Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year!
On behalf of the TPTO, we want to welcome you to another school year! We are so happy that you are here. If you are new to Tokeneke, please visit the Welcome New Families section of the website. Below is a copy of important information from the first Wire of the school year:
Subscribe to the Tokeneke Calendar!
The TPTO calendar has all our district and Tokeneke dates in one place. Subscribe once and it syncs to your phone or computer, so you'll always know what's coming up! It's an easy way to stay in the loop and connected to the community, before the school year starts make sure you subscribe to the calendar here!
2026-2027 Classroom Teacher Roster:
Kindergarten: Deborah Landsiedel, Lisa Micolo, Allison Mould, and Anna Miller
First Grade: Arley Carr-Harris, Pamela Marsh, and Zoe Foster
Second Grade: Cathy Coudert, Kristen Kuczo, Shanan Murphy, and Melanie Catalano
Third Grade: Patricia Anen, Julia O’Brien, John Woodring, and Tori Sarf
Fourth Grade: Kara Jacobi, Gail Smith, Diana Vinci, and Rose Festo
Fifth Grade: Jenn Vitiello, Amanda Thomas, and Jessica Lametta
Staff New to Tokeneke:
Sally Quesada -Secretary to the Principal
Heidi Johnson - Music Teacher (leave replacement for Mrs. Douglass)
Anna Miller - Kindergarten
Tori Sarf - Third Grade
Jami Tucker - Building Substitute
Irmina Chrzastek - Psychology Doctorate Intern
Lily Graves - Teaching Intern
Opening Days Schedule:
Wednesday, August 26th (Grades 1–5): First day of school. Doors open at 8:25 AM (tardy after 8:30 AM). Full day; dismissal begins at 2:55 PM.
Wednesday, August 26th (Kindergarten): Special "Meet Your Teacher" classroom visits. While students visit classrooms, parents are invited to join me and the Tokeneke PTO in the Common Room for an informational presentation.
Please bring your Kindergarten child to the front entrance at your assigned time:
8:40 AM – 9:25 AM: Last names A–J
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM: Last names K–Z
Thursday, August 27th (All Students): First full day of school for Kindergarten. Full day for Grades K–5 (8:25 AM – 2:55 PM).
New Families Parent Information Session (Grades 1–5):
Families in grades 1–5 who are new to Tokeneke are invited to an informational session (previously referred to as "Parent Coffee") on Friday, August 28th, from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM in the Common Room.
September Calendar Reminders:
Labor Day (No School): Monday, September 7th
Open House (Adults Only): Thursday, September 10th
Picture Day: Thursday, September 10th
Essential Systems & Registration Setup
1. Aspen Portal & AspenGo Mobile Updates:
New Families: Complete account registration via the Aspen Sign-Up Form.
Returning Families: Log in athttps://aspen.darienps.org.
Mandatory Annual Verification: All families must complete the updated contact, medical, and permission workflow in Aspen (available via desktop or the AspenGo mobile app). This includes emergency contact updates (requiring digital signature), Field Trip/Publicity permissions, AUP Technology sign-offs, and medical consents.
For Aspen technical support, email: aspen@darienps.org.
For more information about Aspen and AspenGo, please use this link: https://www.darienps.org/parents/aspen-student-information-system
2. Attendance & Early Dismissals (AspenGo App):
Beginning opening day, all attendance and early departures are managed electronically through the eAbsence system in the AspenGo App.
What to Report in AspenGo: Full-day absences, late arrivals (please include a brief note in the "Description" field), multi-day absences, and daytime early dismissals.
Teacher Notification: If your child is leaving early during the school day, please email your child's classroom teacher in addition to entering the notice in AspenGo.
Note on Early Dismissals: Pikmykid is no longer used for early dismissals during the school day. Reporting daytime early dismissals via AspenGo ensures all attendance records remain centralized in one place.
Transition Period: The phone attendance line (203) 655-9666, prompt #4, will remain temporarily active until December 31, 2026.
3. ParentSquare (Replaces School Messenger)
Emergency closing information and all outward district and school communications will now be sent through ParentSquare. If you still need to activate your account, please go to https://www.parentsquare.com/signin and input the email address that is on file with your child(ren)’s school(s) in the “Register” box. If you run into any issues while activating your account, please contact Caitlin Wardlow, Director of Communications, at cwardlow@darienps.org.
4. Pikmykid Application (End-of-Day Dismissal Changes Only):
All families (new and returning) must register with Pikmykid prior to August 26th to manage end-of-day dismissal methods.
Purpose: Use Pikmykid to make any daily changes to how your child goes home at regular 2:55 PM dismissal (e.g., car pickup instead of bus, walking home, or playdates).
Note: If your child does not ride the bus, set your default to "Pick Up." Contact Sally Quesada (squesada@darienps.org) with registration questions.
Daily Operating Procedures
Arrival:
Supervision begins at 8:25 AM. Please arrive as close to 8:25 AM as possible.
Walkers & Bike Riders: Must cross with the guard at Tokeneke Road and Old Farm Road (on duty 8:15–8:40 AM and 2:50–3:15 PM). Remain on blacktop paths; do not cut across parking lots or bus loops. Bicycles and scooters must be walked on school property, and helmets are required by law. Lock bikes in designated racks.
Drop-Off Procedures: The bus loop off Old Farm Road is reserved strictly for buses during arrival and dismissal hours. Vehicle drop-off occurs along the perimeter loop of the main parking lot. Pull all the way around and drop off curbside. Staff will supervise entry. To walk your child to the door, park in a designated space in the parking lot and use the crosswalk.
Late Arrivals: Students arriving after 8:30 AM must report to the office for a tardy slip before going to class. Please also log late arrivals in AspenGo.
Bus Transportation:
Bus-eligible students (living over 0.5 miles from school) are automatically assigned a route based on home address—no opt-in required. Schedules are published on the district website and in local newspapers.
Kindergarten Bus Tags: Bus tags distributed on day one must be clearly worn on backpacks. An adult must meet Kindergarteners at the stop, or the student will be returned to school.
Transportation questions: Contact Dani Powers (dpowers@darienps.org).
Dismissal Procedures (2:55 PM – 3:10 PM):
Students remaining after 3:10 PM will wait in the main office.
Bus Pick-Up: Students wait in classrooms until called via Pikmykid.
Car Pick-Up & Walkers/Bikers: Car riders dismiss through assigned doors. Returning families, please reuse your vehicle nameplate. New families or those needing replacements should contact Sally Quesada (squesada@darienps.org); use a handwritten family name sign in the interim.
Cutoff Times for Dismissal Changes: All changes to regular end-of-day dismissal methods must be logged in Pikmykid before 1:45 PM (or 11:40 AM on early dismissal days).
Playdates: Playdates require prior parent agreement and must be logged in Pikmykid as an end-of-day "Pick-Up" with the host parent's name. Playdates are not permitted on school buses.
Health, Safety & Campus Policies
Health Information: The health office's primary goal is to support student well-being while minimizing time away from learning. Please work with us to carefully monitor your child for illness, and if they are not feeling well, please keep them home to rest. Review ourSick Day and Exclusion Guidelines. If you have any questions about your child's health or an illness, please contact our school nurse, Kim Martini (kmartini@darienps.org).
To best ensure the health and safety of all Tokeneke students, we follow state-mandated requirements. Please review theHealth Requirements for Enrollment. We encourage you to visit the DPS Health Services and Tokeneke School Nurse websites for answers to any health-related questions you may have.
Sick Child Pick-Up Policy: DPS nurses reserve the right to send home any student who displays signs of ill health or injury. Please be sure your contact and emergency contact information in Aspen is current and accurate, and that you have arrangements in place for your child to be picked up within 30 minutes of notification should they need to be picked up. The school nurse will make every attempt to contact the parent before releasing the child to the listed emergency contact.
Parental Consent Requirement: Children will not be released without parental consent (either by telephone or by authorization through Aspen) to an adult other than the parent/guardian.
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Lunch & Food Policies:
Ordering & Accounts: Lunches are ordered daily in class. We utilize MySchoolBucks for lunch accounts and student activity payments (School Cash Online is discontinued). Manage accounts or restrict snack purchases through Director of Dining Services Meghan Bendish (mbendish@darienps.org). View theTokeneke Lunch & Snack Menu.
Nut Restrictions: Nut products are allowed in the cafeteria, but specific classrooms may be designated "Nut-Free" based on student medical needs. Notifications will be sent by the nurse if applicable.
Non-Food Celebrations: All birthday and holiday classroom celebrations are strictly non-food. Please do not send food items to share. Room parents and the PTO will coordinate alternative celebrations.
Financial Assistance: Review the Free and Reduced Lunch Program Information or contact Dani Powers (dpowers@darienps.org).
Visitors, Volunteers & Campus Access:
Entry: Visitors must enter through the front main doors, present a driver's license at the campus monitor's desk, sign in, and wear a badge. Visits are by appointment only.
Forgotten Items: Drop labeled lunches or items on the table outside the front doors. Staff will deliver them to limit classroom disruptions.
Campus Hours: Fields, playgrounds, and picnic tables are closed to visitors during school hours (open to the public after 4:00 PM and on weekends).
After-Hours Access: Classrooms are locked at dismissal. Custodians and staff cannot open doors after hours for forgotten homework or instruments.
Meetings, Parking & Pets:
Meetings: PPTs, 504s, and nurse conferences can be conducted in person, via Teams, or by phone.
Parking: Visitors must park in designated spaces within the main parking lot. Parking in the bus loop is strictly permitted between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM only. The bus loop must remain completely clear of personal vehicles during arrival and dismissal times.
Pets: Dogs and other pets are not permitted on school grounds between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM.
