Urgent Update on School Closure

Today, Superintendent Willie Jett shared the following message with all staff:

Today, Governor Walz issued an executive order requiring Minnesota schools to provide distance learning for students beginning Monday, March 30 through Thursday, April 30. Schools will remain closed during this time.

The Governor also issued a two-week “stay at home” order for all Minnesotans beginning Saturday, March 28 through Friday, April 10.

During the stay at home period, most of our staff will be working from home, while essential staff will continue to report so we can provide critical services to our community. I would like to thank every staff member who reports in the coming weeks to support our efforts to provide meals for our families and childcare for essential emergency workers during the stay at home and the extended school closure period.

I am so proud of the work that you have all done to prepare us for this moment. Our students, families and community are fortunate to have a staff so dedicated to the education of our students and the wellbeing of our community. Thank you for all you do.

Take care and stay well. 

Tracking Attendance for Remote Workers



The state is requiring public employees to track attendance during remote work. We will be asking all employees working remotely to electronically Check-In and Check-Out each day using a simple google calendar form that will be shared with employees of each building. Look for information about accessing this form from your principal or supervisor.

All employees who are required to work remotely, licensed and non-licensed, should CHECK-IN at 8 a.m. and CHECK-OUT at 3 p.m. so we have a consistent expectation for all staff. Part-time staff or employees asked to work for less than this amount of time, should all plan to check-in and check-out at the same time and generally be available and monitoring email during this time. All staff will be accountable for your own time management while working remotely and for taking time to care for yourself in this new work mode by taking lunch breaks and other breaks throughout the day. Moving to remote work is a big change for most of us and it brings its own kind of stress.

Read the full March 24 - COVID-19 Update for All District Staff message.

School Calendar

We will continue to follow the school calendar throughout this period of school closure in regard to days of service, school holidays and employee contractual obligations.

Message From HealthPartners

COVID-19 testing guidelines vary across the United States
There is a national shortage of the materials used to test for COVID-19. Because of this, some state health departments have implemented varying recommendations regarding testing for the coronavirus, including some states that will no longer permit testing for patients who don't require treatment in a hospital. Each state has its own department of health website where you'll find the most current guidance applicable to where you live.

If you're experiencing symptoms
Staying home and in isolation is the best way to protect yourself and others if you're concerned that you've been exposed to COVID-19. Unless you are experiencing severe symptoms — such as increasing shortness of breath — you should treat yourself at home with rest, lots of fluids and Tylenol for fever or muscle aches.

Remain in your home until:

• At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, AND
• Improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND
• At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

When to seek care
Visit an urgent care or emergency center for evaluation and treatment if you're experiencing severe symptoms, such as increasing shortness of breath. Please note, not all emergency centers have the ability to do COVID-19 testing unless patients require hospitalization.

Telephone visits are an option
If you have questions or concerns, call your clinic or schedule a telephone visit with your primary care clinician. Your clinician can review your symptoms with you, answer questions and give you more advice.

COVID-19 Mayo Clinic Updates

As the situation related to COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to evolve, I wanted to share an update about Mayo Clinic’s ongoing response and connect you to our most up-to-date and trusted information and resources. Updates from Mayo Clinic include: Mayo Clinic Deferring Elective Care: To ensure the safest possible environment for our patients and staff and to free up resources to assist in Mayo Clinic’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayo is deferring all elective care that can be deferred for eight or more weeks. Please know that we did not make this decision lightly, and in order for it to be effective, we must be stringent in applying it. Mayo will be reaching out to patients if changes to existing appointments are needed. Mayo Clinic is not alone in taking this extraordinary measure, as health systems across the country are starting to implement similar actions. More information is available at Mayo Clinic News Network.   What to Do If You Suspect COVID-19: In an article on Mayo Clinic News Network, Dr. Clayton Cowl provides guidance for people who have a cough, fever, fatigue or other symptoms.   Tips on Handling Concerns Related to COVID-19: If worry about coronavirus is becoming disruptive to your life, Dr. Sheila Jowsey-Gregoire, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist, has advice in this article. These coping strategies can help you feel more in control of your emotions and lessen the anxiety associated with the pandemic situation.   Gift to Support Mayo Clinic’s Response to COVID-19: On March 15, Minnesota Timberwolves player Karl-Anthony Towns announced a $100,000 gift to support Mayo Clinic’s response to COVID-19. Mr. Towns was inspired by Mayo Clinic’s recent development of a test that can detect the virus that causes COVID-19 and deliver results to patients within 24 hours. With this support, Mayo Clinic will increase its testing capacity from about 200 tests per day to more than 1,000 tests per day in the coming weeks. More information about the gift is available at Mayo Clinic News Network. In a message to Mayo Clinic patients last week, Mayo Clinic President and CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia and Mayo Clinic Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Bolton emphasized that Mayo Clinic is well prepared to meet the needs of our patients and communities. Dr. Farrugia reiterated that point in an interview with CNBC this week, noting that with each passing day Mayo Clinic is increasingly well prepared. For the latest updates from Mayo Clinic experts, I encourage you to visit Mayo Clinic News Network for a stream of articles updated in real time as circumstances and guidance from public health agencies change. Among the resources is a podcast highlighting simple steps you can take to protect yourself from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 website is another excellent source of information. Thank you for your continued trust in Mayo Clinic. I look forward to sharing regular updates and information as Mayo continues to provide leadership in a dynamic situation. Gratefully, Evanthia Galanis, M.D. Executive Dean for Development Mayo Clinic

Working From Home Tips
From Shane Keating



Before I had the pleasure of joining 742, I worked as a Talent Acquisition Manager for a company out of Rockford, MN. After about 30 days of working in the office, I switched to working almost exclusively at home. I went to the office maybe once every two weeks. So, if I may be so bold, I have some tips for all of us over the coming weeks (or more?!) as we navigate this weird new world. 

• As much as possible, have a dedicated workspace. Don’t sit with your laptop on the couch. This will make it feel like you are “going to work” and “going home” when you are done.
• Get dressed for work. This made such a huge difference for me. It doesn’t feel the same if you are sitting there in sweatpants and a hoodie. Look good, feel good, work good.
• Stick to a schedule as much as possible. Especially in this adjustment phase, we’ll all likely be working goofy hours but as much as possible stick to your schedule. With such easy access to your work station, it’s easy to find yourself working a lot of odd hours. That’s hard on you and those around you as well. 
• Stay connected socially. Working at home you are obviously quite isolated, which is the point for us right now, so the “water cooler” talk is gone. Find ways to still have some of those conversations. Or just talk to your cat like I do. Whatever works. 
• Ignore the distractions. So easy to say, so hard to do. It’s super easy to think “well I can just go switch the load of laundry over real quick” but if you’re anything like me, before you know it you’re a half-hour into folding laundry. Then you end up working later to cover that time and you aren’t sticking to a schedule and you are blending home and work. It gets messy fast, believe me!  

Here is another downloadable resource. 

Working at home will be an adjustment for all of us but it’s also an incredible opportunity. We’ll come out on the other side with a whole new approach to doing a lot of our work that will make us better. That’s exciting! 

Take Time to Breathe



Meditation Apps Address Stress of COVID-19

Social distancing, by nature, is isolating. And extended periods of isolation can take a toll on one’s mental health.

With the news cycle churning out updates on the latest COVID-19 developments, the uncertainty about how long the pandemic will last and inevitable economic effects, some people are turning to meditation apps to clear their head. And in turn, some popular apps are making the services free or curating them for certain groups.

Los Angeles-based meditation app Headspace is offering free services and guides to help people and specific groups cope with stress by introducing Headspace for Healthcare Professionals, Headspace for Work and Headspace for Educators.

Headspace for Professionals, for example, gives all health care workers in a public health setting in the U.S. free access to Headspace Plus through the rest of the year, according to a blog post from the company. The workers will be able to access the subscription with their National Provider Identifier (a 10-digit identification number) and email address.

Headspace for Workers and Headspace for Educators offer free access to collections of meditations for teachers and other members of the workforce.

Headspace last raised $53 million in February for its Series C round, which was led by blisce/. The startup’s other backers include Pacific Western Bank and Spectrum Equity, according to Crunchbase data.

Other players

The meditation apps Calm and Simple Habit also are introducing free services. Calm, which is backed by investors including TPG Growth and Lightspeed Venture Partners, has put together a curated selection of free resources. Users can pick from sleep meditations, meditations for kids, practices to find ease and more.

Simple Habit is introducing new meditation collections specifically geared toward coronavirus–topics including self-care, mindfulness for kids at home, mindful communication with family and easing fear, according to the company.

“We recognize that many people are now being required to stay home, resulting in loss of income and financial uncertainty,” Simple Habit CEO Yunha Kim wrote in a blog post. “As a response to this macro change, starting today until the end of April 2020, we’ll offer free Simple Habit premium memberships to all people who are financially impacted by this difficult time and can no longer afford to pay. If you’re struggling or in need, we’ll take care of you.” See the full article.

4 Simple Tips for Teachers Shifting to Teaching Online


 

As teachers shift to distance learning, it's easy to be overwhelmed with not only the change, but the amount of resources available for teachers. Check out this short article for four simple tips for teachers who are shifting to teaching online. 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-tips-supporting-learning-home

My Math: Homework PDFs Downloading



Elementary Teachers: All PDFs of My Math homework have been downloaded into a google folder for teacher use. These downloads can be added to Seesaw for student use.

ConnectED My Math Homework

Send Us Your Videos & Photos



We would like to highlight the amazing work our teachers and staff are doing to support our students during this time of Distance Learning. Please send us videos and/or photos that you've used to communicate with your students. Send it to communications@isd742.org.