Phoenix Flyer #7 - Dorothy Hamm Middle School

October 8, 2020

Good afternoon Phoenix Families.

I hope you have had a chance to enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. This quick Flyer touches on some upcoming events. More details to come.

Social & Emotional Learning: Lesson 1: Self-Management
This Monday, October 5th, students will be able to preview their first social and emotional learning (SEL) lesson of the year! This week’s lesson, aligned with Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL), will introduce the topic of self-management through organizational skills. Students will learn how to organize their agendas with Ms. Schaefer, our 6th grade counselor, through a series of videos and activities. This subject will also be explored through the teacher advisory (TA) classes. SEL lessons, along with our weekly wellness check-in, will allow for us to truly address and help support our students in processing their physical and mental health needs during these unprecedented times. Each week you will also find, right here in the flyer, resources, and information on SEL for families. We are here not only to support our students but their families, because we are all in this together!

SEL Resources for Families

SEL Book of the Week

Thinking Parent, Thinking Child by Myra B. Shure

Family Life Education (FLE) Night
Family Life Education (FLE) night will be held on Thursday, October 15 at 7pm. This is an opportunity to learn more about the FLE curriculum and talk more with the health and PE teachers. During this meeting an overview of the FLE curriculum will be given along with opt out procedures should you choose to opt your child out of FLE. The meeting will take place through Microsoft Teams and the link will be provided before the meeting. If you have any questions please contact the DHMS Main Office (703-228-2910).

VA DOE Required Emergency Drills
APS is mandated by the State of Virginia to perform emergency drills for students in the virtual setting. The goal is to provide fire safety awareness and evacuation planning for students in their home at all grade levels before we transition into in person learning. Virtual drills will be conducted over the next two weeks.

During the week of October 5th, Fire and lockdown drill lessons will be given in TA classes. The Fire Drill lesson comes from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) approved curriculum.
A developmentally appropriate video from the I Love You Guys Foundation will be shown outlining procedures to follow during a lockdown situation.
On October 15th, DHMS will participate in the International ShakeOut Day. During TA classes, students will be shown a video lesson on what to do during an earthquake. Please participate with your DHMS Student in TA on this day!

Materials
While we are “officially” distributing materials on Mondays and Thursdays from 3-5 PM, our office is open from 8:00 – 4:00 every day. In a pinch, don’t hesitate to come by the office if you have something to pick up. We will try to have a pick up at Rocky Run Park (if you live nearby) at least once/month.

Returning to School in Person
Thank you to all of the parents who attended our Town Hall or Parent Chats recently. Of great concern has been what the hybrid model will look like for students returning to school in person. We so appreciate your feedback on how this decision impacts your families. Please send your feedback to the Engage with APS! Page. Additionally, you must update your family’s information in ParentVUE. This information will be vital to our return-to-school planning.

Upcoming Events

No School for Students, Monday, October 12 (no office hours or asynchronous learning)
FLE Night, Thursday, October 15 @7:00 PM via Teams Meeting Link (link sent via email Thursday morning)
Welcome Back to School Celebration, Saturday, October 17 @TBD on the DHMS Driveway
Parent Chat, Monday, October 19 @ 12:30 via Teams Meeting Link (link sent via email Monday morning)
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences, Thursday (PM) and Friday (AM), October 22/23 via Teams Meeting links