Hoover Elementary Family Newsletter
August 27, 2020
Welcome Back Entrance Conferences
Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),
Welcome to the 2020-21 school year, one that promises to be unique and unforgettable in any number of ways.
As you are well aware, parents are an essential part of making each child’s school year a success. The first step in that process is attending the entrance conference, which is designed to give teachers the opportunity to get to know your child and you the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, share important information, and set goals for the upcoming year. Despite the pandemic, our entrance conference goals have not changed.
Entrance conferences for Distance Learners as well as other important Distance Learning information can be found in the Welcome Letter that you will receive from the Distance Learning coordinators.
Entrance conferences for returning Hoover students will be held virtually through a Google Meet link provided to you by your student’s teacher. The dates of entrance conferences this year are September 8 & 9. You will be receiving a Google Meet link from your child’s teacher a few days in advance of your child’s scheduled entrance conference.
Entrance conferences for NEW Hoover students will be held in-person on September 8 & 9. Please read the entrance conference guidelines (linked below) in advance of your child’s in-person conference. More specific information about which door to enter, how the conference will look, etc., will be coming from your child’s teacher in advance of your child’s scheduled entrance conference. New students include all Kindergarten students.
On Tuesday, September 1, 2020 you will receive an email giving you directions on how to look up your child’s teacher and sign-up for an entrance conference. In order to find your child’s teacher and sign up for conferences, you will need access to Infinite Campus. There are many things that will be different this fall, including some changes to teaching staff or some different groupings of students. In many grade levels, a team teaching approach will be used. The specifics of this approach will be explained at your child’s conference, including a more detailed schedule of the day and an explanation of how the team teaching approach will look for your child.
As a reminder, school pictures will NOT be taken during entrance conferences.
Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer.
Sincerely,
Mollie Meyer
Principal
Health Office Update
Quick Note:
You may send sunscreen to school with your child. It does not require a medical note. Your child will need to apply their own sunscreen and will not be able to to share sunscreen with others.
Parent Information regarding Covid-19 and Health Services
As we start the 2020-2021 school year amidst Covid-19 pandemic, please be aware that we will need to follow established guidelines in order to promote the health and safety of all staff and students. These guidelines are developed with an abundance of caution in order to prevent transmission of the Covid-19 virus. The protocols we will follow are in alignment with guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health. In order for schools to be open for in-person learning, it is essential to do all that we can to prevent and/or slow the spread of the virus.
Here are the things you need to know:
Please check your student for signs or symptoms of illness every morning before they come to school. If they are ill or have a fever (100.4 F or more) they need to stay home. Please do not give them tylenol, advil, or any other fever reducing medication, before school as this may mask a fever and possible illness. Students who develop a fever at school will be sent home. If they have a new onset cough OR shortness of breath, keep them home. These may be signs of Covid-19.
If your student has at least two of any of these symptoms or one symptom and a fever, they should stay home as these also may be a sign of Covid-19:Chills, Muscle pain, Sore Throat, Fatigue, Nasal or chest congestion, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Nausea, Loss of smell or taste, or any other new symptom of illness with no other diagnosis, please contact your primary clinic to find out if your student needs to be seen and if and where they can be tested for Covid-19.
Please call the attendance line to report an absence due to illness and include the reason for the absence, including your student’s symptoms.
When a student becomes ill at school we will need to contact you. Please provide the school with at least 2, and preferably 3 emergency contacts, with up to date phone numbers. This can be added to the registration process in Infinite Campus. Ill students will need to go home as soon as possible to prevent the spread of illness. Please make arrangements to be able to have your student picked up promptly.
Students who are ill and need to go home will be escorted by staff out of the building to the parent or emergency contact. Parents will need to call when they arrive at school to pick up their child, as they will be instructed to not enter the school building.
Students who are ill will need to be home for at least 10 days since the symptoms first appeared AND until no fever for at least 24 hours without pain reducing medication. Siblings and household members, including those in other school buildings, will also need to be picked up and stay home for at least 14 days, to monitor for symptoms of Covid-19.
If your student has a known health condition, please contact the school health office and fill out an Individual Health Condition/Emergency Plan Form. If symptoms are related to the health condition we will discuss this with parents. We may require a note from your healthcare provider which indicates a specific diagnosis, if other than Covid-19.
If you plan to have medication at school for your student (prescription AND nonprescription) we will need a Primary Care Provider to complete the Consent Form For Administration of Medication During School Day form. Please call the school to arrange for a time to drop off medications. Please be aware that you will need to keep a supply of medication at home also, in case the school transitions to distance learning. If at all possible, medications should be given at home.
Students will be required to wear masks in the building. This can be a cloth mask made of at least two layers of material, and should not be a mask with a vent. All students will be expected to wear a mask. If there is a health condition that prevents the student from wearing a mask, the school will require a note from the student’s Primary Care Provider. Staff from school will contact you to discuss alternative protective measures.
We know that this year will be like no other. We ask for your patience and understanding as we go through this together. If you have any questions or concerns, please call, Julie Carroll, the Licensed School Nurse, at 507-207-3287 or cell number 507-382-1136.
Additional Information
Hoover Masks & Apparel Order
Feeding Our Community Partners (FOCP)
Feeding our Community Partners (FOCP) is a local organization committed to providing adequate nutrition for ultimate success. Registration for enrolling in this program is now available. Please use the link below to begin the enrollment process. Once the form is completed, you will be linked to the registration form. Due to the current pandemic, food will be delivered to student homes monthly. If you family identifies as food insecure, please enroll your child.
School Meals
Here is a link to the ISD77 website to find the application.
No Snack Cart This Year
If you are willing to donate and send extra snacks for students who don't have access to snacks, please send pre-packaged items from the following list:
Teddy Grahams
Gold Fish,
Cheezits
Animal Crackers
granola bars
pretzels
Contact Us:
Email: mmeyer1@isd77.org
Website: he.isd77.org
Location: 1524 Hoover Drive, North Mankato, MN, USA
Phone: 507-388-5202