will then research their specific topic more in depth and will create a poster using the application; Canva.

Explorations

🌱 Kindergarten – What Is a Living Thing?

Our kindergarten scientists are exploring what it means to be alive! Through observation and discussion, they’ll learn what living things need to survive—like food, water, air, and shelter—and where those essentials can be found. Students will also discover how different environments support a variety of life forms, from plants to animals to people!

🌻 First Grade – Plant Power!
First graders are uncovering the amazing adaptations that help plants survive in their environments. From sticky seeds to water-storing stems, students will investigate how plants have evolved to meet challenges in nature. We’ll also connect science to innovation by exploring how humans have used plant-inspired designs to solve everyday problems—nature is one clever engineer!

🔬 Second Grade – Marvelous Materials
Second graders are diving into the fascinating world of materials! They’ll test and compare different objects to understand their properties—like flexibility, strength, and absorbency—and explore how materials can change when mixed, heated, or cooled. Through hands-on investigations, students will think like engineers as they decide which materials are best suited for specific purposes which will lead to us building our own tower!

🎢 Third Grade – Forces and Motion
Get ready for action! Third graders are learning how forces—pushes, pulls, gravity, and friction—affect the motion of objects. Through exciting experiments and design challenges, students will investigate how objects start, stop, speed up, or change direction. By the end of the month, they’ll be applying their knowledge to real-world scenarios in The Ultimate Playground project!

🗺️ Fourth Grade – Geography: Human and Natural Characteristics
Fourth graders are taking a closer look at geography, focusing on the human-made and natural characteristics that define different regions. Using maps and satellite images, students will explore how people adapt to their environments and how geographic features shape communities, cultures, and ways of life. It’s a fascinating journey through the lens of spatial thinking!

⚓ Fifth Grade – Explorers of the World
Our fifth graders are setting sail into history as they study the great explorers—Spanish, French, English, and Dutch—who ventured into the unknown. Students will learn about their routes, discoveries, and the lasting impacts of exploration on both the Old and New Worlds. Through stories and maps, they’ll uncover how exploration shaped the interconnected world we know today.

Music

In music class, our 2nd graders recently learned how to sing hello in nine different languages. If you have a second grade student, you can see a video of them singing it on Seesaw. Every grade has been singing songs about fall and have been playing several instruments including xylophones, boomwhackers, and drums.

5th grade families, your students have a field trip to see the Minnesota Orchestra perform at orchestra hall in Minneapolis on November 6th.

Library

📚Honoring Our Veterans (All Grades)

This month, all students are learning about Veteran’s Day and the incredible courage and service of our veterans. We'll be reading stories and discussing the importance of this day and why we take time to honor those who have served our country.

Grades K-2: Exploring Great Reads! 📖

Our youngest readers are continuing their journey with the Star of the North read-aloud program. Ask your child which book is their favorite so far!

Grade 3: Becoming Independent Researchers 💻

Our 3rd graders are leveling up their library skills! They are learning how to use our online library catalog (Destiny Discover) to search for books independently. This is a key skill that helps them find the exact books they need and introduces them to foundational research tools.

Grades 4-5: Building Digital Citizenship 🌐

In a world increasingly connected by technology, our 4th and 5th graders are focusing on digital citizenship. They're learning how to be safe, responsible, and ethical users of the internet. We are covering important topics like:

• Keeping personal information private.

• Understanding the permanence of their digital footprint.

• Showing kindness and respect when interacting online.

• Finding balance between online and offline activities.

A Big Thank You!

Finally, a heartfelt thank you again for the overwhelming support during our recent Book Fair! The funds raised will directly go toward purchasing new books and exciting makerspace items for our students to use in the library. Your commitment to literacy makes a huge difference!

PhyEd

We are wrapping up our cardio unit. A lot of locomotor movements, running activities including tag, soccer, etc. Pacer Test in grades 3-5. We will also start tumbling at the end of November. Ask your student about “Scarecrow Tag” on the scooters!

We hoped our Dayton Eagles enjoyed our Fall Fest Trunk or Treat. Thank you to our trunks and everyone who donated to our event. Your support made our event spooktacular!

🍞✨ Let’s Raise Some Dough! ✨🍞

We’re excited to kick off our ButterBraid Fundraiser - a delicious way to support our school while stocking your freezer with tasty treats the whole family will love!

👉 Register Your Seller: https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/RegisterSeller/c6cf1bf1-d6a4-4480-9f60-2994fa46aa95

📅 Order Deadline: Tuesday, November 18

📦 Pick-Up Date: Monday, December 8

Calendar Reminders 🗓️

PTO meeting: Monday, Nov. 10 - PTO Meeting, 6:00pm, Dayton Library

Parents, we need YOU! Come be a part of the amazing things happening at Dayton Elementary by joining us for our PTO Meeting. It’s a fun and friendly way to get involved, stay informed, and make a difference in your child’s school experience.

Individuals who wish to volunteer, including field trip chaperones, must complete both the 2025-26 Dayton Elementary Volunteer Application and Criminal Record History Release form.

Once per month, Dayton Elementary hosts a book swap. This is a time for all Dayton Elementary students to bring in a gently used book or two to exchange for something new to read.

• November 21

• December 19

• January 30

• February 27

• March 27

• April 30

• May 29

All dates are subject to change.

Time: 9:15 - 9:30 am

*Donations are always welcome, just drop off books in the front vestibule labeled for the book swap.

We are a LOCKED facility.

If you need to pick up your child early, a photo ID is required. Please press the silver button at the main entrance to speak with the office.

Please schedule appointments outside of school hours whenever possible. If an early pickup is unavoidable, allow us ample time to locate your student. We ask that early pickups are avoided after 3:30 PM. We will call your student down when you arrive but not before.

Daily schedules are available here.

NOTE: ONLY parents and legal guardians are authorized to pick up. If you need someone else to pick up your child, please call the office at 763-506-2200 in advance to make arrangements.

Please report student absences or late arrivals before 10:30 a.m.

To report attendance, use one of the following methods:

• Call the school's 24/7 attendance voicemail at 763-506-2206.

• Login on our webpage AHschools.us (Instructions linked here)
  
• Use the ParentVUE mobile app

Please refrain from using email or Seesaw to report attendance to your child's teacher. We appreciate your cooperation.

Student drop-off begins at 9:15 a.m., when the first bell rings. Students must be in their classrooms before the final bell at 9:30 a.m. School hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Please do not drop off your child(ren) before 9:15 a.m., as staff are not on duty to supervise them until then.

ARRIVAL PROCEDURES LINKED HERE

Parent pick-up starts promptly at 4:00 PM in the Dayton and Rebel parking lots. Please call 763-506-2200 by 3:00 PM if you need to change a dismissal plan.

DISMISSAL PROCEDURES LINKED HERE

Did You Know?
Dayton Elementary has its very own PreK–Grade 3 Parenting Educator!
Tawnya Heinsohn is available in person on Digital Day 1 to support families with helpful resources, visuals, and FREE online parenting workshops each month.

Have a parenting question or want to learn more about a topic?
Reach out to Tawnya Heinsohn at tawnya.heinsohn@ahschools.us or 763-634-1880.

Check out upcoming workshops at ahschools.us/prektograde3

All Anoka-Hennepin families are encouraged to apply for the educational benefits program for the 2025-26 school year. A new application must be submitted each school year.

The enrollment window for the 2025-26 school year begins Aug. 1, 2025. Although school meals are still free, your family may still qualify for other educational benefits. If your family needs access to educational benefits available to your student, an application can be completed by visiting ahschools.us/freereduced.

Learn more about educational benefits and complete your application online.

Anoka-Hennepin families can check where their bus is — live — through a transportation app, called Versatrans My Stop.

The app monitors regular school bus routes in real-time. Best of all, it’s free for parents/guardians and students to use.

Click here for more details.

Versatrans My Stop can be downloaded from mobile app stores (Apple Store; Android Google Play store). On-screen directions walk first-time users through the easy setup process.

Dayton Elementary participates in the Box Tops for Education, so please scan your receipts. It helps raise money for our school! Click here to learn how.

Health Office

763.506.2204

HEALTH SERVICES

Dayton A+

763.506.2213

Child Nutrition

Menus are linked here

763.506.2211

Transportation Services

If your child's bus doesn't arrive in the morning or they don't get off the bus in the evening (rare), call the bus company directly. Save their number for after-school hours, as they can contact drivers.

First Student Bus Co.

763.421.5785 First Student Champlin (regular routes to/from Dayton Elementary)

763.421.3199 First Student Anoka (students receiving special education transportation)