Excitement to have students back in the classroom was the overwhelming message from staff at the Brainerd School Board meeting Monday, Feb. 8, along with a plea to the public to help keep things that way.
With sixth through 12th graders set to transition from distance learning to a modified in-person model Tuesday, Feb. 16, all students who so choose will be back within the physical walls of their schools.
Younger students transitioned back to in-person classes in phases over the past three weeks.
A lot of behind-the-scenes preparation happened to get the buildings ready for the transitions, and administrators are grateful to the rest of the staff for the hard work and long hours put in. Principals from each level — elementary, middle and high school — heaped praises on their colleagues and on parents and families Monday when providing the board with updates.
Elementary school
Baxter Elementary Principal Tammy Stellmach — who represented the district’s six elementary schools — said there has been a lot of out-of-the-box thinking this year and many staff members who have taken on different roles than they’re used to.
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“It’s been tough,” she said. “I don’t think you’d find too many staff at any level that would tell you it has not been a hard year.”
Teachers and paraprofessionals are working harder than ever, yet learning gaps are wider than normal after moving to distance learning last March. Fortunately, though, the smaller class sizes also forced by COVID-19 mean, in some cases, students can get more individualized attention from teachers.
“I could not be more proud of our elementary staff,” Stellmach said. “They have been resilient, they have been flexible, they have come to the table with smiles on their face and a can-do attitude.”
Student attitudes and positivity have surpassed staff expectations as well. They, too, are resilient and flexible, Stellmach said.
“They are happy to be learning,” she added. “They are thrilled to be back in school in the elementaries, but I tell you what, they were hardworking troopers when we were forced to go from the in-person to the distance learning model, and they have done a phenomenal job.”
Kids having to keep masks on all day was a concern at the beginning of the year — especially with the youngest students — but Stellmach said it has been a non-issue.
“Overall, all things considered, we’re having the best year possible given the circumstances," she said.
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Middle school
Forestview Middle School Principal Jon Anderson said his staff have two main focus points this year — how to keep students engaged and how to build and maintain positive relationships no matter the learning model.
That means gym teachers doing virtual workouts with students, teachers hosting hourly Google Meets sessions and paraprofessionals and special education instructors putting every second of their schedule to use. That means media center staff continuing to promote literacy with a library checkout bin outside the building, the music department setting up virtual concerts and teachers devising creative science, technology, engineering and math projects.
“I’m very impressed with my staff,” Anderson said. “They have risen to the challenge with everything with engaging kids.”
High school
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During challenging times it’s easy to focus on things that need improvement, Brainerd High School Principal Andrea Rusk said, but staff has instead done everything they could to make the year successful.
“They have been asked to do things that they’ve never been asked to do,” she said.
And it goes beyond just teachers. It’s custodians, cooks, paraprofessionals, clerical staff and everyone employed at the district, Rusk said.
She also thanked parents, who have always been flexible and respectful, even amid their frustrations this year.
High school students will use the first week back as a transition period as they learn to navigate the newly constructed portions of the building and acclimate to new safety guidelines like directional traffic and social distancing policies in common areas.
At the end of her report, Rusk confidently said both prom and an in-person graduation ceremony are going to happen this year, with more details to come later.
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It takes a village
Staff members want students to continue coming to school through the end of the year, but it will take a community effort to be able to do so, they said.
“The one thing I heard echoed by staff today is that they’re so ready to do this, but they just don’t want the rug ripped out again,” Assistant Superintendent Heidi Hahn said. “They want to be able to get in and stay in, and that’s where it’s going to take all of us.”
Distance learning
Under state mandates, districts must provide a distance learning option for students through the end of the school year, an effort Larson said Brainerd Public Schools continues to be committed to.
“They’re still our kids, and we’re still giving great education to our kids even through the distance learning model,” she said.
Of the 505 students at Baxter Elementary, Stellmach said 47 were distance learning as of Monday. The most Baxter students distance learning at one time this year was 62-65, she said.
Rusk did not have concrete numbers for the high school but said her students have fluctuated a little more than their younger peers, as many students have opted to stay in distance learning so they can retain jobs through the pandemic. Some high schoolers are working 25 or more hours a week, she said.
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THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .
