November 20, 2020 Good afternoon Daniel Hand High School community,
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week followed very closely by the end of trimester one. This school year, although different than any we have experienced, is going by very quickly. After extensive conversations, we are making a revision to the typically followed end of trimester exam schedule. In short, traditional trimester one exams will not be given, however teachers will have the option to assess students as necessary.
Considering the importance of assessment, as well as the value of instructional time, we will follow our typical school day schedule on the last three days of the trimester (December 2, 3, and 4). Please refer to the chart below as a reference to the end of trimester one schedule.
To minimize the potential of an overwhelming workload, only the periods indicated each day may be used for assessment purposes. For example, on December 2, only periods 1 and 4 are permitted to have assessments of any kind. Having an assessment in periods 1 and 4 is not a requirement, but an assessment may be given as necessary. Teachers will provide students with additional information specific to the classes they teach prior to the end of the trimester. Wednesday December 2nd
Assessment eligible periods: 1 & 4 Thursday December 3rd
Assessment eligible periods: 2 & 5 Friday December 4th
Assessment eligible periods: 3 & 6 Wellness Wednesdays Our second Wellness Wednesday was a virtual event that took place earlier this week. Although there is no comparison to an in-person Wellness Wednesday, the support staff shared some positive input regarding this week's event. The next Wellness Wednesday is scheduled on December 9, 2020.
As an update to the support staff's virtual availability before and after school for all students, please refer to the chart below for additional times support staff will be available during full remote learning. Students interested in joining these sessions can do so via Google Meet using the code, supportstaff, during the hours and periods detailed in the chart below. Monday, Wednesday, Friday 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. 4a 4b 5a 2:0 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Tuesday & Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. 3a 3b 5b 2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Now that we are in the full remote learning model, it is important to note that while in this model, all after school and weekend events are canceled. For planning purposes, this cancelation impacts the upcoming SAT session scheduled on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Additionally, while in the full remote learning model, student attendance during online sessions is even more important than before. Although the technology associated with remote learning has been working quite effectively, we all know that there are times when the technology just does not work as we expect. If a student experiences any connection issues during remote learning, please email the teacher immediately, if that is possible. If you do not get a response quickly, please contact the school at (203) 245-6355 to inform us of the technology issue. We will continue to be flexible when working with students who experience issues with technology during remote learning. Please contact the school at your convenience if there is an ongoing technology issue that requires a resolution.
I urge you to continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, and wash/sanitize hands during the coming weeks. Safe and healthy decisions will allow in-person school and extracurricular activities to resume sooner than later.
As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Enjoy the weekend and the upcoming holiday.
Stay healthy,
Mr. Salutari
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