Dear Laker Families,
This is your new Superintendent, Mark Jenson, and I would like to start by saying how grateful I am for this opportunity to be a Laker. I certainly wish the start did not involve a pandemic, but I am still excited and eager to get things going. That being said, I would like to update you on where the district is at on planning for the fall. As you may know there are currently three plans that every district in the state needs to build for the upcoming school year: Face to face, hybrid, and distance learning.Face to face involves bringing all of our students into the buildings with mitigation protocols in place. Hybrid is when the district will reduce our student attendance to roughly 50% in the building on any given day. Distance learning means students will be staying home and instruction will take place virtually.
Governor Walz will be making a decision during the week of July 27th on what school districts will be doing for the start of school this fall. There are a few different factors that we need to take into account when we create our plans. If we start with face to face instruction, we will practice all of the mitigation protocols recommended by the MN Dept of Health. Social distancing, masks, hand sanitizers, etc. will all be part of the plans. Along with this, if we do need to move into distance learning, the rigor, structure, and schedule will be far more robust than it was last spring.
On a positive note, once school starts, districts will be allowed to continue whatever plan they are currently using, even if there is an outbreak somewhere else in the state. For example, if a southern Minnesota community has an outbreak, only the affected district will need to make adjustments to their plans. Likewise, if one of our schools, within our district, experiences an outbreak, only that school may have to move into a different plan, while the rest of the district can continue with what they are doing. As you can see, there are many variables that we need to address as we create our three plans.
Currently there is a Fall Planning Task Force meeting weekly to address the many details involved in creating the three plans. Within this Taskforce are sub-groups that are focusing on all of the moving parts to address the day to day operations of running a school and keeping our students and staff safe. (Transportation, Nutrition, Academics, Mental Health, etc.)
Once Governor Walz makes a decision, we will be reaching out to you, as parents/guardians, in early August to go through the plan, determine if it meets your needs for a safe school environment, give you an opportunity for input, and then let us know whether or not your child(ren) will be attending school in the fall in whatever plan we will need to follow. You can expect this communication to come out in early August.
I know as parents, there is a great deal of anxiety as to what this will look like for fall and you may probably ask, will my child be safe? Let me assure you that we are working incredibly hard to ensure that we provide your child with the best academic experience possible and still keep them safe and happy within the school day.
Attached to this message are two documents: One is from the Minnesota Department of Education that outlines the three plans and what you, as a family, can expect when the District has completed our work on them. The other document is from the Minnesota Department of Health and is intended to assist families in creating a “Covid-19 Plan” for their family. These are simply resources for your family to help answer some questions that may have not been addressed in this message as well as getting your family ready for the upcoming school year.
Thank you for your time and have a healthy and happy weekend!
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
Attachments: Guidance For Families Make A Plan
Dear Laker Families,
As many of you know by now, Governor Walz has made a decision on fall school.
While we may not have a definitive answer to the start of school, we do have guidance on what it could potentially look like. What school will look like will be based off of COVID case numbers that are occurring within the county and district. The Department of Health and Education are working closely with school districts to provide accurate and up to date information regarding case numbers to assist in the decision-making process. I am attaching the “Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year” for you to look over to help understand the process better and to see what the requirements will be for schools if and when they open for face to face learning.
This is simply a starting point as we are still over a month away from school starting and, depending on our case numbers, the plans may change. For example, if we were to start school tomorrow, the recommendation, based on our current numbers, would be to move into a face to face for elementary and hybrid for secondary. As families, I wanted to get you the information so you are aware of what the process will be and hopefully address some of the concerns you may have regarding safety. We will be monitoring the numbers closely each week and be sending you updated information for your planning purposes.
More information will be coming next week as we will be sharing more about what a potential hybrid schedule will look like as well as surveying families to determine if they will be planning on keeping their child home due to health concerns. Every family has that choice and the District will be responsible for providing an equitable distance learning experience for them if they choose to stay home.
Thank you for your patience and support!
07.30.20 - Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year final.pdf
Dear Laker Families,
Attached to this email you will find the Detroit Lakes Public Schools Framework for our return to school. Our COVID Task Force has been meeting throughout the month of July to organize and create a learning environment that could potentially move between face to face, hybrid, or distance learning. This document is a summary of a much lengthier and detailed plan that will soon be available to view on our website.
While I know many of you were hoping to learn exactly what the start of school will be, it simply cannot be determined yet, as it is dependent on the number of COVID cases in our local area. The Minnesota Departments of Health and Education, along with Becker County Health and other partners the school district is working with, are studying the data and determining the “case number” (as depicted in the attached brochure) and associated learning plan for the schools. You can see in the attachment the formula and process of how that number is reached. If we were to start school on Monday, August 10, our number this week is 14, so we would potentially be face to face for elementary (K-5) and hybrid for secondary. (6-12). The case numbers encompass a “rolling” 14 day period and because we know face-to-face learning is the best education model for our kids, our desire is to get that number below 10. Once this happens, we can then move into a face to face scenario.
Cases will be monitored throughout the school year and if cases rise or fall, it could impact the model in which our students are learning. As a community, we can assist in getting all of our kids back into the buildings if we practice the social distance guidelines, wash our hands, wear our masks and follow the other safety guidelines set forth. If we all practice good health measures, our caseload number will go down, and our students will be able to get back into the classrooms.
A couple of key points would be that any family, no matter which of the education plans we are following, has an option to keep their child home for distance instruction. This decision can be made in the fall as well as any time throughout the school year. Students in this learning plan will be provided an equitable educational experience as compared to what their peers are receiving in the classroom. In the event we do move into a hybrid or distance learning model, essential workers will be provided with school age child care by the district and we are working with community partners to create school-age services for other families that may need childcare.
Finally, we will be sending families an important survey next Wednesday, August 13. Please make every effort to complete it as soon as possible as it will help us determine our hybrid groups (A/B), how many students will be learning from home, bus routing, and several other areas we need to address before September 14th. Parents will be notified by their building principals which group their child will be in once we have information returned from the family survey.
Families will be notified in late August what the start plan for the first day of school will be. I know this is incredibly difficult and even frustrating. However, throughout the school year we may need to move from each of the three models at any time due to COVID metrics. As the school district has had to create three plans, I urge families to also prepare for the three models in terms of starting in one model and potentially moving rapidly to another model depending on the local case numbers.
If you have specific school questions, I urge you to reach out to your child’s principal for more details regarding the building specific guidelines and protocols.
Stay healthy and safe!
Dear Laker Families,
As we continue to monitor our COVID-19 cases within the area, our team has been working incredibly hard to finalize plans for our September 14th first day of school. Some of the planning is contingent on information we will need from you. Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey so we are able to better meet the planning requirements and provide you with a more detailed plan specific to your child's building. Thank you for your time and attention with this survey and have a great day.
Mark Jenson, Superintendent of Schools
**This survey will close at midnight on Monday, August 17, 2020.
Dear Laker Families,
As you may already know, the School Board has reached a decision for the start of the 2020-21 school year. Beginning on September 14th, Detroit Lakes Public Schools will open as face to face in our elementary schools, and follow the hybrid model for our secondary sites, the middle school and high school. These types of decisions are never easy and a great deal of thought went into the process.
While the data point we are following, as per State guidelines, would allow the District to start school face-to-face in all of our settings, including the secondary schools, the Board has opted to start with the hybrid model for the middle and high school. The rationale to begin the school year this way is that we recognize that the Labor Day weekend could potentially result in some additional COVID cases which could result in the district having to make an adjustment to a hybrid scenario at the secondary schools right before or during the first week of school. Rather than potentially causing more disruptions, in moving from face-to face to hybrid early on, the recommendation was to start in the hybrid scenario and go for two weeks under this model. If our local case numbers continue to decline or we do not see a rise after Labor Day, we will recommend moving to face to face learning for all students on September 28th. If we do see an increase in cases which increases the data point, and it lasts longer than expected, we may remain in the hybrid model for secondary settings another two weeks. We will be communicating with families throughout this timeframe and allow you time to adjust when necessary.
Throughout the school year, Detroit Lakes Schools will be provided a Regional Support Team that consists of two epidemiologists, a testing coordinator and two members from Becker County Health to provide guidance and action steps throughout the course of the year. The models are based on science and guided by experts in the area of public health and epidemiology. This guidance is based on the appropriate response to the incidence of virus in our community, and proper safety protocols and behavior is key to keeping our number down.
During the next two-plus weeks, your building principals and staff will be reaching out to you with more specific information regarding your child’s school year. Along with this email, we have attached an application for those families that will be using the Detroit Lakes Distance Learning model. If you plan to keep your student home full-time at the start of the school year, please fill out the application so our staff can prepare the necessary components for your child to get started on the right track.
Thank you for your patience and support as we continue to work through an unusual start to the school year.
Mark Jenson, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Detroit Lakes Families,
We were notified by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) of a lab confirmed case of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in a member of the Detroit Lakes High School community with exposure date(s) of September 9 and 10. We have worked with MDH to identify those who had close contact with the case, and have communicated with them individually. The risk of exposure for other individuals present in the building on these dates is no greater than the risk of contracting the virus in the general community.
Working with MDH, our Regional Support Team, and our local COVID Response Team at the district, it has been determined that Detroit Lakes High School will be moving into a full distance learning model to start the school year. Elementary students will still be in person and middle school students will continue in the hybrid model. As we have just received this news, our staff have not had time to prepare for this model and thus, we will be using Monday, September 14 as a day for teachers to prepare for the new model. High school students will not have classes tomorrow and instead will begin instruction on September 15. If your student needs to pick up a device or you are in need of internet service please contact the high school office tomorrow to make arrangements.
As a result of the switch, Detroit Lakes High School activities will be moved to virtual only. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Coaches will be reaching out to athletes this week with more information. We should plan on being in this model until September 25th but will know more as we move through the week and work with MDH on gathering more information.
We want to thank you for your support in these unprecedented times and please understand we are working very hard to provide the best possible education experience for all of our students.
If you have any questions please contact the high school office for more specific information.
Thank you,
Mark Jenson
Detroit Lakes Schools Superintendent
Dear Laker Families,
I’d like to take this opportunity to provide more information regarding yesterday’s decision to move the high school into the distance learning model. As you can imagine, we wanted to communicate with staff and families as soon as possible, to give them more time to prepare. I understand the anxiety and frustration this caused. With that being said, and with respect for data privacy, I would like to share with you the process that led to that decision.
We were informed over the weekend that a member of the high school staff had tested positive for COVID-19. While there were no students in contact with this person, several of our teachers were in close contact and thus have been moved to quarantine. Yesterday I reached out to our Regional Support Team, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Becker County Health to work through the process to determine our next steps. We then assembled our District COVID Response Team and discussed the plan. Due to the fact that several teachers will need to be quarantined for a length of time, we simply did not have enough teaching staff to open our doors to students.
Additionally, we needed to continue our work with what is referred to as “contact tracing” to determine if there were others who may also have been exposed to the virus. As I stated yesterday, families should be prepared to be in distance learning until the 25th, but if we can secure necessary staffing during this time, we could potentially move back to hybrid sooner. With a pandemic, substitutes have been difficult to secure but we are working on a solution.
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) have created a formula based on county numbers that guide districts in and out of their learning models. In addition to this formula, there are also other variables that could impact a district or building’s ability to teach in a particular learning model. Staffing shortages, localized outbreak within a classroom, and/or a building-wide spread can also force a change in the learning model. In the case for DLHS, the decision to move to distance learning was based on staffing concerns and the simple fact we had too many teachers that had to be quarantined as per MDH guidelines.
As this week moves on, we continue to reach out to MDE, MSHSL and MDH to provide further guidance for our ultimate goal of getting our students safely back into the building as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
We have exciting news DLHS Families,
As you know, last weekend we were forced to pivot into distance learning due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19. This week, working intensely with Becker Count Health, we have identified all of the potential close contacts and placed them on quarantine for the recommended 14 days. As of this email, there have been no additional positive test results among those impacted.
With the release of the county numbers by the Minnesota Department of Health today, and working with Becker County Health Services, we are happy to report that students will return to classes in a hybrid model at DLHS on Monday, September 21st. Our local numbers are still relatively low and have remained consistent throughout the last month which indicates that our students can return to the building. We have spent an enormous amount of time sanitizing the building with electrostatic foggers and our custodians have been wiping down surfaces all week. The high school office has spent the week identifying substitutes and much credit to the DLHS teaching staff for their creativity, problem solving and willingness to cover their colleagues' classes.
I understand that these are difficult times for many as we have to be able to adjust and pivot sometimes with relatively short notice but I do appreciate your patience, and flexibility as we continue to navigate uncharted waters. Ultimately our goal has always been to get our students safely into their desks in front of their teachers as we firmly believe this is the best method for learning. We are excited to get our students back into school and look forward to seeing them next week.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the high school office.
Thank you,
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
Dear Roosevelt Families,
We were notified by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) of a lab confirmed case of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in a staff member of the Roosevelt Elementary community with exposure date(s) of 9/23-9/25. This particular staff member does not directly work with students in a classroom.
We have worked with the MDH to identify those who had contact with the case, and have communicated with them individually. Unlike the incident at the DHLS, the close contact list is not directly related to teaching staff and we are able to quarantine those individuals without impacting student learning or classrooms. We have spent a great deal of time sanitizing the building further and have received clearance from Minnesota Department of Health and Becker County Health to continue with our normal schedule and learning model. The risk of exposure for other individuals present in the building on that date is no greater than the risk of contracting the virus in the general community.
If you were not identified to have close contact with the positive case you should still monitor for symptoms of illness, but do not need to stay home unless symptoms develop. If symptoms develop, stay home and consult with your physician to determine if medical evaluation is needed. Close contact is considered when a person is less than 6 feet apart for 15 minutes or more with another individual.
We understand that this may create unease in our community. We have taken action to clean and sanitize the facility and are working closely with MDH to monitor the situation. We are asking all members of our community to minimize the spread of illness by taking the following actions:
Protect yourself and others by wearing a face covering when it is hard to stay 6 feet away from people; washing your hands often with soap and water; covering your cough and sneeze; and avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands.
If you are sick, stay home from child care and other activities.
Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home. Keep enough food, regular prescription drugs, and other necessities on hand in case you need to stay home and are not able to go out easily.
Frequently clean all commonly touched surfaces (e.g., telephones, doorknobs, countertops, etc.).
If symptoms develop, stay home and consult with your physician to determine if medical evaluation is needed. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, MDH recommends:
Stay at home for at least 10 days, and for 24 hours with no fever and improvement of other symptoms (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine).
Use the CDC website on how to Care for yourself at Home with COVID-19.
If your household contacts were exposed to you while you had symptoms, they should try to stay home as much as possible for 14 days.
This is a challenging time and I know many of you may be feeling stress or anxiety. We will get through this together as a community, and will be stronger when we emerge.
Resources that you may find valuable are:
MDH Coronavirus: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html
MDH If You Are Sick: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/sick.html
CDC Coronavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Sincerely,
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
Dear Roosevelt Families,
We were notified by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) of several additional lab confirmed cases of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) with adult members of the Roosevelt community with exposure date(s) ranging from September 28 to October 2. We have worked with MDH to identify those who had close contact with the cases, and have communicated with them individually and those individuals are currently under quarantine. The risk of exposure for other individuals present in the building on these dates is no greater than the risk of contracting the virus in the general community. Students have been doing a great job of mask wearing, hand sanitizing and following the social distance guidelines.
Working with MDH, our Regional Support Team, and our local COVID Response Team at the district, it has been determined that Roosevelt Elementary will be moving into a full distance learning model on Wednesday, October 7 and stay in that model until numbers decrease and can resume learning in the building. As we have just received the news, we are ensuring our staff and families have time to pivot to this model and to ensure all students have remote access, Roosevelt students will not have classes on Tuesday, October 6 and instead will begin distance instruction on October 7. As of this message, there have been no confirmed cases with students but only adult staff at Roosevelt. With staff quarantining, awaiting test results, or positive cases, it is in the best interest for all students and staff to move to a distance learning model so we can slow any further spread. If your student needs to pick up a device or you are in need of internet service, please contact the Roosevelt school office today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday) to make arrangements. 218-847-1106
If your family consists of two Tier 1 employees (defined as "essential workers"), the district will provide child care and if needed, please contact Annmarie Lacher at 218-847-4418. If you are unsure if you meet those qualifications please reach out to Mrs. Lacher for assistance.
We want to thank you for your support in these unprecedented times and please understand we are working very hard to provide the best possible educational experience for all of our students.
If you have any questions, please contact the Roosevelt office for more specific information.
Thank you,
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
Dear Laker Families,
I want to thank you for your support and patience as we continue to work through the numerous and ever-changing issues related to COVID-19. Your children's teachers have been put to the test this year as we move through different scenarios and model changes and they are doing incredible work to continue your child's education. Unfortunately, our hope that our cases in the area would begin to drop after Labor Day are simply not happening. We are at our highest weekly case count in Becker County since the pandemic started. While our county numbers continue to rise, we are also seeing cases occur within our school buildings. Virtually every building has been impacted by a positive case. The other concerning factor is that we are beginning to see more school aged children testing positive. I have spent the weekend and today working with Becker County Health and our Regional Support Team (which is comprised of professionals from both the MN Department of Education and MN Department of Health) and we have concluded that based on our current county numbers as well as the cases involving our schools, we will need to move our learning model to all hybrid K-12. For those who have not yet experienced the "hybrid model", this mode of instruction is such that your child(ren) will attend school in-person on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, depending on which grouping they were assigned to previously. On Friday's and the two days opposite their in-person days, instruction takes place remotely, away from school. This model reduces the number of students in our buildings on a given day by half, allowing greater social distancing, less chance of exposure, etc.
Beginning on Monday, October 19th, the elementary schools will be moving to the hybrid model. The Middle and High School have been learning by way of the hybrid model since the start of the school year. The elementary school principals will be sending you more specific information regarding scheduling and programming. School Readiness classes at the Lincoln Education Center will continue to operate in the same capacity as classes have already been operating at reduced ratios. I do recognize the many issues that this will create and so wanted to give you some time to prepare. There may be school-age childcare available for eligible families on those days your child is not attending school in-person. An eligible family is defined as a family where no parent or guardian is available to care for a child due to employment as a critical worker. Pre-registration and the meeting of qualifications is required. Drop in child care will not be available. If you have questions about your eligibility or need more information about this resource, contact Annmarie Lacher at 218-847-4418 ext. 6101 or email alacher@detlakes.k12.mn.us (emailing is preferred).
The schools will remain in the hybrid model for at least two weeks and we will reassess throughout that time. This ultimately comes down to our community members assisting us in bringing the positive case rates down. Social distancing, wearing a mask, washing your hands, and following proper hygiene will assist in this. We all need to do our part to bring the numbers down and bring our kids back safely into the building.
Thank you,
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
November 18, 2020
Dear Parents, Students, and District Staff Members,
These unprecedented times have made us reconsider how we go about educating our students, and the impressive levels of collaboration with our parents, guardians, students, partners, and staff show that we are, indeed, all in this together.
To date, Detroit Lakes Public Schools has relied upon and used guidance from state and local health department officials, local medical experts and Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to advise our practices. We will continue to reference this data, as well as our own data.
The data we utilize is showing us that we are rapidly moving in the wrong direction in terms of infection rates, so much so that we will be pivoting students in grades 6-8 to Distance Learning at Thanksgiving break. The High School will remain in Distance Learning and our Elementary schools and Pre-school will remain in the hybrid model until December 18, after which we will move to all distance learning.
Learning Model Pivot Dates (Subject to possible change based on county infection rates)
Roosevelt/Rossman/Lincoln/Preschool: Hybrid until December 18, Distance December 21-January 18
Middle School/ALC : Distance November 25-January 18
High School: Distance until January 18
MDE outlines parameters in the Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-2021 School Year that Districts use as guidance. In the original document from July, the county number, if it were to go over 50 would require districts to move to all distance learning. There has been updated information to this and districts are to use a “scalpel” approach in determining a switch to their learning models. If you are able to staff your buildings safely and there is not an active outbreak occurring you may continue to hold instruction despite your county numbers. At this point, we are still able to staff our elementary schools and recognize the hardship for families if we move to distance learning in elementary. As of this writing, we will hold our model as hybrid. I must also caution that this could change if cases continue to rise in the area and cases begin impacting our elementary schools. I encourage parents to begin planning for distance learning at the elementary level in case our numbers continue their upward trend. Starting on Monday, December 21, the District will shift to distance learning for all students in PK-12 and remain in that model until January 19. Due to the holiday season and many families potentially traveling or gathering during that time, we will hold off on bringing students back into the buildings for two weeks after the holiday break. This will allow for greater social distancing and any quarantines may have less impact.
COVID-19 DATA BY STATE, COUNTY, AND DISTRICT
The District’s COVID-19 Advisory Team meets every week to discuss state, county, and district data, effectiveness of mitigation efforts, and communication needs. The purpose of the team is to review data that will protect our students and staff, with the ultimate goal of eventually bringing our entire District back together, in-person, safely.
State Data: Data for K-12 Schools: 14-day COVID-19 Case Rate County by County.
This data is updated every Thursday, but is two-weeks behind current time. This is important data to consider as it shows trends over time. However, as we have very recently seen the number of positive cases in Becker County increase drastically, we know it is important to utilize more “real time” data in making decisions.
County Data: https://www.co.becker.mn.us/dept/public_health/covid19.aspx
We review daily new cases, percent positive, and the percent of known community exposure. The District looks at trends with this data. In order to move forward in the safe learning model to full in-person learning, the number of cases per 10,000 on a 14-day average must remain steady at 0-9 for two consecutive reporting periods.
School 14 day case rate per 10,000
Projections for 10/25 to 11/07 143.90
Projections for 11/1 to 11/14 183.58
Becker County Positivity Rates
09/27-10/03 2.50%
10/04-10/10 3.80%
10/11-10/17 4.50%
10/25-10/31 8.70%
Rates over 5% means the spread of the virus is at a concerning level, based on MDH criteria.
District Data:
We use both the number of COVID-19 cases affecting district students and staff, and operational data (staffing, transportation, custodial/sanitizing), in order to effectively meet the learning needs of the students. The District dashboard is updated every Thursday and denotes the cumulative number of positive cases since the start of the school year, cumulative number of individuals in quarantine related directly to those positive cases, as well as the number of new cases and number of new individuals in quarantine from the previous week.
Again, the District will continue to review data regularly and make adjustments with planning times for families and staff as soon as it reasonably possible.
CHILD CARE
Emergency child care for district students age 12 and under will continue to operate during scheduled distance learning days for enrolled students. We are determining our capacity to allow additional students to participate in child care. Please watch for more information from your building principal.
SCHOOL MEALS
DLPS Food & Nutrition Services (DLPS FNS) is offering free meals under the USDA Meal Program. The program will provide 5-days of meals (breakfast and lunch) for DLPS enrolled families with children 18 years old & under regardless of meal price eligibility. Meals will be picked up on Friday for consumption the following week. Registration is required to ensure enough meals are available and to prevent waste. Registration must be completed by Wednesday at 9:00 AM for pick up on Friday. Once registered, you will be on the list to receive meals unless you notify DLPS FNS you would like to be taken off the list or are unable to pick up the meals.
There will be no published menu for these meals due to food availability and to maintain flexibility while the District fluctuates between learning models. Meals will consist of heat-and-serve and ready-to-eat entrees, plus fruit and vegetables. If you would like milk, please sign up for it when completing the meal request form.
The program is currently running and available. The Thanksgiving holiday changes the registration deadline and meal pickup day for next week. To receive meals for the week of November 30, 2020, new registrations need to be completed by Monday November 23, 2020 before 12:00 PM and pick up will be Wednesday, November 25, 2020 from 2:30-5:30 PM. The following weeks (except the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weeks) will require registration by Wednesday 9:00 AM for pickup on Friday from 2:30pm-5:30pm, at DLPS Central Kitchen on the MState DL Campus.
Pick up is easy. Enter the M-State Campus using the East entrance off of Highway 34 and proceed North following the distribution signs. Once directed, open/unlock your trunk or leave a seat open where the meals can be placed.
To register for meals, please sign up at:
https://sites.google.com/detlakes.k12.mn.us/dlps-fns/meals-requests
An email reminder is sent out the morning of distribution; please verify our address is added to your safe senders list to avoid the reminder being classified as spam.
If you would like to sign up for text reminders our Remind App code is: @dlpsmeals (or Text the message @dlpsmeals to the number 81010)
Please email questions to foodservice@detlakes.k12.mn.us
SAFETY
The most important actions each of us can take to further protect ourselves and our families include:
Staying home if you are sick
Washing your hands often with soap and water; covering your cough and sneeze; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Practicing self-care by eating a healthy diet and taking time to rest
Frequently cleaning all commonly touched surfaces
Wearing proper face coverings
Avoiding gatherings, especially with people outside of your household
COVID-19 symptoms are currently separated into two groups by MDH.
Symptoms that are more common to COVID:
Fever of 100.4 or greater
New onset and/or worsening cough
Difficulty breathing
New loss of taste or smell
Symptoms that are less common to COVID:
Sore throat
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Chills
Muscle pain
Excessive fatigue
New onset of severe headache
New onset of nasal congestion or runny nose
I know this information is disappointing to some. Not only is the MDE Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year’s learning model parameters mandating this decision, but the concerns for the health and safety of our students, staff, and general community are at the center of all of our decisions during this pandemic. If, during distance learning, your child receives a positive test result for COVID, please notify your school’s office so we can continue to monitor our case counts across the District. We will use this information to make an informed decision on when our students can return safely back to the classrooms.
Thank you for your understanding in these incredibly difficult times.
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
#GoLakers #SailsUp
Dear Laker Families,
Yesterday (December 16) Governor Walz introduced new COVID-related guidelines for schools. I recognize that this has been an incredibly difficult year for many of you and I can assure you we are trying our best to get our students safely back into their classrooms and things are now moving very quickly. The new guidelines, as set forth by the Governor for schools, were a bit of a shock for many and we have had to make adjustments quickly. The following changes will take place to the Detroit Lakes Learning Model starting next week:
December 21 - 22: Elementary students (K-5) will be home but there will be no instruction taking place. These days are an extension to the holiday break. As per the new Executive Order 20-82, “Schools must use at least two and may use up to five instructional days” to allow instructional staff to address the new guidelines and prepare for the model of instruction taking place upon return from the break. We will use December 21 and 22 to prepare for the new order. Grades 6-12 will continue with distance learning on these days. If your child was previously scheduled to attend the District’s child care it will continue to be provided for these two days.
January 4 – 15: Elementary students will NOT pivot to distance learning but will instead stay in the hybrid model. With the new order it is more conducive for our students to remain in hybrid in order to get them back face to face sooner. So, grades PK-5 will remain in hybrid as they have been the past number of weeks.
Preschool and Extended Care will resume with students on Monday, January 4th.
January 4-15: Secondary students (6-12) will remain in distance learning. As per the new guidelines, secondary students must remain in the learning model they are currently in until January 18.
January 18: Holiday - No School Prek-12.
January 19 – 29: Grades PK-2 will pivot to face to face learning. Grades 3-5 will remain in hybrid.
Grades 6-12 will pivot back to the hybrid model.
February 1: Grades 3-5 will pivot to face to face learning so all grades PK-5 will be in the face to face learning model.
Also on this date, if numbers are good in terms of the local COVID transmission rates, and we can safely do so, we will begin pivoting grades 6-12 to face to face learning.
There are a couple of other additions to the guidelines as well. All school staff will be required to wear both a face mask and a face shield. There will also be voluntary on-site COVID Testing for school personnel twice a month.
Finally, on a positive note, our county numbers in terms of COVID transmission rates, continue to decline and our school staff/student numbers have also dropped considerably. The District did not see a spike in COVID cases following the Thanksgiving weekend that we were anticipating. Additionally, with the approval of the vaccines, there is discussion that school personnel will be in the second tier and will be eligible for vaccinations soon.
I know this year has been incredibly challenging for all of us, and I believe that we may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Our students desperately need some normalcy certainly for academics, but also as important, socially and mentally they need to return to school face to face. If as a community, we can continue to decrease our numbers and follow the health guidelines, we can achieve some sort of normalcy within a very short time.
Thank you for all that you are doing and I want to wish you and your family a safe and wonderful holiday break.
Mark Jenson
Detroit Lakes Public Schools Superintendent
Dear Laker Families,
I wanted to reach out tonight to let you know that the District has petitioned our Regional COVID Support Team (which includes numerous medical professionals), to make a change in our learning models. Case numbers and hospitalizations continue to decline in the area and with some changes in safety protocols in our school buildings, this leads us to believe we can bring more students safely back into the buildings face to face. The Regional Support Team has granted our request and we will be making the following changes.
Beginning on Tuesday, January 19 2021 (January 18 is a holiday so school is not in session) the learning models will be as follows for the corresponding grade levels:
Preschool - Grade 5: Face to Face Instruction
Grades 6-8: Hybrid Instruction
Grades 9-12: Hybrid Instruction
Please note that Friday, January 15, 2021, will be an "asynchronous" day where instruction is concerned. On that day, teachers will be preparing for the change in learning models taking place the following week, so students will have coursework to access but teachers may not be available for support.
The District will continue to monitor local numbers (county-wide and in our schools) where positive COVID cases are concerned on a weekly basis prior to and after the 19th. The goal is to begin assessing when we can start bringing back our secondary students to a face to face learning model. While we are in an improved spot where community COVID cases are concerned, we need to remember that we are not "out of the woods" yet. As a community, we need to continue all safety protocols to ensure that our students and staff can remain in our schools.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your building's principal and please know that we are excited and looking forward to seeing your children's faces back in our buildings.
Take care and have a good evening,
Mark Jenson
Superintendent, Detroit Lakes Public Schools
#GoLakers #SailsUp