Hello Maple River students and families,

We're going back to school!  Things will look a bit different and they might feel a little weird, but we're making it work because you're worth it.  We have spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy this summer trying to put together our plan for the 2020-21 school year, and we aren't going to let a worldwide pandemic stop us.  Inevitably, there will be adjustments to make as we go, but our flexibility is stretchier than ever!

This school year will begin in our Hybrid model.  Grades K-5 will be in school every day. In order to make this possible, we relocated most elementary classrooms, took down walls, and relocated 5th grade to Mapleton.  Students in grades 6-12 will be on an A/B rotation with half of our students assigned to each day.  We do not have enough space in the secondary to spread everyone out and accommodate a daily schedule, so the two groups will alternate in-person and online learning throughout the week.

The State of Minnesota has issued many requirements in order for schools to open this fall. Below is a list of the most significant requirements for you to be aware:

Daily Procedures

• Masking will be required. 
• Social distancing will be required.
• Students may not be dropped off at school until 7:40 am.  
• When students arrive on campus, they must go directly to their first-hour classrooms after stopping at their lockers.
• When secondary students are at home for their A/B rotation, they will be expected to log into Google Meets and attend class virtually.  Attendance will be taken each hour.
• Parents will need to assess their child’s health daily prior to the school day starting.  Please use this checklist as a guide.

Illness Management

Maple River must document its own student data to present to MDH and MDE as the year progresses to avoid being forced into distance learning. In order to keep students in school, please carefully follow these guidelines:

• If your child has been exposed to Covid-19 and/or someone who has been exposed within the last 14 days, please keep him/her home and call your school's secretary.  
• If your child is showing any symptoms of Covid-19, please keep him/her home and call your school secretary.
• If your child becomes sick at school, (s)he will be quarantined and you will be called to pick up your student.

Online Learning

• If you intend to educate your child through distance learning only, please contact the district office via mr-info@isd2135.org. Please do so by August 14th.

Orientation and Back-to-School Conferences

• We will have orientations for 5th and 6th grade students only.  Our team remains committed to making this transition as smooth and stress-free as possible!  Please watch for details in the next two weeks. 
• We will have back-to-school conferences for all elementary students this year virtually.  Your child's teacher will contact you with a meeting time and link for those conferences.  Please watch for details in the next two weeks.
• We will not have stop-and-drop this year.  Your student should bring all materials on the first day of school.
• Grades 6-12 will begin on August 31st.  
• Grades K-5 will begin on September 1st.

Transportation 

• All students who use school district transportation will be assigned a bus and a bus stop.  Your child must use the assigned bus and bus stop to ride district transportation.  Assignments will come out later in August.

Food Service  

• Breakfast and lunch will be provided daily.  On days that your child is not physically in school, we will offer a pickup lunch, in the same manner, we did last spring.  Please sign up online daily and your meal will be available at your assigned pick up location.

Survey

The more information we have, the better prepared we'll be to meet the needs of our students.  Next week, we'll be calling your homes and asking the following questions:

1. Is it your family's plan to send your child to school? If not, will they participate in our distance learning program?  If not, what is your plan to educate your student this year?
2. Will your child ride the school bus to/from school?
3. Will your elementary student need before/after school care?  If so, what site would be the most beneficial to you? (There is a fee for this service.  Students are not allowed to be at school until 7:40 am due to state guidelines.)
4. Will your child eat school lunch when they are at school? On weekdays when your student is not at school, will you pick up a school lunch at one of our school sites? 
5. Do you have sufficient Internet access to support online educating at home when needed? 

As much as we have planned and prepared, we will still need to practice patience and flexibility.  As the months pass, it is possible that our model of education will need to change depending on the exposure rates in Blue Earth County.  This year, it is imperative that your family is prepared in case we are required to move to distance learning.  This includes any potential exposure to Covid-19 or the need for quarantine.  As parents, please know that we understand the stress this could put on your family.  Having a plan in place will help to alleviate that stress for our students as we navigate this unconventional school year together.

Be watching for additional information in the next few weeks.  The new school year is quickly approaching and we are looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

Sincerely, 

Dan Anderson