The Dragon's Den

On November 3, voters who live within the Coeur d’Alene Public Schools boundary will consider a two-year replacement levy of $30.25 million per year. The proposed levy would replace the current $25 million-per-year levy, which expires June 30, 2027.

If approved, the replacement levy would continue providing about 25% of the funding used to operate our schools. Levy funding supports teachers and specialists, school safety officers, nurses, academic programs, electives, athletics, KTEC, music, drama and more.

We want to make sure families know where to find information about the election and the district’s levy. Below are several important dates to add to your calendar. To learn more about the levy, visit cdaschools.org/levy.

October 23: Voter Preregistration Deadline

This is the deadline to preregister to vote before the November 3 election. Eligible voters may also register and vote during early voting or at their designated polling place on Election Day.

October 23: Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

Requests for absentee ballots must be submitted to the county clerk by 5 p.m. on October 23. To request an absentee ballot, visit VoteIdaho.gov.

October 19–30: Early Voting

Early voting in Kootenai County begins at 8 a.m. October 19 and continues from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through October 30. For voting information, visit VoteIdaho.gov.

November 3: Election Day

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voted absentee ballots must be received by the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. To find your polling place, visit VoteIdaho.gov.

We encourage you to learn more about the levy and participate in the election if you are eligible and choose to do so.

Thank you for staying informed and engaged in our community!

Thank you, Dalton families and friends! Your support for this year's fundraiser has been beyond incredible. The entire PTA and staff are so deeply grateful for this wonderful community.

⏰ Only 3 days left to reach our final goal!

We’re keeping the excitement going with extra giveaways and prizes through Monday! Amazing news: every classroom unlocked BOTH Golden Ticket Prizes, which are en route now! 🎉

Beginning on October 12, families who have an unexcused absence for a child at Dalton at 9:30 each day may receive a text from 208-369-5780. While we still prefer families to enter absences ahead of time into Skyward (please see steps on link above), this text string may save our office a phone call home for the unexcused absence. A parent/guardian who forgot to let us know ahead of time can text the number back with the student's absent reason.

What a fantastic turnout at our meet against Ramsey! Congratulations to our top 3 finishers in each grade:

• 2nd Grade: Aaron Huerta (1st) | Cora Looney (1st) | Ben Taylor (3rd)

• 3rd Grade: Tanner Burton (1st) | Rockwell Millikan (2nd) | Liberty Lathrop (2nd) | Dylan Berger (3rd)

• 4th Grade: George Duke (1st) | Julia Carr (2nd) | Dylan Caten (3rd)

• 5th Grade: Mathew Shandy (1st) | Hadley Burton (1st) | Ethan Braga (3rd)

Keep up the incredible work, runners! Tune in to November’s Dragon’s Den to see the results from the district meet!

We encourage students and staff to wear purple, green,
and/or Dalton Elementary spirit gear on Fridays.

One family asked if they could purchase a child sized t-shirt to donate to a student in need (and meet the $85 free shipping threshold). Absolutely! Feel free to do so and bring it into the office. Thank you!

Our lost and found is already overflowing just four weeks into the school year. It is an untenable situation we have been trying to solve for years. Here is our new plan:

• If an item has been in the lost and found for more than a week, our facility manager, Jeff Smith, will bag it up.
• On the first Friday of each new month, the previous month's Lost and Found items will be donated.
• Our first donation will take place next Friday, 10/9/26. Thank you for understanding.

It is okay to give your child a consequence at home for losing a jacket or water bottle. The Hiltenbrand kids had to pay their parents from their savings accounts for lost items. As they have grown, they don't lose items often.

ROAD Crew, Dalton’s special chorus, starts Tuesday, October 13th (8:00 AM – 8:40 AM) in the Music Room. If your student loves to sing and work hard, we’d love to have them join our performing group this year! Look for sign-up forms coming home in your child's folder soon. Practices are every Tuesday before school. For any questions, please contact Mrs. Northrup at ruth.northrup@cdaschools.org. Thank you!

We love to see our families support their students by visiting or volunteering!

You are a visitor if you come infrequently to help out in your student's classroom for parties or attend a special event. You do NOT need to complete a volunteer application to be a visitor.

You are a volunteer if you come to help out on a regularly scheduled basis. Your student's teacher will be the best contact for scheduling those volunteering days and times. On/after Oct. 5th please visit https://www.cdaschools.org/volunteer to fill out a volunteer pre-screener. Please do this if you have not already done this for the 2026-2027 school year.

Fingerprints are required for special activities where a parent/guardian may chaperone a small group, such as our 4th grade Cataldo field trip and 5th grade Silverwood field trip. Teachers will be in touch ahead of those field trips, as parents who chaperone will need to complete fingerprints at least 3 weeks ahead of the field trip.

Here are more tips and guidelines for visiting/volunteering at our school from the District, as we are partnering with a local company, Campus Check.

The Great Pumpkin approaches! Please help us plan for the fun on Friday, October 30th.

We ask that you send your kids to school in their costumes along with a change of clothes. The parade will begin around 9:15 and wind around the outside of the building, mostly under the eaves so all the kids can see each other’s creative genius. See parade route map below.

Kids will be asked to change into their regular school clothes sometime before lunch. Room parties for most classrooms K-4 will begin after the parade. If you are one of the room parents developing ideas for fun food consider a creative breakfast spread containing fruits, muffins, and healthy choices (smart snacks). Parties end by 10:30 (AM recess), and we’ll be back on the regular schedule. 5th grade has its own party later in the day from 12:30-1:35 p.m. in the gym.

Rules for costumes - The "NO's” . . . If you feel you must ask? It’s probably not allowed.

Please – No FULL face masks, head coverings or face paint; we need to see some of the face.

Please – Minimize the use of face paint for cleanup purposes.

Please – No depictions of blood, guts, violence, or any gruesome attire.

Please – No weapons of any kind. This includes play weapons, bows, arrows, swords, etc.

We encourage you to influence your children to have fun with their costume choices, but keep it mild, knowing that we have many impressionable young minds in our midst.

In other words, please save the scary stuff for Trick-or-Treating!

Many thanks,

Jody Hiltenbrand, Principal

Kimberly Shandy, Assistant Principal

• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• The Collapse of Parenting by Leonard Sax
• Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay

10/2 - No School K-12/PD Day for Teachers

10/5 - 8:10am XC End of Year Party - Season Conclusion

10/6 - Road Crew begins (look for info coming home soon)

10/8 - Fall School Picture Day

10/14 - 3:45pm PTA Meeting/Art Room (childcare provided)

10/22 - 9:45 am- KG Pumpkin Patch trip to Prairie Home Farm

10/30 - 9:15am Halloween Parade (outside/around the school)

11/3- Election Day - GO VOTE!

11/4 - 3:45-4:45pm - PTA Meeting/Art Room (childcare provided)

11/5 - 10:40am - 5th Grade Veterans Day Program/Gym

11/11 - Veterans Day/No School for K-12 Students/Certified and Office Staff Workday

11/12 - Picture Retakes

11/19 - 4-7:30 Fall Parent Teacher Conferences

11/20 - No School k-5/Parent Teacher Conferences

11/23-11/27 - Thanksgiving Break!

Email: dalfax@cdaschools.org
Website: https://www.cdaschools.org/dalton
Location: Dalton Elementary School, 6335 North Mount Carrol Street, Dalton Gardens, ID, USA
Phone: 2087725364