Dear Families,
We were sorry to miss our scheduled performance trips on Friday. (I hope some of you made it to the evening Nora’s Ark show, as it was lots of fun.) We were able to deliver 27 pairs of shoes for those in need in Haiti, however. Thanks to everyone who dug through their closets to help.
Please be sure your child’s name is on all that important winter gear. We often find a stray mitten or hat; most likely to be returned are those that are labeled.
We are sorry to announce that our aftercare assistant, Irina, will be moving to Chicago. We will miss her and wish her the best as she moves on. Starting this week in her stead will be Julia von Briesen who comes to us with experience with children in locations around the world including her former home in Virginia. Welcome, Julia!
Thanks to all who have paid their activity and materials fee-$115 due asap. Thanks!
DATES TO LOOK OUT FOR:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 4:00-SPRING FAIR PLANNING MEETING in the Saplings classroom. Please rsvp Stephanie for free childcare during the meeting. Please come help us organize this amazing community event and fundraiser. We need and appreciate your participation. Thank you!
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4 & 5: PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES. NO SCHOOL. We enjoy this time to check in with you regarding your child’s progress. Please double-check your scheduled meeting with your teacher. Childcare is available during your child’s conference.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12- VALENTINE’S DAY OBSERVED. We will provide all-school pizza lunch; please pack fruits, veggies and snack. If you choose to make cards or gifts (optional), please do so for every child in your class.We will send class lists out tomorrow or pick up in your classroom.
Please stay informed  in case of inclement weather cancellation.
Dear Families,
We enjoyed spending time with the many families who attended our Open House yesterday. As we look to expand our enrollment, we will be planning another in the near future. If you didn’t get a chance to attend, please be sure to schedule a classroom visit with the class your child may attend in the coming year. Call Nancy in the office to set a date and time for your visit.
We are beginning to plan our third annual Spring Fair to be held in May. We will need lots of help organizing, soliciting donations and running booths and activities. Our first meeting will be this Thursday at 4:00 in the Saplings classroom; please consider attending or let us know of ideas, connections, offerings, etc. Your help is most appreciated! Childcare will be available during the meeting; please respond to stephanie@dragonflyschool.com if you will need childcare. Thanks for your help, as always.
DATES TO LOOK OUT FOR:
MONDAY, JANUARY 25-FEBRUARY TUITION + SEMESTER $115 ACTIVITY FEE DUE. Thanks for your promptness.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 10:30-ALL-SCHOOL DIVERSITY ART ACTIVITIES in conjunction with MLK Day rescheduled. Extra hands and hearts always welcome.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 4:00-SPRING FAIR PLANNING MEETING in the Saplings classroom. Please rsvp Stephanie for free childcare during the meeting. Please come help us organize this amazing community event and fundraiser.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4 & 5: PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES. NO SCHOOL. We enjoy this time to check in with you regarding your child’s progress. Please be sure you have scheduled a meeting with your teacher. Childcare is available during your child’s conference.
Though the snow is falling, we will proceed with school today as scheduled. Please be aware of the weather throughout the day and feel free to pick up your child early if you feel the weather warrants it.
The driveway is clear, but the top gate will be open for drop-off and pick-up.
See you soon!
Dear Families,
Pennies for Peace is an international service-learning program sponsored by the Central Asia Institute (CAI) that “helps educate American children about the world to show them they can make a difference one penny at a time.” The program focuses on raising cross-cultural awareness through education to promote peace. We will be presenting this program to our students, so don’t be surprised if your student wishes to dig into a piggy bank for donations to help other children worldwide, one penny at a time.
We are pleased to announce that we have recently been awarded two grants: the first from Los Alamos National Security for $1,000 (with volunteer support from LANL employee,Joel Rowland) to fund our hands-on, sensory learning and the other from the McCune Foundation for $2,000 which will be used to support general operating costs. We are excited to have the support of our larger community.
Teachers would appreciate receiving your small empty paperboard boxes from crackers, waffles, cereal etc. to be used in making mailboxes for our yearly school-wide pen pal project. Each child will be assigned a pen pal from a different classroom with whom they will exchange mail regularly between now and Valentine’s Day. Stephanie is also seeking large-sized (gallon) all-metal coffee cans with or without lids. Thanks.
DATES TO LOOK OUT FOR:
MONDAY, JANUARY 18: NO SCHOOL. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY. We will be planning activities focused on diversity and inclusion as we celebrate this famous American.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 19: Community celebration of diversity, all-school art activities. We hope to again see our friendly volunteers from Kohl’s to offer extra hands. Parents are always welcome.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 10-NOON- OPEN HOUSE. Help us get the word out to all your friends who might have an interest in Dragonfly. You are encouraged to forward the attached flier on to invite others. This is also an excellent opportunity for current families to visit the class your child will be expected to move into for the upcoming school year. Everyone is invited to enjoy the fellowship of other families and hands-on activities for the children.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4 & 5: PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES. NO SCHOOL. We enjoy this time to check in with you regarding your child’s progress. Look for sign-up in your classrooms next week.
Happy New Year! We hope that all of you were able to enjoy some extra time with your family for the holidays. We expect our staff and students to return refreshed and ready for a new year of learning and growth. Exciting work is on the horizon in all of our classrooms. We look forward to the accelerated pace of the spring semester when the children always seem to bound forward with concentrated focus and energy. We can’t wait to get started!
Our thanks to the many families who made an extra effort to support Dragonfly School this past year and those who continue to foster our mission through donations of service and financial contributions.
We are so touched that our creative community continues to develop innovative ways to keep supporting Dragonfly through their own businesses, skills and connections:
Aaron Payne (father of Natalia and Sachi and president of the school board of directors) has graciously offered to donate a percentage of all sales at Aaron Payne Fine Art made in the months of December and January
Allen Tagestad, friend of Christie and Olivia Green, has also crafted custom cabinets complete with diverse storage space, shelves and pull-down desk surfaces for homes with minimal space in need of maximum function - great for kids’ rooms, as well as children’s table and stool sets, small enough for young toddlers and large enough for older kids,crafted from local character wood like Juniper, Russian Olive and Fir. He has generously agreed to donate $50 to Dragonfly School with any furniture purchase made by a Dragonfly family.
For example:
Children’s twin bed w/ storage capacity: $275/ea ($50 to Dragonfly)
Children’s Closet/Desk Cabinets: $850/ea ($50 to Dragonfly)
Children’s Table and Stool (2 stools) Sets: $200/ea ($50 to Dragonfly)
Ewen Harrison (father of Phoebe and Helen) has offered his expertise as a massage therapist. Massages will be offered up for a reduced fee to Dragonfly families with 100% of the profit being donated to the school. Wow! Details forthcoming.
We hope that our community will tap into these valuable opportunities to support our school and continue to devise new methods of school support. Sincere thanks to everyone thinking out of the box!
DATES TO LOOK OUT FOR:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25: JANUARY TUITION WAS DUE! Payment for the month is always due the 25th day of the month prior to attendance. Thanks to the many of you who made sure your tuition was paid on time despite the holiday. If you haven’t gotten your tuition in yet, please include a $25 late fee with your payment. The timely payment of tuition is essential for us to maintain positive cash flow. Thank you for your help with this important detail.
MONDAY, JANUARY 18: NO SCHOOL. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY. We will be planning activities focused on diversity and inclusion as we celebrate this famous American.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 10-NOON- OPEN HOUSE. Help us get the word out to all your friends who might have an interest in Dragonfly. This is also an excellent opportunity for current families to visit the class your child will be expected to move into for the upcoming school year. Everyone is invited to enjoy the fellowship of other families and hands-on activities for the children.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4 & 5: PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES. NO SCHOOL. We enjoy this time to check in with you regarding your child’s progress. Look for sign-up in your classrooms next week.
Looking forward to seeing you all,
Stephanie Smith
Preschool Director
Dragonfly School
(505)995-9869
stephanie@dragonflyschool.com