Educating This School Year and Beyond

March 2021

Hello Parents/Guardians and Community Members:

It is the one year anniversary of when Covid-19 changed the world of education as we knew it. Kudos to all our teachers this past year for learning how to teach online while still maintaining excellence in the face-to-face classroom. Thank you to parents and guardians for all your patience this year and for helping your children succeed.

Great strides have occurred with helping families get connected to the internet, checking out Chromebooks for those families who needed them and welcoming students back once families were comfortable sending their children back to school.

This year our extracurricular activities have thrived from online open rehearsals recorded on our YouTube channel for all choir and band concerts, a musical It’s Vaudeville, which was filmed and is on our website for your viewing, plus every sport team had a successful season including conference championships, along with
regional and sectional wins again this year. FBLA, DECA, FCCLA, FFA and Student Council are just a few of the NHS offerings students participated in this school year to stay connected. Next year we sincerely hope activities will be as they once were while still maintaining safety.

We will take the most up to date guidance from Douglas County and Bayfield County Health Departments, The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the Governor for the State of Wisconsin and the National Center for Disease Control as to how to continue education in the fall of 2021. We have made huge strides in 2020-21 from September 1, 2020 attending K-5 five days a week and the two day cohort model for grades 6-12. On October 5th we were face-to-face four days a week and Wednesdays online.

In 2021-22 the Education Plan is to have all grades face-to-face five days a week K-12. As to safety precautions and all extra events and activities it is our hope to maintain safety for students and staff while still offering all extracurricular activities and events from prior to Covid-19.

Decisions as to whether masks are required or strongly encouraged will wait until July as information related to Covid-19 continues to change.

As we finish the school year we look forward to Commencement Ceremonies on Friday, May 28, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. The goal is to be able to have an "in-person" ceremony for the graduates and to have guests in attendance; most likely in a limited manner. The high school is looking at a number of different options and will be making a formal announcement in coming weeks.

Summer School (June 10-30) course development is in full swing with numerous offerings and options for academic recovery and enrichment for those families who are interested.

Let’s finish the year strong! Feel free to continue to communicate any needs you may have.

Dr. Sara L. Croney, Superintendent