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April 9 Superintendent's Update on COVID-19
Borg Report April 9, 2020
Dear Westonka Families,
Yesterday, Wednesday, April 8, Governor Tim Walz extended the “Stay at Home” executive order for the State of Minnesota through May 4, 2020. This means that most Minnesotans are expected to continue to stay in their homes, leaving only for food, medicine, outdoor exercise and other essential services.
Westonka Schools will continue to operate as we have the past two weeks. All district buildings will continue to be closed to students and the public through May 4, with the exception of the emergency childcare program. Employees who are essential to continuing district operations will still report to buildings. All district athletic fields, courts and playgrounds will remain closed to the public during the stay-at-home order.
Distance Learning
Please Share Your Feedback - I am continually thankful for our families’ partnership, patience and grace during this time of distance learning. We are all learners in this process, and our staff will continue to adapt and evolve our plans to best meet our students’ needs.
Now that we are several days into this new delivery model, I am asking families to complete a short survey (approximately 3 minutes) about your experience. To ensure this information is helpful to staff in reviewing our strengths and weaknesses, please fill out this survey once per child. This will allow us to direct your feedback to the area you intended. Please complete this survey by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 13: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/63TKTCX
Events & Activities
Spring Sports and Activities - Activities Director Jeff Peterson has communicated a process for families to receive a full refund on spring activities fees with the assumption that the 2020 season will not move forward. If your student-athlete chooses to stay on with virtual coaching, or if you want to donate your fee, it will help offset the cost of the coaches we kept on due to the uncertainty of the season. Please contact the Activities Department with any questions or concerns.
Friday Night Lights - To honor our students, staff, community members and especially our Mound Westonka High School 2020 senior class, Westonka Schools will be joining districts across the state and nation in the #BeTheLightMN movement. Once a week this spring, lights at Haddorff Field will flip on at 8:00 p.m. for 20 minutes and 20 seconds.
Westonka Schools will also be highlighting our spring sports and activities during this time, paying special recognition to the seniors leaders in these programs. Each team will be recognized on our activities website and on social media on a particular night (see the schedule below). Please join us in posting photos, memories and messages to the teams on social media on these dates using the hashtags #BeTheLightMN and #MWHSPride.
- Thursday, April 9 (out of respect for religious holiday) – Honoring DECA and Speech (winter activities that had season cut short)
- Friday, April 17 – Honoring Baseball/Softball
- Friday, April 24 – Honoring Boys/Girls Golf
- Friday, May 1 – Honoring Boys Tennis
- Friday, May 8 – Honoring Trap Shooting
- Friday, May 15 – Honoring Boys/Girls Lacrosse
- Friday, May 22 – Honoring Track & Field
As a reminder, Haddorff Field and Westonka’s other athletic facilities are closed to students and the public in compliance with the stay-at-home order. Please do not gather under the lights, but you may enjoy them from your car as you drive by. We will post photos to the @GoWhiteHawks Twitter account.
Graduation - As I said last week, I am committed - along with our high school leaders and school board - to making this rite of passage for the Class of 2020 as special as it can be. District and high school leaders have been hard at work making plans for this year’s commencement ceremony. Next week, we will be reaching out to senior families to gather feedback on what is most important to them with regard to a graduation ceremony. We know how important this event is to so many people, and we’re excited to celebrate our seniors.
Other Events - School leaders are working through our list of upcoming events to determine whether they should be held (with or without modification), postponed or canceled. You will be receiving communication regarding these events in the coming weeks from those who oversee them, which includes the process for fee reimbursement when applicable. For events currently scheduled in May or June, we are awaiting the governor’s direction on how schools will operate for the remainder of the school year.
Supporting Your Neighbors
Supporting Local Business - In my communication with local businesses, many share that they have benefited from the support of our school community. Thank you. I encourage you to continue to support your neighbors by shopping and getting take-out locally, as you are able. One of these local businesses, Lord Fletcher’s, will be giving out 300 free macaroni and cheese lunches to families in need this Saturday, April 11. Meals will be available for pickup 11 a.m. to noon or until they run out.
Again, thank you for your continued partnership along this journey. We’re all in this together. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Kevin