Dolphin Tales
School Update 1/13/2023
Important Dates
- January 16th: No School Dr. MLK Jr. Day
- January 19th: Half Day All Schools - 12:12 dismissal
- January 20th: Half Day All Schools - 12:12 dismissal
- February 1st: No School for Students
- February 20th-21st: No School Mid-Winter Break
Principal Update- Mr. Spitzley
đź’šUnited We Walk Eventđź’š
Motor Skills
We are looking for parents interested in helping with some motor skill groups at Doherty. If you have any interest in volunteering or learning more, please click the link below.
NWEA Testing
First Grade
January 17th and 18th
Kindergarten
January 19th-25th
Building Security Update
The interior entrance to the office from the vestibule has been updated to include a badge swipe requirement or admission from the office staff. This door will be a locked entrance at all times. Visitors who enter will find that we sometimes need a moment to activate the new lock.
We appreciate your patience as we become accustomed to this extra step.
Extra Learning Opportunities
We are excited to announce that our district is offering new programming in our schools to provide extra learning opportunities (before or after school) and additional support during the school day through the use of one-time federal grant funding. Students will be invited to participate based on identified needs. These identified needs are data-driven and in accordance with grant guidelines and requirements. We realize that many families may be interested in an opportunity like this. Our goal is to provide targeted support to as many students as possible, specifically for those with an identified need for additional support. If you have not received an invitation and are interested, please contact your principal.
After School Lego League Explore Coming soon- registration open!
Registration is linked below. Starts in February, held on Thursdays, Feb 2 - Apr 13, 4:02 - 5:15 PM at Doherty for 1st and 2nd graders.
Click invite below to get your Casino Night Tickets!
After School Activities
Bridges Parent Handout
Please check out this document to access parent information about each math unit.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bJc4HtK_QidHujaQVzz7ydKGaAzryTv26kmSRvS3ol4/edit?usp=sharing
Weather Gear Reminder
The students love being outside and recess will be outdoors in most conditions throughout the school year. Please send your child to school with weather and outdoor play appropriate clothing and name-labeled outerwear.
Thank you!
A huge thank you to our PTO and parents who volunteered their time to help create such a fun Winter Craft Night!
Capturing Kids Hearts Resources
Doherty Safeline
Save the Doherty Safeline # in your phone: 248-865-6002
Leave a message on the Doherty Safeline if you're child will not be attending school.
2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
Attendance Reminders
Every minute of time at school is an opportunity for your child to be learning and practicing social skills with peers. Please take a moment to review our the district's elementary attendance policy below.
December Lunch Menu
Mrs. Hanifi's Doherty Art Class Blog
student conduct and to help answer your questions. It is expected
that students and families will become familiar with its contents.
CAMPUS SAFETY
Please review these important tips to keep our students and staff safe during arrivals and dismissals. It would also be very helpful to screenshot or share this information with anyone else who might be dropping your student off or picking them up. With nearly 500 students arriving and dismissing in short periods of time it's important that everyone commit to a safe and orderly process.
During the day parents and visitors will need to follow a few important rules to keep our students safe and our building accessible.
- There is no parking in the bus loop between 10 AM and 5 PM. During that time you must park in the parking lot and walk up to the office. The bus loop is a fire lane and a no-parking zone. Buses will be entering and exiting that loop frequently before, during and after school hours and we have students passing by the bus loop for recess for several hours.
- When using the carline for pickup you must pull as far forward as possible when waiting for the carline to start moving or students to be dismissed. It is important to get as many vehicles as possible into the lot and off of Walnut Lake rd to minimize backups.
- Always pack your patience and be considerate of other drivers who are also queued to pick up students. The carline team with your help has been doing a great job of moving the line quickly and safely each day.
🛑Neighbor Considerations 🛑
Parking Lot Safety Reminders
Each day 200+ students use the car line for arrival and dismissal. In order to keep all students and staff members safe, everyone who uses the parking lot must adhere to the processes in place and make safe decisions. With nearly 500 students at Doherty, the logistics of bussing and car line are a big part of daily operations and a continual focus of the Doherty Team. Refer to diagram above.
Remember:
- Do not walk your child through the lot or the carline, it is extremely dangerous.
- Parking and standing with your child behind your vehicle is an unnecessary distraction for cars navigating the carline and merge point and also very unsafe.
- Using the bus loop to cut around the waiting cars requires driving against directional parking lot arrows/traffic flow to park is not permitted. There are extremely rare occasions where that is acceptable.
- Some people have driven the parking lot for years, some just a few days. Please be patient and considerate of each other.
Bus Tracker App Reminder
As a reminder, Durham Transportation, our district’s transportation partner, offers a helpful bus tracking app for West Bloomfield families. The Bus Tracker app is available for iOS, Android and web and allows families to track their student(s) bus along its route, to and from school.
Families will need to have their student(s) ID number(s) which are available in PowerSchool in order to log into the app and create an account. As a safety protocol, the Bus Tracker app will only allow families to see their student(s) bus route(s) only.
If you have any questions, please consult the Bus Tracker instructions and visit the Bus Tracker webpage on the Durham Transportation website for more information and to download the app.
We hope the use of the Durham Transportation Bus Tracker app will help better inform our families of slow downs and delays in the bus pick up and drop off times. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we navigate the first days of this new school year. We value the importance of consistency and safety in our transportation offering to families.
If you have any questions or would like more information, call our Transportation Offices at (248) 865-3680.
District News
Tools and Support
Tools for Immediate Help with Crisis and Reporting
If you or a loved one is struggling, please utilize the support services listed below:
Common Ground - Helps community members in crisis. Call -1-800-231-1127; Or Text “Hello”; to Chat with a crisis counselor.
Oakland County Crisis/Suicide Line - 1-800-231-1127
OK2SAY - We encourage students to talk to a trusted adult if they see or hear something that doesn't seem right. They can also report information anonymously using OK2SAY. Call 855-565-2729; text 652729; or email OK2SAY@mi.gov. For emergencies, dial 911.
Talk to Us - The WBSD anonymous communication tool. Tell us what’s on your mind. Ask a question, share a concern, make a comment.
Emotional Support/Mental Health - WBSD has several trained social workers, psychologists, restorative practices coaches, and mental health consultants here to support students and families.
Tools for Families to Talk to Their Children
For families seeking a way to talk with their children about recent events, you may access the following resources as a starting point:
Non-specific safety conversations may be more appropriate for younger students and may begin with presentations like the following on the Johns Hopkins site: “Talking to Your Children About Safety” for children in grades K-2 and children in grades 3-5. Using children’s books that use the power of narrative to teach valuable lessons is also a developmentally appropriate method to help our young one's process information. Some examples include the following:
The Rabbit Listened. A child has their castle wrecked and animals come and talk to her to give her advice. The rabbit comes to listen to her and she shares her feelings and gets brave to build the castle again.
After the Fall. Humpty Dumpty gets the courage to climb the wall again.
Doherty Elementary Information
Email: daniel.spitzley@wbsd.org
Website: www.wbsd.org/doherty
Location: 3575 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 865-6020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DohertyFamilies/
Twitter: @SpitzleyDoherty
Doherty Elementary Office Staff