Duffy Dateline
September 17, 2020
As Duffy citizens, we show respect, demonstrate compassion, and take responsibility for our learning and our actions.
Curriculum Corner
Save the Date
All teachers will host a virtual Curriculum Night on Thursday, October 1st. We hope you will join us to learn about the grade level standards and curriculum your child will experience this year. A schedule is being created, and meeting links will be shared soon!
Attendance Policies
One of the most important things your child can do to reach the goal of success is also one of the most basic: attend school every day! Research has shown that your child's regular attendance may be the greatest factor influencing his/her academic success. The hybrid model has both in person and at home attendance. When your child is at home learning, it is the expectation for your child to attend their small group meetings with their teacher each day. Our teachers will be taking attendance.
At-Home Specials Schedule
This year, a consistent schedule will be offered so that your child can attend specials area workshops from home. The schedule shown below allows learners to attend one specials workshop a day opposite their small group instruction. Therefore, if your children see their classroom teacher from 2:20-2:50 p.m., they can then go to a specials workshop from 2:50-3:20 p.m. If your children do not see their classroom teacher until 2:50 p.m., they can attend a specials workshop first at 2:20 p.m.
These workshops and the links will remain consistent each week. Your children can access the links in Seesaw or Google Classroom. Here is another tool that will help your family access the workshops. Enjoy!
Please click on the chart below to access the links
Hybrid Model
We will be starting the school year off with a hybrid model. We have split the student population into two groups (by last name), the Red Group and the Blue Group. Students with last names beginning with the letters A-K are assigned to the Red Group; those with last names beginning with letters L-Z are assigned to the Blue Group. While the Red Group is attending school, the Blue Group will access learning online. Groups will alternate between in-school and online learning one week at a time.
The picture below is the first weeks at-a-glance for elementary students.
Please click on the picture to view the Duffy School Hybrid Model Reopening Plan slide show.
Health and Safety
Health Protocols
WHPS Health Protocols are on our website: https://www.whps.org/coronavirus-covid-19/health-protocols .
The COVID-19 home screening must be done before sending your child to school each day.
Final student screening 8.5 x 11 -Print copy 8-...
Please click on the pictures below for more information regarding the protocols and the home health screening.
The wearing of face coverings (masks) that completely cover the nose and mouth at all times by everyone when in public or any time a person is within 6 feet of someone not living in their household, has been the most important mitigation strategy implemented during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the wearing of face coverings by all students and staff at all times while inside the school will be an important part of reopening the school to in-person learning while also limiting the opportunity for the spread of COVID-19 in the school.
The face covering should be made of thick, good quality fabric. But don’t worry, we have plenty for students here at school if needed! We also recommend packing an extra mask or two for the day as well.
Travel Quarantine Reminder
A number of parents have asked about travel during the school year. Anyone traveling to a state identified by the State of Connecticut’s travel advisory must quarantine for fourteen days. This list changes frequently and can be accessed at https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel. In addition, the CDC recommends against international travel to high risk destinations, which includes most countries and can be accessed here: https://www.cdc.gov. Anyone returning from a COVID-19 High Risk destination must quarantine for 14 days before engaging in in-person classes at our school.
Morning Entry and Dismissal
In order to maximize spacing and get students into the school building safely, morning entry will look different this year. Please read the important safety protocols below. Then, click on the grade level link to learn about where your child will enter the building each morning and watch the video below to see where your student will enter.
Safety Protocols
Families with students in Grades 2-5, please arrive at 8:30 and use the drop off zone on Westminster Drive. Students will exit the car independently and walk to their designated door. Mrs. Mori will be there every day to assist!
Families with students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 must park in the bus parking lot and walk their child to their designated drop off door in the back of the building. Please use the sidewalk. Do not cross through the bus loop.
Students who walk to school will enter through their designated door. We ask that adults promptly leave once their student enters the building so that we can be ready to utilize our outdoor learning spaces.
Masks must be worn on the campus at all times. Children and adults must have a mask on upon exiting their vehicle and keep the mask on until entering back into the vehicle.
A staff member will be assigned to each drop off door to assist with distancing and sanitizing procedures.
Upon entering their designated door, students will sanitize using touchless sanitizing stations and go immediately to their classroom.
Sanitizing
Students will enter one at a time and use touchless sanitizing stations which are located at every entry door. A staff member will be assigned to each door to monitor and assist students.If you have a kindergartener, click here:
If you have a first grader, or student in Dr. Pauluk class, click here:
If you have a second or third grader, or student in Ms. Scata's class, click here:
If you have a fourth or fifth grader, click here:
Dismissal (1:50)
Family members will pick up students from the area near the door they entered for morning drop off. Please park and walk to the designated area. If families have multiple children attending Duffy, please consider picking up the youngest child first.
Thank you for your support with our morning entry and dismissal plan for this year. You can look forward to a communication from your child’s teacher to solidify the classroom specific plan for arrival and dismissal, as well as staff-created videos showing students exactly what to do!
Please click on the picture below to watch a video showing the morning entry plan.
One Community. One Year.
WHPS believes in the power of coming together to make a difference. Students, families, and staff are invited to participate in the Reopening Schools 2020 Campaign by submitting creative multilingual public service announcements (PSAs).
The theme for the campaign is One Community. One Year. The purpose of the campaign is to unite our community and to spread information- not the virus. WHPS needs everyone's help to protect our community. You can also help us to fight the stigma and misinformation so that we begin and finish the 2020-2021 school year in positive, safe and healthy ways!
Duffy School Calendar
KEY DATES SEPTEMBER 8th - 11th *
Events are at Duffy unless otherwise noted.
Monday, September 14th - Friday, September 18th
- RED group at-school learning week
- BLUE group at-home learning week
Monday, September 21st - Friday, September 25th
- BLUE group at-school learning week
- RED group at-home learning week
Monday, September 28th
- Yom Kippur - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, September 29th - Friday, October 2nd
- RED group at-school learning week
- BLUE group at-home learning week
Thursday, October 1st
- 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Curriculum Night
Monday, October 5th - Friday, October 9th
- BLUE group at-school learning week
- RED group at-home learning week
Dragon Dirt
Policies, Announcements & Celebrations
The district has put together a main technology page to help answer questions about technology and district devices. If you have a technology question that is not answered on the website you may contact the help desk at Helpdesk@whps.org or (860)561-6636.
FRC Playgroups in the Parks
- small, abbreviated, outdoor playgroups at town parks.
- Ages birth to 5 with their adult caregivers.
- Playgroup participants will be wearing masks (3 years old & up) and other safety protocols.
- Caregivers need to pre-register with us. First come, first served.
There is limited space in the following sessions:
- Tuesday, 9:15-10am at Eisenhower Park (9/22, 9/29, 10/6 & 10/13)
- Tuesday, 10:30-11:15am at Eisenhower Park (9/22, 9/29, 10/6 & 10/13)
- Thursday, 9:15-10am at Beachland Park (9/24, 10/1, 10/8 & 10/15)
- FULL - Thursday, 10:30-11:15am at Beachland Park (9/24, 10/1, 10/8 & 10/15)
Click here to sign up!
For more information about the Family Recourse Center click here.
Preparing Students
Principals have made a series of educational videos to help students prepare for school. These short videos provide information about handwashing, physical distancing, riding the bus, and plans for a safe, positive and healthy community climate. You can watch them with your child here: https://www.whps.org/coronavirus-covid-19/health-and-safety-videos .
Free Breakfast and Lunch
FREE breakfast and lunch has been approved for ALL students of the West Hartford Public Schools through December 31, 2020. You may be thinking about what WHPS children will do for meals during the school as a student participating in the hybrid model or in the Remote Learning Experience. The good news is that due to a change in the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulation ALL students are now eligible for FREE breakfast and lunch. There are no income requirements, and any student of the West Hartford Public Schools (WHPS) may enjoy a bagged breakfast and/or lunch. The following outlines information about In-Person/In-School meal service and “Grab and Go” pick-up meal service and other community food programs. please click here for more information.
Lunch
At Duffy, we will eat outside every day that is not raining (K-5). When it rains, we will eat in classrooms. To ensure the safety of all students in this new model, snacks and lunches must be nut-free. SunButter is a good alternative for "peanut butter and jelly" sandwiches.
Below are links to the Grab and Go lunches for remote and distance hybrid learners and the menu for lunches served at school.
Thanks to Mrs. Schott, you will have a “supply kit” here at school. Your own personal crayons, pencils, markers, scissors, and glue sticks will help you do your very best work! There are four things you will need to bring from home:
A backpack
A water bottle
A folder
A towel (for picnic lunches!)
West Hartford Social Services is also offering a gift card to help your student(s) with school supplies for the 2020 – 2021 school year. Click here for more information.
Dear Music Families,
I hope this finds you and your loved ones well and preparing for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. West Hartford Public Schools, the music faculty, and all WHPS staff and administration have been working diligently to prepare for the students’ return the week of September 8th. I wanted the opportunity to share some vital information about music making during this unique and unprecedented fall.
Under an abundance of caution, and in consideration of the safety and well being of all members of our West Hartford community, the administrative team has decided that all students K-12 will not sing nor play wind instruments during in-person class instruction to begin the 2020-2021 school year. I want to stress that this does not mean that students will not play nor sing in any capacity in our music curriculum, nor is it our plan to suspend singing and wind instruments during in-person class for the entire school year.
Our dynamic and thoughtful music staff will be implementing singing and playing during our home-based virtual learning sessions, using technology to enhance student learning in-person and remotely, and utilizing various music software to facilitate student-centric, multi-part music compositions. We will also take this opportunity to focus on personalized learning while cultivating the student’s capacity to learn and understand American music, understanding the significant contributions from the many diverse and culturally rich racial and ethnic groups that make up our incredible community and country.
Furthermore, when we meet certain public health metrics and once WHPS establishes a consistent routine founded in staff and student safety, we will begin to phase in wind instrument playing and singing. As we do so, we will use various mitigation strategies to ensure enjoyable and stress-free learning experiences. Students will wear masks during singing and playing, practice social distancing of 9 to 12 feet, use cover mitigation strategies for wind instruments, smaller breakout groups and chamber ensembles, and safely use outdoor spaces weather permitting.
Music and the Performing Arts has the capacity to heal us and provide the thread that unites us. It has a profound impact on students’ lives as a medium for individual self-expression, and provides an opportunity for students to learn how to work together and solve problems that face us as a society. The opportunity to make music with students everyday, along with the incredible musical experiences offered at every age level here in WHPS is profoundly important. We are incredibly grateful to make music in West Hartford, a community that values the Performing Arts and Music in such a resounding way. We recognize that students want to play and sing during in-person class, and we look forward to the community following protocols and safety procedures so that our outstanding teachers and students can continue to uphold the incredible tradition of excellence that the WHPS Fine and Performing Arts Department has enjoyed for over five decades.
We sincerely appreciate your continued support during this unique and unprecedented time. Please, my friends, be patient with us. No one wants to make music more than we do!
Best,
Andrew Mayo
Supervisor, Department of Fine and Performing Arts
POWERSCHOOL PARENT PORTAL
It is important that we always have up-to-date contact information for you and at least 3 emergency contacts for your child in case we are not able to reach you. To add or change emergency contacts or to update your information, please visit the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
STAY CONNECTED!
Celebrating Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Welcome back Duffy families, and welcome to all new Duffy families!
The last several months have undoubtedly been challenging to all of us in many ways, some collectively, some specific to individual families. One thing that has been made abundantly clear is that our ongoing work toward Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is integral to a better community and society. The effects of health disparities and educational inequities on marginalized groups, racist rhetoric and violence, and systemic racism have all come to the forefront and it can be overwhelming.
As parents, caregivers, and educators, we can make a difference by ensuring that our Duffy community is a safe, inclusive environment for all of our families by working and learning together, challenging ourselves to grow, and teaching our children the same. We invite you to join us as we partner with Duffy’s wonderful faculty and staff to ensure that Duffy is the best it can be for all!
Anne Koneru, Heidi Hojnicki, and Tracy Wu Fastenberg
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee Co-Chairs
Upcoming events:
September 15th – October 15th: Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month
Please enjoy books celebrating Afro-Latinx, Cuban, Latinx/Latin American, Puerto Rican, and Spanish/Bilingual stories. Please click on any of the links provided for book suggestions.
The Duffy EDI Committee is a collaboration between families and staff that seeks to support our diverse community through inclusive and equitable planning, programming and communication, with the purpose of fully meeting the needs of all our Duffy families.
Additional EDI resources for families: The Conscious Kid, Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners, HereWeeRead, PFLAG’s Cultivating Respect: Safe Schools for All, Teaching Exceptional Thinkers’ List of Books About Children with Disabilities, Book Riot’s List of Diverse Children’s Books
Flyers
(Click on picture to view flyer.)
Duffy Pack 161 Joining Night Information
Fall Morning Enrichment Opportunity
Publication & Submission Dates
Submissions can be sent to Kristi Laverty at Kristi_Laverty@whps.org and/or Megan Sipe at megan_sipe@whps.org.
About Us
Website: http://duffy.whps.org
Location: 95 Westminster Drive, West Hartford, CT, USA
Phone: 860-521-0110
Twitter: @DuffyDragons