6th Grade South Washington County School Students Scheduled To Return To In-Person Learning On February 16

Woodbury MN

16 January, 2021

2:08 PM

Description

Press release from South Washington County Schools: January 15, 2021 Dear South Washington County Schools Family, "We are happy to share that sixth grade students will return to in-person learning at school on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Students will attend school from 7:20 a.m. to 12:55 p.m., four days a week (typically Monday through Thursday). Students will learn at home on a flexible instruction day (typically on Fridays except Feb. 19, March 19 and April 30). The shortened school day and school week allows teachers to divide their time between in-person instruction and the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) – a state requirement for students who cannot attend school in-person. The state's Safe Learning Plan includes sixth graders under its elementary guidance for returning to in-person learning. Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) students will remain in VLA. Grades 7-12 will remain in distance learning at this time. To see how an in-person school day will look for sixth grade students, visit sowashco.org/in-person for the sixth grade daily schedule. Please note that school day schedules will change on Feb. 16 for middle school distance learning (7-8) and Virtual Learning Academy (6-8). More information will be shared soon. View the latest calendar updates at sowascho.org/calendar. Please note that shortened school weeks, due to non-school days, may change the days in which students attend school in-person or participate in learning at home during a flexible instruction day. What This Means for Sixth Grade Middle School Students and Families Middle school students in grade 6 will return to in-person learning at school four days a week beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Students (K-12+) who chose Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) for trimester two will remain in VLA. Students (7-12+) currently receiving special education services at school will continue to attend school in-person for intensive services. As grade levels move to in-person learning, students will transition to receive their special education services in-person during the regular school day. Essential care (for critical worker families) will move to each middle school site on Monday, Feb. 1 for qualifying sixth graders. Families should have a plan in case their child's classroom or school must transition back to distance learning due to potential COVID-19 exposures. When possible, a substitute teacher will fill in for teacher absences. Essential care for sixth grade students will not be offered under this scenario. See the middle school in-person class schedule at sowashco.org/inperson. What This Means for Grades 7-12 Before scheduling the return of grades 7-12 to in-person learning, the state requires all school districts to first meet with a regional support team. The regional support team includes representatives of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and county and state public health officials to review county infection rate trends and other data before making a decision. This meeting is scheduled for Jan. 25. New and Required Safety Procedures The 14-day quarantine period will remain in place. If staff or students had close contact with an infected person, the Minnesota Department of Health may direct us to keep them out of school for a minimum of 14 days. Face masks are required at all times including during indoor physical activity. When possible, many of our staff may be wearing face masks and face shields together. Student meal times may be held in the classroom if needed. When possible, we will work to maintain three feet of distance between students in the classroom. Student support programs such as special education, English learners and counseling may continue to pull students from their primary classrooms in order to provide essential support services with social distancing as much as possible. Clear barriers may be supplied for specific educational settings to divide students from teachers whenever possible. Any sick student who is sent to school, or is determined to be sick during the school day, will immediately be sent home. Call your child's school attendance line to report an absence. New Calendar and Schedule Updates For the latest calendar updates for all grade levels, visit sowashco.org/calendar. Feb. 1 - Essential care students in grade 6 move to their middle school for care Feb. 5 - No School (Grade 6): Staff planning day (No school for Virtual Learning Academy students in grade 6) Feb. 12 - No School (Grades 6-8): Staff planning day (No school for Virtual Learning Academy students in grade 6-8) Feb. 15 - Last day of essential care for students (grade 6) Feb. 16 - Grade 6 returns to in-person learning Grade 6 students will learn at home on flexible instruction days that are typically on Fridays except Feb. 19, March 19 and April 30 Thank You As we transition to in-person learning, we will take a targeted approach to keep students in school. This means if a classroom had close contact with someone who was infected, the class would shift to distance learning during the 14-day quarantine period and the school would remain in session as usual. We ask that families be prepared for the possibility that their child's class could move to distance learning at any time. I want to thank you for your patience and support. Our focus now, is to ensure students thrive at school through relationships, connections and social-emotional support." Sincerely, Julie Nielsen Superintendent This press release was produced by South Washington County Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.