When Distance Learning was introduced this spring, it was an emergency response to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota. Since that time, SPPS has engaged several stakeholder groups for feedback. We listened to that feedback, and will introduce Distance Learning 2.0 as an improved platform for learning for the 2020-21 school year.

Our staff is committed to providing students and families the high-quality learning opportunities they expect. This fall, students will experience a new way of organizing lessons, one that aligns the look and feel of Schoology and Seesaw between courses to make them easier to navigate. There will be more “same time” learning, and grading expectations will be explained at the beginning of the course. 

Instruction for Distance Learning 2.0 will have daily same-time (synchronous) lessons for all students. Using technology tools we have in place, there will also be daily student-to-student interaction. More information about Distance Learning 2.0 will be shared in the coming weeks.

Regardless of the scenario that MDE advises school districts to follow, SPPS will be offering SPPS Virtual Learning School throughout the year for any family who does not want their students to attend an in-person or hybrid schooling option for the 2020-2021 school year.

SPPS Virtual Learning will maintain a student's path to graduation and will address state standards.

SPPS is proud to offer a 100% Distance Learning option for students PreK-12 who prefer the option of distance learning throughout the entire school year.

This option, called SPPS Virtual Learning school, is available regardless of the district decision to return to school in an in-person, hybrid or distance learning scenario.

All students will receive:

• INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MODEL - All students in grades PreK-2 will complete lessons in Seesaw and students in grades 3-12 will complete lessons in Schoology. 
• EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES - All students can engage in extracurricular activities at their school of enrollment when/if extracurricular activities become available.
• STUDENT SUPPORTS - All students will continue to receive qualifying services such as special education, English language services, social work, and counseling. 
• HEALTH AND SAFETY - Regardless of the educational environment programs will follow state and federal health and safety guidelines

Our ultimate goal is to welcome students and teachers back to our buildings when it is safe and possible to do so. SPPS has two dates when we will consider transitioning to a hybrid learning schedule:

• Sept. 25 - Determine whether to start a hybrid schedule on Oct. 19
• Oct. 14 - Determine whether to start a hybrid schedule on Nov. 16

We know that distance learning in the spring was particularly challenging for our special education and English Language (EL) students. Special education teachers will meet virtually with families at the beginning of the school year to discuss individualized student needs and services for the 2020-21 school year. Trained interpreters will be available to support communication with families as needed. Service delivery will be individualized to meet IEP/IFSP goals and align with the learning model that SPPS is in at any given time.

English Language (EL) learners will have access to standards-based content courses as well as differentiated instruction in all academic content areas in each learning model (distance learning, hybrid or in person).  In all stages, educators will follow the EL service models:

• EL Service Plan - Elementary
• EL Service Plan - Secondary 

Students enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs will be provided regular instruction through Seesaw, resources from the School Home Partners in Learning program (available in multiple languages) as well as "Talk, Read, Write, Play, Sing" family learning opportunities. All Pre-Kindergarten students will receive an iPad and learning kit, which contains hands-on materials to enrich learning opportunities. 

It is a regular feature of SPPS Pre-K programming that families agree to collaborate and support learning activities with their children. This will continue in Distance Learning.

Students receiving Early Childhood Special Education services will have learning activities tailored to their IFSP and IEP goals, including consulting with caregivers on implementing strategies during daily routines.

Meal Service during Distance Learning

We will continue to provide meals to families who need them while SPPS is in distance learning. Details on who is eligible and how meals will be distributed are still being finalized and will be shared in the coming weeks.

All families should fill out the Application for Educational Benefits/Free or Reduced Price Meals. Applications are available online on SchoolCafe, and paper applications will be mailed to homes in the coming weeks. These applications are very important; please fill one out even if you don’t think you qualify.

In-School Meal Service

When we are back to in-person learning for students, SPPS will adjust our typical breakfast and lunch service in each of our schools.

Salad bars and self-service options will be replaced with full-service meals in clamshell containers. Nutrition staff will have acrylic dividers and/or face shields to use during meal service.

Cafeteria attendants and additional lunch monitors will assist with traffic flow, cleaning and customer service. Weekly meal boxes will be provided to students to take home for their distance learning days, if applicable.  

Breakfast: Breakfast service will continue with slight modifications to allow for social distancing and some menu changes. Breakfast will be prepackaged in breakfast bags, and students will pick up milk on their way to class. Students will continue to eat breakfast in their classroom.

Lunch: School cafeterias will be used for serving and eating lunch. In buildings where the cafeteria is not large enough to meet social distancing guidelines, classrooms may be used as overflow dining space. Hallways will be used for students lining up, partitions will be placed between Nutrition staff and students, and reusable clamshells will replace traditional lunch trays. 

SPPS is pleased to offer two childcare options while the district is in distance learning or a hybrid scenario. SPPS students ages 12 and under who are children of Tier 1 critical workers will be cared for at no cost during normal school hours. Register for Essential Kids Care here.

For families who do not qualify as Tier 1 Critical Workers, a fee-based full-day childcare program will be availableat four schools. Register for Discovery Club here.

Both programs will be staffed by non-licensed child care staff. Children will be grouped with the same small group of peers and staff each day. Masks will be required, and Minnesota Department of Health guidelines for childcare programs will be strictly enforced.

Time will be set aside for students to work on their distance learning. They will be expected to work independently with minimal supervision. Breakfast and lunch are also provided.

Some athletics and activities will proceed this fall in accordance with the latest guidelines from the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). Registration will take place online, and strict health and safety protocols will be followed for in-person practices and competitions. There will be changes to the number of teams, participants and contests allowed for each sport. Football and volleyball have been postponed to spring. Changes to arts programs are still being determined and will be shared soon.

Please contact your child’s school for more information.

The Minnesota Department of Education has asked school districts to plan for fall based on these three models: 

Scenario 1: In-person learning for all students

• Create as much space between students and teachers as is feasible during the day
• Not held strictly to enforcing 6 feet of social distancing during primary instructional time in the classroom
• Implemented if state COVID-19 metrics continue to stabilize and/or improve
  
  

Scenario 2: Hybrid model with strict social distancing and capacity limits

• Limit the overall number of people in school facilities and on transportation vehicles to 50% maximum occupancy
• Sufficient social distancing with at least 6 feet between people must occur at all times
• Contactless pick-up and/or delivery of meals and school materials for days that students and staff are not in the school building
• School-age care program for students of critical workers
• Implemented if COVID-19 metrics worsen at the local, regional or statewide level OR within individual school(s) if they experience clusters of cases within a classroom or the school
  
  

Scenario 3: Distance learning only

• Schools may be open to provide emergency childcare or other functions
• Implemented if local, regional or statewide COVID-19 metrics worsen significantly enough to require the suspension of in-person learning

In addition, SPPS will offer SPPS Virtual Learning school for any family who does not want their students to attend an in-person or hybrid schooling option for the 2020-2021 school year.

According to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), a hybrid model will be implemented if and when COVID-19 metrics worsen at the local, regional or state level.

At SPPS, the hybrid schedule will split students into two groups, which each group in school two days per week and distance learning the other three days. Efforts will be made to place siblings on the same schedule. SPPS is working to develop distance learning support options for the days that students are not in school.

More details and background on why this hybrid schedule was chosen are available at spps.org/hybrid.

Please know that health and safety is a top priority in SPPS. Some of the changes that students, staff and families will see when returning to school include a face covering policy, passive health screening guidelines, and changes to our cleaning protocols and meal service, among others. Some of these health protocols include:

• Health guidelines and expectations for students and families
• Updated reporting system for individuals with COVID-19 symptoms
• Guidance around masking (cloth face coverings)
• Health screening checklist and guidelines
• Signage around masking, social distancing/floor markings, health screening checklist, handwashing and COVID-19 symptoms
• Changes to food service including minimizing self-service options and additional eating spaces

Click here to view the complete COVID-19 Student and Family Guidelines.

Facilities and Operations staff are working on readiness plans and protocols for getting our buildings ready for in-person and hybrid scenarios, which include:

• Hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray and wipes in every classroom
• Water bottles for every student
• Continuation of the four-tiered cleaning plan that has been in place since March
• Running enhanced filtration and mechanical systems longer every day to draw in more fresh outside air
• Final analysis of classroom capacity, cafeteria and kitchen layouts to ensure safe service

Additional information about our facilities plan will be shared in the coming weeks. 

Student Health and Wellness, Environmental Services Group (ESG), Security and Emergency Management, and custodial staff are working closely together to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Saint Paul Public Schools follows a four-tiered cleaning plan to reports of COVID-19 related symptoms and/or diagnosis. 

Our custodial staff will significantly increase the wiping down and disinfecting of public spaces and high-touch surfaces across our buildings and throughout the school day. We will also provide greater access to cleaning materials for our teachers and staff so that they can clean and disinfect spaces, as needed.

Each evening, our custodial team will conduct a thorough cleaning of our spaces, again disinfecting high-touch surfaces like sinks, drinking fountains, door handles, tables and desks.

Ensuring students remain physically distanced on school buses is a significant challenge. If SPPS is operating on a hybrid schedule, which requires a maximum 50% occupancy, all students will sit one to a seat. Students within the same household should sit together.   

Students will load the bus from the back to the front. For example, at the first stop on the route, students should seat themselves at the back of the bus.

Families are responsible for monitoring their students’ health and keeping them home if they are ill. Please do not send a sick child to the bus stop. Students and staff will be required to wear masks on the bus when traveling to or from school. 

We are working closely with our contracted transportation providers to ensure all buses are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis.