Dilworth Elementary Dragon Fire News Back-to-School Edition

Dear Parents, 

Enjoy the last bits of summer and everything it has to offer because school begins in a few weeks. We have been working hard to get ready for the new year and we can’t wait to welcome the students back to school. 

Listed below is essential information to help us all prepare for the school year. Included is information about Utah School's Guardian Program and updates on the construction of the back field. Please read the email carefully. It is important that we all hear the same information. 

Kindly,

Jill Baillie

At Dilworth Elementary, the safety and well-being of our students and staff are our highest priorities. As part of the Salt Lake City School District's ongoing commitment to school safety, and to comply with Utah House Bill 44 that took effect in May 2026, our school will have an Armed Security Guard on campus during the school day. 

House Bill 44 requires that all schools in the state have an armed guardian present during the school day. As a district, we have hired some security guards to help us meet this obligation. 

Our Armed Security Guard is a professional, trained by Salt Lake County law enforcement and certified by the state of Utah, whose primary responsibility is to help maintain a safe, welcoming, and secure school environment. They work closely with school administration to support campus safety while building positive relationships with students, staff, and families. 

They can help us in a variety of ways by:

This person is not responsible for student discipline or routine behavior management. They do not question, search, or detain students and do not have access to student educational records. Student behavior and disciplinary decisions continue to be addressed by school administrators. 

Armed Security Guards have no law enforcement authority beyond what is permitted to all private persons under Utah law but may (at the school employed) take actions necessary to prevent or abate an active threat from a person who has committed or is about to commit a forcible felony.

We are committed to creating a school where every child feels safe, supported, and welcomed. The addition of our Armed Security Guard is one more way we are strengthening that commitment. We believe that strong relationships, a positive school culture, and proactive safety measures work together to create the best possible learning environment for our students.

We look forward to partnering with our families to ensure that our school continues to be a place where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.

Listed below are the phases for rebuilding our field from the Facilities Department at the District Office.

1) The first phase involved treating and removing the existing grass. This was necessary because the field contained a significant amount of bullheads and other undesirable vegetation.

2) The second phase involved a process known as frazing, which removes the remaining vegetation and organic material while allowing us to achieve the proper field elevations and slopes.

3) The third phase involved installing Dura-Crete, a specialized infield material that helps level the playing surface and provides a high-quality infield mix for improved playability.

4) The final phase will be the installation of new sod in all areas where the original grass was removed.

The goal is to complete the entire project before the start of the school year. We are optimistic that the sod will establish quickly enough for students to begin using the fields when school starts.

A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. Research shows that student attendance is a strong predictor for student achievement as early as elementary school. Students are developing attendance habits as young as five years old. Please make every effort to get your child to school on time, ready to learn. And of course, the famous Cupcake Challenge will be in effect starting in September to help incentivize the students. 

There are two ways to deposit money into your child’s account if they will be eating school lunch:  

1) Pay online by creating an account. Follow this link to enroll.  

SchoolCafé - SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT 

2) Pay Hilarie Sant at the Front Office with a check or cash ONLY. We do not accept credit cards. Please bring the exact amount as we do not have change. 

The classroom placement process is complex, and many factors impact the decision-making process. We strive to create and maintain classroom environments that are warm, structured, nurturing, caring, supportive, and challenging for every child while considering parent’s request. Our staff takes class placement seriously. We assure you that each grade level team (with assistance of specialists, counselor, guidance team, etc.) takes much time, effort and care in developing class rosters that result in offering all children a quality educational experience. 

Kindergarten testing will be conducted during the first two weeks of school. We will not be testing during the summer.   

Our PTA encourages you all to get involved in some way, whether it be in school or helping with projects at home. Please contact our PTA president Mary Rigby, rigby.me@gmail.com, if you would like more information about how you can help. 

It is highly recommended to use the church parking lot across the street from the school as we have a very reliable crossing guard to help the students cross the street. Additionally, the South Parking Lot allows kids to safety cross with our Safety Patrol students. For your convenience, we will station a school employee at the First Grade back doors until 8:47 am to allow later arrivals to enter the school.

We’ve got some great news: school calendars for the next three school years were just approved at tonight’s Board of Education meeting! School calendars for the following school years are now available on the district website: 

To find the printable calendars in English, click on the “Calendars” tab at the top of the homepage, scroll down to “Printable Calendars,” and click on the year you want to see. (We will have PDFs available soon in other languages spoken by SLCSD families and will send another email once those translations have been uploaded.)