Message from Mr. Carlson Greetings West students and families,
Did You Know? First Day of School A/B/Wayzata Distance Choice September 14 is the first day of school for all middle school students. Please note, parents and other visitors are not permitted in the school building.
Distance Choice Synchronous/Asynchronous Breakdown We have decided to break down Distance Choice classes so that some classes are more synchronous in nature Monday and Wednesday and others are more synchronous in nature on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All distance choice classes will be asynchronous on Fridays. The rationale was that we wanted to keep alignment with the hybrid model in terms of pacing and also ensure that each day had a balance of both synchronous and asynchronous activities.
* Gifted & Talented Seminars will be held during grade level Flex times. Groups & days TBD. * EL services for Distance Learning student is provided by Lucia Gardner
Attendance Clarification Distance Choice Students will attend Virtual Advisory and the advisor will submit attendance for the day. Teachers will then enter the attendance information into Skyward. Individual teachers will reach out to students and households if there is a pattern of attendance and/or engagement issues.
Hybrid
Automated absence notification calls and emails will be sent to households after 12:00 p.m. Individual teachers will reach out to students and households if attendance and/or engagement issues are noted in individual classes.
New for Meal-IDs Middle School Students! To promote contactless transactions, students have been issued meal-IDs. These IDs will be used instead of entering a PIN at the Point of Sale. Your student will receive the meal-ID in their advisory on the first day of attendance.
Early Drop-Off As in previous years, the school's doors will not open until 7:45 a.m. Students are encouraged to stay home and ride the bus to school. If early drop off is necessary, students must report to the cafeteria after health screening for study hall. Once in the cafeteria, students will sit socially distanced and masked until they are released to go to class at 9:00 a.m..
No Late Bus Students are expected to leave the school at 4:00 p.m. each day. No late busses are available.
Curriculum Night Update We have posted the Curriculum Night Video on the website, please feel free to view it as many times as you would like.
Hybrid School Supply List Generally speaking, the school supply list posted on the website is the best guide for getting ready this school year. However, since students will be using backpacks not lockers, we want them to be comfortable by traveling light. Here are the everyday essentials:
Most textbooks are digital
What Will School Look Like
8th Grade Second Semester Encores Eighth grade parents may notice that their students are missing and encore choice for semester two. Because of time constraints and Distance Choice options we will hold off scheduling semester two encores until a later date.
Lockers We will not be issuing lockers at this time because we are trying to minimize the amount of time students spend in the hallway and locker areas. Students should bring their personal belongings in a backpack to class. We will not be using the Phy Ed locker rooms.
Schedules All students in the Hybrid model will be participating in Phy Ed twice a week on the days they are physically at school. All music classes will be offered virtually on the days they are not physically at school. Teachers will communicate with Distance Choice students through Skyward or Canvas when their Phy Ed and Music class will meet.
Key Dates
Technology Help Requests In alignment with health and safety best practices, the District Technology Department has put in place an appointment system to better serve technology needs. This system is to be used by both staff and students. The first step to making an appointment is to create a helpdesk ticket. Please take note of the Helpdesk ticket number; you will need it when making an appointment. After creating a helpdesk ticket, please schedule an appointment with Lynn Tombers.
Cell Phone Update Please note we have updated our cell phone rules and guidelines. Cell phones must be put away and use is not allowed from 9:10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The goal of this policy shift is to support students in keeping focused on learning. The new cell phone expectations will be taught to students. If you need to reach your child at school, please call the main office and we can call the student down to call you from the office.
Reminders Safety Updates Please be sure to visit our Wayzata Learns webpage for up-to-date information.
Girls' Tennis Registration is now open for 7th and 8th Grade Girls' Tennis. The season will start once school begins. Students scheduled to be in school on the A day will have practices and matches on those days. Students who are scheduled to be in school on B day, will have practices and matches on those days. Registration is now open on EPay.
Hennepin County Library offering e-cards! You can now apply for a Hennepin County Library e-card to get access to all of the great online resources our Hennepin County Libraries have to offer (ebooks, audiobooks, databases, etc.)! Applications are quick and easy for those who do not have a current library card. Anyone who needs help with an existing library card can go to the Ask Us page. With a library card, students can access online tutoring from 1:00-11:00 p.m. Families who have used this tutoring in the past have found it very helpful.
Be BOLD Be West! Looking for some help with establishing positive expectations for Distance Learning at home? This modified BOLD Matrix highlights the language from our school-wide expectations that apply to Distance Learning. Feel free to bookmark or print and post in your student's workspace at home to provide reminders about Being BOLD!
Videos for eBook Resources We have two videos available:
Also, if you or your student does not have a library card number for Hennepin County Library, they are taking phone applications from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. They will mail physical cards to people but will also give the card number over the phone so that people can start accessing online content right away.
PTA News Please visit the PTA page to get meeting dates, minutes, and sign up to be a volunteer, sign up for the directory and more.
Volunteer Needs
Around the District How to Access Your Child's Culinary PIN Stay Home When Ill and Be Prepared to Quarantine It is important to be prepared as we begin the new school year in the midst of a pandemic. Our new reality will require students, families and staff to check daily for symptoms and stay home if you are ill. If you or someone in your family is ill, please reference the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Decision Tree document to learn what your next steps should be. Report any student absences into Skyward Family Access, specifying if the absence is COVID-19 related. Our school nurses will follow up with any COVID-19 related cases. If you are tested for COVID-19, even if you feel well, it is important that you remain home and away from others until you receive the results. Everyone must be prepared to stay home and quarantine for up to two weeks if you become ill with or are exposed to COVID-19. We know being quarantined for two weeks will be extremely challenging, but it is absolutely necessary to stop the spread of the virus. Learn how you can prepare for a possible quarantine. Our nurses will be working closely with MDH to notify students and staff as soon as possible if you have been exposed to COVID-19 at school. Always answer your phone if MDH is calling. If you have questions, please contact the licensed nurse at your school. More detail and helpful information can also be found on our Wayzata Learns webpage. We are busy preparing our buildings and staff for the start of the new school year, with a big focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19 within our staff and student body. All of our buildings have optimal ventilation and enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures are in place. Our school principals have established new guidelines for everything from entering the building to eating lunch. We need you to understand and follow them so that we can all stay safe and prevent the spread of the virus.
Community Ed Parenting with Vision: Helping your kids through tough transitions In partnership with Relate Counseling Center, Wayzata Community Ed is offering a series to parents to help them with tough transitions for their kids. These webinars will take place online and are free to attend with no registration required. Transitioning to Middle School - Join us for some lunchtime learning, as Lauren Abdill, MSW, LICSW, from Relate Counseling hosts a webinar for parents of incoming middle schoolers on how to support their kids through this big transition.
Join us in our online classrooms! We have many opportunities for our youth and adult learners. You can find all our class options on our registration site. Financial assistance is available or call 763-745-5200 for more information.
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