Kennedy News
Welcome Back Edition #KENNEDYBEST
Note from Mr. Rustad: It's a Great Year to be a Cub!
Kennedy Families,
I am so excited to welcome back all of our Kennedy Cubs for great year of learning! Our first day of school is Friday, September 10th.
On Monday, August 23rd, all families will be able to log into Parent Portal and find out who will be teaching their student or students. Additionally, the online conference sign up will open on that day as well. You will find more information about this further down in the newsletter.
The most important message I want all Kennedy families to hear as we enter into this coming school year is that your student is our number one priority at all times. It is most important that what you hear right now is that your child, your Kennedy Cub, is the reason we are here. The academic, physical, and social well being of your child is what drives us to be our Kennedy BEST. Kennedy educators are humbled by the opportunity to play this role in the lives of your children. We recognize fully that our work is done in partnership with you. Together we are Kennedy!
As you have likely heard, all MAPS students in grades K-8, as well as staff who are working with those students, are expected to be masked up for school again this year. Our Cubs did a great job with their masks last year and I know they can do it again. Please plan to have your student masked up for school each day.
I have some updated teacher information for you as we enter into the new school year. Below is a list of teachers for 2021-22 school year.
- Kindergarten - Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. Lout, and Mrs. McConkey
- 1st Grade - Mrs. Brennan, Mrs. Rickbeil, and Mr. Wischnack
- 2nd Grade - Mrs. Imhoff, Mrs. Veroeven, and Mrs. Wiste
- 3rd Grade - Mrs. Harper, Mr. Meyers, and Mrs. Ward
- 4th Grade - Mrs. Schulz, Mrs. Uhrich, and Mr. Winning
- 5th Grade - Mrs. Bode and Ms. Kelly
- Reading - Mrs. Fischer and Mrs. Wittenberg
- EL - Ms. Rodriguez
- Specials - Mrs. Smith and Mr. French (PE), Mrs. Benson (Media), Mrs. Carpenter (Music), and Mrs. Wingen (Art)
- Special Education - Mrs. Wensel, Mrs. Stenzel, Mrs. Burnham, Mrs. Hopkins, and Mrs. Konz
- Student Support - Ms. Helget (Counselor), Mrs. McNamara (Social Work), Mrs. Loitz (School Pyschologist), Mrs. Lockwood (Nurse) and Mrs. Anderson (Nurse)
Thank you so much for partnering with us for another great year at Kennedy! It's a great year to be a Cub!
Together We Are Kennedy!
Steve Rustad
BE SAFE
ENGAGE
SHOW EMPATHY
TOGETHER WE ARE KENNEDY!
Important Note - The First Day of School is September 10th
Find out your student's teacher starting on Monday, August 23
All Kennedy families are invited to log into Parent Portal to find out who their child's teacher will be for the upcoming school year starting on Monday, August 23. You can click on the Parent Portal button below to access the log-in screen. If you are unable to log into the portal, you can call the school and we will let you know who the teacher will be for this upcoming school year. The number for Kennedy is (507)387-2122.
Sign up for Entrance Conferences starting Monday, August 23
Mankato Area Public Schools Masking Update
At its meeting on August 16, the Mankato Area School Board voted to enact a masking requirement for K-8 students and staff inside district buildings once school begins in September. This decision was based on high community transmission of COVID-19 in Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties, and the ineligibility of students under 12 to be fully vaccinated. All Kennedy Cubs will be expected to show their Kennedy BEST by wearing their masks appropriately at school.
Please note that federal regulations require masks on all public transportation, including school buses. All K-12 students riding school buses to and/or from school and for school activities must wear a mask.
Online School Option
The start of the 2021-22 school year is quickly approaching and Mankato Area Public Schools (MAPS) wants to remind our enrolled families that we have an asynchronous online school option available. To get details about this option, interested families should reach out to their school principal so that they can be of assistance in determining if it is the right fit for their student(s). Enrollment in the online program ends August 27, so interested families should connect with their school principal as soon as possible.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for All Students
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
We are so happy to be able to welcome back our Cubs!! Arrival and dismissal times involve a large number of students moving through common locations, so we are continuing with safety precautions and staggering the times students should be arriving and leaving the building. To make this process as safe and efficient as possible, we rely on everyone doing their best to follow the times and locations for drop off/pick up.
Arrival
If walking or dropping off please follow the staggered arrival times by last name:
Last names A-H 7:45
Last name I-P 7:50
Last name Q-Z 7:55
Students must enter and exit through the designated doors for their grade level. Siblings who are not assigned to the same door will have to part ways outside.
All Kindergarten - Door 2
All 1st - Door 1
All 2nd + 4th - Door 14
All 3rd + 5th - Door 13
VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS:
Parents and other visitors will not be able to enter the building during drop-off and pick up.
Please park only in the designated areas for drop off (see map below).
The bus lane is not a drop-off zone for any families K-5 families. Please do not pull in to the bus loop for drop-off. Only buses and Pre-K families should be accessing that lane.
Parents who are walking their students to school must stay on the sidewalk during drop off.
Students will not be allowed to enter the building until 7:35.
Students will either go directly to their classroom or cafeteria for breakfast.
Dismissal
Students will be walking out with their classroom teacher and gathering in their outdoor pod spot. Students will tell their teacher when they are leaving. Siblings should choose a meeting location on the sidewalks away from the other pods. We will begin our dismissal process at just before 2:30. If you are waiting for your child outside of a car, please wait on the sidewalks along the roads and your child can meet you there. Thank you for your help and cooperation to make this run as smoothly as possible. We appreciate your patience as we all learn this new routine. Let us know if you have any questions!
Mankato Area Public Schools Health Protocols
The following guidelines and recommendations are from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Best Practices for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools and the Centers for Disease Control - Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools.
Note: These protocols are subject to change without advance notice if the public health situation necessitates. Other statewide and/or national protocols may supersede the information above for specific programs. Last update: 8/17/2021
Prevention Layers and Protocols
Daily Health Screening
Prior to arriving at a MAPS building, conduct a Daily Health Screening.
Stay home if you have symptoms of illness.
Face Coverings
All K-8 students, staff, visitors and contractors will be required to wear a face covering while indoors.
It is recommended that all 9-12 students, staff, visitors, and contactors wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status.
Federal regulations require masks on all public transportation, including school buses.
Symptomatic individuals will be required to wear a face covering in school health offices.
Physical Distancing
Staff will take reasonable steps to implement physical distancing to provide safe spacing between individuals as practicable for programs held indoors.
Cleaning, Handwashing & Respiratory Etiquette
Daily routine cleaning and disinfecting will occur in classrooms and common spaces.
Handwashing and respiratory hygiene behaviors will be encouraged for all students and staff.
Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
The MAPS COVID-19 Coordinator will report cases of COVID-19 to MDH.
Symptomatic people will be required to wear a face covering and quarantine themselves while waiting to go home.
Families and staff are asked to notify the school if they have COVID-19 symptoms, test positive for COVID-19, or recently had a close contact with someone with COVID-19.
Isolation & Quarantine
Stay home if you have symptoms of illness.
Symptomatic individuals will be required to quarantine while waiting to go home.
Students, staff or participants who test positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to attend school or activities until all three of the following criteria are met:
It has been 10 days since they first felt sick or tested positive: and
They are fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication; and
Their symptoms have improved and they feel better.
Close contacts will be notified of a positive case and advised to follow the MDH COVID-19 Decision Tree for isolation, quarantine and illness.
In most situations, fully vaccinated people and those who have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days will not need to quarantine.
Ventilation
Ventilation systems have been adjusted to operate at their maximum operational capacity for fresh air.
Testing & Vaccination
MAPS strongly encourages the COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible individuals.
Unvaccinated staff will be required to participate in weekly testing.
Visitors & Volunteers
Buildings will maintain a daily roster of visitors and volunteers, including name, contact information, date, time, program and site visited.
K-8 visitors will be required to wear a face covering.
It is recommended that all 9-12 visitors wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status..
KENNEDY PTO
WELCOME BACK!! WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!!
Kennedy Elementary School
Steve Rustad
Email:
Mankato Area Public Schools (MAPS) is committed to working together equitably, with families and communities, so that each learner has the knowledge and skills to be a successful and contributing citizen in a diverse global society.
Email: ke@isd77.org
Website: https://ke.isd77.org/
Location: 2600 East Main Street, Mankato, MN, USA
Phone: (507) 387-2122
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ISD77MAPS/
Twitter: @ISD77MAPS