Principal Update

Dear Parents and Sponsors,  

Today is the last day of the 3^rd grading period and the start of our Spring Recess.  Please take this time to travel and see all that Germany and the surrounding area has to offer.  There are many fun daytrips including museums, castles, and cities to explore, not to mention the many lakes, parks, and trails.  If you are traveling outside the area, please remember to keep safe and take time to rest along your journey.  We look forward to having you back soon.

No school on Thursday, March 27^th for Teacher Record Keeping. 

No School on Friday, March 28^th as this is beginning of our Spring Recess.  

Time Change Reminder:  Change your Clocks forward throughout Central Europe at 2am on Sunday, March 30, 2025

No School for the entire week of March 31-April 4^th for Spring Recess.

The start of the 4^th Grading period will begin on Monday, April 7^th 

April is the Month of the Military Child, commonly known as Purple-Up.  This is a time to showcase the uniqueness of being part of a community of more than 70,000 students worldwide serving alongside an active-duty military member.  We thank you for your service and ask that you take some time during this month to celebrate your military child with us.  Let them know how much they are loved and appreciated for the supporting role they play in our wonderful community.  

We will have many PTO sponsored events throughout the month starting with a Clap-In sponsored by the Fighting 44^th ESB, a special Purple-UP gift for every student from the PTO will also be given out on Wednesday, April 23,^, 2025.  We will have our annual school-wide Purple UP assembly on Wednesday, April 09 and after school a PTO Sponsored Purple Up Tie-dye Event at 1700 on the playground.  Every week there are fun activities to celebrate this exciting MOMC.  Everyone is encouraged to wear a Purple Up shirt as much as they are able throughout the month to show support for these amazing and resilient youngest members of our military community.

LOST & FOUND – The lost and found from Q3 will be available through Friday, March 28^th and then all that remains will be donated to the Baumholder Thrift Store.

A New Look!  The Principal Update has moved to our Smith Elementary Official DoDEA Website, or https://smithes.dodea.edu/.  You can access our newsletter each week on the “School News” tab.  We are still in the process of updating many of the pages on our Official School Website and we would love to have your feedback as we build our new communication platform.  It is our desire to make this website your “Go to” landing page for information about Smith Elementary School.  If you have suggestions or comments, please simply reply to the parent email and your suggestion goes directly to our admin team.

It's time for School Year 2025-2026 Spring Re-registration!

We are currently at 29% re-registrations for next year!  Please help us get to 100%.

Parents must submit a re-registration to indicate whether each student is staying in DoDEA or leaving their current location. Parents should log into the DoDEA Student Information System (DSIS) Family Portal athttps://dodeasis.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do to submit each student re-registration request. The re-registration process also provides a quick and easy way for families to update information (contacts, Sponsor's employment status, student health) if the student is returning.  Please see the flyer for helpful hints.

Please complete the re-registration process as soon as possible.  The information collected during re-registration will be used to determine each student's continued eligibility, as well as plan staffing and resource needs for the coming school year. After your re-registration submission has been reviewed, the School Registrar will contact you if additional information is required.  

Parents even if you are not returning, please complete re-registration and simply let us know you are PCSing at the end of the school year.  If you encounter issues, please contact the School Registrar, Robert.Woods@dodea.edu

The classroom teacher with the highest re-registrations at the end of the 3rd grading period and winner of the Purple UP Pizza Party with the Principal during MOMC is Ms.   Gonzales 1^st grade Class.  

School-wide we are at 29% and in order to try to get to 100% by the end of April, any class with 100% re-registrations by the end of April will earn an extra recess.

Staffing Changes for SY25/26:

 What is changing? Our staffing for large group specialists, PE, Music and Art for next school year will be (.5) or part-time.

What does this mean for my student?  Every K-5 student will have a 50-minute PE, Music, Art, and Host Nation every four days throughout the year on a four-day rotation. 

Does this affect after school programs?  No, After-school programs are funded by Extra-Duty Contracts, and we will continue to provide Sweaty Bulldogs, Bulldog Band, and Art Enrichment.

The School Advisory Committee: The remaining meeting dates for SY24/25 is April 14, 2025.  We will be nominating Leadership positions for SY 25/26 during this meeting.  If you or someone you know are interested in serving on the School Advisory Committee, please reach out to Mr. Dye or the SAC email to make a nomination.  We are hopeful this year to elect a new President, Vice President, and Secretary. If you have agenda items for any of the meetings scheduled for SY 24/25, please email sacsmithes@gmail.com.  Minutes from the most recent SAC meeting are posted outside the main office and on the Smith ES Official DoDEA Website.

 PTO Update:  The PTO is also now accepting nominations for leadership positions for next school year.  Needed are the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. You can learn more about the PTO on the Get Involved/Partnerships page on our Smith ES Official DoDEA Website.

Emergency Contact Information Update:  We have discovered that parents are not able to update their contact information in the DoDEA/SIS system online.  Please contact the school registrar by email when your emergency contact or cell phone information changes. If you do not have updated emergency contact information, the school may need to contact command to reach you.

Have a great Spring Break, Go Bulldogs!

Respectfully,

Richard C. Dye
Principal
Smith Elementary School