Welcome to Dowdall!

August 8, 2025

Hello Dowdall Families!

I hope you have had a fun and relaxing summer. If you have driven past Dowdall this summer you know that our construction team has been hard at work completing our new office and gymnasium as well as updating classrooms and hallways…I can’t wait for you to see the improvements!

In just a few short weeks you can come check it out, it will be time to head back to school!

School starts for all Kearsley students on Monday, August 25, 2025

First day is a half day 8:30-11:40am

Dowdall Open Houses

Second Grade: Wednesday, August 21 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Third Grade Wednesday, August 21 from 4 - 5 pm

Please notice that this letter does not contain your child’s teacher assignment. Again this year, all parents must complete Annual Online Renewal electronically through ParentVue. You will need an activated ParentVue account in order to complete this.

Part of the online registration process is completing the Education Benefit Form (one form per family). It is important that each family completes this form, as it helps us provide many services to our students and families - free breakfast and lunch for all students, EBT cards, academic programs and after school opportunities, etc. See information at the bottom of this newsletter on how to access the form.

Once you have completed the Annual Online Renewal, you will be able to view your child’s classroom teacher assignment on ParentVue.

If you need assistance setting up your ParentVue account or completing the Online Registration, please call our main office (810) 591-2274 or you can email Kearsley Tech: synergy@kearsleyschools.org.

I encourage you to follow the Dowdall Elementary Facebook page to remain up to date on Dowdall happenings.

Thank you for your continued support. We are so excited to welcome students and get rolling!

Respectfully,

Kelly Fisher
Dowdall Principal

Meet Dowdall's Office Staff

Joy Streeter
Administrative Secretary

Debbie Richardson
Clerk

Joe Corkran
Restorative Practices Coordinator

2025-2026 School Year Information

Click the links below each graphic for detailed information.

Kearsley's Back to School Webpage

District Calendar

Looking Forward to Meeting Families at the Open House!

Upcoming Important Events

Student Nutrition

FREE Breakfast & Lunch!

All enrolled Kearsley students are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at NO CHARGE.

Menus are updated monthly, and can be located on the Kearsley Food Service & Nutrition webpage.

If you have questions about school nutrition services you can call (810) 591-5409.

Wellness Policy Updates

Thank you for helping us promote a healthy and focused learning environment!

Outside Food and Beverage

In accordance with our district wellness policy, outside food and beverages - such as fast food, coffee, energy drinks, and other restaurant items - will not be allowed at school. Students are welcome to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Celebrating Student Birthdays

Students will have three fun and meaningful options to choose from to celebrate their special day at school:

🎉 Bring in a non-food treat to share (such as stickers, pencils, etc.)

📚 Bring a book for the teacher to read to the class

🏃 Enjoy 15 minutes of extra recess with their class

In accordance with our district wellness policy, food items will no longer be allowed for birthday celebrations.

What You Need to Know About Busing & Parent Drop-Off/Pick-Up

GENERAL TRANSPORTATION INFO.

Transporting 400 students to and from school can be a tricky business. At Open House you will recieve a card for you to fill out to let us know if your child is a bus or car rider and the bus number.

Please secure the tag to your child's backpack on the first day of school so we know your transportation plan. We ask that you keep the tag attached to your child's backpack for at least the first few weeks of school.

BUS RIDERS

Bus Routes and numbers are available at the link below and are also published in the Community Connection and on the Kearlsey Community Schools website. Please pay close attention to pick-up and drop-off locations, routes have been contracted and your child may have to travel further to get to their bus stop. We will have a representative from the Transportation Department on hand at Open House to answer any questions or you can call them at (810) 591-7623.

Link to Bus Information

It is worth reminding families that riding the school bus is a privilege and unsafe and out of control behavior will not be tolerated.

CAR RIDERS

Here’s what you need to know about using our car loop for drop-off and pick-up:

All car drop-offs and pick-ups happen behind the building in the north loop. Only bus riders will use the front doors. Car riders will enter the building in through doors adjacent to the car loop.

Normally, Tipperary Dr. off of Belsay Rd. is the most direct route to the car loop. While construction on Belsay is happening you will likely need to use Shillelagh and turn left into the loop.

Morning Drop-Off starts at 8:20 a.m. Staff will be out at the loop each morning to begin dismissing students from cars beginning at 8:20 a.m.
Afternoon Pick-Up begins at 3:20 p.m.

Car Tag Info
At Open House you will receive a car tag to display on the driver-side visor at pick-up time.

You can use a rubber band to help keep it secure and easy to see.

If you don’t have your car tag, you may need to show a photo ID. You may be asked more than once—safety is our top priority!

A Few Friendly Reminders:

Please stay in your vehicle during drop-off and pick-up. Our staff will help your child in and out of the car.
Be sure to follow all directions from our staff—we’re here to help and keep everyone safe.

We truly appreciate your patience and support
in helping us keep the process
smooth, safe, and speedy for all Dowdall families!

NEW MAIN OFFICE ENTRANCE

With our new construction we have a new entrance to the building and secured main office.

The new entrance is still adjacent to the main loop but part of the new addition on the right as you travel into the loop. It will be labeled MAIN ENTRANCE.

Early Pick-Up & Late Drop-Off Process

We understand that things come up! If your child is arriving late or needs to leave early, please follow these important steps to help us keep everyone safe and organized:

Late Arrival

If your child arrives after the start of the school day, please walk them to the Main Entrance and check them in. For safety, students should not enter the building alone.

Early Pick-Up:

If you need to pick your child up early, please call the Dowdall office at (810) 591-2274 before 2:30 p.m.
Transportation changes must also be made before 2:30 p.m. No changes can be made after that time.
Early pick-ups must happen before 3:00 p.m. at the front entrance.
After 3:00 p.m., we are in full dismissal mode and can no longer release students early.

We appreciate your help in keeping our end-of-day routines smooth and safe for all students!

Connecting & Communicating with Dowdall

Attendance

Did you know that missing just 10% of the school year—for any reason, including excused, unexcused absences, or suspensions—can have a serious impact on a student’s success? It can make it harder for children to:

Learn to read by 3rd grade
Stay on track in middle school
Graduate from high school on time

At Dowdall, our policy is that students should attend school at least 90% of the time and arrive on time each day. Students who arrive after 8:30am or are picked up before 3:20pm are considered tardy. Ten tardies will become a 1 day absense.

If your child needs to be absent, please call the school at (810) 591-2274 to report the absence.

To have the absence counted as medical, please provide a doctor’s note.

Let’s work together to build strong attendance habits for a successful school year!

Need to Meet with a Staff Member?

Volunteering at Dowdall Elementary

Dowdall truly values the support of our parent volunteers! Throughout the school year, there will be opportunities to help with both school-wide and classroom events. Volunteers are required to complete the "Volunteer Screening Form" for EACH event, party, field trip or sports/activity season you plan to volunteer.

Visit the KCS Volunteer Page to learn more and access the form. Please allow up to 4 business days for processing.

Thank you for being part of the Kearsley community—
we couldn’t do it without you!

Getting Ready for the Start of School

1. Complete the federal Educational Benefits form

2. Review & Update Your Child’s School Account

Update your child’s emergency contacts, health information & verify your contact info is correct through the annual Online Renewal process. This is required every school year and typically takes 10-15 minutes to complete.

Once your child’s account is updated, and processed by Kearsley staff, you will be able to view your child’s teacher assignment or class schedule.

If you need help accessing ParentVUE, please email synergy@kearsleyschools.org. Our tech staff will help you. Emails are returned during business hours.

3. Attend "Back to School" Events

4. Download My Ride K-12 App & Set Up Your Account

Did you know? Kearsley buses travel over 1,000 miles per day. We want every trip to be a safe one for our Hornets!

We are excited to introduce “My Ride K-12.” Using this one-of-a-kind mobile app, you will have access to your student's bus number, driver's name, bus stops and pick up & drop off times. In addition, on the app, you will be able to see the approximate location of the bus on the route. Kearsley’s transportation department can send notifications, through the phone app, of changes that may impact on your student's route.

5. Pack Changes of Clothes

6. Secure Transportation Tag to Child's Backpack

7. Check Out These Helpful Tips for a Great Start to the School Year!

This website has helpful information to support your child as they head back to school - https://www.pbs.org/parents/back-to-school

You’ll find practical tips and ideas on topics like:

A back-to-school checklist
Creating smooth daily routines
Getting ready for the first day
Easing anxiety about returning to school
Lunchbox and after-school snack ideas
Fun after-school activities

It’s a great resource for making the transition into the school year a little easier—and a lot more fun—for both you and your child!

Building Bridges Breaking Barriers graphic

WELCOME! 2025-2026 School Year