STEAM Designated School
Congratulations to Dorr Elementary
"STEAM Designated School"by the Ohio Department of Education and STEAM Learning Network!
Announcements
2020-21 Silver Award
Congratulations to Dorr Elementary School for the receipt of a 2020-21 Silver Award from the Ohio PBIS Network and the State Support Team for their ongoing commitment to and implementation of PBIS !
The University of Toledo Partnership
For the last nine years, Dorr Elementary has held a partnership with the University of Toledo (UT) to host a Reading Class on our Dorr Elementary campus. Through this partnership, the UT undergraduate students learn about instructing elementary students in reading and then work with our Dorr students to try out their techniques to support their reading skills.
As you can well imagine, this year’s partnership has had to look a bit different than it has in the past, but in spite of the challenges, the Dorr teachers have decided to make the partnership work. With some modifications, we were finally able to create some connections between the UT “tutors” and the Dorr “tutees” so they could establish a partnership of learning. The University of Toledo students hold their class on their campus and then travel to Dorr to serve as tutors for some of our Dorr students.
Even through the challenges, it is clear to see the engaging connections that are being made between the University of Toledo undergraduate students and the Dorr students. We are extremely thankful for this partnership and appreciate the hard work that our Dorr teachers do to ensure that our students are prepared to work with the University of Toledo students. Thank you to our Dorr teachers and the University of Toledo for continuing this partnership for the success of our students.
An Outdoor Classroom
As we continue to think of creative ways to engage our students this school year, we have had to think beyond the walls of our building. With an idea and the help of a wonderful community partner, we were able to create a space that can be utilized as an outdoor classroom this past week.
We have been so fortunate to have a prairie at Dorr Elementary that allows the students to engage with their own environment and to learn skills that puts them in the role of scientist. To best utilize the prairie for instruction, we thought it would be a great idea to create an outdoor classroom space. At the same time, members of the Westgate Chapel community approached Dorr Elementary to see if they could help their neighbors of Dorr Elementary in any way. With these two forces—a creative idea and some committed labor—we were able to create a wonderful outdoor classroom space by the prairie for our students.
We are tremendously thankful to our Westgate Chapel friends who worked to support Dorr Elementary and the students we serve with this outdoor classroom. It is a welcome addition to our students’ learning. Thank you for serving the Dorr Elementary Community so well!
What Zone Are You In?
As we continue to support students’ Social and Emotional Learning needs, please feel free to ask your child what “Zone” he or she is in and you will probably get the answer: Red,Blue,Yellow,or hopefullyGreen.
But what does that mean? It means that your child is using the strategies taught in the “Zones of Regulation” curriculum—a color coordinated feeling regulation program. This Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum was implemented into our district three years ago and teaches our students to identify their feelings, while putting them into a “Zone.” These zones then help your child easily identify appropriate coping strategies or tools to use when feeling certain ways .
Did your child answer “Blue?” Then he or she is feeling down, tired, sad, bored, or sick. If your child answered "Yellow," he or she is probably feeling heightened - super excited, silly, or maybe overwhelmed. An answer of "Red" means your child is feeling angry, frustrated, or mad. And "Green" means your child is feeling happy, relaxed, calm, and ready to be his or her best self.
Once students can identify their "zone," they are then taught appropriate "tools" to handle that zone. In the red zone, students may help their bodies feel better by taking deep breaths, counting, or taking a break. In the blue zone, students may help their body "wake" up by getting a drink of water, taking a walk, or talking to someone to help them feel better.
To learn more about this curriculum, please visit www.zonesofregulation.com. At Dorr Elementary, we are very excited about this curriculum and its implementation as it has been such a helpful tool for our students.
“BEE” Involved with our Dorr Parents’ Club
Each school year, I am in awe of the wonderful support that we receive from our Dorr Parents’ Club. They provide tremendous support to our school both financially and socially.
Every month the Parents’ Club offers the opportunity for parents and families to participate in meetings to discuss ways to support the school. There is also an opportunity to share your feedback on what you would like to see for the students of Dorr.
In regard to financial support, the Dorr Parents’ Club coordinates a number of fund raising events each year which support the yearly goal. This year the goal will be discussed at our first Parents’ Club meeting. We greatly appreciate your participation with the fundraising opportunities to support Dorr Elementary.
In supporting the school socially, there are a number of fun events that the Dorr Parents’ Club have sponsored over the years: Fall Family Fun Night/Ice Cream Social, Trunk or Treat Night, Family Dances, Movie Nights, DragonFest, or help with teacher tasks at our Elf Nights. We know that this school year continues to be a bit different so we would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can support our students and families.
As you can see, the Dorr Parents’ Club provides a wealth of support for our school, and we greatly appreciate their efforts. Please plan to join us at our first Parents’ Club meeting of the school year on Thursday, September 9th at 6:30 pm. We would love to have your input!
Full STEAM Ahead!
It is “official”! Last year, Dorr Elementary was named one of 10 new STEM/STEAM Designated Schools by the Ohio Department of Education! When we started this journey a few years ago, our staff made the conscious choice to be a school that celebrated innovation and the four C’s of Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking Skills, and Creativity. Through a focused effort of our Dorr STEAM Team and our wonderful community partners, we have been recognized as a school that encompasses a culture of inquiry, problem-solving, and provides connections to the environment.
The STEAM Designation has been spurred on by the initiative of Project PRAIRIE. This initiative was a collaborative effort with the Toledo Zoo and the Dorr Parents’ Club to create a prairie on our school property. With the help of our students and staff, the prairie was planted in the winter of 2018. As our prairie has grown, so has our students’ involvement in exploring their environment and preserving our nature’s habitat.
We are excited about what Dorr Elementary has been able to accomplish with the help of our partners: The Toledo Zoo, the Toledo Symphony, the Toledo Museum of Art, the Lucas County Soil and Water Conservation District, BGSU, BGSU NWO, and the Dana Corp. In addition, our Dorr STEAM Team of Julie Daniels, Kristy DiSalle, Barb Eckhart, Kelly Kahmann, Brad Kerns, Jennifer Mercer, and Kathy Zeitler provided the necessary leadership to turn this vision into a reality. With these partners and the STEAM Team leadership in place, it is “full STEAM ahead” for Dorr Elementary.