DHS Community Update
October 19, 2020
Greetings DHS Community Members:
Last week, in preparation for our transition to Hybrid Learning, we launched a series of videos aimed at making all aware of the safety protocols that have been put in place to ensure we maintain a culture of health and wellness at Dartmouth High School. Today, we release several additional videos which were viewed by all students during today's advisory session.
In order to ensure everyone remains healthy and well, I ask that you, along with your child, watch the videos between now and Monday morning. While I acknowledge that they are not the most riveting videos you'll ever watch, I do believe they contain important information that will help keep all members of the Dartmouth High School community as safe as possible during this pandemic.
As a reminder, on Monday, October 19, 2020 Dartmouth High School officially welcomes students back to in-person learning in accordance with the Dartmouth Public School's Reopening Plan. I ask that you pay particular attention to the schedule below in order to ensure your child attends school on the correct day. Please note that the day indicates which day in the cycle we will follow and the cohort determines which group of students will physically attend school that day.
On days when a student does not physically attend school, students will be expected to complete asynchronous assignments for the classes they had the previous day. Students should expect to be putting in approximately an hour of work for each of the 5 classes that met the previous day which equates to the amount of time they would have been physically in school in pre-pandemic times. Students will have the opportunity to schedule time during the PASE period (8:35 a.m.-9:15 a.m.) to video conference with their teachers using Google Meet. Students should schedule meetings utilizing the Enriching Students platform as they normally do.
Next week's schedule will be as follows:
Monday, October 19, 2020 Day 3 Cohort A
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 Day 3 Cohort B
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Day 4 Cohort A
Thursday, October 22, 2020 Day 4 Cohort B
Friday, October 23, 2020 Day 5 Cohort A
In closing, I'd like to thank all members of the DHS Community for coming together to make the start of this most unusual school year as successful as possible. I understand transitioning to Hybrid is one more thing, but we are, if nothing else, resilient and adaptable at this point. I am fully confident that we will rise to the occasion as we have done throughout this pandemic.
Sincerely,
Ross A. Thibault
Principal
DHS Hybrid Safety Protocol Videos
From the Desk of the Associate Principal
Advanced Placement Update
All AP students must join their AP classes using the Join Code their AP teachers provided them. This will ensure that an AP exam will be ordered for each AP class a student is enrolled in. Please visit the Town of Dartmouth to make a deposit by October 30.
Mass Insight Study Session
AP Science students are invited to participate in Mass Insight’s Study Session #1 which will be held during the week of October 19- 25. This is a fantastic opportunity offered to our AP students which is made possible by our partnership with Mass Insight. These Study Sessions are directly related to better performance on the AP exams and will build student confidence as they prepare for the Spring AP exam administration.
Frequently Asked Questions From Today's Advisory Session
During Advisory, a number of questions were asked by students. Below are some of the frequently asked questions with answers.
Q: Are parking passes required this year?
A" Yes. Parking passes are required and can be purchased by visiting the high school website. A link to make payment to the Town of Dartmouth can be found under "Announcements".
Q: May I bring a water bottle?
A" Yes. Students may bring water bottles and while water fountains have been capped, water filling stations remain available to fill a water bottle. Students may take a quick drink from their water bottle but should otherwise wear their mask at all times.
Q: May we take buses to Dartmouth Middle School for athletic practices?
A: Due to safety restrictions, the Athletic Department has put in place procedures for students in need of transportation. If you have questions regarding transportation relative to Athletics, please email Athletic Director Mr. Crisafulli at andrewcrisafulli@dartmouthschools.org.
Q: What are the Rest Room procedures?
A: Students will need a pass from their teacher to use the rest room and capacity within each rest room has been lowered to ensure safe distancing is possible. In addition, certain rest rooms have been closed in order to closely monitor rest room facilities and to ensure they are restocked throughout the day. In addition, a private, one stall rest room is available for any student to use on the B-Level.
Q: How will I know what lunch I have?
A: Lunches have been scheduled to ensure safe distancing can be achieved at all times throughout lunch. The lunch schedule will be shared via announcement on Monday and will be reviewed by third period teachers.
Q: Do students report directly to their first period class on Monday?
A: Yes. Students are reminded that they may not report to school prior to 7:15 a.m. and that they should utilize the appropriate point of entry. Students should sanitize their hands immediately upon entering school and report directly to their first period class.
School Counseling & Support Services Department Updates
School Counseling Updates
Future Fridays Topics for October 23rd - Common Application Q&A and Financial Aid/CSS Profile. Sign up in Enriching Students under Guidance.
Topic for October 30th - Resume Workshop and Scholarships.
Class of 2021 it is time to schedule an appointment with your School Counselor to talk about what your plans are after high school. Sign up to meet with your counselor during PASE or sign up for an appointment on one of your remote days by emailing your counselor.
Class of 2021: Virtual college visits with admission representatives are listed in Naviance. Students will register through Naviance to attend the virtual visits. All virtual visits are held during the PASE period.
October 19th - University of Connecticut
October 20th - Bryant University
October 21st - Endicott College
October 22nd - Wentworth Institute of Technology
SAT test on December 5th - registration deadline is November 5th
ACT test on December 12th - registration deadline is November 6th
From September 28th through November 5th, MEFA will host a live College Financing webinar daily every Monday through Thursday, with daytime and evening hours. The webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of the full financial aid application process. To register for a live webinar click this link.
Students needing to meet with their School Counselor should schedule meetings on their remote learning days whenever possible in order to maximize in-person instructional time.
Students can schedule an appointment to see their School Counselor using one of the links below:
A-Da Mr. McGrath Appointment Slots
Db-L Ms. Fitzgerald Appointment Slots
M-Ra Ms. Heath Appointment Slots
Rb-Z Mr. Wright Appointment Slots
School Social Workers and School Psychologist Update
Students can schedule an appointment to see their social worker.
A-H - Mrs. Kristianna Fontes Callahan - Appointment Slots
I-P - Mrs. Cathy Thomas - Appointment Slots
Q-Z - Mrs. Stephanie Nocon - Appointment Slots
Social workers are available during the school day to students and families. Students can sign up in Enriching Students to see a social worker during the PASE period or sign up with an appointment slot.
Students who have an appointment with their school social worker while they are in school should show their classroom teacher their appointment on their chromebook or phone. No paper passes will be issued.
New resources added to Padlet. Padlet link
United Way Mobile Food Market - Featuring fresh produce from the Harvest Community Farm and is next available on 10/22 at Bank 5 in New Bedford (1724 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford MA). Link for more information.
Article added - Depression: Supporting Students at School.
Updates from the DHS Virtual Learning Academy
DHS staff members continue to monitor student progress and proactively reach out to connect with students weekly. Content-specific academic support is available through the DHS Lead Teachers during PASE and upon request. Additional supports are available by National Honor Society students during Homework Hangout. Details about the Testing Center and academic supports can be found in the VLA Google Classroom.
Parents and guardians of VLA students should be receiving weekly progress reports from the Edgenuity learning platform. The Edgenuity Family Portal provides parents and guardians with additional progress monitoring tools; if you would like these additional tools or to modify the frequency of the reports you receive, please e-mail: richardgill@dartmouthschools.org.
DHS Administrators will be kicking off the VLA-specific Advisory program this week. This program will allow DHS virtual learners to connect regularly in small groups with a building administrator, to ask questions and to stay connected to the school.
The VLA Testing Center is operating 4 hours per week (Tuesdays and Fridays 9:15-11:15) to monitor students during testing. Retake and test center policies and procedures have been posted to the VLA Google Classroom.
From the DHS Health Office
If your child is exhibiting cold-like symptoms or any other symptoms that mimic or include symptoms of COVID-19, please keep your child home and call your PCP for advice. If your child comes into school with symptoms of COVID-19, they will be isolated and parents will be called to pick up their child and to have their child evaluated by his/her PCP. If the PCP feels the symptoms are related to an illness other than COVID-19, a medical note must be written to the school indicating the diagnosis and when the child may return to school. In EVERY case, the child must have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication before returning to school. Resources to support parents in monitoring symptoms are included below.
DHS Student Photos with Mare Studios
Student Photos will take place next week on Wednesday, October 21 for Cohort A & Thursday, October 22 for Cohorts B & C. Photos will be taken outside from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. and social distancing protocols will be enforced. Students are to wear their masks until their photo is taken. Photo cards will be distributed to students during their period 1 class the day of their photo.
Announcing DHS Student Council Elections!
Student Council elections for all grades will take place on 10/23. Campaigning will take place the week of October 19th. Typically upperclassmen elections take place in the spring, but due to the school closure, we are running the elections in the fall this year.
Homework Hangout has started virtually and will run after school from 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. This fantastic support is supervised by DHS Teacher Mrs. True and provides students an opportunity to receive support from peer tutors. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, students should utilize the following link: Homework Hangout Meet Link.
Remote Learning Reminders
Reporting Student Absences, Tardiness & Dismissals
Attendance and academic success go hand-in-hand. We ask that parents continue to report known absences or tardiness to Dartmouth High School using the attendance line (508-961-2700 ext.1). In addition, parents are encouraged to submit medical notes and/or discuss illness related absences with Nurse Wildrick in order to ensure we are able to support your child's health and wellness. Nurse Wildrick can be reached at 508-961-2700 ext. 7420.
If your child needs to be dismissed we ask that you please email DHSdismissals@dartmouthschools.org as early as possible. This will allow us to maintain accurate attendance records.
Transition to Hybrid Learning Model
Hybrid Learning will begin on Monday, October 19, 2020 students in the A cohort will report to Dartmouth High School and will follow a Day 3 schedule.
Monday, Oct 19, 2020, 07:30 AM
Dartmouth High School
Dartmouth High School
Email: rossthibault@dartmouthschools.org
Website: dartmouth.school/domain/8
Location: 555 Bakerville Road, Dartmouth, MA, USA
Phone: 508-961-2700
Twitter: @DartmouthHS