Somerset E-News

Upcoming Dates:

Mon-4/12:

Tue-4/13:

Wed-4/14:

Thr-4/15: Packet Pick-up for Distance Learning Classes 7:30am-6:30pm

Fri-4/16:

______________________________

Mon-4/19: Dodge Nature Visit (3rd-Harris) 9:15

Dodge Nature Visit (3rd-Bannie) 10:00

Tue-4/20: Dodge Nature Virtual Visit (3rd-Hill) 10:00

Wed-4/21:Dodge Nature Visit (4th-Duellman) 9:00

Dodge Nature Visit (4th-Tulia) 9:45

Thr-4/22: Somerset Virtual Project Fair

Fri-4/23: Dodge Nature Visit (4th-Dodson) 9:00

All families must complete a Daily Health Screening prior to sending learners to school. If your child has ANY of the following more common COVID-19 symptoms they must not attend school and should consider getting a COVID-19 test:

• Fever of 100 or higher
• New onset or worsening cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• New loss of taste or smell

If your child has any TWO or MORE of the less common COVID-19 symptoms, they must not attend school and should consider getting a COVID-19 test:

• Muscle or body aches
• Sore throat
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive Fatigue
• New onset severe headache
• New onset nasal congestion or runny nose

In either of these cases, any other learners in the same household must remain at home as well.

Options for return to school if anyone in your household has symptoms:

1. Get an evaluation from a medical provider

• Get a negative COVID test and return to school when symptoms are improving and at least 24 hours fever free. Household members out of quarantine.
• Get an alternate diagnosis and return to school as soon as symptoms are improving and at least 24 hours fever free. Household members out of quarantine.
• Get a positive test and stay home for 10 days from the start of symptoms and until symptoms are improving and at least 24 hours fever free. Household members stay home for 10 days plus 14 days if unable to isolate.
  

2. Do not see a medical provider

• Person with symptoms stays home and away from household members for 10 days from the start of symptoms. May return to school when symptoms are improving and at least 24 hours fever free.
• Household members stay home for 10 days plus 14 days if they cannot isolate.
  
  

Free Testing
Students attending school in-person or participating in extracurricular activities are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 every two weeks. Free home testing kits are available. Learn more: https://mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/index.jsp

Quarantine Information:
If your child has had a COVID-19 test due to being symptomatic and is awaiting results, they (and any learners in the household) cannot attend school or any activities until the building nurse or building administrator has verified they are medically cleared to return. If it is determined that a learner must quarantine or isolate, the building nurse or building administrator will help determine the date of return.

What is a close contact?
Any person who lives in the same household as a person who has tested positive for COVID or has been within 6 feet of a person who has COVID for a total of 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period.

What if I am a close contact?

1. Stay home from all activities for 10 days if non-household contact or 14 for household contact.
2. If symptoms develop seek medical care.
3. If symptoms develop all household members need to quarantine for 10 days plus 14 days if unable to isolate.

Please contact Nurse Kali (651-403-8202 or kali.gray@isd197.org) with questions.

For this year’s project fair, we want to learn about what projects or hobbies you have been keeping busy with during the pandemic. You can post a short video (no more than 2 minutes) on Seesaw using the classroom labeled Somerset Project Fair (grade level) i.e. Somerset Project Fair Kindergarten or Somerset Project Fair 1st grade.

Think of it as a “show and tell” that answers 3 main questions:

1) What did you do?

2) What did you learn?

3) Why is it interesting?

The goal is to keep it simple and fun! A couple of sample videos from Somerset Stars are included below.

All of the videos will be available for viewing and feedback through Seesaw Blog Links given on the day of the Virtual Project Fair on April 22 where we will also host an all school Google Meet! Stay tuned to the e-news for more details.

Reading MCA Testing Dates for In Person Learners April 27, 28 & 29

3rd grade 9-10:30

4th grade 9-11

Reading MCA Testing Dates for DL 4th (Dodson) April 27

9-10:30 and 12:30-2:00

Reading MCA Testing Dates for DL 3rd (Hill) April 28

9-10:30 and 12:30-2:00

Math MCA Testing Dates for In Person Learners May 4, 5 & 6

3rd grade 9-10:30

4th grade 9-11

Math MCA Testing Dates for DL 4th (Dodson)- May 4

9-10:30 and 12:30-2:00

Math MCA Testing Dates for DL 3rd (Hill)- May 5

9-10:30 and 12:30-2:00

Please Note: Students may not use cell phones, wearable technology or any other electronic device at any time during testing, including during breaks, or when testing is completed. If a student brings a cell phone, wearable technology or other electronic device to school during testing, the cell phone or device should be turned off and left in the student’s locker.

In-Person Dates- July 7-29 (Stars is held Monday- Thursday)

Time- Approx. 7:30a - 12:40p

Location: Garlough Elementary School

Who: students going into grades 1-4 for 2021-2022.

Virtual Learning Dates- July 7-29 (Stars is held Monday- Thursday)

Time- Approx. 8:15- 11:15am

Location: Online

Who: students going into grades 1-4 for 2021-2022.

The Somerset PTA is gearing up for a teacher appreciation celebration in the month of May and we need your help! We are looking to collect hand made notes from students and families showing our teachers and staff how much we appreciate everything they do. Once collected, we will deliver them all at once as part of a thank you package during one of our teacher appreciation celebration events. Notes will be collected in the office through April 30th. Distance Learners can drop off their notes on any of the packet picket days through the end of April.

In addition to this heartfelt appreciation from our students, we are planning on some additional special activities for the teachers and staff throughout the month of May. After a particularly challenging year, we want to make sure our celebration highlights the enormity of the work they do. With few fundraising opportunities this year, we are looking for donations to help support teacher appreciation events. If you are able to help, please click on the link below and sign up to donate the amount that is right for you. Thank you so much for helping us let our teachers and staff know how much we appreciate everything they do!

See how you can help celebrate our teachers by clicking here!

Our Somerset community is one of the things we think makes our school so special and we want to make sure EVERYONE feels welcome and included in our community. COVID has prevented us from hosting some of our beloved school traditions this year like the Kindergarten Welcome Picnic, Fall Festival, and likely Spring Carnival.

We want to come back better, stronger and more inclusive than ever next year but we need your help in deciding what is important to OUR community.

We are looking for some parents who are willing to connect in a few sessions (1-2 hours) this spring to help shape how we can create and support a community that pulls everyone in. Please complete the linked Google Form to share your availability or even some ideas!

We know you are pulled in a lot of directions this year so we appreciate you considering this request.

Register Soon! GRASP Summer Correspondence Packets, Register by 4/24.

NEW! Evening Class: In-Person One-Day Unicorn Slime with Kidcreate Studios (Grades: K-5) Tuesday 4/27 6:15-7:15pm at Mendota Elementary. Come explore the magical, mystical unicorn universe with us! We’ll learn the secret recipe for fabulous, glittery unicorn slime and take it home in a unicorn jar so sparkly that it’s guaranteed to dazzle! If you love unicorns, you will LOVE this class. Face Masks required. Space is limited, register soon!

4th Graders! In-Person One-Day Babysitter's Training at Friendly Hills Middle School (Grades: 4-8) Friday April 30th (non-school day) 9am-3pm. This course is designed to provide youth who are planning to babysit with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly give care for children and infants. This one-day certification course teaches participants to take care of themselves and others by exploring basic care of infants and children, basic first aid, emergency protocols, home safety, child behavior, developmental milestones, age-appropriate activities, professionalism, leadership and more. Participants will receive their Babysitter’s Training Certification and Babysitter’s Handbook. Please bring a nut free bag lunch and beverage. Face masks required. Register Soon! Space is limited!

NEW! Evening Class: Mother's Day Gift with Kidcreate Studios (Grades: K-5) Tuesday 5/4 6:15-7:15pm at Mendota Elementary. They love you, hug you and make you brush your teeth! Show your mom how much you love her with a handmade gift! Your mom loves flowers, right? Create mom a beautiful sculpture of a rosebud. We will use air-dry clay, paint, glitter and lots of love to create this masterpiece. What a great keepsake!

Please remember to use the Minnesota Department of Health home self-screening tool each

day before sending your child to school.

https://www.isd197.org/district/covid-19-resources/home-self-screening-tool

If your child develops symptoms of illness while at school, we will be using the MDH decision

tree to determine the next steps that need to be taken in order to maintain a safe environment at

school.

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/exguide.pdf

You will be called to pick your child up if they present with two or more “less common”

symptoms or one “more common” symptom. Further guidance on how long your child will need

to be out will be given by the school nurse depending on the situation.

If a positive case arises in your child's class, you will be notified and advised to quarantine your child for a 14 day period. During this time, the entire class will move to distance learning format temporarily. It would be best to have a back up plan ready for remote learning ready to go, given that a situation could occur at any time.

Thursday Packet Pickups will continue on the dates listed below for Distance Learning classes only. Because we will now have students in the building, the Packet Pickup table will be placed on the main sidewalk and families will need to hop out and grab their child's packets. We will no longer have staff available to deliver your packets curbside. The Packet Pickup times will remain 7:30am-6:30pm. Please avoid picking up your child's packet between 8:10-8:40 and 2:15-2:45 as these are our arrival and dismissal times and the parking lot will be busy.

Packet Pickup Dates 2021

Thursday, April 15 (Distance Learning Only)

Thursday, April 29

Thursday, May 13

Thursday, May 27 (Final Packet Pickup)

Somerset will again compile a Somerset Family Directory this school year. Families that would like their information included in the Family Directory should complete the linked form for each of your Somerset Stars. We will send out the link to the Family Directory next week. Updates will be made throughout the year as more families add their information.

Click here to provide your information for the directory.

We are off to a slow start, but here is the start to our Somerset Family Directory! We will update with new submissions weekly until the end of October, at which point updates will become less frequent.

2020-21 Somerset Family Directory

All students and staff at Somerset will be required to wear face masks when inside of the school building and while riding the school buses. Masks may be removed while outside when social distancing of 6 ft. or more is in effect and while eating or drinking indoors. We will spend the first few weeks of students being on site to review and practice these expectations.

Please be sure to LABEL your child's mask with their name. Masks will not be placed in the Lost & Found.

Students riding the bus to school must wear a masks while riding the bus. Hand sanitizers will also be placed on all busses. Students will have assigned seats on the school bus. Upon arrival at school, all students will remain on the bus until they have been dismissed by a Somerset staff member. We will space out the dismissal of busses to help with social distancing. There will be stars spray painted on the sidewalk as a social distancing visual as well.

If a positive Covid case is found on the school bus, students sitting two rows in front or behind of the student that has tested positive will be asked to quarantine for 10 days. For these 10 days, the quarantined students will join our Distance Learning class at their grade level to continue with their instruction.

Breakfast and Lunch will continue to be offered for free to ALL students. Breakfast and Lunch will be consumed in classrooms this school year. A grab and go breakfast option will be available to all students as they enter the main doors in the morning. Depending on the grade level, lunches will be delivered to the classroom OR students will walk with their class to the cafeteria to pick up their lunches and return to their classrooms.

We will not be able to have the fruit and vegetable bar this school year. Instead, fruits and vegetables will be pre-packaged for students. There will still be both a hot lunch and sandwich options for students each day.

For the 2nd semester, there will only be a hot lunch option each day, no alternate will be available. Please visit the Somerset Menu page for daily lunch options: https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/SomersetElementary

Students in the in-person model will receive 30 minutes of outdoor recess each day. Our recess area is broken up into sections. Each class cohort will be assigned to a certain section of the playground, which will rotate on a daily basis.

Students will not be required to wear masks while outside at recess. We will have recess paraprofessionals supervising recess and helping to teach students to remain social distanced while outdoors. There will be one para outside assigned to each cohort of students.

Each in-person student will be assigned their own locker to use while at Somerset. There will be no sharing of lockers.

Just a friendly reminder to please continue to contact our Somerset nurse Kali Gray at 651-403-8202 if your child is either COVID positive or a close contact with another COVID positive person/family member. Despite being in Distance Learning, ISD197 will continue to maintain a snapshot view of how COVID is affecting our staff and student population.

COVID-19 Dashboard on the ISD197 website: https://www.isd197.org/district/covid-19-resources/covid-19-data-dashboard

Email: libby.huettl@isd197.org
Website: www.isd197.org/somerset
Location: 1355 Dodd Road, Mendota Heights, MN, United States
Phone: 651-403-8200
Facebook: facebook.com/somersetelementary