Upcoming events from Oct 24

As you know, Mr. Dennis, our music teacher, took a teaching/administrative position that is closer to home allowing him to spend more time with his young family. We will miss him!

Each ending is also a beginning and we have a wonderful teacher joining our school. Here is a little about her and her music career. Welcome, Ms. Haar!

Hello families! My name is Rachael Haar (she/her), and I am happy to be Dallin’s new K-5 Music Teacher. This is my 6th year teaching Elementary Music, and my 8th year teaching overall. I’ve previously taught in Lynn, Boston, and Vermont. I grew up in Connecticut, where I sang in choirs from as early as I can remember. I love the sense of community that music brings. Each week in class, we will become more musical through singing, moving, playing instruments, listening, creating, and more! Outside of school, I live with my husband and my cat, Mozzarella, and I enjoy being outside, doing yoga, and playing board games. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime via email; I am excited to get to know all of the students and families of Dallin!

Warmly,

Rachael Haar

rhaar@arlington.k12.ma.us

STEAM update: Discovery Day, November 14

10/24/2025 5:56 am

We’re excited to be organizing a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) event at Dallin Elementary called Discovery Day, and we’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help bring it to life!

Do you have a career, business, or hobby related to any STEAM subject? We’d love for you to host a table and share your passion with our students! Volunteers will create a simple activity or display to help kids explore and get excited about these fields — whether it’s robotics, coding, painting, architecture, chemistry, music tech, or anything in between.

Event Date: November 14th, 2025
Time: 8:00am - 10:45am
Location: Dallin Elementary

If you're interested in volunteering or would like more information, please contact Jesse Meeks at pkmeex@gmail.com.

Thank you for your help!

Regards,

Jesse Meeks

Lost and Found

10/24/2025 5:54 am

Dallin Families,

The lost and found collection has been growing steadily. Stop by the lobby and claim your child’s items during drop off/pickup or if you’re coming for the Book Fair or movie night this week. It’s not too late to label your child’s items, especially as you’re pulling out warmer clothing items from storage. You may not even realize just how many items are returned each week during the school day, when they’re labeled.

Also, if you have any plastic hangers to part with I could use some extras- just leave them on the clothing rack :)

Janet Huang
Lost and Found Coordinator

Click through for more images of lost-and-found items -- can you find anything from your student?

Arlington SEPAC News

10/23/2025 2:57 pm

Click through for more news from the Arlington SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) on the following topics:

Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is Seeking Parent Feedback on APS Special Education from all families from children with an IEP
MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) to Review Arlington Public Schools’ Special Education in Key Areas
SEPAC to Present Annual Survey Findings to the School Committee on Thursday, October 23rd
Concerned about how federal layoffs impact Special Education? Take action!
Programs and services in and around the community

Photo Retake Day, Wednesday October 29

10/23/2025 2:16 pm

If your student was not photographed on Picture Day or if you are not completely satisfied with your child’s student portrait and would like another try, you have the opportunity for a retake on Wednesday October 29.

Please return the undamaged portrait package to the photographer on Retake Day. If your school has class photos, please keep it and just return the individual portraits. If you have any specific instructions for the photographer, please jot them down so they show through the envelope window and can be easily spotted.

Retake packages will be distributed at the school approximately 3-5 weeks following Retake Day.

For refund information, please visit www.coffeepond.com, email lifeguards@coffeepond.com, or call (508) 907-6633 ext. 0

Annual APS Pumpkin Rescue, Friday November 7

10/23/2025 9:29 am

Friday November 7th 8am - 12:45pm

Pumpkin recycling drop off guidelines:

Families should bring their pumpkins to the short wall area at the front of the school before 12:45pm on 11/7 (the truck leaves at 1pm!)
Pumpkins and gourds of any size will be accepted
Remove candles/tea lights
Pumpkins with paint or bling will NOT be accepted -if you can cut those pieces off, Black Earth Compost will accept the rest

Why are we doing this?

Pumpkins can not go in yard waste as they are considered food waste. They are heavy and water-filled and if they go in the trash, they will be incinerated and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Composting pumpkins allows them to be naturally processed for helping gardens, trees, and new food to grow!

Want to help?

Anyone interested in helping to toss pumpkins into the truck please contact Tana at TanaBrummer@gmail.com. Bring a reusable mug to enjoy apple cider and a donut afterwards!

Library Volunteer slots available!

10/23/2025 9:28 am

Quarter 1 is coming to an end shortly and we have some new openings for Library Volunteers for Quarter 2. Q2 runs from 11/10 to 1/23.

The following enrichment classes are available for Q2:

2-Shea Mondays 1:45-2:25

K-Lewis Fridays 9:00-9:40

1-Bedo Fridays 1:00-1:40

Signups for these new Q2 slots are AT THE END of the signup here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AFAF28A6FBC70-58570450-library#/

I also want to point out that Ms. Maldonado could use some assistance with some inventory and book repair tasks during times when there are not any students. This is not a weekly/biweekly requirement - you just sign up for the day that works for you. Please consider helping! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AFAF28A6FBC70-58572248-library#/

Please contact me with any questions!

Dee Dee Crema

Library Volunteer Coordinator

dallinlibraryc@gmail.com

'90s Movie Night with the PTO, Friday, October 24

10/17/2025 6:00 am

Friday, October 24th 6pm – 8pm

The Sandlot in the Cafeteria

The Parent Trap in the Music Room

We will have pizza slices, snacks and drinks for purchase.

Bring a blanket to watch from!

Kindly note that this is NOT a drop-off event, so please ensure that there is at least 1 parent/ guardian/ caregiver present & responsible for every 4 children.

...brought to you by our FABULOUS 5th graders!

Upcoming events from Oct 17

10/17/2025 5:58 am

Monday October 20

Garden team meeting, front garden, 8am

Dallin vaccine clinic, 3-7pm

October 20-24

Dallin Book Fair

Friday October 24

PTO '90s Movie Night, Cafeteria and Gym, 5:30-7:30pm

Monday October 27

STEAM Team meeting, Cafeteria, 8am

Tuesday November 4 - Thursday November 6

Family-teacher conferences

Monday November 10

NO SCHOOL -- Professional Development Day

Tuesday November 11

NO SCHOOL -- Veterans Day

Wednesday, November 12

Cultural Night planning meeting, 8:15am

November 14

Steam Discovery Day

The Book Fair is Back Next Week!

10/17/2025 5:57 am

We've partnered with Fantastic Book Fairs to bring back the Dallin Book Fair from October 20–24 in the school library! Students will have the ability to shop during their regular library class times, and there are hours for families to shop after school.

After School Shopping Hours

Day	Time(s)
Monday	2:30–3:00 pm
Tuesday	2:30–3:00 pm
Wednesday	1:00–1:30 pm
Thursday	2:30–3:00 pm 4:30–5:30 pm
Friday	2:30–3:00 pm 5:30–7:00 pm	Late hours to coincide with Movie Night

All students may shop during their school library hours! Adults will be on hand to help younger students. If you'd like your student to shop during school, we can only accept cash or a check (made payable to “Dallin PTO”). We will also have wishlist sheets available for students to write down titles they would like to buy online or they can return with a parent to purchase after school.

Don’t forget the teachers!

After feedback from teachers, you can contribute funds directly to teacher and specialist donation pages so they can prioritize purchasing the books needed for their classrooms. Many teachers use the book fair as a chance to update their classroom libraries!

We could use your help

Lastly, if you would like to help with the book fair during in-person shopping hours, please sign up here.

Thank you in advance for helping make this a successful book fair for our teachers, specialists, and students!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Jamie Fisher (jamiejacee@gmail.com).

STEAM Team opportunities

10/17/2025 5:56 am

There are many opportunities throughout the year for students and families to be involved with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) inside and outside the classroom!

The next meeting of the STEAM Team, which coordinates activities across grade levels and throughout the school year, will be on Monday October 27th in the Cafeteria after dropoff.
STEAM Discovery day, where family members and community organizations share STEAM activities and information with students, is coming up on November 14. Would you like to help coordinate the event? Reach out to community groups for support? Run a demonstration or activity table by yourself or with friends or coworkers? Help with setup and crowd control? Please contact dallinsteam@gmail.com !
Science Fridays are special programs for each grade level. Please contact dallinsteam@gmail.com if you would like to organize a grade level event; you can propose a new topic or choose from our library of activities from previous years.

Arlington Education Foundation—Funds Available!

10/17/2025 5:54 am

Did you know the Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) has grant funds available to support Dallin Students and Teachers? Do you have an idea for a new way to help students? Partner with a Dallin Staff member and the AEF can help bring your ideas to life!

Innovation in Education Grants - Applications due November 15th and April 15

Innovations in Education Grants are $250-$4,000 grants that support innovative teaching and learning projects—from classrooms to school communities. Arlington's teachers, administrators, and parents/community members may apply (community members must be partnered with an applicant from the Arlington Public School staff).

For guidance or to talk about your innovative idea, contact Dallin’s AEF representative (angela.l.elias@gmail.com) or grants@aefma.org.

As inspiration, below are a few grants AEF funded at Dallin since 2020:

Virtual Reality Experiential Learning
STEAM Circuits in Art
Heart Rate Monitoring in Physical Education

Visit the AEF website to learn more and access grant applications.

Girls Rugby Clinic, Oct 26

10/17/2025 5:50 am

Free Girls’ Rugby Clinic – Grades 3–12

Discover the excitement of rugby at our free, girls-only clinic hosted by the Arlington Youth Rugby Club!
No experience needed — just bring your energy and come ready to have fun.

Grades 3–6: Try out flag rugby — fast-paced, non-contact, and perfect for learning teamwork and fundamentals.
Grades 7–12: Take it up a notch with tackle rugby — build confidence, strength, and game skills in a fun, supportive setting.

Come see why rugby is one of the fastest-growing girls’ sports in the U.S. — where everyone has a place on the field!

Date: Sunday, 26th October
Location: Arlington Catholic Turf Field, 22 Summer St, Arlington, MA
Time: 1pm - 3pm

Bring sneakers or cleats and a water bottle — we’ll provide the rest!
Free to join — all skill levels welcome!

Registration: https://arlingtonma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29753

Flyer: Girls Clinic 2025.pdf

Garden team meeting October 20

10/10/2025 6:00 am

The Dallin Garden Team will meet on Monday, October 20th after school drop-off in the science garden (by the wooden raised beds) to plan this year's garden activities. We are looking for volunteers to help with a variety of activities - both big & small - and no gardening experience is necessary.

Our team's goal is to give Dallin students opportunities to get their hands dirty in learning, planting and observing nature in action. We run garden lessons with Kindergarten (peas), 1st (garlic), 2nd (salad garden) and 3rd (seed balls) grades, while 4th and 5th grades do nature-themed art projects with Ms. Greenland. In addition, the team maintains and continually improves the garden beds and surrounding grounds.

If you are interested in the team's activities or know of people who might be, please stop by on Monday 10/20 morning!

Dallin Digest Newsletter

10/24/2025 5:58 am

10/24/2025 5:57 am

10/24/2025 5:56 am

10/24/2025 5:54 am

10/23/2025 2:57 pm

10/23/2025 2:16 pm

10/23/2025 9:29 am

10/23/2025 9:28 am

10/17/2025 6:00 am

10/17/2025 5:58 am

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10/10/2025 6:00 am