Dear MMSD Families,

This week, the Board of Education unanimously approved a staff vaccination plan, which requires all staff, including MSCR, formal partners, and community volunteers, to be fully vaccinated by November 1, 2021. Health decisions are extremely personal; nevertheless, we know vaccination is one of the most effective mitigation strategies against COVID-19. By requiring COVID-19 vaccines for our staff, partners, and volunteers, MMSD will continue to promote equity as well as contribute to overall public health, limit transmission, and keep our community safe. As a reminder, individuals 12 year old and up are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines - find a location here.

This week’s special edition newsletter includes important information relative to COVID-19. We continue to face a global pandemic, and we all must stay vigilant in following the science and the guidance. Read about MMSD’s practices around contact tracing, isolating, and quarantines, along with COVID testing clinics and health reminders.

Finally, we know MMSD schools are amazing places for students to learn and grow! Goal 2 of our Strategic Framework expresses our aspiration to make every school and learning space a place where all students, staff, and family members thrive. You are encouraged to tell us the “good news” happening in your school so we can lift these stories to our wider community.

Sincerely,

Carlton D. Jenkins, Ph.D.

Superintendent

How Can I Stay Updated on Any Positive Cases?

We continue to publish a case count dashboard that is updated every Wednesday. You can check the page at any time to see the number of individuals who have tested positive and who have been close contacts in any MMSD building in the last 14 days.

We also report the district-wide cumulative total for the school year at: mmsd.org/casecount. It is our desire to be transparent while protecting individual student and staff privacy. For this reason, we suppress numbers of six or fewer.

What You Need to Know About Contact Tracing, Isolating, and Quarantining

Click the video link above to learn how close contacts are determined.

Our goal is to keep students in schools, learning in person, as long as it is safe to do so. To achieve this, we use a layered mitigation strategy, starting with the two most powerful strategies: vaccinations and masking. 

When we layer in physical distancing, symptom screening, handwashing, covering sneezes and coughs, cleaning, and contact tracing, we have a very strong strategy for eliminating the spread of COVID-19. 

When someone tests positive 

When a member of a school community does test positive for COVID-19, we take immediate action to ensure they are sent home, and to identify and send home any of their close contacts. 

Isolating

If a student or staff member tests positive, they are directed to immediately isolate and complete the symptom screener alerting the health office of their diagnosis.

Quarantining 

When someone tests positive, the health team begins contact tracing. Contact tracers review a complex set of factors including the positive person’s activities, presence and effectiveness of mitigation strategies, and vaccine status to determine close contacts who must quarantine and should get tested.

What will instruction look like if my student needs to isolate or quarantine?

At the elementary level, if your student is the only one affected, or one of the only a few students in a class who needs to isolate or quarantine, they will learn asynchronously using Seesaw. Their teacher will check in with them at least every other day. 

If your student attends a middle school that does not cohort students, or high school, generally they will learn asynchronously via Google Classroom, with their teachers checking in with them at least every other day.

What You Need to Know if a Classroom is Closed

Closing a classroom (elementary or cohorted middle school)

If about half or more students in a classroom must quarantine, we'll generally close the entire classroom, and students will temporarily switch to virtual learning. The length of closure is typically 10 days, but could be extended if additional positive cases are discovered in the class.  

A few other factors could result in a classroom closure, even if fewer than half the class is required to quarantine. Examples include: 

• How many positive individuals there are in the class
• How long the positive individual(s) was/were present at school while infectious

What about non-cohorted middle schools and high schools?

In secondary schools, when cohorting is not possible, closing a classroom may not be effective or necessary. Instead, students required to isolate or quarantine will engage in asynchronous instruction.

What will instruction look like if an entire classroom is closed?

In this case, the entire class will generally switch to virtual learning, with the teacher delivering synchronous instruction while the classroom is closed, with the exception of the first and last day of quarantine, which will be asynchronous. When virtual, classes will follow the regular school day schedule.   

Students will access Choice Boards for Physical Education, Health, Art, and Music. Teachers, case managers, and student services staff monitor student engagement and check in with students at least every other day. 

Get Vaccinated

• Everyone 12+ is eligible for vaccine in Wisconsin.
• More than eight in every 10 eligible Dane County residents have already rolled up their sleeve for at least one dose of vaccine!

MMSD COVID Testing Clinics

COVID Clinics are scheduled to start approximately 30 minutes before students start and 30 minutes after schools end.  

School / Hours MMSD COVID Clinic Open

• Memorial / Jefferson   7:30-5:00
• Black Hawk/Gompers   7:00 - 4:30
• Hawthorne   7:45-3:00
• La Follette / Sennett   7:30-5:00
• Lowell   7:00-3:00 (This clinic is currently indoors. If you are not a member of the Lowell community, please select an alternative site.)
• Toki / Orchard Ridge   8:00-4:00
• Whitehorse / Schenk   7:00-3:45
• Thoreau   7:45-3:45
• West   7:30-5:00

Share the Amazing Stories Happening in MMSD!

Is there a teacher or staff member engaging students with innovative lessons? Do you know of a student who is making a difference or was recently recognized? Are athletics teams, co-curriculars or arts programs demonstrating excellence? Let us know — share your story here.

All grade 12 families, regardless of income, should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This will qualify your student for grants, loans, and work-study. Many colleges require this to provide financial award packages to students. FAFSA applications open October 1, and should be completed as soon as possible to qualify for the most aid. Parents and students need to register for an FSA ID prior to completing the @FAFSA.  



#MMSDCollegeBound

Technology Fines Update – Student-Issued Devices

Previously, it was communicated that fines for damaged Chromebooks and lost chargers would go into effect on October 1, 2021. We have decided to push back the start date of fines to Monday, October 18, 2021. We wanted to provide families with the opportunity to report issues with devices to allow us time to repair/replace devices prior to charging fines. MMSD Technology Services has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that all systems are in place to support these efforts.  

As parents complete the enrollment process, the digital device guidelines are provided and can be supplied by LMTSs (Library Media Technology Specialists).

Student Chromebook Fine information