Husky Newsletter

January 18 - Martin Luther King Holiday

January 19 & 20 - No School for Elementary Students (Teacher Planning & Preparation Days)

January 21 - Grades K-2 Students Return to In Person Instruction; K-2 Students Requesting Digital Academy Remain in Distance Learning; Gr. 3-5 Remain in Distance Learning

February 3 - Chipotle Fundraiser, Eagan 5:00 - 9:00pm

February 4 - Grades 3-5 Students Return to In Person Instruction & Gr. 3-5 Students Requesting Digital Academy Remain in Distance Learning

February 8 - Site Council & Booster Club Meeting 4:05 - 5:30pm via Zoom

February 10 & 11 - Student/Teacher Connection Day & Literacy Assessments

February 12 - No School for Students and Staff

February 15 - No School (President's Day)

February 16 - Regular School Hours Resume for K-5 Students and Staff

Dear Families,

We are thrilled to be able to provide in-person learning for students whose families requested this model for their child. We are excited to greet our Kindergarten-grade 2 students back to school on Thursday, January 21st. Families who requested Digital Academy will continue in that learning model. Students in grade 3-5 continue to remain in distance learning at this time. We are hoping for students in grades 3-5 requesting to return to in-person learning to return on Thursday, February 4th - stay tuned for more information and changes in class placements. Wednesdays will continue to remain asynchronous learning days for all grades 3-5 until the model changes to in-person. There are no changes in scheduling for elementary Digital Academy students at this time.

Per School Board approval, students at the elementary level who are attending in-person instruction will start their school day approximately 2 1/2 hours later on Wednesdays - please see the schedule below. This change in scheduling on Wednesdays is effective starting January 27th. Teachers will be focused on team collaboration and planning during the morning hours they are not with their students. Families are encouraged to make arrangements in their schedule now to accommodate the late start for students attending in-person learning. As a reminder to all, families must make arrangements and have back up plans set in the event we experience a shifts within our learning model or students must quarantine.

We look forward to greeting in-person students when buses arrive at 11:40 am on Wednesdays starting January 27th. Students who are being dropped off at school on Wednesdays will be asked to arrive at 11:40 am and remain in their vehicle until staff members are present to greet them. Please do not drop your child off earlier than 11:40 am as we do not have the supervision for students arriving prior to the start of our school day. If you are in need of child care services and wish to learn about our YMCA School Age Care programming, please contact the Eagan YMCA - click here.

In-Person Schedule for Elementary Students on Wednesdays starting January 27th

• 11:40 am - Buses Arrive & Students Arriving by Vehicle are Dropped Off (students must be supervised until school staff are present)
• 11:55 am - Lunch in the Classroom
• 12:15-3:45 pm - Instruction (no specialists scheduled on Wednesdays for in-person students)
• Between 12:15 and 3:45 pm (25 min. recess scheduled by grade level)
• 3:45 pm Final Dismissal of Students

We continue to navigate and plan for instruction during this unique school year. Thank you for your continued support and patience as we update our communication to families and make necessary adjustments in preparation for our shift in our learning model.

Warm Regards,

Adriana Henderson, Principal

Parking Lot Expectations

• Always follow signs posted in our school parking lot. Under Minnesota Law, a person shall not park a motor vehicle in, or obstruct access to, a parking space designated for disability parking or the associated access aisle, on public or private property.
• Parking in or obstructing access to a transfer zone designated for people with disabilities is also prohibited (MN Statute 169.346). Please adhere to using designated parking spaces at all times.

Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures

• Students coming to school by car must use the “Drop Off/Pick Up” lane along the curb.
• Please stay in your vehicle at all times. Staff will be in the drop off/pick up lane to assist students getting in/out of cars.
• Families are asked to post a sign in their car window stating their child's full name & grade level/teacher's name during daily pick up.
• Quick transitions are necessary to keep cars moving along during these times of the day. Say “goodbye” to students from your vehicle.
• Follow the flow of traffic as noted on the arrows below.

As required in the state’s revised guidance, the District 196 plan to safely return elementary students to in-person learning includes the following:

• All students must wear a face covering.
• All staff must wear both a face covering and shield when working with students or around other adults.
• Students will receive a majority of support in the classroom to limit movement in the building and there will continue to be no visitors, volunteers or large group events, like in hybrid.
• Students will maintain 3 feet of distance from other students, whenever possible, and staff will maintain 6 feet of distance from students and other adults, whenever possible.
• Students will eat meals in their classroom after going to the cafeteria to pick them up.
• Activities will be adjusted to support social distancing.
• Staff will continue to reinforce good health and hygiene practices with students.
• All school staff and families are asked to complete a daily at-home screening before leaving for school each day. Here is a helpful tool for ensuring everyone coming to school is healthy.
• School personnel will continue to contact trace positive cases to prevent COVID spread.

To report a positive COVID-19 case within your household, please call our school nurse, Kristi Harvey, at 651-683-8570 or email her at kristi.harvey@district196.org

Make a difference for Glacier Hills every time you shop! By using the Box Tops for Education app to scan your store receipt, participating products can instantly add cash to Glacier Hill’s earnings online. From playground equipment to technology to library books, Glacier can use this money to help our teachers and students get the supplies they need.

Still haven’t downloaded the app? Do it now! Download the Box Tops for Education app on your smartphone & under settings you can select Glacier Hills Elementary. You can see what items earn box tops, scan your receipt & earn without cutting a thing! If you’re unsure of how it all works, please visit boxtops4education.com

To help support families with technology questions and needs, District 196 is offering virtual office hours throughout the month of January. These will be an opportunity for families to connect with district support staff individually to ask questions and receive support around the technology tools that are part of the flexible learning plan. This can include how to navigate Seesaw, Schoology, the iPad, Zoom, and iPad apps.

You must register in advance to schedule an appointment via this Community Education link. Times will be organized into 15-minute increments to provide time to as many families as we can. When you register, you will be asked when you are planning to join the virtual family office hours, what you would like to focus on during the 15 minutes, and if you would like an interpreter present.

For more information and to access our full catalog of digital resources, visit the 1:1 Parent Resources or 1:1 Student Resources pages.

To prepare for elementary students return to school, all seven-day meal kits will only be available to pick up at District 196 middle and high schools during these times:

• Mondays from 4-5:30 p.m.
• Tuesdays from 7:30-9 a.m.
• Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m.
• Thursdays from 7:30-9 a.m.
• Fridays from 10-11 a.m.

There will be no meal kit distribution on Monday, Jan. 18 or Monday, Feb. 15 in observation of federal holidays.

Through the end of the school year, meals at school and seven-day meal kits are still available at no charge to District 196 students through special funding provided by the United Stated Department of Agriculture. If you could benefit from additional resources, we have put together this list of local food shelves and community meal opportunities.

ELEMENTARY IN-PERSON LEARNING ONLY
Elementary students who are participating in the base learning model (in-person) will receive meals while in school with additional breakfast support for the two-hour late start on Wednesdays. They will also be provided with meals for the weekend. Please complete this complete this Elementary Take Home Meal registration to receive these meals at no charge through special funding from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Ticket Prices: $12 Single View/$25 Family View (up to 4 people)

Video Rentals will stream from Dec. 12 - Jan. 27

Once you start watching, you have 48 hours to complete the viewing.

This year, our Celebrate Culture: A Community Event is going virtual! Stay tuned for information next week on how families can participate in this awesome event that brings together our families through food, performance, culture sharing and art! We will be creating a Glacier Hills cookbook, creating family posters, and sharing culture and performance in this virtual event. If you have questions, please contact ghvolunteercoordinators@gmail.com.

Email: GH.Attendance@district196.org
Website: https://gh.district196.org/
Location: 3825 Glacier Drive, Eagan, MN 55123
Phone: 651-683-8570
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlacierHillsArtsandScience
Twitter: @GlacierHills