←

Dora Moore ECE-8 School

First Day of School Details--See you Monday for K-8, Tuesday for ECE

08/16/24, 5:48 PM

Dear DM Families!

The first day of school is here! Our staff have worked incredibly hard this week to engage in professional learning and create learning environments ready and worthy of our students. We are excited to start another great year!

At the end of each week, we send a “Weekly Follow Up” email & app blast via ReachWell. Each of our classroom teachers and grade-levels do the same. Please read each message over the weekend to be well informed and ready for the next great week at school!

Click this link or scan the QR code for a short welcome back video from Mr. Janson and Mrs. Watson.

Important Dates

August 19th, 9:00am: K-8th First Day of School
August 20th, 9:00am: ECE First Day of School
September 2nd: No School for All Students (Labor Day)
September 13th, 4:00pm - 6:30pm: Annual Fall Grill & Chill Community BBQ
September 27th: No School for All Students (Assessment & Planning Day)
September 30th: No School for All Students (Assessment & Planning Day)

Breakfast Procedures

All K-8th grade students are able to eat breakfast in the cafeteria from 8:30 - 8:55 free of charge. Students will enter through Door #13 off of Corona Street.

K-5 students sit at grade level tables in the cafeteria to eat breakfast
- 1-5 Students who have eaten breakfast and cleaned up their personal area are allowed to be dismissed to the playground starting at 8:45am with staff supervision.
  - K students are not allowed to be dismissed early and will be walked directly to their classrooms.
- 6-8 students eat breakfast in the cafeteria at the designated middle school table. Once students are done eating, students will be dismissed to the gym.

ECE students will eat breakfast in their classrooms after the 9:00am bell each day. ECE students are not allowed to be dropped off early due to licensing restrictions unless they are enrolled and registered in Discovery Link. Additionally, if families need to drop any K-8th grade student off before 8:30am they must register and enroll in Discovery Link. To register, visit this website: https://elcs.dpsk12.org/o/equity/page/discovery-link-before-and-after-school-program

Lunch

Lunch is free again for all students thanks to the State of Colorado! Families are welcome to send a 'cold lunch' from home with their student as well. The DPS lunch menus can be found on SchoolCafe located here: https://www.schoolcafe.com/DPS

Arrival Procedures

Each individual grade-level has a different location and procedure for the start of the school day. No parents are allowed inside the building during morning drop-off except for ECE. See map below for locations of drop-off!

ECE - Enter through Door #16 in front of the flagpole. Parents accompany student to classroom to sign them in each morning.
Kinder - Hand students off at Door #2 in front of the flagpole in the front of the building.
1st - Students line up near the Corona Street playground gate outside of Door #12. Teachers greet students and families at 9:00am on the playground at this spot.
2nd - Students line up on the 4-square courts located in the center of the blacktop on the playground. Teachers greet students and families at 9:00am on the playground at this spot.
3rd - Students line up on the West side basketball court closest to the play structures. Teachers greet students and families at 9:00am on the playground at this spot.
4th & 5th - Students line up on the East side basketball court closest to Downing Street. Teachers greet students and families at 9:00am on the playground at this spot.
6th - 8th - Students enter the building through Door #10 off the playground at the 9:00am bell and head straight upstairs to their homeroom class.

Dismissal Procedures

Each individual grade-level dismisses from the exact same location as morning drop-off. ECE and kinder guardians must sign-out their students while 1st - 5th grade conduct a 1:1 physical high-five handoff. Middle school students are released at the bell and will exit the building via Door #10.

We do not dismiss Kinder-5th grade students to older siblings without written permission from the parent/guardian.

We do not allow Kinder - 5th grade students to walk home alone without written permission from the parent/guardian.

If you have a unique dismissal need, please work with your students homeroom teacher by sending them an email this weekend.

Student and Family Handbooks

We have two student and family handbooks. Please read the respective handbook and familiarize yourself with the content. There are significant changes to our Chromebook policy, cell phone policy, social media policy and snack policy.

Student and Family Handbook ECE - 5th

Student and Family Handbook 6th - 8th

Though we have our own school-specific policies, we follow and implement DPS Board of Education policy as the overall guiding principles.

Traffic Patterns and Campus Safety

It is no secret that our campus is busy! We need your help in protecting our students and families as you participate in arrival and dismissal procedures. Here are some tips and requests regarding traffic around campus:

If you can walk or bike, please do so! This greatly reduces traffic congestion.
1. If you are driving, consider parking one block away and walking onto campus with your child.
PLEASE use the crosswalks and traffic lights at the intersections--Do not cross mid-block!
Arrive 5-10 minutes early if possible--Accidents happen when people are in a hurry.
Avoid 9th Avenue with your car. No cars are allowed to park or drop-off in the front of school as 9th Avenue is our bus lane.
Families should use the “passenger loading” zones on Northbound Downing or Southbound Corona Street (see map) to drop students off. These zones are not for parking.
Slow down--We are moving 350 students and their families on and off campus and we need everyone to make it to and from school safely.

We are so excited for Monday and we can’t wait to welcome you to a new and successful school year.

See you soon!

Mr. Janson & Mrs. Watson