South Davis Shines
September 15, 2026
Our Commitments
A Message from Mr. Dolce
Hello South Davis Families.
Well with 4 days under out belts, we are starting to get into a rhythm here, and hopefully your are, too, at home. By the end of this week, it will feel like we've been at it a while, and the routines will be set.
In the meantime, give yourselves, your neighbors, and us the patience and grace as we figure out all of the elements of the start of a school year - morning routines, drop off and pick up, lunches and snacks, loading and unloading backpacks, communication, bus routes - the list goes on.
Details below about the Relocation Drill and Early Dismissal on Thursday, as well as upcoming activities next week.
Have a great week!
Mr. Dolce
#WeAreSouthDavis
Upcoming Events/Important Dates 📆
Tuesday - 9/15 - First Day of Related Services/AIS based on IEP
Thursday - Relocation Drill and Early Dismissal - See Below
Friday - 9/18 - Code of Conduct/Citizenship/SHINE Meetings
Week of 9/21 - Homecoming Spirit Days - See Below
Saturday - 9/26 - Homecoming Parade and Festival; PTO Chicken Barbecue - See Below
Monday - 9/28 - First Day of Instrumental Lessons
Morning Music Ensembles
- Registration Live: PowerSchool registration for morning music ensembles is now up and running.
- Family Communication: All elementary music teachers will be reaching out to 4th- and 5th-grade families this week.
- Start Date: All ensembles will officially begin the week of September 28.
Plan for Thursday, September 17
Thursday is an early dismissal day, and we are running periods 1-3.
Period 1 - 9:30-10:05
Period 2 - 10:10-10:45
Period 3 - 10:50-11:25
At around 11:00, we will conduct an Evacuation (fire) Drill. We will then practice relocating to the Middle School, pretending that we can't return to South Davis.
We will conduct dismissal from the Middle School, beginning around 11:30.
Please note:
- There is no Boys and Girls Thursday.
- All students should ride the bus home if possible.
- Do not arrive before 11:20.
- Please make sure all contact information in the Parent Portal is accurate.
- Adults picking up students should have government-issued photo ID
- Walkers and bike riders - without an parent/guardian - will be walked back to South Davis at the conclusion of the drill.
- Early dismissals and last-minute changes should be avoided - contact the Main Office by 10:30 at the latest.
- See the map below for the locations of checking in and pick up.
- Traffic will only be allowed a right turn out of the parking lot onto S. Lincoln Ave.
Staff will be returning to the building to engage in several professional learning activities for the afternoon related to numeracy and literacy.
South Davis SHINEs
Health and Wellness
Mrs. Rupp, our Health and Wellness teacher, is starting the year teaching all students about our 6 character phrases
S - Show Citizenship
H - Have Gratitude
I - Instill Kindness
N - Nurture Mindfulness
E - Exercise Resilience
Look for a letter home in the coming days, and look for additional resources throughout the year to help families continue the learning and practice at home.
And I will be talking about Citizenship during my meetings with grade levels on Friday.
Arrival And Dismissal Information
We're excited that we have a full size parking lot that will accommodate all staff and plenty of visitors, too. It also allows us to have a safer and more efficient drop-off and pick-up process.
For veteran parents, the only difference is that the main driveway for the parking lot is on Thorn Ave. For new folks, it is very simple:
- Enter the parking lot from Thorn Ave.
- Follow the driveway around to the front of the building.
- Continue on to South Davis Street and stop along the curb.
- All students will exit or enter vehicles once parked.
Some other things to remember:
- At both arrival and dismissal, cars should enter the South Davis parking lot from Thorn Avenue and follow the line of vehicles onto South Davis Street - please do not cut the line.
- Arrive around 9:05 or later for drop off, and 3:10 or later for pick-up.
- Students are let into the building at 9:10. Please do not drop off your child before then, as there is no supervision outside.
- Unloading or loading while still in the parking lot is very dangerous and is not permitted.
- Display the pick-up number tag from your rearview mirror at dismissal/pick-up. If walking or riding, please show the number to a staff member.
- Stay as close to the curb as possible when stopping to load and unload your child(ren).
- Have your children ready to exit/enter the vehicle on the passenger/curb side of the car.
- Stay in your car. Staff are present to assist students getting out of and into vehicles. If you feel you need to get out to assist your child, please pull all the way to the far end of the front drive.
- Be sure to follow staff directions, posted speed limits (15 MPH), and use turn signals entering and exiting school traffic; at dismissal, yield to OP school buses.
- You may be asked to pull forward and to the side if there is delay in dismissing your child or if you need to buckle your child in.
Any changes to afternoon dismissal can be documented in the Parent Portal prior to 10:00. For anything after that, contact the Main Office prior to 2:30 at 716-209-6442.
For all busing questions or concerns, contact the Transportation Department: 716-209-6237
The map below should help.
Distraction Free Schools 📵
A reminder about the District's policy regarding student personal electronic devices, and our focus on being present and engaged at school.
Building Good Attendance Habits
🪂Homecoming Parade, Chicken BBQ, and Spirit Week 🐔
September 26, 2026 HOMECOMING - Tropical Theme
Homecoming is a very big tradition and our school has the opportunity to have a float at homecoming. If you are interested in helping create or ride / walk on the float, please feel free to sign up on the attached flyer.
Our chicken BBQ is being held at homecoming this year 9/26. You can pre register for a meal on the QR code. AND if you can share the flyer with friends and family, the South Davis PTO would be ever so appreciative. We are all looking for some alumni, 5th graders (and their parents) to help with food running during the event. If you think you can help, please see the sign up genius below.
- Homecoming Float Signup - Volunteers to decorate and to walk with the float are needed. Please see attached flyer
- Chicken BBQ at Carnival - BBQ flyer to order dinners attached
- You can pre-order your meal; eat it at the carnival or the Homecoming game, or take it home.
- Sign Up to Run Food - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4EAEA92DA1FF2-65813151-chicken#/
Family Resources
Attached is the Fall Parent Enrichment Program flyer for elementary parents from the Orchard Park Family Solutions Center.
Family Education- Back to School: How Parents and Caregivers Can Promote Mental Health in a New School Year
This is another great resource from Erie Path - https://eriepath.erie.gov/home