Dear Dewey Elementary School Families,
Welcome to another exciting school year at Dewey Elementary! As we begin this new year, I am filled with pride and gratitude for our incredible students, dedicated staff, and supportive families. Together, we continue to build a school community where every child is challenged to learn, encouraged to grow, and inspired to become a responsible, compassionate, confident, and well-rounded individual.
I am especially proud to share that Dewey Elementary has been honored with the NCUST Award. This recognition is a tremendous accomplishment and reflects the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our entire school community. It celebrates what we already know about Dewey: our teachers and staff believe deeply in our students and work tirelessly to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed. This award belongs to our students, families, teachers, staff, and community partners who make Dewey such a special place to learn and grow.
Our teaching team is phenomenal. Our dedicated professionals work together to provide a rigorous academic program aligned with the California Common Core State Standards while also meeting the needs of the whole child. We strive to recognize and develop the strengths of every student while academically pushing each child toward their greatest potential.
At Dewey, we believe that education is a partnership. Parents and guardians are a child's first and most important teachers, and your involvement is vital to your child's academic and social success. The home-school connection matters. When families and educators communicate, collaborate, and work together, our students are better positioned to thrive. I encourage you to stay connected with your child's teacher, participate in school activities, and look for ways to become involved in our Dewey community.
We are also fortunate to offer our students wonderful opportunities beyond the traditional classroom. Through our partnership with Liberty School, our students receive Fine Arts instruction and exposure throughout the year from teaching artists connected with the arts programs at NTC. Our fourth graders have the opportunity to explore musical instruments through weekly Exploratory Music experiences. In addition, our STEM block four days a week promotes design thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and project-based learning. The engagement, curiosity, and excitement these experiences bring to our classrooms have been amazing to see.
As we celebrate the accomplishments that earned us the NCUST Award, we also recognize that our work is ongoing. Excellence is not a destination—it is a commitment we make every day. We will continue to challenge ourselves to improve, to learn from one another, and to make sure that every student feels known, valued, supported, and capable of achieving great things.
Another important part of student success is regular attendance. Students who attend school consistently have more opportunities to engage in learning, build relationships, and stay on track academically. We ask families to make daily attendance and punctuality a priority. Students should arrive by 8:30 a.m. School dismisses at 2:45 p.m., with Thursdays remaining our minimum day, when dismissal is at 12:35 p.m. Please remember that there is no supervision for students dropped off before 8:10 a.m.
We also recognize and appreciate our many military families. We understand that deployments, travel, and other military responsibilities can sometimes require students to miss school. When an absence is unavoidable, please communicate with your child's teacher at least one week in advance whenever possible so that an independent learning contract can be arranged. While independent work cannot replace the learning and experiences that take place in the classroom, it can help students stay connected to their learning and minimize the impact of an extended absence.
Our parent volunteers are another important part of the Dewey community. We are grateful for those who generously give their time and talents, and we hope to continue building that momentum. There is a place for every family at Dewey, and I encourage you to get involved in whatever way works for you.
Please continue to visit our school website for important information, announcements, and upcoming events.
Thank you for entrusting your children to us and for being such an important part of the Dewey family. I am honored to work alongside our exceptional staff, students, and families, and I look forward to another wonderful year of learning, growth, and success together.
With Dewey Pride,
Tanya McMillin
Principal
Dewey Elementary School