It was so wonderful getting to see the students in-person the last couple of weeks! I’m so thankful to have had that time with them!
As we continue to phase in our Hybrid plan, next week brings a few changes. The week of March 1st–March 5th, per the return-to-school plan, our 5th graders will continue to learn virtually, but with some new times. See below.
VIRTUAL LEARNING Schedule ONLY for the Week of 3/1/21–3/5/21(Some times are subject to change, thank you for understanding.)
As In-Person learning labs continue it is VERY IMPORTANT to pick up and drop off your student on time, and in the correct location. PLEASE SEE THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW FOR THOSE INSTRUCTIONS. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!
Instructions:
1. Please walk your student up to the Upper El doors on the Houston Street side of Snow (DOOR 12), to meet me, Mr. D, at 2:00 pm. Students and parents must wear a mask. Also, PLEASE BE ON TIME, thank you!
2. Please pick your student up at the same door (Upper El doors on the Houston Street side of Snow–DOOR 12) at 3:45. Students and parents must wear a mask. Again, please be on time. Thank you!
3. Students must wear a mask the entire time while in school.
4. Students should bring a water bottle that is CLEARLY LABELED with their NAME ON IT.
5. Students should bring a backpack with their school supplies such as:
Math Learn Book
Math Practice Book
Personal white-board
Close Reading Book Titled: Author’s Point of View
2 books of their choice from home
Pens, pencils, notebooks for writing, folder, dry erase markers, and any other supplies that might be useful.
6. Students will NOT be leaving their items in school. They will bring them back and forth in their backpack.
Snow School Hybrid Learning Return to School Plan!
Following the reintroduction of In-Person Learning Labs from (February 18th-26th), beginning on March 8th, fifth grade students will be back in the classroom for face-to-face instruction using a Hybrid plan. The Hybrid plan will have students attending school IN-PERSON twice a week. Wednesday will be a remote learning day starting at 8:40 am on Zoom.
The class will be split into 2 groups: Group A and Group B. Each group will have their own schedule. The schedules below will explain more thoroughly what a student’s day and week will look like.
Mohammad AbuSabha, Hamza Alaidaros, Hayat Alhajjai, Essa Almaweri, Yousif Almuflahi, Blaire Andrews, Miriam Anwar, Adiba Aun, Mae Aun, Malak Bazzi, William Castillo, Thao Ho, and McKenna Petersen (13 students)
Renata HerreraRuiz, Ayman Hijazi, Xavier Jones, Nour Khalife, Matt Kujawski, Luke Majetic, James Perro, Ali Saab, Mohamed Saad, Lizette Sancen-Lopez, Khaled Shami, Hashim Shareef, and Amira Traore. (13 students)
MORE DETAILS:
Hybrid Model
The Dearborn Board of Education has approved the District Hybrid Model of instruction which will include both in-person and remote learning opportunities for our children. To ensure social distancing and minimize the number of students in a class, students have been cohorted into either Group A or B. Group A, consisting of half of Snow students, will attend in-person class on Monday and Thursday. Group B consisting of the second half of Snow students, will attend in-person classes on Tuesday and Friday. Students will have asynchronous work and remotely attend special area classes on the days that students are not attending in-person classes. On Wednesday, all students will learn remotely from home (like the current mode of instruction). You can learn more about Hybrid Learning Model on the district’s back-to-school website.
Hybrid Class Orientation/Learning labs
At the Learning lab , your child’s teacher will discuss important topics included in this letter, building procedures, procedures that are specific to the classroom, and time for teachers to answer any questions that you may have. In addition, Snow’s Hybrid Informational Parent Meeting will be held on Friday February 19th, 11;30 a.m.
Hybrid Instruction Start Date
Grades K,1, & 2 begin the hybrid schedule the week of March 1.
GSRP (PreK), Grades 3, 4, & 5 begin the hybrid schedule the week of March 8.
In-Person Daily Schedule
Arrival: 9:40 am
Dismissal: 2:15 pm for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students and
2:20 pm for students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.
Schedule for Wednesday and Asynchronous Days
Start time: 8:40 am
End time: 3:35 pm
*Please note, once we begin the hybrid model on March 1st, classroom teachers will no longer hold learning labs for students in the afternoon.
Specials Area Classes and Intervention Support
Special Area classes (Art, Music, Gym, Enrichment & Media) and intervention will be held on asynchronous days. (Group A-Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday) (Group B-Monday, Wednesday, Thursday). **Attending the Zoom Special Area classes on asynchronous days is mandatory.**
Preparing Your Child for In-Person Learning
It has been 11 months since our students have attended classes in-person. There are many feelings and emotions that your child will experience. Together, as a team, we…
Establish a bedtime routine and consistent bedtime to ensure that your child is well rested and ready to learn.
Talk to your child about how they are feeling and let them know that how they are feeling is natural and that there are many that are feeling the same way.
To help your child adjust to wearing a mask for extended periods of time, have your child practice wearing their mask at home.
While the natural reaction when we see someone we miss is to hug them, please remind your child(ren) to refrain from touching, sharing, or holding hands with other children. Such simple gestures that we don’t always consider talking points, could put us at risk.
Family Covid Screening Process
Before your child comes to school on each in-person learning morning, families are expected to take the temperature of all members of your household.
If your child (or a member of your household):
Has a temperature above 100.3 Shortness of breath or fatigueBody achesFever, chills or a cough
HeadacheSore throat or congestion or a runny noseNausea, vomiting or diarrheaHas been a close contact of a person with Covid
Please keep your child at home and call the school office at (313) 827-6850 to notify us of your child’s absence. We urge you to not take any chances. We must approach every situation as a family who is protecting each other from harm.
Arrival Procedures
Students will enter the building using their assigned grade level door, walk immediately to their class and stand on a spot marked in the hallway outside of their classroom. It is important to remind your children that they must remain in their line, on the spot marked, at all times. All hallways have markers on the floor to help students remain socially distanced while walking down the halls. Parents may not enter the building at any time without a scheduled appointment.
Entry and Exit Procedures
All students will line up with their class outside at 9:40 am (first bell). At 9:40 am teachers will walk their classes into the school.
The Pledge of Allegiance will be recited inside classrooms.
Kindergarteners
Line up on blacktop on Culver Street, Door #1
1st Graders
Line up on blacktop on Culver Street, Door #1
Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Grizzell and Ms. Guadiana’s Classes
Line up on sidewalk on Culver Street, Door #2
Mr. DeSantis, Mrs. Majetic, Ms. Reslan, Ms. Sandakli and Ms. Shene’s Classes
Line up on blacktop on Houston Street, Door #12
If it is rainingor the wind chill is less than 20 degrees: Students enter the building through the lobby (Doors 1, 2, and 12) at 9:30am and proceed to line up outside their class. All staff will be outside the classroom, main lobby area, and hallways to assist children as needed. Students are not to get dropped off before 9:30, students will enter at 9:30 and make their way to the classes while maintaining 6ft social distance
Bussing
Bussing will continue to be available for families who live further than one mile from Snow. There will be assigned seating on the bus that each child will have to adhere to in order to ensure social distancing. Again, safety is our top priority. Please advise your children to socially distance while waiting for the bus to arrive. As always, if you choose to forego bussing, you can drive your child to and from school. You do not need to choose one or the other – bussing will be available to you on in-person learning days.
Classroom Set-Up
All classroom furniture has been set up to ensure 6 feet of social distancing and extra classroom furniture has been removed to provide additional space within the classroom. All students will face the same direction and student personal belongings will remain next to each student’s desk. Students will remain inside of the classroom for the duration of the school day with the exception of lunch and recess.
Lunch
Lunch will continue to be provided for all students. Students will have the choice of two daily lunch options. We have eliminated the option for students to take their own items at salad bar stations. Families can send their child with a lunch, if they prefer to. Students will be given the opportunity to use the restrooms prior to coming to lunch. As students enter the cafeteria, they will sanitize their hands under touchless sanitizing stations and sit at their assigned lunch seat. Students will need to bring a water bottle from home. All drinking fountains have been disabled. Water bottles with sports caps work best.
Recess
Outdoor areas have been divided into sections. Each class will be assigned a section where they will spend their recess time separate from other classes.
Dismissal/ Parent Pick-Up Procedures
At dismissal, teachers will bring their class outside and stand at the designated grade-level area. Parents may not enter the building at any time without a scheduled appointment.
Essential Student In-School Safety Expectations
While children will be excited to return to school to see their friends and teacher, please make sure you remind your child(ren) that we must refrain from making physical contact (hugging, high-fives or holding hands) with other children and adults. Additionally, masks must be worn at all times. This is a strict, non-negotiable rule. If a child chooses to break social distancing rules/guidelines, they will be removed from the learning environment. Make sure to discuss these rules with your child, explain the importance of the school safety rules and spend some time practicing these rules/guidelines at home.
Student Waiting Area
If your child begins to feel ill while at school, they will remain in a designated waiting area until he/she is picked up. Your child will be closely monitored in this room to assure they are safe and safety measures are followed. Please make sure that you keep your child home if they feel ill or do not pass the Family Covid Screening Process.
Appointments to Enter the School Building
Snow parents must make an appointment to enter the school building. Call the office at (313) 827-6250 to notify the staff if you need to drop something off for your child(ren) or pick something up. Someone will meet you outside the front doors. This guideline is in-place to ensure socially distancing expectations are adhered to.
Sanitizing Procedures
A schedule to sanitize rooms has been established. All CDC recommended cleaning products and processes will continue to be followed. Remember one of the most critical safety measures is to (1) maintain social distancing, (2) keep masks on and above the nose, and (3) hand washing.
Please know that all of us here at Snow Elementary are working to create the very best learning experience for your child while maintaining the safety of all students and staff.
Hey Team 5th Grade Families! In case you missed the post from our principal, Mr. Abdelfattah, I have posted it below. THIS IS FULL OF USEFUL INFORMATION AS WE PREPARE TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON LEARNING. Also, be looking for another blog post from me later today regarding student groupings and Hybrid schedules. Thank you!
Greetings Snow Families!
We are excited to welcome and see all of our wonderful students and families at Snow. As we move into the next phase, we want to provide you with additional information about the steps that we have put in place to ensure a safe and smooth return to in-person learning. While this return will look and feel different from experiences that we have had in the past, together, we will continue to work tirelessly to support our children both academically and socially.
Hybrid Model
The Dearborn Board of Education has approved the District Hybrid Model of instruction which will include both in-person and remote learning opportunities for our children. To ensure social distancing and minimize the number of students in a class, students have been cohorted into either Group A or B. Group A, consisting of half of Snow students, will attend in-person class on Monday and Thursday. Group B consisting of the second half of Snow students, will attend in-person classes on Tuesday and Friday. Students will have asynchronous work and remotely attend special area classes on the days that students are not attending in-person classes. On Wednesday, all students will learn remotely from home (like the current mode of instruction). You can learn more about Hybrid Learning Model on the district’s back-to-school website.
Hybrid Class Orientation/Learning labs
At the Learning lab , your child’s teacher will discuss important topics included in this letter, building procedures, procedures that are specific to the classroom, and time for teachers to answer any questions that you may have. In addition, Snow’s Hybrid Informational Parent Meeting will be held on Friday February 19th, 11;30 a.m.
Hybrid Instruction Start Date
Grades K,1, & 2 begin the hybrid schedule the week of March 1.
GSRP (PreK), Grades 3, 4, & 5 begin the hybrid schedule the week of March 8.
In-Person Daily Schedule
Arrival: 9:40 am
Dismissal: 2:15 pm for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students and
2:20 pm for students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.
Schedule for Wednesday and Asynchronous Days
Start time: 8:40 am
End time: 3:35 pm
*Please note, once we begin the hybrid model on March 1st, classroom teachers will no longer hold learning labs for students in the afternoon.
Specials Area Classes and Intervention Support
Special Area classes (Art, Music, Gym, Enrichment & Media) and intervention will be held on asynchronous days. (Group A-Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday) (Group B-Monday, Wednesday, Thursday). **Attending the Zoom Special Area classes on asynchronous days is mandatory.**
Preparing Your Child for In-Person Learning
It has been 11 months since our students have attended classes in-person. There are many feelings and emotions that your child will experience. Together, as a team, we…
Establish a bedtime routine and consistent bedtime to ensure that your child is well rested and ready to learn.
Talk to your child about how they are feeling and let them know that how they are feeling is natural and that there are many that are feeling the same way.
To help your child adjust to wearing a mask for extended periods of time, have your child practice wearing their mask at home.
While the natural reaction when we see someone we miss is to hug them, please remind your child(ren) to refrain from touching, sharing, or holding hands with other children. Such simple gestures that we don’t always consider talking points, could put us at risk.
Family Covid Screening Process
Before your child comes to school on each in-person learning morning, families are expected to take the temperature of all members of your household.
If your child (or a member of your household):
Has a temperature above 100.3 Shortness of breath or fatigueBody achesFever, chills or a cough
HeadacheSore throat or congestion or a runny noseNausea, vomiting or diarrheaHas been a close contact of a person with Covid
Please keep your child at home and call the school office at (313) 827-6850 to notify us of your child’s absence. We urge you to not take any chances. We must approach every situation as a family who is protecting each other from harm.
Arrival Procedures
Students will enter the building using their assigned grade level door, walk immediately to their class and stand on a spot marked in the hallway outside of their classroom. It is important to remind your children that they must remain in their line, on the spot marked, at all times. All hallways have markers on the floor to help students remain socially distanced while walking down the halls. Parents may not enter the building at any time without a scheduled appointment.
Entry and Exit Procedures
All students will line up with their class outside at 9:40 am (first bell). At 9:40 am teachers will walk their classes into the school.
The Pledge of Allegiance will be recited inside classrooms.
Kindergarteners
Line up on blacktop on Culver Street, Door #1
1st Graders
Line up on blacktop on Culver Street, Door #1
Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Grizzell and Ms. Guadiana’s Classes
Line up on sidewalk on Culver Street, Door #2
Mr. DeSantis, Mrs. Majetic, Ms. Reslan, Ms. Sandakli and Ms. Shene’s Classes
Line up on blacktop on Houston Street, Door #12
If it is rainingor the wind chill is less than 20 degrees:Students enter the building through the lobby (Doors 1, 2, and 12) at 9:30am and proceed to line up outside their class. All staff will be outside the classroom, main lobby area, and hallways to assist children as needed. Students are not to get dropped off before 9:30, students will enter at 9:30 and make their way to the classes while maintaining 6ft social distance
Bussing
Bussing will continue to be available for families who live further than one mile from Snow. There will be assigned seating on the bus that each child will have to adhere to in order to ensure social distancing. Again, safety is our top priority. Please advise your children to socially distance while waiting for the bus to arrive. As always, if you choose to forego bussing, you can drive your child to and from school. You do not need to choose one or the other – bussing will be available to you on in-person learning days.
Classroom Set-Up
All classroom furniture has been set up to ensure 6 feet of social distancing and extra classroom furniture has been removed to provide additional space within the classroom. All students will face the same direction and student personal belongings will remain next to each student’s desk. Students will remain inside of the classroom for the duration of the school day with the exception of lunch and recess.
Lunch
Lunch will continue to be provided for all students. Students will have the choice of two daily lunch options. We have eliminated the option for students to take their own items at salad bar stations. Families can send their child with a lunch, if they prefer to. Students will be given the opportunity to use the restrooms prior to coming to lunch. As students enter the cafeteria, they will sanitize their hands under touchless sanitizing stations and sit at their assigned lunch seat. Students will need to bring a water bottle from home. All drinking fountains have been disabled. Water bottles with sports caps work best.
Recess
Outdoor areas have been divided into sections. Each class will be assigned a section where they will spend their recess time separate from other classes.
Dismissal/ Parent Pick-Up Procedures
At dismissal, teachers will bring their class outside and stand at the designated grade-level area. Parents may not enter the building at any time without a scheduled appointment.
Essential Student In-School Safety Expectations
While children will be excited to return to school to see their friends and teacher, please make sure you remind your child(ren) that we must refrain from making physical contact (hugging, high-fives or holding hands) with other children and adults. Additionally, masks must be worn at all times. This is a strict, non-negotiable rule. If a child chooses to break social distancing rules/guidelines, they will be removed from the learning environment. Make sure to discuss these rules with your child, explain the importance of the school safety rules and spend some time practicing these rules/guidelines at home.
Student Waiting Area
If your child begins to feel ill while at school, they will remain in a designated waiting area until he/she is picked up. Your child will be closely monitored in this room to assure they are safe and safety measures are followed. Please make sure that you keep your child home if they feel ill or do not pass the Family Covid Screening Process.
Appointments to Enter the School Building
Snow parents must make an appointment to enter the school building. Call the office at (313) 827-6250 to notify the staff if you need to drop something off for your child(ren) or pick something up. Someone will meet you outside the front doors. This guideline is in-place to ensure socially distancing expectations are adhered to.
Sanitizing Procedures
A schedule to sanitize rooms has been established. All CDC recommended cleaning products and processes will continue to be followed. Remember one of the most critical safety measures is to (1) maintain social distancing, (2) keep masks on and above the nose, and (3) hand washing.
Please know that all of us here at Snow Elementary are working to create the very best learning experience for your child while maintaining the safety of all students and staff.
For further information, please contact child’s teacher, myself or our office manager Mrs. Michelle.
Your active involvement in ensuring and maintaining a safe return to school is greatly appreciated.
The first phase of our return-to-school plan is to have In-Person Learning Labs. While this is very exciting, it’s equally important to make sure everyone follows the directions to maintain the highest level of safety for our students and staff.
Quick Info:
Learning Labs are from 2:00-3:45 at SNOW SCHOOL in Mr. D’s room (room 3).
Different groups of 4-5 students each day M, T, Th, F.
There are no in-person learning labs on Wednesdays.
The first In-Person learning lab begins Thursday, February 18th.
See when your student is scheduled for Learning Labs by checking the schedule at the bottom of this document.
I will be wearing a mask, and I will have no more than 4-5 students in the room. Students will be spread out throughout the classroom and properly distanced. Special disinfection practices will be implemented by our custodial services when any students come in. Safety is our top priority.
Instructions:
1. Please walk your student up to the Upper El doors on the Houston Street side of Snow, to meet me, Mr. D, at 2:00 pm. Students and parents must wear a mask. Also, PLEASE BE ON TIME, thank you!
2. Please pick your student up at the same door at 3:45. Students and parents must wear a mask. Again, please be on time. Thank you!
3. Students must wear a mask the entire time while in school.
4. Students should bring a water bottle that is CLEARLY LABELED with their NAME ON IT.
5. Students should bring a backpack with their school supplies such as:
Math Learn Book
Math Practice Book
Personal white-board
Close Reading Book Titled: Author’s Point of View
2 books of their choice from home
Pens, pencils, notebooks for writing, folder, dry erase markers, and any other supplies that might be useful.
6. Students will NOT be leaving their items in school. They will bring them back and forth in their backpack.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
February 16th (Tuesday):HALF DAY for students in the morning. There will be NO LIVE ZOOM SESSIONS. However, IN THE MORNING, students DO have an Asynchronous HALF day of school which means they have assignments that will need to be completed in Schoology. Students are expected to be logged on to Schoology in the morning, and checked in for attendance by 9:00 am. This is very important. Instructions are in the Tuesday folder of this week, in Schoology. There is no school for students in the afternoon.
February 17th (Wednesday): LIVE Zoom sessions begin at 8:55 am like we have been doing.
February 11th (Thursday): This is a District-Wide Asynchronous learning day. There will be NO LIVE ZOOM SESSIONS ALL DAY. However, students DO have an Asynchronous school day which means they have assignments that will need to be completed in Schoology. Students are expected to be logged on to Schoology in the morning, and checked in for attendance by 9:00 am. Instructions are in the Thursday folder of this week, in Schoology.
February 12th (Friday): NO SCHOOL–Mid-Winter Break
February 15th (Monday): NO SCHOOL–Mid-Winter Break
February 16th (Tuesday): HALF DAY for students in the morning. There will be NO LIVE ZOOM SESSIONS. However, IN THE MORNING, students DO have an Asynchronous HALF day of school which means they have assignments that will need to be completed in Schoology. Students are expected to be logged on to Schoology in the morning, and checked in for attendance by 9:00 am. Instructions are in the Tuesday folder of next week, in Schoology. There is no school for students in the afternoon.
February 17th (Wednesday): LIVE Zoom sessions begin at 8:55 am like we have been doing.
If you have ANY questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you ALL so much for your continued support! TEAM 5th Grade is AMAZING!!
Dearborn Public Schools is excited to announce the district has met the COVID measurements set by the Board of Education and will start phasing students and staff back to in-building learning.
Face-to-face learning labs for special education students who are part of the Act 18 program will start on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Learning labs for other students will start later next week. Most staff will report to their buildings starting Feb. 16.
The second week after learning labs start, schools will start reopening to all students for blended learning. With blended learning, students will be in school two days a week – either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday – and will work from home the other days. Wednesdays will be live online classes for all students.
The reopening schedule will go as follows:
March 1 – The first students return for blended learning, including grades kindergarten, first, second, sixth and ninth.
March 8 – More students start blended learning including preschool, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th grades.
March 15 – The rest of students start blended learning including eighth, 11th and 12th grades.
There are a few other date changes to note.
Dearborn Public Schools was able to arrange COVID vaccinations for all the remaining staff who want them on
Thursday and Friday of this week. Thursday will now be asynchronous for all students to allow teachers time to get the shot. Friday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 15 were already days off school for mid-winter break. Students will now have a half day of school on Feb. 16, and teachers will use the other half of the day to prepare to return to teaching students face-to-face. The district earlier canceled the remaining late starts to allow for this half day.
Parents can look for information soon from their child’s school about which days their students will attend and other details specific to the school. Every effort will be made to have siblings attend on the same day. This will be easier to accommodate at the elementary level but may be more difficult across school buildings. Parents can learn more about blended learning on the district’s back-to-school website. Busing and food service will be provided during blended learning.
In October, the Dearborn Schools Board of Education set two COVID measures for when the district would return to in-school learning. First, Dearborn was required to improve to at least a D grade on the COVID risk matrix put out by the Wayne County Health Department. The community improved to that grade in mid January and maintained it on the newest report issued on Monday.
However, the second requirement remained out of reach a bit longer. The positivity rate for Wayne County, outside of Detroit, needed to be at 5 percent or less on the weekly county report. The community met that measure on the report released Monday evening, falling to 5 percent even for last week.
At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, trustees did vote to tweak the reopening plan they have followed since October. Up to that point, the plan had required that the county positivity rate be at 5 percent or lower for two weeks before blended learning started. Trustees removed the requirement for the second week to avoid further delaying the reopening if the positivity were to tick up next week.
Superintendent Glenn Maleyko noted that after schools are open, the decision about possibly returning to an all remote-learning model would be made by the administration. He told trustees that the district would continue to look at the community risk matrix, which includes the positivity rate as one of the factors, but the positivity rate alone would not drive the decision. Other factors that would be considered include evaluating conditions in a particular school and considering the advice of the Wayne County Health Department before deciding to return a building or the district to a completely virtual model.
“We have been preparing for months to reopen schools and are so glad we are finally able to get students back into our classrooms,” Dr. Maleyko said. “Getting vaccinations for our staff is also wonderful news to help ensure their safety as we move toward returning all our students to face-to-face learning. We know that in-school learning is the best environment for most students. However, COVID is not gone. We need the community to continue to be vigilant about wearing masks and doing their part to control the spread of the virus so we can keep our students in school.”
The use of face masks, social distancing, hand washing, cleaning protocols and other safety measures will continue to be followed as staff and students return to the buildings. Although Michigan loosened the requirements for schools to reopen, Dearborn Schools will continue to follow more stringent guidelines. For example, the district will wipe down the interior of buses between each run rather than only at the end of the day. Schools have added signage to the entrances of buildings and throughout hallways to keep all who enter the building safe. Parents are asked to contact their child’s school if they have specific questions about health and safety procedures being followed in the building.