The Panther Press

DTA 2.0 Parent's Edition 11/29/23

Limitless PAWSibilities!

Mr. Ken Lukitsh, affectionately known as Coach L, will forever live on as his encouragement and discipline helped transform so many tiny, timid kindergarteners into confident leaders, through his belief that with teamwork and the right attitude, anything is possible. We are forever thankful for Coach L's selfless contributions to the physical and mental well-being of thousands of students throughout Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Public School District.

Grief is tricky, in that we can find ourselves laughing in one moment, then crying in the next. It is not confined by time and it manifests differently in each of us.

While we will continue to lead, learn, and grow with positive hearts, minds, and actions, in the manner Coach L instilled, know that we are here to assist families with processing grief. Please contact School Social Worker, Mrs. Hart at nhart1@pghschools.org and School Counselor, Brandon Phillips at bphillips1@pghschools.org, if you would like support in house, to help your child through these challenging times. Please see below for additional outside wellness and mental health resources and support.

As the weather changes, please send students in layers. We have plenty of coats available for students who have outgrown last year's winter gear. Please visit the Uniform Exchange link below to put in a request for a FREE winter from the school. https://t.ly/IpbJI. We also have some additional winter items like hats, gloves, and boots. Simply complete the form and we will do our best to fulfill your request.

We have noticed that families have improved with pick up and drop off safety! Kudos, parents for putting students first, and making safety a priority. Please do not pull into the staff lot during drop off/pick up. Also, be sure to greet and respect our favorite crossing guard, Mrs. Rita and our favorite para, Mrs. Williams. They will remind you to park/stop in designated safe locations. If you are stopped in an unsafe area, please move. It may not be convenient, but the safety of every student is more important than two minutes of any of our time.

Birthday Do's & Don'ts

We absolutely love celebrating our students on their special days. Birthday pencils, birthday runs, and birthday songs are all part of making our panthers feel extra loved on their birthday. Due to increased allergies and dietary restrictions, please do not send in edible treats of any sort for birthdays. If you'd like to volunteer to read to the class, that would be the most memorable gift!

Any specific requests to add information should be emailed directly to Principal Zyhier with the subject line, "The Panther Press DTA Request." Requests should be made by Tuesday morning each week. Please note that although requested, not all requests are guaranteed approval.

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Important CUBmunications!

Holiday Shop

Holiday Shop is a beloved annual tradition at Dilworth. The PTA sets up a shop inside the school so that all students have the chance to buy small presents for their loved ones, if they choose. The shop will be open during school December 5th - 7th and is an all-hands-on-deck event for the PTA and our school community. For more information, or to learn about the event itself, visit the Holiday Shop Page on the PTA website, the Pittsburgh Dilworth PTA Facebook Page, or email pghdtapta@gmail.com. Flyers for the event should be coming home this week with students, but are also available online.

Volunteers! Holiday Shop is an opportunity to volunteer inside the school. It requires minimal time commitment (as little as a few hours), but it does require clearances be on file with the school. Signups are available at https://signup.com/go/TMNBALa or email pghdtapta@gmail.com

Crafters, Makers, Artists! We love getting contributions to sell at Holiday Shop from our amazing families. It doesn't have to be complicated. We've seen great success with jewelry, bookmarks, wood-burned spoons, hand-painted mugs, bath salts, beard oil, potholders, hand scrubs, buttons, magnets, etc. - anything you can make (or persuade a friend to make) at least 24 of. The simplest things with just “I love mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/auntie/my pet goldfish…” are always hits. Anyone have a Cricut longing to be used….?

Donations! Purchase something from our Amazon Wish List of items (https://tinyurl.com/dilworthholiday-shop) to sell at the shop. Any donations from the list are extra valuable to the PTA. They add to the variety that we’re able to offer the kids, let us keep holiday shop prices down, and help fundraise for the PTA.Shopping Schedule Last minute adjustments do happen (school comes first), but generally, this is when your students will be shopping.

PTA Five Below Fundraiser

The Five Below in Waterworks will be hosting a fundraiser for the Dilworth PTA from December 1st through December 8th. Just show the attached flyer when you shop, and the PTA will receive 10% of your total purchase amount. The flyer is also available here and on the PTA's Holiday Shop Page.

FREE WINTER COATS!!!

The weather outside is getting cold again! Is your student in need of a winter coat? We can help! Please visit the Uniform Exchange link below to put in a request for a FREE winter from the school. https://t.ly/IpbJI We also have some additional winter items like hats, gloves, and boots. Simply complete the form and we will do our best to fulfill your request.

Hybrid PTA Meetings

Please join us in person or virtually for the monthly Pittsburgh Dilworth PTA meeting on December 19th from 6-7:30.

PTA contacts:

Linda president@pghdilworthpta.org

Alexis vicepresident@pghdilworthpta.org

Natasha secretary@pghdilworthpta.org

Backpack Initiative

Thank you to everyone who supported Dilworth PTA’s Backpack Initiative on World Kindness Day! Dilworth students, teachers, and staff raised $470 to support the Backpack Initiative, and we are so grateful - thank you for your amazing generosity and kindness!

The Backpack Initiative continues to provide weekend food supplies to Pittsburgh Dilworth students experiencing food insecurity all throughout the school year. Each participating student receives a bag packed with child-friendly single-serving snacks and easily prepared meals every Friday; so far this year, we’ve sent home over 165 bags with more than 1,140 meals. If you would like to enroll your child in the program for this school year, please fill out the online form at http://tinyurl.com/DTABackpackSignup2023-24.

If you’re interested in volunteering or donating to the program, please email Megan Spak at dtabackpacks@gmail.com to find out more - we would love to have your help.

Dilworth Uniform Exchange

Dilworth provides a volunteer-run Uniform Exchange where you can donate old school uniforms your child has outgrown and request additional sizes!

In order to donate, please send clean clothes in a bag to the main office and label "For Uniform Exchange." These donations will be sorted and put away by volunteers. We are only able to accept clothing that conforms with the Dilworth Uniform Policy.

In order to request clothing from the uniform exchange, please fill out the form below:

Dilworth Uniform Exchange Request Form

Clothing is distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. We tend to have an abundance of smaller sizes and fewer options for larger sizes. Requests will be delivered to your child's homeroom. You will be notified if your request cannot be filled. Please allow one week for your request to be filled and delivered. Any items that are sent home and do not fit can be returned to the uniform exchange and additional items can be requested.

If you would like to volunteer to help out with the uniform exchange, please email Rachous1@aol.com.

Arrival & Dismissal

Students will be welcomed into the foyer of the building at 8:55 am. All students should keep 1-2 books in their backpack for reading during arrival until morning meeting begins at 9:10 am. At 9:00, students may go to the cafeteria for breakfast or directly to the auditorium. Students are not permitted to leave the auditorium until dismissal from morning meeting. Differentiated instruction takes place daily from 9:25-9:50. During this time students will engage in proactive/restorative circles, academic enrichment/assistance, music practice, and more. Arriving at 9:10 am daily contributes to a positive learning experience.

Please arrive no later than 3:55pm for pick up, if your child does not ride the school bus. If you have challenges picking your child up on time, reach out to any one of several after school programs (Deakings Daycare, Mt. Arayat, Boys & Girls Club, etc.) for availability.

Early Dismissal Reminder

Early dismissals may occur up until 3:30 pm daily. Please utilize this EARLY DISMISSAL LINK to complete the form prior to arriving. If you are unable to complete this prior to arriving at Dilworth, a QR code is posted at the main door to complete while you wait for your child to be dismissed.

Self Screening Tool, Covid Decision Tree, & Covid Updates

Please utilize this self-screening document and follow the necessary steps to adhere to district mitigation strategies in our fight against the spread of Covid-19. Review the PPS Decision Tree to understand how decisions are made regarding next steps for individuals exhibiting one or more symptoms of Covid-19. Please utilize the district website for up to date Covid related information, procedures, and resources.

Breakfast & Lunch Menu

Please visit PPS Food Services to access the breakfast and lunch menus.

Student Handbook 2023-24

Please review the linked STUDENT HANDBOOK with your child and to understand and reiterate our schoolwide expectations. Teachers will review schoolwide and classroom procedures and expectations regularly with students.