Pioneer Elementary will move to a hybrid learning model, Tuesday Nov. 10

As you know, the rise in positive COVID cases in Morrison County and specifically the Pierz area continues to rise. A number of Pierz Schools staff, parents, and students have been directly affected in the past few days. 
Because of the direct impact we are experiencing at Pioneer both in cases and due to required contact tracing, we need to make a quick decision to temporarily discontinue our current learning model.
To that end, we will be moving the elementary to a hybrid learning model, beginning Tuesday, November 10th (note: Monday, November 9th was a prior-scheduled workshop day). This model will decrease classroom sizes, allowing students to more effectively social distance, thereby cutting down on student and staff contact and removal due to infection and/or contact tracing. What does this mean specifically for your child? 

• Preschool will not return to in-person classes at this time.
• Grades 7-12 will have no further changes, and will attend school Thursday and Friday of this week.
• Students in K-6 including all distance learners; there will be no school Thursday and Friday, November 5-6 this week to allow for staff planning/transition days. Note: according to MDE, ‘No School’ means no childcare or meals on these days. 
• Childcare: we will provide childcare for students age 12 and under. Priority will be given to those whose parents are essential workers. Parent survey to come. 
• K-4 will still come to school all day, every day. Students will be spread out, utilizing classrooms emptied by preschool as well as using preschool staff to increase sections of classrooms, thereby further decreasing classroom population. 
• 5-6 will follow a two day in-person, three-day home/distance learning schedule much like the high school has implemented. Grades 5-6 will attend on either a Monday/Thursday in-person schedule or a Tuesday/Friday in-person schedule. All 5-6 graders will be distance learning at-home on Wednesday. Siblings from Pioneer and Healy will be grouped so they will have the same in-person and at-home learning schedules. Meals will be provided for students on their ‘home’ days; these will be picked up by your student at the end of their ‘in-person’ days at Pioneer. These meals are still free and we strongly encourage all students to pick up these meals before they leave for their distance learning days. 
  • MEALS:
    • 5-6 grade students attending in-person on Monday/Thursday will pick up two meals on Monday after school for their Tuesday and Wednesday at-home day. They will pick up a meal Thursday after school for their Friday at-home day. 
    • 5-6 grade students attending in-person on Tuesday/Friday will pick up two meals on Tuesday after school for their Wednesday and Thursday at-home day. They will pick up one meal Friday after school for their Monday at-home day. 
      
      

Today, we cannot give any certain date when we can end this learning model. 
We don’t know if or when we will be able to move back to in-person.  We hope this move will keep us from having to make more restrictive changes.  It takes all of our staff and our families working together to implement social distancing and taking precautions.  We are very thankful for the efforts families have made throughout this year.  We understand the need for families to plan.  Our plan is to stay in this new hybrid model for Pioneer Elementary at least until the Thanksgiving break, reevaluating this plan before we return to school on Monday, November 30.