Reopening update
An e-newsletter from Mounds View Public Schools
September 11, 2020
Blended learning begins September 21
In a message sent to families and staff earlier today, Superintendent Lennox announced that blended learning will begin Monday, September 21. Families who have chosen blended learning should plan for their students to attend school in the cohort groups already announced (Group 1: M/W, Group 2: T/Th). Students who have chosen distance learning will continue with that model. Next week, all students will continue in the distance learning model.
Schedules for Fridays
In the blended learning model starting September 21, students in grades K-5 will attend school in person every other Friday. For students in middle schools and high schools, every Friday will be a day of learning. This “Learning Plus Day” offers secondary students additional in-person or online enrichment or support based on their individual needs. Teachers will be in school and offer opportunities for students to visit school as desired or needed. View the blended learning daily schedules and calendars here.
Ready for students to return
Watch this brief video to see how we are implementing safety measures in our schools.
Health screening tool
Parents and staff will be reminded regularly to perform a daily health screening for their students or themselves. Please use this screening tool each morning before coming to work or sending students to school. As an additional resource, parents and guardians can use this attendance guide to understand when their child can attend school, youth programs, and child care during COVID-19.
Schools will send home or deny entry to anyone who has symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and will reference the exclusion criteria in this document to determine when they may return. Please make sure your child’s school has updated contact information in the event that your child needs to be isolated and picked up from school.
Transportation
Bus passes were placed in the mail this week. Letters went to families of special ed students this week as well. If you do not receive your bus pass by Wednesday, September 16, please contact transportation@moundsviewschools.org.
The Transportation Department will continue to accept new registrations and change requests, but will not be processing any of these until October 1. This a safety issue, allowing time for drivers to practice their routes, and create seat assignments based on physical distance.
Families who want busing and reside in a FEE AREA will need to pay for busing (if not done so already). Payment can be made by check, payable to “Mounds View Public Schools” and delivered to your child’s school or online using this PayPal link. Those families that qualify for Educational Benefits will qualify for free busing as well. Apply for benefits here.
Student meals
FREE meals will be available for all Mounds View District students on Wednesday, September 16 for curbside pickup from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the following sites.
- Chippewa Middle School (5000 Hodgson Road, North Oaks)
Edgewood Middle School (5100 Edgewood Dr, Mounds View)
Highview Middle School (2300 7th St NW, New Brighton)
Irondale High School (2425 Long Lake Rd, New Brighton)
The bag will contain three breakfasts and three lunches. Meals will be FREE to all students. Families and students will not need to provide a name or PIN number to pick up the meals. Free meals will also be available for students enrolled in Tier 1 childcare.
The Minnesota Department of Education has announced an extension of the USDA’s “Free Meals for Kids” program until December 31, 2020, or until funds run out. This program provides free meals for all students regardless of eligibility.
Learning model tracker
Minnesota school districts are asked to determine their learning model based on local health data and the number of positive cases in their county over a period of two weeks. The state will provide updated numbers every week. School districts are permitted to take a more restrictive approach at any time, but cannot take a less restrictive approach. Distance learning is always an option families can choose.
Our latest number: 19.35
Our current learning model: Distance learning through September 18. Blended learning begins September 21.
Track results this fall at www.moundsviewschools.org/learningmodeltracker.