Arlington SEPAC News

The Arlington High School class of 2029 will be hosting a Fall Festival on November 7th from 9:00AM-3:00PM at the Schouler Court Covered Parking lot at Arlington High School. Join us for a day of fun, food, vendors, music & all things fall! Organizations interested in having a booth or table can fill out an interest form. Contact classcouncil2029@spyponders.com for more information.

Enjoyed hearing Ms. Connor at Town Day? Come to the Boston Skyline Chorus concert, "Harvest of Harmony", Saturday, Nov. 7th 3:00-5:00pm at First Parish Church, 50 Church Street, Waltham, MA. There will be a Silent Auction, Gift Basket Raffles, and Refreshments! More information and tickets here!

PTO Meeting, Nov 6, 8am

10/16/2026 6:00 am

Please join us for a PTO meeting in the Cafeteria on November 6, directly after drop-off. We will be looking at and learning about the latest Panorama survey data from both a district and school level. This data meeting always highlights interesting trends, changes, and needs in our school. We hope to see you there!

Dallin Chorus for 4th and 5th graders

10/16/2026 5:58 am

Dear 4th and 5th Grade Families and Students,

If we haven’t met yet, I’m Dallin’s K-5 Music and Chorus teacher. I am writing to invite all 4th and 5th graders to join the Dallin Chorus! 🎵🎤 We will meet once a week, practicing vocal technique, rehearsing a variety of songs, and learning what it takes to put on a great performance. Chorus is a wonderful opportunity to improve your singing skills and experience the joy that comes with singing in an ensemble. Our rehearsals will culminate with both a Winter Concert and a Spring Concert! Thank you for your patience as it’s taken us a little more time than anticipated to get started this year.

Here are the important dates: (concert dates coming before the end of October!)

Weekly Rehearsals: Every Wednesday morning, 7:20am - 8:00am in the Dallin music room

● Please drop off at 7:15am, we start promptly at 7:20am (a little earlier than last year)
● Breakfast will still be offered to students who need it! Please eat at home if you are able to :)

First rehearsal: Wednesday, October 21st

Winter Concert: Date TBD, likely a Thursday evening in early February, 6:30pm ❄️

Spring Concert: Date TBD, likely a Thursday evening after Memorial day, 6:30pm 🌷

Our first two rehearsals, October 21st and October 28th, will be a “trial run.” Students can attend and then decide if they would like to continue and commit for the full season. Starting on Wednesday, November 4th, all chorus members must be fully committed, and agree to attend every rehearsal leading up to the concert (with the exception of occasional sick/absent days of course.)

Every 4th and 5th grader at Dallin already has what it takes to excel in Chorus. Please encourage your child to join if you think this may be a good fit for them, especially if they’re extra passionate about music. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. Thank you; I can’t wait to sing together!

Click here to sign up for 4th/5th grade chorus!

Warmly,
Rachael Haar (also known as Ms. Haar)
rhaar@arlington.k12.ma.us

Room Rep Volunteers Needed! 🎁

10/16/2026 5:56 am

Looking for a simple way to show your child’s teacher some extra appreciation? Consider signing up to be a room rep for your child’s classroom teacher! It’s a small time commitment, and the PTO provides funds for both a holiday gift and an end-of-year gift for the teacher. It’s a fun, easy way to show our teachers some extra appreciation!

Sign up here: https://dallinpto.membershiptoolkit.com

Questions? Contact Kim at Kimberly.settelen@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting our wonderful teachers!

APS Winter Warm Up drive coming soon

10/16/2026 5:54 am

As you start to get out the cold weather gear, keep an eye out for unused or outgrown items that could be donated to the APS Winter Warm Up event. New and gently used winter clothes and new personal care items will be accepted, with each APS school asked to focus on a particular need:

Dallin: New Socks (all sizes) & Gently Used/New snow pants

Brackett: Gently Used/New Winter Boots (all sizes)
Bishop: Winter Hats & Waterproof Gloves (all sizes)
Hardy: New Soap & Body Wash
Thompson: New Shampoo & Conditioner
Peirce: New Underwear (all sizes)
Stratton: New Deodorant/Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Gibbs/Ottoson: Gently Used/New Winter Coats (all sizes)

More details on drop off locations and times coming soon!

Calendar and additional community events, 10/16

10/16/2026 5:00 am

Friday, October 23

STEAM Team planning meeting, 8am, cafeteria

Thursday, October 29

Joint Town and School Budget Forum, AHS and Zoom, 7pm

Tuesday, November 3

NO SCHOOL -- Professional Development day

November 4, 5, 9

Afternoons on 11/4 & 11/5, early release at 11:30 AM.

Evening conferences, 11/9 (Monday). Regular school day hours.

Friday, November 6

PTO meeting, 8am, cafeteria

Wednesday, November 11

NO SCHOOL -- Veterans Day

Friday, November 13

Dallin STEAM Discovery Day

Friday, November 20

Kathryn Selvidge author visit (visiting all students)

Arlington Youth Lacrosse will have Try Lax events for all children with no experience necessary, on October 18 and 25. Grades 5-8 from 3-4pm and grades K/1-4 from 4:15-5:15pm. The event will be at McClennan Park on Summer St. Register in advance at https://arlingtonlax.org/ .

Enjoyed hearing Ms. Connor at Town Day? Come to the Boston Skyline Chorus concert, "Harvest of Harmony", Saturday, Nov. 7th 3:00-5:00pm at First Parish Church, 50 Church Street, Waltham, MA. There will be a Silent Auction, Gift Basket Raffles, and Refreshments! More information and tickets here!

From the Library: Author visits!

10/9/2026 6:00 am

Dear Dallin Families,

We are thrilled to announce two wonderful upcoming author visits for our students! These events provide a fantastic opportunity to inspire a love of reading and creative writing across our school community.

Here are the details for both visits:

Shawn Harris (visiting 3rd grade classes and 4 CH)

When: Visit - Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026
Book Order Deadline - Tuesday, October 13, 2026
About the Author & Event: Caldecott Honor–winning author and illustrator Shawn Harris will be visiting to celebrate his new picture book, Duel. Known for his award-winning artwork in Have You Ever Seen a Flower? and his popular Teeny-Weeny Unicorn series, Shawn uses a clever "squish painting" technique to create symmetrical illustrations in Duel that explore symmetry, art, and cooperation.
Special Thanks & Book Ordering: This event is made possible thanks to our partnership with Wellesley Books. You can order signed copies (deadline - Tuesday 10/13) of Duel directly through the Wellesley Books order page (https://wellesleybooks.com/shawn-harris-visits-dallin). Please note: All Dallin families are welcome to order autographed Shawn Harris books, even if your child’s class is not attending this specific visit!

Kathryn Selvidge (visiting all students)

When: Friday, November 20, 2026
Book Order Deadline - Tuesday, October 19, 2026
About the Author & Event: Kathryn Selvidge is the author of the Kloe series, which uses engaging animal characters to help children explore empathy, self-care, and friendship.
Special Thanks & Book Ordering: This author visit is underwritten by our generous Dallin PTO. If you would like to purchase copies of Kathryn Selvidge's books for your child, please click here for an order form.

We look forward to welcoming Mr. Harris and Ms. Selvidge to our school! Thank you for your continued support in fostering a rich reading environment for our students.

Warmly,

Melissa

Discovery Day Is Coming — We Need You!

10/9/2026 5:58 am

Get ready for Discovery Day on November 13!

Discovery Day is our school’s annual celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM). Instead of students presenting experiments, we invite parents and members of our local community to share something they’re passionate about with our students.

Presenters will host an interactive table in the gym or cafeteria where students can:

Try a hands-on experiment or activity
Explore technology, engineering, or science
Discover the STEAM side of art and creativity
Play with math, puzzles, or problem-solving
Learn about an interesting hobby, profession, or passion

You don't need to be a scientist or engineer to participate! If you have something interesting to share and enjoy engaging with kids, we'd love to have you.

We also need volunteers to help make the morning run smoothly, from setting up tables to helping students navigate the event.

Interested in presenting or volunteering?
Please contact pkmeex@gmail.com to learn more or sign up.

Come share your curiosity, enthusiasm, and expertise—and help make Discovery Day an exciting morning of exploration for our students!

Thanks for the Coffee!

10/9/2026 5:56 am

Thank you to the almost 50 different families who sponsored coffee for a teacher or staff member last week. Everyone on our list was sponsored in time to receive coffee last Friday! We've already heard from many faculty and staff that free coffee was a wonderful surprise.

Join the Dallin Garden Team this year!

10/9/2026 5:54 am

The Dallin Garden Team will have its first meeting of the year on Friday, October 16 at 8am in the garden in front of the school and will plan out our activities for the school year. We need the help of the Dallin community to keep our gardens looking great and are looking for volunteers to help with a variety of activities - both big & small - no gardening experience is necessary.

Our team's goal is to provide Dallin students with opportunities to experience nature first-hand by planting in the raised beds and contributing to the expansion of the Science garden and grounds. The team runs planting lessons with Dallin students and facilitates nature-themed projects (eg., painting pollinator houses) through the art classes with Stacie Greenland. The team also assists with improvement and maintenance of the Dallin garden and grounds.

If you are interested in learning more about the team or volunteering, please stop by the garden on Friday 10/16 at 8am.

Needed: 5th Grade Celebration of Learning Team!

10/9/2026 5:52 am

Do you have a 5th grader at Dallin this year? We're looking for a couple of people to head up the committee to plan the Celebration of Learning for the 5th graders.

This would involve helping to plan a couple of meetings to get volunteers set up working on different aspects of the 5th grade Celebration of Learning, and getting the ball rolling for fundraisers. We're hoping to find 2-3 people who can come together to help organize a larger group. There is support available from folks who have led this group in previous years. Reach out to Jamie (jamiejacee@gmail.com) if you're interested or have further questions!

SEPAC Newsletter: October 8, 2026

10/9/2026 5:50 am

Please click "More" for details on the following stories from the SEPAC newsletter:

First SEPAC Monthly Meeting is Next Tuesday! October 13th, 7:30pm – 8:30pm (Zoom)
Free BSEA Mediation Supports for Families
Virtual Workshop: Understanding School Refusal
Fall Family & Community Forums
Programs and services in and around the community

Calendar and additional community events, 10/9

10/9/2026 5:00 am

Saturday, October 10

Arlington Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration with the Red Hawk Singers and Dancers, Arlington Masonic Temple, 11-12:30pm

Monday, October 12

NO SCHOOL -- Indigenous People's Day

Thursday, October 15

Shawn Harris author visit (3rd grade classes and 4 KH)

Friday, October 16

Dallin Garden Team meeting, garden (to the left of the main entrance), 8am

Thursday, October 29

Joint Town and School Budget Forum, AHS and Zoom, 7pm

Friday, November 3

NO SCHOOL -- Professional Development day

November 4, 5, 6

Dallin Fall Conferences

Wednesday, November 11

NO SCHOOL -- Veterans Day

Friday, November 13

Dallin STEAM Discovery Day

Friday, November 20

Kathryn Selvidge author visit (visiting all students)

Arlington Youth Lacrosse will have Try Lax events for all children with no experience necessary, on October 18 and 25. Grades 5-8 from 3-4pm and grades K/1-4 from 4:15-5:15pm. The event will be at McClennan Park on Summer St. Register in advance at https://arlingtonlax.org/ .

Enjoyed hearing Ms. Connor at Town Day? Come to the Boston Skyline Chorus concert, "Harvest of Harmony", Saturday, Nov. 7th 3:00-5:00pm at First Parish Church, 50 Church Street, Waltham, MA. There will be a Silent Auction, Gift Basket Raffles, and Refreshments! More information and tickets here!

Custodian Appreciation!

10/2/2026 6:00 am

Friday October 2nd is School Custodian Appreciation Day! To show our appreciation to our wonderful custodians Dennis Vivieros and Eddy Maldanado, the PTO has given them each gift cards along with sweet fall treats. We thank them for all they do to keep our school community clean, safe and functioning every day. If you see them, please give them your thanks!

Dallin Digest Newsletter

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10/23/2026 5:00 am

10/16/2026 6:00 am

10/16/2026 5:58 am

10/16/2026 5:56 am

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10/9/2026 6:00 am

10/9/2026 5:58 am

Get ready for Discovery Day on November 13!

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