Kasson-Mantorville Middle School

Hello KMMS Families,

On behalf of the staff at Kasson-Mantorville Middle School, we want to welcome you and your child to the 2020-2021 school year. Although this year will be unlike any other, we are excited to welcome our students back in-person and in Flex Learning. We are continuing to plan for the beginning of the school year but I wanted to share some important information with you. This newsletter includes information about student orientation, new student information, school start and end times, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

Grade 5 Orientation

KMMS will be hosting our 5th Grade students on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 beginning at 4 pm. Students and families can click here to access appointment slots using SignUp Genius. Student slots will begin at 4 pm and run every 30 minutes until 6:30 pm. During these 30 minutes, students will get a tour in a small group (4-5 students) with one of their 5th Grade teachers, access their lockers, and learn about social distancing and hygiene practices for the upcoming school year.

**To ensure student safety, we ask that parents drop-off their child in the South Parking Lot. Due to our School District's expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not allowing parents in our buildings. I understand this creates added stress and anxiety for families, but please know that student health and safety is our top priority.**

Grade 5 will also be putting together a virtual orientation for students and families. Information will be sent directly to you and your child from the 5th Grade teachers.

Grade 6 Orientation

KMMS will be hosting our 6th Grade students on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 beginning at 4 pm. Students and families can click here to access appointment slots using SignUp Genius. Student slots will begin at 4 pm and run every 30 minutes until 6:30 pm. During these 30 minutes, students will get a tour in a small group (4-5 students) with one of their 6th Grade teachers, access their lockers, and learn about social distancing and hygiene practices for the upcoming school year.

**To ensure student safety, we ask that parents drop-off their child in the South Parking Lot. Due to our School District's expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not allowing parents in our buildings. I understand this creates added stress and anxiety for families, but please know that student health and safety is our top priority.**

New Students

I would like to be the first to welcome our new students to KMMS. We would like to extend an opportunity for our families and their students to receive a tour. For those that are interested, please use the links about to schedule an appropriate time for you and your family.

**To ensure student safety, we ask that parents drop-off their child in the South Parking Lot. Due to our School District's expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not allowing parents in our buildings. I understand this creates added stress and anxiety for families, but please know that student health and safety is our top priority.**

Grade 7 and 8

Students in Grades 7 and 8 will receive a virtual orientation to their classes and grade-level expectations. The virtual orientations will be sent from the office to our students and families.

Gearing Up for School

As the summer begins to wind down, please know that we have a wonderful staff that will address any questions or concerns that you may have. We want your child's time at Kasson-Mantorville Middle School to be a positive experience, especially considering all of the changes that have been made. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in assisting the staff at KMMS in having a successful school year.

Please see the notes below regarding start and end times at KMMS as well as the Bring Your Own Device guidance. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me at 507-634-4030 or j.larsen@komets.k12.mn.us.

Together in KoMet Pride,

Josh Larsen, Principal

Above you will find a link to our KMMS COVID-19 Return to School Plan and our KMMS COVID-19 Family Flex Option plan. The Return-to-School plan has detailed information regarding the health and safety measures we will be taking as a school. Highlights include:

• Cleaning procedures for all areas of the school

• Mask wearing in school

• Hygiene Practices

• Visitors & Volunteers

• Student arrival & safe student scheduling

• Instructions for the learning plans

From the start of our COVID-19 planning for Return to School the priority has been the safety and health of students, staff, and the greater community. Many decisions and protocols have been created to ensure we have the safest learning environment possible. Our Transportation Team, led by Ryan Hill, is no different. In reviewing bus schedules with Supt. Matuska, a safer option was identified for transportation to and from school. To start the year, all buses will be running an Elementary student route first, before picking up Middle and High School students. This will mean an adjustment to the Middle and High School start times. Please see the new schedule below.

8:40 a.m. - KMMS Doors Open

9:10 a.m. - Middle School Day Begins

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4:00 p.m. - Middle School Day Ends

4:20 p.m. - All KMMS students must be out of the building

If you are looking for childcare before or after school, Kasson-Mantorville Community Education is a great option! Project Kids is the before and after school childcare. See below for information and registration links.

Project Kids Registration Link:

https://km.sacc.rschooltoday.com/public/program/index/pid/8

For more information about our Project Kids programs:

https://sites.google.com/komets.k12.mn.us/kmprojectkids/home

This school year we anticipate the need to move between three scenarios of learning: in-person, hybrid, and flex (distance) learning. In order to prepare students and families for the at home learning embedded into hybrid and flex learning scenarios, we are welcoming and encouraging families to send an iPad or chromebook from home to school for student use throughout the school year. This will allow staff to help students bookmark important websites and tools that will help them learn at home. We understand that sending a device to school with a young student has risks. Sending a personal device to school would be a choice you would need to make as a family.

We do have many devices at school for students, but we simply do not have enough devices for each child. Students who do not have a device from home will be provided with a device to learn with at school; however, the device may be shared with other students. We will take precautions to clean shared devices between every use. Thank you for your partnership in your child's learning.

You might be wondering what you can do to help your child prepare for returning to school in September. Below are some steps you and your child can take to ensure a more smooth start to the year.

• Practice mask wearing with your child - tolerating a mask for many hours of the day will take practice. If possible, practice how to wear a mask with your child. See the video below as a start for mask wearing.

• Practice hand washing for 20 seconds before and after meals and after you use the bathroom. Students will be washing hands frequently at school to slow the spread of COVID-19. By practicing at home, students will be more prepared for washing their hands for 20 seconds at a time.

• Talk to your child about their feelings about school. Reassure them that our school staff will wear masks and face shields and wash hands frequently to make sure everyone is safe. Share your child's concerns or questions with their teacher to ensure strong partnership from the start of the school year.

Our KMMS staff is preparing for a safe and healthy start to the school year. We recognize the important partnership between home and school and look forward to working with you to help your child transition to the new year.

The MN Department of Education and the MN Department of Human Services are issuing food benefits for eligible families with school-aged children. Please refer to the following document for eligibility criteria related to the P-EBT Program (Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program).

• 5th Grade Orientation: Tuesday, September 1, 4-7 pm.
• 6th Grade Orientation: Wednesday, September 2, 4-7 pm.
• First Day of School: Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Classes begin at 9:10 am.
• KMMS Picture Day: Friday, September 11
• KMMS Picture Retakes: Tuesday, October 20

• Our Photography Company, Strawbridge, is working on the final details for student pictures. Please look for an update here when they are completed. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

At this time, we have decided to postpone the Middle School Musical, Lion King Jr., for this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all its uncertainty, we do not know if or when it will be rescheduled. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to navigate the pandemic.

Email: e.mehling@komets.k12.mn.us
Website: https://www.kassonmm.new.rschooltoday.com/
Location: 1400 5th Ave NE, Kasson, MN, 55944
Phone: 507-634-4030