Dearborn Public Schools will be providing school-based, in person summer learning programs for K-8 students. Please take a moment to share your information and ideas. Your input will be used to assist in planning and programming .
Parent Survey
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Snow Elementary is using this Parent Survey as a means to elicit your beliefs and opinions to help target areas for the school system to improve and areas to continue to be effective. Your opinion is important to us, and we ask that you take the time to complete this form. The online survey will be available from March 15-March 26 . In order to complete the survey, please click on this link: https://forms.gle/whQTYFprcm8CBxMb9
Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous and your honest opinions are appreciated. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact your school principal. Thank you in advance for supporting our improvement efforts.
Your cooperation and support in completing the parent survey will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely,
Principal
Mohammad Abdelfattah
Girls On the Run
Dear Snow Families,
This program is open to the first 16 girls that register! It will be our second season participating in this program and we will hopefully continue to participate for many more years. If you would like to have your 3rd-5th grade daughter join please follow directions on the attached flyer or go to the link below. Due to the limited number of spots, this will be a first come, first serve basis. Please register as soon as possible! We can’t wait to hit the ground running!
Thank You,
Ms. Guadiana
Ms. Barakat
Ms. Sandakli
Mrs. Massey
Mrs. Charara
Important information regarding remote learning for all elementary students on March 4, 5, 11, and 12
More than 1,400 Dearborn Public School staff were able to get their first COVID vaccination shot on February 11 and 12 at one of two locations. Depending on which vaccination they received, all those staff will need their second shot either three or four weeks after the first dose. Realizing that scheduling the second dose of the vaccine will lead to staff shortages, the district is being proactive and planning four online learning days.
The first two Thursdays and Fridays in March (March 4, 5, 11, and 12) will now be remote learning days where students remain at home. Students should still expect to have mostly live instruction over those four days. Teachers will provide more specific information about their classes closer to that time. Students will still be expected to log into Schoology each of those four days and attend classes and complete assigned work.
The Mondays and Tuesdays of both those weeks will still be hybrid with some students in school. Wednesdays were already scheduled to be remote learning days.
Hybrid learning will still start on March 1 for students in kindergarten, first, second, sixth and ninth grades. On March 8, students in preschool, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th grades will start hybrid learning. Grades eight, 11 and 12 will return for hybrid learning on March 15.
The first two weeks of hybrid learning, students will attend face-to-face class one day that week, either Monday or Tuesday depending on if they are group A or B. Their second day that week now will be replaced by remote learning.
Superintendent Glenn Maleyko announced earlier that the district would likely need to add some remote learning days after the district found out we would be able to mass vaccinate willing staff over two days.
“We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to keep staff, students and families as safe as we can in the current environment,” Dr. Maleyko said. “Learning remotely for these additional days will provide more continuity to students and allow teachers to work around the vaccination schedule.”
“Please know that even after staff are vaccinated, they will continue to follow CDC guidelines including wearing masks in schools, and we will encourage our community to continue to use social distancing and to #MaskUpDearborn until the country is able to get COVID under control,” Dr. Maleyko added.
Art Zoom Link
Ms. S (art) starting March 8th:
https://dearbornschools-org.zoom.us/j/89916458904?pwd=WkpmeTBFbEpnSjRjT2ZTV1pMYk9KQT09
Meeting ID: 899 1645 8904
Passcode: 695787
SORA Reading App
New Video on How to Add the Public Library to Your Sora Ebook Account: https://youtu.be/FwrFgQxquZU
Great news shared today from our representative from Overdrive, the maker of SORA:
I am very happy to inform you that your students are now able to access the Dearborn Public Library through Sora by using their student credentials! Now both students AND staff/teachers can follow this process to borrow public library titles in Sora.
- In Sora, click the 3-bar menu (top-right) and click “Add a public library”.
- Enter Dearborn PL (for the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services) to locate the public library.
- Find a public library title and click on “Borrow” and then “Sign in”.
- Select your own school district (not the library) from the drop down. Please note that this is located about half way down the dropdown list, in the second alphabetical list of libraries.
- Enter the same credentials used to sign into Sora.
Please visit our Resource Center for marketing materials to promote this feature in your schools. Please let me know if you have any additional questions!
Thank you!
Janine Wilcox
Teacher-Librarian
Hybrid Parent Letter
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
In the week before we return to school, teachers will invite parents and students to attend an orientation meeting. At the orientation, 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 raining or 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.
Sincerely,
Mohammad Abdelfattah
Principal
Reminders
Thursday, February 11th will be an Asynchronous Learning Day. Students should go to Schoology to view their learning objectives for the day. Our staff will share learning assignments for students to work on during this day.
On Tuesday, February 16th, students will also work asynchronously in the morning, checking into Schoology and viewing their learning objectives for the morning Our staff will share learning assignments for students to work on during the morning, but due to the duty day, no assignments will be scheduled for the afternoon on February 16th.
COVID Screening Tools for Families
Snow Families,
As we forward to our return to in person learning, our school will be working in partnership with families in order to help screen your children for potential COVID symptoms. As part of the return to school plan, parents are required to screen their children daily. We are asking you to use the COVID 19 screening tool linked below to screen your child daily, especially before coming to school during hybrid learning.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_g_jFUlUcn03yFLY7i9vXF5QbTlh9rlK/view
Thank you for your help and support in helping students return to school safely.
Mr. Abdelfattah