Update for 11/20/2020

Senator Update for 11/20/20

Dear Senator Nation,

We have our youngest Senators back in the classroom and areSenator Update excited to tell you that things are going well! It’s so nice to see their faces bright and happy to be with their teachers in person. With Thanksgiving only days away, please take time to be with your family but also take precautions during the break.  We all want to keep our Senators safe, and we continue to be diligent in following state and national guidelines. In this update, you will find recommendations from the CDC and the Delaware Department of Public Health regarding Thanksgiving get-togethers.

Our teachers have been busy with Remote and At-School Learning, and it’s wonderful to see the impact they are having on our students’ education. Please take a moment to read about Mrs. Rhonda Braddy, music teacher for Fairview and Hartly Elementary Schools, who shared with us how she teaches her students virtually. Mrs. Amy Bowen, third-grade teacher at North Dover Elementary, also gave us insight about how our students are learning since Capital transitioned into the Hybrid Model.

The week of November 9th through the 13th was School Psychologist week, and we thank all of our school psychologists who do a great job of helping our students!

Five Dover High students with their art teacher MaryJane Long worked on a mural downtown on the back of Mitten & Winters, CPAs! The mural was created last year but was recently dedicated.

At the bottom of the update, you’ll find information on testing, what is expected from students at school and links to helpful information.

Please stay happy, healthy and safe over the Thanksgiving holiday and as we continue to navigate this new way of teaching and learning.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sylvia M. Henderson


Dr. Sylvia M. Henderson 
Interim Superintendent

 

Hybrid and Remote Learning Updates

  • Hybrid Learning Update - Photos from the first week of Hybrid Learning
  • Remote Learning Update - Teachers focus - Rhonda Braddy, music teacher for Fairview and Hartly Elementary Schools, shares her experiences while virtual teaching, and Mrs. Amy Bowen, Hybrid third-grade teacher for North Dover Elementary, tells us how she manages virtual and at-school classrooms.
  • School psychologist week - November 9 through the 13th was school psychologist week and we thank all of them for helping our students to thrive.
  • Capital School District Presents at the Joint State Board of Education and Delaware School Boards Association Meeting -The Capital School District Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Team was invited to present ways that the needs of the whole child are being met in the district.
  • Tips for Keeping Senators Safe - Recommendation on how to avoid COVID-19 during the Thanksgiving holiday
  • Dedication of "Backyard Birds" mural - the mural at the back of Mitten & Winters CPAs was dedicated on Friday, November 9, 2020. Five Dover High students were involved in creating the mural. 

Hybrid Learning Update

Capital School District students started the Hybrid Model of learning on Monday, November 9, 2020. The students were eager to be back in the classroom and to see their teachers face-to-face. The first day of at-school learning began with Group A students, those who scheduled to be in school on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Group B students began learning at school on Thursday, November 12th. Everything went well! Enjoy these photos showing how happy students were to be back at school!

From Group A First Day At-School - Monday and Tuesday

BTW Student on first day of Hybrid At-School LearningBTW arrives for At-School Learning
These young students from Booker T. Washington was ready and eager to learn at school!


Reading in Ms. Wolskee's class
Reading time in Ms. Jonni Wolskee's class at Fairview Elementary


Principal Bill Buczynski and Dr. Henderson with students
Principal Bill Buczynski and Interim Superintendent Dr. Sylvia M. Henderson welcome students at South Dover Elementary on the first day in school.



From Group B First Day At-School - Thursday and Friday

Towne Point teacher Sarah Myers
Towne Point third-grade teacher Sarah Myers is getting ready to Zoom with her students from her classroom.


Towne Point teacher Rodney Davis
Mr. Rodney Davis, kindergarten teacher at Towne Point Elementary, engages his students at school and virtually.


Hartly kindergarteners enjoying movement
These students at Hartly Elementary School enjoy an activity that involves movement and music in Morgan Jewel’s kindergarten class!



National School Psychologists Week - November 9 - 13, 2020

National School Psychologist Week was observed from November 9th through the 13th. We would like to thank our school psychologists for the important work they do to help all of our students thrive, both in and out of the classroom. They are valuable members of our district team!

 School psychologists









Capital’s school psychologists in a recent Zoom meeting


Dedication of a Downtown Mural in Dover

Five students from Dover High School, Olivia Kluge, Emily Maucher,  Madeleine Jackson, all currently seniors, and Emilia Petty and Kayleigh Perone who graduated in 2019 worked on the mural on the back of Mitten and Winters, CPA with their art teacher Mrs. MaryJane Long. They had fun and it was a great way to beautify downtown. There was a dedication for the mural, entitled “BackyardBirds” on Friday, November 6, 2020. 

Dedication Ceremony



















Dedication Ceremony of "Backyard Birds" mural


Robin section of mural















Section of mural worked on by Dover High School students and Mrs. Long




Mrs. Rhonda Braddy, Remote Learning Music Teacher, Fairview and Hartly Elementary Schools


Mrs. Rhonda Braddy
This pandemic experience has been challenging yet rewarding. Chorus at both Fairview and Hartly are on hold right now. Yet Mrs. Rhonda Braddy’s music classes have been so much fun. “It's forced me to dig  and create fun and exciting ways to teach my students.” One way she chose to keep music alive so that students could experience the elements of music at home (virtually) was through "Music Kits."  “To make it even more interesting, I started a scavenger hunt to have students find items around the house to create rhythm.”   


The result of these Music Kits: 

  • Pens, pencils, markers, or sticks became rhythm sticks.
  • Plastic water bottles with dry rice, noodles, beans, beads, pebbles or popcorn kernels were used for shakers.
  • Small containers, boxes, with and without tops became drums.
“I even had one student design her own pink drum set.” She said, “Remote learning has been quite stressful and oftentimes confusing to implement; yet, every time I sign into a Zoom session, my heart leaps to spend time singing and playing musical games to connect with every student. I'll do whatever needs to bone to support students in music education.” 



Mrs. Amy Bowen, Third-Grade Hybrid Teacher, North Dover Elementary

This is Mrs. Amy Bowen’s  21st year teaching at North Dover and sheMrs. Amy Bowen said that this last year has been like no other! “Teaching virtually has made me develop an entirely new skill set I didn't think I would need at this point in my career, and the added challenge has been difficult, for myself and the families of the students I teach.  I feel that my virtual students are doing well and learning. I was worried that it would be hard to develop a rapport with these students, but that hasn't been the case at all.  When we began hybrid, I was so excited to finally get to really "see" my third-grade students. Words cannot describe what it was like to actually meet them on the first day.  I knew I was going to be happy, but I was surprised at just how happy and emotional it was to get to greet them and welcome them into my classroom for the first time in 8 months.”

Mrs. Bowen he told us that it certainly has been a challenge for her to teach both virtually and in the hybridMrs. Amy Bowen setting.  It has taken a lot of teamwork for this to happen successfully.  “We have a great third grade team and a very supportive leader in Ms. Benson, which has made the transition go more smoothly than I had anticipated. I'm very proud to teach at North Dover and the dedication from all of the staff has been amazing to see firsthand.  I love the energy of being in the classroom.  It makes my soul happy to work with my students in person. I cannot wawit for the day when I get to see the smiling faces of all of my students in our classroom.  That sentiment is echoed by all of the teachers at North, because that is who we are and what we do."



Capital School District Presents at the Joint State Board of Education and Delaware School Boards Association Meeting
The Capital School District Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Team was invited to present ways that the needs of the whole child are being met in the district at the November 16 joint State Board of Education and Delaware School Boards Association meeting.  At this meeting, the team shared ways that social and emotional learning strategies are being supported and implemented at the district, school, instruction, student and family/community levels.  Some examples include integrating SEL into district strategic intents, instructional model, teacher goals, staff wellness, student leadership, and family support.  The district continues to ensure that the social and emotional needs of students remains a priority so that we can most effectively meet the needs of the whole child. 

Presentation Slide for SEL



Keeping Our Senators Safe

Get Tested before Thanksgiving The Delaware Division of Public Health recommends Delawareans take the following actions to prevent further spread of infection in the community:   

  • Only dine socially (at home and in restaurants) with those who live with you
  • Don’t spend time socially with people outside your household
  • Don’t plan on holding holiday dinners with those outside your household – even family
Give Thanks Not COVID-19“What we can see in our data is that social gatherings, whether at a house party, casual dinner, or restaurant, where people take off their masks while they eat, drink and chat, are the primary situations in which COVID-19 is being spread,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “It is just not safe right now to socially eat, drink, casually hang out or party with people outside of our household unless we are socially distanced and outside.”



Here is Public Health's recommendations for getting together with loved ones over the holidays.

You can download or print the Public Health's recommendations here.


CDC also offers some materials that you might find useful for parent and staff education. See attachments and link:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html

All students must complete a self-screener every day and wear face coverings (masks) at school. Parents & guardians - please send your child to school wearing a clean mask each day. Also send an extra in case the first one gets dirty or is lost. Face coverings will be worn in classrooms according to CDC guidelines.
  • Ages: 5 and above required
  • Ages: 2-4 strongly recommended (only If student can removeHow to wear your mask properly mask independently)
Masks will be worn outside the classroom in all shared, public spaces (hallways, bathrooms, etc.) and inside the classroom with the exception of times for mask breaks and at mealtimes. If your child cannot wear a mask, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact their building principal and school nurse for more information on their options. 

Keeping cafeteria cleanCapital School District follows established cleaning protocols against COVID-19. High-touch surfaces (stair rails, doorknobs, push-bars on doors, bathrooms, etc.) will be wiped every 2 hours using an EPA-approved cleaning and disinfecting agent from the EPA’s List N as approved for COVID-19 use.

The Senator Facilities Team continues to maintain the air handling systems in our schools with regular filter changes and preventive maintenance by qualified experts.  The age of our schools vary, however, the systems that cool and heat each of our schools meet the guidelines established by the CDC for maintaining a safe exchange of air in our buildings. Our team will remain focused on air quality as part of providing a safe place for our children to learn.

Classroom Supplies that will be provided for each classroom (custodial staff will check the supply and replenish daily):

 

  • Disinfectant Spray                       Social distance to protect others and yourself
  • Paper Towels
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Extra Supply of Masks
  • Glove Supply
You can tested for COVID-19 for Free. To find locations, visit http://www.de.gov/gettested







Know your COVID status


Links:
Key Times to wash hands
                            
District Calendar
Student Success Guide
School Administrators
School Based Mental Health Teams
Meal Delivery Information
School Reopening Frequently Asked Questions
Delaware Department of Education FAQ
CDC.gov
Hand Sanitizer/Good Hand Hygiene
Social and Emotional Wellness Consideration Reopening Plan

 

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