Hybrid-Block Schedule Overview

• Students will spend two days physically in school (Either Monday/Tuesday (Team Tonka) or Thursday/Friday (Team Skippers)
• The students will be split by alphabet into 50/50 groups
• Last names starting with A-Li will be Mon/Tues, and they will be called Team Tonka.  Last names starting with Lo-Z will be Thurs/Fri, and they will be called Team Skippers. We will share specific assignments for you students in the coming week.
• Due to strict space limitations set forth by the state, we are unable to accommodate requests for changing teams at this time.  
• All classes will be at 50% capacity or less.
• Wednesday is an e-learning day for all.
• On weeks where we have Monday or Friday off, we will follow the 2-day in person/online rotation.  We will not have Wednesday e-learning during these weeks.
• The block schedule will have three classes each day + lunch/advisory.  Each class will be approximately 99 minutes.
• On two of the e-learning days (Mon/Tues for Team Skippers and Thurs/Fri for Team Tonka), students will receive a combination of comprehensive streamed or online specific instruction; specific online content will vary by course.
• The schoolwide e-learning day (Wednesday) will have a “skinny schedule.” All classes will meet briefly, followed by MAST/office hours/or other intervention time. The student day will end at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays.
• Students have advisory three days per week (in-person days and Wednesday online whole class)
• The building opens for the school day at 8:45 a.m. There will not be access to the building prior to 8:45 unless pre-arranged with a staff member
• We are developing a structured before-school supervision program (reduced capacity). More details will be shared soon.
• After-school Activities will be available on in-person days.

Hybrid Safety Details and Protocols

• Our first priority is that school be as safe as possible for students and staff. In addition to districtwide health and safety guidelines, MMW’s specific protocols will include the following:
• Masks need to be worn at all times, unless removed for instruction purposes (specific music or phy ed. activities, or other mask-free exemptions as directed by the MDH and MDE).  MMW will follow the District's Face Covering Policy in all cases of non-compliance with the mask expectations.
• Staggered start and end time of the school day
• Students will enter the building at assigned entry points
• Supervisory staff will confirm temperature checks and ensure that students enter the building and go directly to their first hour class.
• We will have a staggered exit. Students who walk, get picked up by private vehicle or ride the bus will exit at announced, periodic intervals.
• Passing time and other unstructured times
• 5-minute staggered passing time
• Students will leave the classroom when their group is released/announced.  Entrance into the hallway will be split into three groups.
• All hallways are marked with six foot social distancing stickers. Staff will ensure that students move continuously in the hall, avoid congregating with peers and head to their next class destination.
• Students may have backpacks to carry materials from class to class. Access to lockers will be limited to the beginning and end of day or if needed for instructional purposes. Lockers will be assigned in mid-September.
• During passing time, restrooms will be monitored to ensure appropriate capacity.    
• Desks will be surface disinfected at the beginning and the end of class.
• Individual students will eat lunch in the cafeteria (or outside, weather permitting) six feet apart.  
• Students will have opportunities to be outside throughout the day.

*Please see the District’s Back to School 2020-21 website for additional information, including health protocols and safety measures in place.

Students selecting the full e-learning option will follow the same schedule as hybrid students (with some at-home variations). Students will have access to their full course registrations.  Most courses will be fully online sections, with a dedicated online teacher and all students participating in full e-learning. Some e-learning courses may also be combined with MME students and teachers. A limited number of specialized courses may be streamed with hybrid courses and online support.  

More information on the e-learning model is below and on an e-learning section on the District's Back to School website.

• Students will be assigned to an e-learning section with a dedicated teacher and other students who have selected that option whenever possible. Depending on course enrollment, some courses may be live streamed to provide online students access to all courses.
• E-learning follows the same scope/sequence/calendar as in-person learning. Students can transition from online to hybrid at the end of any quarter.
• E-learning days are regular school days for students and teachers.
• Students will receive the full grade level curriculum, this will include specialist classes.
• Students will be provided with a regular schedule for instruction. Instruction will be a blend of synchronous (live streaming) and asynchronous learning activities and will include digital and non-digital learning activities, such as reading a book, writing a response, or completing a project.
• Students will use a variety of technology tools and will be provided text and materials needed to support their learning.
• Relationships are essential to learning. Great effort will be made to develop relationships between students and teachers, teachers and parents and student to student.
• Parents are an essential part of student success. Specific supports and ongoing parent and teacher communication will include back to school events, such as orientation to class set up and communication tools, regular contact and class meetings with the teacher, and opportunities for one to one meetings with the teacher.
• All programs will be provided including Immersion, high potential, accelerated, and advanced classes. Depending on course enrollment, some programs may be provided using live streaming to provide online students access. Supplemental and pull-out programming will be provided in both synchronous and asynchronous formats.
• The District will honor IEPs and 504s and provide additional support for our students who receive special education services and for other students who need a higher level of support.

Extracurricular activities are especially important for us during this time. To ensure that students can safely participate in extracurricular activities, coaches and advisors are continually planning how to adjust their activities to be safe and engaging. Each activity will look a little different and have a maximum capacity per session, but we will have most of our regular activities this fall except volleyball, which is postponed until later in the year. Activities for later in the year will be announced later.
 
A few details:

• Registration for sports will be open starting the week of Monday, August 24th.
• Each activity will be divided into Tonka (Mondays and Tuesdays) and Skippers (Thursdays and Fridays). Families will need to register for the activity that corresponds to their student’s in-person schedule.
• For students who are doing e-learning, private school, or homeschool, they will need to sign up for the days they would have been at school.  
• Cross Country Running registrations that are already completed will be manually adjusted to the appropriate days—families do not need to re-register.  
•  Registration for Quarter 1 Brightwatch will be open starting August 24th and will be based on days of the week. This means you will need to sign up separately for the day or days of the week your student would attend Brightwatch. The fee for this activity has been prorated for each day. We will have limited space for Brightwatch to observe social distancing.

Please stay tuned for additional activity registrations to open after school begins in the fall and as the school year progresses. Announcements for activities will be made in school to students and via the parent newsletter.  Please visit the MMW Activities webpage for more information on individual activities.

Gym Uniforms
We are currently waiting on MDH guidance on whether we will use locker rooms to change for Physical Education classes. Until we have specific guidance, we are pausing on sharing information regarding purchasing a gym uniform for your student. Stay tuned for more information.

With the approval of the block schedule and the confirmed lists of those selecting hybrid vs. online, we have jumped into the process of building schedules, classes, room assignments that will work for all.

View 2020-21 Daily Schedule

View 2020-21 Wednesday Schedule

How the 6th Grade/New Student Orientation will work:

• All 6th grade students and new students will be split into five alpha-groups with assigned 30-minute time blocks.  Due to covid restrictions, families may only attend during their designated time.  To ensure social distancing, all families will be asked to clear the building before the next group enters.
  • 4:00-4:30  Last names A-C
  • 4:45-5:15  Last names D-H
  • 5:30-6:00  Last names I-Mi
  • 6:15-6:45  Last names Mo-Si
  • 7:00-7:30  Last names Sm-Z
• To ensure appropriate capacity, students can attend with only one adult.  
• Groups will enter via the Media Center door (door 32E) and receive a map of the building.
• Students can print their schedules at home or have it pulled up on their iPad or phone.  Schedules can be found in Skyward by clicking on the blue SCHEDULES tab. If you cannot access your schedule, we will have one for you.
• Pairs will proceed on a self-guided tour; they can find their classes, say “hi” to teachers, and locate other important locations in the building.
• We have not assigned lockers at this time, this will take place later in September.
• All groups will exit through the main entrance.  Students can then enter the cafeteria through door 2E where they can get their picture taken.  View School Photo Order Form.
• Supervisory paras, administration, and support staff will guide groups through the building and ensure they exit at the end of their scheduled time.
• Teachers will be in their rooms, but will have no formal presentations.
• Please limit interactions with teachers to socially distant, brief greetings.  
• In lieu of formal, in-person back to school presentations, we will share a google link to all teachers’ course information and virtual presentations.

Due to staffing adjustments, your 6th grade counselor will now be Laura Rosati.  You can find more information about our counseling models on the MMW website.  Watch for additional upcoming communication and a video from Junior First Mates.

We are going to be collecting any/all medications required at school differently this year to minimize exposure to families and staff. If your student in Grades 6-8 REQUIRES medication at school we will be conducting a medication drop off on Wednesday, September 2,  from 9a-3pm at the front door at MMW. 

NOTE: WE ARE DISCOURAGING OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL during this unprecedented time to limit trips to the health office and due to the fact that medications can mask symptoms of Covid.

When you arrive please call the health office at (952) 401-5318 if you don’t see Health Office Staff at the table outside (subject to weather).
 
Please read the following guidelines carefully before you come to drop off medications:  

Health Care Plans and Medications at School
If your child has a medical concern that requires medication at school or a health or emergency care plan, please schedule an appointment with your child’s pediatrician to update their health/emergency plan for school as soon as possible. We need new health plans and/or medication forms each school year for all medication required at school.

Most clinics have their own care plans for asthma, severe allergies, diabetes and seizures. Health/emergency plans and forms for prescription medications must be signed by the physician or nurse practitioner and parent/guardian. Health information will be shared with school staff on a need to know basis to ensure your child’s safety at school.

Prescription medication forms can be found here, and require both a signature from the provider and a parent. OTC medications require only a parent signature form and can be found here.  Please check all expiration dates, make sure that all medication is in the original bottle.  
If you will be attending the 6th grade welcome on September 3rd  from 12-8pm, you may also bring paperwork and medication that day.

For safety reasons, ALL required paperwork must be completed, signed and brought in along with any medication. Medications provided without appropriate or incomplete paperwork will be returned to you for completion.

Our main priority is that school be as safe as possible for students and staff. In addition to districtwide health and safety guidelines, MMW specific protocols will include the following:
Masks need to be worn at all times, unless removed for instruction purposes (specific music or phy ed. activities, or other mask-free exemptions as directed by the MDH and MDE).  We will -follow the District Face Covering Policy in all cases of non-compliance with the mask- expectations.

Our expectation is that you will check your child’s temperature before sending them to school, and keep them home if 100.0 F or above.

Social distancing stickers will be placed to help direct students in common areas.
Students will have opportunities to be outside throughout the day, when weather permits.
 
*Please see the District’s Back to School 2020-21 website for additional information, including health protocols and safety measures in place.*

• Please make sure to update your contact information in Skyward and include at least 2 phone numbers and 2 local emergency contacts.
• Make sure your voicemail box is not full preventing us from leaving a message for you.
• Please answer your phone if you see 952-401-5300 on your screen. That is the MMW main number, and someone is trying to contact you.
• If you are contacted because your student is ill and needs to go home, the expectation is that they would be picked up from the health office within 30 minutes. If that is not possible we may need you to call your emergency contact.
• Review the District's Back to School website to familiarize yourself with the Minnetonka Public Schools Plan for the 2020-21 school year including District Face Covering Policy, temperature checks, and when to keep your child home from school when not feeling well. Any child exhibiting symptoms of illness will be sent home.
• Please make sure your student’s immunizations are up to date and paperwork is turned into the health office by the first day of school. You can email your student’s immunization record to tracey.hickey@minnetonkaschools.org or rachel.snyder@minnetonkaschools.org.

Call or email tracey.hickey@minnetonkaschools.org or rachel.snyder@minnetonkaschools.org if you have any questions or need to make an alternate drop off time.