During full in-person learning, elementary students attend school five days a week. Middle and high school students attend four days a week. The reason is because of the state preparation requirement for distance learners. Currently there are about 10,000 distance learners in Anoka-Hennepin. 

Elementary distance learning 

• Single teacher licensed in math, language arts, science, social studies and typically able to teach any grade, three specialist areas.
• Minimal variation in course offerings.
• All students follow a similar schedule. A school with 900 students might offer 12-16 variations.

Middle and high school distance learning 

• Each subject area requires a different license, in some areas there are multiple license areas (world language, science, music, tech ed). Almost 40 unique license areas.
• Over 200 unique courses offered.
• Every student has a unique schedule. A school with 900 students might offer hundreds of unique schedule combinations.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools is planning to start the 2020-21 school year in the hybrid learning model, a system that uses a combination of in-person school and learning at home. The direction follows guidance from state leaders on July 30. 

The Minnesota Safe Learning Plan allows schools to open in one of three formats depending on public health data, specifically COVID-19 cases by county over 14 days. Using an initial review of the most recent data and the trends in the number of cases in both Anoka and Hennepin counties, Anoka-Hennepin is planning to open schools in the hybrid model at 50% capacity for all preschool through 12th grade students. Please know that the district will continue to evaluate the most current data on COVID-19 cases to guide decision making on any learning format changes. Anoka-Hennepin parents/guardians will also have the option to select distance learning for their student(s).  

In a hybrid learning model, Anoka-Hennepin kindergarten through 12th grade students will attend school in-person two days per week and through the virtual learning model three days per week. Specific days for each student and family will be known no later than Friday, Aug. 14, as the district balances transportation and classroom needs.

Yes. Depending on guidance from state and federal governments, and health officials, school could change between each of the three scenarios. If a change is made, families and employees will be communicated through regular outlets:

• AHlert (voicemail, email, text).
• District and school websites. 
• District and school e-newsletters.
• District and school social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

Health and safety measures will remain in effect for the full in-person learning format, however, there are some important differences between hybrid and full in-person: 

• Students will attend school five days a week. 
• Classroom capacity limits do not apply. Elementary students will be in school at the same time and buses will run at full capacity.
• Every effort will be made to maintain physical distancing to the extent possible. Updated recommendations for in-person elementary learning encourages a minimum of three feet of separation. 
• Clear barriers may be present between students and teachers in individual or small group instruction settings when physical distancing cannot be maintained. 
• Staff will be wearing face coverings. Face shields may also be utilized (not required). This is a change from the Dec. 18 communication based on updated guidance in the MN Safe Learning Plan. 
• Students will continue to wear face coverings and also wear them for indoor physical activity. 
• Specialist lessons, e.g. art, explorations, may take place in each student’s home classroom or in the specialist room. Physical education, however, will continue outside of a student’s classroom or if weather permits, outside the building.
• Every other week, school employees will have the opportunity to take a COVID-19 test. 
• Ionization systems are now present in all Anoka-Hennepin owned school facilities  to eliminate the COVID-19 virus in buildings and further improve air quality. This system essentially removes 99.4% of COVID-19 and other viruses in buildings, if it should be present. 

Families can now view their student’s Cohort A or B designation on the My Student Information app via A-HConnect. Once logged in click School information from the menu on the left hand side. There you’ll see a field underneath the school contact information called Attend_Day with either an A or B listed. The A or B letter refers to either a Cohort A or Cohort B in-person schedule. Families with multiple students will need to click the drop-down menu on the top, select another family member, and then click School information once again. Step-by-step directions are available online.

If families have questions about the A/B scheduled days assigned to their student(s), they should contact their assigned school(s). Please reach out to 506help@ahschools.us with questions on username or password credentials, or other A-HConnect items

Families that chose distance learning in the intent form sent Aug. 3 will be learning online five days a week for the first trimester of the 2020-21 school year. These families will, however, still see an A/B designation in MyStudentInformation via A-HConnect. This designation is not applicable to distance learning families and can be ignored. 

Yes, students will be able to transition within the hybrid model at any time to distance learning. However, high school students enrolled in StepAhead Online High School may only make changes at the end of the trimester.

The Anoka-Hennepin transportation department and its two transportation vendors, First Student and Kottkes, are committed to getting students back and forth to school safely. For the 2020-21 school year, students will continue to be transported to school in scenarios one and two. More information on bus operations, including specific route type details. 

Procedures for riding the bus: 

• Enter and exit in a single file line. 
• While boarding, site in the row farthest back. 
• Sit only in marked areas. 
• Exit from the front rows first. 
• Sit in the same marked seat on the route home. 

Students are asked to continue to use safety measures: 

• Avoid riding with COVID-19 symptoms. 
• Keep your distance from others. 
• Wear a face cover.

In scenario one, students will ride the bus as normal. In scenario two, fewer students will ride – about 50% of the capacity of the bus. 

Anoka-Hennepin Schools will follow the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding safety measures provided in school. The safest environments will be made possible through cooperation from students and staff in alignment with the following measures as noted below. Please see this page for further details. 

• Limited building access to visitors 
• Passive temperature screening 
• Social distancing 
• Masks and face coverings
• Classroom management/desks 
• Hand hygiene  
• Disinfection and cleaning 
• Case management

A July 22 state order requires the wearing of face coverings indoors, with exceptions. Settings that face coverings are expected to be used include: time spent with other people, in hallways, riding on school transportation, as well as public areas such as restrooms. Social distancing, keeping at least six feet between yourself and others, is considered the best way to protect yourself and others. The face covering is not a substitute for social distancing.

The wearing of face coverings is part of a system of health and safety protections that include social distancing, hand hygiene, limiting building access, and other strategies in operation at Anoka-Hennepin Schools. Please see this page for a number of FAQs on face coverings. 

Because every school is unique, your student’s school will communicate passing procedures. These may include staggered passing times.

Because each school is different, locker assignments will be determined by the principal. Your child’s school will have more information.

The child nutrition program is dedicated to providing high quality, nutritious meals to the students in Anoka-Hennepin. For the 2020-21 school year, meals will be offered using the regular price structure.  

Families must submit an application before receiving free/reduced meals. Apply through SchoolCafe via ahschools.us/freereduced or request an application from Child Nutrition at 763-506-1240.

A variety of safety measures are being added to school cafeterias if the entire district or an individual school is in scenario one or two. These precautions make getting a meal at school an entirely touchless process:   

• Transparent partitions, also known as sneeze guards, are being added by food. 
• Face coverings will be used by Child Nutrition employees serving food. 
• Students will use a barcode from their student ID or mobile device to purchase meals. 
• Students will eat socially distanced. 

If the entire district or an individual school is in scenario two or three, families requesting meals for learning days at home, will be required to submit this request the week before. Stay tuned for details on how to submit these requests and what the pick up process will look like.

Students will have recess each day, with limitations on group size to ensure physical distancing. 

If you’re sick and exhibiting symptoms of a cold, such as a sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, headache and body aches, the CDC suggests people stay home, and not go to work, school or daycare until symptoms have run their course. This means limiting exposure to others outside of your home in the community. In the event you have flu-like symptoms, such as a fever or chills beyond those of a common cold, the CDC suggests 24 hours after a fever with no fever reducing medications, and no sooner than ten days after the first symptom - whichever is longer.

If you have a question about a family member's health or your own, contact your primary care physician. School health staff cannot diagnose illnesses. If a student or employee is sent home from school, a follow-up should be done with their own primary physician. 

The outbreak of COVID-19 may be stressful and evoke a wide-range of emotions and behaviors of individuals. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.

School supports available during this time for students: 

• School counselor
• School nurse 
• School psychologist 
• School social worker
• School-based mental health therapist 

Support is available through Medica Optum for employees needing help with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

School districts do not have the authority or the means to monitor the personal travel of students, families or employees, or to restrict school attendance as a result of travel.

We request that our school communities be aware of, and comply with, the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with regard to travel domestically and abroad, particularly to areas with Level 3 Travel Health Notices. If families choose to travel to areas on the list, the CDC recommends a 14-day self-imposed quarantine. School districts do not have authority to impose or monitor quarantines for individual students, families or employees, but request that they comply with these recommendations.

Right now there is no required quarantine for travel. If however, there has been any exposure to a positive person then the school nurse should be notified to discuss quarantine dates.

The district will review all trips using the travel recommendations and advisories by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for guidance.

As always, Anoka-Hennepin strives for effective communication. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s vital that district families and employees understand the information shared and have their communication expectations met. In order to meet these goals, Anoka-Hennepin is:

• Bringing the messaging to where families and employees already are or are viewing district content, such as AHlert, AHSchools.us and Facebook.com/AHSchools.
• Striving for a timely, consistent and candid flow of accurate information.
• Including compassion and empathy in all messaging with a way for families and employees to ask questions and get answers to those questions.
• Providing more opportunities for two-way communication. 

Please stay tuned to the following communication channels for the latest information: 

• Focus newsletters. 
• District and school websites. 
• District and school e-newsletters.
• District and school social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). 
• Family AHlert (voicemail, email, text).
• Community meetings and forums. 
• Communication and public relations employees email. 
• Employees workshops. 
• Facility signage. 

Reach out to comm.pr@ahschools.us with any questions or concerns on communications.

Thank you for your support of Anoka-Hennepin students, we appreciate your generosity. During this unprecedented time, we're leaning on our community for support - we're stronger together!

At this time, the district is unable to accept food donations or to provide volunteer opportunities. However, here are some ways to support Anoka-Hennepin students:

Financial support: The Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by asking for donations to meet the emerging needs of students and staff. Your donations will give the capacity and flexibility to meet the not yet known (and not necessarily budgeted for) needs to ensure students and staff are able to effectively implement distance learning. Donate now at AHEF Agility Fund to keep kids connected, engaged and learning. 

Providing time or items: Consider supporting a local organization currently working to meet the needs of our students and their families (district and community resources listed).