Dolphin Tales
In-Person Learning Update, The Week of September 28th
Newsletter Overview
Below is a list of the articles in order within this newsletter...
Headlines
Video Demo for Accessing Wednesday, Sept 30th On-Demand Specials Content: Music, Mrs. Kutsick
Wednesday, Sept 30th Specials Focus: Music, Mrs. Kutsick
Live Virtual Yoga Every Wednesday at 11 AM (bring a stuffed animal this week)
Health Protocols as we Navigate Cold and Flu Season
Please Be Mindful and Focused in Our Carline
In the Know with the PTO
PTO Board
Get Your Doherty Spirit Wear Now
Gratitude
Reflections of Gratitude for Mrs. Turner
Doherty Family Photo Album
The 1 Big Thing
Building A Social Contract (Rerun)
Operations
Technology Help
Meal Distribution Procedures
Hours of Operation
Absences & Reporting Absences
COVID Safety Protocols Link
Parking Lot Procedures Link
Canvas Details Link
Questions should be emailed to your child's teacher OR the following group of office staff members:
To-Do List
To-Do List
- Wednesday, September 30th: Virtual Learning (Specials Focus is Music, Mrs. Kutsick)
- Wednesday, September 30th: Live Virtual Yoga--please bring a stuffed animal to this session
- Doherty Spirit Wear: Now is the time to order :) See link in newsletter
- Please keep your child home if he/she is sick.
Video Demo Below for Accessing Wednesday, September 30th Music On-Demand Content
Wednesday, September 30th Specials Focus: Music
Each week, our children can engage in one on-demand specials activity that is loaded in Canvas for them. The specials focus will rotate each week. This week, the focus will be Music. If you need help accessing the Music materials, you can see the video above or you can please contact Mrs. Kutsick at nicole.kutsick@wbsd.org.
September 30th: Music
October 7th: Art
October 14th: Physical Education
October 21st: iCenter
October 28th: Music
November 4th: Art
November 11th: Physical Education
November 18th: iCenter
Video Demo Below: For Accessing Wednesday Live Virtual Yoga
Video Introduction Below: Meet Taylor Beardsall, Virtual Live Yoga Instructor
Wednesday Live Virtual Yoga Continues This Wednesday at 11 AM: Bring Stuffed Animal
Please have your child bring a stuffed animal to this week's yoga session. If they don't have one, that's okay, too.
Once again, thanks to the Greater West Bloomfield Community Coalition, Taylor will be leading her live virtual yoga session this Wednesday and every Wednesday at 11 AM.
Your child can access the Zoom link for Taylor's yoga on his/her teacher's Canvas page OR the specials Canvas pages.
Health Protocols As We Navigate Cold and Flu Season
Children with normal illnesses cannot return to school until they are symptom free for 72 hours without the use of symptom reducing medications.
We know that some kids get better but a cough or runny nose can linger for weeks after. It also can be attributed to allergies as well. The recommendation by our Oakland County nurses is for you to take your child to the doctor to confirm that your child is no longer contagious if there are lingering symptoms. We are asking that your doctor provide us with a doctor's note stating that it is safe for your child to return.
Click here for details about additional COVID Protocols.
Please Be Mindful & Focused In Our Carline
In the Know with the PTO
Our PTO Board
Thank you to everyone that attended our Fall PTO Kick-Off Meeting. We had great attendance, and, once again, our PTO demonstrated why they are truly an amazing support for the Doherty Family.
Our PTO Board is truly amazing. They embody what we are all about in the Doherty Family, and they always do what is best for our kids and staff. The PTO board includes:
Nicole Calvin, Vice-President
Sesilee Langs, Secretary
Renai Mayle, VP Of Fundraising
Joann Manetta, VP Of Committees
In the Know with the PTO: Get Your Spirit Wear
One of the biggest pieces of news from the PTO is the opening of our Doherty PTO Spirit Wear store. You can order your Doherty Spirit Gear online now by clicking on the link below. Please note that there are child and adult sizes. There are some amazing new styles. But, the window to order is only three weeks long, so be sure to order soon.
Reflections of Gratitude for Mrs. Turner
Late last week, we sent home the communication included at the end of this article about the passing of Wandas Turner. As we reflect on her life, our Doherty Family immediately thinks to what she meant to us, to the impact she made on us, and to the memories we shared with her. This week, as we continue to grieve and remember, we wanted to take a moment to, once again, call attention to why we were so grateful to have the time we did with Mrs. Turner.
Below is an email from a parent that shared a memory of Mrs. Turner with us. I share this email because it really embodies one of the many reasons why we loved Mrs. Turner: she was thoughtful, generous, and deeply compassionate of others.
This is VERY sad news! I remember she was always so kind and calming every time I spoke with her either on the phone about my daughter or in person. She gave my daughter a shirt to wear when she slipped and fell on ice at recess and got blood on her shirt. She said she worried she would get a chill on the way home with a wet/bloody shirt. It really moved me that she did that for her.
She was so kind one time when my daughter lost her second tooth, she gave her a little box to put it in. That's Clara's favorite memory of her. She told me she thought my daughter was an old soul because of the things she would say and she said she cracked her up. She would give out smiles just to calm you, such a wonderful person she was and I barely knew her.
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Last Week's Communication about Mrs. Turner
I send this message with a heavy heart and great sadness. Yesterday morning, Wandas Turner, our former building secretary and long-time Doherty Family member, passed away. She leaves behind a wonderful family that loved her to pieces, and I can’t even begin to imagine how they all are coping right now. As you may know, Wandas had a great sense of humor, a huge heart, and a passion for helping others.
At Doherty, when Mrs. Turner served students, staff, and family in our office, she did so with love and compassion. She demonstrated an extremely tender heart for our kids when they needed some extra love and support. She gave them smiles, jokes, words of encouragement & advice, and even found them extra food. She cared deeply about doing her best for the Doherty Family. Last year was her final year as our building secretary. As we started school this fall, it was definitely different without her around the building. Now, it is even more difficult to know that we will not see her again.
If you and your child knew Mrs. Turner, then I am sure this comes as a very saddening shock. At this time, we are not telling the children at Doherty about her passing. When and if you are ready, please feel free to share this news with your child. If you need emotional support or tips, please reach out to jordyn.rosenzweig@wbsd.org, nicole.horn@wbsd.org, and lynne.swerhone@wbsd.org.
DOherty FAMILY Photo Album
Building Social Contracts
Throughout the past few weeks, our classrooms have worked on building their class Social Contract. Your child will be able to tell you all about it.
We encourage you to build a Social Contract at home. I have one that is hanging in our kitchen, and it is something that we go over all of the time as a reminder of how my family agreed to treat each other.
Here's how you build it:
- Discuss the following four questions with your entire family: How do you want to be treated by me (the parent)? How do you think I (the parent) want to be treated by you (the child)? How do we want to treat each other? How will we treat each other when we have a problem/conflict?
- The goal is to create a set of words/phrases that you can highlight for your social contract. For example, you might have words/phrases like "be kind," "thoughtful," "patient," and "positive" on your social contract.
- Once you have generated your words/phrases, you record them on a larger piece of paper and post it somewhere in your house.
- Everyone signs it or initials it to signal that they agree to these values.
Here's how you keep it alive:
- Take time throughout the day to review the Social Contract. Pick one or two words to be the focus for the family.
- Pick someone to rate how the family has done with those 1 or 2 words for the day.
- Take time to affirm/compliment your children for doing a great job with one of the words/phrases on the Social Contract. Make the compliment very specific.
- If someone in the family is having a hard time living up to the agreements, you can remind them of the behaviors they agreed upon.
- At dinner, in the car, or during a walk, ask your child how he/she did in school with one of the values on your Social Contract. Ask them how a staff member lived out one of the values from your Social Contract.
- Refer to the Social Contract as often as possible.
Feel free to share:
- If you get a chance to build a Social Contract with your family, feel free to email me pictures of the Social Contract with your child. We would love to include them in our next newsletter.
Technology Help
FAMILY ASSISTANCE WITH TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
If you need technical assistance, you can request help from the Oakland Schools Technology Service Desks.
- Phone: (248) 209-2060
- Email: oshelpdesk@oakland.k12.mi.us
- Online Ticket Submission- servicedesk.oakland.k12.mi.us
Updated Meal Distribution Procedures: Moving to Pick-Up at WBHS and Roosevelt
Please read below for details on how you can get free lunches for your children all the way up until December.
In Person Learners at Doherty, Gretchko & Roosevelt (classroom ½ day only)
- No cost meals are available for curbside pick-up at the front of West Bloomfield High School and Roosevelt Elementary
- All meals must be preordered online
- Curbside pick-up online order link can be found at WBSD.org under the Food Service tab https://www.wbsd.org/departments/food-service
- Pick-up day is Wednesday
- Pick-up times are: WBHS: 11:30am-12:30pm or 4:00pm-5:00pm Roosevelt 11:00am-1:00pm
- Each child will receive seven complete breakfast and lunch meals
- Students eligible for the Free and Reduced Meal benefits are also able to access six nonperishable meals each weekend from the Blessings in a Backpack program at no cost. Look for the sign up form in your school communications or contact katherinesheiko@hotmail.com. Blessings in a Backpack will distribute with meals from October through June.
In Person Learners Attending Cloud Care
- Free breakfast and hot lunch is available at each Cloud Care site--please just be sure to follow Cloud Care instructions for ordering
- Meals will be individually portioned
- Parents may order seven days of breakfast and lunch meals for Wednesday curbside pick-up at West Bloomfield HS and Roosevelt Elementary if no meals are ordered for Cloud Care
- Students eligible for the Free and Reduced Meal Program are also able to access six non perishable meals each weekend from the Blessings in a Backpack program at no cost. Look for the sign up form in your school communications or contact katherinesheiko@hotmail.com. Blessings in a Backpack will be distributed with meals from October through June.
Hours of Operation
In-Person School Days:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
- The building is closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning and disinfecting
Virtual Learning (At-Home or In Cloud Care):
- Monday through Friday--when child is not attending face-to-face instruction
AM Cohort (In-Person)
- 8:10 AM (Updated): Arrival. Students may begin entering the building (exiting cars) at 8:05 AM.
- 8:25 AM: School Begins.
- 11:05 AM: Dismissal
PM Cohort (In-Person)
- 12:22 PM: Arrival. Students may begin entering the building (exiting cars) at 12:22 PM.
- 12:37 PM: School Begins.
- 3:17 PM: Dismissal
Absences and Reporting Absences
- fever, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
- OR, at least 2 of the following:
- chills
- muscle pain
- headache
- sore throat
- loss of taste/smell
- diarrhea
- extreme fatigue
If your child will be out, please call the Doherty Safeline to excuse your child's absence at 248-865-6002 and provide the following information:
- Child's Name
- Grade
- Teacher's Name
- Reason for Absence (be specific about illness symptoms)
If you or your child have tested positive for COVID, please be sure to indicate that when calling the Doherty Safeline. Furthermore, if your child exhibits some (or all) of the above COVID symptoms, please have your child tested before bringing him/her back to school.
Please click the link below to learn more about our COVID safety protocols.
Masks
Masks
All staff and children will be expected to wear masks throughout the day. There may be medical exceptions for this, as long as the appropriate documentation is provided. Please make sure your child brings a mask to school each day.
Masks must be a cloth face covering that fits close to the face, over the nose and mouth, fitting snugly below the chin.
Children will NOT be allowed to wear face shields without a mask. The CDC has issued guidance on shields, stating, "It is not known if face shields provide any benefit as source control to protect others from the spray of respiratory particles. CDC does not recommend use of face shields for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face coverings."
Follow the Doherty Family on Social Media
- Twitter: @Long_DohertyWB
- Facebook: facebook.com/DolphinsWB
- Instagram: @DohertyWB