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Updates to this page will be made as needed and as new information is released. This page was last updated on October 21, 2020.
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MGSD buildings and facilities remain closed; information related to the 2020-21 school year is below. All students in grades 4K-12 are currently in "Virtual Learning 2.0" (more information below).
For a list of Frequently Asked Questions, click here. This document will be updated as things change and as new information is available.
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On October 6, the Monona Grove School Board held a special meeting to consider whether to begin a phased reopening of in-person instruction for grades 4K-2 at the beginning of the 2nd quarter (materials, supporting documents, and recording of the meeting are here). At the conclusion of this meeting, the School Board asked me to survey 4K-2 teachers and 4K-2 families in order to have more information. The survey is being developed right now and will be sent as soon as possible; a copy of the questions will be posted on this page when it is available. At this time, the Board has a regularly scheduled meeting on October 14, but may schedule another special Board meeting for this topic. When we know more about the timeline, we will send families and staff an additional update.
On October 8, families with students in grades 4K-2 received an email with a link to the survey. A copy of the questions is available here. This survey is not asking families to make a final decision, but rather asking for likely choice. If the School Board decides to move forward with a phased reopening, a separate request will be sent with additional details such as schedules, transportation needs, deadlines for decision-making, etc. If you have a student(s) in grades 4K-2 and did not receive the survey, please email Katy Byrnes Kaiser at kathleen.kaiser@mgschools.net or call (608) 316-1960. The survey will be live through 11:59 pm on Monday, October 12. We anticipate sharing results of the survey with the School Board before their next regular meeting which is scheduled for October 14.
On October 14 (materials, supporting documents, and recording of the meeting are here), the School Board voted to follow the Public Health Madison Dane County guidance and metrics in considering reopening. They set a reopening date for grades 4K-2 of December 1 (with the option for families to continue Virtual Learning 2.0). We’ll have additional information on those plans very soon, likely by the end of the week of October 19.
On October 21 (materials, documents, and recording of the meeting are here), the School Board met and revised the date to begin offering an in-person option for grades 4K-2. That revised date is now January 25, 2021. Any family who wishes to remain in Virtual Learning 2.0 at that time may continue to do so. The School Board also approved an AB/AB hybrid instructional model for when students return. We will have more information for you on that, as well as our ongoing safety planning, soon.
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MGSD has adopted a 4:1 weekly schedule for students.
Students are expected to engage in learning five days a week: four days of teacher facilitated learning and one day of independent learning. The decision to adopt a 4:1 weekly schedule was made primarily because it aligned with the goal of being able to support transition smoothly from virtual instruction model to hybrid model.
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On October 21, the School Board approved an AB/AB Hybrid instructional model when students return to in-person learning.In the AB/AB model, students who choose in-person instruction receive two full days of face-to-face instruction (either Cohort A, Monday/Thursday or Cohort B, Tuesday/Friday). Students who choose to remain virtual are Cohort C. Hybrid students receive new instruction on the days they are in-person; for their independent virtual learning days, students will participate in an early morning meeting (separate from the in-person morning meeting), and then complete asynchronous (recorded, independent) application activities, independent practice, and extension activities. Under this model, all-virtual students in Cohort C will continue their current schedule.
More information on this instructional model and sample schedules will be available soon. |
In this graphic showing student hours of engagement, the hours shown (2 hours, 5 hours, etc.) is the expected total hours of engagement--specifically in online and offline work. Student schedules will have more detailed information, but please note that students are not expected to be sitting in front of a device for this amount of time, but rather are expected to be engaged in their schoolwork during this time. |
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Teachers are expected to be engaged in teaching duties throughout the students’ daily hours of engagement. MGSD Handbook language states “normal” hours of work for full-time teachers shall be 7.5 hours in length, exclusive of a 30 minute duty-free lunch period. Because student hours of engagement are not 7.5 hours, teachers are expected to fulfill their “normal” hours of work, which can be worked in a more flexible manner, not necessarily the 7:30-3:30 or 7:45-3:45 schedule that is traditional.
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Great news! Monona Grove School District has been approved to provide FREE to ALL school nutrition meals to children 18 years of age or younger regardless of income or school enrollment. Enrolled students aged 19-21 are also eligible. This program is currently approved through the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Families do not need to qualify for free or reduced meals to receive these free meals.
How the program works:
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All meals will be delivered for families living within the Monona Grove School District boundaries as well as families that are open enrolled into the District.
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Families must sign up weekly by Tuesday at 11:59 pm the week prior for the following weeks meal delivery
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Meals are delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning at 10:30 am
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Tuesday’s Delivery will include:
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Thursday’s Delivery will include:
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Families that sign up for meals will get both a breakfast and lunch
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The meals are free of charge and are for ALL children in your household 18 years of age or younger (and for students enrolled in MGSD who are 19-21 years old)
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Daily breakfast and lunch menus can be found here.
How to sign up:
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Complete the online order form - MG Virtual 2.0 School Nutrition Meal Order Form
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If you don’t have access to a computer, please call Terri ONeil (608) 316-1894 or Dee Matthys (608) 316-1911
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Any questions can be emailed to School.Nutrition@mgschools.net
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Reminder: Orders must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Tuesday the week before delivery
- For example: Submit your order by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, September 22nd for deliveries on Tuesday, September 29th and Thursday, October 1st
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Reopening Planning
You may recall that throughout early and mid-summer, our planning teams simultaneously worked on a hybrid plan and a virtual plan. When it became clear that an all-virtual start would be necessary, we set aside the hybrid plan to focus all of our attention on providing the best possible virtual learning experience. With teachers now ready to begin executing those plans, we have begun to pivot our focus back to the development of a reopening plan.
When Public Health Madison Dane County issued Order #9, they also provided the metrics that will be used to determine when reopening will be allowed. Those metrics will be incorporated into our planning. More details will be available as the plan progresses.
Continuum of Services
The School Board has been presented with a draft plan for a continuum of services, including very limited face to face instruction. Virtual learning 2.0 is not the same as emergency virtual learning provided in Spring 2020. Our goal is that this improved model will be effective for the majority of our students including our students with disabilities.
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Face to face instruction will be very limited and will be the exception, not the rule for students with disabilities (and all students) to start the year.
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On September 1, PHMDC released an amendment to Emergency Order #9 allowing for in-person instruction for students in any grade with a disability and/or an Individualized Education Plan who, due to their unique needs, may need to receive in-person instruction under 34 CFR Secs. 300.320-300.324 and Wis. Stats. Sec. 115.78 (2).
Our District team is planning to implement this continuum of services including some limited face-to-face instruction for
- Students that made limited progress toward their IEP goals in Spring 2020 because they were minimally or not at all able to access virtual instruction and/or services included in their IEP were unable to be provied by (supported by data).
- Students aged 18-21 needing support or coaching in job placements.
Our first priority will be students and families for whom IEP meetings were already held and plans developed for face-to-face instruction.
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If you would like to consult with a Student Services team member regarding your child's social-emotional wellbeing, a mental health issue or any challenge you're experiencing during the school closure, please complete this brief form and a School Counselor, Psychologist, Social Worker or Nurse from your child's school will respond to you within 1-3 days.
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The student services team is working hard to support all our families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our MG community is filled with generosity and we have had several individuals reach out, inquiring about ways to support those in need. If you find yourself in a position to offer assistance, donations of gift cards are the biggest need. Please contact kelsy.dieckhoff@mgschools.net (Cottage Grove) or leah.kutschke@mgschools.net (Monona) if you would like more information on how to donate.
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Some schools are reporting an increase of student anxiety related to illness and pandemic planning. Consider talking with your student(s) as a family. Some suggestions include:
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Stick to the facts. It can be scary to hear about a disease outbreak, but learning the facts can help ease your mind.
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Help your student remain calm, and assure them their risk is low.
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Remind your family that when we are prepared for difficult situations, we make informed decisions and have more control.
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It's important that we avoid assumptions or stereotypes about who you think may be sick. Viruses cannot target people from specific populations, ethnicities, or racial backgrounds. A person’s race does not make them more or less likely to be sick or to get sick.
Additional resources for talking with your family:
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The coronavirus situation changes virtually every day. For the most up-to-date information, visit the pages below.
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