Message from Mrs. Paul

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for our Virtual Open House yesterday. It was so great to reconnect and we are excited for the school year to start! I want to highlight a few questions that came up during Open House from which we thought everyone would benefit: 

 

How will morning drop-off work?

• We're using a similar morning drop-off process as previous years.
• Doors will open at 7:30am, so please do not let your child exit your vehicle before that time.
• Remain in your vehicle and ask your child to exit from the passenger side only. (Park in the lot if you feel you need to get out of your vehicle.)    
• Student temperatures will be checked by a staff member upon exiting the vehicle. Please do not drop your child off and drive away.  Instead, wait for a staff member to approach your vehicle, indicate that your student(s) should exit, and to take the temperatures of the students. Have your child ready to exit the vehicle when you are within the orange cones in the front of the building. 
• Please remind your child to put their mask on and practice social distancing before they exit the vehicle.
• Our goal is for your child to be in their classroom by 7:45am, however, we plan to extend the bus and parent drop-off time as needed at the beginning of the year.
• We have staff available to support social distancing and temperature checks as students enter the school. 
• Note: Kindergarten teachers will meet their students in the gym during the first week of school and a kindergarten paraprofessional will be watching for students outside in the mornings to ensure our youngest learners get where they need to go safely. 

Can families come into the office to drop students off in the morning?

• Families will not enter the office before 7:45am because their children can participate in the drop-off process outlined above.
• If a family needs to drop their child off late (i.e. after 7:45am) they should call the main office (763-745-5800) to request that an office staff member comes to the entry doors to receive the student. 

How will afternoon pick-up and dismissal work? 

• Please be sure your child's teacher knows where your child needs to be at the end of the day.
• Sending a note to school in the morning is required for all changes.
• We use a staggered dismissal time to alleviate congestion in the hallways. This starts around 2:15 p.m., so it's important you communicate changes with us well in advance of this time.
• Last-minute changes can create issues, so please communicate all pick-up changes in writing before 1:30 p.m. (at the latest).
• We will be routing all regular parent pick-ups through the same process as the morning drop-off.  Students will be dismissed outside and will be supervised by a staff member until they enter your vehicle. You may wait in your car in the pick-up line, or park and walk up to the main entrance sidewalk to get your student.
• In the event you need to pick-up your child early, send a note to school in the morning and email the teacher/office so we can try to have your child ready and waiting for you inside the office. Please call the office (763-745-5800) when you arrive.

Should families enter the office or school?

• Generally, families will not enter the school. There may be specific circumstances when it will be necessary for a guardian to enter the school.  The office staff will use their discretion in these cases.
• As a school district, we have "paused" in-person volunteering and/or family visits. 
• A system for picking up distance learning supplies is being developed. We'll communicate that out by grade-level and teacher. In the event we have distance learning supplies for families to pick-up, we plan to restrict that to either outside or the vestibule in the main entryway.

How will attendance work?

• If your child is not able to engage in learning please mark them "absent" in Skyward Family Access.
• All students should plan to attend morning meetings, as this is the time when teachers will take attendance. 
• We recognize you may not have a link, iPad, or access to Morning Meeting videos the first week of school as we're launching our routines. For this reason, attendance during
• Morning Meeting for students who are participating in distance learning for their non-cohort days will start the week of the September 21.
• If you have additional questions about attendance or need support,  please call our office para, Mrs. Kim Smith, at 763-745-5802 or go to Skyward Family Access to report the absence.  
• Please work with our district LPN, Lynda Lankford, on all health-related concerns. 

Will students enrolled in Wayzata Distance Choice have access to school library books?

• Yes! Media specialists are working on a streamlined process, and details will be sent to families once that process is complete.  Thank you for your patience!

Can my child wear a face shield instead of a face mask?

• All students and staff are expected to wear a face mask.  Face shields are an acceptable substitute for those who cannot wear a face mask for a documented medical, behavioral, or developmental reason.  You can viewWayzata School Board Policy 103 for more information about face coverings.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and we look forward to a wonderful year of learning and partnership. 

 

With gratitude,

Ashley Paul

Kindergarten Bus Ridership

It is important for students to understand and practice bus safety. Typically, we hold a Bus Ridership even for incoming kindergarten students. Due to COVID-19 and the safety precautions in place, the district has created a Bus Ridership video for students. Please find a few minutes to view this with your kindergarten student.

Safety at School 

Using guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Education, our district has worked to establish some routines to keep us safe at school. Together, we will need to do our part to help keep all of us healthy this year. For a snapshot of the safety protocols for the year, you may visit the We all play a part in staying safe at school section of the Wayzata Learns webpage to learn more. We will continue to do our best to align our protocol to the state recommendations. 

How to Access Your Child's Culinary PIN

Tips for Using PayPams.com

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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.

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Staying Safe at School

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.

Staying Safe at School Overview

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Bus Safety in Wayzata Public Schools

Students demonstrate how to ride the bus and what to do in the event of an emergency.