Mission & History

The Dingman Delaware Primary School is a special place for kids to learn, play, make new friends,  and start a journey of learning. Our school works hand in hand with our family and community. We learn in a safe and happy place with respect for each other. What we learn today will help us be successful in our ever-changing world.

Kim Butaitis, Principal

Dingman-Delaware Primary School

1375 Route 739

Dingman's Ferry, PA 18328

Phone Number: (570) 296-3130

Fax Number: (570) 296-3173

 

Dingman Delaware Primary School (DDPS) opened on August 31, 1999. It is one of four primary and elementary schools in the Delaware Valley School District. It is unique in that it is the only building in the district that houses just grades Pre-K through second grades. It was built to address increased enrollment on the Dingman Delaware campus, and has consistently had enrollment of between seven and eight classrooms in each grade level, kindergarten through second grade. 

When DDPS opened in 1999, it was led by Principal Dr. Dick Maggs. Victoria McNeely and Thomas Smith both led the building as principal for a short period of time. The building’s current principal, Kimberly Butaitis, has been with the district since 2008, first serving as principal of DVES and then since 2011 as principal of DDPS.

“What is best for the children?” The answer to that question is what has driven the staff of DDPS since the opening of the school on August 31, 1999. DDPS is a community-focused school with many programs for students, parents, and guardians. DDPS serves as a place where all segments of the community can come together for the purpose of enriching students’ lives.

School Days at DDPS

At Dingman Delaware Primary School, the staff focuses on doing what is best for students always, and student learning first. As a building that houses the largest population of the district’s youngest children, it is crucial that we make a positive impact on school life. Everyone working in the building has a special gift for working with young children. It is a very warm and nurturing culture at the primary school. Students take on responsibilities for their learning through a variety of hands-on activities embedded into the district’s curriculum. Often, students will be found discussing and sharing learning with peers and teachers. Students receive 120 minutes or more of Reading activities and 90 minutes of Math activities daily.

A full-day kindergarten program exists within the Dingman Delaware Primary School. The same course offerings are included in the kindergarten as in both first and second grade. In addition to the core content areas, the Dingman Delaware Primary School provides its students with physical education, vocal music, art, guidance, and library instruction. Library enrichment and book checkout times are in addition to the regularly scheduled library instruction time. 

A before-and-after-school tutoring program exists within the Dingman Delaware Primary School. Tutors are either teachers within the primary school or certified teachers from the elementary school. The Primary School also offers a variety of after-school clubs where students engage in activities such as sports, games, crafts, gardening, exercises, and nutrition.

Programs for parents and guardians are an integral part of the operation of the Dingman Delaware Primary School. Title I reading specialists hold parent workshops throughout the school year. Parent-teacher conferences are held once each school year. An art night, during which parents and guardians work on art projects with their sons and daughters, is held annually. Three music concerts are held in the spring of each year. Principal meetings are held for the parents. Information nights, to provide information about new programs or initiatives, are held on an as-needed basis. 

Two co-curricular programs exist within the Dingman Delaware Primary School. A second-grade Odyssey of the Mind team represents the school at a regional competition. The student council is also open to two representatives in each second-grade homeroom. The student council, along with staff members, has been involved in such activities as fundraising for victims of hurricanes, fundraising for UNICEF to assist victims of tsunamis, and fundraising for local families who have experienced tragedies. The student council also organizes activities for various special days, including sponsoring a mitten tree during the holiday season, which is used to gather mittens which are then given to families in need, organizing a St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun hunt, assisting with the distribution of daffodils for the American Cancer Society, collecting shoes for the children in Iraq and Jump Rope for Heart. The students within the Dingman Delaware Primary School have been recognized for their letter writing to wounded soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and veterans at the Veterans’ Hospital in Wilkes-Barre. As part of the regular school day, representatives from second-grade classes lead the school in the Pledge of Allegiance and participate in morning announcements on the DDTV News, which is facilitated and produced by the school librarian. 

The Dingman Delaware Primary School is community-focused. Numerous community organizations use the school after hours, including Cub Scouts, Daisies, and Warrior Extreme Cheerleading. DV-ACE, the school district’s adult and community education program, also holds classes in the evening in the primary school. 

The building principal for the Dingman-Delaware Primary School, Kimberly Butaitis, has been with the district since 2008. She served as principal of the Delaware Valley Elementary School from 2008 until 2001, whereupon she took on the duties as principal of the Dingman-Delaware Primary School. It is not uncommon for the building principal to make classroom visits, participate in classroom activities, and read to students. 

The staff of the Dingman Delaware Primary School consists of a mixture of residents and commuters. The majority of the staff made the move from the elementary school to the primary school. The remaining staff have been hired since the school’s opening. In addition to their teaching duties, staff members also participate in many PTA and school-planned evening events such as the Art Show, Sports Day, Book Fairs, and the annual Eggstravaganza.

The Dingman Delaware Primary School PTA is a school and community-focused organization whose sole purpose is to provide services to the students. The PTA sponsors a Thanksgiving food basket drive every year. The PTA sponsors two assemblies a year, sponsors a visit by a local author during Read Across America Week, holds a movie night, a sports day, and an annual Eggstravaganza. The PTA also coordinates two reading incentive programs a year in conjunction with the fall and spring book fairs. PTA members also assist with field days and provide refreshments for new student orientation, kindergarten registration, and the annual bus drivers’ breakfast. The PTA is an integral part of the school’s annual Awards Program and presents certificates to students for participation in the Reflections program, as well as participation in reading incentives and Citizen of the Month.

The students, parents, guardians, and staff of the Dingman Delaware Primary School make things happen. The school is the center of a community in which most families live in private communities. The school is the only place in the community where all segments of the community can come together for the purpose of enriching our students’ lives.

 

 

Information researched and compiled by Sharon Siegel.