DYI Newsletter 2/8/2026

Posted Date: 02/08/26 (12:00 PM)

DYI Dolphin Report

February 8, 2026

A Message from the Principals

Good afternoon DYI families,

The last newsletter was brief due to an impending snowstorm. This one wil be brief since many of us are getting ready for the SUPER BOWL! So excited!!

While every day has many highlights, Global Play Day is an annual tradition at DYI. We enjoy watching the students bring in their favorite games and learn how to play on their own without being told how to play specific games. For those of you who think this may not be necessary, often at the beginning of the year at recess, many students want to be told what they can play, want teams picked for them, want a ref for their games, etc. etc. etc. Play is a skill we try to focus upon in different ways throughout the year.

In a previous post, we asked all families to ensure crocs and socks is not the plan for recess. We ask for your continued support. Soon (hopefully) it will warm up and our recess area and field will be quite slushy. It is difficult to learn when your feet are cold and soaked. It is also not fun to watch your friends running around having a great time at recess while you are inside. We want everyone out and playing, yet crocks and socks is no way to navigate slush.

Lastly, in the Superintendent's newsletter, you may have noted a reference to school attendance. Without getting into studies, students do better when they are at school. Especially in the winter, people get sick. Whenever possible, we want all of our students at DYI. It is essential for building a successful future.

Enjoy the game & GO PATS!!!!

Sincerely,

Mr. Blake, Dr. Greeson & Mrs. Cleary

A diverse group of smiling elementary school students raise their hands in a classroom.

Attendance Matters

We want our students to be in school each and every day because we know that school attendance leads to better academic and social outcomes! And we also know that our school community is better when we are all at school together! We are aware that there are times that students will be sick, but we also know that there are sometimes extenuating circumstances for a student being absent. Dr. Smith provided some great suggestions in his newsletter. We would like to reiterate this information to our DYI families.

From Dr. Smith's February 6th Newsletter:

"Develop back up plans for getting your student to school. If you can’t take them to school, see who else can give them a ride, or form a “walking school bus” to walk to school or the school bus stop with other families.
If your student gets sick or you are not sure whether to keep them home or send them to school, talk to your child’s medical provider or the school nurse for advice.
Look for signs of stress or anxiety. If you feel that anxiety or stress is playing a role, talk to your student’s teacher, the school nurse or counselor, or your medical provider about how best to support your child.
Promote healthy habits. Encourage hand washing, good sleep, healthy meals, daily exercise and plenty of fluids.
Prevent the spread of germs. Remind children not to share cups or utensils with others.
Dress your student for the cold weather. If you need help with coats, hats, or gloves, please call your child's school and ask to speak with a counselor or social worker.
Stay connected if your student must be home. If illness keeps your child out for more than a day or two, contact your child’s teacher for learning materials so they don’t fall behind."

Linked below is Attendance Policy for more information. You can also find more about attendance in the DYIS Family Handbook on page 7.

MASC Attendance Policy

Global School Play Day

What an amazing day we had at DYIS on Global School Play Day! Students brought in so many of their own toys which added to the fun! Some classes played for the entire day! Enjoy the pictures from the different classrooms! Play is such an important way for children of all ages to learn important skills, especially our current value skill of COLLABORATION!

Students are gathered around a table in a classroom, engaged in a craft activity.

Three children sit on an orange floor, building with colorful blocks from red and yellow containers.

Two boys play a game of chess in a classroom, with other students standing nearby.

Children gather around a table in a classroom, playing with toys and games.

Five smiling girls gather around a table in a classroom, looking at the camera.

A group of diverse young boys are gathered on the floor, playing with spinning tops in a classroom.

Two young girls sit at desks in a classroom, surrounded by colorful beads and craft supplies.

Children gather around a table in a classroom, playing board games and building models.

Four children play the game Twister on a colorful mat in a room.

Three boys sit at a round table in a classroom, each with a colorful electronic learning device.

Three students work on a craft project at a table covered with a black and white checkered cloth, with tablets and beads visible.

Children collaborate on a building project with toy bricks in a classroom.

Two boys sit on the floor of a classroom, playing with remote-controlled cars.

Two girls are sitting on the floor with several dolls spread out in front of them.

Two smiling girls sit on a bench, each holding a doll, with stuffed animals and books nearby.

Two girls interact with stuffed animals and toy dinosaurs scattered around a pile of play money.

Two students collaborate on a game at a classroom desk, focusing on a blue and white shark-themed toy.

Two children are building a wooden treehouse model from a "Creativity for Kids" kit.

Two young boys smile at the camera in a classroom setting, with other students working at desks in the background.

Students play table tennis on a tabletop game in a classroom.

Two girls smile while playing Connect 4 on an orange floor.

Four girls sit on an orange floor, playing a card game.

Four children are gathered around a table, engaged in a creative activity with art supplies and games.

A colorful drawing depicts a fantastical roller coaster with tracks winding through red mountains and past a large planet.

5th Grade Academic Update!

This has been a busy couple of weeks at DYI and students in both grades and in all classes were learning a lot! Below is a brief update on what some fifth graders were learning in science class and Mathematics!

In math, students are learning about decimals. Recently, students finished learning about adding and subtracting decimals and are beginning to learn how to multiply decimals.

In science, students are starting to finish their unit on space. Students in Mr. Delcourt's class are designing their own planetariums accompanied with a 4-D ride.

A group of people stand in a snowy outdoor area, possibly a schoolyard, with buildings in the background.

Mr. P Winter Olympics

Both STAR programs and the SAIL program celebrated the opening of the Winter Olympics with our classrooms by hosting our own Olympic fun—complete with medal games, friendly competition, and warm cups of hot chocolate. It was a cozy, spirited way to kick off the Games and cheer on teamwork, effort, and winter fun!

This is another example of COLLABORATION...not just by the students and staff, but also between DYI and DYM!

A group of people play tug-of-war in the snow with a thick rope.

Children in winter clothing play tug-of-war in a snowy field with stadium lights overhead.

A group of children and adults stand in a snowy outdoor area with pine trees in the background.

Children balance on makeshift snowshoes in a snowy outdoor area.

Two people pull a homemade cardboard sled through the snow near a school building.

A group of children and adults are learning to snowshoe in a snowy field.

A group of children and adults are gathered in a snowy outdoor area with trees and houses in the background.

A group of people are playing a game in the snow, balancing on wooden boards.

A group of people are gathered in the snow, some are helping to set up a sled.

Children in winter clothing stand on snowboards in a snowy schoolyard.

A collection of orchestral instruments including a grand piano, cellos, violins, a tuba, and woodwinds are arranged on a wooden floor.

Orchestra Update

Our Grade 4 string players have been hard at work learning how to play in a 2-part round. A reminder to keep practicing 'Frère Jacques' and the D Major Scale at home. I will be listening to students play these in small groups during Orchestra for a grade!

Meanwhile, Grade 5 string players have started preparing their music for String Jamboree, an upcoming all-cape string festival that will be held here at the Dennis-Yarmouth Intermediate Middle School on April 1st, 2026. We will be performing 3 pieces with the elementary ensemble. More information regarding the event will be posted to Parent Square in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Band Update from Mrs. Capparella

Come join the fun and show your Dolphin support for the Dennis Yarmouth Intermediate School Band performing at the annual Teddy Bear Toss Providence Bruins Game! Use the online link provided in the flyer to purchase discounted group tickets You may bring a new Teddy Bear to throw on the ice after the 1st goal scored by Providence Bruins. Your donation will benefit children in local hospitals.

Providence Bruins group outing flyer for a Teddy Bear Toss event on Sunday, March 8th.

A green background with shamrocks and bokeh lights features the text 'Heart of a Champion DREAM. WORK. BELIEVE.' and 'Saturday, March 7th, 2026'.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Band Update from Mrs. Capparella

The Grade 5 Advanced Band is performing in the 21st annual Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade! Come join the fun and cheer on our Dolphin Band members as they ride by on the float.

This event is a rain or shine event so please note that in the event of rain, the band will not perform.

Click here for St. Patrick's Day

Four diverse children collaborate around a table filled with educational materials, including a tablet displaying a rocket.

Collaboration

Each month, we focus on a different social-emotional skill. This month we are focused on collaboration. This is such an important life-long skill for our students to develop!

Collaboration

You can work together with a lot of different people. You are good at teaming up and helping everyone feel they belong and are part of a group.

Some sample Collaboration Skills:

Understanding how everyone feels and being kind to them
Paying attention to how people are doing and being nice to them if they need help or cheering them up if they feel down
Telling your ideas or listening to others so everyone understands each other well
Making sure everyone gets the message you are trying to share and understands what others are saying
Saying things that help others get better at something they are doing and being open to hearing how you can improve too
Being a team leader while making sure everyone gets a chance to participate
Being a good teammate and making sure everyone feels like they belong and are part of the team

A 'LOST & FOUND' sign hangs above a table filled with backpacks, shoes, toys, and clothing.

Lost and Found

We are again overloaded with lost items. We have coats, sweatshirts, hats, mittens/gloves, and water bottles of all brands! We try our best to remind students to not take off their coats at recess or to remember to take them in when they come in, but regardless, the Lost and Found section continues to grow. Please encourage your student to check out the Lost and Found if you know that something has been misplaced.

It would be helpful if families would label your student's belongings!

ALL LOST ITEMS will be donated on Friday, February 13th!

Go PATS!

DYI again showed our excitement and support for the New England Patriots as the team gets ready to play in Super Bowl 60!

An antique school desk and chair sit on a white background.

Work Refusal Dolphin Time (Formally RTI)

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!

A cartoon red book with a smiling face and arms gestures with its finger.

DYI Yearbooks

The DYI Yearbook is still for sale! This is a great way to remember the special days students have while at DYI. Ms. Becca does a fantastic job being inclusive of all or most students when choosing pictures for the yearbook...and students will soon have the opportunity to design the cover! Each year, one student's art work is selected to be the cover of the yearbook, be on the look-out for more information!

So, who doesn't want a DYI Yearbook? Click the link to see how to order a great keepsake for the 25-26 school year! Order deadline is May 15th!

A basketball rests on a polished wooden court in an empty gymnasium.

Intramural Basketball @ DYIMS (Grades 4-7)

DYIMS is running an intramural basketball clinic. The clinic runs from when school ends to 5:00. Your child can leave at 4:00 and take the late bus home or stay until 5:00 and be picked up by their family. The clinic is being run by the DYIMS girls & boys basketball coaches . The clinic will be a mix of teaching skills and giving players a chance to play basketball with each other. Please complete the form below so we can plan our activities. We will need to know if your child is attending, some basic contact information from you and how your child is planning on getting home. Thanks and we are excited for intramural basketball!