Marshall County CSD

We are looking to add an additional paraprofessional to Newfolden Elementary School. Please visit http://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/job-postings--41 for information on how to apply.

Reminder: We are on our Hybrid Schedule starting this week. You can find the November Hybrid Calendar, Hybrid Roster for Grades 5-12, and the meal sign up form for the week on our school website COVID 19 Info page: http://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/covid-19-information--23

We were notified by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) of a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a member of the Marshall County Central community with exposure dates of October 23, October 24, and October 26, 2020. For privacy reasons, we cannot share details about the status of the person. At this time, they have been advised to stay home and away from other people (isolate). We have worked with MDH to identify and notify those who had close contact with the person who has COVID-19. The risk of exposure for other people present in the building on that date is no greater than the risk of contracting the virus in the general community. We have worked with North Valley Public Health to identify and notify those who had close contact with the individual who has COVID-19. This risk of exposure for other people present in the building on those dates is no greater than the risk of contracting the virus in the general community. If you or your child were not notified that you had close contact with the person, you should still monitor for symptoms of illness, but do not need to stay home unless symptoms develop. If symptoms develop, stay home and consult with your health care provider to determine if medical evaluation is needed. We are working closely with MDH and North Valley Public Health to monitor the situation. If you have questions, contact School Nurse Julie Dahlman, jdahlman@mccfreeze.org or Superintendent Jeffrey Lund, jlund@mccfreeze.org. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe.

Dear MCC Parents, We will switch our learning model in our school buildings starting November 2. We plan to run in this learning model through Thanksgiving but understand that this could change at any time. To help you understand the schedule please review notes in this letter. A calendar is included with this letter to help you see when your child would attend school. All of this information is also available on our website COVID 19 Information Page in a printable format: https://bit.ly/3jGTISB Headstart, Preschool, and K-4: In this model Kindergarten through Grade 4 will come four days in a traditional 5 day school week. In a typical week K-4 students would come to school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday will be a distance day with some skills based work completed at home. Please note Wednesday, November 11 our Head Start students and K-4 students will attend school for a full day. Head Start students will attend school in person on Mondays and Tuesdays. There will be no Head Start on November 9 (No School) or November 24 (due to shortened Thanksgiving week). Preschool students will attend school in person on Thursday and Friday. Please note Tuesday, November 24 preschool students will attend school because of the shortened Thanksgiving week. Our youngest children need additional support by being in person as much as possible as distance learning is most difficult for our youngest learners. We also want to prevent situations where our youngest learners may have to be home alone. We understand this is a bit different than our original hybrid model for this age group. This plan adjustment is able to maintain safety measures and balance education and community needs. Grades 5-6 and MCC High School: Grades 5-12 will be in our traditional Hybrid Learning Model where students are assigned to two groups identified as Group 1 and Group 2. Please follow the attached November Calendar to see days you would attend school. We also posted our Group 1 and Group 2 roster if you need to check your child’s group. Students assigned to Group 1 will attend school in-person Monday and Tuesday in a typical five day school week. Please note we will have students in group 1 come on Wednesday, November 11 for a full day because it is a four day week. Students would remain home completing homework on the remaining days of the school week. Teachers would assign/send distance learning materials home with Group 1 students on Tuesdays. Students assigned to Group 2 will attend school in-person Thursday and Friday. We will have Group 2 students attend on November 24 due to the shortened Thanksgiving week. Students would remain home completing homework on the remaining days of the school week. Teachers would assign/send distance learning materials home with Group 2 students on Fridays. Important Note: Teachers will give most of their attention to students in school during the school day but will take time to connect/message students that are at home. To begin with we will not have students Zoom/Google Meet into classrooms on days they are at home with exception of students taking CIS or Infinity classes. Students doing work at home should complete work independently as teachers described and can send teachers an e-mail during the day or call before/after school for assistance. We want to start by keeping it simple and build up as students and teachers get used to everything. Wednesday November 4, 18, and 25 for all students: All students will be home and can use these days to work on homework. Teachers and paraprofessionals will be in school. Teachers will be encouraged to send a message to students on these days to remain connected and remind students about assistance available. Teachers and paras will be available to help any families that need any assistance with school work. Some time will be dedicated to doing some additional planning and preparation. Custodians will use this day to do some additional cleaning throughout the building. Meals: Meals will be available for pickup for any families that need meals for children while we are on this schedule. We have posted a sign up sheet for signing up for meals on days your child is home. To sign up go to: http://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/covid-19-information--23, click on and complete the Meal Sign Up Form. Meal pick up times are from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Pick up locations will be Viking Elementary and Newfolden Elementary. If you have a special need related to meals, please contact Karin (218) 874-8805/kgarthus@mccfreeze.org or Candy (218) 523-4425/chalvorson@mccfreeze.org and they will do their best to help. Childcare on Wednesdays (Days with no students): We will have limited childcare available for Tier 1 Emergency Workers. This list includes: Health Care and Public Health, Law Enforcement, Public Safety, First Responders, Food Distribution, National Guard, Judicial Essential Services, Educators and School Staff. Please contact Michele Audette (218) 523-4425 or maudette@mccfreeze.org about child care options. Freeze Kids will operate after school as it normally functions for families in that program. Activities: Activities are currently off until November 6. We will evaluate this and make announcements regarding activities every two weeks. For sports, we cooperate with Tri-County Schools who are also in a hybrid setting. We will make athletic based decisions by working together with them. Duration: Because of the complexity of switching learning models, it is our initial intention to continue in this format through Thanksgiving. We will continue to examine county COVID 19 numbers, work with North Valley Public Health, and work with our regional support teams in making final decisions. Please know we could have to shift models to further restrictions any time if the situation does not improve. It is important to do your part at home. Stay home if sick, wear masks in public, social distance, and wash hands. Please do not encourage students to get together outside of school when students are at home distance learning. Hopefully this adjustment will see us back in school full time in person after Thanksgiving. Please contact any of our school offices if you need any further assistance or have questions about this adjustment in the learning model. Viking Elementary (218) 523-4425 Newfolden Elementary (218) 874-8805 MCC HS (218) 874-7225

Reminder: There is a sign up form available for families that need meals on Thursday and Friday: https://forms.gle/SJabN8mj51mxAgFVA You may also contact the school office and a secretary can add your meal request to the list. We will hold pick up for both days meals on Thursday, October 29 from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be no meal pick up on Friday.

MCC Families, County numbers of COVID cases are rising much faster than we hoped in our area. In contact with Public Health this morning, the central area of the county has remained stable with few cases. However, community spread is wide and other areas of the county have seen some outbreaks. Our goal was to remain in person, but recent surge has shown that this can change at any given moment. Because of the very large change in numbers the past few days in our county and area counties, we will be doing some transitioning this week. School will remain in person Monday - Wednesday. Wednesday will remain an early release day. Parent Teacher Zoom Conferences in Viking are still on as scheduled. Homecoming Coronation will remain on Tuesday. A link to video will be shared on Facebook. Elementary students will still celebrate Halloween in their classroom. We will hold that on Wednesday instead. There will be no sports or activities after school this week. Volleyball Game vs. WAO on Monday, JH Football vs. Goodridge-Gryla, and Varsity Football vs. KCC are cancelled this week. Thursday and Friday will be planning days. There will be no school for students Thursday or Friday. We will have lunch available for pick up Thursday and Friday. A sign up sheet for meals is available here: https://forms.gle/6hVTKHyJpobN5DAm7. We will hold a leadership team meeting on Wednesday to make a determination of specific school learning model adjustments. We will make an announcement following the meeting to our families so they are prepared if there are any further changes to how we will have school starting November 2. We need all our community members to take health safety measures seriously to help slow spread so we can safely continue with students being able to remain in school. Please help us by following the important safety guidelines: Wear a mask in public especially inside Avoid large gatherings Wash your hands/sanitize often Social distance Avoid unnecessary travel Thank you for understanding. Our primary goal is to safely provide education services to our families. Right now the safety side of this balancing act needs the most attention.

The Marshall County Central School Board met in regular session on Tuesday, October 21. Here is a link to the Board Brief Summary: https://bit.ly/3bO777x

MCC Parents, We've heard word a web site called "Omegle" is making some rounds. This site is designed to allow people to talk with strangers without having to log in or create an account. There are many potential dangers for people especially children. Our school Firewall and GoGuardian program blocks this web site in school and on our Chromebooks. We are sending this message to help our parents stay alert and to encourage them to monitor what their children are viewing online on personal devices.

We are still in need of substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and bus drivers this school year. If you are looking for a part time job, are interested in working with children, or want a job that serves the community, we encourage you to contact us and get more information. Application materials are found at: http://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/job-postings--41 Contact Sue Tuthill in our district office if interested. (218) 874-8530.

MCC has a ballot question on this year's ballot asking voters to revoke and replace our two current operating levies. Today, we are sharing two slides with you about the ballot question. Financial Health of District: The district has been in sound financial health. Operating Referendum help us maintain things and make improvements without having to bond or spend down our fund balance. We currently maintain a fund balance of between 40-50% of our annual budget. This makes us healthy and sound. How does our current operating levy compare to other districts: We are in the middle in regards to area districts. Our community has been supportive of schools and our school board respects our taxpayers. We have been able to support our needs with current operating levy that is why we are asking to revoke and replace rather than ask for an increase. If you want more information visit our Referendum Web Page: http://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/referendum-information--7 If you have questions: Contact Superintendent Lund (218) 874-8530 or jlund@mccfreeze.org

MCC Families, In discussions with the school board last night and in checking with North Valley Public Health today, we will remain with in-person learning for our learning model. I know there may be some concern as COVID counts rise in the region and throughout the state. We monitor those numbers very closely and work with public health on identifying risks. So far, we have been able to maintain a safe learning environment for students and a safe workplace for staff. Our safety planning has done well to mitigate risk and we have not seen spreading within our school buildings. Even though numbers suggest we should consider a move to a hybrid learning environment, it is not the only factor in the decision. I am concerned about how disruptive moving learning models is to our families and under the current environment I am not convinced that changing learning models will add a degree of safety as we have been doing well to maintain the conditions within our school buildings. There is valuable learning going on in our classrooms and we know from the experience last spring, that diminishes when kids have to attend to their learning at home. There have been some COVID cases in nearby schools. We have excellent support from Nurse Julie, public health, and a regional support team that will help us through the procedures if we get a case in school. We do have some school community members that have been affected by isolation and quarantine. They are all doing the right thing in staying out of school until it is safe for them to return protecting everyone here. Know that we will support our students in this situation by temporarily moving them to a distance learning setting so they get access to some education while they are in isolation. Teachers have been directed to start practicing tools like Google Classroom and teaching techniques they would use in the event we do change learning models. This is a precautionary measure and will help us stay prepared. We did send home letters with what your child’s group assignment is if we move learning models. Please retain that information and keep that in mind should we have to change learning models down the road. It is always good to be prepared especially in this ever changing environment. I want to thank our families for their efforts helping children follow guidelines, in keeping children home if they feel sick, isolating if they have symptoms until they get test results, asking questions, and adjusting when we have needed to make adjustments. For now it remains best for us to continue in-person learning. In the event we were to ever change the learning model we would utilize our alert system to notify our families. Sincerely, Jeffrey Lund

We have great news to share regarding "free meals". At this time the USDA and Minnesota Department of Education have notified us that free meals for all students will remain available through the end of the 2020-2021 school year. This is great news helping each of our school children receive a free breakfast and lunch each school day. It also relieves families financially as the federal reimbursements pay for meals instead of the family. We do need families to fill out the applications for educational benefits (Free/Reduced Lunch). Even though meals are free there are several other programs that rely on this count and it is important we maintain our funding in these areas. We receive Federal Title I, Title II, Title IV and state compensatory dollars that help us maintain smaller class sizes, provide funding for paraprofessional services, mental health services, and more.

MCC has a ballot question on this year's ballot asking voters to revoke and replace our two current operating levies. Today, we are sharing two slides with you about the ballot question. Why do we need our operating referendum? Operating referendum funds help us improve the education experience of our students by helping keep class sizes small, provide additional opportunities, provide college and career/technical courses, provide technology, help with upkeep of buildings and maintenance of property and vehicles, continue our district goals, while helping preserve our fund balance. Recent capital Improvements: In recent years we have been able to maintain our bus fleet and make improvements to our buildings and classrooms. Operating Referendum dollars help! If you want more information visit our Referendum Web Page: http://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/referendum-information--7 If you have questions: Contact Superintendent Lund (218) 874-8530 or jlund@mccfreeze.org

Reminder: We start our early releases this Wednesday, October 21. Viking dismisses at 12:30, Newfolden dismisses at 12:50, High School dismisses at 1:00 p.m.

All of Tuesday’s VB matches vs. Red Lake Falls have been cancelled.

MCC has a ballot question on this year's ballot asking voters to revoke and replace our two current operating levies. Today, we are sharing two slides with you about the ballot question. What are we asking and what would be the impact on my taxes if this passes are the two areas covered by these slides. Essentially we have two operating levies. One expires after the next tax period and one expires in 2024. We are asking the community voters to revoke both their authorities and replace them with a combined authority of the same amount. Why? This will simplify things by only carrying one levy reducing need to hold multiple elections. It will also help carry these needed dollars for 10 years. How will this impact my taxes compared to the current two levies? Even though ballot says you are voting to raise your taxes, this is a revoke and replace. Your annual tax impact will remain the same. This would extend the same tax levy amount for 10 more years. If you want more information visit our Referendum Web Page: http://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/referendum-information--7 If you have questions: Contact Superintendent Lund (218) 874-8530 or jlund@mccfreeze.org

Last call for bids. Material from the softball dugout that blew over in summer storm is available for sale on sealed bid to district resident. If interested in the material, please turn in bid in sealed envelope marked Dugout Material Bid by 3:00 p.m. on October 16. Bids will be opened at the October 20 school board meeting. Winning bidder responsible for payment and pick up. Material available is purchased as is. Bench is not included. There are some damaged boards due to storm damage and from removal. Nails/screws are exposed where it was taken apart.

October 13, 2020 Dear MCC Families, I am writing this letter to inform you about the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in our county. We are keeping in very close contact with North Valley Public Health and we are bearing very close to the line where we may need to make adjustments at school to our learning plan. MDE/MDH shared counts on Thursday with the public and we were at 5.32. However that data is already two weeks old and the last two weeks have been concerning. Reporting by North Valley Public Health on 10-12-2020 showed that our current 14 day count is at 19.15. This is the highest number of cases in a two week period that our county has had up to this point. Right now we are trending the wrong way. The next two weeks are very important. We need everyone to do their part. Several area schools in nearby counties have been hit with increases that have affected busing, sports, activities, and their learning models. At this point we currently have no cases in our immediate school community but have had some cases of staff and students that have had to isolate as close contacts since school has started. If the county count does not improve, we will strongly consider switching learning models to a hybrid model starting with our high school. We do not want to do that as we know in person learning is best for our students. We need everyone to take on the responsibility of doing their part in this. You can help by: Staying home if you are sick Avoiding unnecessary travel Washing hands Wearing masks in public places Social distancing even when wearing a mask, even outside if you are in a crowd. All of the county schools: MCC, W-A-O, Grygla, and Stephen-Argyle are sending a notification to families reminding them that we are in this together and need our families and communities to do the right things to ensure we can maintain in-person schooling for our children. Thank you, Jeffrey Lund Superintendent/Elementary Principal

Reminder: Parent Teachers Conferences are tonight and tomorrow night at Newfolden Elementary and MCC High School. Conferences are via Zoom and telephone only. Elementary families received letters with conference time. High School conferences were to be scheduled. If you still need to schedule, call Missy at HS and there may still be openings.

Monday’s Volleyball game. We will collect money tomorrow, we ask if possible bring exact change. After tomorrow’s game you will have to prepay for your tickets. $5 for adults $3 for students in grades 7-12 only.