From Principal Matt Goldstein

August 16, 2018

Dear Duniway Community,

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year. It is exciting to be back for my 6^th year as Duniway’s principal.  With school starting on the “early-side” this year, summer seems to have come and gone.  I hope you all found time to enjoy the warm sunshine and that everyone is beginning to get excited to return to Duniway.  We recognize and value the contributions of our families, and remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure that each Duniway student reaches their highest potential.  

The Duniway staff is dedicated to doing their very best to meet the needs of all learners.  Each of us, regardless of our position in the building, play a critical role in the lives of our students.  We consider this an honor and a significant responsibility.  As we prepare for the 2018-2019 school year, I am excited to announce some new members to our community and some other changes:  Loren Chasse is joining the 4^th Grade team; Allison Newton and Lindsay Iverson will be job-sharing at 1^st grade; Bonnie Robb will be teaching 2^nd grade; Catherine “Cat” Freeburg will be teaching music; Meghan Austin will be teaching kindergarten and first grade PE; and Heather McDaid will be working half-time in the Learning Center.  In addition, we are finalizing several Educational Assistants who will support our students and teachers. I am sure you will meet many of our new staff members in the coming weeks and hear more about how they will be supporting Duniway students.

One opportunity to say hello will be on Thursday, August 23^rd at our Welcome Back Picnic/Block Party!  The event will run from 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM and for a first time will be located in front of the school, on SE Reed College Place, in between Rex and Lambert.  So, come on out, enjoy the shade, the beautiful green median, and of course the opportunity to meet classmates, teachers, and hear some live music. 

In addition to our event on the 23^rd, please join the PTA for coffee on the first day of school (August 27^th for grades 1-5 and August 30^th for Kindergarten) and mark your calendars for Back-to-School Night which is scheduled for Thursday, September 6^th sat 6:30 PM.  Please note that BTSN is our one adult-only event of the school year.

It is always exciting to watch our building begin to come alive as summer wanes.  Our custodial crew has been working hard all summer long to prepare the building.  Lynn and Sarah have been registering our newest students and preparing the office for another stellar year.  Many teachers are already working in their classrooms and doing all they can to ensure a positive start to the school year.
 

Below is some additional Information to help you and your student(s) prepare for the new school year ahead:

• Arrival: Students enter the building at 8:45 am (unless arrangements have been made with a teacher). Only students who are eating breakfast will be allowed to enter the cafeteria beginning at 8:30 AM.  In the event of heavy rain, students will be allowed to wait in the cafeteria.   There will only be supervision on the blacktop, near SE Rex, and in the cafeteria, so please coordinate an appropriate arrival time. In addition, students should not be on the playground before school unless supervised by an adult. All students are expected to be in their classroom by 8:50 AM when the “tardy” bell rings.  Thank you in advance for helping make the morning routine as smooth as possible.  Adults are welcome to accompany their child into school; however, you must be out of the building by 9:00 unless you are volunteering or have other business at school.
  
• All visitors, even those who spend lots of time at Duniway, must sign-in at the office and wear a visitor/volunteer badge. In addition, if you plan to volunteer, in any capacity, you must complete a background check.  In order to do this, please follow this

• Pick-Up: Students are dismissed by their teachers at 3:00 PM.  It is very important to us that dismissal goes calmly and smoothly.  Please make sure your child is aware of their after-school plan.  It is very challenging for the office to deliver last minute changes to after-school plans.  Please contact the office (especially in the afternoon) if there is a situation that arises that is out of your control.  We know these things happen from time to time.  Students will not be allowed to use the office phone to make after-school plans – please make all arrangements ahead of time.  All students will be walked outside by their teachers to a designated spot.  Parents can pick-up their child at that location.  Please contact your child’s teacher to verify this location.  Staff will check off students who are taking the bus as they board.

• After School Plan: This form will be in the beginning-of-the-year packet and helps our office staff track the busy after school lives of our students.  You can make changes to the plan any time during the year by simply stopping by the office or calling.  Please make sure your child is aware of their plan on the first day of school, especially if they are riding the bus.

• Supply lists: As with last year, there are no set supply lists for the 2018-2019 School Year.  Families can make an optional donation of $45.00 per student. Staff will use funds to purchase all needed materials.  Students will need to supply their own backpack and water bottle.  If you are able to send a box of tissue and disinfectant wipes, that would be greatly appreciated.  Payments can be made by check, cash, or on-line, by visiting schoolpay.com .
  
• Communication: Our goal is to do our best to keep our community informed.  You will receive a weekly e-newsletter from school and each teacher strives to keep you posted on the goings-on in the classrooms.  In addition, you can find information on our PPS web-site, pps.net/schools/duniway and follow us on Twitter @duniwayschool

On behalf of the entire Duniway staff, I want to again welcome you to the 2018-2019 school year.  The first day of school is always very special and I am excited to see all 1^st -5^th grade students on the 27^th and our Kindergarten students on the 30^th.  Enjoy the remaining days of summer.

Warm Regards,

Matt Goldstein
Principal