Upcoming events

9/26/2025 6:15 am

Tuesday September 30

Dallin Curriculum Night, 5:45 – 7:45pm

Wednesday October 1

Culture Night planning meeting, 8:15 am, Cafeteria

Thursday October 2

No school: Yom Kippur

Saturday October 4

Rainbow Alliances Back to School Outdoor Gathering, 11:30-1:30, AHS lawn

Tuesday October 7

Deadline for PTO mini-grant applications

Monday October 20

Dallin vaccine clinic, 3-7pm

Wednesday March 25, 2026

Culture Night

From the Principal: Safety Responses and upcoming drill

9/26/2025 6:14 am

Dear Dallin Families,

This year, APS is adopting the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation. The SRP is a nationally recognized safety protocol that standardizes responses to various situations, including emergencies. This protocol is based on five simple, action-based responses:

• Hold – "In your room or area. Clear the halls."
• Secure – "Get inside. Lock outside doors."
• Lockdown – "Locks, lights, out of sight."
• Evacuate – "To a specified location."
• Shelter – "Using a safety strategy for group and self protection from (state specific hazard, may be tornado or hazmat situation)."

Each action is accompanied by specific instructions to help keep students and staff safe and informed during any incident. This standardized language ensures clarity for students, teachers, first responders, and families in the event of an emergency. Teachers will spend time in the classroom with students reviewing the protocol language as well as conducting drills to practice. 

Our school will be practicing a “HOLD” drill on Monday, September 29th. We would do a “HOLD” when there is a non-violent emergency in the building, such as:

• Student Needs Medical Attention: A student feels faint in the hallway. Staff respond quickly, and students remain in class until the student is cared for and the hallway is clear.

• Spilled Paint in the Hallway: A student artist accidentally knocks over a gallon of blue paint while carrying it to class. The hallway is a bit slippery, so everyone stays in their classrooms until custodians can clean it up.

• Broken Glass: A window or display case breaks, leaving some glass in the hall. The area is cleared while custodians sweep it up.

You can read the HOLD drill message that I will be reading over the announcements to students here.

We encourage all parents and guardians to review more about the SRP at https://iloveuguys.org and reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

The district will hold an online forum for families to share more about this protocol and answer questions on October 16th, 2025 at 7pm. To register for the forum please follow this link.

Thad Dingman

Principal, Dallin Elementary

Student and Family Name Pronunciation

9/26/2025 6:13 am

Hello Dallin School Community:

We are Rye Daily and Kam Dennis, specialist teachers and aspiring school leaders. Together we are inviting all members of our school community to participate in a Student and Family Name Pronunciation initiative.   We think this activity will deepen and strengthen our school community by developing a data base for the Dallin faculty and staff to use as a reference tool for learning the correct pronunciation of student and family names.

Please fill out this survey to give Dallin staff the correct pronunciation of your student and caregiver names.

Last year, our School Council conducted empathy interviews because school Panorama data  showed less-than-satisfactory scores in students’ and families’ sense of belonging. A key theme that emerged was name pronunciation. Mispronouncing or overlooking a person’s name can send the unintended message that their identity, culture, or heritage is unimportant. The empathy interview data revealed to our School Council that an initiative like this would have an impact on building greater school-community connection and belonging. Additionally, as part of library programming, Dallin’s new librarian, Melissa Maldonado, is supporting this initiative. In library programming students will engage and explore the origins and meanings of their names.

We would like to invite you to participate in this brief survey and voice recording tool. The instructions on how to complete the survey can be found when you open the link or by clicking this brief video link. The product of this survey form will be used as a tool to help the Dallin staff learn how to correctly pronounce student and family names. 

• Video How To 
• Survey 

All Dallin families are invited to participate in this initiative. In the survey you can include not only your student(s) name(s), but also your own or any other family member that will be interacting with the school. It is our hope this activity amplifies the importance of pronouncing student names correctly, honors student heritage and identity, while creating a stronger bond and sense of belonging for our school community.

Rye Daily and Kam Dennis

Help Us Reimagine Culture Night!

9/26/2025 6:12 am

We’re excited to start planning this year’s Culture Night, happening on Wednesday, March 25th—and we’d love your ideas and energy to make it a meaningful, fun celebration for our community!

Join us for our first planning meeting on Wednesday, October 1st as we begin reimagining the event and thoughtfully shaping the evening together. We will be meeting in the Dallin Cafeteria after drop-off. Can’t make it? Email Vanessa at porter.vanessa@gmail.com to stay in the loop on planning.

Whether you’d like to help brainstorm activities, coordinate logistics, or simply share your perspective, we’d love to have you involved. Let’s make this Culture Night our best yet!

PTO mini-grants due next week

9/26/2025 6:08 am

The PTO Mini-Grants cycle is on! Deadline for applications is Tuesday, October 7.

Help keep our non-classroom staff healthy!

9/26/2025 6:06 am

Free Youth Mental Health First Aid Training

9/26/2025 6:04 am

An evidence- and skills-based training for adults who frequently interact with youth. YMHFA is the help offered to a young person experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Training is for anyone 18+.

*Please note there is NO requirement for attendees to have a mental health background.*

Registration Link: tinyurl.com/ArlingtonYMHFA. 

Upcoming training dates:

• Tuesday, October 28 (8:30am - 4pm)

• Thursday, November 6 (8:30am - 4pm)

• Tuesday, November 18 (8:30am - 4pm)

• Thursday, December 11 (8:30am - 4pm)

All training sessions will take place in-person in the Arlington Public Schools District Offices (14 Mill Brook Drive, Arlington, MA 02476).

Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) News

9/26/2025 6:02 am

SEPAC Newsletter: September 18, 2025

News, events, and resources for Arlington parents and caregivers supporting students who learn differently.

What is SEPAC? Arlington’s Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) is a volunteer parent group that acts as a resource for parents and caregivers and advises the district and the School Committee regarding meeting the needs of students with disabilities in Arlington. Each school district in the state is required to have a SEPAC.

Click through for more information on:

• NEXT TUESDAY, 9/30: Meet and Greet with APS Special Education Staff and Parents/Caregivers, 8:45am – 9:30am
• 1st Monthly SEPAC Meeting, October 14th
• [APS Workshop] FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
• Programs and Services in and Around the Community

Try Lax with Arlington Youth Lacrosse

9/26/2025 6:00 am

Arlington Youth Lacrosse is sponsoring a free 2-day program for any students in Grades 1 - 8 who would like to try Lacrosse. No equipment needed, just join us at McLennen Park on 10/5 and/or 10/19. More info at www.arlingtonlax.org!

From the Assistant Principal: Safe Arrival/Campus Safety

9/19/2025 6:52 am

Dallin families,

It’s been a great few weeks of school and now that we’re developing some routines, I want you to be aware of some important safety procedures so everyone can move around our campus easily and safely.

We love when children ride their bikes to school! There is a bike rack behind Dallin for them to use. Please remind your child to ride on the sidewalks and NOT in the staff parking lot before, during, or after school. Kids are zooming around corners and into the parking lot at times when there could be cars entering/exiting the back lot.

We also ask that during arrival and dismissal, pedestrians use the sidewalks in the back lot as well.

Car Drop Off

Mornings can be rough with families trying to get children to school quickly. If you are driving, there is one safe drop off location that also supports a smooth traffic pattern. It is the Florence Field side of Florence Avenue. We have an adult and students who are there to help traffic move safely and quickly. 

Here’s what to do:

• Park in the neighborhood if you need to get out of your car. 
• Approaching the drop off line, pull up as far as you can in the lane.
• An adult/student will open the passenger side door and help your child exit the car. If you have a Kindergartener, a student can walk them to the Kindergarten doors.
• Pull away and take a left on Renfrew or Waverly. 

That’s it! 

Here’s a map that outlines the areas around Dallin.

Traffic Pattern and Parking Plan for Dallin

1. Florence Avenue between Renfrew and George Streets is restricted to school buses for one block during school arrival (7:40-8:10) and dismissal (2:15-2:45) and 12:45-1:15 on Wednesdays.
2. The student drop-off area is on the west side of Florence Avenue extending from Waverly to Renfrew Street. There are traffic bollards there to designate the area. If you drive your student/s to school, use this drop-off zone and then make a left turn onto Waverly or Renfrew Streets. George Street is a fire lane and NOT a drop-off zone.
3. George Street is one-way from Florence Avenue to Rhinecliff Street; there is a “No Left Turn” sign at the exit of the staff parking lot.
4. The back parking lot is for staff only. Do not park in that lot during school hours or at arrival/dismissal.
5. There are parking spaces in the neighborhood to use if you need to get out of the car with your child. Parking in or near crosswalks makes it very difficult to see children and impedes traffic flow. 

Thank you for helping us keep students and adults safe while they’re on campus. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for improvement.

Best,

Sam

Upcoming events

9/19/2025 6:48 am

Tuesday September 23

No school: Rosh Hashanah

Friday September 26th

STEAM team kickoff meeting, 8am, Cafeteria

Tuesday September 30

Dallin Back-to-School Night, 5:45 – 7:45pm

Thursday October 2

No school: Yom Kippur

Saturday October 4

Rainbow Alliances Back to School Outdoor Gathering, 11:30-1:30, AHS lawn

Tuesday October 7

Deadline for PTO mini-grant applications

Monday October 20

Dallin vaccine clinic, 3-7pm

STEAM at Dallin -- opportunities for engagement

9/19/2025 6:46 am

Calling all caregivers!

Room Parent Volunteers Needed!

9/19/2025 6:44 am

We’re looking for folks to help out as grade-level room parents this year! The main role is super simple—coordinating holiday and end-of-year gifts for teachers. Don’t worry, you won’t be doing it alone—we’ll work in small teams so the load stays light and easy. It’s a great way to get involved, meet other parents, and sprinkle a little extra cheer throughout the year. If you’re interested, we’d love to have you on the team! Please sign up here and we will be in touch with a meeting date.  Any questions, reach out to Kim at kimberly.settelen@gmail.com.

Dallin Vaccine Clinic

9/19/2025 6:40 am

We are hosting a Vaccine Clinic at Dallin on Monday, October 20, 2025 from 3 pm - 7 pm. Please follow this link for more information! Ages 3 and up, everyone is welcome. Bring your insurance information.

Please note, available COVID Vaccine is for 12 and older.

APS Rainbow Alliances Back to School Outdoor Gathering, October 4

9/19/2025 6:36 am

The APS LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Task Force, Elementary School Rainbow Alliances, Middle School QSAs, and AHS GSA invite you to our 3rd Annual Back to School Outdoor Gathering

Music, Pizza, Sing-alongs,

Art Projects, Community, Fun!

Saturday, October 4th

11.30 a.m. - 1.30 p.m.

Arlington High School Front Lawn

Bring a blanket or lawn chairs, water, and a bagged lunch -- or purchase pizza at the event!

RSVP & pre-order pizza at this link; all are welcome!