2021-22 Frequently Asked Questions

Vaccines remain one of the best ways we can stop the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. We strongly encourage everyone who is age-eligible to be fully vaccinated before arriving on campus. As these vaccines are currently in emergency use status, we will not be mandating the COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend school, work, or visit campus. Students who have not successfully completed a full vaccination will be subject to quarantine upon exposure to a positive case, whereas a fully vaccinated student will only need to be quarantined if they are symptomatic. Further, the cost of quarantine will be charged to the family for an unvaccinated student who is eligible to receive the vaccine.

Vaccination records can be submitted with the child’s registration information using the Magnus Health portal or submitted by email to healthservices@s-sm.org.

Currently, any person who is not fully vaccinated must wear a mask while indoors (other than in their own dorm room) and should also wear it when with a group of people outdoors. Those who are vaccinated are not required to wear a mask; however, fully vaccinated people still have the option to wear a mask and that choice will be respected.

NEW:
When school begins on Wednesday, August 25th, masks will only be required in our buildings for people who are not vaccinated, with one important exception. As vaccinations are only available for children ages 12 or older, and because of the combined nature of our 6th and 7th grade students, we are going to require all 6th and 7th grade students and teachers to wear masks when together indoors in the same space. When our 6th and 7th grade students are in classes with other grades, all students and teachers in those classes will be asked to mask as well. Students will not be required to mask during practices or training outdoors.

As a reminder, there will likely be times during the school day when we ask all students to mask-up, so we ask that students return to school with masks and carry them with them, like they carry pencils and pens! 

We are asking that all employees, students, and family members attending registration events be masked while in the buildings and when around groups of people.

Be advised that our School's mask policy may change throughout the year based on the fluid nature of state and government health guidance and/or mandates.

Proper mask wearing, enhanced cleaning protocols, social distancing, and staying home when not feeling well, all played a vital role in our School’s ability to prevent transmission of the virus between groups this past year. Most of these measures, such as our cleaning protocols, use of air cleaners, and enforcement of staying away from campus when ill will continue.

Yes! We expect to be able to help any student obtain access to vaccinations. This applies to domestic and international students. The vaccine should be free of charge, but insurance information will need to be provided. The student must still provide a recent negative PCR test result before arriving on campus.

If your student has not been fully vaccinated or cannot provide a negative COVID-19 test obtained within a week of arriving on campus, they will need to quarantine. Such a quarantine may last up to 14 days, during which time the student will not be permitted to attend class, eat in the dining hall, or participate in any COE activities. This should be avoided if at all possible and will result in an extra fee being charged to the family to cover the cost of such a quarantine unless the student was ineligible to be vaccinated at home or a vaccine was not available.

• Center for Disease Control
• MN Department of Health
• MN Department of Education
• Rice County

The cohort system used last year will not be in place this year. Should a positive case of COVID-19 be discovered on campus, contact tracing will be used to determine who might have been exposed. Fully vaccinated students and staff will be able to continue without restrictions unless they become symptomatic. Those persons not fully vaccinated will be subject to quarantine and testing.

Generally, no, but a few related measures may still be in place in certain circumstances. As members of a community, we ask for understanding that some members may be impacted by the pandemic in vast and severe ways. As we navigate the return to our normal way of living on campus, please show compassion and respect for others regarding their comfort level dialing back the stringent safety measures implemented last year. We’re all still in this together!

What do you need for your home away from home? We have made several lists of items that students may bring to campus or shop for once they arrive in the local area. 

*Please send boxes so they arrive no earlier than the week before the student arrives on campus. Label boxes clearly with the student’s name and get creative, colorful tape that will help identify boxes among the sea of boxes!

If families are not traveling with their student, please know that SSM will run shuttles to our local Faribault Walmart where most of the items can be purchased. Many of the school supplies can also be purchased in the School Store. 

Suggested School Supplies:

• Binders (2-4)
• Calendar & planner
• Highlighters, loose-leaf paper, & notebooks
• Pencils
• Pens
• Ruler, whiteout, scissors, tape, etc.
• Backpack
• Graphing Calculator - TI-84 (or above) is required for Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Statistics; the TI-84 is useful to have in Algebra 2, but not essential. 

*Note: students will obtain class books at designated times as part of class activities during Registration. 

Suggested Non-Uniform Clothing Items for Boarding Students:

• Jeans and weekend clothes
• T-shirts, sweatshirts, & sweatpants
• Sweaters & turtlenecks
• Athletic gear – gym shorts, etc.
• Underwear
• Socks (dress & athletic)
• Bathrobe
• Swimsuit
• Dress shoes (at least 1 pair)
• Athletic/casual shoes (a few pairs)
• Winter boots
• Flip-flops for the shower
• Belts
• Jackets (casual & dress)
• Winter coat, raincoat
• Warm hat, gloves, & scarves

Dormitory Rooms for Boarding Students:

Each boarding student will have in their dorm room a bed, a dresser, a desk with a chair, and either a closet or wardrobe. Window coverings are either mini-blinds or roller shades. Dorm rooms may have beds on regular bed frames, bunk beds, or loft beds.  The majority of bed mattress sizes are XL twin (80 inches long).  Since we are not able to make final room assignments until just before the start of school, we encourage students to obtain bed sheets that will fit an extra-long (XL) twin mattress. Most dorm rooms have tiled floors.   

Suggested Items for Dorm Rooms to bring or purchase upon arrival:

• Posters for the walls
• Clothes hangers
• Laundry basket/bag to use in the laundry machines in each dorm, or weekly laundry service can be arranged through the School Store
• Laundry detergent
• Laundry marking pen – please write your name on all of your belongings
• Alarm clock
• Desk lamp
• Fan
• Wastebasket
• Flashlight
• Eating utensils
• Sleeping bag – many students will take at least one overnight trip off campus
• Bedspread, quilt, and/or blanket(s)
• Sheets (XL twin, fitted and unfitted recommended)
• Pillow cases
• Pillows
• Mattress cover and pad
• Bath towels
• Wash cloths
• Soap and container
• Hairbrush and comb
• Toothpaste and toothbrush
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Razors
• Shower caddy
• Nail clippers
• Sunscreen

We all want our new students to be comfortable and safe in their new dorm rooms, so we suggest that you leave a few things at home!

Please leave these things at home:

• Your family pet! (Really, any pets of any kind…including hermit crabs!)
• Large furniture items such as couches, futons, recliners or lofts. Students must use the bed frames provided by SSM
• Most small furniture, such as bean bag chairs
• Microwaves, toaster ovens, coffee pots, or hot pots
• Lava lamps, halogen lamps, candles, and irons
• Space heaters or air conditioners
• Weapons of any kind
• Medicines like cough syrup, ibuprofen, Sudafed, and Benadryl. Medications can only be obtained from and administered by staff as designated by SSM’s Health Services

The dress code must be worn throughout the academic day Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. SSM school uniforms are purchased directly through Lands' End School Uniform Website (Preferred School Number: 900034711) and through our School Store.

• Shirts: Maroon, black, or white polo shirts branded with an SSM logo from the Lands' End School Uniform website (including any Center of Excellence logo). The School Store sells a uniform polo with the School crest.
   
• Pants: Uniform pants, uniform capris, or uniform shorts purchased from Lands’ End School uniform website (khaki).
   
• Skirts: Uniform skirts purchased from Lands’ End School uniform website (khaki or gray). 
   
• Additional Clothing Layer Options: Sweatshirts, fleece, or sweaters that are branded with an SSM logo (including any Center of Excellence logo) and that have been sold either at the SSM School Store or through the Lands’ End uniform website may be worn on top of an SSM uniform polo shirt.
  
  Items in school colors (maroon, black, or white) that do not have an SSM logo are not acceptable. An SSM polo shirt must always be worn underneath any SSM sweatshirt, fleece, or sweater. 
   
• Shoes: Students may wear leather shoes or athletic shoes in good repair. Birkenstock style sandals are acceptable, but no other style of backless sandal of any material is acceptable. 
   
• Hats: Hats and stocking caps may not be worn in the academic buildings.

August 22: Proctors arrive

August 23: New and International students arrive

August 24: Returning and Day students arrive

August 25: Fall Term classes begin

November 19-29: Fall Break

December 17-January 3: Winter Break

February 25-March 14: Spring Break

May 20: Middle School Closing Ceremony

May 27: Closing Chapel and Commencement

Academic Calendar for 2021-22

The SSM Student-Family Handbook addresses many aspects of life at SSM. All students and parents are expected to review it each year. If there are major changes, SSM will do our utmost to update you throughout the year.

2020-21 Student & Family Handbooks

Book I: Statements & Visions

Book II: Organization Information

Book III: Academic Program

Book IV: Student Life

Day Student Family Information

Students should make arrangements to leave campus during Winter and Spring breaks. However, for our international students, we will be offering residential programming for Winter and Spring Breaks this year. More information will be available about this option in July.

International families may contact Mr. Andrew Garlinski ’98, Director of International Recruitment and Dean of International Students if you need any other information. SSM coordinates and provides shuttles to travel between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the closest commercial airport, approximately one hour from campus. Any communications or questions about student travel throughout the year should be directed to the through email to travel@s-sm.org. 
SSM CAN PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS ONLY. 

SSM coordinates travel between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the closest commercial airport, approximately one hour from campus. Any communications or questions about student travel throughout the year should be directed to the SSM Travel Coordinator, through email at travel@s-sm.org. Families are welcome to contact the SSM Travel Coordinator at 507-330-3001 as well.

SSM CAN PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS ONLY. 

Returning students make class selections each spring for the next school year. Schedules for returning students will be available to view in PowerSchool by early August. Returning students in grades 10-12 and post graduate students should contact the Registrar at colleen.johnson@s-sm.org and returning students in grade 6-9 should contact the Director of the Middle School at heather.morehead@s-sm.org to ask any questions or request changes to schedules before classes begin.

Families of new students will be contacted via e-mail during the summer once enrollment is finalized to make class selections. Class schedules will be provided to new students in August before classes begin. Department Chairs will be available for anyone with questions about classes, and changes can be made to schedules at that time if necessary.

When using the US Postal Service  (i.e. mail)
Student name
Shattuck-St. Mary’s School
1000 Shumway Avenue
Faribault, MN  55021

When using UPS, FedEx, DHL, SpeeDee Delivery
Student name
Shattuck-St. Mary’s School
1000 Shumway Avenue
Faribault, MN  55021

For girls living at St. Mary’s, UPS and FedEx packages can be sent to:
Student name
St. Mary’s Hall
300 NE 5th Street
Faribault, MN  55021

Boxes and mailers are available in the School Store. The store can ship most anything anywhere.

SSM provides a shuttle van and driver to transport SSM students from two meeting locations in the Twin Cities to and from SSM on school days. The morning pick-up location is 35W & 98th Street in Bloomington at 6:40 am and Hwy 70 Exit 81 in Lakeville at 7:00 am. Evening departure times are determined by students’ after-school academic and extracurricular commitments and a schedule is sent out weekly. Riders can expect to depart between 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm.

Riders are expected to commit to using the shuttle van service for the entire school year. Fees for use of the shuttle van service are billed monthly to the student incidental account. Please contact travel@s-sm.org with any further questions or if you want to discuss the shuttle van service.

2021-22 Metro Shuttle Information

Students can share a small dorm-style refrigerator that is less than 2.5 CF in size. Rooms with 3 or 4 students can have two refrigerators. Basically, think small and square, not rectangle and tall. These restrictions are primarily due to the limited power supply available in our historic buildings, so any fridge that is in excess of these rules will need to be returned at the family’s expense due to the potential fire hazard it represents.

Yes! Even if you have a desktop system, you should bring a laptop or tablet computer that you can easily use to complete homework and projects while on other parts of campus. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Teachers like to use Google Docs and there are robust systems available on campus if a particular project demands it.

Due to frequent updates to enrollment right up until the first days of class, final dorm and roommate assignments are usually announced at, or just before, registration. Be sure you’ve filled out the Housing Survey in advance to let us know your preferences.

Most students living in the dorms tend to find bicycles to be bulky and impractical. Razor-type scooters and skateboards tend to be more popular, especially for students that need to frequently move between the Middle and Upper School campuses (even though there is a shuttle bus). Be sure any device is clearly marked with your name and you have a plan to keep it secure.

Only day students can have a vehicle and must register it with the school during orientation. Boarding students are not allowed to have access to a vehicle kept off campus other than their own home.

There are free laundry facilities in each dorm for students to use and a dry cleaning service is available through the School Store. Students should bring their own laundry detergent and laundry baskets/bags.

Our main priority is to safely return to as much of our normal school activities as possible this fall. We aim to start the 2021-2022 School Year with all students on campus and in in-person classes.

Yes. Students in blended courses, usually seniors, juniors, and a few sophomores, will now attend required class sessions three days each week instead of two. Our classroom-based days are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Wednesdays and Fridays are our flexible instruction and learning days. 

 

No, distance learning is not an option for the upcoming school year. Our goal is to have everyone on campus. If a student lives in a location where travel is prohibited, a temporary accommodation may be created until the student is able to travel to campus, but alternative class meeting times will not be available and the onus will be on the student to stay in contact with the instructor and keep up with the rest of the class. This exception is not available for programmatic or personal preferences. All families should strive to have their student on campus for the start of school. Please contact Middle School Director, Heather Morehead, or Upper School Director, Patrick Schaefer, with concerns and questions.

This year our 9th period classes will end at 4:05 p.m. This means our full academic day will run from 8:00 a.m. - 4:05 p.m. We have expanded to a 10-minute passing period between periods 7 & 8, and we will continue to have a 30-minute all-school community period each day between periods 1 & 2. We will continue to study the unique scheduling needs of our school with a view toward future improvements.

In addition, most 11th and 12th grade classes, and some 10th grade classes, have been taught in a blended model since 2010. Our blended course model includes three days of classroom-based group instruction and two days of flexible instruction and learning. Our classroom-based days are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Wednesdays and Fridays are our blended learning days. 

 

No. We plan to return to our normal dorm practices as detailed in our Family/Student handbook, with students from different programs intermixed on each floor. Each dorm should revert back to its original usage by grade level, not COE.

Yes. We don’t anticipate the need to restrict student movement on campus or into facilities beyond the typical rules that apply and as noted in the handbook.

We are currently restructuring the evening rules regarding study hall, free nights, and curfew. However, we don’t anticipate any restrictions related to COVID-19 unless circumstances change and they become necessary.

We anticipate being back to our usual rules regarding leaving campus, whether it be signing out to leave on their own, taking a free weekend, or visiting with parents. The process of securing permission for these activities will likely be different. Any new changes will not be due to COVID19, but as we look to improve our system.

A link to the proper form has been sent out with registration information, but can also be accessed here.

Due to the fewer number of students living in our residence halls last year, we were able to make more rooms available to be used as singles. Typically, very few single rooms are available and may not be available at all in certain dorms. Students and families should not expect single rooms to be nearly as available this next school year, so we encourage all students to prepare for, and think about, what they would look for in a roommate.

No. Day students must be living in housing personally supervised at all times by the child’s own parent, who must also be living there as well. This policy was enacted by our Board of Trustees several years ago and while the pandemic required us to relax that rule for the past school year, we will strictly enforce it for the coming year. Any day student discovered to be living in a situation other than with their own parent will be asked to leave the school, as well as the child of any family that acts as host.

On Wednesday, August 25th, we will begin implementing new security measures for the academic buildings on our campus. We will be asking all visitors, including families of our students, to stop into either the School Store (Lower Hub Entrance) or our Admissions Office (Main Shumway Hall Entrance) to register and receive a yellow name tag or visitor badge.

We will not begin this new practice until after Registration is complete. The next time you are back on campus to visit, we will help direct you through this process. We will not require visitor badges at athletic events at the Sports Complex or on our fields.