Good evening DYI families,
Welcome to 2026! We hope all families had a happy and restful holiday season. As usual, it takes everyone a couple of days to settle back in and then we hit our groove. Students and staff are back and classrooms are vibrant as usual.
To begin 2026 we are sending multiple classrooms to the seashore for the 5th grade overnight trip. One class has already come and gone and five more are scheduled to go before the February break. Your child’s teachers will be in touch with details. For the trip, please don't forget to contact your child’s doctor if any medications have to be packed for the trip. This is an exciting month for these fifth grade classes.
As you will see below, for some of our students, we have scheduled testing coming up. For our students who are learning English, there is ACCESS testing the next two weeks during school. For a group of 4th grade student, there will be “NAEP” testing. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), first administered in 1969, is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, and writing. If you have heard in the news how certain grades of students compare to students in other countries, this is the test the news outlets are referring to. Fourth grade students are chosen at random to represent our country. Soon families will find out if their child is on “Team USA”. If families want to have some fun and try some of the questions for themselves, check out this link. Good luck testing yourself!
Lastly, a huge shout out to the DYI school community for the large donation of hats and mittens to help keep people in our community who have limited shelter this winter. Your generosity is truly appreciated!
Thanks for reading and Go Pats!
Sincerely,
Mr. Blake, Dr. Greeson & Mrs. Cleary
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Need a last minute stocking stuffer? Who does not want a DYI Yearbook? Click the link to see how to order a great keepsake for the 25-26 school year! |
Over the last few days, the students have been having a great time playing in and with the snow. Below are some pictures of the students making snowmen. We also have a great picture of a group of fifth graders who demonstrated all of the skills of successful teamwork by making a huge snowball and then rolling it down the driveway! This was an inclusive and organic team that exemplified the Dolphin Way: Practice Responsibility (listened to staff and stayed within the time frame of end of recess), Offer Respect (again good listening to adults and peers), Demonstrate Kindness (all 5th graders who wanted to join were allowed to do so) and Stay Safe (not one student got hurt in the process). It was truly amazing!! |
Despite the winter weather, Mrs. Fournier's class had a great week at the seashore. We bundled up and headed out into the dunes and onto the beach of the outer Cape. While exploring we learned about the erosion and deposition that have shaped Cape Cod, as well as how to identify some of the plants and animals that live in these environments. We also learned that coffee cake has nothing to do with coffee, but is totally delicious. At Fort Hill, we explored the Red Maple Swamp and saw Captain Penniman’s house. We had lunch and a break from the weather at the National Seashore Visitor’s Center before going to the White Cedar Swamp. There we had the opportunity to take a solo walk and see the remains of the original Marconi site. Another highlight included a hike to the "End of the Universe!" We loved the surprise views at the end, but it felt good to come home to our cozy house and a hot lunch. After lunch, we had rec time, made pizza (from scratch!), and played some cooperative games. It was hard to wait all afternoon to taste our creations - but it was worth the wait! They were delicious! One night we went for a night walk - no flashlights! We saw three different things that glowed in the dark and learned the word "luminescence." At the Center for Coastal Studies, we saw a humpback whale skeleton and learned about whales, the risks of entanglement and the procedures for rescuing a whale who has become entangled. Then, we spent the afternoon exploring a salt marsh and bay side beach. There, we found and identified LOTS of different shells, learned about the different plants and animals that live in salt marshes, and the reasons that salt marshes are important. What a memorable week it has been! |
Ms. Studley's Class
In Ms. Studley’s class, we wrapped up our novel study of The Poet’s Dog. Students are continuing to strengthen an important reading and writing skill—identifying strong evidence from a variety of texts to support their ideas in text-based responses. We are focusing on using specific details and examples to clearly explain our thinking in writing.
We are also placing an emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. Students participated in several interactive games that required them to strategize, communicate, and work together in order to be successful. They had a lot of fun, demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, and worked together beautifully throughout each activity. (See pics below!)
Mr. Delcourt's Class
The students in Mrs. Somes and Mrs. Fournier’s classes are working on reading and writing narratives. We have been analyzing the elements of narratives by identifying which part of the story the characters, setting, conflict and resolution are commonly introduced. The kids are applying this to their own narratives that include a beginning, a middle and an end.
In social studies, we are learning about the origins of slavery, the conditions slaves had to endure during the Middle Passage, and the Triangular Trade Routes between North America, Europe and Africa that allowed slavery to grow in the Colonies. We will end the unit with expository writing describing the Middle Passage.
Mrs. Somes's and Mrs. Fourneir's Classes
The students in Mrs. Somes and Mrs. Fournier’s classes are working on reading and writing narratives. We have been analyzing the elements of narratives by identifying which part of the story the characters, setting, conflict and resolution are commonly introduced. The kids are applying this to their own narratives that include a beginning, a middle and an end.
In social studies, we are learning about the origins of slavery, the conditions slaves had to endure during the Middle Passage, and the Triangular Trade Routes between North America, Europe and Africa that allowed slavery to grow in the Colonies. We will end the unit with expository writing describing the Middle Passage.
Ms. Dunn's and Ms. Parker's Classes
In ELA, students in Ms. Dunn and Ms. Parker's class have been reading informational texts about topics such as natural disasters and Westward Expansion. We have read many types of text such as narratives, expository text, magazine articles and we have watched documentary videos. We are learning how to find and use information from those sources, and have found these topics to be very interesting. In other news, we are once again headstarting a diamondback terrapin turtle. She has grown SO much since she joined our class in November! |
Just a reminder that Mrs. Schuck’s Review Shelf has lots of titles that were just published and reviewed by Mrs. Schuck! |
In the art room, students finished their polar bears and penguins, gaining skill in blending both chalk and oil pastels. With the start of a new Related Arts cycle, both fourth and fifth graders completed a clay activity to familiarize themselves with the medium. Bowls and mugs start Monday! |
We are excited that two of our teachers recently welcomed their babies over the last week or so. We are also lucky to be able to welcome two long-term substitute teachers to our staff to take over so the teachers can get to know their new little ones!
Mrs. Hodge recently moved to the Cape. She is taking the lead in Ms. Parker's class. We met her in the Fall as her daughter is in the fifth grade. She has years of experience as a teacher all over the world! In her own words: "My name is Amy Hodge and I've been teaching for 17 years in a variety of places including Washington State, Korea, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia. I have two children, Samuel age 15, and Julia age 10 (grade 5!) and a mini dachshund named Missy. Here is a picture of my family at a Holiday market in Germany."
Ms. Johnson joined our staff in September as a paraeducator. She has her teaching certification and has now taking on lead teacher for Mrs. Heisner's class. From Ms. Johnson, "I just graduated from Stonehill College double majoring in Elementary Education and Sociology. I grew up on the Cape and graduated from DY being an active member of the Cross Country and Track teams."
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We are proud of our December Students of the Month (pictured here). Any staff member can nominate a student to be Student of the Month. Staff members are looking for students who are consistently following the PODS: Practicing Responsibility, Offering Respect, Demonstrating Kindness and or Staying Safe.
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Students and staff celebrated the success of the New England Patriots Day as they are in the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2022. |
Each year our Multi-Language Learners (MLE) take part in ACCESS testing. The ACCESS measures students in the areas of social and academic English skills in Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Listening. This allows the school to monitor how students are acquiring English and how much support they need as they continue to learn. This is an important assessment for all of MLE students. ACCESS testing begins Monday, January 12. All families who have a child completing this testing have received a letter and calendar through ParentSquare. |
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) is a national test that is used to measure student achievement in subjects like math and reading. The NAEP is not given to all students, but rather to a randomly selected representative of students. The NAEP is given every two years to students in grades 4, 8, and 12. This year, DYIS will be administering the NAEP to fifty fourth graders. The NAEP is administered on February 5th and the school will be in contact with the families of the selected students. We will find out soon who is selected to take this test. |
This is a reminder to all families that for the safety of our students, morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up must take place using the designated driveway.
We continue to see students being dropped off in the parking lot, which creates a safety concern as staff are arriving and buses are traveling through the bus line.
Thank you for helping us keep all students safe. If you are unsure where the designated drop-off/pick-up driveway is located, please contact the school and we will be happy to assist you.
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As you can see by these pictures, there are so many coats, hats, mittens, gloves and water bottles that have been left behind. Please encourage your students to check out the Lost and Found. It will also be helpful if you label your students' belongings so that we can help reunite your student with their belongings! |
At DYIS, we follow the PODS expectations:
Practice Responsibility Offer Respect Demonstrate Kindness Stay Safe
To help reinforce Practice Responsibility, Mrs. Cleary and Dr. Greeson will begin hosting a Work Refusal Dolphin Time block once each week. If a student is consistently not completing their classwork during the week, their teacher may send them to this block to finish the assignments. Students will receive full credit for all completed work.
If a student is sent to the Work Refusal RTI block three times within a six-week period, Mrs. Cleary or Dr. Greeson will contact families, and the student will be required to stay after school to complete their work.
The good news is that this rarely happens—most students never need to attend, and those who do typically only go once! |
January 12th-January 16th- Ms. Micciche's Class at Seashore January 12th through January 30th - ACCESS testing for ELL students January 12th- First Day of After School Activities Monday January 19th- MLK Day- No School January 20th- January 23rd- Mrs. Renzi's Class at Seashore January 26th- January 30th- Mrs. Heisner/Ms. Johnson's class at the Seashore February 2nd-6th- Mrs. Hill's class at the Seashore Wednesday February 4th- Early Release 1.5 hrs Wednesday February 4th- Global Play Day Thursday February 5th- NAEP testing for selected 4th graders February 9th-February 13th- Ms. Garceau- Class to Seashore February 14th- February 22nd- School Vacation |
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Register for DY Youth Lacrosse by February 6. This is a town program with separate boys and girls teams for grades K-8. Register today and save some money. Click here to learn more! The link to register is here. |
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