Long

Online learning in Dearborn will continue until at least mid October after the Board of Education approved the extension during its regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 14.

Dearborn Public Schools started the new school year on Aug. 31 all online until at least Oct. 1. The Board’s vote on Monday night extends online learning at least until their next meeting on Oct. 12.

The district is also delaying the small group in-school learning labs it had planned to start next week.

The Dearborn community has had a high number of COVID-19 cases per resident in recent weeks, and the board felt it was not yet safe for the community to return students to in-school learning. Besides the total number of COVID cases, the district considers the number of cases per resident and metrics like the percent of COVID tests that come back positive in the county, called the positivity rate. The Wayne County positivity rate has risen to its highest point in months at more than 6 percent.

Dearborn Public Schools has almost 21,000 students. About one-fifth of the students signed up to attend an online only Virtual Learning Program for this school year. The rest will return to in-building learning once the board approves the reopening of schools. At Monday’s meeting, the board heard different options for possibly reopening with blended learning where half of the students will attend school at one time while the other half works online from home.

The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education will take up the issue of reopening schools again at its next meeting on Oct. 12. The public meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Administrative Services Center, 18700 Audette, Dearborn. It will also be broadcast live on the district’s YouTube and cable channels, and community members will be able to submit comments online. State law requires the Board of Education to reevaluate local COVID-19 conditions and reconsider in-school learning every month this year.

The extension of online learning also means that the weekly free student meal distributions will continue on Fridays through at least Oct. 9. Food is available for any district student or any child under 18 in the household. Pickups are from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bryant Middle School, Dearborn High School, Edsel Ford High School, Fordson High School, Henry Ford Elementary, the Dearborn Heights Campus (Howe/STEM/Berry Center), Lowrey School, Maples Elementary, McCollough-Unis, McDonald Elementary, Miller Elementary, Salina Intermediate, Smith Middle School, Stout Middle School and Woodworth Middle School.

For more details on food distribution or for the latest information about online schooling, please visit the district website at www.dearbornschools.org.

Dear Long Elementary Families,

The Dearborn Public School District and our schools need your help.  In order to participate virtually in physical education this school year, parents and students will need to sign the DEARBORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAIVER/RELEASE FOR INJURY AND/OR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES INCLUDING COVID-19.  Please read and sign the waiver by Friday, September 11th by clicking on this link.  

Dear Long School Families,

Teachers will be communicating with their families today through email to let you know students’ class assignments and how to log into class Monday morning at 8:55 through Zoom. ASC has been without power today so we have been waiting for class lists to be completed. We try to ensure that every student has an assigned teacher before publishing class lists. Again, we thank you for your patience during this time. Teachers will also be scheduling individual orientation meetings for next week. Many are being done through sign up genius so please sign up. The Long School team is eager to meet you and begin our school year together. See you all soon!

Welcome Back!

It may not look the same, but it is back to school time. I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer break. We are working hard to make sure our new school year provides exciting opportunities for growth and learning. I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the changes you will see as we continue learning remotely this fall.

Dearborn Schools will begin this school year with 100% remote learning for all students. The 2020-2021 school year will begin on Monday, August 31, 2020. The entire first week of school will be a half-day beginning at 8:55 am for elementary and ending at 12:00 pm. The following week will be full days for all elementary students beginning at 8:55 and ending at 3:50.

All Dearborn teachers and students will be using Schoology as our learning management system. This will be the main place to go for classroom resources, assignments and links. Classroom live lessons, both whole group and small group, will take place via Zoom. Students will access assignments, videos and projects through Schoology. When completed and submitted by students, teachers will review, grade and provide feedback on assignment Attendance will be taken daily.

Until these systems are in place and teachers set up their accounts, we will be communicating with you through email or teacher blogs. We encourage you all to sign up for your teacher’s blog, as well as the school website.

We will be communicating class rosters through email in the next day. Due to the loss of students to the Virtual Learning Program, we were reduced another classroom. This created a delay as we restructure classes and reschedule some students.

Teachers will also reach out to you through email by Friday and communicate first week assignments and expectations. Teachers will be scheduling orientation meetings (in person or remote) with each family in their class during the first week. At this meeting, we will provide an overview of expectations, hand out some workbooks and materials as well as ensure you are comfortable with accessing the sites needed for remote learning. This is also an opportunity for you to communicate anything you would like us to know about your child.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we all work together to ensure all students continue their educational journey.

Mrs. Jakubus

Dearborn students will get to sleep a little later during district-wide online school and ease into the new school year with half days for the first week under recent changes to the school calendar.

Classes for all Dearborn Public School students will be a half day for the week of Monday, August 31 to Thursday, September 3. (Friday, Sept. 4, is a day off for the district.) The four half days will give staff additional time to learn new online teaching tools, including the Schoology and Zoom software that all teachers and students will be using during online instruction.

To make up for some of the half days, the district is eliminating the first three late starts planned for this year. Class will now resume at the regular time on September 23, October 14 and December 9.

The district is also adjusting its school hours during online learning. High schools, middle schools, kindergarten to 8th grade buildings, and both Salina schools will start class at 8:15 a.m. with the school day ending at 3:10 p.m. and half days ending at 11:10 a.m. Most elementary schools will start class at 8:55 a.m. and finish by 3:50 p.m. on a regular online day and at noon on a half day.

Middle and high school students will have their first to third hour classes on Aug. 31 and Sept. 2 and their fourth through sixth hour courses Sept. 1 and 3.

All the new schedule changes apply to both the traditional and Virtual Learning Program students. When the district returns to the school in the buildings, start times for all students will revert back to the traditional hours, generally 7:20 for high school, 8 a.m. for middle school and 8:40 for elementary. Students in the Virtual Learning Program will also move back to the traditional start times.

“With all students starting the year online, we do not have to worry about daily busing. Without busing, we can adjust our class schedules to make it a little easier for students, especially the high school teens whom we know would rather not be in class at 7:20 each morning,” said Superintendent Glenn Maleyko.

Administrators worked with the Dearborn Federation of Teachers to adjust the school calendar. The changes still need official approval by the Board of Education, but that is expected to happen at their next meeting on Monday, Aug. 24. District calendars can be found at https://dearbornschools.org/services/district-calendars/.

Dearborn Public Schools is starting online for the entire district at least until Oct. 1. The Board will reevaluate conditions in September to see if students can begin to shift back to more in-building learning. Students in the Virtual Learning Program signed up to take classes online for the entire school year.

During online learning, students will still be expected to participate in live class every day. How those school days will look, especially for the elementary students, is still being finalized.

“We know this school year is bringing with it a lot of changes. We appreciate the patience from our parents, families and staff as we make adjustments to serve our students the best we can in the unprecedented environment created by COVID-19,” Dr. Maleyko said.

Long School will be distributing chromebooks for Long School students on August 26, 2020 from 9:00 to 3:00 near our main door. You may email Mrs. Jakubus to reserve one in advance.
jakubuv@dearbornschools.org

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 from kindergarten through high school will take classes online at least until sometime around the beginning of October. The board will reevaluate conditions later in September 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.

Online learning for the fall will be more structured than what students and parents saw in the spring after the emergency school closures due to COVID-19.  Students will be expected to attend live virtual classes with their teacher every school day and attendance will be counted.  Work will be graded on a more traditional scale, unlike the standards used in the spring. Schools will be contacting students with the teacher assignments and more information before class begins Aug. 31.  Parents and students should watch their emails because more  schools may opt to communicate electronically this year instead of mailing back-to-school packets.

While learning is online, the district will also provide in-school learning labs for students. These small groups will offer additional in-person assistance to students for academic and social-emotional issues. Each of the district’s 36 schools will create its own schedule for learning labs.  Most often teachers will recommend students they feel will benefit from the learning lab, but parents and students will also be able to request additional help.

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. The linked document provides more information about the Virtual Learning Program https://vlp.dearbornschools.org/

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(ren) into the year-long Virtual Learning program are highly encouraged to visit our school on Thursday, August 13 between 9:00 and 3:00.

School staff will be on hand (social distancing, limited numbers, and masks will be enforced) on Thursday, August 13 between 9:00 and 3:00 near the main door to meet with parents. 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. Here is a link to the complete schedule of schools and meetings.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SdFISdKk-c1Lbkz7Vj5irylxEkqJOKZy2J3HJGvJ_tI/edit#heading=h.e1437s49s5yw.

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.

Only parents choosing to opt-in for the Virtual Learning program need to come to the school and complete the forms. All other students will be assigned to classrooms at Long and receive additional information for getting started soon.

Stay healthy, stay safe!

Tuesday, June 30 at 2:30, graduating Seniors who once attended Long School will return. Join us in celebrating their success. The Seniors will socially distance themselves across the front of Long School facing Westwood. Cars for the celebration parade will gather near Crowley Park and drive past Long. You are welcome to walk or ride bikes as well.

Friday, June 12 will be the last day that meals will be distributed directly at Long School. Smith Middle School will distribute meals on Monday, June 15. After that, meals will be distributed once a week on Thursdays at the 7 official sites throughout the summer . Beginning June 18, families will receive a week’s provisions along with a half gallon of milk per student, similar to the bags provided during Memorial Day week. Smith Middle School will be the closest location for our neighborhood but you may pick up from any of these locations: Smith Middle School, Edsel Ford High School, Dearborn High School, Fordson High School, McCollough/Unis School, Salina Intermediate School and Woodworth Middle School. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to provide this support to our families.