Phoenix Flyer #4

September 11, 2020

Wow – We’ve made it through our first week of distance learning, and our staff has been so delighted to see our Phoenix students online in classes and TA.  The Admin Team and I have truly enjoyed watching and learning with your youngsters.  It has been great to see their engagement with lessons and activities.

First Full Week:  Monday, 9/14, begins our first full week of distance learning.  Monday is a full “asynchronous” day for students; they will not meet in scheduled classes with their teachers. They are, however, expected to complete their counselor’s “check-in” survey called “DHMS Belong and Become” emailed to each student and posted in each Counselor’s Canvas page. Completion of this activity will account for their Monday attendance. Then, students should check each of their course Canvas pages for their Monday assignments – and work through those at their own pace.

Office Hours:  All Dorothy Hamm teachers will hold office hours on Mondays for students to check in with questions or concerns.  Office hours are:

• 9:00 – 10:00 – Math Dept
• 9:30 – 10:30 – English/Reading/EL Depts.
• 10:00 – 11:00 – Social Studies/World Geo
• 10:30 – 11:30 – World Languages/PE/Electives
• 11:00 – 12:00 – Science Dept.

A link to each teacher’s office hours will be on their course Canvas page.  Students can also email their teachers through canvas.

Technology Help:  If you have ANY technology needs, please reach out to…

• The DHMS Web Page – Go to “Bell Schedules and Meeting links” – there is a live “Help, I can’t get into my meeting” link available from 7:30 – 9:00 every morning for support with finding classes in Canvas and accessing virtual classrooms through MS Teams.
• The DHMS Technology Web Page has a Tech Help Request Form that is available for any tech issues
• The DHMS Main Office by phone – 703-228-2910 – can connect you to a human.

Parent Chats:  We look forward to chatting with you on Friday mornings at 8:00 AM.  Please check out the DHMS website on Friday morning for a link to our Weekly Parent Chats.

Back to School Night: Save the Date! Tuesday, September 22, tentatively from 6-8, is virtual Back to School Night.  More details to come next week.Many thanks to our DHMS Parents and PTSA for partnering with the DHMS Staff to create a positive and supportive learning environment for our Phoenix Students.  We look forward to a fantastic year!

Ellen
Ellen Smith, Principal
Dorothy Hamm Middle School