The staff and students completed the 1st quarter of the school year last week on Thursday. It's hard to believe how fast that has gone!

I have been very pleased with many of the great things happening at NFV. The current pandemic has been top of the list.

Our community has been very supportive as we worked to educate our students in a safe fashion. We have had some COVID-19 cases and quarantines. I have been hesitant to share these numbers in real time as it is important to protect the privacy of those effected. But now that we are looking back, I am comfortable sharing some basic numbers with our NFV community.

104 students have been quarantined due to exposure at school. These numbers do NOT include those that were exposed outside of school where Public Health did the contact tracing.

10 students have tested positive. Some students were tested because they didn't feel well, some were tested prior to medical procedures and some were deemed close contacts and were tested as a result.

12 staff members were quarantined. Most, if not all, of these were due to exposure outside of school.

6 staff members tested positive. Most, if not all, of these were due to exposure outside of school.

We wish these numbers were lower, however when comparing to other districts and the community in general, they reflect that our practices are reducing the number of individuals effected at school.

As I am sure you have seen, COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths are increasing throughout the state. I ask that you increase your efforts to keep your family healthy using good precautionary methods such as hand washing, avoiding crowds, and wearing a mask, if you are not able to maintain at least 6 feet between you and other people.

I would also like to remind families to screen your students each day before school. If students don't feel well, please be very thoughtful with your decision about whether they should attend school or not. If you have questions about COVID-19 symptoms, please contact one of our school nurses or your health care provider.

As we know, COVID has provided many changes in our lives. On a positive note, the district has installed a camera in the gym. This camera will be able to live stream events over the internet. We are excited to be able to offer this option to our Tigerhawk family for those that are not able or comfortable attending the event in person. More details will be shared on our website as we get closer to our winter season.

This program is funded by the federal government and will continue through June 30, 2021.

We are happy to be able to provide this service to our students. It is important to remember that extras or any ala carte items will be charged to the student's account as it has in the past. If you have a student with a big appetite, you will want to be sure that the student has money in their account to cover these additional expenses.

Students are creating a video, with a variety of speakers, performances and messages designed to show our gratefulness and appreciation. The video will be shown throughout the district. For those that are interested, a limited number of community members will be welcomed to join us in the Performing Arts Center for a public viewing at 11:00. Additionally, it will be available on the district website for viewing by the communities we serve.

As you may know, when North Fayette and the Valley Districts officially merged into NFV, the state provided a financial incentive. This additional funding is set to expire at the end of next school year (2021-2022). Based on current state aid rates, the district will be without nearly $650,000 in our general fund in the upcoming years.

With the sunset of the merger incentive funds, coupled with the enrollment consistently decreasing, we are working to address this funding change.

Habit two focuses on planning ahead and setting goals. It’s about being a good citizen and doing things that have meaning or contribute to a larger purpose. With habit 2, we develop a clear vision of who we want to be. It means setting goals around what we determine is important to us and making a plan on how to accomplish those goals. At NFV we discuss and address goals at all levels; individual, grade level, building, and district!

We are very disappointed to announce that, due to COVID-19, the dinner will not be provided as usual.

This year we will be holding a raffle for the turkeys our FFA students raised. The funds generated from the purchase of tickets will be donated to the Open Hands Food Bank.

To purchase a ticket to win one of the 8 turkeys, please contact Ryan Holthaus at rholthaus@nfv.k12.ia.us or the high school office. Tickets are $1 for one entry to win.