School News
St. Germain Elementary & NP Montessori Learning Center
September 2020
Great Start To The Year
It is only week three of the school year, but we are off to a great start! I have never seen students so excited to be back in school and we have never been so excited to have them back! There were some uncertainties about how the start of the year would go but I am happy to share that it has gone safely, smoothly and kids are joyfully learning.
As you know, we have a variety of new safety procedures in place such as social distancing, more sanitizing, staggered transitions, cohorting of students and more. What I have been amazed at is how quickly students have adapted to it all. It has reminded me about how resilient and adaptable kids are. Changes can be more difficult on us adults than the kids. One of the main questions this year was, "How would students respond to wearing face coverings?" I am happy to share that it has not been an issue at all. Students have adapted to it and students have been troopers with it. They are simply happy to be back in school.
The other positive to the start of the year is that we have had such great weather! Students have been able to spend a lot of time learning outside which has given them breaks from wearing face coverings and provided engaging learning experiences. Students have been outside experiencing things like physical education classes, harvesting of vegetables in the gardens, getting acquainted with our new chickens, visiting our school pond, taking hikes on the Awassa Trail, and simply having class outside. We are fortunate to have such great outdoor resources and staff are taking advantage of it.
Despite some changes to the procedures and routines the excitement and positive energy a new school year brings is greater than ever. We are going to keep the main thing, the main thing, and that is kids! Any challenges that are thrown our way, I can guarantee that we are going to put your kids first and we are doing everything we can to ensure they have a safe, rich and joyful learning experience!
Sincerely,
Tony Duffek
St. Germain Elementary School and
Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center Principal
Homecoming Week
New Illness Procedures
The Northland Pines School District works closely with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Vilas County Health Department to ensure we are following procedures to maintain the safety of all our students. In accordance with the Vilas County Health Department, we have new criteria for when a child may need to be excluded from school. If a child meets the criteria in one of the scenarios below, the student will need to stay home from school until 10 days have passed since symptoms started and they are symptom free for 24 hours. Children may return to school earlier if they test negative for COVID-19 or receive an alternative diagnosis from a doctor. Below are the scenarios in which a child would need to remain home for 10 days.
One or more of the following symptoms:
Cough (new or worsening, not known to be the result of allergies)
New loss of smell or taste
Two or more of the following symptoms are present:
Temperature of 100.4 degrees F or above
Diarrhea or vomiting
Nausea
Muscle or Body Aches
Headache
Runny Nose/Congestion
Unusual Fatigue
Chills
If a child has to remain home for 10 days or more, and feels well enough to still learn, we can set up hybrid learning. In this situation, the child can virtually connect to classes throughout the day and we will get you all the learning materials he/she needs at home so he/she can continue learning. If you have any questions about these procedures, please contact Tony Duffek (tduffek@npsd.k12.wi.us or 715-542-3632).
Hybrid Learning Joining Virtually
Outdoor Learning
Chickens
Harvesting
Cooking
Physical Education
Math with Pumpkins
Outdoor Classroom
Welcome To Our New Music Teacher!
Parents Corner
There's a lot of news coverage about the outbreak of COVID-19 and it can be overwhelming for parents and frightening to kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents and others who work closely with children to filter information and talk about it in a way that their child can understand. These tips can help:
Simple reassurance. Remind children that researchers and doctors are learning as much as they can, as quickly as they can, about the virus and are taking steps to keep everyone safe.
Give them control. It's also a great time to remind your children of what they can do to help – washing their hands often, coughing into a tissue or their sleeves, and getting enough sleep.
Watch for signs of anxiety. Children may not have the words to express their worry, but you may see signs of it. They may get cranky, be more clingy, have trouble sleeping, or seem distracted. Keep the reassurance going and try to stick to your normal routines.
Monitor their media. Keep young children away from frightening images they may see on TV, social media, computers, etc. For older children, talk together about what they are hearing on the news and correct any misinformation or rumors you may hear.
Be a good role model. COVID-19 doesn't discriminate and neither should we. While COVID-19 started in Wuhan, China, it doesn't mean that having Asian ancestry – or any other ancestry – makes someone more susceptible to the virus or more contagious. Stigma and discrimination hurts everyone by creating fear or anger towards others. When you show empathy and support to those who are ill, your children will too.
The information above comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Below is more information if you would like more resources.
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St. Germain Elementary and Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center
Email: tduffek@npsd.k12.wi.us
Website: https://www.npsd.k12.wi.us/login_faculty.cfm?memberid=121&pageid=52801
Location: 8234 State Hwy 70, Saint Germain, WI, USA
Phone: 715-542-3632
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northlandpines/?scrlybrkr
Twitter: @tduffeknpsd