Back to School Information

Welcome to
Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus
Elementary School
262 Bates Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55106 - (651) 293-8915 office - daytonsbluff.spps.org

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At Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School, students, staff, parents, and community partners work
together to create a caring community of learners that value diversity, produce high standards of achievement
for all students, practice active citizenship, and prepare a foundation for future success.

WELCOME
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year!  This year at Dayton's Bluff we are excited to kick off a school year "Powered by S.H.I.N.E."!

S.H.I.N.E. is an acronym that stands for Strength, Honesty, Inclusivity, Noble-Heartedness and Empathy!  These are skills students will have opportunities to grow in during their time at Dayton's Bluff and we are excited to explore them more this year.

Before the school year begins, please take some time to read through the following information to help you and your family prepare for back to school.  If you have any questions, please call our office at (651) 293-8915.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Students in grades 1-5 will begin Tuesday, September 8th. Students in grades PK-K will begin Thursday, September 10th.

SCHOOL HOURS
**7:30am-2:00pm**
Dayton’s Bluff students will be allowed into the school at 7:15 a.m. each day. Please do not drop your child at school prior to 7:15am, as there is no adult supervision. We want your children to be safe.

Classes start promptly at 7:30am and dismissal begins at 1:50pm. Please call the school by 1:30pm or send a note with your student if their dismissal plan changes. Students will not be allowed to change their pick up plan without a note or phone call from a parent or guardian.

CALLING SCHOOL
Our school uses an automated phone system.  To reach us, call our main number at 651-293-8915.  You will then be prompted with three options:  Press 1 to reach our Attendance line; Press 2 to reach our Main Office; Press 3 to reach the Health Office.  You can also email us at daytonsbluff@spps.org.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES
The only required school supplies we are requesting from families is a backpack and tennis shoes for your child. In lieu of each student buying individual school supplies, we are asking each student to bring 2 boxes of facial tissue and make a $15 donation to the class for special materials needed. The donation can be given to the classroom teacher as a check or cash.

BACK TO SCHOOL FORMS
SPPS uses an online system for collecting contact and emergency information from our families. You should have received an email from SPPS with information on how to access your account. Please update this information prior to the start of the school year. This also serves as your student's permission slip for many things. If you don’t remember your username you can call our office at 651-293-8915.
If you do not complete the Back to School forms online, we will have paper copies to complete at our Back to School Open House. We are asking that these forms be filled out BEFORE you visit your child’s classroom so please allow for extra time. We will have staff to help families fill out the information as well.

BACK TO SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
We would like to invite you and your family to come and meet your student's teacher on Thursday, September 1, between 5:00-6:30 pm. Teachers in grades 1-5 will be in their classrooms to prepare for the school year and would love for you and your child to stop by and say hello before the year begins. **NEW** Teachers in grades Pre-K and K will be holding a back to school playdate on the playground!  Please see note above about filling out back to school forms BEFORE the event.  Free backpacks will also be available.  

PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN
Pre-K, ECSE and Kindergarten will begin Thursday, September 10th. The office will be mailing home a letter with a time for an individual welcome conference with your child’s teacher on September 8th or 9th. Please call the office as soon as possible if your scheduled time doesn’t work. 

FAMILY HANDBOOK
Dayton’s Bluff has a newly updated Family Handbook. Please take the time to review our handbook. Specifically families should review the policies for cell phones and for food in the classrooms and information from our health office. The school-family handbook can be found on our website at daytonsbluff.spps.org, select "Families", then "Useful Documents".

THURSDAY FOLDERS
Orange Thursday Folders, provided by the school, will be sent home each Thursday. Look for important school and classroom information in the Thursday Folders. Additionally, we send home electronic family newsletters through e-mail on the first Thursday of each month.

SECURITY MEASURES
We have new security features in place when entering the school.  All visitors should enter the building through the shared entrance with the rec center at 800 Conway Street.  There is a new buzzer at the entrance with video before entering the rec center now.  Once you have been buzzed into the rec center, proceed to the school to the right.  You will need to be buzzed into the school as well.  Each time you visit you will need to sign in at the office and receive a guest badge.  The guest badge must be worn at all times during your stay at Dayton's Bluff to ensure the safety of the children.

This also means that young children may have a harder time getting into the rec center.  When dropping your student off, please make sure they are able to enter the building to prevent them from getting locked outside, especially in the colder months.

BUSING INFORMATION
Busing information will be sent out from the district through e-mail. We can also look up your student’s bus info at our Back to School night. Please note, we are not able to let students ride a bus other than their assigned bus even with parent permission.

Also, please talk with your child before the school year begins if they will be riding the bus. Dayton’s Bluff students should stay seated in the same seat the entire ride, be kind to others and safely cross the street at the bus stop. Dayton’s Bluff Elementary strictly follows the district guidelines for unacceptable bus behavior. This may include suspension from the bus.

If you need to reach our transportation department you can call 651-696-9600.

DROPPING OFF YOUR STUDENT AT SCHOOL
Parents dropping off students must do so in the rec center parking lot at 800 Conway Street. No students should be dropped off in the lower Dayton’s Bluff parking lot as those doors are locked.  When dropping your students off, please make sure they completely enter the building as the doors to the rec center will now be locked throughout the day.  Students will need to buzz in to be let in the building using a button to the left of the door.

PICKING UP YOUR STUDENT FROM SCHOOL
Students should be picked up in the lower Dayton’s Bluff parking lot at 790 Conway Street. Staff will be in the parking lot to greet parents and call into the building to have your student sent out. You do not need to get out of your car. Thank you for keeping our kids safe!

WALKING LINES
After-school, we have staff to help students who are walking home. Staff will make sure students safely cross the intersections below.  There is only supervision in the afternoon, not in the morning.

The corners are:
● Third and Arcade - Blue Line
● Euclid and Maple - Red Line
● Euclid and Bates - Orange Line
● Third and Bates - Green Line

CAFETERIA INFORMATION
Free meals are available to all students at Dayton’s Bluff Elementary. Breakfast and lunch are served starting the first day of school.

SAVE THE DATES!
We host family events multiple times throughout the year. Please mark these dates on your calendar and attend if you are able!

All school assemblies are the first Friday of every month starting in October at 8:30am. DB Connects, our parent group, meets right after the assembly!

● Back to School Open House - Sept 3, 5-6:30pm
● Ice Cream Social/Title I Night - Sept 24th, 5-6:30pm
● Fall Conferences - Nov 12th, 3-8pm, Nov 13th 8am-2pm
● Cozy Up and Read Day - Dec 22nd, 8am-2pm
● January Family Event - January 28th 5-6:30pm
● NAAPID - Feb 8th - 8:30am-10am
● Spring Conferences - Mar 25th, 3-8pm, Mar 26th, 8am-2pm
● Spring Celebration - May 13th - 5:00-6:30 pm

Our school-wide calendar can also be found on our website at bit.ly/DaytonsBluffCalendar

Like us on Facebook to stay up to date on events and other information!
facebook.com/SPPSDayton’sBluff