Dryden Splash | November 16, 2025

Dear Dryden Families,

What a truly wonderful week it has been at Dryden! I am so grateful for the sense of community, gratitude, and celebration that filled our halls as we honored the veterans in our school families and in our school community.

We began Tuesday with our Veterans’ Day Breakfast, where veterans and their family members shared a warm meal together and visited with Dryden staff. It was a special time for connection, reflection, and gratitude. Following the breakfast, we gathered for our schoolwide Veterans’ Day Assembly. During the assembly, we proudly recognized each veteran in attendance for their service. Our 5th grade Veterans’ Day choir performed a beautiful Armed Forces Salute medley, and our entire school joined together in a patriotic medley to thank and honor our veterans.

Many of our veterans stayed after the assembly to visit classrooms and speak with students about their experiences in the armed forces. These conversations helped our students make meaningful personal connections and gave them the opportunity to ask thoughtful questions. It was powerful to see our students learn directly from those who have served.

Our celebration continued that evening at the School District 25 Board of Education meeting, where two Dryden students were invited to perform the National Anthem once again. At the same meeting, our crossing guards and veterans, including our very own U.S. veteran and school crossing guard, Mr. Richard Poteracki, were honored by Superintendent Dr. Brian Kaye and the Board for their dedicated service to both our country and our students.

We also want to extend a big thank-you to the Dryden PTA for their “Stock the Lounge” event this week. Families generously donated snacks and drinks to help keep our staff energized and supported throughout the busy days. What a thoughtful gesture!

Then on Thursday night, the PTA did it again by organizing a fantastic 3rd and 4th Grade Activity Night! More than 75 students came to participate in fun, active, team-building activities in the gym. We were also thrilled to welcome a special station run by the University of Chicago Active Playful Learning project, which offered engaging STEM activities for our students. The energy, excitement, and teamwork on display made the evening a wonderful success.

There are so many people to thank for this meaningful and memorable week: the Dryden Staff Veterans’ Day Committee, the Dryden Student Veterans’ Day Club, everyone who donated food for the breakfast, the Dryden PTA, the Girl Scouts of Dryden Elementary School and their troop leaders, Mr. Gries (who kindly substituted for Mr. Poteracki so he could attend the breakfast), our music teacher Mr. Toerner, our veterans, and all Dryden staff and students who made this week possible.

It was truly a fun-filled, action-packed week at Dryden. Thank you, Dryden families, for your partnership, your generosity, and your continued support of our students and staff. We are grateful to be part of such a caring and connected school community.

As we approach Thanksgiving, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our students, families, colleagues, and entire school community. This year has already been filled with growth, kindness, and wonderful moments of learning, and we are deeply grateful for the care and effort of everyone who makes Dryden such a special place. We wish you a joyful and peaceful Thanksgiving, full of rest, connection, and time with your loved ones.

Warmly,
Jessica Martinsen and Beth Glass

Students go outside for recess unless the wind chill is below zero or there is precipitation. Please watch the weather forecast and make sure your child is dressed appropriately for playing outside. We ask that if it is 50 degrees or below, that students wear some type of sleeve for recess. When the weather is 32 degrees or below, please be sure to send your child with a coat. Snow pants, boots, gloves and hats are needed to play in the snow during recess. Without these items, students will need to remain on the blacktop on snowy days.

We recommend that you send your child with an extra bag to hold all their winter gear. Reusable bags seem to be a great option and many students are successful with getting all their gear out and back into the bag when recess is over. Please remember to send your child with shoes to change into if they wear their boots to school.

Please label your coats, hats, gloves, boots, and snow pants. Our lost and found is full of unclaimed items. Labeling items can help students find their missing winter gear.

We recommend that you send your child with an extra bag to hold all their winter gear. This helps students keep track of and store their winter gear. It's important that students bring their snow gear home each day so that items can be dried overnight. Also, please send your child with shoes to change into if they wear their boots to school.

Students are expected to wear whatever cold weather gear they have been sent to school with during grade level and lunch recess. Please be sure to share this information with your child. Thank you in advance for helping us make sure that everyone stays warm in these chillier months!

As the season changes and the cold weather quickly approaches, please know that we have a selection of winter gear (coats, hats, gloves, snow boot, snow pants) available for families who request support.

Please reach out to Dryden Social Workers Caroline Elsey or Dana Plous, via their confidential emails or voicemail for more information or to request assistance. Please reach out by December 14, 2024:

celsey@sd25.org dplous@sd25.org

847-506-6548

Please help us reunite lost items with their owners by clearly labeling all of your child’s clothing, lunch boxes, and other personal belongings! Items found at school will be placed in the Lost and Found. Older students may ask their teacher for permission to check for missing belongings, while parents of younger students are welcome to stop by the office between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM to take a look. On the 30th of each month, any unclaimed items will be donated to a charitable organization. If an item has a name on it, our office staff will give you a call so it can make its way home before donation day. Thank you for helping us by labeling everything—big or small—so nothing stays “lost” for long!

Cough drops are not allowed at school. They can be kept in the health office for your student with the following three steps:

• Cough drops need to be dropped off by a parent, they cannot be sent in a student's backpack.

• Cough drops need to be in an unopened package, not just individually wrapped drops.

• The district medication authorization form must be completed by the parent and doctor. We cannot accept just a doctor's note.

If you have any questions please contact School Nurse Mrs. Rixon at mrixon@sd25.org. Thank you!

Student safety remains a top priority in District 25. All schools are safe and welcoming for every student and family, with district procedures in place to support students’ safety and learning in the event of any ICE-related incident. The district will continue to share information with families to reinforce our commitment to keeping students safe.

• District Dish (Under Superintendent Message) – September 18 & October 16

• Dr. Kaye’s Letter – January 2025

Please click on the following links for more information:

• Where can I view the school lunch menu? Click Here
• How does my student order a school lunch? Click Here
• How do I pay for my child’s meals? Click Here
• How do I apply for free & reduced meals? Click Here

For further details on D25 Food & Nutrition Services, please click here.

November

November 18: 5th Grade Band Concert

November 20: 5th Grade Musical

November 24- November 28: Thanksgiving Break

December

December 11: Dec Birthday Books

December 11: PTA Holiday Party

December 16: Stock the Lounge

December 17: 4th Grade Musical

December 19: Winter Wonderland

December 22- January 4: Winter Break

January

January 5: Teacher Institute Day - No Classes for students

January 6: 5th Grade Service Project Begins

January 8: Jan Birthday Books

January 19-January 23: 5th Grade Service Project Collection

January 26: Soup Lunch for Staff

January 26-January 30: Book Fair Week

January 29: Family Reading Night

February

February 3: Book Club

February 5: PTA General Member Meeting

February 10: Book Club

February 12: February Birthday Books

February 12: Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

February 13: Classroom Valentine’s Day Parties

February 16: Spring Parent-Teacher Cinferences

February 17: Book Club

February 20: Family Dance

February 24: Book Club

February 26: 5th Grade Volleyball Night

Link to D25 2025- 2026 Year-At-A-Glance Calendar

Join us for a Chipotle Fundraiser supporting Dryden Elementary PTA!

📅 Tuesday, November 18th

🕓 4–8 PM

📍 102 E Kensington Rd, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

➡️ Order online for pickup using code TVVE497

or show this flyer in the restaurant.

💛 25% of event sales will be donated to support Dryden Elementary!

Members of our Dryden Community have families & friends in Jamaica who were devastated by Hurricane Melissa. The Dryden PTA is collecting the following items for their relief:

• Clothing (Womens size Medium & Mens size Medium)

• Shoes (Womens size 8 & Mens size 9)

• Toiletries

• Towel

• Bedsheets

• Handtowels

A collection bin will be located in the Front Office through Friday, December 5. Thank you!

Parents - join us for some drinks and fun! Prizes will be awarded for best dressed, so get those ugly sweaters ready!

When: Thursday, December 11th 7PM

Where: Eddie's Bar (10 E Northwest Hwy, Arlington Heights)

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/nFtNn9C57XZtkmk36

Join Dryden PTA

Sync the Dryden PTA Calendar to your phone!

Shop Dryden Spirit Wear

Purchase Dryden Yearbooks

Subscribe to the Dryden PTA Newsletter

Connect with Dryden PTA on Facebook & Instagram!

November is the month to remember the contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives and to honor the unique heritage of our continent’s first inhabitants.

Also known as “The Day of the Dead”. It is a two day holiday that originated in Mexico, where it is mostly observed. The days honor friends and family members that have died.

Federal holiday to celebrate the anniversary of the World War I agreement between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers.

We honor all military veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

A day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Celebrated the fourth Thursday in November, a federal holiday in all states.