The Panther Press

DTA 2.0 Parent's Edition 10/11/23

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Fall on the Farm

This Free Fashionista Friday Dress Down Day is fall themed! Wear fall colors, dress like a farmer, a pumpkin, or in another fall themed get up!

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Arts Integration

Encourage your child to express themselves in their independent homework practice by dancing, singing, rhyming, jumping, coloring, etc. Add some art to math, reading, writing, spelling, science, and social studies, and watch their learning come alive!

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Homecoming Sneaker Ball 2023 10/20/23

Permission slips and payment for the sneaker ball are due by October 17th. If your family is experiencing a hardship, please contact Social Worker, Mrs. Hart or School Counselor, Mr. Phillips, as we want all of our families to attend!

Limitless PAWSibilities!

Safety always comes first at Dilworth! Thank you for adhering to speed limits during pick up and drop off. Our unique location coupled with seemingly endless construction makes for a spirited experience during arrival and dismissal.

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.

Another safety reminder is around footwear. Please send students in sneakers, tennis shoes, and rubber bottomed shoes so that they can run and play freely with less risk of injury. Please do not send students in Crocs, slippers, slides, heels, or other shoes that have minimal/no traction and/or easily fall off of feet.

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!

Health Screenings

Mandated screenings for all students will begin on Monday October 16th, 2023, and continue throughout the school year. Students will have their Height, Weight, Vision and depending on the grade level, hearing checked by the school nurse.

If you have any concerns, please email the school nurse at tellis1@pghschools.org.

Hybrid PTA Meetings

Please join us in person or virtually for the second monthly meeting of the Pittsburgh Dilworth PTA on October 17th from 6-7:30.

PTA contacts:

Linda president@pghdilworthpta.org

Alexis vicepresident@pghdilworthpta.org

Natasha secretary@pghdilworthpta.org

Backpack Program

Have you heard about Dilworth PTA’s Backpack Initiative? Its mission is to assist Pittsburgh Dilworth Pre-K through 5th grade students experiencing food insecurity by providing weekend food supplies. Each participating student receives a bag packed with child-friendly single-serving snacks and easily prepared meals every Friday. Food is donated, packed, and distributed by Dilworth volunteers, and we strive to include protein, whole grains, fruits, and dairy products in each bag (*please note: peanut products will be included in the bags*).

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 or sign and return the permission slip that will be sent home with students as part of the September PTA Newsletter.

If you’re interested in volunteering or donating to the program, we would love to hear from you! The Backpack Initiative relies on having a strong team of volunteers and donors to keep it running smoothly, and we would love to have your help. Please email Megan Spak at dtabackpacks@gmail.com to find out more.

Spirit Wear Sale Closes 10/15/23

Here's the website for the apparel sale!

https://stores.embroiderypgh.com/Dilworth/shop/home

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 is 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.) to see if they have 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.

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Cultural & Global CATnections

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women. Students are encouraged to wear pink accessories with their uniforms throughout the month of October as we raise awareness around prevention, interest in research, and support of those impacted by breast cancer. Visit https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month to learn more.

National Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15th through October 15th is recognized as Hispanic Heritage Month. During morning meetings we are learning Spanish greetings such as, “Buenos dias” and “Como estas”, please encourage dialogue around Hispanic culture and language as we embrace and celebrate diversity at Dilworth.

Purr-Fect Resources for Health & Wellness

Below are two links including resources and community activities for families. The first link is for the UPMC Health Neighborhood-Center where they offer numerous resources to the public and network members. The second link is for the City of Pittsburgh’s International Day and Parade Celebration. Families can learn more information (receive this information translated in other languages) and register to participate in the festivities using the second link below.

https://www.upmchealthplan.com/about/community/neighborhood-center/

https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/international-day-parade-and-festival

Engage Kidz LLC- Tackling Back to School Anxiety

Back to School Anxiety (mailchi.mp)