Gator Blast Archive, October 2022-December 2022

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail Week of December 18-24, 2022   Calendar: This Week: Thursday 12/22- Polar Express Day Friday 12/23- Schools Closed for Winter Break A look ahead: Friday 12/23 to Friday 12/30- Schools Closed for Christmas/Winter Break Tuesday 1/10- General Membership Meeting 7 pm Monday 1/16- Schools Closed Wednesday 1/18- Winter Strings, Band, and Chorus Concerts Friday 1/20- Skate Night The News: Polar Express Day Thursday, December 22nd, students will celebrate Polar Express Day with their class. Students are invited to wear their pajamas and will get a treat provided by The PTO while enjoying a movie in their classrooms. 2022 DES Holiday Ornament This is your last chance to get your DES Holiday Ornament! The ornament makes a perfect stocking stuffer or gift topper. The ornaments are $6 each, and proceeds go to the DES PTO. Email maryeboese@yahoo.com to get yours before they run out. Holiday Shoppe Elves In appreciation of the hard work done during our Holiday Shoppe, each Elf will receive a $10 credit to use at our Scholastic Book Fair in March. Volunteer Spotlight Davidsonville Elementary’s Read-A-Thon will take place sometime at the end of February/the beginning of March 2023. During this fundraiser, student readers will ask family, friends, and neighbors for a one-time donation to support their reading over a two-week period. Students will track and submit the time they read (with a little parent help). Parents can watch donations and minutes read increase in real time! Karen Murphy is the Chair of the Read-A-Thon this year. She lives in Riva with her husband Rory, a former Gator, two daughters (Kelly is in Kindergarten, and Lacey is 3 years old), and their 11-year-old Golden Retriever. The Murphys enjoy spending time in their community and at the beach with family. Karen likes to host friends and family in her home for any celebration, loves a puzzle with a great glass of wine, and has recently taken up yoga. Volunteering has been a staple in Karen’s life from the time she was a child as she watched her mother in her school system and greater community. Her love for helping others started at a young age, and she is excited to embark on her DES volunteering journey. Happy Holidays The DES PTO would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. We’ll see you all next year! Happy Holidays From The DES PTO • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •  _____________________________ DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail Week of December 11-17, 2022   Calendar: A look ahead: Thursday 12/22- Polar Express Day Friday 12/23 to Friday 12/30- Schools Closed for Christmas/Winter Break Tuesday 1/10- General Membership Meeting 7 pm Monday 1/16- Schools Closed Wednesday 1/18- Winter Strings, Band, and Chorus Concerts Friday 1/20- Skate Night The News: Harlem Wizards Thank you for making this a successful and SOLD OUT EVENT! An event of this magnitude takes many months of planning, and we could not have done it without all of our wonderful volunteers, our amazing staff to make up our team, and our event Chairs, Jen Hurst and Robyn Davis. We had an amazing time with everyone! Check out our Facebook page for more pictures from the event. We would also like to thank all of our event sponsors, who are listed below. Many of these sponsors are DES family owned! Gold Sponsors Catlett’s Auto Service & Towing Pigtails and Crewcuts Sixgen Harvest Thyme Colossal Silver Sponsors Ullabetta JC Services Skate Zone Karen Murphy Real Estate Ace Hardware Bronze Sponsors BASH  South River Organic Co-op Closet America Thompson Creek Windows Thrive Gymnastics Crab Claw Travel Signature Teamwear Harlem Wizards Drawing Congratulations to all our winners. Our last winner is Xander Court from 4th grade. Xander has won a Harlem Wizard Wiz Kid Jersey and was able to warm up with the Harlem Wizards before the game on Friday. Thank you to all that entered, and congratulations to all of our lucky winners. We had a great time with the giveaway. A list of all the winners can be found by clicking here. Megan Gray, Week 7 Winner Xander Court, Mid Week 7 Winner Volunteer Spotlight With so many students at DES, teachers and the front office can always use assistance making copies, cutting things out, etc. This is where the Teachers’ Elves Committee comes in. Teachers’ Elves are called to the school whenever an extra hand is needed during the day. Participation does not require a set schedule, and it’s a perfect volunteer opportunity for parents who have some flexibility in their daytime schedules. The Chair of this Committee is Erin Cady.Erin and her husband, Kevin, have three children. Kingston is 12 years old and in 6th grade at Central Middle School. Rhys is 9 years old and in the 4th grade at DES. Vaughn is 3 years old and a future gator. The couple just recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on November 10th! Congratulations, Erin and Kevin! As a family, they like to travel and take road trips. This past summer, they visited Boston and walked the Freedom Trail. They also drove to Maine and Acadia National Park. The Cady’s enjoy boating out on the Chesapeake Bay. Erin loves watching her kids play sports. She likes to read and is a member of two book clubs. Kevin was in the Navy for 22 years, and since moving back to this area in 2016, Erin has been able to spend lots of time with her family, who lives nearby. When asked why she likes to volunteer, she said, “I volunteer because it helps build community and makes our school a better place for our kids to grow.” Calling all LEGO Lovers! Looking for a fun way for your Kindergarten or 1st grader to express their creativity, build confidence, and make new friends while doing so? If yes, then Lego Club may be right for them! The Lego Club is set to launch in Spring 2023 for grades K and 1 on Mondays after school (we hope to expand to higher grades as the club gains momentum). We are currently looking for parent volunteers and Lego donations! Under the supervision of parent volunteers, students will work together to build original creations that are inspired by a weekly theme or challenge. But they may build anything they can think up! We hope to display final products in the school and to have competitions when possible. Volunteer Sign Up can be found by clicking here! Contact Kim Neidig at Kimberly.neidig@gmail.com or AnnMarie Gnall at Amsaucier@gmail.com Coat Drive We would like to thank the families of DES for their generosity this holiday season and Jillian Rosato for organizing the coat drive. Jillian was able to drop off 320 new and gently used coats at Mills-Parole Elementary School. _____________________________________ DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail Week of December 4-10, 2022  It’s Wizards Week!  Calendar: This week: Monday 12/5- Picture Retakes Wednesday 12/7- Unity Day and 2-Hour Early Dismissal Thursday 12/8- Dining for DES at MOD Pizza Friday 12/9- Harlem Wizards at SRHS A look ahead: Thursday 12/22- Polar Express Day Friday 12/23 to Friday 12/30- Schools Closed for Christmas/Winter Break Tuesday 1/10- General Membership Meeting 7 pm Monday 1/16- Schools Closed Wednesday 1/18- Winter Strings, Band, and Chorus Concerts Friday 1/20- Skate Night The News: Harlem Wizards The countdown is on! The game is this Friday, December 9th, from 7 pm-9 pm. Even though the game officially starts at 7 pm, please plan to arrive much earlier to allow time for parking and getting through the check-in process. There will be over a thousand people at this event. Please carpool if it is convenient. Benchwarmers, Courtside Plus Premium, and Courtside Plus seats are invited to attend a player Meet and Greet starting at 6 pm and get to play on the court with the Wizards at 6:30 pm. We hardly have any tickets left, so get yours before they are gone! Click here to get your tickets now! Our team will be battling The King Arthur Unit (click here to see the players). We can’t wait to see all the excitement on Friday! Bring cash for our 50/50 raffle, which is sponsored by Ace Hardware in Edgewater. In that 50/50 raffle is a chance to win a grill donated by Ace Hardware. The PTO will also be selling hotdogs, candy, and drinks. Fun souvenirs will be available for purchase. Harlem Wizards Drawing Our Friday drawing winner is Henry Priehs of 5th grade. Henry won a Harlem Wizards pop-socket, perfect for holding your phone/tablet more comfortably or using it as a wall hanger if he doesn’t have a phone yet. Congratulations Henry! Our Sunday winner is Megan Grey from 3rd grade. Megan won a Harlem Wizards basketball. Congratulations Megan! Our last winner will be announced on Tuesday, and that winner will receive a Harlem WIzards Jersey! Stay tuned. Calling all LEGO Lovers! Looking for a fun way for your Kindergarten or 1st grader to express their creativity, build confidence, and make new friends while doing so? If yes, then Lego Club may be right for them! The Lego Club is set to launch in Spring 2023 for grades K and 1 on Mondays after school (we hope to expand to higher grades as the club gains momentum). We are currently looking for parent volunteers and Lego donations! Under the supervision of parent volunteers, students will work together to build original creations that are inspired by a weekly theme or challenge. But they may build anything they can think up! We hope to display final products in the school and to have competitions when possible. Volunteer Sign Up can be found by clicking here! Contact Kim Neidig at Kimberly.neidig@gmail.com or AnnMarie Gnall at Amsaucier@gmail.com Dine for DES Come out to MOD Pizza in the Festival at Riva Shopping Center on Thursday, December 8th, to support the DES PTO. Grab dinner for the family or lunch during the day. MOD Pizza is located at 2341 Forest Dr., Suite P, Annapolis. See the attached flyer for more information. Unity Day Don’t forget to have your Gators wear their orange Unity Day Shirts on Wednesday for Unity Day!Volunteer Spotlight By now, you’ve surely heard about the big Harlem Wizards Event on December 9th at South River High School. It’s going to be a great night, and our teachers/staff are going to play a mean game of basketball against the Wizards. The team name is The South River Swishers, and the coaches of the team are non-other than Mrs. Erin Madden and Mr. Keith Tremel, who also happen to be our physical education teachers. Erin lives on Kent Island with her husband Kyle and son Keegan. Kyle works at Anne Arundel County Budget Office, and Keegan is in preschool. The family loves to go to the beach and enjoys staying active! Her husband is an Olympic Weightlifting coach, and she coaches Crossfit. Keegan does soccer, hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, and t-ball. Erin has been at DES for 12 years, and she loves working and teaching P.E. here because, “Our staff and students are the best!” Keith and his wife, Molly, who is also a teacher, have two children. Charlie is a freshman at South River High School, and Landry is in 8th grade at Central Middle School. The family enjoys spending time outside and going to the beach. In his spare time, Keith is a competition BBQ cook and caterer. When asked why he chose to be a P.E. teacher, he said, “I teach because I love making connections with students and trying to help them instill confidence in themselves. I used to teach middle school social studies, but I like to wear shorts, so I switched to P.E.” DES Ornament There is still time to get the 2022 Davidsonville Elementary holiday ornament! $6 each. Email maryeboese@yahoo.com to get yours before they run out.

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of November 27- December 3, 2022 
Welcome Back!

• Skate Night
• Book Fair and Ice Cream Social
• Unity Day
• Halloween Party
• Halloween Parade

Fall Pictures
It’s not too late to get your Fall Student Photos ordered, but don’t wait too long; the deadline is quickly approaching. Order by December 1st for delivery by December 23rd. Click here to place your order. Use the Access Code that was provided on your proof.
Dine For DES
Mark your calendar for our Dine for DES at MOD Pizza. This event is open all day on Thursday, December 8th. MOD Pizza is located at 2341 Forest Drive, Suite P in Annapolis, at the Festival at Riva Shopping Center. This is a great excuse to take the day off cooking while earning money for the DES PTO. See the attached flyer for more information.

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of November 13-19, 2022 

American Education Week

 Calendar:

This week:
Tuesday 11/15- American Education Week Visitation and PTO General Membership Meeting
Friday 11/18- American Education Week Visitation
A look ahead:
Monday 11/21- Schools Closed and Parent Teacher Conferences
Tuesday11/22- Schools Closed and Parent Teacher Conferences
Wednesday 11/23-Friday 11/25- Schools Closed for Thanksgiving
Thursday 12/1- Holiday Shoppe
Monday 12/5- Picture Retakes
Friday 12/9- Harlem Wizards at SRHS

The News:

Harlem Wizards
We are less than 4 weeks from the Harlem Wizards game on Friday, December 9th! Do you have your tickets yet? The holidays are right around the corner, and with everyone getting busy, we would hate for you to forget to order your tickets because of the holiday chaos, so why not order your tickets now and check it off your to-do list? Click here to get your tickets before they are gone! Want to know the players we will be facing? Here they are:
Arthur Lewis- King Arthur
Joe Bunce-Jet
Rob Young-Smooth
James Tyndal-Roadrunner
Jimmy Bosque-Live Action
Johnny Hevalow-Top Flight
Rashaan Barner- MC (Rocket)

Fun Fact: Arthur Lewis, aka King Arthur, is a Maryland Native! Click here to see his bio and a video on what King Arthur is going to bring to the evening!

Harlem Wizards Drawing
Congratulations, Desmond Bailey from 5th Grade, for winning our week 5 Harlem Wizards prize drawing. You will be getting a Harlem Wizards basketball! If you haven’t entered your students yet, you can enter them by clicking here. You only need to enter one time to be entered in all the drawings.

Week 3 Winner Morgan Colon

Yearbook Photos Wanted!
The yearbook staff would like your help. If you have pictures from the following events, please email them to: desgatorsyearbook@gmail.com.

• Skate Night
• Book Fair and Ice Cream Social
• Unity Day
• Halloween Party
• Halloween Parade

Please include the Grade and Event in the Subject line.

PTO General Membership Meeting
Join us for our 2nd PTO General Membership Meeting of the 2022-2023 school year. We will be meeting at 7 pm in the DES Media Center. We had such a great turnout last meeting and would love to see even more people attend this meeting. Remember, we are all the PTO and couldn’t do this without your support!

Holiday Shoppe
This year’s Holiday Shoppe will be held on Thursday, December 1st, from 5-8 pm in the gym. This cash-only shop gives students an opportunity to shop for gifts for family and friends with the help of our “elves.” Mark your calendars and get excited for some holiday fun! If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please check out our Sign Up Genius by clicking here. Please email Kristen Dixon at kristen.bozzella@gmail.com with any questions.
HolidayFlyer22
5th Grade Elves Needed
We are also looking for 5th-grade students to be elves during our Holiday Shoppe! Our elves will help younger students shop, organize lists and money, and more. If you have a 5th-grade safety that is interested in being an elf at this year’s Holiday Shoppe, please email Maureen Sanders at maureen.sanders85@gmail.com. See the attached flyer for more information.
Elf Helpers
Holiday Shoppe Bake Sale
This year we are planning to have a bake sale during the Holiday Shoppe to raise money for the PTO (and give parents something to snack on while they wait).  If you are interested in donating to the bake sale, please click here to sign up.  We need baked goods, fun treats, and water. Many thanks in advance for your support.

Volunteer Spotlight

DES is hosting a coat drive and will donate coats to Mills Parole Elementary School. New and gently used coats can be dropped off in the gift-wrapped boxes in the main office during the month of November or at the Holiday Shoppe on December 1st. If you are purchasing new coats to donate, please choose sizes Medium and Large so the kids can grow into them.

The woman behind this effort is Jillian Rosato, a parent of a kindergartner at DES. Although she is new to our community, she reached out quickly to the PTO Board with many ideas as to how DES can increase community involvement and service learning. She said, “I am very excited to lead this year’s coat drive, as I have a passion for community outreach. I love that the coat drive directly impacts underserved families right in our community. I volunteer because I care deeply about giving back to my community whenever I can, and am especially passionate about supporting the educators in my community.”

Jillian and her husband, Anthony, have three children. Haili is five, Lucca is three, and Winnie is one. As a family, they love to spend time on the water, either paddle boarding, boating, or fishing. On most days, they can be found on the sports field or dance studio watching their daughters.

Thank you, Jillian, for all of your efforts so far! Welcome to the DES family. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Rosato at rosatojillian@gmail.com.
1st annual coat drive
American Education Week
This week marks American Education Week Visitation at DES on Tuesday and Friday. Please be sure to turn in your form by Monday, November 14th, that was provided in the Wednesday folders if you plan on visiting to assist with pre-registration. This is open to parents/guardians only to help avoid classroom overcrowding. Thank you for your understanding.

American Education Week Visitation Hours at DES:
Tuesday, November 15th, 10 am-11 am
Thursday, November 18th, 8:30-9:30 am

 Community: 

Lights on Robotics signing up now
The Mech Hawks FIRST Robotics team is hosting a special Lights On Robotics event at Code Ninjas on Monday, November 21st. Join us at one of two sessions, from 4-5 pm or 5-6 pm, and your student can learn how to code robots and more. This event is recommended for grades 3-5. Code Ninjas is a local Edgewater business that gives students opportunities to learn to code and exposure to other STEM education. The robotics team collaboration with their facilities will allow your students to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and how it is incorporated into the world around them. The Lights On Robotics event is free, and space is extremely limited, so don’t forget to reserve your spot online here: Lights On RSVP Form. We hope to see you there! See the attached flyer for more information.
Lights On Robotics Flyer

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of November 6-12, 2022 

Harlem Wizards Drawing
Congratulations to Morgan Colon from 1st grade for winning our week 4 Harlem Wizards prize drawing. Morgan has won a Harlem Wizards team photo, perfect for collecting autographs on game day! If you haven’t entered your students yet, you can enter them by clicking here. You only need to enter one time to be entered in all the drawings.Week 3 Winner Adelaide Stroka

Book Fair
The Fall DES Book Fair will be open all week except Tuesday, November 8th.  Please consider volunteering for a time slot so that we can make this much-anticipated event happen. You can sign up by clicking here. Scholastic has changed its policy this year and will be charging students tax. Please account for the tax when sending your student to school to shop. Recess schedules are listed below if you wish to shop with your students. We are accepting eWallet this year. You can set up an eWallet account by clicking here.Full-Day Recess Schedules
Kindergarten 11:20-11:50
1st Grade  12:20-12:50
2nd Grade  1:20-1:50
3rd Grade  10:25-10:55
4th Grade  11:50-12:20
5th Grade  12:50-1:20Parking
Visitors of our Book Fair are asked to park in the main parking lot and walk around to the gymnasium doors.Skate Night
Friday is Skate Night! If you haven’t been to a Skate Night event, it is a great way for students to hang out with their friends and burn off some energy plus, the kids really love it. Join us on Friday, November 11, from 5-7 pm. Skate through the evening with DES friends. Wear your favorite team jersey for a door prize. Admission is $5, and skate rentals are $5. See the attached flyer for more information. Holiday Shoppe Bake Sale
This year we are planning to have a bake sale during the Holiday Shoppe to raise money for the PTO (and give parents something to snack on while they wait).  If you are interested in donating to the bake sale, please click here to sign up.  We need baked goods, fun treats, and water. Many thanks in advance for your support.Volunteer Spotlight
Artsonia is a virtual art gallery where your student’s artwork is posted throughout the year. Parents and family can view the art online, leave comments, and order keepsakes. Our art department receives 20% of the sales, and the keepsakes make perfect gifts. DES art teachers Jennifer Lahtinen (right in photo) and Melissa Wuest (left in photo) lead this effort. As you can imagine, uploading hundreds of students’ artwork can take a lot of time, and that’s why the PTO has a Chair for this effort. This year’s Chair is Sophia Celino (center in photo).

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of October 30-November 5, 2022 

Wizards Drawing
Congratulations to Adelaide Stroka from Kindergarten for winning a Harlem Wizards light-up wand for our week 3 Harlem Wizards prize drawing. If you haven’t entered your students yet, you can enter them by clicking here. You only need to enter one time to be entered in the drawings.Week 2 Winner Malcolm Long

Volunteer Spotlight
Heather Ulrich is the PTO’s Room Parent Coordinator. In this role, she organizes information about parties, special events, and more so that each class gets specific emails about classroom activities. Heather has been active in the DES community since 2014 and has taken on many roles, including being the Room Parent Coordinator, chaperoning field trips, taking 5th-grade promotion portraits, photographing those special DES events for the yearbook, and helping out for other events as needed! Heather and her husband, Brian, have three children; Irelyn is in 9th at SRHS, Elayna is in 7th at CMS, and Ayda is in 1st at DES! In her free time, Heather can be found at the fields, on the courts, or at the pool cheering her kids and their teams on and coaching too!Coat Drive
DES is hosting a coat drive and has partnered with Mills Parole Elementary School to donate the coats. New and gently used coats can be dropped off in the gift-wrapped boxes in the main office during the month of November or at the Holiday Shoppe on December 1st.  If you have any questions, please contact Jill Rosato at rosatojillian@gmail.com.Community:Bike Rodeo
The Cub Scout Pack 454 will be hosting a free bike safety rodeo at DES on Saturday, November 5th from 9 am-11:30 am. All elementary school-aged kids are invited. See the attached flyer for more information.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 
PTO Executive Board 2022/2023:

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of October 23-29, 2022 

 Calendar:

A look ahead:
Monday 10/31- Class Halloween Celebrations & Parade
Friday 11/4- Fall Book Fair Sales Begin
Tuesday 11/8- Schools Closed-Election Day
Friday 11/11- Skate Night
Tuesday 11/15- PTO General Membership Meeting

The News:

Harlem Wizards
We are happy to announce that some staff from Edgewater Elementary will be partnering with us to join our team! Stay tuned for an updated list of our team members. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you may want to get them before they sell out. We still have seats available in General Admission for $25 each and Reserved Seating for $35 each. All other seating options are sold out. Click here to purchase your tickets now!

Book Fair Volunteers
The Fall Book Fair is coming soon! Be on the lookout for Scholastic Book Flyers, information about our DES Family Social Night, and additional evening hours.  Please consider volunteering for a time slot so we can make this much-anticipated event happen. Click here to sign up to volunteer. 

Raffle Drawings
Our week 2 winner from our drawing is Malcolm L. from Kindergarten! Malcolm won a Harlem Wizard’s Wristband. If you haven’t entered your students yet, Click here to enter your student(s) for next week’s drawing. You do not need to reenter if you have already entered your students in previous weeks.
Week 1 William P

Harvest for the Hungry
This Friday is the last push for our Food Fridays for Harvest for the Hungry food drive. Students are able to bring in non-perishable food to donate to the cause and wear their Gator Gear. Monetary donations are accepted by clicking here. See the attached flyer for more information. 

Volunteer Spotlight
Did you know that we have a School Beautification Committee? Yes, indeed we do, and Committee members are responsible for keeping DES grounds looking sharp and festive. The County provides minimal funding for school landscaping, and that is why many of the plantings, holiday floral decorations, weeding, and mulching is done by volunteers and paid for by the PTO and through volunteer donations.

The Chairs of this Committee are Kjrsten Hersey and Meredith Martin. Kjrsten (pictured in the back row, center) and her husband Brad (back row left) have children, Gray (14), Lulu (11), and Blake (6). She loves to watch her children play sports. Kjrsten enjoys being with family and friends and volunteering alongside them in her free time! Meredith (back row, second from right) and her husband Alex (back row, far right) have two children, Caroline (11) and Wells (9). The Martins enjoy cheering their children in sports, going to the pool, and to the gym.

Both Kjrsten and Meredith love living in Davidsonville and have many friends they consider family. They seek to contribute to the school and community so that all of the children are able to have the best opportunities and experiences

Special Thank You
We would like to express our gratitude to Homestead Gardens for donating our outdoor Fall Decorations to make our school more beautiful. Homestead Gardens has a long history of supporting DES and our community.  Please consider shopping with Homestead Gardens for your holiday needs.

 Community:

Trunk or Treat
The AACoPD will be hosting a Trunk or Treat in Edgewater on October 29th from 4 pm- 7 pm. See the attached flyer for more information. 

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of October 16-22, 2022 

This Week:
Wednesday, 10/19- Unity Day and 2-hour early dismissal
Thursday 10/20- 2-hour early dismissal & Parent Teacher Conferences
A look ahead:
Monday 10/31- Class Halloween Celebrations & Parade
Friday 11/4- Fall Book Fair Sales Begin
Tuesday 11/8- Schools Closed-Election Day
Friday 11/11- Skate Night
Tuesday 11/15- PTO General Membership Meeting

The News:

Harlem Wizards
Ticket sales have begun! We hope you are as excited as we are to attend the event. Have you heard that some of the DES staff will be on our DES team playing against the Harlem Wizards? The AACPS Superintendent Mark Bedell will also be at the event! Grab your tickets before they are gone. Want to see the team we have lined up so far? See the attached flyer for a list of our players. Click here to purchase tickets now.

Raffle Drawings
We have some Harlem Wizards merchandise to give out! No purchase is necessary to win. Drawing is open to only students of DES. Winners will be announced on Facebook and on The Weekly Gator Blast. Our first winner of a Harlem Wizards basketball is William Parker from Ms. Lemmon’s 1st-grade class! Congratulations William! Click here to enter your student(s).

Yoga Club
Attention K-3rd graders! Our Whole Kids Yoga Club is starting soon! Classes will run from October 24-December 19th on Mondays after school from 2:30-3:30 pm. The cost is $130 for 8 classes. Scholarships are available; contact Mrs. Isett for more information. Please see the attached flyer for more information. 

Unity Day
Wednesday, October 19th is the first of the 3 AACPS designated days to celebrate Unity Day. On these days, students are asked to wear the orange t-shirts that the PTO provided. Please contact the office if your student has not received their Unity Day shirt by Monday.

Book Fair Volunteers
The Fall Book Fair is coming soon! Be on the lookout for Scholastic Book Flyers, information about our DES Family Social Night, and additional evening hours.  Please consider volunteering for a time slot so we can make this much-anticipated event happen. Click here to sign up to volunteer.

Boon Supply
Our Boon Supply Fundraiser ends Friday, October 21st! Be sure to get your orders in before it closes. You can shop the catalog by clicking here. Thank you for your support!

Volunteer Spotlight
At DES, the PTO sponsors 2 Scholastic book fairs each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. During these book fairs, students can shop independently or with volunteers’ assistance during their recess times. Parents are also able to come in and shop with students at students’ lunch times. The PTO uses funds raised during the book fairs to keep the book vending machine stocked for students, provide books to the DES library, and provide books from teachers’ wish lists for their classrooms. The book fairs take a lot of volunteers and a lot of planning. This year’s Book Fair Chair is Nicole Derochers. Nicole has assisted with every in-person book fair since 2019 and describes her family as “big bookworms,” so she was excited to take on this role.

Nicole has been active in the DES community since 2019. She has 2 children; Jackson is in 3rd grade, and Kelsey will be joining the DES family next school year.  Nicole has volunteered in the past with the Kindergarten Welcome Wagon, Polar Express Day, being a room parent, and the Book Fair. Her favorite part of volunteering is seeing all the kids together in person and having fun. She especially loves the excitement the students have for the Book Fair. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys reading, mostly fictional & crime novels, going out to eat with friends and family, scrapbooking, and playing cards or board games with her kids.

Student Directory
This is the final call for any changes, omissions, or additions to the student directory. Please make sure you update us with any changes you wish to show in this year’s directory. You do not have to be in the PTO to be listed in the directory, but you do have to be a member of the PTO to receive the directory. If you wish to join the PTO, you can do so at any time during the school year by clicking here. If you wish to pay via check or cash, you can turn it into your student’s teacher in an envelope marked PTO Membership (Be sure to include your family name)

Harvest for the Hungry
Our Harvest for the Hungry Food Fridays is running every Friday in October. We only have 2 Fridays left to support the cause. Students are able to bring in non-perishable food to donate to the cause and wear their Gator Gear. Monetary donations are accepted by clicking here. See the attached flyer for more information. 

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of October 9-15, 2022 

This Week:
Tuesday 10/11- Fingerprinting Event
Wednesday 10/12- Student Pictures
Friday 10/14- Tickets for Harlem Wizards Open
A look ahead:
Wednesday 10/19- Unity Day and 2-hour early dismissal
Thursday 10/20- 2-hour early dismissal & Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday 11/3- Fall Book Fair Begins
Tuesday 11/8- Schools Closed-Election Day
Friday 11/11- Skate Night
Tuesday 11/15- PTO General Membership Meeting

The News:

Harlem Wizards
Join us for an unforgettable evening as the DES PTO brings to you The Harlem Wizards vs. DES Staff and special guest staff from our feeder elementary schools. This is our main fundraiser of the school year, and hope to see all of you there!
When: Friday, December 9th, doors open at 6 pm
Where: South River High School Gymnasium

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 14th at 8 am. You can visit https://pretix.eu/harlemwizards/edgewater/ to purchase your tickets starting Friday, October 14th at 8 am. Ticket prices vary, but range from $25 -$95 each. Click here to read more about the different ticket options. Ticket sales will be open to the public as well, so be sure to get your tickets before they sell out.

Curious about what all the hype is about? Click here to watch a short video of what the Wizards will bring to our community.

Want to win some Wizards merchandise? Click here to enter our drawing. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Winners will be selected randomly and announced on Facebook and the Gator Blast.

Want to sponsor the event? Contact Cathy Rutkowski for Sponsorship opportunities.

Artsonia
Artsonia is a virtual art gallery where Mrs. Lahtinen and Mrs. Wuest will be posting student artwork throughout the year. Parents and family can view the art online, leave comments, and order keepsakes featuring the artwork. The DES art department receives 20% of the sales, and keepsakes make perfect gifts. Please contact Mrs. Lahtinen (jlahtinen@aacps.org) or Mrs. Wuest (mwuest@aacps.org) if you have any questions.

Click here to sign up. If prompted, our school code is XXN6P9FB

Picture Day

Picture Day is Wednesday, October 12th at DES. You can pre-order your photos by clicking here. The link will be live through Friday, October 14th. Paper forms were also sent home with students.

Boon Supply
Our Boon Supply Fundraiser has begun! Did you know that 40% of every purchase and 80% of all online donations go directly to our school? Please support this fundraiser by clicking here to start shopping. Thanks in advance for your support.

Harvest for the Hungry
Don’t forget that Food Fridays is going on at DES for the entire month of October. Students may bring in non-perishable food to donate to our food drive and wear their spirit wear every Friday in October. Monetary donations can be made by clicking here. See the attached flyer for more information.

Volunteer Spotlight
There are many events that occur at DES that you wouldn’t think would need volunteers. School pictures are one of these events. When you send your students to school ready to say cheese, volunteers are working hard behind the scenes to make sure that these events are organized and run smoothly.  The volunteers help to gather classes for their scheduled picture time while assisting teachers to ensure students are in proper order for their photos. This year’s chair for school-sponsored events, which includes Picture Day, is Christie Dowd.

Christie has been active in the DES community since 2019. She is new to chairing school-sponsored events. In the past, she has helped with the Book Fair, class pictures, field trips, teacher luncheons, teacher appreciation week, and the Kindergarten Welcome Wagon. Christie has two daughters; Lilah
is in 4th grade, and Vivian is in 2nd grade.  In her free time, she enjoys baking and decorating cakes, reading books, and spending time outdoors hiking or traveling with her family.

Student Directory
If you need to update your family information or make special requests to exclude anything, please fill out the form by clicking here. Reminder that you do not have to be in the PTO to be listed in the directory, but you do have to be a member of the PTO to receive the directory. If you wish to join the PTO, you can do so at any time during the school year by clicking here. If you wish to pay via check or cash, you can turn it into your student’s teacher in an envelope marked PTO Membership (Be sure to include your family name)

 Community:
Family Events at AACOPD Southern District
The AACOPD is hosting a couple of family events. Mark them on your calendar. They are having a movie night on Friday, October 14th, and a Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 29th. Both events will be at 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater. See the attached flyers for more information.

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DES PTO Gator Blast E-mail
Week of October 2-8, 2022 

This Week:
Wednesday 10/5- Schools Closed for Yom Kippur
Friday 10/7- Boon Supply Fundraiser Starts
A look ahead:
Tuesday 10/11- Fingerprinting Event
Wednesday 10/12- Student Pictures
Friday 10/14- Tickets for Harlem Wizards Open
Wednesday 10/19- Unity Day and 2-hour early dismissal
Thursday 10/20- 2-hour early dismissal & Parent Teacher Conferences

The News:

Harvest For the Hungry-Kids Helping Kids
Help us help Anne Arundel County families as we celebrate “Food Friday” during the month of October!! DES Team of helpers will be ready to collect any food donations as we help combat hunger for local families. Kids can wear their DES Spirit Wear and bring in any nonperishable food items on any/all Fridays in October. Monetary donations are also accepted using the QR code on the flyer. $1 donated = 8 pounds of food. This is a great opportunity for our kids to see how far their kind acts can go! See the attached flyer for more information.

Volunteer Spotlight
Ann-Marie Gnall is one of our wonderful volunteers. She is the Chair for Gator Gear and does all of our designs and a lot of the PTO’s marketing. Over the summer, she also touched up the paint drawings in the children’s hall bathrooms at DES. We are lucky to have Ann-Marie and recently asked her to share a little about herself.

“I have been volunteering with DES for a little over three years. I have two awesome boys, Peter (3rd grade) and Max (1st grade) at Davidsonville Elementary. My husband, Gabe, is also a volunteer – he just doesn’t realize it with all the help he gives me when I’m volunteering. I have helped DES with graphic design (the front entrance mat, T-shirts, misc graphics support. and the gator gear), helped with the book fair in previous years, helped with the wrapping of gifts for the Holiday Shoppe, and tried to help where I could help with various other opportunities. I have also volunteered with the Salvation Army Angel Tree program, Backpacks for Love, and PMI (Project Managers International). I work full time as a Business/Program Analyst and in my spare time design shirts and fabrics, craft, and many other things (gnarllymamadesigns). I really love Davidsonville Elementary; the staff and teachers have really made a big difference in our lives.”

Chess Club
Spots are filling fast for the Fall DES Chess program. If you haven’t registered yet and would like your student to participate, make sure to get them registered before spots fill up. The program is for all grades and all levels! Meetings are held after school on most Wednesdays from 2:30 pm-3:30 pm and run from October 12-January 18, 2023. There is a fee of $198. You can register by clicking here. See the attached flyer for more information. 

*Scholarships are available* Contact Mrs. Isett in our guidance office at cisett@aacps.org for scholarship information.

Fingerprinting Event
DES is happy to offer a fingerprinting event Tuesday, October 11th at DES in the main hallway. The cost is $58.25 and can be paid with cash, credit, or debit cards (no checks).

Slots are every 5 minutes, it is extremely important to be on time!

Background investigations are divided into two categories: fingerprint-supported background checks and commercial background checks. Once a fingerprint-supported background check is performed, applicants no longer need to submit the electronic background check. It’s easy, fast, only needs to be done once, and is good as long as you have students in AACPS.

Who needs to be fingerprinted? Check this link! https://www.aacps.org/Page/1869

Do I need fingerprinting? Q&A https://www.aacps.org/Page/5384

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
If there is not a slot open that works for you, please contact Cathy Rutkowski as we have limited capacity to double book.

Want to help at the event? There are slots for that too! Volunteers will help check people in and copy paperwork. Thanks for volunteering!

Please Support the Teacher Luncheon/Hospitality Committee
We are looking for food/drink donations for luncheons and for the teachers’ lounge. Please click here to access the SignUp Genius link for additional information.

Picture Day
Picture Day is October 12th! We are looking for a few people to assist on that day from 8 am-11 am and 11 am- 2 pm. Please click here to sign up to volunteer.

Volunteers Needed!!
Calling all volunteers! We need your help to provide our kids with fun, enriching after-school activities! Our clubs and programs cannot run without volunteers like you, and without your help, we will not be able to offer these planned activities.

Currently, we have the following clubs, programs, and activities that do not have a chairperson.
-Lego League, 2 levels, K-3 and 4-5
-Newspaper Club – Needs a 5th-grade parent, NO JOURNALISM EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
-Fall Running Club
-School Play/Drama Club
-Spelling Bee and Spelling Club

If you know of a company that would like to host an afterschool club or if you have an idea for an after-school club or activity, please contact us by emailing Cathy Rutkowski.

Student Directory
We are working on getting the directory to all the PTO Members as soon as possible but could use your help. If there are any changes or additions to your information or you wish to have information excluded, please fill out the form by clicking here. You do not have to be a PTO member to be listed in the directory, but only members will receive the directory. If you didn’t join yet, you can still join by clicking here.

It’s Coming….The Harlem Wizards vs. DES Staff, Friday, December 9, 2022!
Tickets go on sale on October 14th! Stay tuned for more information.

 Community:

Movie Night at AACOPD
The Police and Community Together Unit (PACT) is hosting a movie night on October 14th at 7:30 pm at the AACOPD Southern District at 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater. Grab a blanket and the family and enjoy Hotel Transylvania. Snacks will be available. See the attached flyers for more information.

Trunk or Treat at AACOPD
The PACT will host a Trunk or Treat event on October 29th from 4 pm- 7 pm at the AACOPD Southern District at 35 Stepneys Lane in Edgewater. See the attached flyer for more information.