“Our plan is fluid and it changes on a regular basis,” said Supt. Mark Vollmer. He said school district officials are working closely with the First District Health Unit to monitor daily numbers of positive coronavirus cases.

All teachers, staff, and students are required to wear masks in the Minot Public Schools in situations where they are unable to maintain a six-foot distance from each other. Vollmer said “mask breaks” will be built in to the school day because people cannot be expected to wear masks continuously throughout the day.

Other measures have been taken to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, including attention to hygiene and when and how kids pass each other in the hallways.

The district’s plan for a return to the classroom is based on health department guidelines and could be tightened if the number of positive cases in the state increase.

Bishop Ryan Catholic School sophomore Joey Johnson and her classmates are socially distanced and learning together on the first day of classes at Bishop Ryan.

As of this week, the state is considered to be at level green, or low risk, but Gov. Doug Burgum had said during his weekly address that some more populous counties, including Ward County, might move to level yellow next week because they have had more cases of the virus. Under the Minot school district’s plan, that would mean taking additional precautions.

If a student or teacher tests positive for the virus, that might mean those who have been in close contact with them in the classroom could be asked to stay home and teach a class or continue their studies via distance learning for a time as a precaution.

Vollmer said a “cohort” or classroom of kids at the elementary level is easier to quarantine than at the high school level, where kids change classes from period to period.

“Teachers need to have good seating charts,” said Vollmer and be aware of which students are sitting next to each other in a particular class.

At the elementary level, teachers have been assigned to either face-to-face classroom teaching or all distance learning. At the secondary level, some teachers will be teaching some classes face-to-face and others online. Teachers who are doing both might receive an additional stipend. If a teacher is exposed to someone with the coronavirus, Vollmer said they might still be able to teach their classes from home, with students in the classroom monitored by another adult while the teacher presents the day’s lesson from home using available technology.

Vollmer said online delivery will be far more rigorous than it was last spring and the goal is for students to stay on pace with classmates who are receiving face-to-face instruction. Help is available for families that have questions about online delivery.

Face-to-face classes will continue and returning to online only delivery would be a last resort, said Vollmer.

Minot’s Christian schools also have returned to classes.

Bishop Ryan Catholic School students returned to classes on Thursday. Like the Minot Public Schools, the Catholic school is encouraging additional hygiene measures and is encouraging physical distancing. School president Father Jadyn Nelson said Bishop Ryan will not require masks for students, faculty, and staff, but they can be worn at their own discretion.

Students were excited about returning to the classroom face to face.

“I’m excited to start learning and reading!” said Genevieve Deeter, a third-grader, in a comment provided in an email from the school. “I like being back with my friends. I can’t wait for gym class and music; I missed those when we were in virtual classes last year.”

A seventh-grader said in an emailed comment that he notices students are asked to wash their hands more often and their desks are more spaced out and some have dividers on them, but all of the new things students are being asked to do because of the threat of COVID-19 are becoming habit.

“Being able to come back to school and be in the classrooms with my friends and teachers is what I’m most looking forward to this year,” said Joey Johnson, a 10th grader at Ryan, in the emailed comment. “Having those interactions with friends are what I missed most last spring. We’re doing our best to keep things clean and wipe down areas after we’ve used them, and that’s getting easier as we learn it. Having our teachers in the same classrooms as we’re learning is something I’m happy about because knowing they’re there with you helps you learn better.”

“Getting back to be with friends and take part in sports is really exciting this year,” said Sabryn Ronning, also a Ryan 10th grader, in the emailed comment. “It’s better to have teachers with you in the classroom; when I have a teacher right there, I have a better experience and I do better in school. We’re doing a lot of different things to keep the school healthy like having hand sanitizer available everywhere, wiping down desks and surfaces, and using shields on the desks. Using hand sanitizer is pretty normal now, but we’re still getting used to the shields.”

Kids have been grouped together into “pods” who will stay together during the day for times when groups gather for such things as school lunch, attending Mass or school assemblies and in seating charts.

Teachers are also happy to be back teaching face-to-face at Ryan.

Kimberly Lach, a first-grade teacher at Ryan, said in the email that her students have grown academically and socially and seem to be adapting quickly to the changes.

“It’s tremendously good to be back. The students have grown so much since we last saw them, and they are so compassionate and grateful. There’s hope in seeing how hard they’re trying to do well with all of the new routines, and their attitudes are positive,” said Diana Cabak, a middle school science teacher at Ryan, in the emailed comment. “In my classroom, I’ve always had high expectations and encouraged a high level of effort from the students, and I don’t think that’s changed. Hygiene is always top-of-mind in a science classroom and things are no different now, but with technology, it’s interesting to see how the students are distinguishing more between what is social media and what is academic media. The kids are extremely conscious and calm about what they need to do so we can stay in school. You can really see their gratitude and appreciation for the situation, and that’s something here that is met with administrative support for teachers and students. The foresight, preparation, judgement and compassion that have been shown by school leadership is providing an atmosphere of comfort for the whole school.”

Minot Public School opening day numbers

There were 7,652 total students enrolled in the Minot Public Schools in grades K-12 as of opening day Thursday, according to information provided by the school district. That is down 78 students from the 2019-20 school year. The total includes 3,860 elementary students, 1,760 middle school students, and 2,032 high schools students.

The number of students enrolled in distance learning in the school district on opening day included 505 elementary students, 300 middle school students, and 316 high school students. They are included in the total enrollment.

There were more than 80 students that are still in the process of enrolling in the school district. They should be enrolled and counted in the enrollment numbers by next week, according to the district.