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Schools grapple with pandemic

Submitted Photo Students at Erik Ramstad Middle School wear masks throughout the school.

The coronavirus pandemic meant challenges for parents, teachers and students across the state in 2020.

School buildings were closed in March by order of the governor and classes were delivered via distance learning, an entirely new method of education delivery for many.

When classes resumed in the fall, school districts and universities prepared plans of action for educating students in a pandemic. Some schools opted to continue distance learning for all students and others considered a hybrid model of face-to-face classes and distance learning. Minot Public Schools opted to resume face-to-face classes with a requirement for all to wear face masks in most situations and to practice other precautions against the coronavirus such as social distancing and hand washing. Quarantine and isolation and disruptions in school and work were necessary at different points throughout the semester for individuals or entire cohorts of students who had virus symptoms or had been exposed to someone who did. Some of those requirements were eased somewhat later in the fall when Gov. Doug Burgum amended his quarantine order to exempt close contacts from the need to quarantine if both parties had been wearing face masks at all times.

In November a surge in virus cases meant that school activities were also called off until Dec. 14, though practices were allowed with athletes wearing masks.

Mitch Lunde, Minot Public Schools activities director, said many school extracurriculars would be held virtually and athletic events would be held with very limited audience attendance allowed. Some events have had to be called off or postponed when someone was required to be quarantined or isolated due to COVID-19.

“We want our kids to continue to work and have opportunities,” said Lunde, even though it must be done with COVID-19 precautions in mind.

Minot Public Schools Superintendent Mark Vollmer said on Dec. 17 that a committee that has been guiding how the school responds to the pandemic has decided that it is best to continue in person classes for Minot Public Schools students going forward. The number of coronavirus cases in the school district has continued to decline and it is no longer quite so hard to find substitute teachers as it had been earlier in the semester. Vollmer said everyone has been good about following the guidelines and parents often notified the district even before the health department did if a child tested positive for the coronavirus. That enabled the district to do contact tracing to determine which people had been in contact with that person and to get them into quarantine faster to slow the spread of the virus. School district officials had said that there seemed to be little spread of the virus attributed to being in school and most teachers, students and staff had caught COVID-19 elsewhere.

The district has also been participating in a pilot project at Magic City Campus, Jim Hill Middle School, and Perkett Elementary that enables teachers to use rapid testing for the coronavirus. They test themselves and, if a test comes back positive, are encouraged to follow up with another test and are required to go into quarantine.

Vollmer said the district also has practiced what teachers and students will do in the event that everyone is required to go back to a distance learning model and made sure questions were asked and answered about use of technology tools.

Vollmer said face-to-face learning is ideal but excellent teaching and learning can take place no matter which model is used.

Teachers, students and staff have all gone above and beyond this year and flexibility has been required.

Teachers at Ramstad said in an email that there has been a lot of extra cleaning but they have seen a lot of resilience and people have risen to meet the challenges and people have been kind and flexible when a student or staff member had to be in quarantine. Friendships have helped them get through the tough times.

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