After the first week of school, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Superintendent Joe Nelson says the district continues to learn and adapt as they offer education in the midst of COVID. To share information with the community about how that process is going, Nelson again answered some burning questions.
Are students doing a good job keeping masks on on the busses and staying in assigned seats?
Dwight Tew and our drivers have been incredibly kind and patient with our students. Our first day was a little slow after school but I think everyone has made the necessary adjustments to stay on time. We received many questions in advance of school regarding how we would handle students not wearing masks on the bus and in our classrooms. This wasn’t a big issue during the first week of school because our parents and teachers have done a nice job of working together to communicate our expectations.
How are staff and students adapting to wearing PPE constantly?
There’s no doubt it’s been an adjustment, but I’ve been impressed with our students and employees’ ability to adapt. Ultimately, I think we all know this is a necessary and appropriate sacrifice to make.
Were teachers and students able to jump right into curriculum and learning or was the first week a period of adapting to this new normal before education can happen?
I was in our K-12 classrooms every day during the first week, and I can say “yes” with complete confidence that our teachers and students were fully engaged in teaching and learning, and this started shortly after our doors opened on 8/24.
We have a dedicated teaching staff that was ready for school to start and 1,000+ students that were anxious and excited to return after their extended break. It’s been fun to see and feel the energy in our buildings.
How are the three schools keeping up with the daily health and temperature screenings?
Our two nurses, Megan Lingenfelter and Erin Halverson, have been outstanding. Their leadership, including timely communication has been paramount to our success.
Were there any unforeseen challenges that the staff/teachers/students faced the first week?
I think the biggest challenge has been all the new information, guidance and recommendations we receive on a daily basis. This is an incredibly fluid situation, and the information changes daily. Our Principals and Athletic Director have done a tremendous job leading our buildings through the rigors of COVID controls with poise and patience. We know our students deserve it, and we’ll keep doing everything we can as a team to keep everyone in school.
