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Dedham Public Schools

Back to School Guide 2026-2027

A sign with "WELCOME BACK!" and a red 'D' logo is displayed in front of colorful shelves.

Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year!
This Back-to-School Guide is designed to help Dedham students and families begin the new school year with confidence. On this page, you’ll find everything you need to start the school year smoothly, from important dates and health requirements, to process reminders and helpful links.  We are so excited to welcome new and returning students to Dedham Public Schools!

Please take a moment to explore the sections below. It's going to be a great year!

  • The first days of school will be:

    • September 2, 2026: First Day of School, Grades 1-12
    • September 3, 2026: First Day of School, Kindergarten
    • September 9, 2026: First Day of School, Preschool – 3 day and 5 day students
    • September 10, 2026: First Day of School, Preschool - 2 day students

    Please click here to view the full 2026-27 academic calendar approved by the Dedham School Committee.

  • Kindergarten & Preschool Orientation

    Kindergarten Orientation will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2026
    PreSchool Orientation will be held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026
    Our orientation sessions are an opportunity for students and their adults to visit the ECEC, meet their teacher and learn about important details for navigating the school year successfully.   The orientation session is no longer than 1-hour.   Students are invited to one of two sessions - designated by Classrooms.   Students will have an opportunity to visit the classroom and spend time with their new class, while parent/guardians participate in a brief school overview with Principal Cannon.  Parents will then be invited to join the students to visit their classroom. 

    • Two sessions for Kindergarten Orientation:   9:30am  & 11:00am.   Students will be notified of their assigned orientation time when Class Assignment letters are release in Mid August.  
    • Two sessions for PreSchool Orientation:   9:30am  & 1:30pm.   Students will be notified of their assigned orientation time when Class Assignment letters are release in Mid August.  

    DHS Grade 9 Orientation

    9th Grade Orientation Day will be held on Thursday, August 27, 8:00-12:00pm in the DHS Gym.  Our Link Crew Program will help get your 9th grader off to a great start!   Contact Link director with questions: Julie Sweetman (jsweetman@dedham.k12.ma.us)

    9th Grade Parent/Guardians:  "Coffee and Conversation" for you, from 8:00a-9:00a in the DHS Library on August 27th. You will have a chance to meet our administrators, the counseling team and mingle with other parents. 

     

  • We are always excited to invite families into the schools to visit classrooms and learn more about what students are learning and the spaces they are spending their time! 

    New this year for Elementary families – our District Curriculum Night scheduled for September 10th will include sessions tailored for each grade level K-5, so that parents can learn specifically about the curriculum taught at that grade level and what a day in the life of your students’ learning will look like!      Our Elementary open houses later in September will be focused on meeting educators, visiting classroom spaces and asking questions about the school day.

    • September 10: District Curriculum Night -6:00pm
    • September 24: Elementary Open Houses - 6:00pm
    • October 1: ECEC Kindergarten Open House-5:00pm
    • October 8: DMS Open House -6:00pm
    • October 15: ECEC Preschool Open House-5:00pm
    • October 22: DHS Open House -6:00pm

  • Our district uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text, and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically syncs with our Student Information System to generate an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences for when and how they are notified.

    If you haven’t already, download the free ParentSquare app for iOS or Android, or log in at:

    Sign In Here

     

    Learn more about how to use ParentSquare and get answers to common questions by vising the ParentSquare page on our District website.

  • Here are some helpful notes when shopping for supplies:

    We recommend all students bring a reusable water bottle - marked with their name. All our classrooms and homerooms welcome extra boxes of tissues!

    ECEC & Elementary Students: All supplies will be provided in your classrooms. If there is a special item recommended, your teacher will let you know. If your student has certain supplies they want for the start of a new school year it is okay for them to bring them too!

    DMS Students: Each grade has a recommended supply list based on what has worked best for students in past years. You can find the supply lists for 2026-2027 on the DMS webpage and in ParentSquare.

    DHS Students: Teachers will share any special supply needs during the first few weeks of class. Plan to start the year with a few key basics you've found helpful for your learning style in the past.

  • Bus routes, schedules and stops are still being finalized.    A schedule will be shared with students who have registered to ride the bus closer to the first day of school.  

    Students taking the bus will be issued Bus Passes to help us ensure student safety, accountability and seating. All students will be required to have a bus pass to ride the bus.  Bus passes will be issued by the Transportation Office after the start of the school year.  Parents and bus drivers will be notified when passes are issued and when drivers will start checking for passes. 

    In order to get a bus pass, ALL students riding the bus MUST submit an application - regardless of eligibility, fees or financial aid status.

    If your student is interested in riding the Bus to school next year, please review the eligibility requirements below and then complete the 2026-2027 Bus Application form. All Bus applications must be completed online via PowerSchool. There is NO paper form to fill out.   Review fees and bus application process here.

    ** KINDERGARTEN - Please Note: There is a separate form specifically for Kindergarten bus sign-ups.

  • Please click here to view the full 2026-27 academic calendar 

    Download the printable 2026-27 Academic Calendar 

    School calendars are available on school websites and on ParentSquare

    DPS families signed into ParentSquare can add an event to your personal digital calendar by clicking on the date and selecting the calendar feed where you’d like to add the event.   ParentSquare calendar items will also contain any event information if available.

    A sample calendar interface shows an event on Thursday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with options to add to various calendars.

  • Our LEAP Before and After School Program allows students to participate in a variety of activities in a safe, secure environment. 

    The program is open to students who have registered.  Registration is held in the spring prior to the start of the new school year. Families must re-register through PowerSchool every year. Spot are not guaranteed each year unless students are registered before August 1st. If there is still space available, it will be offered to families on the waitlist.

    LEAP Program Information & Policies Handbook

    • Before School (Grades K-5)
      • 7:00 A.M. until the start of school
    • After School (Grades K-5)
      • School dismissal until 6:00 P.M.

    The LEAP Before and After Care Program is available on early release days for students who are registered for care on that day. On early release days, the elementary school program operates until 6:00 PM, and the ECEC program is open until 3:00 PM.

    LEAP opens early on all Early Release days, with the exception of the day before Thanksgiving. On that day, Morning Care is open, but Afternoon Care is closed.

    During the December, February, and April vacation weeks, LEAP offers a full-day program (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) for students enrolled in the elementary school programs, as staffing allows. The ECEC program does not offer vacation care.

    LEAP Director: Alyssa Freda, afreda@dedham.k12.ma.us 

  • Every Dedham school has a Health Office staffed by registered nurses trained to handle all of the day to day physical health needs of their school. 
    As a key part of an interdisciplinary services team they closely with district and school teams to provide exceptional health services that support every student’s academic success and create a safe and healthy learning environment.  

    When To Keep Students Home
    To minimize the spread of infectious disease and to provide for a safe environment, students should be kept home from school for: 

    • Fever greater than 100° within the last 24 hours
    • Fever should be under 100° for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before returning to school 
    • Vomiting-or-diarrhea within the last 24 hours 
    • A communicable disease 
    • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 
    • New loss of taste or smell 
    • Muscle aches or body aches not due to a known cause 
    • An upper respiratory illness with significant coughing and/or nasal discharge 
    • Pain that requires the use of narcotic medications 

    Visit the Health Services Page to Learn More

    • All students should have up to date immunizations prior to attending school.
    • All incoming 4th, 7th, and 11th grade students are required to submit a new physical exam with up to date immunizations.  
    • 7th graders should have an updated Tdap and Meningococcal vaccine along with their physical exam that includes a vision screen and scoliosis screen.
    • 11th graders should have an updated Meningococcal vaccine along with their physical exam.

     

    DPS Health Offices use the SNAP Health Portal to manage student health records and communications with families. 

    Log In to SNAP Here
    Using the SNAP portal, families can: 

    • Enter or confirm your current contact information.  Make sure we have your current cell phone and or home phone , and, very important, your current email address.
    • Upload a copy of your child’s physical exam form.  You can scan the form from your doctor or take a picture of it with your phone (just make sure the text on the form is readable in the picture).
    • Give permission for your child to have Tylenol/Acetaminophen and Motrin/ibuprofen (OTC medications) at school.  This permission must be given each school year and expires on the last day of school.  
    • Update medical conditions and upload doctor’s notes.  Check the current medical conditions and alerts to see if they are still applicable to your child. Contact your nurse if there is a new condition that must be managed in school. 
    • Communicate directly with your school nurse!

     

  • We make every effort to keep our schools open as scheduled. That said, if we need to close our schools due to severe weather or any other emergency, we will notify families via our mass notification system as early as possible.  Alerts will be sent via email, app, text and phone.

     Learn more about school closings & delays at DPS »

  • Elementary Schools: 

    Teacher assignments for elementary students will be available in PowerSchool by August 21, 2026.  We will also be sharing assignment letters by email through ParentSquare.  Please contact your building principal with any questions or concerns about assignments (school offices will reopen on Monday, August 24.)  Over the course of the last few months, our teachers, administrators and staff have been very deliberate and considerate of a variety of factors that help us determine classroom placements.  Please understand that we will not be able to accommodate requests for changes to classroom assignments. 

     

    Dedham Middle School: Student schedules will be available in Powerschool on August 19th.  Please note that we do not change teams or take requests for schedule changes.  If there is an error in a schedule (example: missing a science class or double booked for the same elective class) please reach out to the grade level counselor for your student. Please note: counselors will not be returning to school until the week of August 24th when they return to work. 

    • 6th grade: Mr. Podolski (kpodolski@dedham.k12.ma.us) 
    • 7th grade: Mr. Quaranto (kquaranto@dedham.k12.ma.us) 
    • 8th grade: Ms. Pedersen (epedersen@dedham.k12.ma.us) 

     

    Dedham High School: Student schedules will be available in PowerSchool on August 19, 2026. Students are encouraged to review their schedules and reach out to their guidance counselors for any necessary changes.

  • Dedham Public Schools uses PowerSchool as our student information system.  

    Login to dedham.powerschool.com Here.

    Login using your parent account. If you have never created or logged into your account, there is no need to create a new account. The District has created parent accounts for everyone using a current email we have for you on file. If you do not know your user name and password, click "forgot username or password" and PowerSchool will send a link to reset your password. If you have any trouble logging in OR you do not see your students listed after you log in, please contact hometechservice@dedham.k12.ma.us for support.

    • Here is a video on how to navigate through PowerSchool for parents/guardians. 

  • To keep learning fresh and help students be ready for the upcoming school year, we wanted to everyone knew where to find the DPS summer work website - with links to resources for students at all levels:

    *DHS Reminders:  

    • In order to earn the 0.5 graduation credit, you must: 1. Read your assigned book over the summer; 2. Complete the reading response form; 3. Participate in the group discussion in September.

    • Students enrolled in AP courses should check the site for coursework assigned over the summer!

    We look forward to seeing you again in September!