Cougar Connection
An Update from your Mankato East Administration Team
March 5, 2021
In-Person Learning Safety Reminders
Dear Students and Families,
We are so thrilled to have our students back in school. The energy and excitement we've seen over the past week is wonderful. Nothing compares to having our building full of learning and laughter. We are grateful for the opportunity to be back with our students in-person.
However, there are challenges and responsibilities we must all meet in order to keep our building open for in-person learning. We need all of your support to help us stop the spread of COVID 19 and keep everyone in our building safe.
There are 4 important things each of our students (and families) can do to support our East community and keep our building safe.
Number 1: Daily Screening
Do not come to school if you are feeling sick. Check yourself every morning. Do not come to school if you have a sore throat, headache, feel sick to your stomach, or if you have a cough and runny nose. Have your parent or guardian call in to the attendance line. Illness is an excused absence. Please DO NOT come to school if you have any symptoms.
Number 2: Social Distancing
Do not congregate in hallways or in the common areas. We need to follow social distancing guidelines to keep everyone safe. Current guidelines are to maintain 3 feet of distance between yourself and others. Please respect this and move through the hallways as quickly as possible to your next classes. Do not gather in groups in the morning before school or after school has ended. We need to keep the flow of 'traffic' moving in our building so no one experiences a potential exposure.
Number 3: Proper Mask Wearing
Wear your mask properly. Masks MUST be up over your nose and fully cover your mouth and chin at all times (with the exception of when you are eating lunch.) This is for your own safety and for the health and safety of everyone in the building. We cannot allow students to wear masks below their noses as this does not stop the spread of COVID 19.
If you do not wear your mask properly, you will be sent home. To keep all of us safe and in school, everyone MUST wear their masks properly.
Parents, this is incredibly important. We need all students to wear their masks the correct way to ensure that all students and staff in our building are safe. If your student does not comply with the mask rules, we will call you and your student will need to go home for the remainder of the school day. Refusal to properly wear masks may result in a change of learning plan. We simply can not allow students to be in the building without proper masking.
Number 4: Attendance and Scan Codes
For contact tracing purposes, students need to be in the class they are assigned every class period. With the exception of a few scheduled online classes, our Flex Area is closed for the time being.
All of our available seats in the cafeteria, commons, and large study halls have a scancode. It is important that students sign in and only sit in the appropriately spaced scancode seats at lunch and in our common areas. This is the only way we have a record of where you were seated and who you were seated next to if we need to trace a potential exposure.
Let's Work Together to Keep In-Person Learning
We know everyone is growing tired of COVID protocols and restrictions. However, it is important we stick together and make decisions that ensure everyone's health and safety at this time.
We have many things to look forward to this spring including spring sports, arts and music opportunities, prom, and graduation. We want to make sure all of those are possible and the only way we do that is by stopping the spread of COVID 19 in our building and in our community. Please help us keep students in school by doing your part to follow the 4 simple steps above.
It is so great to have all of our students back in school, let's keep it that way!!!