Preparations for On Campus Learning, Staggered Start Schedule, Bus Procedures, and more...

September 1, 2020 | Vol. 29 Mequon-Thiensville School District Newsletter

MTSD Prepares for On Campus Instruction

We could not be more thrilled to provide our families the option of on campus learning next week. All students preparing for a return to school district buildings must note that the routine of coming to school in the 2020-2021 school year will not be the same as it has been in the past. Please take some time to review the policies and procedures associated with Instructional Scenario C in our Responsible Return Operating Plan. Key highlights include:

School Start Times: School start times for the 2020-2021 school year will be:
Elementary school: 9:00 a.m.
Middle school: 7:55 a.m.
High school: 7:25 a.m.
Bus Transportation: Bus capacity will be limited. Students will board the bus from back to front and be seated to accommodate maximum physical distancing. Face coverings will be worn by the bus driver and students.
Mitigation Procedures: Families will be required to complete a daily self-screening for their child. All students and staff will be required to wear face coverings (unless a medical exception has been approved and acknowledged by the school district). Students and staff will wash or sanitize hands every hour. Physical distancing of at least 6 feet from others should be practiced whenever possible.
Check out this helpful page on our Mitigation Procedures.
Dismissal Procedures: Dismissal times will be staggered at each school by grade level to minimize the number of contacts individuals will encounter as they exit the buildings. Each school will position staff members to serve as traffic monitors to ensure students maintain physical distancing during arrival and dismissal. Below are the times when elementary and middle school parents can begin picking up their students:
Middle School
8th grade - 3:00 p.m.
7th grade - 3:05 p.m.
6th grade - 3:10 p.m.
Younger siblings can be dismissed at the same time as their older sibling.
Elementary School
4K, K, & 1st grade - 3:40 p.m.
2nd - 3rd grade - 3:50 p.m.
4th - 5th grade - 4:00 p.m.
Younger siblings can be dismissed at the same time as their older sibling.
Protocol for COVID-19 exposure: Students participating in on campus programming may be assigned remote learning and be unable to participate in co-curricular activities due to COVID-19 exposure.
View this chart to see how many days of remote instruction will be required in positive case or exposure scenarios.
Additionally, please take a few moments to watch this informative video on COVID-19 and contact tracing from the North Shore Health Department.

Review all On Campus procedures in the most updated Responsible Return Operating Plan

Check out our FAQ page to see quick answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about On Campus and Distance Learning

Staggered Start Schedule

Yesterday, the school district announced that on campus learning will again be available to those families that selected it as early as Tuesday, September 8.

Responsible Return for High School Students

For Homestead High School students in grades 9-12, on campus instruction will begin on Tuesday, September 8 with an E day. Tartan Time will start at 7:25 a.m. Block I starts at 8:25 a.m. with 4th period and Block II at 12:06 p.m. with 5th period.

Students who have selected the distance learning environment will continue with distance learning uninterrupted during the on campus staggered start.

Responsible Return for Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Students

4K students will begin their weekly rotation based upon their A/B designation.

Students with an A designation will attend on campus learning on Tuesday, September 8 and distance learning for the remainder of the week.

Students with a B designation will continue with distance learning Tuesday and Wednesday and will attend on campus instruction on Thursday, September 10.

Students who have selected the distance learning environment will continue with distance learning uninterrupted during the on campus staggered start.

Responsible Return for Elementary and Middle School Students

Beginning on Tuesday, the district will implement a staggered start* to on campus instruction, with select grade levels attending school over a three-day period. This strategy gives our students and teachers an opportunity to interact in smaller groups, ensure that all students gain a clear understanding of the new school health and safety practices, and support an effective transition back to school after an extended closure. The following schedule will be used for our 5K-8 grade students during the week of September 7. Students in grade levels not attending school on campus will continue with distance learning.

*Implementing a staggered start to on campus instruction is recommended by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

New Bus Procedures

In order to keep all students and drivers safe while on the bus, the following procedures will be expected of all riders:

At the bus stop, please keep physically distant from others.
Before boarding, please have your face covering on, covering your nose and mouth.
Use hand sanitizer located near the driver’s station.
Riders will load the bus from back to front (i.e. the first student on, will sit in the back of the bus, the last student on will sit in the front of the bus) with the exception of 4K riders without an older sibling on the same route. Each rider will be given a seat assignment by the driver.
When you arrive at school, riders will exit the bus from the front seats to the back.

Failure to follow bus procedures may result in disciplinary action. Please share these expectations with the bus riders in your household and thank you for helping us keep everyone safe on their way to school.

Bus Route Details:

Your child’s bus stop details can be found in your Infinite Campus account. To view these please follow the steps below.

Login to your Infinite Campus account
Click on More
Click Transportation

Note that these times are approximate and may be updated before the start of school as changes in student registration occur. Please check Infinite Campus over the weekend for any final changes. If you elected to opt-out of transportation, you will not see route information.

If you have any concerns regarding your bus information, please contact Go Riteway at 262-512-1044.

For real-time information on the location of your child’s bus, please download Here Comes the Bus! More information can be found on our website. If you have questions about the app, please contact Go Riteway at 262-512-1044.

Download Here Comes the Bus

Kids' Campus Procedures

With the start of Instructional Scenario C: On Campus Instruction with Maximum Physical Distancing and Minimal Physical Contacts on Tuesday, September 8, Kids' Campus will resume offering only before and after school care to registered families. Full-day supervision will no longer be available for families who chose the distance learning option for the 2020-2021 school year. In the event that MTSD has to transition back to Instructional Scenario D: Distance Learning for All Students, Kids' Campus will once again offer full-day supervision for families who are unable to work from home.

Review procedures for before and after school care in the most current Operating Plan

Distance Learning & Chromebook Pickup

The new school year kicked off today with Distance Learning! We are excited to start the 2020-2021 school year with new approaches to support students with instruction and technology. Families should have received this message about technology and digital learning information from their schools yesterday. More items to note include:

Chromebooks:

Students in grades 3-12 are part of the 1:1 initiative. All students in grades 3-12 are expected to use their MTSD-issued devices for all school-related work, both on campus and during distance learning.
If families have not picked up their MTSD-issued devices, they should contact their school to arrange a pickup time.
When students return to face-to-face instruction, students in grades 6-12 will be bringing their charged Chromebooks to school daily. Students in grades 3-5 will be receiving direction from their buildings.

Canvas

Parents have the ability to access their student's Canvas account as an observer. Details about how to do that are in the document above.

We hope distance learning is going as smoothly as possible so far, but if you need technical assistance, please click the form below to submit a ticket to the MTSD Technology Help Desk.

Complete this form to request technical assistance

Important Dates

First Day of School (4K)

Thursday, September 3

NO SCHOOL - Students & Staff (Labor Day)

Monday, September 7

On Campus Learning Begins (see Staggered Start Schedule above)

Tuesday, September 8

MTSD Board of Education Working Meeting

Monday, September 14

NO SCHOOL - Students (Staff Inservice)

Monday, September 21

MTSD Board of Education Regular Business Meeting

Monday, September 21

NO SCHOOL - Students & Staff (Yom Kippur)

Monday, September 28