This week, all Mequon-Thiensville School District families received an update on the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The recent burden rise in Mequon and Thiensville zip codes prompted school district leaders to consider if a shift in instructional scenarios is necessary for the health, safety and wellbeing of our students and staff members. The burden rate rising to a level of very high risk in our community is alarming. In collaboration with the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department, District officials have been working to better understand the level of risk this increase has on members of our school community. 

In an effort to provide enhanced transparency on the data we are monitoring related to COVID-19 in our schools, the District will share weekly COVID-19 data relating to exposure of the virus in our buildings. This information will be maintained on a dashboard located on the MTSD website, and will also include the most recent burden data received from the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department. 

SLOW THE SPREAD - Practice sound mitigation procedures at school and at home:

Distance Learner Check-In ✔️

Hey Distance Learners! Check out library books, share photos for use in school communications or social media, and take part in special events happening in your schools.

Library Book Check Out: All schools are offering book check out for all students. In order to receive books, students will need to log into Alexandria and place books on hold. If you need additional information on how to do this, please contact your school's RDL.

Technology Tip: Students should sign off and shut down their Chromebook each night. To sign out, students should click on the digital clock in the lower right-hand corner, select 'Sign Out.' Then, when the login screen appears, select the 'Shut Down' option, which is found in the lower-left corner.

Sharing Photos: All distance learners are invited to share photos of the fun and creative ways they're learning at home at any time. Those photos can be submitted through this form, or emailed directly to your school's Digital Communication Coordinator (the name and email address of your school's DCC can be found in the most recent parent bulletin from your school).

School Events: From Halloween spookiness to school spirit weeks, many of our schools are planning fun and safe ways to keep all students excited and engaged, whether at home or on campus. Keep an eye out from communication for your school buildings on fun ways to participate!

To reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, the District has implemented unique scheduling across grade levels as part of our mitigation procedures. While effective in minimizing the number of individuals our students and staff members encounter on a daily basis, time for our educators to collaborate and plan has diminished in Instructional Scenario C. Collaboration and lesson planning has been especially challenging at the elementary and middle school levels. 

In past years, professional collaboration has taken place during team meetings held during times that students are participating in specials and electives. Providing our educators time to engage in co-planning to co-serve helps ensure the needs of each of our students are identified and can be met. In response to the issue, the MTSD administration will be presenting a revised 2020-2021 school calendar to the Board of Education at their Tuesday, October 27 regular business meeting. The revised calendar will include one early release day per month, December through May, at the elementary and middle school levels. The purpose of the early release time is to provide all teachers the opportunity to participate in co-plan to co-serve meetings. During the early release days, elementary school students will be dismissed at 1:15 p.m. and middle school students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m.

Once approved, the revised school calendars and early release dates will be posted online at https://www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/district/calendar