August 4, 2025

Week 1

Dear Dickson Star Families,

Welcome to the exciting 2025-26 school year! It was wonderful to see our returning students and families at Meet the Teacher on Friday. For those who couldn't make it, we warmly welcome all the new members joining our Dickson Star community. This year is set to be filled with engaging learning experiences, personal growth, and unforgettable moments for each of our Dickson Stars.

Our dedicated team is passionate about fostering a safe, nurturing, and inspiring atmosphere where every student can truly shine. With your invaluable support and collaboration, we are poised to make this year a remarkable journey of success and joy.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. Together, let's make 2025-26 an extraordinary year!

If you have not completed Data Confirmation in the Aeries Parent Portal yet, please do so as soon as possibly. If you need assistance, please call or visit the office. Every student (returning or new) MUST complete Data Confirmation very year!

See you tomorrow for our 1st Day of School! We will have staff helping students get to their classes throughout the day and rest of the week to ensure student safety and comfort on campus.

With heartfelt regards,

Renae McCain

Proud Principal at Dickson Elementary

Monday, August 4th, is the 1st day of school. 

Free breakfast is available from 7:10 - 7:40 every morning. 

Free lunch is available daily, but students are welcome to bring their own snacks and/or lunch.

Here are some helpful tips for a smoother first day.

Arrival:

• Administration will be welcoming students at the drop off curb every morning.
• All Kinder-6th gradestudents will be dropped off at the cafeteria doors to either eat breakfast or sit at the tables with staff supervision.
  • At 7:30 am, 1st-6th grade students will exit the cafeteria and walk to the blacktop to either the 1st-3rd or 4th-6th walking area to participate in walking club until the warning bell rings to line up with their teachers.
• TK that are not eating breakfast will be dropped off at the black gate into the TK Playground area directly with their TK teachers. No parking in the small drive through loop. It is fire lane and for approved daycare vans/busses only.
• TK that eat breakfast & Kinder students will enter the cafeteria and sit together in a designated area, monitored and guided by Dickson staff directly to their teachers. (more information was provided at TK/K Orientation Night)

Dismissal:

• 1st gradestudents will be walked out by their teachers at the small black gate behind the office near the curve of the parking lot.
  • An approved adult must walk up to have their child released from their teacher.
  • If driving, park legally and in a parking spot marked visitor and use the crosswalk.
• 2nd - 6th grade students will be walked out by their teachers to the double gates next to the cafeteria (tall building). If you are walking up to meet your child, please park safely in a visitor spot or on the street along, avoiding red curbs and driveways. Please do not exit your car if you are in the drive through lane. We will have staff outside helping students during dismissal.
• TK and Kindergartenreviewed detailed dismissal procedures at TK/K Orientation Night.
  • An approved adult must walk up to have their child released from their teacher.
  • If driving, park legally and in a parking spot marked visitor and use a crosswalk.
    • TK students will be dismissed by their TK teachers at the black gates in the small drive through loop.
    • Kindergarten students will be sitting at the red tables behind the office with their teachers.

AUGUST

August 4: 1st Day of School | 7:40 am - 2:30 p.m. for 1st-6th Grade

August 11: Mrs. Baker off campus for a meeting | 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

August 14: FALL PICTURES | Dress your best!

August 18: Mrs. McCain off campus for a meeting | 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

August 20: Back to School Night | 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

August 31st: Deadline to sign up for the Device Protection Plan (see below for details)

SEPTEMBER

September 1: NO SCHOOL | Labor Day

September 3: Monthly Awards | Times TBD

September 15: Mrs. McCain off campus for a meeting | 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

September 15-19: ALL Minimum Days for Parent Teacher Conferences | By appointment with teacher

September 29: Mrs. Baker off campus for a meeting | 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

OCTOBER

October 1: Monthly Awards | Times TBD

October 1: Rock Your School - Family Dress Up Day

October 2: Make-Up Fall Picture Day

October 16: Great Shake Out Drill | California Wide Earthquake Drill

October 27 - 31: Red Ribbon Week | Themes TBD

October 31: Minimum Day for Parent Conferences | By appointment with teacher

November 

November 4: Report Cards Go Home

November 5: Trimester Awards | Times TBD

November 10: NO SCHOOL

November 11: NO SCHOOL for Veterans Day

November 24s- 28: Thanksgiving Break

December

December 3: Monthly Awards | Times TBD

December 18 - January 2: Winter Break

January 

January 5: 1st Day Back from Winter Break

January 12: Mrs. McCain off campus for a meeting | 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

January 13: 4th Grade Teachers at Math PLC Training

January 16: 6th Grade Panoramic Picture

January 19: NO SCHOOL for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 20: Mrs. Baker off campus for a meeting | 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

January 23: CVUSD Science Fair Set-Up | 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

January 26: CVUSD Science Fair Judging | 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

January 28: CVUSD Science Fair Awards | 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | Woodcrest JHS

January 28: Monthly Awards | Times TBD

*Dates and times are subject to change

Dear Parent/Guardian,

CVUSD offers an optional student device protection program.

The District Device Protection Plan covers accidental damage to the device and is designed to limit a family’s financial responsibilities for any damages as described below.

Coverage

• Accidental Damage: Pays for accidental damage caused by liquid spills, drops, or any other unintentional event.
• Theft: Pays for loss due to theft; the claim requires a police report to be filed.
• Fire: Pays for damage due to fire; the claim requires a police report to be filed.
• Device will be repaired or replaced: At the discretion of the CVUSD, the student’s device will be repaired or replaced.

Program Fee/Coverage Options

Device Protection Plan:

• Non-refundable fee: $40 for the current school year.
• Coverage: Repair/Replacement of school issued device throughout the current school year. Coverage is per student.

or

Per Incident Fee:

• $50 fee per incident. Paid at each incident.
• Coverage: Repair/Replacement of school issued device for each incident.

Parents can either purchase the Device Protection Plan through my School Bucks (which is recommended) or complete the form and return it with $40 cash or check to the school office. 

As a reminder, if a student does not enroll in the Plan, the cost is $50 per incident, which includes the stylus pen and charger.

• Breakfast is available from 7:10 - 7:40 every morning. If a bus is late, breakfast is still available to the students that rode the bus that day.
• Food sharing is not allowed for multiple reasons, but most importantly for safety, including allergies. Sending healthy snacks and food helps student focus and have optimal performance.
• All devices: (cell phones, smart watches, iPads..) must be off and out of sight while on school campus. If your child needs to contact you, they can ask their teacher or the office for assistance. If you need to contact your child, you may leave a message in the office and it will be provided during a break.
• Dress Code: The weather is very warm, so please review our dress code policy to be sure your child is wearing approved school appropriate clothing. (Frequent topics: Clothing is expected to covered shoulders to mid-thigh with no skin or undergarments showing. Shoes must be worn with back straps on at all times. Make-up is not allowed.)
• PE and Recess: Back straps on crocks have been ripping easily. Please send your child to school with study shoes to help keep them safe. If you need assistance in getting sturdier shoes, please let Mrs. Baker or Mrs. McCain know and we would be happy to help.
• Lost & Found: Please write your child's name on everything they bring to school. Their lunch pails, water bottles, jackets, sweaters, etc... Many items get misplaced and staff has to put unlabeled items in the lost and found, often going unclaimed.

To sign out your student(s) out of SOAR, please park on Roswell Ave. or in the Doris Dickson parking lot and walk to the side gate. This gate is located on the left side of the school on Roswell between the cafeteria and the tennis courts.

When you arrive, please call the SOAR site phone number (909) 536-6420, and a staff member will meet you at the side gate to sign out your student(s). Staff will no longer walk students to the front of the school to exit. Please be sure to share this information with all approved individuals on your student's emergency contact list.

For questions regarding the new Dickson SOAR sign-out procedures, please contact Tricia Huffman by calling (909) 628-1202 ext. 8990 or by emailing tricia_huffman@chino.k12.ca.us.

Thank you.

Tricia Huffman

_____________________________________________________

Para firmar la salida de su(s) estudiante(s), por favor estacione en Roswell Ave. o en el estacionamiento de Doris Dickson y camine hasta la puerta lateral. Esta puerta se encuentra en el lado izquierdo de la escuela entre la cafetería y las canchas de tenis.

Cuando llegue, llame al número de teléfono del sitio (909-664-3447), y un miembro del personal se reunirá con usted en la puerta lateral para firmar la salida de su(s) estudiante(s). El personal ya no caminará con los estudiantes hasta el frente de la escuela para salir. Por favor, asegúrese de compartir esta información con todas las personas aprobadas en la lista de contactos de emergencia de su estudiante.

Si tiene preguntas sobre los nuevos procedimientos de cierre de sesión de Dickson SOAR, comuníquese con Tricia Huffman llamando al 909-628-1202 ext. 8990 o enviando un correo electrónico a: tricia_huffman@chino.k12.ca.us.

Gracias.

Tricia Huffman

DICKSON has been awarded PLATINUM Status! 

We are 1 of 611 schools in all of California to earn this status!

To monitor our implementation, we complete school-wide Tiered Fidelity Inventories (TFI) 3 times a year.

Internal TFI = School Team monitor's our implementation

External TFI = School Team with a trained certified evaluator checks our implementation

2025-26 TFI Dates: To Be Determined

Tier 1 Internal TFI #1 

Tier 1 Internal TFI #2

Tier 1 External TFI

Tier 2/3 Internal TFI #1

Tier 2/3 Internal TFI #2

Tier 2/3 External TFI

We applied for Platinum Recognition again! We will hear the result in the Fall 2025!

What is PBIS?

California PBIS Vision Statement: California PBIS supports the sustainable development of a safe, equitable, and positive climate and social culture for ALL.

Our schoolwide expectations are:

Be Respectful

Be Responsible

Be Safe

Behavior Matrix

Behavior Discipline Flow Chart

Definitions of Behavior

We follow the pillars of Character Counts.

We invite our parents/guardians to support the learning of character by discussing the following:

Respect - Follow the "Golden Rule": Treat others like the way you would like to be treated.

Responsibility - We take responsibility for our actions.

Trustworthiness - Be a person others can trust. We follow through our promises.

Fairness - We can think of others when making decisions. Treat others with fairness.

Caring - Care for others, and not just about ourselves.

Citizenship - We do the right thing, and follow the rules/expectations. We get involved in our community.

August/September: Respect

October/November: Responsibility

December/January: Caring

February/March: Trustworthiness

April/May: Citizenship

At Dickson, our students benefit from Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 support.

MTSS-A | Academic Support

Dickson's Intervention Teacher, Miss Kertesz, works with small groups of students to provide Tier 2/3 academic support with curriculum and programs focused on supporting our student's academic foundational skills. Speak to your child's teacher about academic concerns and to schedule a parent teacher conference.

MTSS-B | Behavior Support

Dickson's Counselor, Veronica Garcia, works with small groups of students to provide Tier 2 and Tier 3 counseling with a curriculum focused on supporting our students' social-emotional health. You can request support if you have concerns regarding your child's social-emotional health.

Request For Support

Click on the picture to access the online Parent Request for Support form.

For social emotional support, academic support and/or family support

We kindly ask for your help in ensuring a safe environment during drop-off and pick-up times. Please adhere to all traffic laws, posted signs, and staff instructions. Every individual's cooperation is essential in creating a safer environment. While I understand that many adults may be in a hurry, it is imperative that we prioritize safety above all else.

Key Points:

• Safety First: Adult behaviors during arrival and dismissal can impact student safety. Please prioritize safety over speed, even when in a hurry.

• Drop-Off Guidelines:

  • Follow the signs to the designated drop-off area.
  • Pull up as far as possible to accommodate more cars and help students enter and exit efficiently.

• Important Safety Reminders:

  • Children must not exit vehicles in the parking lot. Please park and walk your child across the designated crosswalk.
  • Drive slowly and attentively in the parking lot. Stay vigilant and cautious.

• Crosswalk Usage:

  • Always use the crosswalk and set a positive example for our students.
  • Do not stop or park along the red-painted curbs on Roswell Street, as these are for emergency vehicles.

By working together and following these safety practices, we can enhance student safety and improve traffic flow.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation. The drop-off and pick-up procedures are available below and on the Dickson Website.

We appreciate families who:

• Pull up to the curb, allowing more cars and ensuring safe student entry and exit.
• Park in visitor spots and accompany their children across the parking lot safely.

Arrival and Dismissal Tips:

• Arrive between 7:10-7:40 to avoid the 7:40-7:50 traffic.
• The best options are to walk from home or drive through the drop-off/pick-up line.
• Do not stop in the middle of any street or at red/yellow curbs.
• Be respectful of neighbors by keeping mailboxes and driveways accessible.
• Cross at the stop sign with the crossing guard to ensure safety.

Parking Policy:

• Parking spots are designated for staff and visitors. Please avoid blocking staff parking.

Thank you for your continued commitment to safety! Please review the arrival and dismissal map and share these guidelines with anyone picking up your child.

If you have any questions, feel free to call the office.

The Chino Valley Unified School District is excited to engage with families using Aeries Communications powered by ParentSquare (voicemail, email and text message)! ParentSquare is designed to keep parents informed and facilitate participation between school and home. It provides a safe way for school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to:

• Send and receive district, school, and class information
• Submit attendance notes
• Share photos, files, and links
• Post and see calendar items
• And so much more!

Communications are all in one convenient location!

Parents and Guardians are able to access posts using:

• Email
• Smartphone app
• Phone (voice)
• SMS (text) message
• Web app within Aeries Parent Portal

To activate your ParentSquare account, enter your Aeries Parent Portal, tap on Communications, and confirm the data you see there.

DIRECTIONS for CREATING AN AERIES PARENT PORTAL:

It's much easier now to create an Aeries account! All parents need to create the account once you are registered. Instructions to create a Parent Portal on Aeries.

Click Here to login to your Aeries Portal Account

Instructions for How to Confirming your Student Portal Account

With your Aeries Parent Portal account you can view your child's information, including their grades and attendance. 

Parent Square is connected to the Aeries Parent Portal and all school related messages can be found through Parent Square.

If you need any assistance, you can stop by the office for help. We recommend calling for an appointment to have a guaranteed time for 1:1 support.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our PTA Board and Volunteers

We want to take a moment to express our deep gratitude to our incredible PTA Board and the many volunteers who support our school community. Often, the hard work and dedication of our parent and staff volunteers go unrecognized, and we want to shine a light on the amazing contributions they make.

Every member of our PTA, including the board members, is a volunteer, and we encourage more families to get involved. The more volunteers we have, the more wonderful events we can bring to the Dickson community.

As Bill Richardson wisely said, "We cannot accomplish all that we need to do without working together." Let's continue to work hand in hand to create memorable experiences for our children and families!

The Dickson PTA plays a vital role in planning, organizing, and executing a variety of enriching activities for our students and families, including:

• Testing Kick off Color Fun Run
• Decorations for the 5th Grade are Graduation
• Organizing, ordering, and fulfilling Spirit Wear
• Hosting the PTA Membership Drive
• Running After School Snack Cart Concessions on Wednesdays
• Managing the Birthday Marquee funds
• Conducting Fundraising efforts (Thinknlocal, Pacific, Otis Spunkmeyer, See's Candy, Family Dinner Nights, etc.)
• Organizing Trunk or Treat - Family Night
• Coordinating Buddy Pictures
• Helping with Yearbook Sales
• Conducting Clothing Drives
• Organizing the volunteers for the Book Fair
• Organizing the Fun Run
• Planning Starchella - Family Dance
• Supporting 6th Grade Activities
• Creating decor like Balloon Arches, Banners, etc... for events
• Purchasing and dispersing student treats for Spirit Wear and Attendance Winners
• And much much more!

Anyone can join PTA at any time! There is no mandatory commitment, participate any way that you are able. Please contact a PTA Board Member or the school office for more information.

Wednesday, PTA Snack Cart - Always looking for more help!

The PTA volunteers generously give their time selling snacks after school on Wednesdays. All proceeds go directly back to our students.

• All students are expected to wait respectfully in line.
• Only students with money may stand in line for a snack. All students without money must exit campus to wait for their ride home.
• Families may not park or wait on the drive through curb for their child to get a snack. Please find a place to park so you do not hold up traffic for families that need to pick up and leave.
• Bus riders MUST go straight to the bus. The bus is on a schedule and is not allowed to wait. We give reminders that all Bus riders must go straight to the bus.
• SOAR students are required to check in with SOAR immediately after school. Soar staff members will walk students with money over to the PTA snack cart.

PTA continues to accepts PTA Memberships throughout the year. Every membership makes a difference and supports students directly.

We wear our Dickson Spirit Wear every Friday! Classes with the highest participation win a prize.

Spirit Wear must be official Dickson Spirit Wear or a full red shirt to count toward the participation.

sʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅɪᴄᴋsᴏɴ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ ғʀɪᴅᴀʏ ʙʏ ᴡᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅɪᴄᴋsᴏɴ sʜɪʀᴛ ᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ʀᴇᴅ!

ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪᴄᴋsᴏɴ sʜɪʀᴛ ʏᴇᴛ?
ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴡᴏʀʀʏ, sᴀʟᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴡ ᴏᴘᴇɴ!

ғɪʟʟ ᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ғᴏʀᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏғғɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ɢᴇᴛ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ ᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ’s ᴄʟᴀss ᴀsᴀᴘ! ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴄᴀsʜ ᴏɴʟʏ!

*************

¡ʀᴇᴄᴜᴇʀᴅᴀ ᴍᴏsᴛʀᴀʀ ᴛᴜ ᴅɪᴄᴋsᴏɴ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ ᴍᴀɴ̃ᴀɴᴀ ʏ ᴛᴏᴅᴏs ʟᴏs ᴠɪᴇʀɴᴇs ᴜsᴀɴᴅᴏ ᴛᴜ ᴄᴀᴍɪsᴀ ᴅɪᴄᴋsᴏɴ ᴏ ᴇʟ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ʀᴏᴊᴏ!

¿ᴛᴏᴅᴀᴠɪ́ᴀ ɴᴏ ᴛɪᴇɴᴇs ᴜɴᴀ ᴄᴀᴍɪsᴀ ᴅᴇ ᴅɪᴄᴋsᴏɴ?
ɴᴏ ᴛᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴏᴄᴜᴘᴇs, ¡ʟᴀs ᴠᴇɴᴛᴀs ʏᴀ ᴇsᴛᴀ́ɴ ᴀʙɪᴇʀᴛᴀs!

¡ʟʟᴇɴᴇ sᴜ ғᴏʀᴍᴜʟᴀʀɪᴏ ᴅᴇ ᴘᴇᴅɪᴅᴏ ᴇɴ ʟᴀ ᴏғɪᴄɪɴᴀ ʏ ᴘᴏᴅᴇᴍᴏs ʀᴇᴄɪʙɪʀ ʀᴏᴘᴀ ᴅᴇ ᴇsᴘɪ́ʀɪᴛᴜ ᴇɴ ʟᴀ ᴄʟᴀsᴇ ᴅᴇ sᴜ ʜɪᴊᴏ ʟᴏ ᴀɴᴛᴇs ᴘᴏsɪʙʟᴇ! ¡ʀᴇᴄᴜᴇʀᴅᴀ sᴏʟᴏ ᴇɴ ᴇғᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴏ!

Feel free to follow PTA on Instagram.

Most current information will be on the Dickson Website or available by calling the office.

To help keep California and our school beautiful, Dickson students and staff are educated on the importance of reducing food waste, recycling, and saving energy. Dickson participates in sorting our food and trashing during breakfast and lunch. 

If you would like to learn more about saving energy at home, please see the tips sheet below. 

Doris Dickson Elementary School

Principal: Renae McCain

Email: renae_mccain@chino.k12.ca.us

Assistant Principal: Christine Baker

Email: christine_baker@chino.k12.ca.us

Website: https://dickson.chino.k12.ca.us/38026_1

Location: 3930 Pamela Drive | Chino, CA 91710

Phone Number: (909) 591-2653

School Hours: Bell Schedule