COVID-19 & Programming Updates

Much has changed since our Summer printed catalog was mailed to your home and we have an online document that includes our current offerings. However as we continue to work with our community partners our programs may change faster than we can update this online document, so please use our registration website to get the most up-to-date information.

We highly recommend you refer to our registration website, call 507-328-4000, or email rochesterce@rochester.k12.mn.us. (We will have minimal staff returning to the Northrop Office starting June 1st.)

On the registration website, you can search our courses with a few different approaches:

•         Youth ages are 5 to 18 years old
•         Preschool ages are 3 to 6 years old

Search for courses by key words such as the specific sports or activity (e.g., art, crafts, science, coding) in the search bar located towards the top left area of the web page.

By selecting the "Explore All Programs" option and selecting the program (youth) you will be able to do more detailed searches including time of day, day of week, date of course, age/grade and location, to name a few.

Participants who are registered for classes that have changed will be contacted on an individual basis.

PLEASE take time to log in to our registration website and update the contact information for each child, so we are able to reach you by phone as well as email.

Rochester Public Schools Community Education Youth Enrichment COVID-19 Prevention Standards

 RPS Community Education developed the following COVID-19 Prevention Standards under the guidance of the Minnesota Departments of Health and Education and the Centers for Disease Control to minimize exposure to the novel coronavirus. 

We remain committed to providing high quality opportunities for children to build new skills, to explore their future, and to connect with one another and with positive adult role models. 

Class Design

• Classes/camps are limited to 15 (indoors)/25 (outdoors) or fewer people, including all instructors and participants. 

• Classes/camps will not combine or mix with other individuals or groups. 
• All classes are assigned to one or more defined indoor and/or outdoor learning spaces. Staff will restrict activities to those places, and any assigned path between them. 
• Within the learning space(s), staff will remind participants to maintain physical separation of at least six feet from one another (12 feet for activities with significant physical exertion, such as an exercise class or sports camp). 
• Staff will limit any closer proximity with participants to no more than brief interactions within six feet (less than 1 min). 
• Learning materials will be provided for individual-use, wherever possible; staff will separate any shared materials and sanitize them between uses. 
• Staff will discourage all physical contact in class/camp, including handshakes, high-fives, etc., and suggest alternate, non-contact greetings and celebrations for participants to use (snaps, claps, call/response, etc.). 

Health & Hygiene

• Participants and staff will wash hands frequently to reduce transmission of germs, including, but not limited to, arrival for class, before and after class/camp set-up, before and after transitioning your group to another space, before and after using any shared equipment. 

• If hand washing is not possible in a situation, staff and participants will use hand sanitizer instead (RPS Community Education will make hand sanitizer available, where feasible). 
• RPS Community Education will encourage participants to bring their own refillable water bottles, to avoid needing to drink from shared water fountains. 
• RPS Community Education will follow mask requirements determined by Rochester Public Schools, the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, and the State of Minnesota. In the event those requirements do not align, Community Education will follow requirements currently in place within Rochester Public Schools. 

Drop-off & Pick-up

• Parents/guardians and children must maintain social distancing of at least six feet from non-family members, including staff and other participants, except when staff take the child’s temperature. 

• Parents/guardians must perform a health status screening based on current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, persons showing any symptoms should NOT attend class. 
• Upon arrival, participants should go directly to their assigned room/area where they will be asked to ensure they do not have any symptoms based on current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance. 
• Children should wash their hands prior to entering the learning space; parents/guardians should not enter the group’s learning space. 

Sanitizing

• RPS Community Education requires frequent sanitizing of high touch surfaces. In RPS buildings, maintenance staff will perform this duty for fixed building features (e.g., sinks, doorknobs, light switches, stair rails). Community venue owners who host Community Education programs, and transportation vendors who transport Community Education participants agree to ensure this happens. 

• RPS Community Education requires instructors/coaches to sanitize any shared materials and equipment between classes/camps with EPA-approved cleaners capable of eliminating the novel coronavirus. 

Exclusion

• According to the CDC’s current guidance, people with these symptoms may have COVID-19: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain or body aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Additional symptoms may be identified by the CDC. Adults/children with any of the COVID- 19 symptoms identified by the CDC, without an alternate medical explanation provided, or who has had exposure in the last 14 days to someone with these symptoms, are not allowed to participate in Community Education programs until they are no longer required to self-isolate or quarantine based on CDC guidelines. 

• If one of your participants exhibits signs of illness during a program, you will separate them from the group and call parents/guardians to pick them up. 
• If you experience signs of illness during or between programs, you must contact your coordinator immediately to make arrangements for you to go home and you must keep your coordinator updated regarding the status of your symptoms. By signing this Memorandum of Understanding, you agree to cooperate with your program coordinator and public health officials to engage in any necessary contract tracing in the event you experience COVID-19 symptoms and you agree to comply with CDC guidelines for self-isolation and quarantine. 

 

Nate Schriever	Matt Gove	Amanda Garcia
Youth Program Manager	Coordinator Youth Enrichment	Coordinator Preschool Enrichment

 

It is absolutely imperative to stay home when experiencing COVID symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, chills, nausea, etc.). Each site will have a dedicated isolation space for any staff or student who becomes ill during the school day until the person is able to safely leave the building. The District works closely with public health on the notification / communication to individuals regarding close contact, exposure, and contact tracing. We also notify families of COVID situations as directed by public health.

AT-HOME COVID SYMPTOM SCREENER