________ Fosston Public Schools_______
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 601 – 301 First Street East, Fosston, MN 56542
SUPERINTENDENT Sue Richards-Chase – 218-435-6335 FAX 218-435-1663
MAGELSSEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – 218-435-6036 FAX 218-435-6414
FOSSTON HIGH SCHOOL 218-435-1909 FAX 218-435-6340
PRINCIPALS: Daniel Boushee, Elementary Dominic Krump, High School Principal
News Release 01/15/21
ISD 601 Fosston Public Schools is pleased to announce that our high school students
will be returning for full in person learning commencing Monday, January 25, 2021.
Families may choose to continue distance learning if there is concern for their child’s
safety. As required by MDE, high school staff will have two planning days to prepare for
this transition – January 21 and 22. High school students will not be in session those two
days; Google Meets will be set up to provide work completion support to end semester 1.
Magelssen Elementary students will maintain their current schedule. Both buildings will
continue the Flex Friday instructional plan.
In making this decision, the district took into account a number of factors. We have
always maintained that the county numbers were ONE part of that decision – and county
numbers have trended lower. We also take into account our ability to provide adequate
staffing. We looked at the containment strategies that we use when school is in session,
as well as the layers of mitigation strategies (masking, distancing, hand washing). We
looked at transmission within our walls. We have adjusted locations for certain larger
classes to increase distance between students and between students and staff. We know
that for most students, there is no replacement for in-person learning.
The state requires that additional weekly preparation time be given to staff who are
teaching both distance learners and in person learners. Given the number of distance
learners in both buildings, all of our teachers are teaching in this fashion. District staff
have used this time to set up one-to-one and small group social/emotional support
sessions for students, as we know the pandemic has had a negative impact on children’s
mental health. Staff have also used this time to provide targeted support to those students
who continue in distance learning. In order to provide meaningful time for staff to
prepare, AND to ensure sufficient one-to-one support for students, we will continue to
provide Flex Friday learning. That means all students will learn from home,
asynchronously on Fridays. Staff will also work with individual students – both in
person and using Meets – to provide support. Some students are dealing with significant
learning loss stemming from the forced shut down in March, 2020 and then having to do
distance learning this year. Flex Fridays provide staff the time and space needed to
address some of this.
We know that returning the high school to full in person comes with some risks. We
want our community to know – to be prepared for – pivots to other models that might
have to occur due to quarantining and/or increased virus spread. We asked you, over the
holidays, to limit gatherings and to follow CDC guidelines so we could return to inperson
learning. And you stepped up and did that. To help us keep this going, we ask
that you continue to be vigilant. Especially important is keeping your children home
from school when sick, and calling our COVID coordinator at the high school, or
elementary school health aide to let us know. We need you, our community, to keep
wearing masks, to maintain that physical distance, and limit the size of gatherings. We
are all eagerly awaiting the time when COVID19 is gone, and we must remain vigilant
until it is.
If you wish to continue using distance learning for your child(ren) at Fosston High
School, please call the high school office at (218) 435-1909 by Thursday, 01/21/21.
“Committed to Excellence”
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