Kennedy Families,

It is September so that means one thing - school is right around the corner!

September 10th will be here before we know it. There is no doubt that this school year will look drastically different from any other year. We are not doing "business as usual" as Kennedy. Having said that, I can assure you that our Kennedy educators are working tirelessly to make this an amazing year. In the face of uncertainty, they are preparing for an exciting, academically rigorous and engaging school year. Whether your Cub will be at school in the hybrid model or at home in the distance learning model, they will be working with a passionate educator who will care deeply for them.

Check out this newsletter for important information for the upcoming school year. When you are done reading, I encourage you to log into Parent Portal, find out who will be teaching your child, and then sign up for your conferences.

I cannot wait to get our Cubs back to school! Thank you so much for your patience throughout this process.

We Are Kennedy!

Steve Rustad

srusta1@isd77.org

All Kennedy families are invited to log into Parent Portal to find out who their child's teacher will be for the upcoming school year. If you are unable to log into the portal, you can call the school and either Jen or Sara will let you know.

This year we are doing virtual back to school conferences for all returning Kennedy students and families. You will sign up through PTCfast and your student's teacher will send you a Google Meet invite for your time.

Incoming kindergartners and new students to Kennedy are invited to come in for an in-person conference. Please plan for the conference to be only the parents(or guardian) and student. Please do not bring any additional people to the conference. We will be following social distancing protocols by distancing and masks are required for all conference attendees.

If the families of incoming kindergartners or new students would prefer to have a virtual conference, please email your child's teacher and let them know.

Click on the link below to select a conference time for your student.

Parent Information regarding Covid-19 and Health Services

As we start the 2020-2021 school year amidst Covid-19 pandemic, please be aware that we will need to follow established guidelines in order to promote the health and safety of all staff and students. These guidelines are developed with an abundance of caution in order to prevent transmission of the Covid-19 virus. The protocols we will follow are in alignment with guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health. In order for schools to be open for in-person learning, it is essential to do all that we can to prevent and/or slow the spread of the virus.

Here are the things you need to know:

1. Please check your student for signs or symptoms of illness every morning before they come to school. If they are ill or have a fever (100.4 F or more) they need to stay home. Please do not give them tylenol, advil, or any other fever reducing medication, before school as this may mask a fever and possible illness. Students who develop a fever at school will be sent home. If they have a new onset cough OR shortness of breath, keep them home. These may be signs of Covid-19.

2. If your student has at least two of any of these symptoms or one symptom and a fever, they should stay home as these also may be a sign of Covid-19: Chills, Muscle pain, Sore Throat, Fatigue, Nasal or chest congestion, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Nausea, Loss of smell or taste, Any other new symptom of illness with no other diagnosis. Contact your primary clinic to find out if your student needs to be seen and if and where they can be tested for Covid-19.

3. Please call the attendance line to report an absence due to illness and include the reason for the absence, including your student’s symptoms.

4. When a student becomes ill at school we will need to contact you. Please provide the school with at least 2, and preferably 3 emergency contacts, with up to date phone numbers. This can be added to the registration process in Infinite Campus. Ill students will need to go home as soon as possible to prevent the spread of illness. Please make arrangements to be able to have your student picked up promptly.

5. Students who are ill and need to go home will be escorted by staff out of the building to the parent or emergency contact. Parents will need to call when they arrive at school to pick up their child, as they will be instructed to not enter the school building.

6. Students who are ill with Covid-19 symptoms will need to be home for at least 10 days since the symptoms first appeared AND until no fever for at least 24 hours without pain reducing medication. Siblings and household members, including those in other school buildings, will also need to be picked up and stay home for at least 14 days, to monitor for symptoms of Covid-19.

7. If your student has a known health condition, please contact the school health office and fill out an Individual Health Condition/Emergency Plan Form. If symptoms are related to the health condition we will discuss this with parents. We may require a note from your healthcare provider which indicates a specific diagnosis, if other than Covid-19.

8. Students will be required to wear masks in the building. This can be a cloth mask made of at least two layers of material, and should not be a gator style mask or mask with a vent. All students will be expected to wear a mask. If there is a health condition that prevents the student from wearing a mask, the school will require a note from the student’s Primary Care Provider. Staff from school will contact you to discuss alternative protective measures.

9. If you plan to have medication at school for your student (prescription AND nonprescription) we will need a Primary Care Provider to complete the Consent Form For Administration of Medication During School Day form. Please call the school to arrange for a time to drop off medications. Please be aware that you will need to keep a supply of medication at home also, in case the school transitions to distance learning. If at all possible, medications should be given at home

10. We know that this year will be like no other. We ask for your patience and understanding as we go through this together. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Health Services at your child’s building.

The MAPS school calendar would typically include monthly 'late start' days that delayed the start of the school day by two hours. Due to scheduling challenges related to COVID-19, the school board has changed the school calendar for the upcoming year. Two hour late starts have been eliminated replaced with monthly K-12 distance learning days. During this time, all students will learn remotely to allow staff to engage in important professional development throughout the year. Click here to view the 2020-2021 school calendar.

Here is a link for more information on Nutrition Services and Free and Reduced Applications. If you think you may qualify for free or reduced meals, please fill it out. It's an important part of how we receive funding for our Title I services.

Please use this link to sign up for the Backpack Food Program. You fill out this short form (7 questions) and when you are finished, it will link you to the registration form.

Tiered Busing Plan Continues

On December 16, 2019, the school board approved a transportation plan that will establish a tired busing system for the 2020-21 school year. Since that time, the district’s tiered busing implementation team has been working diligently to establish the new routes and other details for implementation. While we do not know for sure yet how school will be delivered in September, we do know that we will continue the implementation plan for tiered busing that was approved in December 2019. We will send you more information in August, once the start of school is more clearly defined.

Bus Registration Reminder

If your child is eligible for busing (Live at least 1.0 mile from school for grades K through 5 and 2.0 miles from school for grades 6 through 12), and plan to use bus services, please email tbaumg1@isd77.org the following information:

Student(s) name

Student's home address

Student's school beginning September 2020

Student's grade

Parent name

Parent phone number

One email listing all eligible students in your family will successfully register the students for busing.

Check out the video below that was filmed during ACES at Rosa Parks. It will give you an idea of what a hybrid class and school would look like.

Principal:

Steve Rustad

Email:

srusta1@isd77.org

Assuring learning excellence and readiness for a changing world

Email: ke@isd77.org
Website: https://ke.isd77.org/
Location: 2600 East Main Street, Mankato, MN, USA
Phone: (507) 387-2122
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ISD77MAPS/
Twitter: @ISD77MAPS