These are responses to some common questions parents and students are having.

Corona Parent/Student Questions 

1. Will the school year have to be extended because of this break? How long is this time off supposed to last? Are we going to have extra marking periods in the future to make up for this time? Are we going back to school soon? Why don’t we just continue Online School so we can finish regular time this year and start regular time next year? Do you think that they might cancel the rest of the school year and just do online schooling?

I wish I could answer this with certainty, but unfortunately I cannot. Following Governor Whitmer’s order yesterday, what I do know is that school is scheduled to resume on April 14th. Should something change between now and then, I’m certain that some of these other questions will get answered. It’s everyone’s hope to return on April 14th.

1. Since SAT is canceled, how will that affect college applications? Is it really true that there is no SAT whatsoever this year? What about the canceled SAT retakes for seniors? So when are juniors actually taking the SAT? Some seniors who didn’t take the SAT last year need those scores to complete applications?

As of right now, there hasn’t been any communication from the College Board about a make-up SAT. Assuming we return to school on April 14th, and the rest of the nation follows a similar timeline, I would be really surprised if SAT did not offer a spring date for Seniors and Juniors. 

1. Is this gonna impact us with our standardized tests? After spring break schedule? (Is there testing that week or no?)

The MME has been cancelled for this year; therefore, the standardized and alternate testing schedule won’t be used this year. 

1. For students planning to take AP classes next year, when can we expect the AP meeting? For those students (juniors) who were depending on their SAT scores to be qualified for dual enrollment, what are they going to do now? How will we go about dual enrollment ?

Please see the answer to #2 above. For AP and Dual Enrollment, our counselors are putting together electronic information that will give you access and an opportunity to enroll. Should we not have SAT scores from this year, we could use your PSAT scores from last school year as a reference point.

1. What is E2020? Can a sophomore access the E2020? 

E2020 is a state approved online platform that allows students to complete coursework electronically while in school. This platform is generally used for students who need a specific class, but cannot fit it into their schedule when it is offered. It is open to all students, but is only offered as a last resort.

1. Is Senior Honor night still on as scheduled for Tuesday May 26th? Do seniors finish classes still in late May? When will seniors Graduate?

As of right now, we are operating under the assumption that we will return to school on April 14th and all of the important senior dates at this point are still valid.

1. Is prom canceled this year? 

Prom is not canceled this year, we did request and have had it moved to Sunday June 7th.

1. Will we still have finals? Will we have to come in for finals? What will final grades be based on? Will the 4th marking period grade (GPA) be considered as the whole semester’s grade? How is the grading system going to work for this final semester? How is the grading system going to be like this last semester? Will we just have the grades we have right now?

Please see the answer to #1. Assuming we are back on April 14th, we would just resume as best we can and follow the typical timeline for the end of the year, grading, and finals. Should we not return on April 14th, then I’m certain there will be some guidance either from the state or school district in terms of final grades and overall semester grades and credits.

1. Will the assignments teachers give us right now determine our final grade? Let’s say the state reconsiders their decision, and determines that online work can count towards our class credit/grade. Will teachers go back into the gradebook, unmark assignments as “ungraded”, so that they DO count for a grade?

The assignments that you are getting right now will not count for nor against your final overall grade. That said, some of the work is in preparation of what may come so I would strongly encourage you to stay up to date on all of that work.

1. If the work is not graded, do we still have to do them? For our assignments that we have to do, how will our teachers grade them, will we be live with them, how will we be doing, what time do we need to wake up to do it? If our work is not going into the grade book, do we still have to do it?

The work that you have been given is considered enrichment and will not impact your overall grade. I would highly recommend doing the work as not only does it keep your mind sharp, but it may be connected to future learning that will take place. In terms of the timing of completing your assignments, I would seek those answers as best you can from your teachers. Still plan on spending 2 hours or so a day on schoolwork; feel free to space that out for what works best for you.

1. Will you count my college class (dual enrollment) class in my GPA for this semester? 

This depends on the college class, if it is still running, and how that class finishes. From my understanding, those classes at HFC that shifted to an online format will still be calculated. 

1. Will activities that are already set for the 2020-21 school year be moved? Like the ones set for before classes start?

At this point, with us set to return April 14th, everything is still in place for next year. Should something change, then I would hope that the 2020-21 school year wouldn’t be impacted, but I can’t guarantee that.

1. Is there any word on rescheduling the basketball banquet. Is it cancelled altogether or will it also be pushed to a later date? Will football be canceled?

This year’s winter, spring, and next year’s fall sports are all contingent on us returning on April 14th. When we return, the goal would be to resume winter and spring sports and begin training for fall.

Below is some information on stress and anxiety. As we go through these uncharted waters this is a nice reminder that it is okay is you are stressed and it is important to take care of yourselves!

Dealing with stress and anxiety

We know the outbreak of COVID-19 can be stressful and cause fear and anxiety for people. These feelings during an infectious disease outbreak are normal and common. But there are things you can do to support yourself, friends and family members. By working together, you can cope with the stress which will make you and your loved ones stronger.

Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include

• Fear & worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones.
• Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
• Difficulty sleep or concentrating.
• Changes in mood and coping skills.

Things you can do to support yourself

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media.  Repeatedly hearing about the pandemic can be upsetting.
• Take care of your body.  Take deep breaths, stretch and/or meditate. Try to eat healthy, and maintain a daily routine.

Other suggestions include:

• Practice relaxation techniques (see attached).
• Reach out to the DHS school social workers by email to set up a time to  talk (Lisa Cunningham, Lauren Rouff, Stacy Rumler) or call the Dearborn Schools Social Emotional Support line at, 313-827-8500.  In crisis/distress you can also call or text at: 1-800-273-8255/Text ‘Talk’ to 741741
• Journal, listen to music, make art, and/or read. Do something you enjoy or have not had time for.
• Take a walk or  run while maintaining safe distances from others.
• If you have come across a great resource please share it.

Relaxation Techniques 

When a person is confronted with anxiety, their body undergoes several changes and enters a special state called the fight-or-flight response. The body prepares to either fight or flee the perceived danger. 

During the fight-or-flight response it’s common to experience a “blank” mind, increased heart rate, sweating, tense muscles, and more. Unfortunately, these bodily responses do little good when it comes to protecting us from modern sources of anxiety. 

Using a variety of skills, you can end the fight-or-flight response before the symptoms become too extreme. These skills will require practice to work effectively, so don’t wait until the last minute to try them out! 

Deep Breathing It’s natural to take long, deep breaths, when relaxed. However, during the fight-or-flight response, breathing becomes rapid and shallow. Deep breathing reverses that, and sends messages to the brain to begin calming the body. Practice will make your body respond more efficiently to deep breathing in the future. 

Breathe in slowly. Count in your head and make sure the inward breath lasts at least 5 seconds. Pay attention to the feeling of the air filling your lungs. 

Hold your breath for 5 to 10 seconds (again, keep count). You don’t want to feel uncomfortable, but it should last quite a bit longer than an ordinary breath. 

Breathe out very slowly for 5 to 10 seconds (count!). Pretend like you’re breathing through a straw to slow yourself down. Try using a real straw to practice. 

Repeat the breathing process until you feel calm. 

Imagery Think about some of your favorite and least favorite places. If you think about the place hard enough—if you really try to think about what it’s like—you may begin to have feelings you associate with that location. Our brain has the ability to create emotional reactions based entirely off of our thoughts. The imagery technique uses this to its advantage. 

Make sure you’re somewhere quiet without too much noise or distraction. You’ll need a few minutes to just spend quietly, in your mind. 

Think of a place that’s calming for you. Some examples are the beach, hiking on a mountain, relaxing at home with a friend, or playing with a pet. 

© 2013 Therapist Aid LLC 1 Provided by TherapistAid.com 

Relaxation Techniques 

Paint a picture of the calming place in your mind. Don’t just think of the place briefly— imagine every little detail. Go through each of your senses and imagine what you would experience in your relaxing place. Here’s an example using a beach: 

a. Sight: The sun is high in the sky and you’re surrounded by white sand. There’s no one else around. The water is a greenish-blue and waves are calmly rolling in from the ocean. 

b. Sound: You can hear the deep pounding and splashing of the waves. There are 

seagulls somewhere in the background. 

c. Touch: The sun is warm on your back, but a breeze cools you down just enough. 

You can feel sand moving between your toes. 

d. Taste: You have a glass of lemonade that’s sweet, tart, and refreshing. 

e. Smell: You can smell the fresh ocean air, full of salt and calming aromas. 

Progressive Muscle Relaxation During the fight-or-flight response, the tension in our muscles increases. This can lead to a feeling of stiffness, or even back and neck pain. Progressive muscle relaxation teaches us to become more aware of this tension so we can better identify and address stress. 

Find a private and quiet location. You should sit or lie down somewhere comfortable. 

The idea of this technique is to intentionally tense each muscle, and then to release the tension. Let’s practice with your feet. 

a. Tense the muscles in your toes by curling them into your foot. Notice how it feels when 

your foot is tense. Hold the tension for 5 seconds. 

b. Release the tension from your toes. Let them relax. Notice how your toes feel differently 

after you release the tension. 

c. Tense the muscles all throughout your calf. Hold it for 5 seconds. Notice how the feeling 

of tension in your leg feels. 

d. Release the tension from your calf, and notice how the feeling of relaxation differs. 

Follow this pattern of tensing and releasing tension all throughout your body. After you finish with your feet and legs, move up through your torso, arms, hands, neck, and head. 

© 2013 Therapist Aid LLC 2 Provided by TherapistAid.com 

We will be doing our learning online while the school is closed through iLearn. Students should complete the weekly assignments by the week. I will post in google classroom each day to guide you on what to work on, but you only need to work in iLearn.

If you need the enrollment code for iLearn: jynuma

Google classroom code: fufgxdj

Below is a link to the student nominated teacher of the year award–nominate your favorite teacher!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DWpEQWTFrJg_Uoq2Fou-FjSbhN89Wu4V4Dsy3pk8zWc/viewform?edit_requested=true

For more information, click on the next link:

https://firstbell.dearbornschools.org/2020/02/10/nominations-now-open-for-alberta-muirhead-teacher-of-the-year-awards/