July 2025

Welcome Back Updates

Dear Dickson Families,

Welcome back to another exciting school year at Dickson Elementary! I am truly honored to begin the 2025–26 school year with each of you as we continue our journey of learning, growth, and connection.

At Dickson, we believe in the power of partnership between school and home. Together, we create a supportive environment where every child feels valued, inspired, and empowered to reach their full potential. Our incredible Dickson staff is ready to welcome your children with open arms and open hearts, committed to fostering academic excellence, kindness, and confidence in every student.

Whether you are returning or joining us for the first time, thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education. I look forward to a joyful and successful year ahead, filled with new memories, strong relationships, and meaningful learning.

Let’s make 2025–26 the best year yet—together!

Sincerely,

Renae McCain

Proud Principal at Dickson Elementary

Friday, August 1st: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Join us to discover who your teacher is and meet them in person!

Families who complete the Aeries Data Confirmation will have the opportunity to see their teacher's name early, on Thursday, July 31st, by logging into the Aeries Parent Portal.

Upon arrival for Meet Your Teacher, families will be warmly welcomed by our staff at the gates next to the Cafeteria (tall building). If you already know your teacher's name, feel free to head straight in! If you need assistance finding your teacher, our staff will have lists available to help you.

For families who have not yet completed the Aeries Data Confirmation, we will provide support in the library. Once you finish the process, you'll be notified of your child's teacher. We look forward to seeing you there!

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

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

Here are some helpful tips for a smoother first day.

Arrival:

• Administration will be welcoming students at the drop off curb every morning.
• All students will be dropped off at the cafeteria doors to either eat breakfast or sit at the tables.
• TK & Kinder students will sit together in a designated area, monitored and guided by Dickson staff directly to their teachers. (more information at TK/K Orientation Night)
• 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 your teacher.

Dismissal:

• TK and Kindergarten will review dismissal procedures at TK/K Orientation Night.
• 1st grade will be walked out by their teachers at the small 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.

JULY

July 31: TK & K Orientation | 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

AUGUST

August 1: Meet Your Teacher | 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

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

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) 664-3447, 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 2026!

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, 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, 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

I kindly ask for your assistance in reminding everyone dropping off or picking up children to adhere to all traffic laws, posted signage, and instructions provided by our staff. Every individual's cooperation is essential in creating a safer environment.

Every school struggles with adult behaviors during arrival and dismissal times, which I believe compromise the safety of our students, staff and community. While I understand that many adults may be in a hurry, it is imperative that we prioritize safety above all else.

We have placed signs to guide vehicles to the designated drop-off area and encourage drivers to pull up as far as possible. This allows us to accommodate more cars and enables students to enter and exit their vehicles efficiently.

Important Safety Reminder:

• Children should not exit vehicles in the parking lot. Please park your vehicle and accompany your child across the designated crosswalk to the curb. No student should be unaccompanied in the parking lot.

• Drive slowly and attentively in the parking lot. Always remain vigilant and exercise caution while navigating through this area.

• DROP OFF and PICK UP PROCEDURES can be found below and on the Dickson Website.

Additionally, we have noticed families crossing Roswell Street in front of moving traffic. Please utilize the crosswalk and model safe pedestrian practices for our students.

Furthermore, there has been a rise in vehicles stopping along the red-painted curbs on Roswell. These curbs are designated for emergency vehicles and must remain clear at all times. Stopping in these areas disrupts the flow of school buses, affects traffic for community members, and hinders vehicles exiting the school parking lot.

By collectively committing to these safety practices, we can enhance student safety and improve traffic flow during arrival and dismissal times.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

The attached documents will give you the basics for dropping off and picking up your student(s). If you have any other questions, feel free to give us a call in the office.

As we support our students in safely getting to and from their vehicles, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all families and friends for driving safely and respectfully. A special thank you goes to those who pull all the way up along the curb past the blue lines, allowing us to fit more cars and ensuring students can exit and/or enter their vehicle safely past the crosswalk. We also appreciate the adults that park in visitor parking and fully accompany their children across the parking lot crosswalk, helping them reach the cafeteria sidewalk securely. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to safety!

Please review the arrival and dismissal map and follow the posted signs. Share the expectations with anyone that will be picking up your child from school.

• At all schools, finding places to stop and pick up your child can be inconvenient and frustrating, but our number #1 goal is to keep our students and families safe. Most of the time traffic is flowing easily before 7:45 am and also within 10 minutes after the dismissal bell.
• The best place to pick up your child is to walk to/from your house, park and walk up to the arrival/dismissal area, or drive through the drop-off/pick-up line.
• Please DO NOT stop and park in the middle of any street, at red or yellow curbs along the street, in the parking lot, or in the carpool loop.
• Please be respectful of our neighbors, keeping their mailboxes and driveways accessible.
• Please cross the street at the stop sign with the crossing guard. We have a crossing guard at the stop sign to help keep students and our community safe.
  • DO NOT cross in front of traffic and especially do not call your child to run across the street in front of traffic.

*Please notice the updated parking spots are painted to designate staff and visitors now. Please refrain from parking in or blocking staff spots to ensure their ability to park for the day. 

¡Bienvenidos a la Primaria Dickson! Estamos felices de que estés con nosotros. Los documentos adjunto le dará los conceptos básicos para dejar y recoger a su(s) estudiante(s). Si tiene alguna otra pregunta, no dude en llamarnos a la oficina.

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!

Meet your 2025-26 PTA Board

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