First Day of school is tomorrow!
Important arrival/dismissal procedures
I know this is a lot of information, but especially if you are new to Dana, please read…
Morning drop off
You may drop students off at school in the front parking lot no earlier than 8:50 a.m. Tuesday through Fridays. Mondays (9:50 AM)
Do not exit your vehicle
You will need to be aware of students crossing from the second lane to the school. Please remember that the top lane is NOT for loading and unloading of students. This lane must be kept clear as a thoroughfare for those wishing to park. If you are dropping students off in the second lane (parking lot) only allow students to exit cars at the crosswalk (where the parking lot supervisor can cross them). Students must exit out of the right side of the vehicle. Exiting out of the left side is dangerous as cars may pass on the left. Please help keep the traffic moving. If students require more time to exit vehicles, or they need to exit on the left side of your vehicle, please park in a designated parking space and walk them across to the sidewalk.
Afternoon pick up/Front of School
We are a neighborhood school. Therefore, the vast majority of our students are picked up after school. With over 600 students, this requires patience and a strict adherence to the policies and procedures in order to ensure that our students and families are safe.
Students are instructed to sit on the grass (flag pole side) to wait for pick up.
Front parking lot (Tefft): Both lanes may be utilized to pick up students.
First lane (closest to school):
1) Please pull forward as far as possible.
2) Do not exit your vehicle (if you need to exit your vehicle, please find a designated parking space in the lot). It is very important for the safety of our students and for ease of moving cars through the lot that you remain in your vehicle at all times when driving through the first or second lane. When you exit your vehicle you force the cars behind you to wait for you which can trigger a backup in our lot and stop traffic on Tefft. This presents a safety issue for our families and our students.
3) Students may enter cars on the far side of the crosswalk. Students may not enter cars prior to the crosswalk.
4) Blocking through traffic on Tefft is against the law. If the parking lot is full and you are unable to pull into the lot, you must circle around the block. You cannot wait at the street crosswalk as this creates a safety hazard for our students attempting to cross the street with the crossing guard.
5) When you are crossing (first lane closest to the school), please always use the crosswalk.
6) Students are never allowed to run out into the parking lot.
Second Lane (Parking Lot)
1) Please pull forward and stop at the designated space.
2) Do not exit your vehicle (if you need to exit your vehicle, please find a parking space in the lot). It is very important for the safety of our students and for ease of moving cars through the lot that you remain in your vehicle at all times when driving through the first or second lane. When you exit your vehicle you force the cars behind you to wait for you which can trigger a backup in our lot and stop traffic on Tefft. This presents a safety issue for our families and our students.
3) When students see that your vehicle is one of the first three cars in line, he/she may ask the parking lot supervisor to cross at the crosswalk and he/she may enter your vehicle. Please do not motion students to run out into the parking lot.
4) Blocking through traffic on Tefft is against the law. If the parking lot is full and you are unable to pull into the lot, you must circle around the block. You cannot wait at the street crosswalk as this creates a safety hazard for our students attempting to cross the street with the crossing guard.
5) Students are never allowed to run out into the parking lot.
6) Please do not begin lining up prior to 3:20 p.m. If you enter the parking lot prior to 3:20, please find a parking space. When you line up prior to 3:20 you are blocking the parking lot from parents who want to park.
Afternoon pick up/Side Parking Lot
1) Please pull forward and stop a couple of car lengths from the exit. Students may enter cars where the duty personnel are present to monitor.
2) Do not use the Nipomo Community Library parking lot for student pick up in the afternoon. The library lot is very small and should be kept clear for those using the library. Please respect our local library.
Above all, please be patient and remember that our policies and procedures are in place to protect your children.
26-27 Teachers
TK- Mrs. Dostal, Mrs. Hernandez
K- Mrs. Antonson, Mrs. Feuquay Mrs. Angello,
First- Mrs. MacFarlane, Mrs. Shafer, Mrs. Yacek
Second- Ms. Fowler, Ms. Brockway, Ms. Mcilhaney
Third- Mrs. Abd, Ms. Taylor, Mrs. Fulton, Mrs. Stricker
Fourth- Mrs. Costa, Ms. Skinner, Mrs. Vasquez
Fifth- Mrs. Satlawa, Mrs. Johnson, Ms. Standiish
Sixth- Ms. Kaizen, Mr. Coomer
SDC- Mrs. Roque (K-3) Mrs. Lindsey (3-6) Ms. Guerrero (SDCi)
RSP- Ms. Jarrett, Mrs. Threlkeld, Mrs. Hodges
PE- Mr. Marsh
Intervention- Mrs. Kobliska, Ms. Ebner, Mrs. Feehan, Mrs. Rodriguez, Mrs. Ingham, Mrs. King
Campus Improvements
We continue to make improvements to our campus to ensure a clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasant environment for our students. We gave our character traits pillars a fresh coat of paint, painted the outdoor lunch tables and the staff bathrooms. The cabinets in the staff room were refurbished by New Life Paint. We have a beautiful new mural behind the office thanks to one of our amazing parents! We now have a Buddy Bench in our TK/ Kinder area thanks to our Dana PTO! We are in the process of getting a new structure for our TK/ K playground to replace the swings. It should be ready to use by the second or third week of school!
Our custodians, Don, and Rudy did a great job getting our campus and classrooms ready for the new school year!
School Breakfast
School breakfasts are free for all students. Children will have the opportunity to eat breakfast in the classroom after the late bell or at the first recess of the school day. A good, nutritious breakfast consisting of protein and a small amount of fresh fruit is the best way for our students to start the day. If you are able to provide this at home this will start their day off right. If not, students are welcome to partake in the free school breakfast program at Dana. You can view the menus here: Menus
Dana Events
All Dana events and important dates are listed on the Dana website calendar.
Thursday, August 13-First Day of School
Thursday, August 20-Back to School Night (presentations in classrooms) 5:30-6:30 PM
Please plan to attend Back to School Night, Thursday, August 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m.. 5:30-6:00: First presentation in individual classrooms-6:00-6:30-repeat presentation in classrooms for those with more than one student attending Dana. This is an adult-only evening designed to provide you with specific information regarding the curriculum and procedures for your child’s class. Limited childcare will be provided in the Dana cafeteria. Please do your best to arrange childcare for your family, but if you cannot we are happy to help.
Friday, August 28-Spirit Dress up Day/United we Stand-Together We Learn! Dress in Red, White, Blue to
celebrate our back to school theme (America's 250th)
Monday, September 7-No School-Labor Day
Tuesday, September 8-Picture Day
Wednesday, September 16-Minimum Day for all students
Friday, September 25-Beach Day! Wear beach shorts, shirts, hats, sunglasses and bring a beach towel for Beach Blanket Bingo game with Mrs. Russell
Data Confirmation-Important!
You will be able to see your child’s teacher via Homelink on August 12. You must first update and verify your Homelink data before you will be able to see your child’s teacher. Updating the data in Homelink is a yearly task and should be completed as soon as possible. Click here to access Homelink.
Dana Spirit Days
Every Friday is Dana Spirit Day! Our school colors are blue and white. Students can wear any blue and white on Fridays or you can purchase a Dana shirt using the link below. All Dana spirit wear is now handled through this website and the items are sent directly to you. We do have some older style shirts on site that are discounted.
First Day of School-Thursday, August 13!!!
The gate opens at 8:55 AM
We want the first day of school to feel comfortable, safe, and fun for all of our students and parents.
I will be out front greeting the students as they arrive. We have several staff members monitoring the parking lot.
Saying your goodbyes at the car or the gate works for most students. However, we understand that our young students or those who are new to Dana may need a little extra support.
On the first day of school you may walk your student to the blacktop (grades 1-6) or the TK Kinder area (grades TK and K).
The gate will open at 8:55 AM and students will proceed to the blacktop. Students can play until the bell rings at 9:05 AM. At the 9:05 bell students will proceed to their class lines. Teachers will be present on the blacktop (grades 1-6) or the kinder yard area (grades TK-K) to receive the students.
Please do not follow students into the classrooms. Say your goodbyes on the blacktop and then proceed out the front gate. I understand that the first day of school can be difficult for some parents and students. If you are overly concerned and want a bit of reassurance please communicate with me and I can assist you. You can also email me later in the day and I'll do my best to go and check on them and report back to you (stacey.russell@lmusd.org). This has helped in the past especially if the student is crying or upset when you leave. I know it can really put your mind at ease to know they are doing fine.
If you would like to communicate something to the classroom teacher prior to school starting please send an email.
All employee emails are set up like this: firstname.lastname@lmusd.org Example: stacey.russell@lmusd.org
The teachers have a lot on their minds in the mornings, especially the first day of school, and won't be able to engage in discussions about your child at that time.
After the first day of school:
All visitors must enter campus through the front office and are required to check in at the school office, sign in and wear a visitor’s badge. We are currently using the Raptor system which will require you to scan your driver’s license, state where you are going on campus, and the system will then print a visitor’s sticker for you.
Please also sign out in the front office when you leave campus. While we encourage families to say goodbye at the front gate, parents who get a visitor’s badge may walk their student to the end of the walkway (Grades 1–6) or the TK/K gate (TK–Kindergarten). Visitors may NOT stay on the playground or any other part of the school. Late students must walk to class independently.
I look forward to seeing everyone! It’s going to be an amazing year!
Mrs. Russell Principal
Dana Elementary