Notifications

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.