An Update From Principal Myers

As your Cook County Principal, I want to be sure that we are sharing important information with our families on a regular basis.

Please read thoroughly as we have changes and updates to the school year on the following topics...

• MASKing and Covid updates and protocols.
• Bus Driver Shortage
• Technology

• School Meals

• Educational Benefits
• Drop off and Pick up
• Schedules

As always we are here to create a learning environment that holds true to our motto: "Success for Each- Respect for All" The lines of communication are always open. Thank you for being part of COOK COUNTY SCHOOLS. The Viking team is very excited to be with students in-person this fall building healthy relationships and focusing on student learning. Let’s all work together as a community to minimize the presence of illness in our schools by masking up, staying home when sick, distancing when possible, and routinely washing hands. If your student displays any sign of illness, please keep them home and notify the school at 387-2271.

Students' first day is Tuesday September 7, 2021. We can't wait to see their smiling eyes as they come back as the students bring joy and purpose to us as educators! Together we will make the 2021-22 school year a great one!!

Mrs. Myers and the COOK COUNTY Family

Families, please be sure to send your student to school wearing a mask and send extras.

The link for the policy is attached.

Our Safe return plan is located on the Cook County Website (www.cookcountyschools.org) under the updates in the top righthand corner.

This is the message from Superintendent Lindholm...

2021-22 Updates

Safe Return to In-Person Learning Plan (updated 8.19.21)

Based upon guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the MN Department of Health (MDH), and the MN Department of Education (MDE), Cook County Public Schools will implement in-person learning every day for the 2021-22 school year while remaining flexible to respond to the evolving variables of the ongoing pandemic. The academic calendar for the 2021-22 school year can be found on the Calendars page of the district website, and school hours are 8:07am - 3:15pm as in past years.

As recommended by the MDH, a multi-layered approach to reducing the possibility of transmitting illness will be implemented in Cook County Schools. This approach facilitates the ability to increase or decrease mitigation layers in response to the evolving situation in the Arrowhead region. Here are some details about what to expect for 2021-22:

• All k-12 students and staff are required to wear a mask when indoors per district policy 808 (revised on 8.19.21).

• All students and staff are required to wear a mask on public transportation and in school district vehicles per the current federal Executive Order.

• Continuing to run ionization HVAC units with increased air intake

• Smaller class sizes (funded through federal funding to address the pandemic)

• Continuing to keep students in cohorts as much as possible including some elementary classes eating meals in classrooms and staggering meal times

• Continuing with morning health screenings

• Continuing with more intense cleaning routines and running buses with some windows open

• Continuing with social distancing and handwashing protocols as much as is feasible

• Continuing to enforce quarantine and isolation protocols when symptomatic (here is the MDH decision tree for those who have symptoms) or a close contact of a lab-confirmed case of COVID per MDH guidelines and in partnership with Cook County Public Health

• Providing a take-home Vault COVID test for staff and students as requested (health office)

• Continue with free meals for all children in Cook County (funded through a federal Dept. of Agriculture grant)

  
  

Families with concerns about sending students to school due to a diagnosed health concern are invited to contact the school principal, Ms. Myers, to make a plan for home-bound education services. All families are invited to provide input regarding the 2021-22 school year by answering the questions below. Thank you in advance for helping to make the 2021-22 a great school year in Cook County! Go Vikings!

The school district is currently very short of school bus drivers and at this time has no substitute drivers. In the event that we are short a driver, families on the affected route(s) will be called/notified as soon as we know of the situation. If you are interested in serving our community as a substitute and/or activity route bus driver, please contact the district office!

Each student will have a device this year as an educational tool. Teachers will be reviewing the acceptable use document and we will need a Parent or Guardian to sign and return the permission form to our Technology Lead Kevin Anderson.

Here is the link to the 1:1 agreement.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eSGycLqLeg-7IK1EKBFztLL8n5CVXAvBJFglhmLYw6I/edit?usp=sharing

Due to a food grant we are able to continue offering free meals to all students 18 years old and younger.

*funded through a federal Dept. of Agriculture grant

Please turn these forms into the office or to your student’s teacher as the data brings in additional funding and provides additional opportunities for your student. These forms will be sent home with your student the first week of school.

Sawtooth

• Drop off will be at 7:45 at the
• Sawtooth playground-if students will not be eating breakfast

• Eagle Doors-If they are eating breakfast.

• Bus Doors - Bus riders

Dismissal

• Bus doors for those students who ride the bus

• • Parent pick-up will be in the Sawtooth parking lot.

  • Students will be on the sidewalks social distanced on blue dots

  • Stay in your car and wait for your child.

  • Make eye contact with the adult supervisor.

  • Closest lane is for stopped cars that are picking up

  • Second lane is for by passing the parked cars.

  • Please wait patiently as we work out the newness of this system.

  • Safety during pick up and drop off.

MSHS - Earliest Arrival -7:45

• Bus Doors
• Eagle Doors

Cook County Schools will be operating 5 days a week, Monday - Friday. The general day is as follows, with detailed schedules provided by the Sawtooth teachers and MSHS homeroom teachers to the students.

• 7:45 Drop Off time
• 8:07 Instructional Day begins
• Mid-Day Lunch between 11:00 and 12:45
• 3:15 Instructional Day Ends

Please be sure to communicate with the student's teacher and the main office

1. Absences
2. Changes in your students routine

The best number to reach the office is 218-387-2271.

Cook County Schools

Proud Viking!

Email: mmyers@isd166.org
Website: https://www.cookcountyschools.org/
Location: 101 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN, USA
Phone: 218-387-2271