Current & Former Dolphins

 Enjoying ice cream treats outside is a sign that summer will soon be here! We thank the PTA for coordinating this special dine-out fundraiser. Several Dryden teachers enjoyed seeing the surprised smiles of our students when they saw us as celebrity scoopers at the ice cream shop!

 

The South Middle School Jazz Band Ensemble and their director, Mr. Davis, entertained us with captivating tunes and impressive improvisations! It was nice for our current Dolphins to get this taste of what they might get to do in middle school as band students. 

It was also very special to be able to welcome back and celebrate the former Dolphins who were part of this wonderful ensemble!

Speaking of special former Dolphins, we are super proud of these former Dolphins who are graduating high school seniors! We enjoyed welcoming them back to Dryden for our inaugural Senior Walk. Our teachers and students were so excited to congratulate and cheer them as they walked the halls of Dryden and then met in the courtyard for a reception. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors!

Everyday is an Adventure!

What I love about being a principal is that every day is an adventure. Every day brings new experiences - new things to try and new things to learn. Last week, Abby and I got to have our first TV debut! Abby was the guest reporter on a local news station and I was so honored to be one of the people she interviewed. You can view the broadcast by clicking here. I'm so proud of Abby for pursuing her interest in journalism and trying this new experience. She did GREAT!

This awesome group of fifth-grade students had been helping me to update our Dolphin Do's to incorporate the middle school Cardinal Way.  It's been fun talking with them about leadership and what it means to be a leader, too. We played a "caterpillar" game with hula hoops in the courtyard and used this as an opportunity to talk about leading from the front, middle and back.  

Of course, it was fun to take a break and just play with the hula hoops, too!

Our student Environmental Commission invited me to their meeting this week. They have been researching and are interested in reducing or eliminating our school's use of styrofoam trays during lunch. I was so impressed with their presentation! They have been researching the costs of re-usable and biodegradable trays. I'm excited about the next steps we can take together to reduce waste during the lunch hour!

These students caught my attention during recess. They were so proud of their creative constructions! 

Our LMC Teaching Assistant, Mrs. Kenney, is about to embark on a new adventure in her life - retirement! Mrs. Kenney has been a dedicated and outstanding teaching assistant. We are going to miss her, but we are happy that she will get to enjoy being a new grandmother and many other things in her retirement. We wish her all the best!

A World Class Community

It never ceases to amaze me all the wonderful things happening at Dryden throughout the course of the week. 

Our PTA outdid themselves as they treated our staff during Teacher Appreciation Week. Their theme "You Mean the World to Us" was so fitting! A French cafe, a Mexican taco bar, an Italian Buffet, an English tea, and All-American appetizers were the themes for each day. Our teachers and staff work very hard to support our students academically and social-emotionally. It's so uplifting to be thanked and recognized for their hard work in this way! Our bellies and our hearts are so full!

 Bravo to the fifth grade students at their spring band concert! They did a beautiful job playing in rounds and harmony. We can't wait to see what kind of music they will make at middle school next year. This is only the beginning!

What another awesome day for our fifth grade students! Thanks to our PE teacher Mr. Gries' efforts, they were able to participate in a "Mini Monsters" experience led by former Chicago Bears football players. Students enjoyed learning and practicing some of the fitness skills associated with football. 

Teamwork is so important! Students in this leadership club played a cup-stacking game which required communication, teamwork and problem-solving. It was really fun to see them working so well together!

Gertrude and her ducklings have been captivating our students and staff this week! We were excited to see Gertrude and the newly hatched ducklings out and about. 

It was also a wonderful gift to receive this beautiful Hop Hornbeam, a native Illinois tree from the Arlington Heights Garden Club and Davey Trees.

Students read poems and sang a song at our dedication ceremony, acknowledging the beauty, homes for animals and clean air trees bring to our community. 

We greatly appreciate our partnership with so many great people in our community! It's truly the caring people who make ours a world-class community!

Time to Celebrate!

While there is still much learning to do at Dryden during our last month of the school year, we have much to celebrate as we reflect on the school year so far! My how our kindergarteners have grown! They gave an outstanding musical performance on Friday. Bravo!

It was an honor to recognize and celebrate these two former Dolphins /soon-to-be high school graduates and their honored guests at the Arlington Heights Council of PTAs Scholarship Breakfast. They have a bright future ahead of them as they pursue bio-medical and bio-engineering fields in college. 

There is so much beautiful artwork to celebrate at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library throughout the month of May! Many thanks to art teacher Mrs. Fuglestad for her work on this spectacular, interactive trans-digital display of our students' masterpieces. 

 

 

 

 

These two students researched and coordinated a "Walk Off Cancer" and a school fundraiser to benefit the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation. This foundation supports the fight against childhood cancer. Our school community generously donated over $1400 for the foundation!

We strive to celebrate and make every day a great Dolphin Day for our students at Dryden! 

May the 4th be with you!