Dolphin Weekly Update

Hello Dolphin Families!

Another great week! Please see below for pictures of our assembly, celebrating our district Teacher of the Year, Ms. Toon, and more! Just a few reminders as we head into next week:

1. Please note that THIS Wednesday-Friday are conference days - these are MINIMUM DAYS where all students are dismissed at 11:40am
2. Our PTA Membership Class Competition begins tomorrow! Be sure you are a member! PTA membership is one of the biggest indicators of an engaged community. You can click HERE to join now - it is quick and easy! At both a local and state level, PTA helps advocate for our schools for increased funding and access to specialized programs. We need you!
   
3. Cookie Dough Fundraiser pick-up is Wednesday afternoon. Please plan to pick up your order on Wednesday, beginning at 11:40am (after school dismissal.) Unfortunately we do not have a freezer to store items that are not picked up, so feel free to ask a friend or other family member to pick-up for you if you cannot make it.
4. Our Fall Book Fair ends this week! Not only is the book fair a great time to shop for books, but some of the proceeds also allow our library to purchase new books! Please use THIS LINK if you would like to help out by working in the book fair!
5. Our Yearbook Cover Contest is happening NOW! Please take a look at the flyer below for more information. Cover entries are due THIS FRIDAY, September 29th.
6. Parent Conferences are this week! This is a great opportunity to meet with your child's teacher to hear about the progress made in our first 8 weeks of school. You should have already heard from your child's teacher about setting up conference times.
7. Sign up to be a cleared volunteer! Use the button below to sign-up to be a cleared volunteer on campus. This allows you to help out in a classroom, help with a special event on campus during school hours, or chaperone a field trip. The link below will take you to our website where you can find all of the information you need. The process takes some time, so don't wait!
   
8. Fall Break is October 2nd-13th. There is no school during these two weeks, but you can reach out to ahofferber@byron.k12.ca.us if you are in need of Academy care. Spots fill up quickly!

Have an amazing week!

#DBEShowYourTrue Colors,

Erika Parlog

Principal

We appreciate Street Smarts Diablo for coming out to teach all of our Dolphin students about being safe in and around our streets! Our Mr. Beeps taught our TK-2 students about looking left-right-left before crossing the street (even in a crosswalk!) and our 3-5 students learned more advanced safety rules around using turn signals and rules of the road. ALL students learned the importance of wearing a helmet to bike, scooter, or skate, and how to wear it properly! They even left us some FREE HELMETS for students who might need one. If your child is in need, please see the office.

• Monday, September 25th -
• Tuesday, September 26th -
• Wednesday, September 27th - Cookie Dough Fundraiser Pick-up beginning at 11:40
• MINIMUM DAY - ALL STUDENTS DISMISSED AT 11:40am
• Thursday, September 28th - Book fair ends!
• MINIMUM DAY - ALL STUDENTS DISMISSED AT 11:40am
• Friday, September 29th -
• MINIMUM DAY - ALL STUDENTS DISMISSED AT 11:40am
• Spirit Day - TuTus, Ties, and Tennis Shoes - Good Citizenship Ties Us Together!

We are highlighting a staff member or two each week to celebrate the work they do for us ("toot their horn") while also sharing with our school community the incredible staff we have here at DBE!

Ms. Carlton is one of our dynamite primary teachers! She is new to our campus this year, though she has been teaching and supporting students inside and outside of the classroom for the past few years. She brings a smile and positive attitude everywhere she goes, and her students love her and their classroom. Ms. Carlton teaches a TK/Kindergarten combination classroom with the ease of a veteran teacher, and has embraced everything DBE. Her students are growing by leaps and bounds! Fun fact - Ms. Carlton was a Timber Point/Excelsior student here! Thank you Ms. Carlton!

Ms. Weeden is the other half of our dynamite TK/Kindergarten class duo with Ms. Carlton! Ms. Weeden is in her second year as a TK classroom instructional aide and we are so privileged to have her. She regularly supports our campus anywhere it's needed, while always making sure our littlest learners are expertly cared for. Ms. Weeden combines the perfect amount of academics and care, and she does this both in the classroom as well as our after school academy. She has an incredible sense of humor, and can always be counted on to cheer up a student having a hard day. Fun fact - Ms. Weeden was a DBE and EMS student, and almost all of her teachers are now her colleagues - including her mom! Thank you Ms. Weeden!

1. Attendance Line: (925) 809-7541
2. Email: bmorgan@byron.k12.ca.us
3. Absent phone calls begin to go out at 10am. We do our best to have all calls and emails entered by that time. If you have ever been in our school office in the morning, however, it can be a very busy place!
4. Absences can only be recorded within 72 hours of the absent day. Please contact the office asap if your child is absent, and provide a medical note if a physician is consulted or seen. It is considered a truant day if the absence is not reported by a parent/guardian.
5. Students must be here to learn. While there is A LOT of research around the importance of school attendance, the most important thing to know is that children have to be here to learn. Just missing 1 day a month, over the 10 month school year, at 6 hours a day is 60 HOURS of learning time lost. There is no amount of work we can send home that takes the place of being here. 😊

So many of the great things (art, library, stem lab, field trips, and more!) that happen on this campus are due in large part to the support of our PTA! A strong PTA is also a sign of a strong school community. Please click the link and join today!

The BEST place to have your questions answered is to begin with the source:

• Classroom routines, procedures, concerns - Begin with an email or phone call to the teacher. You can expect a response within 24 hours (not including weekends.)
• School policies and procedures - Begin with the website, then the main office with a phone call or email. You can expect a response within 24 hours, if not significantly sooner.
• PTA Events and questions - An email to DBPTApresident@gmail.com is a great place to start! Sometimes these can be answered on our parent Facebook page Discovery Bay Elementary Parents.

• We have the BEST TRIFECTA of students, staff and families!
• Everyone who works here does a lot with a little (we have an amazing small town with small town resources) and we all wear many hats. We do our best to be perfect, may sometimes get it wrong, but we will always do our best to make it right.
• We really do love what we do, and we cherish the privilege of caring for your child. In the beginning of the year we are all getting to know one another, so please help us to learn your child's unique needs and preferences.
• Our volunteers are incredible, and we need them! Please remember all they do for us, and be sure to thank them for the generosity with their time.

Address: 1700 Willow Lake Road, Discovery Bay, CA 94505

Website: https://www.discoverybayelementary.us/

Phone: (925) 809-7540

Principal: Erika Parlog

Office Manager: Heather Capelli

Attendance Clerk: Barb Morgan