Covid Related Learning - News and Updates

Fall Opening Plan 2021-22

Revised 8-25-21

Dear MSA Community. We know you are anxious to hear our plans for opening school
this year. We share the following COVID 19 Plan with you today. But we want to stress
that the landscape of the resurging pandemic is changing every day. We know that
there are varying opinions and emotions about if and how we return to in person
learning. To that end, we are preparing a survey to get a better understanding of what is
most important to you. We also know that we will not be able to please everyone; and
the situation schools are in, as a result of COVID 19, is not something any one of us
would have chosen. But, we CAN and MUST choose to do what is best for our students
and staff.

As we plan for the 2020-21 school year, MSA is following information from the
Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), the Minnesota Department of Health
(MDH), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic
and determine how to keep our students, families, and staff healthy and safe. MSA will
adjust this plan as needed to reflect current changes in MDE and MDH guidelines and
requirements. Changes to this plan will be communicated to the MSA community via
Skyward, through our daily announcements, and on the MSA website. It is important
to note these plans could change at any time prior to and during the school year
based on MSA protocols, and state and federal recommendations and
requirements.

Students, staff and visitors are expected to follow the COVID 19 plan. The plan
requires masks for all people over the age of 2 years old.

Students without masks will be offered one by MSA. Students who refuse to
follow COVID 19 protocols will be removed from the classroom and are subject to
disciplinary action per the student handbook and Board Policy 506.

If a visitor refuses to wear a mask they will be asked to leave the building.

CLASS SCHEDULES

• Students will attend school in person five days a week during regular school hours.

VACCINES

• We strongly recommend that everyone over the age of twelve get vaccinated if you haven’t already. To help make it easy, we plan to offer a free vaccine clinic through Washington County Department of Health at MSA on back to school night August 26th, with the second shot then being available at MSA on September 16th. This free vaccine clinic will be open to MSA students and their families, MSA staff and their families, and the wider community.
• Public health officials recommend vaccinations for eligible individuals. If you require assistance in finding or scheduling a vaccination appointment, contact Dr. Hinton.

FACE COVERINGS

• As of Tuesday, August 17th, masks will be required for all persons in MSA buildings (with the exception of those who cannot wear masks for medical reasons). For exemption please complete this form with your child's medical provider and get the provider's signature. Share the form with office personnel at your child's school.

• Guidance on masks from MDE, MDH, and CDC will be monitored closely. Changes to mask requirements at MSA will be adjusted to align with recommendations from these organizations.

• The CDC requires face coverings for all public transportation. This requirement currently applies to all school bus riders and those using other forms of district transportation.  This means students must wear a face covering when they are boarding, riding in, and exiting a school bus.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

• Social distancing of six feet is no longer required by the state of Minnesota and is not possible as schools move to full capacity. Social distancing of three feet is currently being recommended.  Our facilities do not allow for three feet of social distance in some places; thereby making the wearing of face coverings even more important. 

SANITIZING

• MSA buildings will continue to be thoroughly cleaned throughout the week. Specialized cleaning will continue to occur in the event of an outbreak of illness.

• Students and staff are encouraged to provide their own masks. Hand sanitizer, masks, and cleaning wipes will be available in all classrooms. We continue to recommend good hand hygiene for everyone.

QUARANTINING

• MSA will follow the latest guidance from MDH to determine the length of a quarantine. Individuals who test positive will continue to have a set length of time they will need to stay out of school – currently 10 days. Unvaccinated household members of positive individuals will need to quarantine at home for 14 days or as advised by the Minnesota Department of Health.

• Accommodations will be made for students who are quarantining to asynchronously complete their coursework online.  

CONTACT TRACING

• Contact tracing will be done by Dr. Kate Hinton, Assistant Director, High School, who is also the MSA COVID Coordinator, at the direction of the Minnesota Department of Health.

POSITIVE CASES/TESTING

• A positive COVID-19 case is treated as a communicable illness and will be reported to MDH. Public health officials will direct MSA on any actions that should be taken.

• Testing is recommended for individuals if they suspect COVID-19. If you require assistance in finding or scheduling a COVID-19 test, contact Dr. Hinton.  

• Positive cases or exposure to COVID need to be reported to Dr. Hinton as soon as possible via email (khinton@mnmsa.org) or phone (651-578-7507 ext. 3503).

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION/FIELD TRIPS 

• Students will no longer have assigned seats for social distancing but must continue to wear face coverings.

• Field trips may occur throughout the school year. Face coverings must currently be worn on all public transportation, including school buses. Individual venues may have health guidelines in place that are more restrictive than the current state requirements.

LUNCHES 

• Lunch routines will generally return to normal with students eating in their assigned buildings.

ISOLATION ROOMS

• MSA is no longer required to have an isolation room but will continue to implement best practices for separating ill students from healthy individuals as much as possible.

STUDENT ILLNESS 

• MSA will return to pre-pandemic illness protocols. Sick students will be sent home if they have a fever (100.4 or above), are vomiting, or have diarrhea. Students with these symptoms will be expected to stay home for 24 hours after symptoms have subsided.

• Please keep your children home if they have common COVID symptoms such as a fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, until a COVID diagnosis can be ruled out.

• MSA will continue to follow guidance from the MDH regarding COVID-19 symptoms.

COVID-19 MDH Decision Tree (updated May 2021)

Mask Exemption Form

Cecelia Dodge, Interim Executive Director (she/her)
Math and Science Academy
Room B100
8430 Woodbury Crossing
Woodbury, MN 55125
office: 651-578-7507 #3506
cdodge@mnmsa.org