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October 9, 2020
Updates in this email:
We know how important it is for families to be able to support their students while they are participating in activities, athletics, and school events. As a result we have worked with the experts at MDH to update the 2020-21 Planning Guide for Minnesota Public Schools to safely allow spectators at events in school facilities while still prioritizing the health and wellness of our students, school staff, and communities. The updated guidance is as follows:
- Each team/group at an indoor event is allowed up to a total allocation of two spectators per participant. Consistent with other Stay Safe guidance, spectators must be separated by at least 6 feet between households/spectator groups and event spaces can’t exceed 25% of total capacity. For indoor events where 12 feet can’t be maintained between participants and spectators, participants must be included in the total capacity count. If spectators and participants can be clearly separated by at least 12 feet, then participants do not need to be included in the total capacity count. No venue may exceed a capacity of 250 spectators.
- In some situations, small venues may only allow for an allocation of one spectator or less per participant, depending on the size of the venue. Spectators are only allowed at official competitions or events. If the participants are young children who may need adult support to dress, use the restroom, or otherwise participate in a practice or rehearsal, each participant may have one support person attend. If a participant has a medical need for additional adult support then that support person is allowed at practices or rehearsals.
- School districts and charter schools must require advanced reservations and/or ticketing (e.g. on-line, app-based, email, will-call). Walk-ins, impromptu purchases or admittance will not be allowed.
- Names, phone number, and/or email must be collected as part of the reservation so that quick notification can be done if an individual develops COVID-19.
- Schools must schedule arrival times for longer than their typical duration to minimize the congregation of spectators waiting. They must establish staggered admission-times, entry-times and durations to minimize overlap and congregating of spectators at choke-points (e.g. access points, security check-points, admission areas, concession areas).
- Please also refer to MDH’s COVID-19 Sports Guidance for Youth and Adults and guidance issued by the Minnesota State High School League if you are planning an athletic event.
District or charter school owned or leased facilities that are only used for non-instructional athletics or activities must follow the Stay Safe guidance and COVID-19 Sports Guidance for Youth and Adults.
As the fall athletic season gets underway, some schools may be considering how to celebrate homecoming while prioritizing the health and safety of all students, families and staff.
The updated facilities guidance in the 2020-21 Planning Guide for Minnesota Public Schools will be helpful as you think about any indoor events that would include spectators.
For other events, such as parades or outdoor games, please use the guidance documents below:
Starting on August 31, 2020, all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic and tribal schools began receiving saliva test URL codes from MDE. These codes should have been immediately disseminated to all staff according to the guidelines in the email from MDE. If your school’s codes have not been sent out to staff, please do so.
Follow these steps:
- Open the email that was sent to all COVID-19 Coordinators and superintendents, charter leaders, nonpublic leaders and tribal school leaders. It has the directions and FAQ in it.
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Issue the URL codes right away to your educators and staff regardless of your learning model. Track codes assigned to individuals in case someone loses their code. The State will not know how you assigned the codes.
- Contact covidtesting.mde@state.mn.us with questions.
For answers to additional questions about the saliva tests, see MDH’s COVID-19 Saliva Testing for Public and Private Teachers and School Staff as well as the COVID-19 saliva test frequently asked questions document. Also remember that these saliva tests should not be used as an occupational health test for staff. If a school wishes to test all of their staff at once, they must seek other methods of testing for that purpose. State-provided test codes are for staff to access at their own discretion if they are experiencing symptoms or are a close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Districts and schools that wish to buy additional saliva tests directly from Vault can respond to this survey and a Vault representative will reach out.
Requesting Additional Saliva Test Codes for School Staff
Approximately 167,000 URL codes have been distributed as part of Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan and the Walz-Flanagan Administration’s commitment to providing access to COVID-19 testing for Minnesotans working in schools. Moving forward, requests for additional URL codes for new hires from public and private schools will be sent to the vendor on the following three dates:
- October 15, 2020
- November 5, 2020
- November 26, 2020
We suggest that those requesting additional testing do so before the designated dates above. Requests can be made by emailing covidtesting.mde@state.mn.us.
Racism, violence and tragedies in our communities and in the news can be traumatic for children and youth, as well as adults. In response to these incidents, educators and other trusted adults may want to consider providing opportunities for children and adults to talk about what is happening and share their feelings, which can include fear, anger, sadness and frustration. Discussing the news and tragic events can help calm students and help them focus on their learning. Find resources to support these conversations here.
0-4 Year Old Census Counts
If your district has not submitted the fall 2020 0-4 Census Count, the data is due at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) by end of day November 30, 2020. The fall 2020 0-4 Census Online Data Submission System is scheduled to be shut down December 1, 2020. The data is necessary in order to calculate funding for the School Readiness Program and the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program.
To access the 0-4 Census Online System, go to the Minnesota Department of Education Website. To submit data, click on Districts > Schools and Educators > Business and Finance > Data Submission > 0-4 Census Data Reporting.
If you have any questions regarding the submission of 0-4 Census Data, please contact Greg Sogaard at 651-582-8858.
Please note that this memo does not apply to charter schools.
Webinars - Minnesota Bilingual Seals Informational Session for Implementation
MDE is hosting introductory webinars on how to implement Minnesota Bilingual Seals. The webinar provides the overview of Minnesota Bilingual Seals program, important legislated items and resources and tools for implementation. This is recommended if schools and districts are new to the implementation of Bilingual Seals.
There are two webinars coming up in October and December. See the schedule below and register for either webinar using this link.
- Thursday, October 15, 7:30-8:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, December 15, 4-5 p.m.
There will be a webinar scheduled each month from January 2021 to March 2021. The updates with the dates will be communicated later.
Contact: mde.worllang@state.mn.us
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