Cultural Night Planning

10/2/2025 8:56 pm

Our first planning meeting took place this week, and we’re excited to begin shaping the event. The goal is to celebrate cultural roots, foster pride, and encourage curiosity about other cultures.

The next planning meeting will be on Wednesday, November 12 at 8:15am. If you’d like to be involved, please join us or email Vanessa at porter.vanessa@gmail.com.

PTO Meeting Friday October 10, 8:00am

10/2/2025 8:55 pm

PTO Meeting – In Person
Join us in the Dallin cafeteria for our next PTO meeting after school drop off! It’s a chance to hear updates on school events, share your ideas, and connect with other families. All are welcome, and we’d love your input as we plan for the year ahead.

Assemblies at Dallin

10/2/2025 8:54 pm

International Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day, October 8

10/2/2025 8:53 pm

International Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day (iWalk) is Wednesday, October 8.   Students and families across Massachusetts will walk, bike, and roll to school to enjoy a safe, healthy, and active lifestyle.

Library Volunteers Needed!

10/2/2025 8:52 pm

Halloween Skate, October 26

10/2/2025 8:50 pm

Halloween Skate at the Ed Burns Arena!

October 26, 2025, 1:30-4pm
Ed Burns Arena, Arlington, Ma
$5/ticket, available at the door only

Join the DK4 Foundation for a spook-tacular evening at the Halloween Skate!  Kids ages 4 to 14 years old are invited to dress up in their favorite costumes and enjoy a fun-filled night on the ice at the Arlington Ice Rink. Expect thrilling activities, delightful treats, and plenty of spooky surprises. Don't miss out on this frightfully good time this Halloween.

The event benefits the Dan Kelly Foundation, which provides athletic opportunities for all Arlington youth.

From the Principal: Curriculum Night, Sept 30 6-7:30 pm

9/26/2025 6:16 am

Dallin families,

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to our Dallin Curriculum Night Open House on Tuesday, September 30th from 6:00–7:30 p.m. This event has become a favorite among families, and for good reason - the open house format gives you the chance to explore your child’s learning spaces, connect with teachers in a casual setting, and meet fellow classroom families. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions, get a glimpse into the school day, and catch up with both old and new friends in the Dallin community.

Tips to make the most of our evening together:

• Review the slideshow your child’s teacher sends out before Open House. It will answer many of your questions about the curriculum and routines and expectations of the year. Additionally, teachers will have a few more things to talk about that evening.
• Please note the times that grade levels are invited to our specialist classes (art, music, PE, and library) and visit during that time slot. Grade levels have been clustered in 30 minute windows to see the 4 learning spaces (Art, PE, Music, and Library). We are doing this to mitigate some of the congestion in those classrooms and maximize your visit. 

When To Visit Specialists

• Dallin students are invited to attend the open house. Your student is to stay with you and will be your tour guide as you visit different classrooms around the building. This will allow teachers to focus on the families with them rather than supervising children. 
• Where teachers will be located in the building:

• If you have specific questions about your child, please set up a time to talk with the teacher after open house. They would be happy to discuss any questions in a more private and planned setting.

We look forward to seeing you at our open house next Tuesday!

All our best,

Thad and Sam

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