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Thank you paraprofessionals--celebrating Educational Assistant Week

1/27/2021

 
Today we want to take this opportunity to give some well-deserved recognition to the critically important role that our Educational Assistants ('paras', in local terminology:) play in our mission. When you move past all the layers of school, in the end, our most noble and practical mission is that all of our children are on track to master the state standards and that all children love learning and embrace the idea of self-improvement. If we can give our parents, community, and nation that outcome, I cannot think of any greater cause or better gift to society—and Pierz Schools is fortunate to have 33 of these gifted individuals, working with our students and staff every day (getting a photo of all of them proves especially challenging as they are ALWAYS on the move!)

​We all know that children require intense helping hands and helping hearts.  Most average people cannot or would not do that job. It requires levels of patience, perseverance, and setting aside of assumptions that many are not willing to call upon. 

Each day you are handed the challenge of finding patience, understanding, and setting expectations for your students that oftentimes might exceed the  expectations they've set for themselves.  Although a child may need you, many won't say it. Yet, you continue to be there providing support and encouragement. 

To our Educational Assistants: I hope you each find a moment to look in the mirror and feel the personal pride you deserve. I likely speak for every teacher, parent, student and community member whose lives you've touched: thank you. We could not do what we do here at Pierz Schools without you. 
​
​—George Weber

Return time after a close contact exposure

1/21/2021

 
Students with a close contact exposure can return to school/activities after 7 days IF:
* exposure to someone that is 
not in the same household
* they test negative
* the test is taken after day 5 of the first contact day
* and are symptom free

Minnesota has opened up at home testing for everyone in MN. You can follow the links below to order test kits for all in your family. Each person must have a unique email address to order the kits. These tests are FREE. Please take advantage of these and have them on hand in case of an exposure. 
If all 4 circumstances are not met, return will be after day 10 or as determined by school nurse.

https://learn.vaulthealth.com/state-of-minnesota/
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/testsites/athome.html

Continuing the return to in-person learning

1/14/2021

 
We are excited that MDE has approved the plan we presented to bring students back to school!

We are optimistic as we make these changes—not because the challenges are gone, but because we have some experience and have a stronger sense of what we are up against, how to react, and how not to react to various situations.

We have to assume that the absence of students and staff through new cases and contact tracing will be our most important challenge and most likely the biggest cause of frustration. Covid is not gone. The rules of contact tracing are still the same. Our vigilance to social distancing, reminding students, podding students, and implementing the highest levels of care is as critical in the next month as ever. 

It is not a matter of if it happens; rather, it is a matter of how many are forced to leave with each positive case. This is the conversation we need to have with students. It is their team, or their concert, or their friends. The end goal is having school and every event with everyone there. 

With that said, here is the return-to-school plan for Pierz Schools: 

  • Grades K-4 will remain in person every day. Starting on January 26th, all students will be in class with the teacher they were assigned in September.
  • Preschool students will return on January 26th. For students who attend Monday and Tuesday, they will attend the 26th and 27th; students assigned to Thursday and Friday will attend the 28th and 29th.
  • Grades 5 and 6 will return to every day, in-person learning starting on January 18th. 
  • Grades 10-12 will return to every day, in-person learning starting January 18th. 
  • Grades 7-9 will remain in hybrid learning for the month of January.
    • Starting February 1, all 7-9 will be allowed to come back to full in-person learning. This gap from hybrid to full in-person learning for grades 7-9 is due to the state requirement of returning only three grades per two weeks within a building. 
  • All 7 -12 will be going back to their regular bell schedule starting January 18th at  8:12am-- including on Wednesdays. 

Dates to note:
Monday, January 11 -  Move to Hybrid grades 5-12
Monday, January 18 -  In-person, grades 5, 6, 10, 11, 12
Friday, January 22-25 - per current calendar year, these are non student days (PS-12) 
Tuesday, January 26 - Preschool returns. PS-4 in person, grades 5-12 no school 
Monday, February 1 - In-person, grades 7, 8, 9 (all students PS-12 are in person!)

To further explain our rationale: 
We received a waiver on our appeal for starting hybrid Jan. 11. That waiver allowed us to by-pass the state proclamation that schools can only start bringing students back three grades at a time beginning January 18. However, the "three grades at a time" rule made it impossible for us to just be all in-person at the start of the 2nd semester. We were then faced with the issue of having to wait two weeks from whenever we start bringing students back.  
  1. We decided it was better to start on the 18th and have the next section of students come in on Feb. 1, rather than wait until the start of the 2nd semester and push that 2nd section back to Feb. 8.  So that is the reason for the timing of these decisions.
  2. Grades 10-12 were selected to come back first because the week of January 18th is the last week of the semester, and in-person learning is especially important for students earning credits toward graduation and earning grades that impact their cumulative GPA.  It is best for students, given our two options.
It is exciting to see that by February 1, all students in grades preschool through grade 12 will be attending every day in-person. Thank you all for your work with students and staff, your patience and grace during this time, and your dedication to doing what is best for your children. 

—George Weber, Superintendent, Pierz Schools

Learning Model changes starting on January 11

1/6/2021

 
Grades K-4
Students in grades kindergarten through grade 4 will continue with in school learning as they have been. There won’t be any changes to classrooms and teachers until at least the end of the semester on January 22. Pending continued decreases in Covid cases in the school, community and county, we would like to bring preschool back to school at that time, on Tuesday, January 26th. 
Grades 5-12
Students in grades 5-12 will return to a hybrid model where they attend 2 days a week in person and 3 days at home. The schedule will be Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday as assigned in November. If unsure what days your student should attend, students in grades 7-12 can find it in Synergy under student information. Students in grades 5 or 6 can check with their teacher.  Attendance in person is required for these school days scheduled in person. Please be sure to contact the office on the days when your student needs to be absent and if it is health related, contact the nurse. You can use the Covid reporting form.
Meals 
With so many changes in who will be attending in person or at home, we need to start fresh with a new meals survey. If your student is remaining in distance learning, you can still pick up bundled meals for them. Pick up will be Monday and Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 at the MAC door (door 22).  You do need to complete a new survey.
Students who are in grades 7-12 are sent a survey each morning they are in the building to ask if they want salad for lunch and a to go meal. Remind your 7-12 students to complete it. You do not need to complete the new meal survey.
Students in grades 5 and 6 will be given a meal at the end of their day here for their next day of at home learning. You do not need to complete the new meal survey.
Childcare
For students in grades 5 and 6 who need childcare on the days they are not in school, you can email Sarah Funk. Priority will be given to those with both parents classified as essential workers. If your student is currently attending childcare, you should have received an email about scheduling.
Transportation
While we are excited to bring students into the building for learning, we still are challenged with how to get them here and back home. The rules for contact tracing have not changed; anyone within 6 feet of someone for more than 15 minutes who tests positive is considered exposed and will need to stay home from school. That said, the more parents who can drive their students, the less risk those students will be to being contact traced. Thank you for your continued support.

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District Office

112 Kamnic Street
Pierz, MN 56364
320-468-6458
DO Fax: 320-468-6408

High School

112 Kamnic Street
Pierz, MN 56364
HS Fax: 320-468-6577

Elementary

66 Kamnic Street
Pierz, MN 56364
EL Fax: 320-468-2841
Copyright © 2015 ISD 484

  • DISTRICT
    • District
    • District Calendar
    • District Vision and Info >
      • 2021-22 Tax Comparison
    • District Nurse/COVID info
    • Transportation/Busing
    • Emergency Notifications >
      • Connected Learning Day Plan
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Contact Us
    • School Board/Leadership
    • Enroll at Pierz Schools
    • All Staff Directory
    • About Pierz
    • District Testing Info
    • Reports
  • HIGH SCHOOL
    • High School
    • Healy Principal Page
    • Healy Parent Page
    • Daily Announcements
    • Departments and Staff
    • Counseling & Career Advising
    • Student Links
    • Chromebooks at Healy
    • Healy Media Center
    • PAP
    • Lunch Info
    • Staff Resources
  • ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
    • Elementary School
    • Pioneer Principal Page
    • Pioneer Parent Page
    • Early Childhood
    • Pioneer Media Center
    • Classrooms and Staff
    • Pioneer Lunch
    • Pioneer PTO
    • Chromebooks at Pioneer
    • Student Support Services-Pioneer
    • Staff Resources
  • STUDENT ACTIVITIES
    • Student Activities
    • Healy Student Activities
    • Activity Calendar
    • Wall of Fame
    • Pioneer Student Activities
    • Pierz Gearz
  • COMMUNITY ED
    • Community Ed
    • Early Childhood
    • Driver Education
    • Adult Classes
    • Youth Activities
    • Adult Basic Education
    • Facility Use
    • Defensive Driver Safety Program
    • Parent Guides: How to
  • District News & Updates
    • DISTRICT NEWS >
      • News
      • Open Enrollment FAQs
      • Pioneer Pride eNewsletters
      • Education Today
      • REFERENDUM 2018
    • DISTRICT NEWS & UPDATES
  • Graduation 2022
    • Meet the Class of 2022
    • Honor Graduates
    • Grad Bash Info