The Fisher School COVID Incident Command Team met on Sunday, November 1, and determined that due to the number of people required to be in quarantine or isolation, all child care through 12th-grade students will go to distance learning for an anticipated period of two weeks.
Monday, November 2 will be a non-instructional day to allow teachers to prepare for distance learning explained High School Principal Catherine Steinmetz. “As our letter that went out to our parents stated we have people who have been close contacts and are in a quarantine situation or people that have symptoms or are in an isolation situation,” said Steinmetz. “We met as our Incident Command Team on Sunday and made a decision with involvement from Polk County Public Health to go into distance learning for these next two weeks. Per our policy that we put in place at the beginning of the school year, when we made a change in our instructional model we were going to take a day to give our teachers an opportunity to prepare. And to get materials out to students as necessary to make distance learning the most educationally successful we can during the next two weeks. Our current plan is that we are going to be in a distance learning model from today and our first potential day back to in-person learning will be November 16. That may be adjusted. Everything is always at this point in time depending on what happens with the number of cases, close contacts, and things within the county and our district the next two weeks.”
Steinmetz said child care will remain available for Tier 1 (essential) employees and all families are able to request meals for their students. “If they have students that are a part of Pre-K through grade school classes here, those parents if they are a Tier 1 employees, they can email and request that their students to be able to have child care during these two weeks we are in distance learning,” said Steinmetz. “That again, is per state mandate on schools that have gone into distance learning. We also have meals available that are delivered with contactless delivery to families that would go onto our website and request those meals. We have a number of families that have done that for today. If there is a family that did not request meals today but would like meals delivered to their home tomorrow, they have the option to go on and request that by 9 a.m. tomorrow. That’s a daily tally we take for requesting meals.”
All co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are suspended during distance learning explained Steinmetz. “We’re in a co-op situation and trying to have people stay home, follow those stay safe guidelines as far as avoiding gatherings and whatnot,” said Steinmetz. “Part of that piece from a school standpoint is if we really don’t feel it’s in our best interest to be able to be present in school to do classes it’s really not in our best interest to be present in groups to do co-curricular or extra-curricular activities either.”
Steinmetz said families with questions can contact the principals or teachers at Fisher Public School. “We’re just hoping our families stay well and stay safe,” said Steinmetz. “If they have any questions, please do not hesitate to get a hold of myself, I’m Catherine Steinmetz the high school principal, Josh Mailhot, the elementary principal, or any of their student’s teachers. And we are wanting to help our students and continue on with what we feel is a great education we provide here at Fisher Public School.”
Fisher High School Principal Catherine Steinmetz can be reached at 218-891-2818 or steinmetzc@fisher.k12.mn.us. Fisher Elementary School Principal Josh Mailhot can be reached at 218-891-2834 or mailhotj@fisher.k12.mn.us.
