• Social distancing floor/seating markings will be provided in common areas throughout the schools
• Plexiglass will be installed on reception desk counters and other areas
• Stand-alone plexiglass shields will be available for use as indicated
• Frequent reminders will remind students and staff to stay at least six feet apart from one another when feasible
• Ongoing efforts to create as much space between people as possible during the day, recognizing that it is not always feasible to have six feet of social distancing during primary instructional time in the classroom
• Encouraging the use of playground facilities for students while implementing strategies to limit possible exposures (including but not limited to small groups of students with designated time slots, cleaning of surfaces, etc.)
• Arranging classroom seating so that students are separated from one another by 6 feet when feasible. If it is not possible to arrange seating 6 feet apart, consider turning all desks to face in the same direction (rather than facing each other)
• Developing and keeping students and staff in small cohort groups that stay together as much as possible throughout the day and from day to day
• Limiting mixing between cohort groups as much as possible (e.g., during lunch in the cafeteria, bathroom breaks, arrival and dismissal, free periods, recess, etc.)
• Keeping detailed records when groups are exposed to each other during the day to facilitate contact tracing (if needed)

Promoting Good Hygiene and Health Behaviors

• Wear a cloth face covering (required); more information on Minnetonka Public Schools Face Covering Policy.
• Wash hands often throughout the day with soap and water.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to prevent ingestion.
• Clean and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces and/or shared items and limit shared items.
• Do a temperature check and symptom screening with your child before they go to school.
• Stay home if fever (100ºF or higher) or other symptoms of COVID-19 are present.
  • Additional symptoms of COVID-19 include new onset cough or shortness of breath or worsening cough by themselves OR at least two of the following:
    • chills
    • excessive fatigue
    • muscle pain
    • new onset of severe headache
    • new onset of nasal congestion or runny nose
    • sore throat
    • loss of sense of smell or taste**
    • gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea
    • **If a person has a new symptom (for example, new loss of smell or taste) with no other diagnosis to explain it, they should stay home and talk to their health care provider about testing for COVID-19, even if it is the only symptom they are experiencing.
• Students who are ill should stay home.
• Staff who are ill should stay home.
• Anyone who has had interaction with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 should stay home and contact their health care provider.
• Cover coughs and sneeze.

• When students arrive at school (either by bus or by car), their temperature will be checked as they enter the building. Any student with a fever of 100ºF will be brought to the Health Office, at which point the Health Office will then follow up with the family regarding next steps.
• High school students who drive or walk to school will have their temperatures checked at the doors as they enter the building. They will practice social distancing as they wait to have their temperature checked.
• If a student arrives late, the parent/guardian will need to call the Main Office to inform them that their student has arrived. A temp check will be done before the student can report to the classroom.
• If a student needs to leave early for any reason (other than illness), they will be held in the office until the parent/guardian calls to notify the office that they are out front to pick up the child. The student will then be sent out/brought out to the waiting vehicle.
• We will work to minimize interaction of students between drop-off and entrance to school facilities, promoting 6 feet of social distancing.
• We will create “one-way routes” in hallways, where possible.
• We will encourage social distancing in hallways and common areas.
• Students will be encouraged to wash hands when entering the classroom (if a sink is available in the room) or on the way to the classroom.

• All students, staff, and other people present in school buildings and district offices or riding on school transportation vehicles are required to wear a face covering. (See Face Covering Policy for details on types of acceptable face coverings and other details).
• We will provide appropriate supplies to support healthy hygiene behaviors (such as soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, tissues).
• We will discourage sharing of items that are difficult to clean or disinfect.
• We will work to separate children’s belongings from others’ (in individually-labeled containers, cubbies, lockers, etc.).
• We will provide adequate supplies to minimize sharing of high-touch materials to the extent possible (e.g., assigning each student their own art supplies, equipment) or limit use of supplies and equipment by one group of children at a time and clean and disinfect between use.
• If equipment must be shared, we will clean and disinfect between each use.
• We will ask students to avoid sharing electronic devices, toys, books, and other games or learning aid as much as possible.
• Students will be told not to share food or beverages. Each student must bring their own water bottle. Drinking fountains will be disabled but the water-filling stations will be available
• We will build routines of hand hygiene into the daily school schedule for all students and staff, including handwashing and sanitation breaks during or between classroom activities.
• We will reinforce handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and/or the safe use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol by staff and older students.
• We will reinforce hand washing during key times, such as:
  • arrival and dismissal
  • before, during, and after preparing or eating food
  • after using the bathroom
  • after blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • after touching objects with bare hands that have been handled by other people

• Minnetonka Public Schools will use the Minnesota Department of Health’s exclusion decision tree for students with COVID-19 symptoms, which can be found here.
• The nurse on site in each building will be the identified point of contact (COVID-19 Program Coordinator) in the school for COVID concerns.
• Staff and students should be encouraged to self-monitor symptoms throughout the day and immediately report any symptoms to the Health Office staff.
• If a student becomes injured or ill during the day, staff will immediately call the Health Office for consultation, which may occur via phone, video chat, or in-person.
• Health office staff may come to the teacher’s classroom to assist the child and/or determine if they need to go home.
• Students who are ill will be kept isolated from well students in a designated isolation space/area until a parent can pick them up.

• In the event of a COVID positive case, health office staff have been instructed to work with local and state public health departments. Minnetonka Public Schools will work closely and collaboratively with Hennepin County Public Health, Carver County Public Health and/or the MN Department of Health to determine close contacts; the need for notification of others in the classroom or program; whether the exposure was low risk, medium risk, or high risk, along with symptoms to be aware of; and specific recommendations related to that case. Each situation and next steps will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with our partners.
• If you are notified of a possible or confirmed positive COVID case outside of the regular school year, the following process should occur:
  • If a supervisor, coach, coordinator, Principal, Athletic Director, etc. is made aware of a suspected or lab-confirmed COVID positive case, they will notify Annie Lumbar Bendson (Health Services Coordinator) immediately at 952.401.5992 or annie.lumbarbendson@minnetonkaschools.org (preferred)
  • The District Health Services Coordinator will follow up with the family and the MN Department of Health to confirm the case.
  • If the case is confirmed as a lab positive COVID case, the Health Services Coordinator will begin determining close contacts of the positive COVID case with the assistance of the family, student (if applicable), and school and/or program staff.
  • Only staff and students who meet the threshold of close contact with the positive case (defined as within six feet for 15 minutes or longer for 48 hours before the onset of symptoms or 48 hours before the COVID test date if asymptomatic), will immediately be instructed to quarantine for 14 days.
  • At the discretion of the Health Services Coordinator, notification may be sent to staff and students (families) when a class or pod of students has a positive COVID case. The District will not, however, disclose personal health information regarding individuals.
  • The Health Services Coordinator will then notify the District Cabinet members.
  • The positive case(s) will be added to the centralized documentation/tracking form for necessary follow up.
• If you are notified of a possible or confirmed positive COVID case during the regular school year, the following process should occur:
  • If any staff (building or district) are made aware of a possible or lab-confirmed COVID positive case, they will notify the school nurse and building Principal at their site immediately.
    • If they are not at a building, they will notify Annie Lumbar Bendson (Health Services Coordinator) at 952.401.5992 or annie.lumbarbendson@minnetonkaschools.org (preferred)
  • The school nurse will notify Annie Lumbar Bendson (Health Services Coordinator) and in conjunction with the Health Services Coordinator, will follow up with the family and MDH to confirm the case.
  • If the case is confirmed as a lab positive COVID case, the school nurse will begin contact tracing with the assistance of the family, student (if applicable), and school staff.
  • Only staff and students who meet the threshold of close contact with the positive case (defined as within six feet for 15 minutes or longer for 48 hours before the onset of symptoms or 48 hours before the COVID test date if asymptomatic), will immediately be instructed to quarantine for 14 days.
  • At the discretion of the Health Services Coordinator, notification may be sent to staff and students (families) when a class or pod of students has a positive COVID case. The District will not, however, disclose personal health information regarding individuals.
  • The Health Services Coordinator will then notify the District Cabinet members.
  • The positive case(s) will be added to the centralized documentation/tracking form for necessary follow up.

NOTE that due to the complexities and uniqueness of each COVID + case, there is not a “one size fits all” strategy for notifications regarding a positive case. This is why it is essential that the COVID-19 Program Coordinator works with MDH to determine levels of risk, notifications that need to be sent out (if indicated) and appropriate recommendations for staff, students and families.

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) has announced the following offerings for high school fall sports:

• Girls Tennis (9-12th)
• Girls Swimming and Diving (9-12th)
• Boys and Girls Cross Country (7-12th)
• Boys and Girls Soccer (9-12th)

Registration will begin immediately for those sports as well as Marching Band and Cheer.
 
MSHSL fall sports Football and Volleyball, along with MHS Performance Dance, will not have a fall competition season as they have been moved to a modified Spring Season. We will get more information on what that looks like at a later date. Additionally a fall waiver was passed so these sports will have access to coaches similar to what has occurred over the summer months. A decision about middle school athletics will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.
 
Girls Tennis (9-12th), Girls Swimming and Diving (9-12th), Boys and Girls Cross Country (7-12th), and Boys and Girls Soccer (9-12th) were approved for play with reductions to the total number of games and the length of the fall season. (30% reduction in the total number of events and a 20% reduction in the number of weeks to the regular & postseason). Games & travel will be limited to “Conference/District” schedules only. Participation in tournaments and invitationals is prohibited. Sports will be allowed 1-2 games/competition events per week. No limitations on practice at time. More information on what post-season will look like for each fall sport will be shared at a later date, but at this time it appears that state and section play will be different than in the past.
 
This fall will represent many changes. During the registration process a new step has been added for parents/guardians to sign a ‘COVID Waiver, Release, and Agreement for Participation’ and a  ‘Extracurricular Activity Transportation Waiver and Release.”
 
Please note that we will continue the safety protocols we have had in place during the summer waiver period, including a COVID preparedness plan that has guided us to 8 weeks of successful contact as an activities department. As information changes I will continue to provide you updates, we are working through this to the best of our abilities.

Standard Precautions

• Participants, employees, and all individuals that are feeling sick and/or experience any symptoms should not report to school campuses. Stay home when you are sick. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Cover your cough or sneeze
• Use face coverings; especially among program staff and coaches, and among participants when feasible (Indoor required/Outdoor if with in six feet)  
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• Be mindful of others - 6 Ft Physical Distance
• Athletes should shower and wash clothes immediately after workouts
• Workout in “Pods” of 10-25 (same participants always together)
• Avoid switching groups
• No Locker Rooms
• Use the bathroom before and after event, not ‘at’ event

Pre/Post workout guidelines

• All participants have completed waiver https://forms.gle/KgijdcBsTEFoeEGL6
• You are responsible to track this
• Access to Google sheets is granted from ted.schultz@minnetonkaschools.org
• Come dressed, no locker rooms
• Bring own water bottle, no sharing
• Do not arrive early, no loitering
• Leave immediately after event, no hanging out/loitering
• All other building access is prohibited minus the site of the activities (gyms)
• Proper entrances and exits will be established by staff (they should be separate- enter one set of doors leave another)
• All students should practice enhanced hygiene practices
• Sanitize/wash hands prior to and after workouts (20 seconds or greater)

General Daily Routines

• Parents/Athletes must stay home if they have signs of Covid 19  
• Athletes will wash hands and sanitize before each session
• Athletes will sanitize equipment periodically throughout workout
• When transitioning groups, all equipment will be sanitized
• All weight room equipment should be sanitized after each user
• At the beginning of the day and at the end, the equipment AND facility will be sanitized

If Someone Becomes Sick

• Contact Parents/Guardians immediately or work supervisor if an adult
• Mask and Isolate immediately
• Contact custodial staff (if inside) to clean and disinfect
• Outdoors disinfect any items touched
• Document incident (email your supervisor):
  • Outside groups: trisha.sorenson@minnetonkaschools.org
  • MHS group: tedschultz@minnetonkaschools.org  
• Supervisors will report to District and MDH as required
• Email Minnesota Department of Health at: health.sports.covid19@state.mn.us and provide guidance on any close contacts.  Please include the player’s name, parent name, parent’s contact information (phone and email) and as much information about when the symptoms started and dates of potential exposure occurred.
• Letter to send to pod:  Covid Notification Letter (PODs)
• Also keep a running document of dates and reported cases, keep your supervisor aware of any trends toward an outbreak
• Form to complete to report sickness (https://forms.gle/eAFivQ4C6mBSX2VX7)
• If a member of your group is found to have covid-19 please notify families that pods will be shut down for 14 days.  IF that pod has had 15 minutes of direct contact with with the infected person.
• Pod Notification Letter (same as above): Covid Notification Letter (PODs)
• If a member of pod has covid 19 - the pod will isolate for 14 days
• If multiple outbreaks occur with a period of time please discuss possible quarantine, postponement, or cancellation with your supervisor

If Sick Isolation Rules

• Please review these guidelines for MDH: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/exguide.pdf
• Participants who have been ill with fever, respiratory illness or nausea/vomiting/diarrhea cannot return to programming until the following criteria (MDH) are met (whichever one is longer):
  • 10 days from the start of symptoms
  • 3 days with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine) AND improvement of respiratory symptoms.
• Siblings of participants who are ill but not exhibiting symptoms cannot return to programming until 14 days after their sibling was sent home in order to ensure no symptoms develop. (MDH Guidelines)
• Staff member working at our program has a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19, we will follow MDH’s recommendations regarding closure, which is done on a case-by-case basis. In general, closing recommendations would be between 2-5 days and a deep cleaning will occur.

Emergency Action Plan

• All coaches are required to complete an emergency action plan (See Library below for all MHS sites)
• MHS EAP Quick Reference Page
• Library of EAP's for MHS (includes all locations at MHS)
• MHS General Emergency Action Plan
• Create your own: http://www.anyonecansavealife.org/wcm/groups/mdtcom_sg/mdt/documents/documents/eap-worksheet-event-team.pdf
• The first day or all workouts coaches should cover emergency action plans including assigning the following positions (the above PDF outlines)
  • 911 Call Team
  • CPR Team
  • AED Team
  • Meet the Ambulance Team
  • Heat Stroke

Explorers is Minnetonka Schools child care program. For the 2020-21 School Year, Explorers will meet current safety and social distancing requirements from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Because the school year will begin in a hybrid model, changes have been made to how our program will be offered.

Minnetonka Schools has nullified all previous School Year 2020-2021 school-age child care (K-5) contracts and ask that all families who would like to utilize Explorers please go online to request care by Monday, August 24 at 11:59 pm. Requests will be approved on a space available basis. Priority approvals will first go to Tier I Critical Workers, per state guidelines, then to customers who held a previously approved School Year 2020-2021 contract and then to new Explorers families.

Here are instructions on how to register, if you are new to the process.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Jenny Bodurk at jenny.bodurka@minnetonkaschools.org.

Explorers Options

The following school-age care options are available through Explorers when the District is in the Hybrid Model, as it is currently:

Kindergarten – Grade 3:
Before and after school care will be available Monday – Friday, a three-day minimum registration is required.

Deephaven Elementary and Excelsior Elementary
Before School: 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. $11.10/day
After School: 2:30 – 6:00 p.m. $15.90/day
Before and After School: $27.00/day

Clear Springs Elementary, Groveland Elementary, Minnewashta Elementary and Scenic Heights Elementary
Before School: 6:30 – 8:40 a.m. $12.80/day
After School: 3:15 – 6:00 p.m. $14.20/day
Before and After School: $27.00/day

Grade 4 & Grade 5:
Before and after school care will be available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. A three-day minimum registration is required. Full day care is also available on Wednesdays and will take place at Minnetonka Middle School East. Registration for every Wednesday is required.

Site - Minnetonka High School
Before School: 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. $11.10/day
After School: 2:30 – 6:00 p.m. $15.90/day
Before and After School: $27.00/day

Site - Minnetonka Middle School East
Wednesday full day care*: 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  $52.50/day (registration for all Wednesdays is required and done separately from before and after school care registration)

*4th and 5th grade children of Tier I Critical Sector workers will be cared for at no cost during the normal school hours. Please see more information below about both free and fee-based care for Tier I workers.

Please note that the school day will be modified on September 8, September 10 and September 11 with 4th and 5th graders being released from school mid-day. We will offer before school care on these dates. We are still determining the feasibility of offering afternoon care on these dates. We will communicate directly with families about this care when we know if it is possible.

Classroom Cleaning Protocols

• Empty all trash and recycling container
• Fill paper towel and soap dispensers
• Sweep and vacuum the floors and rugs
• Clean and disinfect sink area with EPA rated disinfectant/cleaner.
• Mop floor with EPA rated disinfectant/cleaner.
• Disinfect tables and desktops and chairs with EPA registered disinfectant/cleaner.
• Disinfect all light switches, pencil sharpeners, door handles and other identifiable high        touch areas with EPA rated disinfectant/cleaner.

 Common Area Cleaning Protocols

•  Sweep and scrub all hallways
• Empty trash and recycling containers
• Clean and disinfect all entryway doors
• Disinfect all stair railings, door handles, and other identifiable high touch areas
• Clean and disinfect all drinking fountains and water bottle refilling stations with EPA rated disinfectant.

 Restroom Cleaning Protocols

• Empty trash receptacles
• Fill all tissue and towel and soap dispensers
• Clean and disinfect all fixtures, partitions, and sinks with EPA rated disinfectant
• Clean mirrors
• Disinfect restroom door handles with EPA rated disinfectant.

Media Center and Office Area Cleaning Protocols

• Sweep and scrub all hallways
• Vacuum carpets
• Empty trash and recycling containers
• Clean and disinfect all entryway doors
• Disinfect all stair railings, door handles, and other identifiable high touch areas
• Clean and disinfect all drinking fountains and water bottle refilling stations with EPA rated disinfectant.

In-Classroom Lunch Cleaning Protocols

• Empty trash and recycling containers
• Clean and disinfect all surfaces used for lunch
• Disinfect door handles, and other identifiable high touch areas 

*Staff shift times will be adjusted to provide additional custodial support during lunch times as needed

Specific food service details by grades will follow in grade-level sections.

All Schools

• School meals will be provided in school as well as for e-learning students.  
• School lunch, whether eaten in school, or picked up for e-learning students, will be available at no charge for the school year
• Lunches for e-learning students, including students e-learning while participating in the hybrid program, will be available for pick up at the high school on Wednesdays.  
• Parents will be provided with information on how to preorder lunches for their students.
• E-learning lunches will be available for school days, non-school days, holidays and weekends will be included in meal pickup orders.
• School menus will have limited choices until schools are fully opened.
• Students will be allowed to purchase water or milk for home lunches brought to school.
• Nutrition Services will accommodate the needs of students with specific food allergies.

Elementary Schools

• Teachers will mark their class roster, provided by Nutrition Services, with students who will be taking a school meal, or purchasing milk or water for their home lunch.
• NS will provide daily rosters for the teachers and pick them up each morning outside of the classroom door.
• Student meals will be picked up, by a designated person, in bulk, and delivered to the classroom.  
• The classroom rosters will be used to prepare meals and beverages. A copy of the roster will be provided at pickup to ensure the student gets his or her meal. 

Middle Schools

• Students will pick up meals in the cafeteria and proceed to their assigned eating areas.
• Students will either have a lunch card for the cashier to scan OR a scannable lunch code on their phone for the cashier to scan and make payments on the lunch accounts. Lunch cards will be provided to students that at their school.
• Milk, water and a limited amount of a la carte food items will be available for purchase to accompany school and home lunches.

Please note: Menus, procedures, and protocol may change on any given day if needed to follow guidance from the MN Department of Health, the MN Department of Education, and manufacturers’ product availability.

*Please note that this information will be updated, as the Transportation Team finalizes its planning and routes.

Per MDH Guidelines, transportation for this option will proceed with 50% capacity. To streamline planning timelines, existing bussing tiers and routes will remain consistent with modifications detailed below. To ensure no more than 50% bussing capacity, Minnetonka Schools will increase its bussing radius to those students living at least 1.5 miles from the school. Students living within the 1.5 mile boundary from their home school will have the option to join a lottery wait list for available vacancies and to access existing stops outside of  the 1.5 radius.

Tier 1

• Includes Excelsior and Deephaven K-3 and all 4th and 5th grade students from all schools headed to MHS (Monday-Thursday)
• Tier 1 Routes will have two stops  (Excelsior/Deephaven and MHS)
• School will start for Excelsior and Deephaven at 7:50 a.m.
• School will start for 4th and 5th grade (at MHS) at 8:00 a.m.

Tier 2

• Includes all K-3 schools (Clear Springs, Groveland, Scenic Heights, and Minnewashta) with the exception of Excelsior and Deephaven.  
• School will start at 8:35 a.m.

Tier 3

• Includes Minnetonka Middle School East and Minnetonka Middle School West
• School will start at 9:15 a.m.

Busing for High School students

• We will provide busing service on Wednesdays for High School students. For information on busing, contact the Transportation Department.

Considerations

• Substitute drivers needed in case of illness/quarantine.
• Buses will be cleaned frequently, which may require adjusted start times.
• Anticipation of increased numbers of parent pick-up/drop-off and students selecting e-learning full time.
• District will conduct a survey to determine exact transportation needs.

For more information about transportation for the 2020-21 school year, visit the Transportation Department webpage.