Dahlia Heights Elementary

Welcome to the 2025-2026 School Year

August 5, 2025 - Kristin Shaw, Principal

WELCOME BACK

• We are so excited to welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year! This year will be an amazing year for our students!
• New Student 1st -6th Orientation August 12th at 9:00 a.m.
• T/K Orientation August 12th 11:00 a.m.
• 5/6 Parent Orientation August 12th 2:00 p.m.
• Welcome Back to School - Join us for our Morning Assembly Thursday, August 14th at 8:05 a.m. Parents are welcome!
• Check out our Dahlia Website & Follow us on instagram https://dahliaheightses.lausd.org/

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Daily Schedule

DAILY SCHEDULES

Breakfast is served from 7:40 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. for 1st -6th grade students. TK & Kindergarten students eat breakfast from 8:10-8:30 a.m.

GRADE LEVELS RECESS LUNCH DISMISSAL

Grade TK 09:30-9:50 12:05-12:50 2:38 PM

Grades K, 1, 2, 3 09:55-10:15 12:05-12:50 2:38 PM

Grades UTK, 4, 5, 6 10:20-10:40 12:05-12:50 2:38 PM

Lunch Schedule 45 minutes 20 min eat 25 min. play transition.

• UTK - eat first – play second
• Kindergarten play first – eat second
• Grades 1,2,3 12:10-12:55 eat first – play second
• Grades 4,5,6 12:10-12:55 play first – eat second

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LAUSD STRATEGIC PLAN

EVERY SCHOOL SAFE PRESENTATIONS

LAUSD is committed to providing every student in our District with a safe learning environment. As a part of the Every School Safe: Blueprint for Safety, throughout the 2025-2026 school year, students will be taught strategies to help them recognize concerns and how to ask for help. Students throughout LAUSD will participate in the seven (7) presentations during assemblies, and advisory/homeroom as identified in the table below.

Prior to the student presentations, parents will be invited to a presentation regarding the same topic for that month. Videos will be presented at Coffee with the Principal

Our August presentation for Parents, Students & Staff will be “Creating Welcoming Environments” presented by Mrs. Shaw Principal. This presentation is designed to help students feel connected to their school community and assist with developing positive relationships with peers. Mr. Gordon our PSW/Counselor and Mrs. Shaw will present.

Creating Welcoming Environments:

Building Community and Connection

Building Community and Connection (15:25) https://lausd.wistia.com/medias/9ny4hpmnwl

Dahlia Student Family Handbook

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year!

I’m excited to partner with you to make this year a great success for your child. Your involvement in reinforcing the importance of academics, attendance, and behavior plays a vital role in their overall development and safety. Please take a moment to review the key details provided and keep them handy for reference. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring the best possible experience for your child this year! Our Handbook will posted on our Dahlia Website under the parent page.

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Dahlia Behavior Expectations for ALL ...

• We ask for help if we need it.
• We make sure that we are kind to all students at school and away from school.
• We make sure that we are kind and thoughtful on social media and group text.
• We complete our homework and return it to school.
• We use language that is educational, kind and respectful.
• We observe personal space.
• We always remember SAFE, RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE AND KIND. That’s what Dahlia Doves are!

LAUSD WE ARE ONE

• LAUSD is a sanctuary District and safe zone for families threatened by immigration enforcement

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• Requires protocols for responding to immigration personnel requests for information about students, families, and staff

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• Communications plan and resources will be provided to ensure students feel secure and can thrive academically and emotionally without fear

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LAUSD 2025 : WE ARE ONE

LA Unified 2025: We Are One

Key legal reminders for California public schools:

Non-Discrimination

• All students, including those who are undocumented or come from immigrant families, have the right to attend public school, participate in school activities, and receive a quality education without discrimination.

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Safe School Environment

• Schools are generally prohibited from voluntarily granting access to campus by immigration enforcement officers, in the absence of exigent circumstances, a judicial warrant, or a court order. Schools are prohibited from requesting social security numbers or inquiring about the citizenship or immigration status of students or their parents or guardians, unless explicitly required by law.

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LAUSD WE ARE ONE

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● Confidentiality of Student Information

• Schools must protect the privacy of their students. Schools are prohibited from sharing personal information about students or their family members for immigration-enforcement purposes without a court order or judicial subpoena.

Resources for Families: https://www.lausd.org/WeAreOne

• All resources
• Immigration resources
• Health & Wellness
• Food Assistance
• State & District Policies

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If you or your family need assistance regarding immigration, health, wellness, or housing, please call LAUSD's Family Hotline at (213) 443-1300.

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DAHLIA UPDATES

We are Dahlia Doves

Dahlia Teachers & Staff

Administration - Kristin Phelps-Shaw, Principal

Administration - Natasha Burgos, APEIS

Teacher - Josephine Santana - RSP INCLUSION

Teacher - Ana Espinosa-Rydman - RSP INCLUSION

Teacher -Sitara Falcon & Kathie Ziegler TK

Teacher - Jennifer Miranda TK/K

Teacher - Selma Guerra & Michele DiMola Kinder

Teacher - Carrie Folker, Shakie Gouzoubachian, David Younger - 1st

Teacher - Debbie Lascano & Ripsime Gezalyan 2nd

Teacher - Gabriela Santillan & Daron George 3rd

Teacher - Sharon Codd & Matthew Yorks - 4th

Teacher - Reed – 5th

Teacher - Mr. Hangca 5th/6th combination

Teacher - Mrs. Markor 6th

PSW / Counselor Michael Gordon

School Librarian - Ms. Chao

Dahlia Staff

Adan Penate, SAA

Elsa Medina, Office Tech

Lynn Romero, Nurse 5 days a week

Damian Ulloa, Cafeteria Manager

Teresa Gutierrez, Cafeteria Assistant

Jose Tejeda, Plant Manager 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Marcus Rodriguez B&G custodian 2-9:30 p.m.

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Campus Aides - Ms. Val & Ms. Tracey monitor the front gate, provide supervision of students

Instructional Aides - Ms. Amber, Ms. Jackie, Ms. Kaylie, Ms. Priscilla, Ms. Erica, Ms. Dzelilia,

Special Education Assistants; Ms. Patricia, Mr. Daniel, Ms. Padilla, Mr. Miles

Drop-Off & Pick-Up Procedures

School opens – 7:40 am

• Playground closed in the morning
• Be mindful of our neighbors, and each other. Please follow all safety rules… stop at the stop signs, look both ways when turning and please do not park and or block our neighbors.
• Please say goodbye to your child at the gate
• Late pick-up – grades 2-6 on playground in YS, TK-1st grade in office

Attendance

School attendance is the law per California Education Code 48200. Los Angeles Municipal Code 45.04 expects students to be at school, on campus learning, unless it is for one of the five valid reasons listed below.

Any absence that exceeds three days must be excused with a doctor’s note.

These are the only legal reasons for excused absence:

o Illness

o Medical or Dental appointment (bring a note from the doctor)

o Death of an immediate relative

o Quarantine of the home – must be verified

o Immunization exclusion up to 5 days

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Attendance

Use this table on the next slide to track your attendance progress to meet our goal of 96% or better!

It is important that your child is present at school every day and on time. Here are some suggestions to establish positive attendance habits:

• Create morning and evening routines
• Schedule all appointments for your child during non-school hours
• Post school calendar and schedules in a visible place
• Plan family vacations on non-school days
• Help your child develop a positive attitude towards school
• Communicate with your child’s teacher on a regular basis

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In order to support student achievement, LAUSD has set an attendance goal for all students to maintain a Proficient/Advance attendance rate of 96% or higher throughout the school year. Use

TARDIES Students are considered tardy if they arrive after 8:10 a.m. 8:11 is considered tardy.

3 unexcused tardies is equivalent to 1 absence.

8:11-8:30 Tardy slip issued to student. Teacher will mark tardy on MiSiS.

8:31 and after- Report to the main office. Student will be issued a blue tardy slip and office staff will notate the arrival time and reason for tardiness.

ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE PROGRAM

CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE AWARDS

Classroom attendance incentives are given throughout the year to recognize classrooms with extraordinary attendance.

LEAVING EARLY

Children may never go home early or leave school without being officially checked out by the office. If your child must leave school during school hours for any reason, the parent, or person on the emergency contact, must appear in person at the school office to pick up the child. All adults MUST have a photo ID to check out a child early.

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Going home on the first day of school – please no later than Friday, August 22nd

¤ Emergency Cards

Keep updated (phone numbers & emergency contacts accurate)

Required to provide medical care in your absence

¤ Publicity Authorization and Release

Your consent to post pictures on the website or Instagram

¤ Responsible Use Policy (RUP) for District Computer Systems - without this form signed no computers will be given out to students.

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School Emergency Cards & Forms

Volunteers

Join Our Dahlia Community of Volunteers as an Approved Member of the Los Angeles Unified School Volunteer Program

• We are accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year! New volunteers: Please process your TB Certificate of Completion with a medical practitioner prior to applying. This will expedite your application process. The form you will use is available here. Visit https://achieve.lausd.net/volunteer for more information.
• The 2025-26 School Year : Applicants can apply to become an on-campus. Learn more about the School Volunteer Program by reading the newest version of the Guide to Volunteering , which is available to download at https://www.lausd.org/volunteer . If you need any further information, please contact your Region Family and Community Engagement team or the Los Angeles Unified Family Hotline at (213) 443-1300. 

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Birthday Celebrations

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• A book donation to the class is highly recommended to recognize birthdays.
• If bringing a treat, please notify the teacher a minimum of 24 hours beforehand as the teacher’s approval must be obtained. You may bring one small store purchased individually packaged food item or small goodie bags to share with your child’s classmates during the last 10 minutes of the school day. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE AT THE CLASSROOM UNANNOUNCED ON YOUR CHILD’S BIRTHDAY TO CELEBRATE OR VISIT WITHOUT HAVING MADE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE TEACHER.
• While your child’s birthday is very important, so are the instructional minutes for all the students. No home-made food can be distributed. If making goodie bags, do not include candies, chips or anything with nuts. Book donations, healthy snacks and/or school supplies are recommended. Always check with the classroom teacher for student food allergies.
• As a reminder there are no celebrations before school, during recess, lunch, or instructional day. Only the last 10 minutes of the day.

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Cell Phones

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Usage of cell phones and or apple watches is prohibited by students on campus during normal school hours. Upon arrival at school all devices must be turned off until the students leave campus. Any student caught utilizing a cell phone / apple watch will have the device confiscated and held until the end of the school day. A parent/guardian will have to retrieve it from the main office and/or school principal.

Students in 3rd-6th grade will place their phones/watches daily in a secured “cell home” and will be given their devices at the end of the day.

Cafeteria

• Breakfast is served for 1st -6th grade from 7:40 a.m.- 8:00 a.m. TK.K eat after the bell rings at 8:10 a.m. Students who miss breakfast can get it during recess.
• Breakfast snacks are available at recess
• Breakfast & Lunch are free for all students
• Can bring their own lunch/snacks to school
• School Hot lunch is available
• Special diet - call the school office for a form
• Lunch menu can be found at https://www.lausd.org/Page/462

Please be aware that the menu does not always reflect what students are given on any given day.

After-School Programs

Woodcraft Rangers- TK-6th Grade Students No Fees. Applications for Woodcraft are at Dahlia and were sent home via connect ed on 8/5/25

Beyond the Bell - 2nd-6th Grade Students - No Fees Applications are in the school office, our website and were sent home via connect ed on 8/5/25

E3 Fee Based Program for TK-6^th grade applications www.enrichmentkids.com

We also provided information on programs that happen 1x a week

HAWKS LA off campus – outdoor adventures every Monday from 2:40-6:00 p.m. Students are picked up from Dahlia https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OzkeDTQifEYr7Q0qsYzWN4juKRReFw4U/view?usp=drivesdk

Parker Anderson on campus after-school programs , M-T-W offering science, robotics, chess club etc. Flyers will be sent home when school begins. Registration opens on 8/18

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Upcoming School Events

• TK/Kindergarten Playdate, Sunday, August 10 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Yosemite Rec Center
• Ice Cream Social - August 22nd 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dahlia Playground - free ice cream
• Back to School Night - August 27th at 5:00-6:30 pm
• Admission Day - August 29th ; No School
• Labor Day - September 1st ; No School
• Picture Day - September 18th
• Norm Day - End of the 4th week of school - Sept. 12th
• Unassigned Day No School - September 23rd

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Thank You Dahlia Families

Fundraising Dahlia PTA and Friends of:

• School Counselor (Psychiatric Social Worker)
• Teacher Assistants
• School Field Trips
• Teacher Funded Projects and Supplies
• Enrich LA Gardening Program
• Science Camp for 6th graders
• ANd Many many more -

Join us on Friday August 22nd at 8:10 a.m. for our 1st PTA in person meeting of the year in the auditorium. Come and learn all about the many ways to get involved this school year.

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Parent Teacher Association

Join our Dahlia Heights PTA

Our PTA is a diverse and energetic group of parents, teachers, and staff who are committed to providing the best possible experience for the children at Dahlia Heights Elementary, a public LAUSD school.

https://dahliapta.org/

President: Matt Bratten

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Thank you!

For Being An Amazing Partner in your child’s Educational Journey!