Notifications

No School — Friday, March 26 – Friday, April 2

Distance Learning Week — Monday, April 5 – Friday, April 9

Click Here for More Information on Hybrid Learning

COVID-19 Operations & Safety Plan Student / Family Handbook

Monday, March 1

Learning Model Plan for After Spring Break

RE: Temporary Learning Model Shift the Week after Spring Break 2021

Dear Excell Families:

The percentage of U.S. travel during the spring break season, as well as Excell Academy’s staff, students, and families travel plans are forecasted to increase during the spring break, March 29 – April 2, 2021;

Since the CDC’s predictions of increased risk of the spread of the COVID-19 virus during high travel times domestic and foreign and Excell’s Executive Leadership Team predicts there will be staffing challenges and operations capacity limitations the week after spring break; Excell Academy’s Executive Director, Executive Leadership Team, Incident Command Team have agreed and have consulted with Excell’s Regional Public Health Center reps; and per guidance from the MDE and CDC on mitigating strategies to reduce the risk of the global pandemic COVID-19 virus, Excell Academy’s Executive Director, Executive Leadership Team, and Excell’s Incident Command Team are in agreement with and unanimously recommend a week of school wide quarantine the week after spring break, the week of April 5th – 9th, 2021.

Upon the the Executive Director’s acceptance of the school wide quarantine recommendation, Excell Academy’s Board of Directors have formally approved the following:

There will be a school wide quarantine the week after spring break – April 5th – 9th, 2021;

All Excell Academy’s Prek-8th grade students will shift to a Distance Learning Model during the quarantine period – April 5th – 9th, 2021.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep Excell Academy’s students, staff, and families safe during this global pandemic.

Sincerely,

Sabrina Williams, Executive Director

Friday, February 19

Dear families,

The State of Minnesota has announced the launch of the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, which is a tool that helps Minnesotans find out when, where and how to get their COVID-19 vaccine.

This system is a proactive way for all Minnesotans to indicate their interest in receiving a vaccine, so that when they become eligible, they can be alerted and connected to resources to schedule a vaccine appointment.

Below is some information about the Vaccine Connector that you may find helpful.

Should I complete the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector form?

All Minnesotans who would like to receive a COVID-19 vaccine should fill out the form to ensure they stay updated on vaccination opportunities in their area when they become available.

Who can get vaccinated now?

Demand for vaccine far exceeds supply, and Minnesotans are encouraged to remain patient as more vaccine arrives in the weeks and months ahead. Minnesota is continuing to distribute vaccines using a phased approach to immunize for impact by focusing on populations with the highest risk of getting COVID-19, as well as those most at risk of severe illness and complications if they become infected.

In Minnesota, you are eligible now to get vaccinated if you are a:

· Minnesotan age 65 or older

· Health care worker

· Long-term care resident or staff member

· Prekindergarten through Adult Basic and Community Education school staff member, or contracted school staff member

· Child care staff member at a licensed and certified child care center or program

How do I sign up?

· Signing up for the Vaccine Connector is easy, safe and secure.

· All Minnesotans 18 years of age and older should sign up, no matter their current vaccine eligibility status.

· There will be no cost and no restricted time period for signing up.

· Health insurance and personal identification forms are not required for signing up.

· Go to mn.gov/vaccineconnector to sign up.

· Minnesotans unable to sign up online can have family or friends help them sign up online, or call 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone.

· Translation is available by phone in all languages. Minnesotans can call the translation hotlines at 833-431-2053 and 651-318-0989 for assistance signing up over the phone.

· All Minnesotans have to do to sign up is provide basic information such as contact information, demographic data, medical history, and employment to determine their eligibility based on state guidelines.

· The State of Minnesota is committed to the equitable distribution of safe and effective vaccines for protection against COVID-19 and the Vaccine Connector form has included questions about gender identity, sexual orientation, race, cultural identification, and disabilities to help us track and measure equity and fairness throughout the vaccine distribution process. These questions do have the option to select “prefer not to answer” or “none of the above,” and selecting these answers will not prevent you from signing up for the Vaccine Connector.

What happens after I fill out the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector form?

As more vaccine becomes available, the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector will send you updates about your COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and opportunities to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota.

In the months ahead as vaccine supply increases, the Vaccine Connector will help Minnesotans know where vaccine is in the state, find out when they are eligible to get it, and connect them to a vaccine opportunity near them — no matter where they live or their personal circumstances. Before and after you are vaccinated, it’s important to continue to take simple steps to slow the spread of illness by wearing a mask, staying 6 feet away from others, washing your hands, and staying home whenever possible

For more information, please visit https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/

The Vaccine Connector is open to all Minnesotans. Please feel free to share this information with your family, friends and others who may be interested.

Thank you,

Sabrina Williams, Executive Director

Saturday, January 16

January 16, 2021

Dear Excell Academy Families:

I hope this update finds you and your family well, staying safe, and optimistic about 2021. I wish you and yours a very, safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

Once again, I thank you for your patience as Excell Academy has finalized plans to comply with the Governor’s order for schools to safely bring prek-5th grade students back on site. Since receiving the Governor’s Order last month, a combined Administrative team has been strategically planning and prepping for the transition by collecting and analyzing data from our families and staff, consulting with our Regional Centers COVID-19 reps, reviewing COVID-19 positive case data weekly, as well as updating our COVID-19 Building Operations Plan. As a result of our safe planning and preparations, with the recommendation of Excell’s Incident Command Team, and advice from our Regional COVID-19 support reps, Excell Academy plans to safely bring prek-5th grade students back on site in a Hybrid Learning Model (only students whose parents selected Hybrid) in the month of February. All Prek-5th graders whose families opted to continue distance learning as well as all 6th – 8th graders, will continue in a distance learning model. Designated Prek – 5th grade students will return on site beginning the first week of February 2021 according to the following Hybrid Rolling Start timeline:

Date	Grade Level	Hybrid Schedule	Hybrid Families Virtual MANDATORYOrientation
Feb 1	PreK & K	M-TH (on site)9:00am – 3:45pm	January 26th
Feb 8th	1st	M-TH (on site)9:00am – 3:45pm	February 2nd
Feb 16th	2nd & 3rd	M-TH (on site)9:00am – 3:45pm	February 9th
Feb 22nd	4th & 5th	M-TH (on site)9:00am – 3:45pm	February 16th

COVID-19 Operations & Safety Plan Student / Family Handbook & Mandatory Family Orientation –

Please BE SURE to read Excell Academy’s COVID-19 Operations & Safety Plan Student / Family Handbook posted on Excell’s website and sent in the family communications text blast. In the Family Handbook, you will find very important information regarding new on-site safety procedures and protocols for all students and families. You will also find information on Excell’s COVID-19 uniform policy, COVID-19 safe drop-off and pick procedures, temp checks, social distancing, sanitizing, disinfecting, masking requirements, and other required safety procedures.

ALL families who selected the Hybrid Learning Model must agree to all of the safety procedures and protocols in order to finalize your student’s Hybrid “In Person” enrollment. Please note, NO STUDENT will be allowed to attend “In Person” at Excell Academy without a signed safety agreement from a parent or legal guardian. Excell’s COVID-19 Safety Plan Agreement Form will be shared with all families at your designated grade level orientation meeting. A parent or legal guardian MUST be in attendance and MUST sign the “Agreement Form” at the end of the orientation session.

QUESTIONS

After reading the Family Handbook carefully, you may forward any additional questions to info@excellacademy.org. There will also be time to ask questions at your designated grade level orientation meeting.

More Important Information

As you know, Monday, January 18th is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Holiday, and Tuesday, January 19th is a regularly scheduled professional development day per the school calendar. Please know there will be NO school for ALL students in prek-8th grade and NO Community Heroes program on these two days. In addition, there will be No school / No distance learning classes for all PK-5th graders for the remainder of the week, as the governor has approved Excell Academy to use the remainder of the Holiday week to prepare staff to come back on site. Please note, middle school students/6th-8th grade, will continue their regular distance learning schedule for the remainder of the week (Wednesday, Jan 20th-22nd).

As always, the health and safety of our students and staff continues to be our top priority and we are incredibly grateful to have such amazingly supportive Excell families to make this transition smooth and safe for all. We are looking forward to working together to do whatever it takes to Change Tomorrows for our students Today!

Sincerely,

Sabrina Williams, Executive Director

Monday, January 11

Dear Excell Academy Families,

As you know Monday, January 18th is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Holiday, and Tuesday, January 19th is a regularly scheduled professional development day per the school calendar. Please know there will be NO school for ALL students in PK-8th grade and NO Community Heroes program on these two days.

Thank you for your patience as we finalize plans for bringing our PK-5th grade students back on site per the Governor’s order. The governor has approved Excell to use the remainder of this Holiday week to prepare staff in COVID preparedness procedures and protocols including professional development, building safety, safe transportation procedures, health screenings and other necessary information to transition our students and staff in person safely. Please note, middle school students/6th-8th grade, will continue their regular distance learning schedule for the remainder of this week (Wednesday, Jan 20th-22nd).

This week and next week, please look for a detailed schedule and upcoming parent & student orientation dates, uniform information, transportation sign up, supply lists and other information for those students who have selected an In-Person Hybrid Learning Model. Families who selected for their student(s) to remain in a distance learning model, will continue in a distance learning model, and will also receive any relevant updates.

As always, we are incredibly grateful to have such amazingly supportive families (every single student and every single parent) to make this transition smooth and safe for all. We are looking forward to working together to do whatever it takes to safely support our Excell Academy Families.

Sincerely,

Sabrina Williams, Executive Director

Justin Balvin, Academic Dean

Executive Leadership Team

Monday, December 21, 2020

Attention Excell Academy Families,
Meals will continue to be distributed during the winter break with adjusted times.Please note: Meals will be distributed Wednesday December 23rd and Wednesday December 30th at Excell Academy from 10:00am-4:00pm on a first come first serve basis until all meals have been distributed. There will be no delivery, meals will be distributed by pick up only on these days.

December 17, 2020

Greetings Excell Families:

As you likely have heard, Governor Walz released Minnesota’s updated Safe Learning Plan that prioritizes preschool programs and elementary schools across the state to shift to an in-person or hybrid learning model beginning the week of January 18, 2021. Please know we are reviewing this guidance thoroughly and developing a strategic implementation plan that prioritizes safety and meets the specific needs of Excell Academy’s students, families, and staff.

In this plan, the Governor is asking School Districts to make a significant effort to transition as many prek and elementary grades (students) as possible on site safely in rolling / tiered start dates (refer to pages 10-13 of the updated Safe Learning Plan for more details). Although, the Governor just made this announcement a few days ago, several teams at Excell Academy have been working on a customized transition plan for a number of weeks, so we are grateful that we have already started these conversations.

Our priorities have not changed – our priority is to keep our students, staff and our Excell Academy community as safe as possible. There is no scenario where we would suddenly launch back to a “normal” educational mode with all students in grades Prek-5 back on site full time. Instead, we will slowly implement a safe plan that brings our youngest students back on site when we are ready and prepared to handle any situation that may arise.

Over the next two weeks, we will be contacting and surveying you – Excell’s families, to get detailed data to help the Incident Command Team (ICT) recommend informed decisions about hybrid and in person learning. Once we have this data, we will update our learning plan and share it with you. As mentioned above, our priorities have not changed and the ICT will continue to monitor COVID-19 data to make the best decisions possible for our school.

As always, we are incredibly grateful to have such an amazing team (every single Excell staff member – and every single parent) to make the transition(s) smooth and safe for students, parents, and staff. We are looking forward to working together to do whatever it takes to safely support our Excell Academy Community. *Please look out for and complete the VERY IMPORTANT survey that will be delivered to you via text blast in the next few days!

Sincerely,

Sabrina Williams, Executive Director

Justin Balvin, Academic Dean

Executive Leadership Team

December 14, 2020

Care packages going out this week.

What: Packs from Kids In Need (thanks to Katie Norton)
Hats/gloves Books Fun Winter Packets Other (gift cards, puzzles etc…)
When: Available For Pickup – Friday during meal pick-up 10:00-4:00pm
Who: All Students in Need are welcome to receive a pack.
Where: At Excell Academy’s Front Entrance

December 1, 2020

Hello Excell Academy Families:

As we navigate through the many changes and challenges we are facing during this Covid-19 Pandemic our top priority is the safety of our students and families. We also want to be sure you are informed about the current trends to better understand why we have been making the decisions we have here at Excell Academy.

Every Tuesday morning the Department of Health releases new Covid-19 trend data. It provides the 14 day average number of cases (per 10,000 residents) of Hennepin County and every city in Hennepin County with more than 10,000 residents. We want to share this information so you can have a chance to review it and stay informed. One thing to keep in mind is that the data in the table below is already 10 days old. This delay is caused by the MDH having to verify all of the positive cases.

If you’re looking for more up-to-data info you can check out this link: https://jwolfson.shinyapps.io/school_openings/?fbclid=IwAR3-Lp8tMC6jJpG5QQg80h_DfkUnk7E1T_v4pglW14GK02V4k6WaNjrje9g This link is nice because it allows you to select any County in the State as well as any School District.

Here is one last resource that is updated each day at 11:00. It shows tons of data including the number of tests given and positive cases that occured the prior day by 4:00.

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html If you look at the daily update you can see that there were 3,570 new cases yesterday.

Regardless of what source you look at, it’s clear that community spread of covid-19 is quite common. In fact, the MDH is now recommending that anyone who gathered with people outside of their household for Thanksgiving, should monitor symptoms and get tested 5-7 days after that gathering. We encourage you to please use caution and continue to follow all MDH guidelines as we navigate this challenging and unprecedented epidemic.

Please stay safe and feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about covid data and how to interpret it.

Unsure if you should get tested? Here is information from MDH on who should get tested and when: https://mn.gov/covid19/for-minnesotans/if-sick/is-it-covid/index.jsp

If you or anyone in your family is in need of Covid-19 testing, here are a few links to follow for assistance:

Covid 19 Community Testing Sites: https://mn.gov/covid19/for-minnesotans/if-sick/testing-locations/community-testing.jsp

Covid-19 Vault at home testing:

https://learn.vaulthealth.com/state-of-minnesota/

HACER (The Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research) has created a Covid-19 Spanish Hotline:

COVID-19 (Spanish) HOTLINE: 651-304-6145

Are you:

1. Seeking COVID-19 related support in your native language?

2. Needing help accessing resources such as food and housing?

3. Wanting additional information related to COVID-19?

Our specialists provide information in English and in Spanish regarding available resources, brought to you on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC.

Thank you for doing whatever it takes to keep our school and community safe.

Excel Academy Covid-19 Incident Command Team

November 9, 2020

LEARNING MODEL UPDATE

November 9, 2020

Hello Excell Academy Families:

As you know, the health and safety of our students, staff and Excell community continues to be our first priority, and that will remain the most weighted factor in considering shifting to a less restrictive learning model (hybrid or all in-person).

Since the beginning of this unprecedented school year, Excell Academy’s Incident Command Team (ICT) has been monitoring COVID-19 case data from Hennepin County and Excell’s surrounding cities weekly. Excell Academy is proud to serve students from over 10 zip code areas, including all of the Osseo District and other surrounding districts. Additionally, the ICT has reviewed data from local areas where staff reside, and members of the ICT consult with our school’s Regional Center for Public Health Team regularly.

After looking at the current 14-day COVID-19 case rates as well as the high risks and possible negative impact of the current COVID-19 case rates, the ICT has recommended and the decision has been approved, that Excell Academy will continue in the Distance Learning Model for the remainder of the calendar year – 2020. Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases are rising at rapid rates across the county and the local areas where a majority of our students live are being disproportionately impacted.

With all of this data in mind, the ICT and CEO agreed that it is important to make sure our high-need students (especially students with IEPs) are able to receive services on site when necessary and appropriate. There are already multiple committees working to ensure this happens as quickly as possible.

The ICT will continue to monitor the COVID-19 case data and other important factors to determine if we will slowly begin to shift to a hybrid learning model in mid January 2021; we will provide more details in early January. Please remember, if Excell shifts to a less restrictive learning model (hybrid or in-person), families, you always have the option to keep your student(s) in distance learning.

Thank you for your continued flexibility during this time of pandemic in our country and world; and thank you for your continued support in working with us to ensure a safe and high quality learning and work environment for all of our students and staff. We will get through this together. Please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Excell Academy Incident Command Team Members, and

Sabrina Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Founder

November 7, 2020

After a long and accurate count, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been elected as the 46th president and vice president of the United States of America. Congratulations to President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris!

Kamala Harris is the first female, first Black American, and first person of color to be elected as Vice President of the United States!

November 3, 2020

Hello Excell Families:
I hope everyone is well and keeping safe. This is a reminder that Tuesday, November 3rd is a staff development day and election day – there is NO SCHOOL for students, no on site programming – no Community Heroes and no meals services.
When this year’s calendar was developed and approved by Excell Academy’s Board of Directors back in the early spring, Tuesday, November 3rd was “intentionally” placed on the school calendar as a staff development day (no school for students day) so all of Excell’s staff could have the flexibility to participate in any needed professional development as well as go out and vote. Voting not only model’s social responsibility to our students, it also gives everyone the opportunity to exercise this very important right. At that time, we could not have even foreseen the urgent need to give staff this flexible time; as we now know, some of our staff (and many of you) might be standing in line for long periods of time to cast their vote. Due to this “flexible” work day, now our staff can be assured they do have the time to stand in line if needed and exercise their right to vote.
Adult Family members of Excell 18 and older, PLEASE do not let your vote go to waste by not voting – 2020 has been an unprecedented year and YOUR VOTE DOES MATTER!
Please be sure to make your voice heard by casting your vote next Tuesday, November 3rd!
P.S. I voted three weeks ago.
With Sincere Urgency,
Sabrina Williams

Excell Playground Event

Greetings Excell Staff, Board, Community and Friends:
Great News! Our long wait has come to an end. Our playground has been delivered and I would like to give Excell Academy’s staff, students and student families, Board, community, and friends the coveted opportunity to be a part of this memorable event that will go down in Excell Academy’s (and the CIty of Brooklyn Park’s) historical accounts.
This extraordinary event is taking place Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday (October 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th) from 8am – 6pm. All who want to participate should sign up for the day(s) they want to volunteer.
Please note: Safety protocols will be in place including: mandatory masking, limited numbers of people allowed for each shift/block, sanitizer, gloves, and any other equipment needed will be provided. Please wear work boots or durable sneakers. If you have “Excell Gear” please wear it. Please come ready to work and have fun! To sign up follow this link: https://forms.gle/jJjmprGqgmVyR12T6
Thank you for being a part of this most amazing event!

October 14-16, 2020

No School – Staff Development

October 12, 2020

LEARNING MODEL UPDATE
Hello Excell Academy Families:
As you know, the health and safety of our students, staff and Excell community is our first priority, and that has remained the most weighted factor in considering shifting to a less restrictive learning model (hybrid or all in-person).

Over the past five to six weeks of operation, Excell Academy’s Incident Command Team (ICT) has been monitoring COVID-19 case data from Hennepin County and Excell’s surrounding cities weekly. The ICT has also researched data from local areas where students and staff reside, and have consulted with our Regional Center for Public Health Team. Additionally, the ICT surveyed parents and considered staff input before making a final decision regarding shifting learning models after the first six weeks. Based on these factors, the decision has been made to refrain from shifting to a hybrid or in-person learning model at this time. However, the ICT will continue to monitor the COVID-19 case data and other important factors over the next four weeks to determine if we will slowly begin to shift to a hybrid learning model in mid November. Please remember, if Excell shifts to a less restrictive learning model (hybrid or in-person), families, you always have the option to keep your student(s) in distance learning.
Thank you for your continued flexibility during these unprecedented times in our country and world; and thank you for your continued support in working with us to ensure a safe and high quality learning and work environment for all of our students and staff. We will get through this together. Please stay safe.
Extremely Grateful,

Sabrina Williams Chief Education Officer, Executive Director, Founder

October 5, 2020

“Almost everybody has a favorite teacher, someone who went above and beyond to encourage you because they could see your potential. In October, take time to celebrate World Teachers’ Day — a global event launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994.” (NationalToday.com)

October 2, 2020

Over the next 3 weeks, we will be closely reviewing Covid-19 case data to inform our decision about possibly moving into a hybrid instructional model for our youngest students in the coming weeks. In order to plan and prepare for a possible transition to a hybrid model, we want your feedback regarding a model that makes the most sense for you and your family. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey below. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. https://forms.gle/WygejVD9HMZuwcp76

September 28, 2020

No School or Community Heroes Childcare on Monday, September 28.

September 25, 2020

Meal Distribution is taking place every Friday between 10 am and 5 pm. Please come and pick up 7-day meal bundles for all children in your home 18 years and younger. Meal distribution will only be on Fridays. Meals picked up on Friday are for the following week.

September 4, 2020

Technology Needs

If your students has technology needs, and you would like to check out a device through Excell Academy, please go to our Technology Agreement Form page, and fill out the form. Thank you

August 24, 2020

Welcome Back Drive Thru

We are excited to invite you to Excell Academy’s Welcome Back Drive Thru! Get a chance to meet your child’s teacher and collect important information for the school year!

Welcome back drive thru for students in PreK-3rd grade will be on Tuesday, Sept. 1st from 4pm-7pm and students in 4th-8th grade will be on Thursday, Sept. 3rd from 4pm-7pm.

Distance Learning Meal Distribution Preference Form

If you have not already done so, please complete your Meal Distribution Preference form to indicate how you would like to receive meals during distance learning. Even if you would like to opt out of meals during Distance Learning, please complete the form and indicate so. Please complete no later than August 31st. Follow this link to complete your form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKByI4dgfd77UBye48-fjwxHni5p9yQTdIVk4JDFnd7tL5bw/viewform?usp=sf_link

August 10, 2020

We are excited to announce that we are officially opening up the pantry to Excell families and community. Thank you to our awesome staff who donated as well as the donations from members of Mighty Fortress church for making this possible.
We are continuing to accept donations through the summer. Special thanks to Ms. Davison, Ms. Novella and Ms. Joyce McNutt for helping to organize and bring the pantry together.
Families who are interested in visiting the pantry may do so by calling the front office to schedule an appointment or may complete the following Google form: https://forms.gle/ty2ij7cg52M1qYFv6. Pantry hours will be the same as office hours but we can also accommodate working families.

August 3, 2020

Dear Excell Academy Families:

We hope you are all feeling well, staying safe. The following are a few very important school updates:

Governor Walz’s announcement

On Thursday, July 30, Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-82 to implement Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year. This plan uses a localized, data-driven approach that allows school districts and charter schools to operate in a learning model that is responsive to the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in their community. The plan prioritizes safe learning for all Minnesota students, including requiring school districts and charter schools to give families the option to choose distance learning for their student no matter which learning model their school is implementing. Read the full press release.

Plan for the Fall- Decision Making Process

After reviewing the Safe Learning Plan in great detail, Excell Academy has decided to start the 20-21 school year in a full distance learning model. We will continue in a distance learning model until October 14th, when we will evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in our community and make a decision to shift learning models (hybrid, full in-person, or continue with distance learning) moving forward. We firmly believe that this decision ensures the safety of our students, staff and families. This decision aligns with the results of the family survey that we sent out last week. The data in that survey indicated that nearly 50% of our families were not comfortable sending their students to school in any on-site scenario. We also relied on state COVID-19 testing data to make this decision. Hennepin County, and more specifically, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, have disportionately high numbers of COVID-19 cases and we don’t believe it wise to unnecessarily put students and families at risk. Again, our main priority is the safety of our Excell Academy community and we believe that this plan demonstrates our commitment to our students, staff, and families. We are currently working on creating a robust high quality distance learning plan for our students and we look forward to sharing that with you soon.

Sign up for full Distance Learning option for the 2020-21 school year by August 9

Families who prefer a full Distance Learning option instead of having their child attend under any in-person/hybrid model for the 2020-21 school year may sign up by filling out this form:: https://forms.gle/JZJ9umd9hwqRwyrQ8. Registration into this program is a year long commitment and Excell Academy cannot guarantee that requests to move to in person learning can be accommodated. If a request to move to in-person is made, Excell Academy will review that request before the start of each new trimester but can not guarantee that a switch is possible based on staffing and safety considerations.

On site Options during Distance Learning- Community Heroes Daycare

Childcare for essential workers as defined by Governor Walz will be available for families during the distance learning period. Also, to better serve our families who are experiencing difficulty with distance learning, a limited number of on-site spaces are available during school hours. Community Heroes has provided childcare for essential workers since the beginning of school closures in March. Community Heroes prides themselves in providing quality care while continuing to take appropriate safety precautions and following social distancing guidelines as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Minnesota Department of Health. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/XGjriJC46CcLCLfP8

Technology Needs

To ensure all students have the technology access they need to be successful in a distance learning environment, please complete the following short survey: https://forms.gle/2pNc81xkMk4M4SUL7

What’s next? When can you expect more information?

Yearly registration forms are now available by visiting the Daily Bulletin on your PowerSchool account. Families who prefer to complete forms on site may do so on August 5th, 12th and 19th from 10am-6pm. Due to social distancing guidelines please be prepared to complete registration in your vehicle.

To continue to stay updated follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellAcademyEagles/ and visit our website: http://excellacademy.org/

Finally, please know that the health, safety, and dignity of our students and families is of utmost importance to me as well as our Board and school leadership. We will continue to “Do Whatever it Takes” to work together with YOU – our families to “Change Tomorrows for Children Today.” Please stay well and safe.

Sincerely,

Sabrina R. Williams, Founder and Executive Director

July 24, 2020

Dear Excell Academy Families:

We hope you are all feeling well, staying safe and enjoying the summer. The following are a few very important school updates:

I would like to thank all of the parents or guardians who joined in one or both sesion of our Parent Talks information and Q & A last week. It was very helpful hearing comments, concerns, receiving feedback and holding discussions about fall school reopening scenarios. Your input was extremely helpful!

Return to school Preparedness Plan

As you know, schools were asked to develop plans for all three of the following school programming scenarios and be ready to switch / rotate between models as the public health situation changes:

Distance Learning – Remote instruction using technology and / or student work packets.
Blended Learning – Also called “hybrid learning” – “represents a learning model that combines both formal (traditional classroom) and non-formal (online courses) methodologies” – including rotating groups of students physically distanced on site.
Traditional – All on site classroom instruction.

On next Thursday, July 30th, Governor Walz will announce which scenario schools will begin the 2020-2021 school year with. In order for Excell Academy to fully accommodate the needs of our students and families in every scenario, we need more specific information from you. Please click on the following link to complete a short survey by Tuesday, July 28th: https://forms.gle/JH9Bz5VySwPgqNVr7. We need ALL families to respond ASAP to communicate your needs, accommodations, and/or preferences so we may have a head start in ensuring the best possible school experience for our students AND their families.

Full time distance learning option

All Minnesota school districts are also required to provide a full distance learning option for those who prefer distance learning for the full year, instead of having their child attend under any in-person/hybrid model. Excell families will always have the option for full time distance learning for the school year.

Face covering now required at Excell Academy and in all school facilities starting July 25th ages 5+.On July 22, 2020, Governor Walz issued Executive Order 20-81, requiring Minnesotans to wear face coverings in certain settings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Sincerely,

Sabrina R. Williams, Founder and Executive Director

Summer Device Retention

Check out the latest time-lapse videos of our schools construction. We are anxious to see how the construction continues throughout the summer.