Eagle Post – August 22nd

Posted August 22, 2023

Dear Swigert Families,

We are off and running! We welcomed our ECE- 4 year olds today and from what I can ascertain there were more parent tears than kids tears. It is really remarkable to have ALL the kid energy and smiles  across the building. Tomorrow we will have our first full day so students will have one of their specials (STEM, PE, Music, Art or Spanish) as well as lunch in the cafeteria. For ECE students lunch is brought to the room.  We will have extra hands on deck to support kids with the process as well as  opening up a myriad of items including milk containers, string cheese, apple sauce (speaking from experience these are the top three challenging  items). We do have a table set up in the cafeteria as nut and egg free  in consideration for our students with allergies. Just as a little heads up, I am positive you will have some tired and hungry kids as they build up their stamina and ease into the school schedule. 

I wanted to take some time to address a few common questions that have arisen over the past two days:

When does school start?

The bell rings at 8:10 and 1st-5th grade students line up at that time. Our ECE students start at 8:05 and the door will be open at 8:00. Dismissal is at 3:10. 

When can I drop off my child ?

Swigert has supervision on the playground and in the cafeteria beginning at 7:55. Students are welcome to come to the playground at that time. If they are eating breakfast they should head into the cafeteria from the playground.

How does the Kiss and Go Lane Work?

Swigert has Kiss ‘n Go lanes on both the east and west side of the school. These areas, indicated with a yellow curb, are designed for parents who want to quickly pull into the parking lot, let their kids out, and then continue on to work. If you would like to have a longer stop, please go ahead and pull into a parking space, or pull alongside a curb so that other parents can continue on with their day. 

What is important to remember daily?

It’s important to pack a water bottle to keep your kid hydrated throughout the day. We have water bottle fillers on each floor. Have a plan for lunch, let your student know if they are eating hot lunch in the cafeteria or bringing one from home. Pack an extra snack or two.  

What happens if we are late?

If you are tardy or running late, please park and bring your child to the main office (off Syracuse street) to check in.  

Where do I go if I need to pick up my student for an appointment? 

If you are returning from an appointment or picking up from one please come to the front office and check in your child or the office will call the teacher to have them come to the front office. When you know ahead of time it is helpful to communicate these appointments with your teacher.

A few photos from the first two days:
May be an image of 5 people, child, people studying and textMay be an image of 3 people
May be an image of 20 peopleMay be an image of 11 people, child and people studying
May be an image of 2 people, child, people studying and textMay be an image of 3 people, child, people smiling and textSincerely,
Shelby Dennis 
Shelby_Dennis@dpsk12.net

Welcome Breakfast!

Mark your calendars for the Swigert Welcome Breakfast THIS SATURDAY morning! We’ll be celebrating the amazing start of the new school year! Hope to see you there! 

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Back to School Night


We are excited to invite you to Back to School Night on Thursday, August 31st! This will be a chance for you to hear from your child’s teacher(s) in more depth about the upcoming year. You’ll hear about their schedule, some of the things they’ll be learning, and be able to ask questions!

Teachers will hold 2 identical sessions in their classrooms, one at 5:30pm and one at 6pm.

There will also be two identical sessions in the gym for school wide information. We will hear from our principal, Mrs. Dennis, and our NDIZ Zone Director, Dr. Colleen O’Brien. These sessions will be held at 6pm and 6:30pm.

Lastly, Robin Bresnahan, our GT Coordinator, will be discussing Gifted and Talented Identification and Programming at Swigert. If you would like to learn more about Giftedness, how students get identified as Gifted and talented, Advanced Learning Plans, and programming at Swigert, please join Mrs. Bresnahan in the STEM room (123) for her one session at 6:30pm.

See more details here: https://swigert.dpsk12.org/2023/08/15/back-to-school-night/


PTA Membership Drive

Check out www.swigertpta.com for more information and check out the PTA table at Meet the Teacher Night and Back to School Night.


STEM needs

Mr. Miller, our STEM teacher is in need of cardboard egg cartons (not the styrofoam ones) or cardboard drink holds (think from your fast food or startbucks runs). You can send them with your student or drop them in the main office!

Empty Egg Carton Stock Photo - Download Image Now - Egg Carton, Empty, No  People - iStock
Cardboard Pulp 4 Cup Holder |

Lunch

Lunch starts tomorrow! Help your child know if they are bringing a lunch from home or getting hot lunch.  To find out more about how to view the lunch calendar weekly, you can check out the website here: https://swigert.dpsk12.org/parent-resources/lunch-breakfast/ We also post the weekly food schedule on the Friends Swigert facebook page!


After School Enrichments

Fall 2023 After School enrichments are now available for browsing!  Check out the link to the Brochure for Swigert’s spring offerings! Registration is now open!.The brochure below will also stay updated with current information, so please check this specific link for updated information. FALL ENRICHMENT BROCHURE


Communication 

We’d love to connect with you as much as possible. You will be automatically added to our weekly Swigert Eagle newsletter that comes out every Tuesday during the school year. Please also visit our website at www.swigert.dpsk12.org to learn more about Swigert and events that are coming up. You can also join our “Friends of Swigert International School” private Facebook page – www.facebook.com/groups/friendsofswigert. When requesting to join, please include a note to say you are a new family. We post pictures of events at school, interact as a school family, and you can see friendly reminders of upcoming events. Who to contact if you have questions about:

ROLENAMEEMAIL
Instruction, Programing, etcShelby DennisAmber Holthus-Pera    Shelby_Dennis@dpsk12.net
Amber_Holthus-Pera@dpsk12.net   
Daily School LifeEmily PoolEmily_Pool@dpsk12.net
RegistrationDaphne JolleyDjolley@dpsk12.net
Technology and eventsRichard FisherRichard_Fisher@dpsk12.net
HealthNurse Hoang TranHoang_Tran@dpsk12.net
IB Program, Service Learning   Caroline DaneCaroline_Dane@dpsk12.net
Swigert PTACortney Dickeypresident@swigertpta.com

Key Dates

August 26 – Community Breakfast
August 31 – Back to School Night
September 4 – NO SCHOOL, Labor Day
September 11-14 – School Pictures!
September 22 – NO SCHOOL, Professional Development Day