May 12, 2021 | Volume 1 • Issue 33
Thank You School Nurses and Health Office Staff!
Wednesday, May 12 is National School Nurse Day and St. Louis Park Public Schools would like to acknowledge and thank our school nurses and Health Office Staff for all they do to support the health and learning of children every day.
K-5 Summer Learning Academy and Summer Learning & Play Programs Available to All Families
Registration is now available for the St. Louis Park Public Schools K-5 Summer Learning Academy. This year's Summer Learning Academy will run from June 28 through August 12, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Parents and guardians can also pair the Summer Learning Academy with an afternoon Summer Learning & Play offering for a full day of learning and fun! 

More information about the Summer Learning Academy as well as afternoon Summer Learning & Play programs can be found by downloading the following flyers: English | Spanish | Somali

If you would like to register your child for the Summer Learning Academy, please contact your child's teacher. If you have general questions about the Summer Learning Academy, please contact Academy Principal Jennifer Zipf at 952-928-6090 or zipf.jennifer@slpschools.org.

Questions about Summer Learning & Play programs can be directed to Kelleen O'Brion at 952-928-6399 or obrion.kelleen@slpschools.org
Updated COVID-19 Dashboard
The dashboard will be updated every Wednesday and can be found on the District's COVID-19 News & Updates page at www.slpschools.org/covid19.
Secondary Student Quarantine Clarification & Information
Last week Governor Walz announced his plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions across the state by July 1st . Although some restrictions have been lifted related to social distancing and group size, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Safe Learning Plan—including Executive Orders 20-19, 20-82, 20-94 and 20-95—will be in full effect through the end of the 2020-21 school year. This means schools will continue following the Safe Learning Plan until the last teacher contact day is for each individual school district or charter school (for St. Louis Park Public Schools Students in Grades K-11 this is June 10). All end-of-year special events, prom and graduation will follow the Stay Safe - Entertainment Venue Guidance.

As we approach these events, it is imperative that we continue to come together as a community to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) continue to recommend…wash your hands, wear your masks, continue social distancing, and get vaccinated. 

In case your student does need to quarantine, here is what you can expect from St. Louis Middle School and High School once the school receives notification of a positive COVID-19 case:
  • Contact tracing will take place. This includes looking at classroom and lunchroom seating charts, bus information, and participation in sports and/or other activities. 
  • A school nurse or district or school administrator will call the parents/guardians/families of the students that were in close contact. 
  • If students that came in close contact are in class, staff will take them to the health office (or other designated area where they will not come in contact with other students) until they can be safely picked up or transported home. 
  • An email with further information and next steps about the quarantine will be sent to parents/guardians. Please be sure to check your email. 

PLEASE NOTE: St. Louis Park Public Schools will continue to follow a 14-day quarantine period. Per the CDC and MDH, a 14-day quarantine continues to be the safest option. 

There are options to reduce the quarantine period in certain situations, however, those that follow the shortened quarantine (7 or 10 days) need to stay 6 feet away from others and monitor their symptoms through day 14. With no social distancing in the elementary schools and 3 feet (when possible) in the secondary schools, this IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION IN SLP and we will continue following the 14-day quarantine protocol. 

Following CDC and MDH guidance and working together, we can stop the spread of COVID-19 so that all students can participate in end-of-year events and keep our community healthy and safe.
School-Issued Device Collection
Instructional planning for the 2021-2022 school year is underway. The collection of school-issued Chromebooks, iPads, mobile hotspots and associated chargers prior to the last day of school is essential to ensure digital tools are available for learning at the start of next school year. 

Please refer to the following one-page flyers for complete information: English | Spanish | Somali
Attention DLA Families:
We Want to Hear From You About Next Year
St. Louis Park Public Schools is currently surveying Elementary Distance Learning Academy (DLA) families to begin gathering data on interest in continuing their elementary student(s) in DLA next school year. We would appreciate your support by completing this survey by Tuesday, May 25. This survey is not a registration form. Your response will help inform our decision-making. The survey is anonymous and only two questions long.
REMINDER: Elementary School Playgrounds for Student Use Only During School Hours
Students and families are reminded that elementary school playgrounds are dedicated to student use from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on school days. The playgrounds are used for instruction during the school day and for Kids Place childcare before and after school from September-June and throughout the day during school year breaks, holidays and in the Summer.
Minnesota Safe Learning Survey
The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota is working with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) through the Wisconsin-Minnesota Comprehensive Center (WMCC) to launch the Minnesota Safe Learning Survey. The goal is to gather information via a survey of educators, students (grades 6-12), and families regarding their educational experiences this academic year.

The survey results will inform future MDE planning and support that the WMCC and the University may be able to provide to local schools and policymakers. In addition, CAREI intends to provide each district/charter a report that compares local data to statewide results.