Superintendent's Message
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Dear Royal Families,
Welcome back to school! On behalf of all Watertown-Mayer Public Schools staff, I would like to thank you for your patience as we prepared for the first day of school. District staff has been working diligently this last week to prepare for an exciting yet challenging opening to a new school year which will be unlike any other we have experienced.
While we have covered many logistics in building level plans, please know that adjustments will be made to our learning plans as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change and guidelines from MDH and MDE evolve.
Go Royals!
Recent Return to School Updates
Archived Updates
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Previous District Updates
District Response Documents
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WM Covid Response Matrix
WM Communication Matrix
MDH Decision Tree
MDH Email for public inquiries
Elementary School FAQs
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Beginning of School Year Information
When is Open House?
The Royal Connections Conference is a pre conference opportunity for students and paremunicate about each student's strengths and needs. Royal Connections will be held on Monday, August 31st from 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM and Tuesday, September 1st from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Scheduling links were shared via email at 3:00 PM Monday, August 24th.
When will students know who their teacher is?
Teacher assignments were sent to families on Monday, August 24th via email.
How will we pick up school supplies that were ordered?
Supplies will be available at Royal Connections
Where will students keep their supplies?
Supplies will be kept in the classroom in their individual bins.
Will lockers be used?
Lockers will be used for backpacks and jackets during in-person learning. Teachers will stagger times for students to get their items from the lockers. -
Getting to/from School
When will we be informed of bus assignments?
Bus route information was sent to families from Koch Bus Company during the week of August 17th. For more information or questions call 952-955-1866
What are the drop off and pick up procedures?
Drop off is located on Robert Street. Drop off begins at 7:50. Students will not be allowed out of the cars until 7:50.
Can parents drop off elementary students early?
No, there will not be supervision for students who are dropped off early. Students may be dropped off beginning at 7:50.
What are end of day procedures for parent pick up?
Parents will pick up at the designated area on Robert Street. They will use the drop off/pick up number to pick up their child. The number must be displayed in the window for pick up.
Middle School FAQs
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Beginning of School Year Information
When is Open House?
5th grade will hold Royal Connections Conferences on Wednesday, August 26th and Thursday, August 27th. Families were able to sign up for conference times electronically.
6th-8th grade in-person open house has been cancelled. In lieu of this families will be provided with a virtual open house that will be available on August 26th. Beginning on Wednesday, August 26 at 4:00 p.m., families will be able to access our virtual open house information by going to the homepage of the WMMS Website. Our virtual open house information will include welcome videos from teachers and other grade specific information that will help to prepare your child for middle school. This will be a “self-serve” opportunity for families and the information will remain on our website until school begins.
When will students know who their teachers are?
Student schedules will be available on the Campus Portal August 26th.
When will students know their class schedules?
Student schedules will be available on the Campus Portal August 26th.
How will we pick up school supplies that were ordered?
At the start of the school year we will be asking students to bring a limited amount of supplies to school each day. They will need to keep them in their backpacks. The remaining school supplies should be kept at home. Families who ordered school supply kits from the MS PTO can pick them up on August 25 between 8:00-3:00 p.m. Fifth grade families can pick up during Royal Connections conferences on August 26-27.
Where will students keep their supplies?
Students will be required to keep all of their materials in their backpacks.
Will lockers be used?
Lockers will not be used by students at the start of the school year. -
Getting to/from School
What are the drop off and pick up procedures?
Students can be dropped off and picked up at the main entrance of the middle school. Student’s can be dropped off between 7:50-8:05 a.m. When students arrive they will go directly to their first period class.
Students being picked up will stand outside the main doors of middle school. Please pull up, stay in the vehicle, and wait for your child. Students can be picked up between 2:50-3:05 p.m.
Can parents drop off middle school students early?
Due to supervision issues and the fact that students need to go directly to their classrooms when they arrive at schools, students are not allowed to arrive at school prior to 7:50 a.m.
When will we be informed of bus assignments?
Bus route information was sent to families from Koch Bus Company during the week of August 17th. For more information or questions call 952-955-1866.
High School FAQs
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Beginning of School Year Information
When will students know their class schedules?
Schedules are available to see on Infinite Campus. There will not be printed copies.
Will there be Open House at the High School?
There will be a virtual open house video for our 9th graders and new students.
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Getting to/from School
What are the drop off and pick up procedures?
Parents can drop off and pick up their child at Door 1. The bus drop off and pick up will be at door 6.
Can parents drop off high school students early?
We would prefer that all drop-offs occur after 7:50.
When will we be informed of bus assignments?
Bus route information was sent to families from Koch Bus Company during the week of August 17th. For more information or questions call 952-955-1866.
Health and Safety
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General Health & Safety
What if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19?
We will follow guidance from the state and Carver County health department in our response to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. If we receive confirmation that a student or employee has had a positive diagnosis, prompt action will be taken regarding possible quarantine/isolations and communication to families.
What health and safety measures will be in place?
• All MDH and CDC guidelines will be followed
• Mandatory masks for students and adults
• Encourage social distancing - reinforced with signage
• Hand sanitizing stations and routine hand washing in classrooms where sinks are available
• Routine cleaning during the school day of all high traffic and common areas, and nightly deep cleaning of all facilities
• Enhancement to air handling equipment to increase fresh air and improve filtration
What symptoms should I watch for?
• New onset cough or shortness of breath
• Loss of sense of smell or taste
• Gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting or nausea
• Fever 100.4°F or higher
• Chills
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Headache and fatigue
What will the health office look like?
Each school will have a nurse working on site. There will be two rooms for the health office. One room will be used for day to day, non-COVID related medical needs. A second room will be used for any student exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Both spaces will be cleaned and disinfected daily and between student use.
Learning Model
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Learning Models
What will the learning model be?
Based on the current data from Carver County, the state has directed Watertown-Mayer Public Schools to open schools using the following learning models:
Elementary: In-person, 5-day per week instruction
Middle & High School: Hybrid, two days per week in-person, three days distance learning
Will the learning model change?
The number of current COVID-19 cases in Carver County may fluctuate. As they do, we may be required to switch to a different learning model as directed by the State and County. The learning models are described in the Return to School Plan.
I’m uncomfortable with sending my student to school, what are my options?
Parents with students in all grades will have the option to opt out of in-person instruction for their child(ren) and Watertown-Mayer Public Schools will provide a distance learning education for those students. This Distance Learning model will be even more enhanced and interactive when compared to the distance learning that finished out the 2019-2020 school year.
