Covid-19

Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes protective clothing, helmets, gloves, face shields, goggles, face masks, or other equipment
to protect the wearer from injury or the spread of infection or illness.

• The State of Minnesota has provided the following supplies to all public schools:
  • Every K-12 student receives one cloth face covering.
  • Every school staff member receives one cloth face covering.
  • Every school receives three disposable face masks per student.
  • Every school receives face shields for all licensed teachers and 50% of non-licensed staff.
     
• In addition Spring Lake Park Schools has:
  • Installed plexiglass barriers in the main offices at each school
  • Equipped staff and students in special education programs with more restrictive face shields based on student need
  • Provided additional face shields available for staff upon request
  • Made additional masks available for staff and students and paper masks available in the main office and health office
  • Made gloves available for all staff to use for cleaning
  • Provided plexiglass barriers for every classroom teacher

HAND HYGIENE practices and education

• Hand sanitizer is available throughout the building.
• Hand washing and sanitizing happens upon arrival at school, before and after meals, before and after recess and throughout the day.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING  No large group gatherings or events.

CLEANING AND VENTILATION 

• Enhanced cleaning protocols follow recommendations from Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • At routine times throughout the school day, there is cleaning/disinfecting of highly touched surfaces, including student desks/chairs, door handles, light switches, counters, and faucets.
  • Cleaning  includes, but is not limited to, before and after lunch, anytime a class grouping is going to switch classroom spaces, and at the end of the school day.
  • Each evening, there is additional cleaning of floors and disinfecting of communal spaces.  
• Building ventilation in our school buildings has all been replaced since 2008 and exceeds the recommendations for the circulation of outdoor air.

NO VISITORS are allowed this year in our school unless pre-approved through the building principal. 

HEALTH SCREENING EXPECTATIONS  - All students and staff must self-screen before coming to school each day.

• Stay home if there are one or more of the more common symptoms (fever greater than 100^o, new cough, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste/smell) or two or more of the less common symptoms (sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, new severe headache, new nasal congestion or runny nose).
• Report symptoms to the school.
• Students will use designated isolation areas to wait for a ride home if symptoms develop during the day.
• Students/Families and staff are to notify the school if they have been directed to self-isolate or quarantine.

Symptoms include:

• Common Symptoms (Stay home if there are one or more of these): Fever greater than 100^o, new cough, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste/smell
• Less Common Symptoms (Stay home if there are two or more of these): Sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, new severe headache, new nasal congestion or runny nose

View and download a Daily Health Self-Screen for COVID-19 Symptoms document

Vea y descargue un documento de Cheque Diario de Salud para los síntomas de COVID-19

We work with Minnesota Department of Health on any positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 and follow their direction for contact tracing, notification and other critical actions.

Close contact

• Close contact is defined as being near a COVID-19 positive person closer than 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer.
• Working with MDH, school or district staff will notify students/families and/or staff if they have been exposed and need to stay home.
• We will follow Quarantine Guidance for COVID-19 Exposure. Families requesting a quarantine shorter than 14 days will consult with a school nurse.

Illness - If students, staff have a confirmed case of COVID-19 or symptoms:

• The individual must stay home for at least 10 days since symptoms began AND until no fever for at least 1 day without medication AND improvement of other symptoms.
• Siblings and household members stay home for 14 days.
• Other staff and students who have had close contact with the individual will also stay home/quarantine for 14 days.

See Minnesota Department of Health’s  Decision Tree for People with COVID-19 Symptoms.

View our Procedures for Close Contact, Illness and Notification Fact Sheet

We work directly with Minnesota Department of Health on any potential close contacts and positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 and follow their direction for contact tracing, notification and other critical actions.

Close contact is defined as being near a COVID-19 positive person closer than 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer during the infectious period. The infectious period is defined as beginning two days before onset of symptoms OR two days before a positive test if the person did not experience symptoms. 

Working with the Minnesota Department of Health, school or district staff will notify students, families and/or staff if they have had a close contact with a positive case with what further actions are recommended. Minnesota Department of Health guides us on the notification process for close contact and illness to ensure individual health privacy.

The scope of the notification depends on the breadth of exposure and interaction with others. Generally:

• Elementary (grades K-4) notifications will include families of entire classroom group; all staff that worked directly with student or staff that tested positive and building and district leaders.
• Intermediate/Middle School and High School (Grades 5-12) notifications will include families of the impacted learning team, families of other students that may have been in elective classes with the student of staff that tested positive; all staff that worked directly with the student of staff that tested positive and building and district leadership. 
• People participating in athletics and activities will be notified within and between their designated “pod” as guided by Minnesota Department of Health in the contact tracing process. 

Notifications of close contact will include direction from Minnesota Department of Health that includes things like recommendations for testing, staying home and other next steps.

View our Procedures for Close Contact, Illness and Notification Fact Sheet

SCHOOL SPACES - Physical distancing of 6 feet between staff and students, and a minimum of 3 feet between students.

• Entrances and exits are modified to regulate traffic flow and access.
• Hallways are divided in half or made one way to create traffic flow patterns that maximize physical distancing.
• Classroom and school schedules limit physical interactions beyond a student’s classroom and team.
• Floor markings reinforce physical distancing requirements in waiting areas.
• Student seating is arranged to ensure there is at least 3 feet between students.
• Safety signage throughout the building reinforces protocols (hand washing, physical distancing).
• Drinking water is available through filling stations (water bottles to come from home) and single use cups; No drinking fountains.

TRANSPORTATION

• Students and driver wear face coverings on the ride. Drivers will reinforce expectations verbally and involve school administration if there is an issue with compliance.
• Seating charts are used; Students from the same household may sit together.
• Loading and unloading procedures maximize physical distancing to the greatest extent possible; School loading and unloading zone may be reconfigured to accommodate distancing requirements and additional parent drop off/pick up.
• Buses are cleaned and disinfected between routes.
• Windows are open, as weather permits, and ventilation systems maximized to promote air flow throughout the bus.

Meals available when students are in Extended Flexible Learning (distance)

• Meals are available to all children ages 1-18 on Tuesdays and Thursdays
  • On Tuesdays, families will receive two-days' worth of meals. On Thursdays, families will receive three-days' worth of meals.
  • Read more about meal distribution during Extended Flexible Learning: 

Meals available when students are at school

• There are added precautions when eating at school in a Modified Campus Schedule (hybrid) model:
  • Grades K-4: Meals are eaten in classrooms with precautions for allergies.
  • Grades 5-12: Meals are eaten in classrooms or cafeteria with designated cohort and protocols for maximizing physical distance and precautions for allergies.
  • Meal purchases are made using a touch-free system.
  • Meals are individually plated/packaged; There are no self-serve food stations.
• Meals are available for pick-up for at home learning days.
• Meal distribution is also available for any student doing full-time distance learning.

Free and reduced lunch applications have been mailed to district families and can also be completed online.

Meaningful and safe music education opportunities continue to be offered to students in Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid) and Extended Flexible Learning (Distance Learning) learning models. 

For more information, see Music: Learning Approach and Health and Safety

Full-time extended flexible learning (distance learning) is available for students at all grade levels at any time; families commit for at least one trimester with return to in-person learning dependent on a variety of factors.

All students may flex to this model should public health conditions require it.

We are making enhancements, based on student, family and teacher feedback to the distance learning experience. View our Top Tips for Successful Learning At Home.

Key elements of distance learning will include:

• Real-time and on-demand learning formats
• Emphasis on daily, real-time, live instruction and interaction
• Emphasis on small group and one-to-one learning
• A weekly overview of student work and learning experiences
• Daily communication on student work expectations and interactions to strengthen relationships
• Collaborative learning opportunities each week that allow students to interact with each other
• Consistent and meaningful feedback on student work that moves learning forward

See the brief, one-page overview for what students and families can expect for learning experiences, feedback and communication:

• Kindergarten-Grade 6: Extended Flexible Learning (Distance Learning)
• Grades 7-12: Extended Flexible Learning (Distance Learning)

In this model, students have a combination of learning days at school and learning days at home. Learning days at school will follow health and safety guidelines, including those for 50 percent or less capacity and physical distancing.

• Grades K-1 will attend school in-person five days a week.
• Grades 2-12 and Lighthouse will attend school in-person 2 days a week and engage in extended flexible learning 3 days a week. The student population will be split in half, an A group and a B group.
• Due to space constraints and health and safety guidelines, we are not able to offer additional in-school learning days for grades 2-12 at this time.

Note, we will work with families who have students in their household with different last names to ensure households have the same schedule.

Kindergarten and Grade 1 students will be at school
5 days a week.

• Students will be in a class group of up to 15 students.
• The student group will be assigned a teacher and will remain
  in primarily the same classroom space throughout the day.
• Teachers will work in small teams to support learning and teaching across their small group of classrooms.
• Lunch will be eaten in the classroom with precautions taken for allergies.
• Recess will be scheduled by classroom group:
  • No more than one classroom on the equipment and limited classrooms on the field/hard surface at one time to ensure physical distancing.
  • Students will be expected to wash their hands immediately before going to recess and when they come back inside.
  • Staff will be present to assist in maintaining appropriate physical distance. Face masks will not be required outside.

See the brief, one-page overview for what students and families can expect for learning experiences, feedback and communication:

• Kindergarten-Grade 1: Modified Campus Schedule 

2 days of learning at school

• Students with last names A-L with be at school on Mondays and Thursdays; last names M-Z will be at school on Tuesdays and Fridays (Note: family members with different last names will be grouped together)
• Group sizes in a traditional classroom will not exceed 15 students. Overall, group sizes in physical spaces will not exceed 50 percent capacity.
• Students stay primarily in the same classroom space throughout the day, with the same group of students and their assigned classroom teacher. Students may work with other teachers, who are working together on small teaching teams, to support learning and teaching across their small group of classrooms.
• Lunch will be eaten in classrooms or the cafeteria with a student’s designated cohort and following protocols for maximizing physical distance and precautions for allergies.
• Recess will be scheduled by classroom group to limit numbers of students. Students will be expected to wash their hands immediately before going to recess and when they come inside. Staff will be present to assist in maintaining appropriate physical distance. Face masks will not be required outside.

2 days of interactive learning at home

• There will be an emphasis on real-time, live instruction on these days with frequent small group and/or individual check-ins.
• Instruction and interaction may occur with any teacher on the student’s team.

1 day of on-demand learning at home (Wednesdays)

• Includes independent student work using learning technology resources
• Teachers  will be available through "office hours" and scheduled check-ins on this day.

Some students in Grades 2-6 will be at school more than 2 days a week to receive specific targeted services and supports as determined by IEP or team.

See the brief, one-page overview for what students and families can expect for learning experiences, feedback and communication:

• Grades 2-6: Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid)

2 days of learning at school

• Students with last names A-L will be at school on Mondays and Thursdays; last names M-Z will be at school on Tuesdays and Fridays. (Note: family members with different last names will be grouped together)
• Students are grouped in cohorts and housed in localized areas within the building for their core courses and lunches to reduce intermingling between groups of students. Students will be anchored to the same teacher for their four core courses throughout the year.
• Student schedules:
  • Students will work with teachers in their four core courses (English Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies) for 4 of the 6 periods of the day. (Upper level high school students may not have four core courses.)
  • Students will engage with their electives and receive targeted services and support in the remaining 2 periods of the day within their assigned cohort as possible and meeting health and safety guidelines.
  • Learning spaces will be at 50 percent capacity or less to ensure physical distancing.
  • Passing times will limit hallway traffic and lockers will not be available for student use.

3 days of learning at home

• To support flexibility in the time, place, and pace of learning, all courses will be built online, in Schoology, for 24/7 student access to course materials.
• Students will engage in flexible learning experiences designed by the same teachers they work with at school.
• Students will work independently and flexibly to specifically prepare and equip students for the deeper learning experiences they will engage in during their in-person learning days. 
• Students may also receive "live," specific targeted services and supports as determined by IEP or team.

Some students in Grades 7-12 will be at school more than 2 days a week to receive specific targeted services and supports as determined by IEP or team.

See the brief, one-page overview for what students and families can expect for learning experiences, feedback and communication:

• Grades 7-8: Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid)
• Grades 9-12: Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid)

5 days a week in-person at school following health and safety guidelines for in-person learning,

Yes. A student can switch to full-time distance learning at any time. The transition may take a little time, but a student does not need to wait for a trimester change. 

For recess, classrooms individually schedule their time outside so that there is no more than one classroom on the equipment and limited classrooms on the field/hard surface at one time to ensure physical distancing. Students are expected to wash their hands immediately before going to recess and when they come back inside. Staff are present to assist in maintaining appropriate physical distance. Face masks are not required outside.

• Yes, before and after school childcare for school age children is available through Learning Ventures.
• Childcare for Tier 1 essential workers (which now includes school district staff) is available per Executive Order 20-82 at no cost during the school day for children up to age 12 when the district is operating in a Modified Campus Schedule (hybrid) model or Extended Flexible Learning (distance learning).
• For other families who require childcare, we have a fee-based childcare option, as space and staffing allow, and will prioritize families who signed up last spring for this year.
• Learn more and register for childcare

If demand for childcare exceeds space available within the district, we will look for options to expand.

We are following the lead of Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) for athletics and continuing to review activities and interested based clubs to determine what and if they can be supported in our current learning models. 

Questions? Contact the Athletics and Activities Department at 763-600-5580.

We heard from students and parents this spring that they would like to see/experience more “live,” real-time learning. In our planning for fall we are placing a greater emphasis on daily live instruction, and on small group learning. See the overviews of the learning models above for more detailed information about the experiences and what students and families can expect. 

Preschool and Early Childhood are operating. Find more information on the Preschool and Early Childhood website or contact them.

Face masks are required indoors for all students and staff.

Please consult your building principal who will connect with the appropriate health leaders to determine acceptable alternatives.

The district provides masks to all students and staff, and all are able to wear their own mask if preferred.

The state mandate allows for alternative face coverings in certain situations including, but not limited to, when there is a medical or developmental reason to not wear a cloth mask. In these situations, parents should contact their school principal to request this accommodation.

Students are required to wear face masks on the bus. Information and training is provided to students and bus drivers. At a minimum, bus drivers will provide a verbal reminder for students to wear their masks. Repeated refusal will result in a referral to school administration who will contact families and possibly suspend transportation privileges.

Physical spaces are being maintained at 50 percent capacity or less and physical distancing of at least 3 feet.

• Entrances and exits have been modified to regulate traffic flow and access.
• Hallways are divided in half or made one way to create traffic flow patterns that maximize physical distancing
• Classroom and school schedules limit physical interactions beyond a student’s classroom and team.
• Floor markings reinforce physical distancing requirements in waiting areas.
• Student seating is arranged to ensure there is at least 3 feet between students.
• Safety signage throughout the building reinforces protocols (hand washing, physical distancing)

No visitors will be allowed unless pre-approved by the building principal.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, ​congestion or loss of taste of smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about symptoms.

We are asking that students/families and staff self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to school. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, ​congestion or loss of taste of smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. If COVID-19 symptoms are present, the student/staff member should not come to school and will inform the school.

• The student will be sent to the health office where the school nurse will use the COVID-19 decision-tree and exclusion guidance from Minnesota Department of Health to determine next steps, including if the student needs to be isolated and excluded from school.
• If isolation is required, the student will go to the designated isolation space in each school building and continue to wear their face mask until a guardian is able to pick them up.
• Siblings will also be considered as a part of the screening process and may be subject to any need for self-isolation.
• The school will provide families resources and guidance regarding COVID-19 testing and the length of time the student will need to stay out of school.
• The family will work with the school nurse on any plans for the student to return.

Each school building has a designated space to use for isolation that is near the school’s health office.

The individual must stay home for at least 10 days since symptoms began AND until no fever for at least 1 day without medication AND improvement of other symptoms. Siblings and household members stay home for 14 days. Other staff and students exposed to the individual will also stay home/quarantine for 14 days.

If someone in your household shows symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19, you need to inform the school. School nurses will help you determine next steps.

No. Students must remain out of school while they await test results. There is a minimum exclusion of 10 days. Families are not required to share test status or results with the school, however, they must follow self-isolation guidance. Students may only return to school after a minimum of 10 days AND symptoms are improving AND if they have been fever free for three days without the use of fever-reducing medication.

We partner with Minnesota Department of Health in any situation where someone tests positive for COVID-19, and they guide us on the notification process. Generally speaking, the school or district will communicate with any individuals/families of individuals who had contact with any positive case as recommended and directed by MDH.

Notifications fall into two categories: notification of exposure to positive case without close contact and notification of exposure and need for self-isolation based on the potential of close contact. The notifications would also include recommendations from MDH.

Notifications depend on the breadth of exposure and interaction with others. Generally, the scope of communication will minimally be sent to:

• Elementary (K-4) – Families of entire classroom group; all staff that worked directly with student of staff that tested positive and building and district leadership.
• Intermediate/Middle School and High School: Families of the impacted learning team, families of other students that may have been in elective classes with the student of staff that tested positive; all staff that worked directly with the student of staff that tested positive and building and district leadership.