Preschool programs will operate in alignment with Anoka-Hennepin Schools. If preschool enrollment significantly decreases, Anoka-Hennepin Community Education may be able to accommodate in-person attendance on all scheduled days.

When preschool programs meet in-person, Anoka-Hennepin Community Education will minimize class sizes to allow for social distancing aligned with MDH recommendations. During the class period, staff will frequently clean and sanitize materials that have been touched by children. Sensory tables will not be available to use, but children may have access to individual tubs of sensory materials.

During class, staff will do their best to encourage social distancing among children. Before every class starts, staff will clean and sanitize materials, and frequently-touched surfaces such as door handles, light switches, sink handles, tables and chairs, locker handles and hooks, toilet handles, etc. Read more.

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) continues to require face coverings for students and staff indoors until the end of the school year, Friday, June 11. Students and staff may continue to remove face coverings outdoors as previously announced. Guidance for schools under the MN Safe Learning Plan expires at the end of the school year. 

Starting Saturday, June 12, the wearing of face coverings in school settings will be in alignment with the general state guidance, they are recommended for those not yet vaccinated but not required. Capacity limits, social distancing and other mitigation strategies in effect during the pandemic will no longer be required but will still be considered when possible. Federal law continues to require face coverings for student transportation, so those will be required for students and staff when riding the bus during summer school and ESY programs.

Participants of community education programs taking place outside of the traditional school day are encouraged to follow guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), which recommends that anyone who is not fully vaccinated continue to wear face coverings indoors in businesses, public settings, and when around people from other households.

Employees are required to wear a face cover that covers their mouth and nose while working. It is more critical if they are in situations where they cannot maintain at least six feet between themselves and others, or when they are in the presence of others for more than 15 minutes, regardless of physical separation.

Employees are required to wear a face cover while working in the presence of members of the public and all vendors and visitors to school facilities are required to wear a face cover through Jun. 12, 2021, within the MN Safe Learning Plan guidelines. If needed, the district will provide face covers for visitor use. Read more FAQs about health, safety and face covering requirements from Anoka-Hennepin Schools.

Preschool students under age five are not required to wear face coverings. Face coverings should not be placed on anyone under age two, anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the face covering without assistance, or anyone who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical, or behavioral health condition.

Face coverings can be paper or disposable, cloth, scarf, bandana or a religious face covering. The covering should cover the nose and mouth completely, should not be overly tight or restrictive, and should feel comfortable to wear. Read more FAQs about health, safety and face covering requirements from Anoka-Hennepin Schools.

Schedules will vary based on the programming model (two day, three day, four day, or five day).  Families will be given a calendar with their dates of attendance shortly after the School Board approves the district calendar.

Families will be charged $50 a month if Anoka-Hennepin Schools is operating in scenario three, or the full distance learning model.

While consistency is important for children, we realize that families may opt to start in one model, decide it isn’t the best option for their child, and opt to switch.

Yes, refunds will be prorated based on the date of the un-enrollment request. Lesson plans for distance learning will provide experiences in all developmental areas, but we realize that distance learning may not work best for all children and families.

Yes, but students will be placed on a waiting list if the class is full.

Preschool classes will continue to meet in-person, regardless of the location or site, when elementary schools are following an in-person learning model.

To keep cohorts small and minimize the number of people in the classrooms, high school students will not be in the preschool classrooms.

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) continues to require face coverings for students and staff indoors until the end of the school year, Friday, June 11. Students and staff may continue to remove face coverings outdoors as previously announced. Guidance for schools under the MN Safe Learning Plan expires at the end of the school year. 

Starting Saturday, June 12, the wearing of face coverings in school settings will be in alignment with the general state guidance, they are recommended for those not yet vaccinated but not required. Capacity limits, social distancing and other mitigation strategies in effect during the pandemic will no longer be required but will still be considered when possible. Federal law continues to require face coverings for student transportation, so those will be required for students and staff when riding the bus during summer school and ESY programs.

Participants of community education programs taking place outside of the traditional school day are encouraged to follow guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), which recommends that anyone who is not fully vaccinated continue to wear face coverings indoors in businesses, public settings, and when around people from other households.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools Preschool students who opted to attend in-person this school year will return to school Tuesday, Jan. 19, with students following their traditionally scheduled class days. (The program will no longer follow a hybrid schedule.) Learn more about health and safety in early learning classrooms.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools will begin the 2020-21 school year in the hybrid learning format following discussion and direction from the School Board at their Aug. 24 meeting. Preparations since late spring and guidance from the Minnesota Safe Learning Plan and public health data led to the decision. The School Board also approved an updated calendar reflective of the hybrid learning format. 

Anoka-Hennepin Schools Preschool is reaching out to families currently enrolled in preschool for the 2020-21 school year to communicate any schedule changes, calendar details/updates and opportunities to meet teachers and explore classrooms - specific to each class situation. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we prepare for the 2020-21 school year. Families may view early learning health and safety protocols and program updates for Anoka-Hennepin Schools Preschool on our website at www.ahschools.us/COVID-19_CommEd. 

If you are enrolled in Anoka-Hennepin Schools Preschool and don’t receive an update by Aug. 31, please contact our office at 763-506-1500 or preschool@ahschools.us for details. We are excited to welcome our preschoolers to school and look forward to meeting your families.

State guidance provides learning options for the 2020-21 school year. Anoka-Hennepin’s planning teams have plans in place for in-person, hybrid and distance learning scenarios, and are working to compare new guidance from the state as we finalize scheduling and logistical details for all scenarios. The school district announced today, its intention to start the school year in a hybrid learning model.

We realize that families are determining the best preschool options for their child, and are now able to share preschool programming plans under all three of the possible learning models and schedules that the district could transition to the school year progresses, based on health and safety recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

• When the school district is operating under an in-person learning schedule, Anoka-Hennepin Preschool programs will follow its original calendar and schedule. Teachers, staff and students will follow additional health and safety protocols for preschool.
  
  
• When the school district is operating under a hybrid learning schedule, Anoka-Hennepin Preschool programs will offer some in-person classes. Schedules will be determined and communicated soon.
  
  
• Class sizes will be lower based on calculations of our classroom sizes, the space required to maintain social distancing, and the number of students enrolled. Teachers, staff and students will follow additional health and safety protocols for preschool.
  
  
• For preschool programs that provide bussing, schedule modifications will be made. Watch for additional updates from Anoka-Hennepin Schools Preschool once the school district shares its revised calendar for the hybrid learning schedule.
  
  
• When the school district is operating under a distance learning model, Anoka-Hennepin Preschool programs will offer opportunities for children to connect with their teachers online.
  
  
• Our teaching staff and curriculum coordinator have prepared for distance learning and lesson plans are in place to provide the educational experiences needed for your child’s development. All of our preschool classrooms will be using the SeeSaw app to share learning experiences, communicate with children and parents, and to develop academic and social-emotional skills with your preschooler.
  
  
• While preschool programs are conducted in a distance learning model, your account will be credited for 50% of your tuition. When in-person learning resumes, your tuition will return to the rate specified at the time of enrollment.
  
  
• Families will receive additional information so you can meet your teachers and we can provide your family with necessary learning materials.

We know that scheduling and format is an important factor in making the best decision for your child. Anoka-Hennepin Preschool will continue to share program updates as we continue planning and working to provide safe and reliable preschool options for our families in these unique times. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we prepare for the 2020-21 school year. We appreciate your support of Anoka-Hennepin Schools Preschool and Anoka-Hennepin Community Education. If you have any questions, please email preschool@ahschools.us or call the Anoka-Hennepin Schools preschool office at 763-506-1500. 

We are still accepting registrations for fall 2020 preschool programs and are hopeful that we will be able to provide programming for early learners in our community at that time.

In the meantime, we remain committed to connecting with and supporting families with young children as safely as we can in this uncertain time. Please follow Anoka-Hennepin ECFE and Preschool on Facebook for information on online parent discussions and fun circle time videos with our licensed parent educators and teachers.

View the email and subcribe for updates.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools Preschool and Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) programs are a valuable resource for families with parent education information and learning activities for children. We are working to make these resources available to you as quickly as possible. In the meantime, look for our preschool and/or ECFE teachers to reach out to you via email or phone this week.

We know this is a time of uncertainty and we want you to know that we are continuing to develop plans for distance learning and ongoing parent support. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this unprecedented time.

Anoka-Hennepin is committed to timely and accurate information regarding district planning in response to the state order to close schools through March 27. This is a quickly developing situation and your attention to this matter is essential. Follow the latest updates from the school district at www.ahschools.us/COVID-19. Community Education program updates will be posted at www.ahschools.us/COVID-19_CommEd.

Schools closed through March 27, 2020: All students attending Anoka-Hennepin schools are excused from school through Friday, March 27. Staff will report as usual starting on Monday, March 23, to finalize plans for distance learning and district operations, which are scheduled to begin on Monday, March 30.

Medications: Parent/guardians that need to pick up medication from school within the next few days can come to school to pick them up from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, March 23, and from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24. Parents/guardians that can wait to pick up medication may choose to make a single trip to school to gather any necessary personal belongings at the full school pick up time. 

Personal items: The only items to be picked up on Monday and Tuesday are medications.  A separate announcement about picking up school supplies and personal items will come later directly from your preschool teacher.

Distance learning materials: Distance learning packets are being prepared for families of four-year-old preschool classrooms. 

Preschool conferences: Prior to school cancellations, preschool parent-teacher conferences were scheduled for March 30-April 1. Due to the uncertainty of school district schedules in the coming weeks, we are currently working on plans to provide conference information through alternate methods (email, phone, remote meeting platforms). Preschool teachers will be reaching out to parents during the week of March 23 - 27 by email to verify contact information and conference times. You may contact your child's preschool teacher by email, if needed. Conferences will look different than they have in the past, but we want to continue to provide you with information on your child's development and suggested activities during distance learning.

The state of Minnesota announced that all schools would be closed through Friday, March 27, 2020 for school staff to make future plans in response to minimizing the spread of COVID-19.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools is on spring break this week, and all community education programs including preschool will be closed Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27, 2020, following the executive order from the state of Minnesota.

Due to the uncertainty of school district schedules in the coming weeks, we are currently working on plans to provide opportunities for your child to continue their education through distance learning as we wait for guidance from the state on how school schedules and operations will proceed.