A message from the Superintendent
Chris Lennox
April 23, 2020
As you know, earlier today Governor Walz ordered the state’s public schools to remain closed for the remainder of the academic year to limit the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). This means our students will finish the remainder of the school year through June 4 with distance learning. In addition, the Minnesota State High School League canceled the spring athletics and fine arts season.
I expect this news will disappoint and sadden most of you -- especially our seniors. I want students, families and staff to know that I share your feelings. Schools are designed to bring students and adults together in a connected learning community. This sudden departure from our buildings and from each other has been unsettling for us all.
While this is not a path any of us chose, I do want to extend my appreciation to our students, parents and staff who have been doing everything they can to make the best of the situation. Students and teachers are connecting in different ways and learning together through distance learning. And thanks to the recent survey feedback we’ve received, we will continue to fine-tune our practices to best serve the needs of students and parents. It’s also been heartening to see our school community extending so much support, encouragement and grace to our students and staff this past month. It’s clear that we all miss each other, and we appreciate everyone’s best efforts during these trying times.
Shared questions
I am sure many of you have questions about what the remainder of a virtual school year will look like for our students.
Will there be any opportunity for students to return to school - even in small groups to say goodbye to their friends?
What about transition activities from kindergarten to elementary school, elementary to middle school or middle to high school?
Will we be allowed to gather together for a graduation ceremony? If not, what would graduation look like for our seniors?
Will schools somehow honor other end-of-year traditions or celebrations?
At this point, we just don’t have all the information we will need to provide those answers. But please know that our school leaders have already started to think about and consider ways they might be able to address these questions and more. And they will share their progress with you as soon as possible.
As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas and partnership. I encourage you to connect with your school principal if you have any insights you’d like to share. I also want to thank you in advance for helping all of us at Mounds View Public Schools make the remainder of this unexpected school year as positive and productive as possible for all of our students.
Chris Lennox
Superintendent