Dike-Newell School

🐝11/11/26: Veteran's Day: No School for students or staff

🐝11/23/26: NOON dismissal and Parent Teacher Conferences

🐝11/24/26: NOON DISMAL

🐝11/25-27: Thanksgiving Break!

As the calendar turns to November, our classrooms are buzzing with excitement, and we are so proud of the amazing growth our elementary learners are showing every single day!

This month brings two incredibly important opportunities for our school community to connect. First, we had the honoring of remembering our heroes during our Veterans Day community meeting—it was a beautiful time for our students to learn about service, gratitude, and community.

Second, Parent-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner! We cannot wait to sit down with you, celebrate your child’s bright spots, and team up for the rest of the school year. Keep an eye out for scheduling links coming home soon!

With the chilly November weather on its way, please make sure your student bundles up in jackets, hats, and even mittens for outdoor recess. Pro tip: Please label everything! Our lost-and-found pile is already growing, and we want to make sure those cozy layers make it back home with your child.

Thank you for your incredible energy, support, and partnership. Let’s make it a fantastic November!

-Ms. McKay, Principal

RSU 1 is hiring a Bus Aide to support elementary students at Dike-Newell School and Fisher Mitchell Schools!

Additional opportunities are also available across the district, including Ed Techs, Substitute Nurses, and coaching positions.

RSU 1 has partnered with MaineHealth to offer expanded school-based health services at Morse High School. Services are available to all RSU1 students and include:

• Treatment of illness and injury-related health conditions

• Well-child checks

• Immunizations

• Preventive care

• Mental health services

Services are provided on Tuesdays and Fridays by an onsite Nurse Practitioner (NP) employed through MaineHealth.

• All major insurances and MaineCare are accepted. For those who are uninsured, Maine Health may be able to work with you on different payment options.

• Students do not need to be regular patients of MaineHealth to be seen at the Morse School-Based Health Center.

• LincolnHealth will work with your primary care office for referrals as needed.

You can register online and request appointments by clicking here. If you have questions about the services being provided you can contact Sara in the Morse Health Center by emailing snaum@rsu1.org or by calling 207-443-8250, option 3.

-Nurse Dill, ddill@rsu1.org

Second grade students have been participating in Card Collecting Club. There are many benefits to card collecting for students, including:

• Boosts reading and math skills, as cards often contain statistics and values as well as descriptions and facts.
• Helps build social skills such as finding friends with common interests and working together to find elusive cards of interest.
• Teaches responsibility, organization and pride of ownership.
• Promotes emotional growth, from the joy of discovery, perseverance and patience when searching and dealing with disappointment when unable to find a card.

Dike Newell School Daytime Custodian Mr. Matt brought in his extensive card collection and shared tips for finding, organizing and caring for them. Students discussed cards they were interested in such as Pokemon, sports and Disney. Ms. Hardman provided animal , dinosaur and president cards, and Mr. Matt concluded his visit by giving students multiple cards ranging from sports to Pokemon to start or add to their own collections.

In January and February, students will have the opportunity to bring in their own collections to share, Ms. Hardman will send out information closer to that time. Students have been asked to please not trade cards while at school or when on the bus.

-Ms. Hardman, RSU 1 Librarian

You may not know, new volunteer applications are required each school year

Apply early so you’re ready when opportunities come up!

Young children thrive on routines, and coming to school consistently is an important part of building those routines. Regular attendance helps children stay connected to their classroom community, participate in daily learning, and feel comfortable and confident in their school routines. Consistent sleep, predictable morning routines, and arriving at school on time all help set children up for a successful day!

Of course, absences happen. Children should stay home when they are too sick to comfortably participate in the school day, and we understand that family circumstances, appointments, and other situations sometimes mean a student needs to miss school.

When your child will be absent, please let us know by calling our attendance voicemail box at (207) 443-8285, ext. 1 or by emailing dns-attendance@rsu1.org. Please be sure to include the reason for the absence.

A little consistency goes a long way! Establishing regular bedtime and morning routines can help children get the sleep they need and make getting ready for school easier. When children are at school regularly, they have more opportunities to learn, play, build relationships, and be part of their classroom community!

In accordance with School Board policy, the following promotional announcements have been included at the request of the sponsoring organization because they may be of interest to students and their families. These activities are not sponsored by the school, and inclusion of these announcements does not constitute endorsement of the organizations or activities by the school.

Click HERE for information on The Bath Area Food Bank's Thanksgiving Dinner Kits. Click HERE for more information on the Phippsburg Sportsman Club Thanksgiving Community Dinner.

The cold is coming, despite this week's surprisingly balmy weather! The following resources are available for support through the winter months:

WINTER COATS

Dike Newell School received a generous donation of new winter coats from the Knights of Columbus. If your child grew out of last year's coat and it would be helpful to receive a new one, please let Ms. Dean know at ndean@rsu1.org, and she will help your student pick one out. We have plenty to share!

HEATING ASSISTANCE

• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

HEAP, also called LIHEAP, helps Mainers with low and moderate incomes pay for heating fuel, including firewood, oil, electricity, and gas. You can check eligibility and apply online through Midcoast Maine Community Action here.

• Energy Crisis Assistance Program (ECIP)

The ECIP is available if you are facing a heating emergency between Nov. 1 and April 30. Once you are found eligible, you should get help within 48 hours.

• Wood Bank

The Midcoast Wood Bank offers up to two cords of firewood per household in need, per season. Help loading is available if you can pick up the wood yourself, and limited delivery may be available if you cannot.

• Weatherization Program

If your home is not as energy efficient as it could be, you may qualify for home weatherization improvements through the Weatherization Program.

Each Friday, participating students will bring home a bag of non-perishable, shelf-stable food in their backpack. The bags typically contain enough food for approximately two meals and two snacks. While the contents vary from week to week, the goal is to provide a little extra support and help ease the burden of weekend meals.

Any family is welcome to participate. There are no requirements to sign up other than a desire for weekend food support. If having a weekly bag of food would be helpful or supportive for your family, we encourage you to sign up!

Families may sign up for the Backpack Program or discontinue participation at any time. There is no long-term commitment, and families are welcome to use this resource whenever it is helpful to them.

Fresh Produce Table

As part of the food security program that Mrs. Tringali coordinates, we also offer a fresh produce table once a month. Keep an eye out in "What's Buzzing!" for October's date!

If you have any questions about the Backpack Program, the fresh produce table, or other food security supports, please reach out to Mrs. Tringali at ktringali@rsu1.org or 443-8285.

-Kristen Tringali, Secretary

Food Resource Coordinator

443-8285

We’re getting ready for our 8th annual Makers Market and would love for you to be part of the fun! The Makers Market is open to all current RSU1 students and recent graduates, students at Georgetown and West Bath School

We’re also looking for cookie donations for our Cookie Walk fundraiser! Whether you’re a baking pro or just love whipping up a batch of your favorite cookies, we’d be so grateful for your help. Every cookie helps make this fundraiser a little sweeter and supports our schools!

Sign up to participate and let us know if you can contribute cookies!