Press Release #43/2020-21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2021

Contact:  David Mustonen, Director of Communications 

  (313) 827-3006  mustond@dearbornschools.org 

Dearborn planning new school start times for fall

As Dearborn Public Schools plans to return students to full time in-school learning in the fall, start and end times for students at all grade levels will change to our new normal.

Classes at Fordson, Dearborn High and Edsel Ford high schools and STEM Middle School will start at 7:50 a.m. and run until 2:45 p.m., with half days ending at 10:55 a.m. First bell allowing students into the building will be at 7:40 a.m.  

Middle schools and kindergarten to 8th grade schools will start at 8:25 a.m. and go until 3:20 p.m., with half days ending at 11:30 a.m. This includes Lowrey School, McCollough Elementary, Salina Elementary and Salina Intermediate. The first bell allowing middle school students into the building will be at 8:15 a.m.

Elementary schools will start at 9 a.m. and end at 3:55 p.m., with half days ending at 12:05 p.m. The first bell allowing students into the building will be at 8:55 a.m.

The other high schools and high school programs – Henry Ford Early College (all programs); Michael Berry Career Center; Magnet High School; and the Dearborn Center for Math, Science and Technology will run from 8:05 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. each day with half days ending at 10:45 a.m. 

Tentative plans for our new Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12 call for each grade to follow the schedule for that building level – kindergarten to fifth at elementary times, sixth to eighth grade at middle school times, and ninth grade and higher at high school times.  Staffing for the program is still being worked out, which could impact the schedule.

For the 2020-21 school year, the district adopted shorter school days while students continued learning at least partially online. The shorter days also meant later start times for middle and high school students. 

Next year’s new start and end times are 20 to 30 minutes later at each grade level compared to the schedule before the pandemic. High school is 30 minutes later, middle school 25 minutes and elementary school 20 minutes.

“For years, we have been looking at ways to move high school start times later because research shows teens learn better later in the day,” said Superintendent Glenn Maleyko. “Returning from the hybrid schedule gave us a perfect opportunity to reset class times to hopefully better meet the needs of all students and families.”

Many factors go into setting the school schedules, including state requirements, family logistics, sports schedules and much more. For example, the district knows many families rely on middle and high school students to care for their younger siblings after school.

Busing also is an important issue in setting the district’s start and end times.  Each of the district’s buses typically run three routes in the morning – one each for elementary, middle and high school. Start times at the buildings then need to be separated enough to complete bus runs for each grade level. Overlapping bus route times would add significant costs for the district by requiring more buses and drivers. The district already struggles to hire enough bus drivers.  Parents who take or pick up their children from different schools also need separated schedules.

Dearborn Public Schools is announcing the new schedule now to give parents time to plan for fall.

“We are truly looking forward to having our students back in our classrooms every day for the coming school year,” Dr. Maleyko said.

Press Release #38 – District launching Dearborn Public Virtual K-12 school in fall

Press Release #38/May 17, 2021

The pandemic forced thousands of students to try virtual schooling for the first time over the last year. For families who feel virtual education best suits their needs, the district in the fall will launch the Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12 School.

This new school will not have its own physical building, but will operate like a distinct school in the Dearborn Public family of schools. Children from kindergarten through high school will be taught by Dearborn Public School teachers following the district’s curriculum, calendar and schedule. Parents interested in the program must transfer or enroll their child by June 8.  Students who ask to transfer  later will be placed on a waiting list and will only be moved into the program if staffing is available. The program is open to any students who live in the Dearborn Public Schools district. 

Dearborn Public Schools plans to start the new school year on Aug. 30 with classes face to face all day every day for students not enrolled in the new Virtual K-12 School.

For the current 2020-21 school year, the district offered families the chance to participate in a new Virtual Learning Program. However, all those students were still closely linked to their home schools and officially enrolled at those schools. 

The new Virtual K-12 School will have its own teachers, and students at all grade levels will attend classes dedicated to online students only. Students will have a full day of live lessons every day.  Elective class options may be limited at the middle and high school level. 

“For most students, face-to-face learning is the best option for the greatest student success,” said Superintendent Glenn Maleyko. “But Dearborn Public Schools has long prided itself on providing a variety of options so students and families can create a unique learning plan to suit their child’s needs.  The new Virtual K-12 School is another way we can do that.”

By early April, more than 7,000 students were enrolled in the district’s Virtual Learning Program.  The district has about 20,500 students. Students currently enrolled in VLP will need to transfer into the new Virtual K-12 if they want to continue to learn online next school year. 

The new Virtual K-12 School will require students to come in to pick up materials periodically and possibly for state-required testing. High school students will also be required to take finals in a school building. 

Virtual K-12 students agree to have their cameras on during class. Students who transfer are committing to attending Virtual K-12 for the entire school year.  Middle and high school students would still be allowed to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities at what would have been their home school in the district (pending state approval for high school sports). Students who graduate from Virtual K-12 will still have their own special celebrations including prom, seniors honors night and graduation.

Parents interested in transferring their child into Virtual K-12 should visit the school’s website at http://www.vk12.dearbornschools.org to learn more. Parents are asked to attend a virtual Zoom meeting about the program before committing to transferring their child.  

“Barring any unforeseen changes, we plan to reopen next school year with full time, face-to-face instruction for our students which is aligned with the current state law,” Dr. Maleyko said. “For parents who want their child to remain online, we encourage them to transfer to this new Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12 before the June 8 deadline.  Because of staffing, we cannot promise to admit those who ask to transfer after the deadline.”

Please see the email that was sent previously, your child’s teacher’s notification or contact the school to get registered.

The program may include STEM, English, Math, Gardening, Nutrition, Yoga, Lunch, Introduction to Neurology, and much, much more.

The program begins on June 23 and continues through August 13 (Monday through Thursday of each week – no Fridays). 

There are two time options:

9 am – 2 pm or 9 am – 5 pm

This program is at NO COST to our families.

1. FTD flowers is offering 50% off a purchase of flowers, with proceeds going to our school. Great for any holiday, especially Mother’s Day!! Click the link here to order. 

2. A Garden Clean-up Day will be Monday, May 10th at 3pm. We are looking for some Snow families who can help clean up the gardens around the school. Please bring your own rake, lawn-waste bags, spade, and clippers, etc…! This would be an awesome Leader in Me activity. 

3. A Kona Ice truck will be coming to the school on June 10th and 11th, from 10am-12pm. Group A and B classes will take shifts to celebrate the end of a great year! More details to follow.

Press Release #37- Free summer learning programs offered to all Dearborn students

Press Release #37/May 6, 2021

Dearborn Public Schools is offering all of its students free summer academic and enrichment learning programs this year.

Elementary and middle school students can participate in the Summer Academic and Enrichment Program. The program for those grades will run in-person, at-school Monday through Thursday from at least 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  As long as there is interest, most schools also plan to run additional enrichment programs from 2 to 5 p.m., which would also be free to students enrolled in the summer academic program.  The program is for students enrolled in Dearborn Public Schools and will run from June 23 to Aug. 13.

Parents need to register elementary and middle school students for the program by May 14.  Those with questions or who want to register should contact their child’s school or visit the school blog for specific information. Registration forms will be shared directly with the parents.  

High school students will have the option later in May to register for free for select classes offered through their home high school. Available classes will include credit recovery and enrichment course offerings. Classes will run Monday through Thursday, with asynchronous lessons on Fridays, from June 28 to July 30. High school summer classes, for this year only, will be free on scholarship as long as the student passes the class. Students who fail the class will lose the scholarship and need to pay a $50 fee. Credit recovery classes will include some courses offered virtually and some in-person at the student’s home high school (Dearborn High, Edsel Ford, or Fordson).  High school enrichment courses for initial credit will only be available in-person at the student’s home high school.

For many years, Dearborn Public Schools has run summer school programs at all grade levels, but typically those programs focus on students who are struggling academically. The summer 2021 Academic and Enrichment program is open to all students. Elementary and middle school students will be provided a longer day and more robust and creative learning environment.

“We know that students have suffered academically and in their social/emotional development since March of 2020 when the pandemic closed schools,” said Superintendent Glenn Maleyko.  “These summer programs are a way to help students recover some of that lost opportunity and to give them more time in our classrooms with our outstanding teachers.”

The district intentionally scheduled longer days for the younger students to assist working families who might not have otherwise been able to participate. With the additional time, teachers plan to create a more hands-on learning environment and incorporate more fun enrichment activities. The elementary and middle school summer program will be held entirely face-to-face, as required by the state when legislators approved the funding through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Act.  ESSER funding is also being used for the high school program, which is why, for this summer only, high school students do not need to pay a fee to make up or take an additional class over the summer, so long as they pass the class.

“We hope many of our families will take advantage of our summer school programs, so we can help children grow and heal after a chaotic year,” Dr. Maleyko said.

Press Release #36/May 3, 2021

Nominations have now opened for the 2021 Alberta Muirhead Teacher of the Year Students Choice Award.  

This annual award is sponsored by the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by LaFontaine Automotive Group. The nomination deadline is Friday, May 28, 2021 at 5 p.m.  The online nomination form can be found at http://bit.ly/DbnTOY2021.

Paper nomination forms can be printed from the district website or picked up at any Dearborn Public School or the District’s Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette St., Dearborn.  Completed forms can be dropped off or mailed to the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce, 22100 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48124 or faxed to (313) 584-9818.  Adults may assist students in completing nominations when necessary.  No more than two teachers may be nominated per student.

Although the district appreciates all the hard work that parents have done this past year to be an active part of their child’s education, this award honors our Dearborn Public Schools teachers.  Students may nominate any new or veteran teacher whom they feel has made an outstanding contribution to the teaching profession. Preschool through second grade students are asked to describe how their teacher makes learning fun.  Students in this category can include a nice drawing, if they wish, but it will not be part of the selection process. Third through fifth grade students must describe how their teacher has created a classroom where learning is positive and fun.  Middle school students (grades 6-8) are asked to explain how their teacher connects classroom learning with everyday life. Students in high school must describe how their teacher is preparing them to be college and career ready.

“In a year where every teacher is deserving of this award, I hope many of our students will take a few moments to nominate their favorite teacher.  Nominating a teacher for this award is a great way to honor them and show appreciation  for  the work they have done to create a meaningful educational experience in the virtual, hybrid, and in-person classroom,” said Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Glenn Maleyko. 

Applications will be assessed on the quality of the nomination, not on the number received.  Award judges are members of the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and are not provided with the teachers’ names. One winner from each category will be announced at a special ceremony to be held at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 4:15 p.m. The Chamber of Commerce delayed this year’s nominations and celebration hoping COVID conditions will improve to allow for an in-person awards announcement in the fall. 

Teachers selected to receive the Teacher of Year Award are recognized as positive role models who consistently provide unique, productive, positive classroom experiences. Winning teachers receive a $1,000 cash prize and a glass award commemorating their achievement. They also will join a select group of Dearborn teachers who have been recognized by the community for their dedication and passion for teaching. 

“I want to thank the Chamber of Commerce and all the sponsors for once again providing this event,” Dr. Maleyko added. “Our district is very fortunate to have so many great community partners.”

Snow Wolves,
We only have 8 more weeks of school and to finish strong we are having an iReady competition!  
Each week the top 5 students with the most minutes will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to Custard  Co. on Monroe Street.  

The Custard Company donated $5 gift card for prizes

The competition begins Monday 4/26/21