On December 13-15,  the Reinventing Schools Coalition will provide Advanced Beacon Teacher Training to some teachers in RSU2 and the other RISC Cohort Districts.  During this training, teachers will gain more instructional strategies to use to increase student learning.

Student Leadership Institute

On December 17, 50 students in RSU2 will partipate in a Student Leadership Institute focused on improving our high schools.  Rich DeLorenzo, co-founder of the Reinventing Schools Coalition, will join students in faciliatating this day to examine what is working well in our school and what needs to be improved in our schools.

2. Cold weather is coming. Please make sure your child has warm coats, mittens, hats, and after the snow falls, boots. It is really fun to be outside if you’re warm!

3. Are you missing any clothing? Please feel free to come in and go through our lost and found. It’s piling up. The lost and found will be donated to the Dresden Swap Shop during Christmas vacation.

4. There was some confusion about our workshop day on October 22, 2010. Please note that the RSU#2 calendar will be incorrect again on March 25, 2011 and May 27, 2011. Dresden Elementary will have a teacher workshop on March 25th – we are the only school in the RSU to have that day off, but there will be school on May 27, 2011. Please make the changes on your RSU calendar and watch for the menu calendar to come home. That will tell you what is happening at Dresden. Thanks! Sorry for any confusion this caused.

5. We would like to congratulate Kathy Forand and Regina Stilphen for earning their Ed. Tech II certificates from the State of Maine. RSU#2 requires all Ed. Techs to be II or IIs. Mrs. Stilphen and Mrs. Forand were given a year to get their certificates and did it in 6 months! Congratulations!

6. The P.T.F. has been working diligently to get the 2010 December Calendar Raffle underway. The calendars are currently at the printer and will be available for sale soon. As many of you remember, P.T.F. uses the proceeds from this fundraiser to help provide after school clubs and activities. Last year we also used the proceeds to assist teachers with the cost of field trips and classroom activities. Our next P.T.F. meeting is scheduled for November 10th at 6:00. Babysitting wil be provided.

7. The school store, The Dragon’s Lair, has opened. It will be open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Come see all the great new stuff.

Mr. DeLorenzo will speak to why he advocates for performance-based, student-centered systems of learning in schools throughout the world.

Find out why change is needed, what performance-based school systems look like, and how learning can deepen in all our schools in RSU2.

Together we can make a difference for students.  Come find out how you can help.

2. The Dragon’s Lair, our school store, will be closing for the year on Thursday, May 13th.

3. The DES 5th grade will be holding a car wash on Saturday, May 15th from 10 am – 2 pm at the Meetinghouse Market on Rt. 27. All proceeds will benefit our year-end Boston trip.

4. The next P.T.F. meeting will be on Tuesday, May 11th at 6:30. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to come join the group.

5. Our Scholastic Book Fair will continue until May 5th. This is the buy one get one for free fair – so stop in and see what we have. If you’re looking for a particular book for your child, we may be able to order it – let us know and we’ll check.

6. Most everyone is aware that the doors are now locked at Dresden Elementary during the day. There’s a monitor in the office showing who is at the door. If you need to come in during the day, just use the doorbell at the left of the door and you will be “buzzed” in. The doors will be opened during bus times and events at the school. Please be patient with our new system and don’t be afraid to keep buzzing! If there is no one in the office you may need to buzz several times – feel free! You will be heard. Thanks for helping us to keep our students safe.

2. Johnson Hall Theatre after school program begins in April. There is still room in the theatre and art classes. Send in those permission slips!

3. The P.T.F. is collecting Capri Sun Fruit Juice pouches. Capri Sun will donate money to our school for every pouch we turn in. If your children drink Capri Sun Fruit Juice, please turn the pouches in to the school. If you send one to school in their lunch box, they can turn them in to the teacher. Thanks for your help!

4. Got Bread? Dresden Elementary School does. Joan Drappeau with several helpers is baking bread to help raise funds to pay for staff members facing layoffs. The P.T.F. is trying to raise enough funds to help pay for the nurse 10 hours a week, the librarian 1 day a week, and the cook for 5 days a week. The bread can be purchased at Dresden Elementary or the Meetinghouse Market. Look for Schoolhouse Bread.

Title I: Parent and Child Night Out will be held on March 16th at 6 pm. Please come and share your child’s reading and math success!

Refreshments will be served and visiting artist, Nancy Barron will demonstrate book making and display her original art. Our 5th grade artists will raffle their art chairs during the art celebration. A slide show of the Dresden Elementary Artist will be shown to provide insight and inspiration into their unique techniques.

Please come to this special night where we celebrate the creative potential in all of us.