Update Center

Yes - as a public school, Spectrum must consider the COVID case data per county as a critical factor in its decision making process.

If the scenario changes for the better where more students can be on campus, Spectrum would do its best to give parents time to make the necessary adjustments (probably a couple of weeks at least). If the scenario changes toward more distance learning due to more cases in the county (or any specific cases at Spectrum), the timeline may have to be shorter based on recommendations of MDH and MDE.

Currently all fall sports practices are scheduled to begin on Monday, August 17. Athletics will operate per Per MSHSL guidance. It may be necessary for students to trasnport themselves if bussing capacity is limited.

IMPORTANT FALL SPORTS MEETING CHANGE – AUGUST 10

In response to COVID-19 concerns the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) announced on Tuesday, August 4 that both the football and volleyball seasons will be moved to next Spring.  The cross country and soccer seasons will remain in place for this fall and will begin as scheduled on August 17.  It is anticipated that there will be practice-only opportunities for football and volleyball this fall; though it is unclear how many practices sessions will be allowed.  A decision has also not been made yet about middle school (grade 6-8) football and volleyball since these programs are not regulated by the MSHSL.  
Students who were planning to participate in football or volleyball this fall may choose to join either cross country or soccer and will still be eligible for the football and volleyball seasons next Spring.  Spectrum also participates in coops for girls’ tennis at Big Lake High School and girls swimming and diving at Elk River that are also scheduled to begin on August 17.  Information about these programs is available from the host school.  
The details about the fall and spring seasons are still being worked on by the MSHSL.  We will continue to provide updates when they become available.  

FALL SPORTS MEETING - MONDAY, AUGUST 10 – NEW SCHEDULE 

The following non-mandatory meetings are informational and will provide an update about possible fall practices and middle school programs.  Please social distance at least six feet at all times and limit attendance to students entering grades 6-12 and only one parent per family.  Masks are required indoors. 

5:45 pm
Football (grades 7-12) / MS Football - Tacklebar (grades 6-8) – High School Gym
Volleyball (grades 7-12) / MS Volleyball (grades 6-8) - Middle School Gym

The following meetings are mandatory for students entering grades 7-12 who are interested to join cross country or soccer.  Attending this meeting does not obligate the player to join the team, however is an important first step in the registration process.  Please social distance at least six feet at all times and limit attendance to students entering grades 7-12 and only one parent per family.  Masks are required indoors 

7: 15 pm
Girls and Boys Cross Country (grades 7-12) – High School Gym
Girls Soccer (grades 7-12) – Middle School Gym 
Boys Soccer (grades 7-12) - High School College & Career Center

Registration for cross country and soccer must be completed online and will open after the FALL SPORTS MEETING on Monday, August 10.  The registration link is https://spectrumhs-ar.rschooltoday.com/  Physicals must be current within the past three years.  The online registration includes a current health questionnaire.   For assistance with registration please contact dbondy@spectrumhighschool.org

Rick Peterson
Athletic Director

More information concerning athletics can be found on the Spectrum Sting Athletics page here.

UPDATED: Click here for a PDF of Spectrum's Fall Scenario Plans 8-4-2020

KEY CONSIDERATIONS:

1. Safety

1a. Follow all safety requirements of MDE and MDH placed on school districts (including requiring facemasks and social distancing)
1b. Daily implementation of Ready for School/Ready for Work Protocol
1c. Daily interactions with each other. Human connection is an important aspect of maintaining positive mental health.

2. Flexibility

2a. Spectrum can not anticipate all circumstances taking place in each home and recognizes that whichever scenario is being implemented may not fit every families' needs at that time. Each family considers many factors when deciding whether or not to send their student(s) to school and those circumstances may
change from day to day. While the expectations are in place for students to attend each class synchonously daily (either on campus or online), the decision about how this plays out for each student is ultimately up to the parent(s)/guardian(s) within the choices and guidelines provided.
2b. Flexibility must be available for the school to shift between distance learning, on campus learning, and a hybrid of the two depending upon mandates from the state, the impact of COVID-19, the current situation at Spectrum, etc.

3. Quality Education

Quality teaching and learning have similar components whether on campus or online, including direct instruction, large group, interaction/engagement, small group, and individual expectations. Teachers will work to incorporate these aspects into their daily lessons and expectations and continue to assess whether
students are mastering the content and skills necessary for success.

4. Accountabily

Based on lessons learned from spring distance learning, many parents, students, and teachers expressed a desire and/or need for more daily structure, expectations, and interaction.

5. Equal Opportunity

Considerations need to be given to student/family circumstances in order to allow for equal opportunity to complete educational expectations in light of circumstances outside of the student or families' control

July 31, 2020

Fall Scenarios for Education at Spectrum - July 31, 2020

The folllowing is an email sent out by Spectrum's Excutive Director, Dan DeBruyn. 

Spectrum Parents/Guardians,

Spectrum's potential school opening scenarios (along with many details we thought parents would appreciate) are linked here. While the school has created plans based on anticipated scenarios, in order to make the decision about which scenario will proceed, it is critical that we receive feedback from our families. Please complete this survey as soon as possible and no later than Tuesday, August 4.

It is likely that the scenario chosen will end up somewhere between those provided in the document found here. Spectrum intends to share that plan by Friday, August 7.

We greatly value your feedback and appreciate your partnership.

Dan DeBruyn

Executive Director

May 19, 2020

Spectrum Class of 2020 Parade and Pick-up/Drop-off Updates - May 19, 2020

The folllowing is an email sent out by Spectrum's Excutive Director, Dan DeBruyn. 

Spectrum Community,

Please see the attached document for an update on the Class of 2020 parade and virtual graduation ceremony this Thursday. It also includes details for pick-up and drop-off of items next week.

PDF of details for Parade and Pick-up/Drop-off Updates

Update from Spectrum's Executive Director - May 13, 2020

The folllowing is an update provided by Spectrum's Excutive Director, Dan DeBruyn. Click here to watch the video. 

Good morning Spectrum Community,

My name is Dan DeBruyn and I have the privilege of serving as Spectrum’s Executive Director.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over two months since we’ve been able to greet you in person. No doubt, this has been, and continues to be, a challenging time. Distance learning was not what students, parents, teachers, or staff anticipated to close out the 19-20 school year and we want to extend a huge thank you to everyone for the way that you have stepped up, persevered, and risen to the occasion. With only a week of school remaining, we want to be an encouragement to each of our students. We know they can do this! We encourage them to stay strong, remain positive, and continue working together to make the push to the last day.

I have two quick messages today. The first is regarding drop off and pick up of materials from the school and the second is about graduation, and an opportunity to cheer on and congratulate the Class of 2020.

First, I’d like to share the plan for drop off and pick up of materials at school. This process will take place during the week of Memorial Day for all students. All lockers will be emptied by staff and placed into a labeled bag for each student. Students and parents will drive to the drop off door of their building and receive the bag with all of the student’s items (such as locker contents, awards, and yearbooks). Inside that bag will be another labeled bag. Students will place all of their items to be returned into that bag right away (including textbooks, supplies, and their Chromebook and cord) and drive up to the next door to drop them off. Everyone will remain in their vehicles and hand their bag to a staff member wearing protective equipment. More information with details on dates and times will be sent out next week.

Second, I’d like to share about an opportunity to celebrate and honor Spectrum’s seniors. Spectrum’s Class of 2020 will be participating in a car parade next Thursday, May 21st, at 5:00 p.m. Spectrum staff, families, and friends will be lined up on the side of the road in their vehicles to cheer them on and let them know how proud we are of their accomplishments. We invite any of our students, families, staff, and friends to join us as a spectator (while remaining in vehicles) to participate in this memorable occasion. More information on the location and route of the parade will be coming out early next week as well.

In addition, the Class of 2020 virtual graduation ceremony will go live after the parade at 7:00 p.m. for all of us to share in the occasion from our homes. This will include virtual performances from Spectrum’s choir and band, speeches from our valedictorian, salutatorian, and our special guest, Representative Eric Lucero, the presentation of graduates, and more. Everyone is encouraged to join in viewing the ceremony.

I want to once again express how proud I am of our teachers and staff for all of the work they’ve invested in our students and distance learning. On behalf of the teachers and staff, I’d also like to say how proud we are of our students for their diligence and determination. And lastly, a huge thank you goes out to our parents for working with your students, supporting them through distance learning, and making the sacrifices necessary for them to be successful. We appreciate you and are so thankful for your support.

Please continue to stay safe and let us know how we can help.

Update from Spectrum's Executive Director - April 24, 2020

The folllowing is an update provided by Spectrum's Excutive Director, Dan DeBruyn. Click here to watch the video. 

Good morning, Spectrum Community. My name is Dan DeBruyn and I am honored to serve as Spectrum’s Executive Director.

It’s hard to believe we’re now completing 4 weeks of distance learning.
I want to share with you some comments I made at the school board meeting last night. It is sometimes said that in times of crisis people’s true character is revealed. I can not express enough how proud I am of our teachers, staff, students, and parents for the character you have shown as we continue to navigate distance learning and both the challenges and opportunities it’s brought to our doorstep.

At the forefront of most people’s minds is the Governor’s press conference yesterday afternoon and the announcement that distance learning will now continue through the remainder of the school year. While the announcement was not a surprise to most people, it’s still disappointing because we miss seeing the students, our staff, and our families and we look forward to the time when we can all reconnect in person.

In light of this extension, I’d like to share three things with you today: activity plans, adjustments that we’ve made based on your feedback, and a couple of announcements.

First, with the extension of distance learning, we’re now able to finalize plans for various activities

1. As directed by the MSHSL, all athletic activities are cancelled for the remainder of the school year. More information will be coming out soon from Mr. Peterson, our Athletic Director, regarding fees and summer programs.
2. In addition, all in-person school activities are being cancelled - such as concerts and awards ceremonies. The staff are continuing to work on creative ways to still celebrate our students’ accomplishments.
3. This is especially true for graduation. We look forward each year for the opportunity to celebrate our seniors and their accomplishments - sending them off to new adventures. We’re considering many options and have appreciated the feedback we’ve gotten. We’ll be communicating more with senior families over the next couple of weeks.

Second, thank you so much for your feedback regarding our distance learning plan. We are continuing to make adjustments daily. Here are just a handful of examples:

1. The School Board passed a temporary grading policy last night, which will provide more flexibility - particularly for final grades at the high school level.
2. Introductory lessons/videos from teachers for each class are now being posted on Mondays, even when they are scheduled professional development days, to ensure students have the additional time needed to complete their work.
3. Teachers have graciously adjusted their office hours online to accommodate student needs later in the afternoon; and
4. Many safety nets have been put into place to follow up with students, check on their needs, and support students and parents.

As always, please continue to let us know how we can help and provide feedback through the updates page on our website. Our leadership team reviews the comments at least twice a week and tries really hard to be responsive to the needs of our community in a timely manner.

Lastly, I wanted to share two quick announcements

1. First, the Board-approved calendar for next school year will be posted on the school website by Monday. More information regarding late starts and early dismissals will be coming out in the near future; and
2. Second, I want to remind you to please let us know if your situation has changed and/or you are in need of school lunches or childcare.

Thank you again for your ongoing support and please continue to stay safe.
 

Click here to view video update on distance learning at Spectrum. You can read the transcript below.

Hello, Spectrum Community. My name is Dan DeBruyn and I am the Executive Director for Spectrum Middle School and Spectrum High School.

I want to thank you again for your support of our teachers and staff as we journey together through distance learning. We’re here to serve and support you, our students and their families. Please continue to let us know how we can help.

This evening, I want to share briefly about three quick items: social media, service learning, and spring break.

First, in these times when social distancing and distance learning have become the norm, we want to continue finding ways to support and connect the Spectrum Community. Beginning this week, we’ll be launching a weekly social media campaign to help tell our students’ stories, build people’s spirits, and bring us closer together. This week we’re encouraging people to share about how their pets bring comfort and joy into their lives. Be on the look out and please share in the campaigns with us. We’ll also be sharing some special stories that took place prior to distance learning as well as some of the encouraging things happening, even now, with our students and staff. We hope to begin highlighting the class of 2020 as well.

Next, due to the limitations imposed by distance learning and the short timeline available for our teachers to adapt curriculum and plans and to connect with community organizations, we feel it’s in the students’ best interest to have Service Learning end after the 3rd quarter (which was March 20th). As a result, there will be no Service Learning requirements in 4th quarter.

Lastly, I wanted to remind you that spring break, which is scheduled to begin this Thursday, April 9th, and go through next Monday, WILL continue as previously approved by the school board. While students had two weeks off as required by the Governor’s executive order, our teachers and staff spent that time making the necessary preparations to build and develop a plan for implementation of distance learning. We appreciate your understanding, and we’ll continue to monitor your feedback, and make adjustments to our distance learning model, as needed.

Please continue to stay safe and enjoy your time together during what, for many of us, is a sacred and time-honored season. We appreciate each of you and are truly grateful for the sacrifices being made to ensure our students’ success. Thank you!

The folllowing is an updated provided by Spectrum's Excutive Director, Dan DeBruyn. Watch the video here. 

Good morning Spectrum Community,

My name is Dan DeBruyn and I have the honor of serving as Spectrum’s Executive Director.

I’m connecting with you today for three reasons:

• To share some insights as we’ve begun implementing Spectrum’s Distance Learning Plan this week;
• To highlight the importance of the social/emotional health of our students, families, and staff; and
• To make some announcements

As we kicked off distance learning this week, many teachers, staff, parents, and students were anxious and a number were also enthusiastic about this new adventure in teaching and learning. Students and teachers have been reconnecting after the two week school closure, which we’ve heard from many has been refreshing and helpful in bringing a little normalcy back to people’s lives.

Of course, there have been a number of challenges in implementing the plan. This is especially the case when those things are outside of our control - such as access to Schoology. Schoology’s a great platform and learning management system that’s served our school well for a number of years and has all of the tools necessary for successful distance learning. Unfortunately, with over 20 million users across the country, complications and access issues have come up. Schoology’s been working around the clock to address these concerns and has made some improvements. Updates from Schoology can be found here. Spectrum’s IT staff are incredibly talented and knowledgeable - working closely with Schoology to address issues as they arise. We are so grateful for people’s patience and the grace being extended as we work with them to address concerns.

Limited access to Schoology has brought questions to the forefront about assignment completion and attendance. We want to remind people that attendance is being kept in terms of work completion and check in points and not specific days or times during the week as long as things are completed by 3:00 p.m. on Friday. It has been recommended to consider having students work at non-peak times (such as 7-10 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m.) to gain better access. Please know that grace will continue to be extended to students for attendance and the timeliness of assignment completion as we work together to address access issues. Our teachers, and staff are happy to work with you, providing flexibility and grace, to help our students be successful.

We also continue to have families in need avail themselves of the opportunity to have lunches delivered from the school on a daily basis. If your student(s) are in need, please contact our Lunch Coordinator, Jennifer Russell by email at jrussell@spectrumhighschool.org.

The second area I want to highlight is the importance of maintaining positive mental health for students, parents, and our staff. In a time when there are many unknowns, it’s important that we monitor our own well being as well as the well being of our students. If there is a disruption to learning, we will work through that together when we return to school. Our teachers are trained at meeting the academic needs of students and differentiating as needed to help them be successful. In addition, our school counselors are available to talk with students about any mental health needs and/or work with parents to refer them to outside resources. We need to continue growing our grace as we work together. Each of us has challenges unique to our situations, our jobs, our families, and our friends. Many teachers are teaching students while also helping their own children through distance learning. Many parents are adapting to working from home while assisting their own children with school work or having their students at home while they’re at work. Some families are impacted by economic challenges to their careers. Children are trying to make sense of it all, while putting forth their best effort to do their part. We’re in this together!

Since the current executive order has schools extending distance learning through April 30th and returning to school on May 5th, Spectrum is determining which large events will need to be cancelled this spring. While we’re still holding out hope that some events will be able to continue in some fashion, there are a number of events that are necessary to cancel in advance. As those decisions are made, we’ll be updating the events on the Frequently Asked Questions portion on our website and noting them as “Cancelled” on the website calendar.

So far, the following items have been noted:

• Prom 2020, previously scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd, has been cancelled at this time
• The 6th-12th grade Band Concert, previously scheduled for Friday, May 1st, will not be happening on May 1st. Discussions are in progress about a possible alternative to this concert.
• The National Junior Honor Society and Nation Honor Society Induction Ceremony, previously scheduled for May 1st, will not be happening on May 1st. Discussions are in progress about a possible alternative.
• Spring Break, scheduled for April 9, 10, and 13) WILL continue as scheduled.

Your feedback is really valuable to us as we navigate distance learning and support each other through these challenging times. Please continue to utilize Help Desk and send your questions or concerns by using the buttons on the new Updates page on our website.

We care for and appreciate each of you and your families. Please stay safe and let us know how we can help!

Spectrum Community,

This email is a follow up to the video communication posted last night with updates on Spectrum's distance learning plan to begin on Monday morning.

Please take a few moments to watch the video, review the plan, and watch the summary video of student expectations with your student.

Spectrum's website has also been updated with current information on COVID-19 and Spectrum's ongoing efforts to provide continuity in education for the students.

Spectrum teachers, administration, and staff want to express our appreciation for your support during this challenging time. We are confident that, by working together, our students will continue to be successful. We are looking forward to reconnecting with your students on Monday.

Please send us any feedback in the designate "Concern or Question" box on our website here. We will be monitoring beginning today and are here to assist.

Thank you,

Dan DeBruyn

Executive Director

The folllowing is the transcript from the video recorded on March 27th by Spectrum's Excutive Director, Dan DeBruyn. 

Good evening Spectrum Community,

My name is Dan DeBruyn and I am Spectrum’s Executive Director.

I’m connecting with you today for three reasons:

1. To share Spectrum’s Distance Learning Plan that was approved by the Spectrum School Board last night.
2. To share a handful of pointers that we would like to encourage families to consider in preparation for Monday and the kickoff of our distance learning program.
3. To provide some encouragement as we venture into the world of distance learning together.

Spectrum’s administration and staff have been working incredibly hard to create a distance learning plan that is user-friendly, consistent, flexible, and provides quality teaching and learning. This plan was presented to the Spectrum school board at their meeting last night where the Board asked many pertinent questions and moved forward with approval - keeping in mind that the document and plan will be adapted as needs arise and feedback is sought by parents, students, and teachers. The Spectrum distance learning plan can be found on the school website under the new tab for distance learning. It will also be sent out by email to all families and staff by tomorrow morning. Parents are encouraged to review the student expectations with their children. We’ve also provided a user-friendly video explaining those expectations that we hope will be helpful to your students as they prepare for Monday morning.

Second, we want to provide a handful of pointers that we hope will be helpful for parents as you anticipate your students starting distance learning on Monday. 

• As is good practice for students when completing homework, we encourage families to set up a specific location in your home where your children can be expected to work on their school work.
• In addition, it would be a good idea to establish some daily routines and discuss a schedule with expectations for school time. That schedule should include a conversation each night with your children about what they worked on and perhaps looking over their work together.
• Of course, you know your children best and locations, schedules, and the amount of accountability will vary greatly depending upon their age and their level of self-discipline.
• Another important consideration is to ensure your child has access to the internet at home. We recognize that internet access varies by community and speeds or data plans also vary. As all students across the state delve into distance learning on Monday, in addition to many parents working from home, we anticipate some glitches will happen. This is part of the reason we ensured that our distance learning plan allows for flexibility and most of the lessons are pre-recorded instead of being live streamed.

Lastly, we want to encourage parents, students, and teachers as we work together to make the best of the situation. While no one could have anticipated our current situation, we believe that, by working together, we can and will be successful. Please know that we do not expect parents to become teachers and we have tried to put the necessary supports in place to ensure your students success and ongoing connection with his or her teachers and other support staff. It’ll be important for grace to be extended from each of us.

Your feedback will be very important to us as we look to continually improve our distance learning model and plan. For this reason, we have provided a link on the Distance Learning page on our website for you to provide feedback and ask questions. This will be monitored daily and we will do our best to get back to you in a timely manner - including this weekend as we ramp up to Monday morning.

Our teachers are excited to reconnect with your students on Monday! Please continue to stay safe and let us know how we can help. 

Thank you.

Spectrum Parents,

As noted in the communication sent Sunday morning, Spectrum will be opening all three buildings at specified times for students to pick up supplies, materials, and instruments. If your child needs to pick up items, please have them enter the buildings through the Event Entrance @ either building.

The buildings will be open at the following times ONLY:

*Tuesday, March 24th from 7:30-8:30 a.m. AND 3:30-4:30 p.m.

*Wednesday, March 25th from 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Other Important Notes:

1. Choral music folders for all grades (6-12) have been relocated to the event entrance in the High School building.

2. Students will only have access to lockers and the music room for instruments. No other classrooms will be opened.

3. The buildings may not be staffed during this time other than a custodian.

4. Please minimize interaction with other people during this time.

5. These times are subject to change if further direction is received from the Governor or Commissioner of Education.

Thank you for continuing to work with us to ensure students are prepared for distance learning beginning Monday, March 30th.

Dan DeBruyn

Executive Director

The folllowing is the manuscript from the video recorded on March 22nd by Spectrum's Excutive Director, Dan DeBruyn. 

Good morning, Spectrum Community,

My name is Dan DeBruyn and I am Spectrum’s Executive Director.

This is the first of a number of communications I hope to send over the next couple of weeks while our school community, our state, and our country are dealing with COVID-19. Spectrum has been monitoring the situation very closely, including daily calls with the commissioner of education, superintendents, and charter school leaders across the state – as well as weekly calls with the Minnesota Department of Health.

The purpose of this first message is threefold:

• To encourage you during this challenging time
• To bring you up to speed on the work taking place at Spectrum in preparation for distance learning; and
• To let you know about some important updates coming in the week ahead

First, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude and provide some encouragement. While we are not aware of anyone in the Spectrum community that’s been infected with the virus at this time, we are keenly aware that we are all affected to differing degrees – whether that be your job, students being home from school, family and friends, your physical or mental health, or in some other way.

Our community never ceases to amaze me with your resilience and the ways that you care for each other. Thank you to those community members who’ve reached out to offer assistance and help those in need throughout our school community and thank you all for your patience as we work together to navigate these uncharted waters.

Please know that we are here for you and let us know how we can be of assistance.

Second, I’d like to update you on some of the work taking place at Spectrum in preparation for distance learning. I’m very proud of our teachers and staff and the work they’re doing. Pulling together a distance learning program is typically years in the making. What an incredible privilege to work with such a group of highly dedicated and talented people working behind the scenes to ensure we’ll be able to provide continuity in our students’ education through a distance learning model beginning on March 30th. While we’re not sure when traditional on-campus learning will be reinstituted across the state, we are committed to providing the tools, strategies, curriculum, communication, and supports necessary for our students to be successful.

In addition to the educational work being done; our lunch coordinator has been making and delivering school lunches to those in need; our custodial and maintenance staff have been deep cleaning the facilities in preparation for the students’ return; and our administrative and office staff have been working behind the scenes to guide and coordinate this process and address other important logistical matters.

Lastly, I want to make you aware of some important things coming up this week.

We know that there are many questions parents and students have about what this learning model will look like. While the full plan is not quite ready for distribution, it has been in development since the Governor’s announcement a week ago and will be approved by the Spectrum School Board this Thursday, March 26. Once approved, it will be posted on the school website on Friday, the 27th, and a link to the details will be sent to all families and staff at that time. Those details will include how instruction will be delivered, work and attendance expectations of students, how to access supports, and much more.

Also happening early this week, the Spectrum website will be updated with important information pertaining to COVID-19 and where to find ongoing accurate information as well as answers to many of the frequently asked questions we are receiving.

There are two things parents and students can do to plan ahead for March 30th. First, is to ensure students have their supplies and materials at home. This includes textbooks, notebooks, musical instruments, and Chromebooks (including the charging cord). Most of you took care of this last week, which we greatly appreciate. If you still need to pick up these items, the buildings will be open for pick up at specified times this week, which will be posted on the website. The second thing we are asking is that all families complete the internet access survey that will be sent by email early this week. Our technology staff is working hard to ensure internet access for all students in order for them to view and complete their course work.

Please know that you are each important to us and we look forward to working with you to make this transition as smooth as possible. We encourage you to make the most of the quality time you have together as a family during this challenging time. We miss our students and families and are looking forward to connecting with you soon. Please stay safe and be on the lookout for the next communication.