Parent Newsletter

September 24, 2020

Message from Mrs. Paul

The school days have been running smoothly at Plymouth Creek. Students are engaging with each other and building relationships with staff. I've learned to notice smiling eyes instead of mouths and we are all working hard to maintain positive spirits and atmospheres. Students from both in-person learning cohorts practiced their first fire drill this week and did an amazing job.

Fall conferences are fast-approaching for all students and families. Due to COVID-19, we will utilize Zoom for conferencing. An elementary conference is a 20-minute discussion with your child's classroom teacher on Tuesday, October 13 from 3:20-7:20 p.m. or Wednesday, October 14 from 7:20 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. Sign up using Skyward Family Access beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29. Sign ups will remain open through Monday, October 12 at 8:00 a.m. Teachers will share a Zoom link with you to access the conference at your scheduled time.

Skyward Conference Scheduling Parent Instructions

Thank you for helping us start the year with such a positive tone!

With gratitude,

Ashley Paul

Morning Drop-Off

Thank you for your patience in the mornings as we conduct temperature checks upon student arrival. If you are dropping off your student(s) in the morning for school or Wayzata Kids childcare, please make sure your child stays in the car until you are in front of the school. Students being dropped off should enter the building using the main entrance to the school.

A Message from Mr. Almen

Mr. Almen announced his retirement over the summer, and has created a farewell video for students and families. Enjoy!

Accessing Learning on Non-Cohort Days

All Hybrid and Distance Choice teachers have organized your student's learning using a Week-at-a-Glance template. The Week-at-a-Glance can be found upon opening the Seesaw app and visiting the Announcements tab, or Canvas app on student devices. Links to live learning, specific activities, and specialist content are embedded into these templates, as are specific academic requirements. If you are having a technical issue or have questions with a specialist class, please contact that teacher directly. The classroom teacher does not have access to any specialist Canvas or Seesaw pages.

It is important to note that Wayzata Kids childcare staff will also be using these templates to assist students on their non-cohort days. It may not always be possible for students to complete all of their academic work during the day with Wayzata Kids, so families should also use the template to assist at home.

Synchronous (Live) Instruction

Students accessing live instruction from home are experiencing learning in a unique way. The same is true for families. Never before have you had the opportunity to experience your child's learning alongside them. Please be mindful of your child's synchronous time(s) on Zoom, and allow them to participate independently as much as possible. Help your child by showing them where the volume button is located on his or her device, make sure their headphones are working properly, and provide a comfortable work space. It is important that students are present at all of their live Zoom times, as scheduled by teachers. Note: Please check your Week-at-a-Glance for your child's scheduled morning meeting time. Times may be different from classroom to classroom.

Wayzata Kids School Day Childcare

Wayzata Kids program staff will assist students with their school work while in their care. In order for them to help with student work to the best of their abilities, they need some help from families:

Please make sure you send all materials to Wayzata Kids each day so students have what they need to complete their work.
Make sure iPads are included in your child's backpack, and that it is charged and ready to use.
Include the passcode for getting into your child's iPad - consider writing it down and putting it inside the iPad case so program staff can access it.
Check your child's Week-at-a-Glance at the end of the day, and plan to complete any unfinished work with your child at home.

A Message From the Media Center

Requested library books for Distance Choice students can be picked up on Fridays between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the front entryway of the school. Students requesting books through Destiny library system need to put their requests in by 1:00 p.m. on Thursday if they want to pick up their library books on Friday. Please watch for an email saying the book is ready for pick up before driving to school. Sometimes a book is checked out to someone else or has a waitlist and is not available when your student puts it on hold. Books may also be returned during this time and must be placed in the return bin for proper check in.

Did You Know?

Kindergarten Bus Ridership

It is important for students to understand and practice bus safety. Typically, we hold a Bus Ridership event 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 Departments of Health and 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.

Reminders

Message from the Attendance Office

Please report absences in Skyward Family Access when your child is absent or tardy. Children are considered unexcused without an entry in Family Access or a call to the attendance line from a parent or guardian.

When you are submitting the attendance request in Skyward Family Access, you must be logged in as a parent, not a student.
Calls to the attendance line (763-745-5855) should be reserved for last-minute attendance requests or changes.
Please also reach out to your classroom teacher to notify them of a planned full-day or multi-day absence.

Medications at School

All medications, both prescribed and Over-The-Counter (OTC), administered at school requires a medical order from a person who is a licensed authorized prescribing practitioner (physician, physician's assistant, dentist, podiatrist, osteopath or psychiatrist). Please contact your school health office about medication drop off before the start of school. For more information, visit our Health Services webpage.

Emergency Information Form

For a variety of reasons, there is often a need to contact you throughout the course of the school year. Parents/Guardians are asked to keep their contact information up-to-date in Skyward Family Access Emergency Information Form. Watch the Skyward Family Access video guide if you're not sure how to complete the form.

PTO News

Join or Volunteer

PTO Meeting Tomorrow at Noon

Save the Date! The first PTO meeting of the school year will take place on Friday, September 25 at 12:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Meeting ID: 886 6620 4840
Passcode: 769567

Digital PTO Calendar

Fun2Raise has designed a digital, clickable and printable (at home) PTO calendar. This interactive calendar will allow you to find current happenings at the school, links to virtual events (as we get them) and information updated in real time. The month of September is live now! Check back often as we will be updating multiple times per month as the year goes on.

Volunteer Needs

Around the District

Important Policies & Notices

How to Access Your Child's Culinary PIN

Tips for Using PayPams.com

Planning travel out of the state or country?

Regardless of whether your students are attending Wayzata Public Schools through hybrid learning or through Distance Choice, the district is required to account for students. Please ensure that the Welcome Center has a copy of your family's Extended Vacation form on file prior to your travel.

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.

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

Bus Safety in Wayzata Public Schools

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

Community Education

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.

Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids - Navigating the stress and isolation of COVID-19 has presented added challenges for parenting our kids. How can we as parents support each other in our efforts to help our kids build and maintain resilience, self-esteem, and mental health in the midst of a pandemic? Parents of elementary-age children are invited to join a parent support group facilitated by Judy Hoy, DSW and Chithra Binoy.

Financial assistance is available or call 763-745-5200 for more information.