Please make sure you are signed up for the Snow School blog since this is how you will receive information this year.

snow.dearbornschools.org

Hello,

Chromebook distributions will happen the first week of school along with supply distribution. Details will be posted on the school blog,  https://snow.dearbornschools.org/.  Thank you:)

Amal Alcodray, Principal

Welcome Back!

Greetings Snow Community,

I would like to welcome you to the 2020-2021 school year.  Although this is an extraordinary start, I am optimistic that together we will make this a great and successful school year!  I will work to get Snow off to a positive start before I transition to the Human Resources Department in October when the new principal will take over.

In this letter, I will attempt to answer some questions that I have received thus far.  I will continue to communicate information as I receive it on the school blog.  It is imperative that all Snow families subscribe to the school blog for fast and accurate information as things may change throughout the school year. I urge all families to stay connected! https://snow.dearbornschools.org/.  

Registration

If your child is still not registered, please be sure to get registered immediately.  Here is the district link to registering.     https://dearbornschools.org/services/enroll/  Please contact the Snow school office if you have any questions at 313-827-6250.

For students who opted-in for the Virtual Learning Program (VLP), please remember that this is separate from Snow but will be facilitated by highly qualified Dearborn Teachers.     

School Year Calendar

Below is the link to the 2020-2021 school year calendar.  The first week of the school has been amended to all half days to provide teachers with additional planning and collaborative time.  https://dearbornschools.org/services/district-calendars/

Attendance

Start and end times have been amended for remote learning.  The new times for remote learning are 8:55am-3:50pm and from 8:55am-12:00 pm on half days.  Students are expected to be online where they will be live with their classroom teacher at 8:55 am daily. Please communicate with your child’s teacher regarding potential absences.

Student Placement & Orientation

To ensure social distancing, we will not be posting student rosters on school doors as in the past.  Instead, you will receive a welcome email from your child’s teacher on Friday, August 28th.  It is essential that your email is accurate in ParentConnect to receive important communications.  If you need to update your email, Login to ParentConnect and change it under the ‘My Account’ option.  If you cannot login to ParentConnect, please contact Snow school and we will update this for you.

The Snow team has worked extremely hard to create well-balanced student rosters while taking into consideration the needs of all students as a whole and individually.  If you would like to share specific information about your child’s needs, please contact their teacher.  Our dedicated teachers are accommodating and understand that this is a difficult time for all of our families.  Please stay tuned for more information (including date/time) regarding orientations as it will look different this year.  

Remote Start Learning

As you may know, we are starting this year with 100% online learning until at least the week of October 1st. At this time, the Covid situation will be reassessed by the district.  Traditional grading will be implemented.

• Chromebook distribution and supply distribution will happen the first week of school.  Details will be posted on the school blog.
• Platforms: Schoology and Zoom, more information will be shared when available
• Online Hours: full days 8:55 am-3:50 pm

half days 8:55 am-12:00 pm

• Schedule: a consistent & structured schedule will be shared during the first week of school. The schedule will include live instruction/breaks/learning labs & independent work times embedded in the school day.
• Learning Labs: will be virtual and/or optional in-person support, both 1-1 & small groups beginning 9/21/20, stay tuned for more information regarding logistics and protocols 

Important Reminders & Dates

• Subscribe to the Snow blog! https://snow.dearbornschools.org/
• We highly recommend that each student have a device to utilize for online learning.  Please assess whether or not you are in need of borrowing a school device. We will announce a distribution date soon.
• Week 1 (8/31-9/3): all half days from 8:55am-12:00pm, it will be a soft start with the first week.
• Please establish routines with your child that include consistent bedtime and morning practices and inform them that they will need to be online daily at 8:55am for live instruction with their teacher.  I also encourage you to identify/create quiet spaces/work stations for your child(ren) to support online learning.

Remember, this is a global pandemic and an unprecedented time.  We will work to support all students. Together, with patience, communication and collaboration, we will get through this!

Thank you,  

Amal Alcodray

Principal

Greetings Parents,  

On Monday, August 10 the Board of Education approved a plan for all Dearborn Public School students to return to school on-line. Students K-12 will take classes online at least until October 1.  At this time the board will reevaluate conditions to see if it is possible for some or all students to begin returning to their classrooms perhaps in a blended model of in-class and on-line learning.

The District understands there are parents who want their children in a 100% virtual learning program no matter what phase the State is in or how other students in the District are attending school.  For the parents who want a 100% on-line option for the entire school year, the school district has created the Dearborn Virtual Learning Program for students K-12.  Parents selecting this option are opting their children into the program for a one-year commitment. 

In order to meet staffing, transportation, and several other components of our new school environment, it is vitally important to know how many students will join the Virtual Program. Parents seeking more information and/or are interested in opting their child/children in this program are highly encouraged to visit Snow Elementary School on the Culver side on Friday, August 14 from 9am-2pm. School administration and staff will be on handfor enrollment/questions. (This will take place outside with social distancing and masks will be enforced). If you have children at different grade levels and buildings, you do not need to attend meetings at multiple schools.  Opt-in forms will be available and parents can opt-in all their children at one location.

If you are not comfortable meeting in a safe environment at the school or are unable to attend on one of the scheduled days, please call or email the school so we may discuss this option and begin the opt-in process for your children.

We understand there are many questions, concerns, and uncertainties as we approach the start of the school year.  Our Back to School Reopen Committee has spent many hours considering all of the health, safety, logistical, and educational concerns before making their recommendations. Our Board spent many hours reviewing those recommendations including a six hour Study Session to hear from the various sub-committees and stakeholders.  We are now ready to move forward, together, to ensure what will be an interesting, but great, start to the 2020-21 school year. 

Thank you.

Thursday, June 11 is the last ½ day of school for students.  The Snow staff would like to say goodbye to students for summer time by standing along Culver Street at  11:00am on June 11.  Staff will be waving goodbye and sending their best wishes to all Snow students.  We are asking any family that chooses to participate to drive south down Culver at this time and wave to staff and honk their horns!  

Dear Snow Families,

If you are still interested in picking up your child’s supplies, please call the Snow office between 8am and 3pm on June 11 and 12. If there is no answer, please keep trying as there only one person in the office. We will arrange a pick-up time for you.

Snow Office

Dear Parent/Guardian,

       According to Johns Hopkins University, the effects of summer learning loss can result in nearly a three-month loss in grade-level equivalency in math and a two-month loss in grade-level equivalency in reading. 

 As a result of the school shut down, estimates suggest students will return in the fall 2020 with roughly 70% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year.  However in mathematics, students are likely to show much smaller learning gains and in some grades, nearly a full year behind what we would observe in normal conditions. In order to close the summer learning loss gap in reading and math, students should be reading on a daily basis and or completing math activities. Below are recommended reading list/activities. 

Thank you so much for supporting your child’s development through summer learning.

أولياء الأمور و الأوصياء الأعزاء:

بناءً على دراسة لجامعة جون هوبكنز إن  الانقطاع عن الدراسة خلال الصيف  قد يسفر عن تراجع الطالب بما يعادل فترة زمنية قد تصل إلى الثلاثة  أشهر تقريبا من فترة الدراسة العادية في مادة الرياضيات، و الشهرين في مادة القراءة. تشير التوقعات أنه نتيجة لإغلاق المدارس سيعود الطلاب إلى المدارس في خريف  العام الدراسي ٢٠٢٠  بنسبة ٧٠ % فقط مهارات القراءة مقارنة بالمستوى الذين قد يصلون إليه خلال السنة الدراسية النموذجية / الإعتيادية. بينما من المرجح أن يظهر الطلاب نسبة تطور أقل في مهارات الرياضيات وفي  بعض الصفوف ما يقارب من تأخر سنة دراسية كاملة عما نشهده في الأحوال الدراسية العادية.   التخلص من هذه الفجوة التعليمية التي من الممكن أن تنشأ عن حلول فصل الصيف في القراءة والرياضيات، يتوقع من الطلاب إكمال واجبات بيتية صيفية  قبل عودتهم إلى المدرسة العام القادم.

 شكراً لكم على دعمكم ومساندتكم لأبنائكم في إكمال  الواجبات الصيفية .

Snow Suggested Summer Work by Grade:

(Please follow the grade your child was in for 19-20 school year)

Here are the two websites we talked about during our last BBB meeting today. They give students FREE access to reading books online:

https://tumblebooks.com
Click on “Tumble Book Library”.
Username: Snow
Password: trial

https://bookflix.digital.scholastic.com
Username: bookflix49
Password: reds

Remember to read for 20 minutes everyday, go onto iReady for 1 hour each week, and go onto Zearn for 1 hour each week!

Dear Parent(s),

Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.

For a better future of our city, schools, and students , please click on the link now and fill out the census. It only takes a few minutes from your time to make a difference.

Complete the Census application here: 

https://my2020census.gov/

Snow Suggested Summer Work by Grade:

(Please follow the grade your child was in for 19-20 school year)