(KNSI) – The Sartell St. Stepehen School District says its students in grades 6-12 will be going back to class full time. A letter sent to parents says sixth through 12th graders go to full-time in-person learning starting February 8th. Students in pre-K through grade five returned on January 11th, and school officials say the in-person learning model for them will remain in place.
That means all students in grades pre-K through senior high school will be in the classroom full time.
School officials say the decision to return everyone to the classroom was made following guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and with consultation from local medical providers, Stearns County Public Health, and the Minnesota Department of Health. Earlier this week, the CDC says new research and data shows transmission in school is rare and that within the Sartell St. Stephen School District, they have had “a low to non-existent transmission rate” in the classrooms. The school says research is also showing mitigation strategies like wearing masks, social distancing, and maintaining pods for students as much as possible, and sanitization are directly tied to the low transmission rates. They are “committed to ensuring these safety measures are implemented with fidelity in all of our learning spaces.”
The school also says almost every staff member who wanted a vaccine received their first dose this week, and the second doses will be given starting on February 15th. The vaccines are being provided and administered by CentraCare health professionals, and the district says they are grateful for CentraCare providing the opportunity.
When it comes to busing students to schools, the district says this will be the first time all bus riders will be on the routes the same day and are asking for patience from parents with the pickup and dropoff times as the wrinkles get ironed out, and everyone gets used to a new routine.
For parents who are not comfortable sending their kids back to class, a request must be sent to the child’s school principal in writing by 5:00 p.m. February 1st, and unless there is a documented medical reason as to why a request was not made on time, requests that come in after that time the district says will not be honored. Right now, the letter says, the two models offered after February 8th will be all in person or all distance learning, and a hybrid learning plan is not an option. The next deadline for changing learning models is set for April 6th, and parents’ requests are due by March 12th.
Meal pickup for students will not be offered after February 8th at Sartell Middle School or Sartell High School. Free breakfast and lunch will be available for students every day at each building, but for families with students in distance learning, arrangements for pickup will be made.
All positive COVID-19 cases and symptoms must be reported to the school nurse, and a ten-day quarantine period must also be observed after the onset of symptoms or ten days from a positive COVID test. The district continues to follow the 14-day quarantine for close contact with a positive COVID-19 individual.
For additional information about the district’s COVID-19 plan, click here.
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
