e-Learning

Minnetonka High School e-Learning Plan

Effective April 6, 2020

Instruction for MHS students will be delivered primarily through the use of iPads and the District’s Schoology program. The District has extensive experience delivering instruction through Tonka Online, Minnetonka High Schools e-learning program.

This does not mean that students will be on technology for the entire amount of time, but they should have a balance of time on Schoology and work on the assignments given without technology.

Students already have iPads to use daily, and they are very familiar with their use for instruction and doing schoolwork.
Students and teachers will follow the respective class schedule students would have in school and plan on having the same breaks, lunch and overall school day they would have if in school.
For students who have already accessed learning through Tonka Online or other online programs, this instructional model will not be much different.

Schedule

Each day, students will take part in three classes in accordance with the daily e-learning schedule. There will be an A and B day.

TIME	DAY A	DAY B
8:30 a.m. - 9:55 a.m.	Period 1	Period 4
10 a.m. - 11:25 a.m.	Period 2	Period 5
Noon	Morning Show Update	Morning Show Update
1 p.m. - 2:25 p.m.	Period 3	Period 6

At class time, students will be asked to log in to their scheduled class via Schoology. Individuals who do not log in or who do not take part in a scheduled class period will be marked absent.

During the first 40-50 minutes of each class, teachers lead instruction, including:

discussion boards
video instruction through Schoology
Conferences or Google Meet (Hangout)
online activities (like Kahoot, PearDeck, Quizzes)

The last 40-50 minutes will be independent work where the teacher will be available for feedback, questions, and individual support.

Download the April A/B Schedule

As we move forward, families should plan to report absences via Skyward Family Access. Detailed instructions are available at this link. Throughout the school closure and while we are delivering instruction through e-learning, absences will continue to be monitored by the Office of Student Affairs.

Counselor Support

Counselors are working with students on school days from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. If parents want to join, they may sit in on their student’s session with the counselor. Students will be working with counselors through Google Meets. View an overview of how to schedule and access your counselor meeting.

Contacting Your MHS Counselor

During school closure, student counselors can be reached through Google Hangout. Their information is listed below:

Last Name	Counselor	Google Hangout Meet Name	Google Voice Number
A-Bur	Brad Burnham	bradburnham	(651) 583-6028
Bus-Em	Jennifer Stout	jenniferstout	651-583-5973
En-Han	Theresa Exenberger	theresaexenberger	(651) 583-6019
Hao-Ka	Conor Maher	conormaher	(651) 583-5935
Kb-Mag	Stephanie McClendon	stephaniemcclendon	651-583-6035
Mah-Ol	Christina Taylor	christinataylor	(651) 583-6031
Om-Sam	Amanda Wavrin	amandawavrin	(651) 583-6041
San-Tam	Kendra Olson	kendraolson	(651) 583-6015‬
Tan-Z	Dave Bierly	davidbierly	(651) 583-6032

Other MHS Counselors & Support

Role	Counselor	Google Hangout Meet Name	Google Voice Number
College Counselor	Phil Trout	philtrout	(651) 583-5972
AP/IB Advisor	Laura Herbst	lauraherbst	(651) 583-6026
504 Coordinator	Shelly Hughes	shellyhughes	(651) 583-6007
Social Worker	Aubrie Roley	aubrieroley
Social Worker	Kathleen Leisman	kathleenleisman	651-583-6039

Mental and Emotional Health Resources

The Minnetonka Public Schools' Student Well-Being website maintains a list of well-being and mental health connections in the local community including hotline numbers that may be useful to you and your family. Click here to view Community Resources.

For county crisis lines, crisis text lines and sources for those requiring immediate assistance, you can visit the NAMI Minnesota website.

Additional Resources for Managing Stress

Virusanxiety.com
How to Protect Your Mental Health During a Quarentine
Managing Stress and Anxiety - CDC
Apps suggested by Common Sense Media to support mental health
Stop, Think, Breath App available in self-service on the iPad
General Destressing as a Family
Calm app online activities
Yoga and guided meditation videos on YouTube
Log-in to Naviance on SSO to explore careers/post-high school opportunities
Practice Digital Health & Wellness, like setting limits on screen time
The Digital Health & Wellness website also has informative and helpful video addressing over consuming content on your phone, meditating, cleaning your space, indulging in your favorite hobbies, etc.

Technology and e-Learning Resources

Tech Instruction Guides
Open the link below to view instructions for students and parents on the technology tools used for e-learning in Minnetonka.

VIEW TECH INSTRUCTIONS

iPad Repair
The Family Help Desk remains open via phone (leave a message) 952-401-5123, or email Family.Helpdesk@minnetonkaschools.org. They are returning calls when needed, otherwise they are responding via email and the ticket update/ticket process. If a repair to an iPad is needed, parents should fill out this form:

iPad Repair Form

Bandwidth and WiFi
Please note that a number of Internet providers have been working to provide affordable Internet plans. Information on some of these can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/tonkawifi.

In addition, schools throughout Minnetonka are sending WiFi signal into the driving lane in the front of the school. At MHS, that includes the entire length of the bus area in the back of the school.

Other Tech Issues
Students will be able to access live support with Port Staff during the school day via The Port Tech Tips App on their ipads. They can also email mhs.media@minnetonkaschools.org any time of day.

Student Tech Help

Translation Resources

Frequently Asked Questions for MHS Families

Minnetonka High School is here to help if you are having trouble with e-learning. Please review the frequently asked questions below, which should answer most of your questions.

Elements of e-Learning
Communication

Elements of e-Learning

Will attendance be taken for a e-learning day?
Yes. Teachers will enter student attendance into Skyward. Students will be marked present by signing-in to Schoology at scheduled class times, and actively engaging in teacher or course centered learning activities.

Can students be required to be online at a particular time?
Yes. There is a daily schedule that has 3 classes per day. During this time, there should be teacher/class interaction through Schoology, Google Hangout, and/or discussion boards.

How long do students have to be in each class?
Students will be in each class period 90 minutes based on the meeting schedule, and 40-50 minutes of that will be direct instruction. Students are required to check into Schoology daily for information on each course. Teachers will communicate lesson expectations on a daily basis.

Can students check in to classes after 3:00 p.m.?
Yes, but the student will be marked absent for that school day. If a student is ill and unable to complete coursework, that student should have their parents submit an absence request via Skyward.

What flexibility do students have in their daily schedule?
Students are required to check into their first class via Schoology before 8:30 a.m. each day. Students will follow the daily A/B schedule and log in to each class on Schoology during the scheduled time.

What is the deadline for work completed on a e-learning day?

The deadline for work completion will be determined and explicitly communicated by the teacher. Teachers will provide students ample time to complete assignments which may be more time than would normally be provided in class.

How will the in-class workload transfer to the e-learning environment?

Not every assignment you do in class will be transferred to the e-learning environment. Students will complete work to demonstrate their knowledge of the course essential learning targets.

Assignments from teachers will be posted before each learning session.
Minnetonka High School teachers use many digital resources to allow students to engage in and interact with course content:
- Schoology assignments, discussions, quizzes
- Digital Textbooks
- Flipgrid
- Explain Everything
- Peardeck
- EdPuzzle
Assignments may look different in an e-learning environment, but students should expect to engage with content and complete assignments daily.

How will students be tested?
Teachers for each course are preparing ways in which to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their learning. Tests should keep pace with instruction and teachers will communicate assessment criteria to students.

What about outstanding tests or previous late and missing work?
Teachers will communicate make up procedures for tests and missing work. Teachers understand that the make-up process will look different and will require flexibility for all. The critical point is we will work with you.

How will students be graded?
Teachers will continue to use formative and summative work to assess student learning and assign grades. Student work will be reflective of essential learning and students are expected to continue to complete assignments.

Communication

How can students contact teachers?
Students can contact teachers via Schoology Message or email.

When will teachers connect with MHS students about e-learning expectations?
Teachers will use the first day of remote learning as a time to set clear expectations with students via Schoology. Direction will be provided regarding expectations in this e- learning environment, pertaining but not limited to:

Accessing resources
Task requirements
Deadlines
How to ask questions
Teacher prep time

When can students expect a response from teachers via email or Schoology?
Students can expect to connect with teachers during their scheduled class time. Students can also email or Schoology message teachers at any time from 8:00-3:00.

How can students contact their Counselor, or Social Worker?
Counselors and Social Workers are available from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Students should initially contact them via email. Follow-up meetings will be determined together that could include Google hangout as a method for face to face interaction.

How can students contact their Special Education case manager?
Special education teachers will be available between 8:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m., and email continues to be the best way to connect with them.

What would an appointment with a student’s counselor look like?
Students and parents/guardians should request an appointment via email. From that email, the staff member in collaboration with the student(s) and parents/guardians will determine the best method for this appointment.

Coronarivus (COVID-19) Response Plan

For up to the minute updates on Minnetonka Public Schools' response to coronavirus (COVID-19), e-Learning and district-wide resources, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Coronarivus (COVID-19) Response Plan