Weekly Update

Diamondback Families,

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Fall Break filled with rest, relaxation, and quality time with family and friends! Taking time to slow down, recharge, and make memories is so important, and I hope our Diamondback families had the opportunity to do just that.

We are excited to welcome our students back into the building on Tuesday, October 20! We have certainly missed their smiling faces, energy, and excitement for learning. As we begin our second nine weeks, we look forward to continuing the great work happening in our classrooms.

I also want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our families who attended our Open House and Title I Meeting! It was wonderful seeing so many parents and guardians connecting with teachers, exploring classrooms, and celebrating the learning taking place at Douse.

Family involvement and strong relationships are essential to our campus success. We truly value the partnerships we are building with our families because we know that when schools and families work together, our students benefit the most.

Let's make this second nine weeks even better as we continue learning, growing, and supporting one another!Melissa Thomas

With our campus now serving more than 900 students, we are continuing to establish and strengthen our cafeteria routines and systems to ensure a safe, organized, and positive lunch experience for all students.

We know many families are looking forward to joining their children for lunch, and we appreciate your patience as we work through these procedures.

Our plan is to revisit parent lunch visits later this nine weeks. I will keep families informed as we determine when and how we can safely welcome lunch visitors into our cafeteria.

Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership!

Diamondback Families, as we begin our second nine weeks, we look forward to connecting with you during our Parent-Teacher Conference window, October 20 through November 20.

These conferences are a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's academic progress, celebrate their successes from the first nine weeks, identify areas for growth, and establish goals for continued success.

Please be on the lookout for communication from your child's teacher regarding conference sign-ups and scheduling. We encourage all families to take advantage of this opportunity to connect and partner with their child's teacher.

📅 Important Dates:

• October 18–21: Car Valet Registration Open

• Monday, October 26: Car Valet tags sent home with students

• Tuesday, October 27: Car Valet service begins for newly registered families

⚠️ Please Note: Car Valet registration and tag preparation take time. Our campus team must process registrations, prepare tags, and distribute them through classroom teachers.

Newly registered families may not begin using Car Valet until October 27. Please continue using your child's current dismissal method until that date. Let the classroom teacher know you have enrolled in Car Valet starting October 27th.

*** See Link Below

Diamondback Families, if you were unable to attend our first Title I Meeting during Open House, we invite you to join us for our Virtual Title I Parent Meeting!

📅 Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 9:30–10:00 AM
💻 Microsoft Teams

During this meeting, we will share important information about our Title I program, campus goals, and how we partner with families to support student success.

We hope you can join us! Please see the meeting link below.

We’re excited for another fun-filled Alice W. Douse Elementary Trunk or Treat!

We are inviting our Diamondback families to help make this year’s event even bigger and better by decorating a trunk and passing out treats to our students and families.

📅 Tuesday, October 27
⏰ 5:00–6:30 PM

If you would like to host a trunk, please complete the sign-up form below. Families who sign up will receive additional information regarding arrival time, parking, setup, and event expectations.

🍭 Bring your creativity!
🎃 Choose a fun, family-friendly theme!
🚗 Decorate your trunk!
💚 Help us create a great evening for our Diamondbacks!

Complete the form below to reserve your trunk spot!

We can’t wait to see what our families create!

Diamondback Families, we have some exciting events and important dates coming up! Please take a moment to mark your calendars so you don't miss out!

Douse Spirt Wear Ongoing- See PTA flyer below

🧡 Wednesday, October 21 — Unity Day!
Wear ORANGE as we come together to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion!

📄 Wednesday, October 📣 Important Dates & Reminders — Mark Your Calendars!

Wednesday, October 21 — Report Cards Go Home
Be sure to check your child's backpack for their first nine weeks report card. Take time to celebrate their successes and discuss goals for the second nine weeks!

📸 Monday, October 26 — Picture Day
Get those smiles ready! Our Diamondbacks will take their school pictures.

📚 Scholastic Fall Book Fair | October 26–30 We invite our Diamondback families to stop by, explore some great books, and help inspire a love of reading in our students!

🎃 Tuesday, October 27 — Trunk or Treat
Join us from 5:00–6:30 PM for an evening of family fun, decorated trunks, and treats!

We look forward to another exciting week of learning and family engagement at Douse!

Student cell phones must be turned OFF before entering through EntryShield.

Phones must then be secured in the student's assigned phone lock pouch/case and remain secured throughout the school day.

Please remind your child of this expectation before arriving on campus.

This year, we are using Rooms for school-to-home communication, and our goal is 100% family participation!

Please be sure to sign up for Rooms so you can stay connected with your child's teacher and receive important classroom and campus information throughout the school year.

Important updates can happen quickly, so we want every Diamondback family connected from the start!

📱 Sign up for Rooms and stay connected!

PK, Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Dismissal: 3:25 PM

PK: Door 2
Kindergarten: Door 11
1st Grade: Door 12

2nd–5th Grade

Dismissal: 3:37 PM

2nd & 3rd Grade: Door 2
4th & 5th Grade: Door 3

Please bring a valid photo ID when picking up your child.

Students who have not been picked up by 3:47 PM will be brought to the front office.

Dismissal changes will be accepted until 2:00 PM.

Please contact your child's teacher as early as possible when a dismissal change is needed.

If you have not received confirmation from the teacher by 1:30 PM, please call the front office to ensure your message has been received.

For student safety, we cannot rely on last-minute messages during dismissal.

Strong attendance means more than simply coming to school—it also means being present for the entire instructional day.

Beginning this week, we will start attendance intervention plans and parent contacts for students who have excessive absences or are consistently missing instructional minutes due to late arrivals or early check-outs.

Please remember that instruction continues after 3:00 PM, and our school day does not end until 3:37 PM. Frequent early check-outs add up and can impact both your child's attendance and learning.

We understand that emergencies and unavoidable appointments happen. Please limit early pick-ups to times when they are truly necessary.

⚠️ The front office closes for regular business at 3:00 PM as our staff transitions to dismissal responsibilities.

Every day matters. Every minute matters. Let's keep our Diamondbacks in school and learning! 📚🐍💙

We value open communication and truly appreciate when families share concerns with us. Your voice matters, and we are committed to responding in a timely and respectful manner.

If you have a concern regarding your child’s grades, behavior, or classroom experience, please start with the classroom teacher. Teachers know your child best and can often resolve concerns quickly through direct partnership.

If the concern needs additional support, it will move to the Assistant Principal and Principal as outlined in our Parent Guide. Please allow up to 24 hours for our Assistant Principals to review concerns and respond, so they can fully gather information and follow up appropriately.

We believe strong communication builds strong relationships — and together, we can ensure every student is supported and successful. 💛

As we begin this second nine weeks, I want to thank you for your continued support, trust, and partnership. We have so much to look forward to, and I am excited about the learning, growth, and memories we will continue to make together.

Please stay connected, read our weekly newsletters, and continue communicating with your child's teacher. Your involvement makes a difference, and we appreciate all you do to support our Diamondbacks!

Here's to a wonderful week ahead and a strong start to the second nine weeks!