Hello Vikings,

Students will have a total of four assignments this week. The proposed schedule is to read a poem each day, Monday through Wednesday, and then work on the writing assignment on Thursday and Friday. 

The first three assignments are reading poems related to our unit theme of “Happiness.” Students will be asked to annotate the text for something specific, which is basically highlighting important lines or writing notes in the margins that help them understand the text. CommonLit allows students to do this electronically, so don’t worry about printing anything. After each poem, students will be asked a few multiple choice questions and one short answer question. Students should restate the question and write in complete sentences when responding to the short answer.

I have included a few videos and a figurative language review sheet for students to use as supports. The videos should be approved by our school librarian within 24 hours, so if it doesn’t play, give it a few hours to be approved.

The fourth assignment will be posted on Wednesday. It will be a writing assignment. The prompt will be “How can we achieve happiness?” We will host a video lesson on WEDNESDAY at 11:00 am to discuss the details of the assignment and the assignment will be posted after the video conference.

For this video conference, we will use Google Hangout instead of Zoom. This has been a request made by the district because students on school chrombeooks cannot download Zoom, but should have access to Google Hangouts. Students will also be required to use their school emails when accessing the Google Hangout, which will help us track attendance. I will post the Google Hangout link tomorrow on Google Classroom. To enter the meeting, students will log into their school accounts, go to Google Classroom, and press the link. I will delete the post with the link after the meeting is done, as I had some students attempting to enter the meeting from last week after it had ended.

Last weeks assignments will be reviewed, feedback will be given, and then returned this week. Students with a score of below a 70% will have their assignments returned to them to make corrections and resubmit. Students with above a 70% can request to have an assignment returned to them to make corrections as well.

Before closing out my weekly update email, I wanted to thank you for your support in this unprecedented time. It is challenging and stressful and you are doing a phenomenal job jugging everything that life is throwing at you right now. As you work from home and try to navigate both your workload and the workload of your children, please remember that we are here to help you. If {student_firstname} does not understand an assignment, please email us. If you are not certain if they are doing something correctly, please reach out and let us help you. If the workload is too much or if something is going to be late, email us and let us know that {student_firstname} might not have that assignment done until Sunday because a sibling needs the computer. Or maybe it is because they are watching their siblings as you go to work because you are an essential worker. We are assigning enrichment and due dates but understand that those dates may not be feasible in your household. Please let us know how we can support you and make this work for your family.

I am in awe of the support we are seeing from families. We could not make this transition to online learning without you.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Megan Timpf and Jeanette Schafer

Good morning all!!! I know that some of you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the work being posted by your teachers. Social distancing and not being able to just go hang out has an affect on all of us. Here is a link to a short video on some mindful breathing to help you refocus and get ready for a new day.

https://www.youtube.com/watchv=2PcCmxEW5WA&feature=emb_title

Good morning all!!! I wanted to share with you the link for the Social Work Iblog. This is available for everyone that could use some support. https://iblog.dearbornschools.org/nourismail/

Hope you all get outside today and enjoy some warmish weather before the rain returns.

The O.L. Smith teachers are working diligently to improve your child’s remote learning experience. Please take a moment to provide your feedback. Fill out the survey below so we can best serve your child’s educational needs. Thank you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ-HOZ40r8uJ8h5S3mz4Wd4A_fWSradXYrqXjMB60exlBdSA/viewform

Have some remote fun with family & friends. Send some photos and messages through Google Classroom. We will post messages along with Grade Level winners.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-8kPsEpLVu64JhBXmJgE4mMoIM_2u3iS

You can fill out your messages survey form posted in Google Classroom. Messages will be posted on the Smith Blog! Please Stay Well!

Click here for a message from superintendent Maleyko https://smith.dearbornschools.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2020/03/No-Matter-What-All-Learning-Counts-3-27-20.pdf

On Monday, March 30, Dearborn Public Schools is changing the format of its free student meal distributions.

Meals will now be distributed three times a week, instead of five.  

Meals will generally be distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. However, the week of April 6 to 10, meals will be handed out on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday, April 10, is Good Friday and a holiday for District staff.

Fewer meal distributions should make it easier for families to get the food while reducing the risk of virus exposure for both our families and our staff. Each food bag will still contain both breakfast, lunch and milk for a child under 18, but now the bag will have food for each day until the next distribution.

The grab-and-go meals will continue to be handed out between 10 a.m. and noon at the same seven schools.  The Dearborn Schools student does not have to attend that school to be eligible for a meal. A designated person can pick up meals for multiple children.  The student does not need to be present.

The distribution sites are Fordson, Dearborn and Edsel Ford high schools; McCollough/Unis; Salina Intermediate; Smith Middle School; and Woodworth Middle School.

The program is allowing the District’s 20,700 students to continue to have access to healthy food. The meals are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s School Lunch Program. Dearborn Public Schools already used the federal program to offer all kindergarten to 12th grade students free lunch and breakfast on school days.

Meal distributions will continue through the state-ordered school closure.  Currently, schools are set to reopen on April 14.

Check firstbell.dearbornschools.org for the latest information on the school closure and the food program.

Below is a link to a video from a teacher at Woodworth about becoming an online learner. If your student is struggling, he provides some tips and strategies for being a successful online learner. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7vBTewSjO0