Don't Forget, DES Spring Parties are Thursday April 2, 2026. The times are as follows:
Pre-K - 11:45
K - 11:30
1 st - 12:15
2nd - 12:30
3rd - 1:15
4th - 1:15 - On Playground
5th - 12:30 - In Cafeteria
Pre-K - 11:45
K - 11:30
1 st - 12:15
2nd - 12:30
3rd - 1:15
4th - 1:15 - On Playground
5th - 12:30 - In Cafeteria
April Events at DES
April 2nd - Class Parties - Times TBD
April 3rd - No SCHOOL
April 10th - 1st Grade Musical - 1:30pm - DES Cafeteria
April 14th - 17th - ATLAS State Testing - Grades 2-5 - ELA
April 21st - 24th - ATLAS State Testing - Grade 2 - Math, Grades 3-5 - Math & Science
April 27th - May 1st - ATLAS State Testing - Grades K-1 ELA
April 30th - Kinderlympics - 1:30 - Dragon Stadium
April 2nd - Class Parties - Times TBD
April 3rd - No SCHOOL
April 10th - 1st Grade Musical - 1:30pm - DES Cafeteria
April 14th - 17th - ATLAS State Testing - Grades 2-5 - ELA
April 21st - 24th - ATLAS State Testing - Grade 2 - Math, Grades 3-5 - Math & Science
April 27th - May 1st - ATLAS State Testing - Grades K-1 ELA
April 30th - Kinderlympics - 1:30 - Dragon Stadium
Our preschool students had so much fun working on their leprechaun traps at home for a family activity. All the traps were so creative and although we didn’t catch any, the crafty little leprechauns left us quite a few chocolate coins. Later in the week we enjoyed a science experiment making rainbows with water, food coloring, plastic cups and paper towels. Our students had fun trying to predict what colors would be created when mixed. I’d say we had the “luck of the irish” with us this week!!
DES Spring Parties
Thursday April 2, 2026
Pre-K - 11:45
K - 11:30
1 st - 12:15
2nd - 12:30
3rd - 1:15
4th - 1:15 - On Playground
5th - 12:30 - In Cafeteria
Thursday April 2, 2026
Pre-K - 11:45
K - 11:30
1 st - 12:15
2nd - 12:30
3rd - 1:15
4th - 1:15 - On Playground
5th - 12:30 - In Cafeteria
Congratulations to our March 2026 Dragons of Greatness at DES! The students selected each month for Dragons of Greatness exhibit these characteristics:
D - Dependable
R - Responsible
A - Acts of Kindness
G - Good Friend
O - Outstanding Work
N - Nice to Others
S - Star Student
Congratulations to our March Dragons of Greatness!
D - Dependable
R - Responsible
A - Acts of Kindness
G - Good Friend
O - Outstanding Work
N - Nice to Others
S - Star Student
Congratulations to our March Dragons of Greatness!
Accessibility for all students is a priority at DES. In preparation for the upcoming 3rd Grade Fishing Unit, Mrs. Lindsay reached out to the Outdoor Tomorrow Foundation for more information about adapted fishing equipment and was put in contact with Michael Scherer, the program director for the non-profit organization, Fishing's Future.
Michael created and donated an adapted fishing pole just for our DES student! We are so thankful for his ingenuity and generosity! For more information about Fishing's Future visit their website at www.fishingsfuture.org !
Michael created and donated an adapted fishing pole just for our DES student! We are so thankful for his ingenuity and generosity! For more information about Fishing's Future visit their website at www.fishingsfuture.org !
DES Individual Picture Day has been rescheduled for THIS Friday, March 20th, 2026.
Students in Mrs. Rachel's 5th Grade Math class have been learning and practicing multi-digit multiplication and division while applying these skills to real-world situations. As part of this unit, students collaborated with partners to create and manage a donut shop scenario. They worked together to calculate sales and develop a budget, strengthening both their math skills and teamwork.
At DES, the safety of our students is of highest importance. Please review the following car line safety guidelines to ensure the safety of ALL students at DES.
No cell phones while driving in the car line - this is the law
Slow down and stop at crosswalks. The crosswalks are located at the end of the front carline by the preschool and in the back car line between DHS & DES.
No PASSING in the car line. This puts students at risk for getting hit and cars at risk for colliding. Please be patient as we load the students and follow the car line to the end. Please, do not break the line early.
Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe at DES!
No cell phones while driving in the car line - this is the law
Slow down and stop at crosswalks. The crosswalks are located at the end of the front carline by the preschool and in the back car line between DHS & DES.
No PASSING in the car line. This puts students at risk for getting hit and cars at risk for colliding. Please be patient as we load the students and follow the car line to the end. Please, do not break the line early.
Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe at DES!
Come Rock with the 3rd Graders at their Musical, Friday March 20th at 1:30 in the DES cafeteria!
Kindergarten registration is from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm tomorrow, March 17, 2026. We can't wait to meet our new Dragons!
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the individual sounds (called phonemes) in spoken words.
Phonemic awareness is a foundational skill for learning to read and spell. It is one of the strongest predictors of early reading success. In Take Flight the phonemes and lip pictures are displayed on a sound ship as the phoneme is taught. During the phonemic awareness portion of our lesson the students will manipulate the lip pictures to build words by adding, taking away, switching or repeating phonemes. The same lip pictures are used to build the spelling word before they write the word.
Phonemic awareness is a foundational skill for learning to read and spell. It is one of the strongest predictors of early reading success. In Take Flight the phonemes and lip pictures are displayed on a sound ship as the phoneme is taught. During the phonemic awareness portion of our lesson the students will manipulate the lip pictures to build words by adding, taking away, switching or repeating phonemes. The same lip pictures are used to build the spelling word before they write the word.
Reminder: DES WILL now be in session on Friday March 13th, 2026, as a makeup day, from missing days during the inclement weather, we experienced earlier this semester.
DES Parent Teacher Conferences are tomorrow, March 12th, 2026 from 2:30-6:30.
We will have early release:
Car Riders - 2:07
Bus Riders - 2:22
Due to the students reporting to the safe room for the weather this morning, and the whole school routine being delayed, Spring Individual pictures will be rescheduled.
A new date and time will be announced once it has been scheduled.
DES Spring individual pictures are tomorrow, March 11th, 2026.
In Mrs. Madison’s 4th grade classes, they don’t just talk about suspense, they feel it! What better way to learn how to build suspense in narrative writing than with a mystery box sitting in the middle of the classroom?
Clue by clue, the guesses got louder. Eyes got wider. Whispers turned into, “WAIT… what if it’s…?!” Every new hint stretched the moment just a little longer. The anticipation kept building until the final reveal… Slinky Dog.
Not a monster. Not something spooky. Just Slinky Dog in all his stretched-out glory. The dramatic gasp quickly turned into laughter, which honestly made it even better.
After actually feeling suspense themselves, students were able to take that experience straight into their own writing. Working in teams, they created suspense for their narrative stories, practicing how to stretch out a moment, show realistic reactions, delay the reveal, and keep their reader wondering what will happen next.
Sometimes the best way to learn how to build suspense is to sit on the edge of your seat waiting on Slinky Dog.
Clue by clue, the guesses got louder. Eyes got wider. Whispers turned into, “WAIT… what if it’s…?!” Every new hint stretched the moment just a little longer. The anticipation kept building until the final reveal… Slinky Dog.
Not a monster. Not something spooky. Just Slinky Dog in all his stretched-out glory. The dramatic gasp quickly turned into laughter, which honestly made it even better.
After actually feeling suspense themselves, students were able to take that experience straight into their own writing. Working in teams, they created suspense for their narrative stories, practicing how to stretch out a moment, show realistic reactions, delay the reveal, and keep their reader wondering what will happen next.
Sometimes the best way to learn how to build suspense is to sit on the edge of your seat waiting on Slinky Dog.
Reading at home is a premier indicator of reading development, with children read to at least three times a week being twice as likely to score in the top 25% for reading proficiency. Regular home reading builds essential vocabulary, fosters language skills, strengthens emotional bonds, and boosts school readiness by improving comprehension and cognitive development.
These are some of the MANY reasons we have created the monthly AT HOME reading challenges! Reading is such an important aspect of not just school, but life!
Here are the statistics from our February reading challenge. We hope to see these numbers doubled for the month of March!
These are some of the MANY reasons we have created the monthly AT HOME reading challenges! Reading is such an important aspect of not just school, but life!
Here are the statistics from our February reading challenge. We hope to see these numbers doubled for the month of March!
Congratulations to our February Reading Challenge Basket Winner - Ruth!
Our top 3 classes who won a popcorn party this month are:
Mrs. Jennifer's 4th Grade Class
Mrs. Amy's 2nd Grade Class
Mrs. Traci's 1sr Grade Class
We can't wait to see our March Challenge Winners!
DES March Reading Challenge!
It's March and we are SPRINGING into reading at DES!
Once again this month, you can either log all of your entries online by following the reading log link, or you can download and print the reading challenge log that will also be attached below.
This month ALL STUDENTS who read at home 12 DAYS OR MORE will be treated to a snow cone party! (You may enter a total of 31 entries which is equal to one per day. Since we just published the form you can enter any time you have read at home since March 1st, through today, March 6th).
Reminder: If you enter a day online, please don't enter that same date on a paper log. You can use both online and paper, but a date cannot count twice.
The three classes with THE MOST PARTICIPATION will receive a popcorn and coke party for the whole class!
ONE student name will be drawn to win the monthly prize basket.
The online log can easily be accessed by phone or computer - follow this link for the online tracking log:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-RDK7B10-VSnweQEq0Axs_KttlFqkEdGP1g2SEgtSCdnGhQ/viewform?usp=header
If you like to have a paper log, follow this link to access the Printable PDF:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HQcX-WFHk58gThSpOpKB6ovCfM41AfNT/view?usp=sharing
If you have any questions or need help accessing the reading log, you may call the DES Office at 870-946-4651 or come and visit the DES Office in person.
Happy March Reading!
It's March and we are SPRINGING into reading at DES!
Once again this month, you can either log all of your entries online by following the reading log link, or you can download and print the reading challenge log that will also be attached below.
This month ALL STUDENTS who read at home 12 DAYS OR MORE will be treated to a snow cone party! (You may enter a total of 31 entries which is equal to one per day. Since we just published the form you can enter any time you have read at home since March 1st, through today, March 6th).
Reminder: If you enter a day online, please don't enter that same date on a paper log. You can use both online and paper, but a date cannot count twice.
The three classes with THE MOST PARTICIPATION will receive a popcorn and coke party for the whole class!
ONE student name will be drawn to win the monthly prize basket.
The online log can easily be accessed by phone or computer - follow this link for the online tracking log:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-RDK7B10-VSnweQEq0Axs_KttlFqkEdGP1g2SEgtSCdnGhQ/viewform?usp=header
If you like to have a paper log, follow this link to access the Printable PDF:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HQcX-WFHk58gThSpOpKB6ovCfM41AfNT/view?usp=sharing
If you have any questions or need help accessing the reading log, you may call the DES Office at 870-946-4651 or come and visit the DES Office in person.
Happy March Reading!
