Distance Learning

Governor Walz and the Commissioner of Education issued an executive order to begin Distance Learning on Monday, March 30 through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Cambridge-Isanti Schools is taking direction from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) in response to COVID-19. Our primary responsibility is for the health and safety of our students and employees. We will continue to monitor the guidelines from these agencies on a daily basis and report the latest updates to you.

During this time of closure:

• Students will attend school through Distance Learning
• Adventure Center will be closed to the general public
• All Community Education activities are canceled/closed
• All ABE/GED classes are canceled/closed
• All extracurricular events, including sports, are canceled until further notice
• The schools and district office are ONLY accessible to staff and will be closed to all students, families, and community members.
• All IEP Conferences and Special Education meetings are canceled and may be rescheduled for a later date.

The Governor’s Executive Order prohibited school districts from offering instructional services from March 18-27. It directed school districts to use the two weeks to fundamentally change the way we provide educational services. All students began Distance Learning on Monday, March 30.

The first week of Distance Learning will feel much like the first week of school. Students and teachers will connect with each other and establish routines and expectations. With so much change in our world, we want to make sure that school is a place where students can feel connected. We want to do what we can to reduce stress and anxiety levels among students and families. We still believe that learning is FUN!

Distance Learning is a form of education where:

• the teacher and students are separated by distance
• the lessons are delivered via Internet/online or print materials or a combination of the two

Distance Learning Formats:

• Pre-K students will receive printed instructional materials and activities and have contact with teachers.
• Elementary students will use printed materials and participate in some online instruction accessed through the district website and have daily interaction with teachers.
• Middle school and high school students will use their current 1:1 technology (Chromebooks) and have daily interaction with their teachers.
  • Middle School students will participate in instruction through Google Classroom.
  • High School students will participate in instruction through Schoology.
  • ALC students will participate in instruction through Google Classroom.
• Students without internet access will have access to printed materials.
• Students receiving support services such as Special Education, 504, ELL, etc. will continue to receive these services.

When Governor Tim Walz issued an Executive Order on March 15 to close all Minnesota schools for two weeks as part of the state’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response Plan, Cambridge-Isanti Schools employees, families and community pulled together to serve our students.

• Our food service team had 48 hours to redesign their delivery model from cafeteria meals to Grab-and-Go meals for all children in our community. Meal service began March 18.
• By March 20, there was a plan to use our transportation team to deliver meals to 16 sites throughout our community. This service is projected to provide 2000 meals per day and last for the entire distance learning period.
• Our pre-school and child-care teams were asked to provide emergency child-care services for children whose parents work in healthcare, emergency response, school districts and other essential services.
• Our instructional team was provided two weeks to redesign our delivery of instruction and shift to a distance learning model. Distance learning deliveries began on March 27, 2020.
• Our technology team built a new Distance Learning website, trained teachers, set new protocols, expanded its help desk function for families, and enhanced the use of communication technologies.

On March 25, 2020, Governor Walz issued a stateside STAY HOME Executive order and instructed schools to resume instruction through the distance learning model, beginning on March 30, 2020. With more than 26 states moving to a distance learning model in response to this national crisis, this is the largest experiment in the history of American public education.

On April 23, Governor Walz announced that Minnesota school buildings will not reopen this spring. Distance Learning will continue through the end of the school year, June 4, 2020. With the Governor’s announcement, Minnesota became the 40th state in America to close school buildings for the remainder of this spring in response to the coronavirus pandemic. We are living through a historic time.

On May 1 and 4, district staff participated in professional development and planning sessions to continue with Distance Learning through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Several themes were highlighted around equitable student access and meeting the needs of individual students, including, connecting, engaging, assessing, and celebrating.

Cambridge-Isanti Schools is so proud of the collaboration, care, and dedication of all of our employees in support of our students and families. During challenging times, we pull together. We know there will be bumps as this new model rolls-out in the coming weeks. We will learn, adjust and persist with patience and grace. It’s the #BluejacketWay.

Cambridge-Isanti Schools is committed to ongoing communication with families during Distance Learning.

All parent communication is sent via email, posted on the website, and translated into multiple languages. Families without internet are contacted via phone. Teachers hold Google Meets, send emails and cards, and connect via phone calls. During the May 1 and 4 planning days, staff have identified additional pathways for connecting with families and will continue to strengthen communication and support.