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September 25, 2020
Updates in this email:
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the state, know that there are resources that will help you respond to a confirmed COVID-19 case in your community. This week, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has updated its guide for schools for handling a suspected or confirmed positive case of COVID-19. This guide includes sample messages for:
- Families or caregivers of students who are close contacts
- Staff who are close contacts
- General notification to the school community regarding a positive case
Schools are highly encouraged to use those samples when communicating about confirmed cases of COVID-19. These messages were written by experts at MDH and are FERPA and HIPPA compliant. These messages have been changed slightly from previous versions, in order to improve clarity with plain language. We are working to get them translated in Hmong, Somali and Spanish. If you have already used the templates we provided previously, there is no reason to be concerned. Those templates were also FERPA and HIPPA compliant.
No matter how you communicate with families, please remember to not share any information that could lead to the identification of a student.
Also, please know that throughout the school year there may be times when you learn about a positive COVID-19 result before MDH is notified. Should this occur, please have your school district or charter school's COVID Coordinator contact your Regional Support Team.
See additional resources available online from MDH and MDE.
The ongoing transmission of COVID-19 across Minnesota has led some schools to provide full or part-time distance learning to students. As school districts make determinations about in-person, hybrid or distance learning models for the school year and families choose distance learning, many Minnesotans need to seek additional arrangements to care for and engage their children during school hours. Anyone providing support and supervision for school-age children engaged in distance learning with the child’s school should follow key recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Health, and Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry as summarized in the guidance. Questions related to child care and school-age care can be emailed to childrenscabinet.mmb@state.mn.us.
MDH is continuously updating their Materials and Resources for COVID-19 Response web page with templates, signage, videos and social media content. There is a section of this page dedicated to schools, and many materials have been translated in multiple languages. Please regularly check this page for tools you can use in your facilities and when communicating with your communities.
If you have not yet submitted your application for your allocation of Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars, please do so before the October 1 deadline. Currently, 212 school districts and charter schools have not started their application. Learn more on the CARES Act Funding Information web page.
Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued Halloween guidance outlining lower risk, moderate risk and higher risk activities. Please share this information with your school communities.
As school staff may begin using their no-cost saliva tests, they may have questions about the process. Please remind staff that a frequently asked questions document is available on this topic. One question we have heard, which is answered in the document, is related to the cost of the tests:
Q: Who pays for my test (insurance, the state, the school district)?
A: If you are an eligible educator or staff, you will get one COVID-19 saliva test at no cost to you. If you have insurance, you will be asked to provide your insurance information when you order your test. If you do not have insurance, you will indicate that. The state will cover all costs not paid by insurance.
This FAQ document, and more information, can be found on the Health Resources for Schools web page.
A time to celebrate our connections between students and local food, share our Farm to School + ECE stories and show gratitude to our nutrition and farmer heroes providing essential services during these pandemic times.
This year, due to COVID-19, we’re broadening our Farm to School + ECE Month events to allow for schools, families and communities to adapt their celebrations to best fit their local needs. Celebrate Farm to School + ECE Month anytime that works best for you and your community during the month of October 2020.
New this year, schools can join a virtual farm tour hosted by Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom – there are five free virtual farm tours in October – one is an apple orchard on October 8 – Apple Crunch Day!
Learn more about Farm to School Month here.
The U.S. Department of Education has named eight Minnesota schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2020 based on their overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups. Read the full press release. Congratulations to our Minnesota schools who were recognized!
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