DECEMBER 2024 DILLON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
TEACHING EFFECTIVELY-LEARNING SUCCESSFULLY
SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE: RANDY SHIPMAN
Greetings from the district office here in School District #10! I hope this newsletter finds everyone doing well and bracing for the winter season. In this newsletter I would like to address how thankful I am for all the people that play a part in helping our students succeed. From our school board to our teachers and paraprofessionals, from our custodians to our kitchen staff and bus drivers, from our parents and guardians to our community members, everyone plays a critical role in the development and success of our students, and I am thankful for all of you.
It is amazing how many different people help our students to be successful in the school setting. That support starts with our elected school board trustees who work tirelessly to make sure that our students receive a quality education and are accountable to the taxpayers of our district. We have a dedicated and professional certified teaching staff supported by amazing paraprofessionals that support all of the instruction occurring in the classroom on a daily basis. Our administrators are above reproach and have done an incredible job leading. Our custodian staff, supervised by Mr. Robert Blake, is top notch and thanks to their hard work and efforts our students have a clean and healthy environment to play and learn in. Our kitchen staff, led by supervisor Mrs. Jen Dove, is phenomenal and delivers a quality and healthy meal to approximately 600 students each day. Our bus drivers, supervised by Mr. Shaun Lenegar, continue to do an amazing job transporting our students to school in the mornings and then return our students home each afternoon through all sorts of weather, not to mention all the extra-curricular trips they take our students on. Finally, we appreciate the parents and community members who support our schools by volunteering in them, by helping us with projects, and through the tax dollars they provide to us so that we may continue to offer our students a quality experience and education. All of these folks make a tremendous collective difference in the lives of our students and I am thankful for them and their efforts. I am also thankful that I work in the Dillon Elementary School District where I can work alongside these amazing people for the betterment of our students, our staff, and our district.
Don’t forget that you can stay informed about what is happening at your child’s school by accessing our website at www.dillonschools.org. Academic information such as teacher lesson plans, grades and sports schedules can be located on this website. In addition, this site contains the lunch menu, student handbook, our district policy manual, board meeting agendas and the school calendar.
Finally, I would like to express how excited and honored I am to be your superintendent in School District #10 and a part of such a great community. I would like to thank everyone in advance for working with us to make our district a success. If there is any way that I may be of assistance to you, please stop in or call the district office at 683-4311, option #3.
PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY NEWS: GREG FITZGERALD
December is an exciting time of year for all the staff and students at Parkview Elementary. The eagerness of the holiday season and the anticipation of the New Year have our students in an energized state. We are truly blessed to live in the community of Dillon.
Although the weather has been mild this fall, we all know that it can change very rapidly. Please make sure that your children wear appropriate clothing to school. It is a good idea to send your students to school with hats and gloves daily. Please make sure to write your students’ names in a recognizable location so that if they are lost they can be returned to the students in a timely manner.
Beginning on December 13th, any unclaimed items will be donated to Goodwill. If your child is missing clothing, please make an appointment to come in after school to look through lost and found times.
Parkview will once again be hosting holiday concerts during December. All our concerts will take place on Thursday, December 19th. All parents should use the district office doors for entry to the concerts in the elementary gym. Please do not arrive earlier than fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled concert time. No parents will be allowed into the body of the elementary school after concerts have concluded. Regular classes will continue after the conclusion of these concerts. Grade levels and times are as follows:
4th Grade-8:45-9:15
3rd Grade-9:45-10:15
2nd Grade-10:45-11:15
5th Grade-11:45-12:15
Kindergarten-1:00-1:30
1st Grade-2:00-2:30
Regular Friday Dismissal on December 20th.
School will resume after the holidays on Thursday, January 2nd.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS: JOEL ROGERS
Happy December from Dillon Middle School!
Here at DMS, we’ve had a great first quarter and are already staring down mid-terms of quarter number two. On Friday, December 6th, students will bring home a mid-term report. You may also access your kiddos most recent grades at any time through the Infinite Campus family portal. Additionally, you may view all classroom lesson plans through our website at www.dillonschools.org. If you need any assistance with our grade portal, district website, or have other questions, please contact myself or Mrs. Mickelson at 683-2368, extension #2. You may also speak with your kiddos teacher(s) at any time with questions and/or concerns by calling the school or emailing them directly.
There are a few dates coming up in December to make everyone aware of. First, our 6th-8th grade winter band/choir concert is scheduled for Thursday, December 19th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Parkview Gym. As a reminder, for concerts, students must dress up and are not allowed to wear jeans. Please reach out to Mrs. Kidd for specific questions on concert attire. Second, there will be No School from December 23rd through January 1st due to Christmas Vacation. School will resume on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, 7th and 8th grade girls’ basketball begins immediately after Christmas Vacation on Thursday, January 2nd after school followed by 6th grade basketball beginning on January 9th.
December also marks our annual food drive at DMS. This year our food drive will again be led by Mr. Jeremy Anderson. The food drive will run from November 26th through December 20th. We have set our goal this year at 2,000 lbs of food. We hope you will collaborate with us to help us meet this goal.
In closing, many of you know that middle school can be a difficult time for kids as they struggle for peer acceptance and/or seek security in friendships. Many of you have heard and/or are aware of signs of concerning behavior(s) in teens. As parents, we hear about many challenges our kiddo(s) must be prepared to face such as pressures to experiment with alcohol, drugs, tobacco and/or other unsafe practices. In that context, I want to publicly offer help and/or be of assistance in any way I can during this sometimes-challenging phase in life. Please do not hesitate to contact myself at any time at the DMS office or through email at jrogers@dillonelem.k12.mt.us.