Dowling Newsletter - February 6, 2026

Join us for a celebration of African American Family Involvement Day!

In Celebration of National African American Family Involvement Day,  we are excited to invite our Dowling families of students who identify as African American or Black to a special event!

Heart and Soul Drum Academy Assembly

Wednesday, February 11, Dowling Auditorium

9:30 am-10:00 am Family Reception in the Music Room 

10:00 am-10:30 am All Families of all grades and Dowling students in grades 3-5 

10:35 am-11:00 am Dowling students in grades K-2

Please RSVP using this Google Form  

We recognize that some of our families may not feel comfortable attending an event at this time. We hope to see you at an upcoming event this spring.

The mission of Heart and Soul Drum Academy:

~ building bridges across communities connecting youth with the Art of Drumming--cultivating personal development, discipline, leadership & teamwork with respect for self and others that transfers into the classroom, community, and the world. ~

 

 

 

Input Needed for 26-27 Dowling School Budget

Please share your input for the 26-27 Dowling School Budget on the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/q5tX3ojzgQgrYHnF9 

Lost & Found

All lost and found items will be cleared at the end of next week (2/13). Please encourage your student to check for any missing items. 

 

 

 

Quarter Two Report Cards

You are now able to access your student’s report card through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.  If you have not activated your account, please contact the main office for your unique account activation code (GUID). Report cards can also be printed and sent home with your student, upon request.

School Request Deadline: Feb 9

Incoming kinder and departing 5th-grade families: the deadline for the school request first lottery is Monday, February 9th. Please visit https://exploremps.org/ for more information and to submit your requests for the next school year. 

New this year:  Student Placement has incorporated the online registration form into the school request process. If you have a current 5th grade student, or if you would like your student to attend an MPS school other than Dowling for the 2026-27 school year, you will be required to log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to complete the request process. If you have not activated your account, please contact the main office for your unique account activation code (GUID). 

Need support? Please visit Family Tech Support: www.mpschools.org/departments/it/family-tech-support 

Dowling Wishlist

Please check out the Dowling wishlist. We’d be very grateful for any donations!

Night of the Arts

Save the Date! Night of the Arts is an evening for 1st and 3rd grade students to share their artistic talents and what they have been learning in Music and Art class throughout the year. This year, Night of the Arts will be on Monday, March 23. 

1st Grade Performance & Art 6:00 p.m.

3rd Grade Performance & Art 6:45 p.m.

Look for more details as the evening approaches or reach out to Allison Cramer if you have questions. 

Allison Cramer, Music Specialist

allison.cramer@mpls.k12.mn.us

From Minneapolis Kids

Mark your calendars! Upcoming registration dates:

SY 2026-27 Minneapolis Kids Jr - Friday, January 30th at 7am

Minneapolis Kids Summer Program - Friday, February 13th at 7am

SY 2026-27 Before and After School Care - Friday, April 17th at 7am for CURRENT FAMILIES; Friday, April 24th at 7am for NEW FAMILIES 

Questions for Maya Christensen, Program Coordinator

maya.christensen@mpls.k12.mn.us 

Community Education - Afterschool Youth Enrichment

Afterschool News: 

Session 3 (last session) is March 16 - May 13

Afterschool Flyer will be available next Wednesday, coming home in the weekly folders. 

Registration begins ONLINE on Tuesday, February 17th (non-school day) at 6PM

Last session we saw a high demand for our class offerings. We have a limited capacity due to space in the cafeteria, in the building, and staff available to work after school. Please sign up right away for the classes you want and if there is a waitlist please join. Some classes can be added or class sessions made larger. I will move students off the waitlist as soon as I can, based on the order of sign up and if the student is not enrolled in another class. Preference will not be given to siblings enrolled or amount of payment. I will close the waitlist when there is no more chance to add a section or make the class larger.

Note: Students enrolled in Musical Theater (Mondays), Chess and Strategy Games (Wednesdays) and morning Service Learning (Tuesdays) will stay enrolled for Session 3. If your student would like to join that class, join the waiting list and I will admit students where space is available. 

Prices of classes: 

Sliding Scale Fee: To ensure that our high-quality enrichment classes are accessible to all families, Minneapolis Community Ed offers fees on a sliding scale. When paying online, the “Class Fee” represents the amount to cover all costs associated with the class such as: snack, admin support, partnership fees etc. The rates above “Class Fee” allow us to scholarship students at lower rates. Please select the price that works best for your family.

Extended Learning classes (ALC) are taught by licensed teachers, incorporate academic state standards, and are free to all participants.

Minneapolis Public Schools Summer Opportunities 

• Community Education Summer-long camps & Super Summer registration open Sunday, February 22, at 5 p.m. Weekly and summer-long programs on Mondays-Thursdays begin June 22.  
• Common Ground Nature Camp at Dowling, seven weeks p.27 LINK 
• American Indian Scholars at Seward, seven weeks p.28 LINK
• Líderes Bilingües at Whittier, seven weeks p.30 LINK
• Check out the Summer Brochure HERE for all the options. 
• Call the number on each page or 612-668-4444, Nicole Melendez, to get help navigating all the choices. 

Reach out with questions, Nicole Melendez, program coordinator 

nicole.melendez@mpls.k12.mn.us    612-668-4444 , se habla espanol 

From the Library Media Center

I Love to Read Month!

I'll be introducing a fun reading challenge to all 3rd-5th classes this week.  The challenge is to "Try Something New."  Students will be able to win prizes and be eligible for a drawing at the end of the month.  Please encourage your students by reminding them to keep reading and write down their titles. K-2nd grade students are participating  in "I Love to Read" Bingo, which includes home reading opportunities. 

Overdues and Lost Books

I will be sending out overdue/lost book notices soon.  Please let me know if you have questions if your child receives one. 

Reading and Research Resources for Students

Students can access many resources from the Students page of the Minneapolis Public Schools website.  Passwords for home access, as well as additional resources can be found on my Clever page, which all students have access to.

The Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA)  offers the following resources through public libraries:

• Brainfuse HelpNow: A FREE online tutoring service through your Twin Cities metro public libraries for ages K-12.  Adult learning is also available.  Tutors are available 24/7 in both English and Spanish.
• Libby: Borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines in a variety of languages from the MELSA: Twin Cities Metro eLibrary to read on your phone or tablet using the Libby app by OverDrive. 
• Transparent Language Online:  A language-learning online resource with more than 100 languages available, as well as ESL for Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese speakers. 
• Craft & Hobby: Explore in-depth online instructional videos and classes that span 22 different creative categories. Subjects include painting, drawing, woodworking, fitness, culinary arts, gardening and more. This resource includes Craftsy in English and en Español.

Questions?  Contact me through email or TalkingPoints:

Mélina Mangal, melina.mangal@mpls.k12.mn.us

Community Opportunities

Center for Performing Arts Minneapolis: Youth Summer Camps www.cfpampls.com/summer-camps-2026 

From the PTO

February at a Glance

2/9-PTO meeting 6:30-7:30 pm hybrid format

2/11- African American Family Involvement Day Event

2/13-No school for conferences

2/16-No school for Presidents’ Day

2/17-No school for professional development 

School Community Mutual Aid

Students and their families are facing challenges we could not have imagined at the beginning of the school year. Teachers and staff are working overtime to keep our schools safe. In response, our Longfellow Area neighborhood school is raising funds to provide mutual aid for our school community.  Funds will be distributed by the school's PTO to address urgent needs with care and speed. Your financial support, no matter what the amount or where you live, directly supports students and their families. Thank you for standing with our community. If you are in need of funds to cover groceries, rent, utilities, etc. you can reach out to PTO (email below) or use this online form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc40G3gbbU0VP5T0VMjMDXSCjv7uDOHK8mrQfTQ3vhYXSghPg/viewform?fbzx=9112946821560787846

Donate here: https://givebutter.com/community2026

PTO Meeting Monday 2/9/2026

We have a PTO meeting this evening, Monday February 9th at 6:30 pm. We will have hybrid format with in person meeting in the cafeteria and online using the following link (cc option available). Free Parkway Pizza and an area for kids to hang out and color. https://meet.google.com/tcn-ekno-cjg

Get Your Dowling Beanies!

A new batch of Beanies is available to order and we have a new color, sand, joining blue and mustard yellow. Order here: Dowling Merch Store

All proceeds from hat sales go directly to the school to help support additional staff time and more during this difficult period. When you order, note your student’s name and teacher in the note section so we can get them to backpacks when available. 

Read-a-thon start date TBD

We will be delaying the kick-off for read-a-thon this year with the hope that we can start when all students are back to in-person learning format. We are not sure exactly when this will be so please stay tuned to this newsletter and social media accounts (see below). 

Fridays “Stay to Play on the Ramps” from 4:05-5:00 p.m.

Join us for Friday Fun on the Ramps Playground after school to play and catch up with friends. Many thanks to parent volunteer Katie Murray for coordinating this event again!

MembershipToolkit

To get information from the PTO and connect with other families, you'll need to register or update your profile on Membership Toolkit. The district can't share your information, so this is the only way to be included in the school directory and receive important updates. Register here: https://dowlingpto.membershiptoolkit.com

Stay Connected

Facebook page: “Parents and caregivers of Dowling Elementary Students”
Instagram: @dowlingpto
Membership toolkit: Dowling Elementary School PTO
Email: board@dowlingpto.org