Marshall County CSD

8/4/2021 MCC Families: As we prepare for back to school we wanted to take a moment to share with you some important health information items as we prepare for the 2021 school year. The state of Minnesota is allowing more local control in planning which will allow us to take a more flexible approach. Masks are not required in our Marshall County Central School Buildings. We will be allowing personal choice on whether our students and staff want to wear a mask in school. We expect everyone to respect each other for their personal choice. Please note: For now, masks are still required on school buses and public transportation because of a Federal mandate. Covid-19 vaccinations are not required for our students or staff. Again, personal choice is allowed in this regard. There are certainly benefits to being vaccinated like not having to quarantine in close contact situations, but the decision to vaccinate is for you to carefully weigh and decide for yourself and your children. We will cooperate with public health and will notify our school community about opportunities to receive a vaccination. You may also talk with your own health provider. School will be all in person. We are not providing a distance learning option. In the event of a student having to quarantine, we would work with you to get your child school work and keep communication open. We will use a layered approach to our safety plan which includes items like: Parents monitoring child's health and keeping sick children home; proper handwashing and cleaning; assigned seats in classrooms, lunchroom, and buses to help with contract tracing and to limit exposures; and adjusting measures if situation in county/school changes. Many things will look and feel like they did prior to COVID. Hopefully taking a careful approach and working together this will continue throughout the year. We are required to report positive cases within school to the Minnesota Department of Health. We will cooperate with them by helping contact trace in those cases. There will be some quarantine requirements for closed contacts but they vary based on different factors. Of course we need everyone to be mindful the situation could change. Like last year we will monitor the situation in school and in our immediate area. We will work with local public health if situation changes. We would use our messaging system to notify parents of any adjustments. Missy, Sarah, and Patty will be returning to school in mid August and will prepare our back to school mailing. The mailing will contain a welcome letter, bus routes, school supply lists, free-reduced lunch form, and other important back to school information. We anticipate this to be mailed by August 20. We are planning Back to School Nights at our school sites: Viking Back to School Night will be August 31 from 5 pm to 7 pm Newfolden Elementary Back to School Night will be September 1 from 5 pm to 7 pm. MCC High School Back to School Night will be September 1 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. You can find resources for Back to School on our website here: https://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/page/back-to-school-2021--2. This page will be updated with additional information as we approach the school year. If you are new to district or interested in coming to school at MCC we are accepting enrollments. Please call the district office at (218) 874-8530. Melanie or Sue will be glad to help. If you have transportation questions Adam is available in the bus garage. He can be reached at (218) 874-7291. We are excited for everyone to return to school for the upcoming school year! Please contact us if you have any questions!

Remember, all athletes need a physical on file with the school to participate in athletics. These are required every three years. Generally, they are done in the 7th and 10th grades. With COVID, there was a year extension granted, so many 8th graders and 10th graders may need them as well. If you haven't done so schedule a "sports physical" with your provider ASAP. Remember that many chiropractors will do them as well. Students are not allowed to practice until these are completed. If you are not sure if your child needs a physical you can call the school to check. Fall practice starts for Volleyball and 9-12 Football on 8/16, JH football starts on 8/23.

The annual Fall Sports meeting will take place at Tri-County on Wednesday, 8/11 at 7:00 pm. Athletes will be able to fill out paperwork, pay fees, receive information and meet with their fall coaches. See you there!!

Important Reminder: August 10 - Election Day for the School Building project is coming up very quickly. There is still time to vote and get your ballot mailed. If you wait until the end of this week, we advise you to bring your ballot in to the District Office to make sure we get it on time. Ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. August 10 in order to count. If you need any last minute information please view www.buildmccstrong.org. If you live in the district, are eligible to vote, and did not receive a ballot, please stop in the district office and staff can help your register and you can vote. Please call 218-874-8530 if you have any questions about voting.

Here is a link to school supply lists for the 2021-2022 School Year: https://www.newfolden.k12.mn.us/o/mccsd/browse/60469

MCC Families, Community and Staff: North Valley Public Health will be providing an opportunity to receive your Free COVID Vaccine to students, staff, and community members who wish to receive it. This will be Pfizer vaccine for those age 12 and older. The clinic will be held August 3 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in our high school library. Second dose will be administered August 24. Please click on link to register: https://prepmod.health.state.mn.us//appointment/en/reg/9514296020 Please call North Valley Public Health for any questions: 218-745-5154

The MCC School Board held a regular meeting Tuesday, July 20. A briefing of the meeting can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Jc_9svfooQkRSFAYVX7ld1C9bhV_B5MxD6Qn4DjNS4/edit?usp=sharing If anyone has any questions, feel free to reach out to Superintendent Lund: jlund@mccfreeze.org.

Please inform us if you need to make any changes to transportation for the upcoming school year. Transportation Director Adam Lokstad is working on routes for next school year. If you know of any transportation changes you need, please contact Adam. Adam can be reached via phone: 218-874-7291, e-mail: alokstad@mccfreeze.org, or text: 218-689-1767.

Northern Freeze Youth Football Camp will be July 28 and July 29 for students entering grades 4 through grade 7 this upcoming school year. Dates: Wednesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 29 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Location: Practice Field behind high school. Camp is free of charge. Students will learn some introductory football skills, play some skills games, and meet some of the coaches in the program. Participants should bring athletic shoes and a water bottle.

Bike Trip for K-3 to Florian is postponed to Tuesday, July 27. This is due to heavy smoke in area that isn't expected to get better until Thursday. MPCA has issued Air Quality warning and listed current conditions as unhealthy for everyone across northern Minnesota. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Reminder: MCC Schools needs your feedback: As part of the requirement to obtain ESSER III Federal Funding, the school district is required to have a Return to School Plan and gather stakeholder feedback. You may view our Return to School Planning Draft here: https://bit.ly/3d1Uh9j Please take our short survey if you would like to provide feedback: https://bit.ly/2UtaVrO We have had several responses but want to give everyone a chance to share feedback. The survey will remain open through July 16. Thank you!

As part of the requirement to obtain ESSER III Federal Funding, the school district is required to have a Return to School Plan and gather stakeholder feedback. You may view our Return to School Planning Draft here: https://bit.ly/3d1Uh9j Please take our short survey if you would like to provide feedback: https://bit.ly/2UtaVrO Survey will remain open until July 16, 2021. Thank you!

Here is something important we should share! Here is a list of the Class of 2021 Scholarship Awards. This years class earned over $220,000 in scholarships. We wish them all well as they prepare for further education or begin career opportunities. Thank you to all of our scholarship sponsors! Sorry for the delay in posting.

Good news!! - We have received many questions about how the outcome of the Enbridge tax lawsuit might affect our school district’s building project. The short answer is, it won’t. Last week the state of Minnesota tax bill passed, which includes a measure for Local Government Grants. These grants will pay off the tax refund owed to the Enbridge pipeline based on assessments from years 2012 to 2018. Each county affected will receive grant money to cover refunds owed by the county and other taxing districts within the county. This is great news for our school district, county, and other rural areas affected by the tax court ruling.

Classrooms in Viking received a facelift. Classrooms, the office, staff lounge, and music room received new carpeting. The new carpeting replaced carpet that was 22 years old. Thank you to TRF Paint and Glass Interiors and Kenny's Flooring!

The Marshall County Central School Board will meet in regular session on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. in the district office board conference room. Here is link to the school board agenda: https://5il.co/tyri

On behalf of the Marshall County Area Veterans Memorial Park Governing Board, we would like to share this press release for our families: The Marshall County Area Veterans Memorial Park Committee promised to keep the public updated on the dedication festivities with some details. On Tuesday June 22nd, 2021 the park will be celebrated with a military structured program. It is a great opportunity to witness firsthand an atmosphere of service that veterans carry for a lifetime. There will be music from talented folks paying tribute. A message for all of us from area folks with connections to our veterans. All things will be intertwined with the military presence and theme. It will be a great chance for families to experience in person how connected we all are to the men and women who serve and defend our country and it’s values. The ceremony will take place just west of the Marshall County courthouse. We will have a stage and sound system so we can share the evening events with all who attend. The street to the north of the memorial will be closed for the dedication and making space for all who attend. We invite all of you to visit the mural in the courthouse basement. Throughout the evening the park with the granite and bronze will highlight the humble thank you the memorial represents. Feel free to bring a chair to stay comfortable so you can relax and enjoy the entire evening. In the unlikely chance the weather is a problem we will let the public know and we have a fallback date if need be. On behalf of the Marshall County Area Veteran’s Memorial Park Committee, we look forward to seeing you all on the 22nd of June at 7pm. Please come share in what promises to be a very special evening. Please thank a veteran when given the chance.

We made it! Congratulations Class of 2021! We are now down to our last week of school for our K-11 students! Thank you parents and thank you community for your support! All the help with transportation and your cooperation with calendar adjustments helped us get through the pandemic restrictions. Reminder for School this week: School is in session all week for students K-11. Wednesday is a full day of school this week. Friday is an early release day. On Friday, Viking will dismiss at 12:30 p.m., Newfolden will dismiss at 12:50 p.m., and MCC High School will dismiss at 1:00 p.m. Buses will leave high school loop for homes at 1:00.

North Valley Public Health (NVPH) will be offering Pfizer vaccine to anyone 12 years of age and older at MCC School in the elementary cafeteria on Wednesday, May 26th from 4:30-6:00 pm. 2nd doses will be offered the week of June 14 th , date yet to be determined. A link to register for 2nd doses will be sent at a later date. There is no cost for this vaccine and insurance cards are not needed. Please use this link to register for an appointment: https://prepmod.health.state.mn.us//appointment/en/reg/6055129693 Parental consent using the above link is required for those who are ages 12-17. If you have any questions about the vaccine, please call NVPH at 218-745-5154. Thank you, NVPH

MCC School Buildings - History: Our students and staff currently occupy three buildings in the Marshall County Central School District. None of them have received significant updates in the past 27 years. Here’s a breakdown of when each facility was constructed and when the most recent improvements were made. Viking Elementary School Constructed: 1956 | Last Addition: 1963 Although well maintained, Viking Elementary School has not had structural additions or improvements since John F. Kennedy was president. Many things have changed since the early 1960’s, including the way students learn. What other parts of your day-to-day life are from 1963? Probably not very many. We have an excellent staff that has been resourceful with what we have, but we are simply out of space. The experience students and their families have at Viking Elementary is very important. It is their first impression of our district and if they are satisfied, they will likely stay. If they are not, we risk losing them, which also means less funding from the state. With the massive Digi-Key expansion in Thief River Falls, we anticipate more students entering our school district over the next decade. These are the most pressing space needs at Viking Elementary. • The music room is undersized by about 1,000 square feet according to the Guide for Planning School Construction Projects in MN. It is also not ADA compliant. • The Guide for Planning School Construction Projects in MN suggests 12-13 square feet per child in cafeterias. Our existing cafeteria provides only 6 square feet per child. • Preschool and Head Start currently share one classroom, which forces us to alternate schedules. There is significant community demand to increase the number of days for both programs, but we don't have the space. • The staff lunchroom is only 130 square feet and accommodates only three people. We have 20 staff in the building. • Students and staff currently share bathrooms, which creates privacy issues and delays due to limited fixtures. • Our speech teacher and social worker share space on the old elementary stage. This room is adjacent to our music classroom and gym. One-on-one time with children is difficult due to noise level and activity. • Our nurse’s area is also located on the stage and is a long way from the main office. We share a nurse with another school district, which means half of our days we are without a nurse. We check on sick children when the nurse is gone, but it is not ideal. Most teachers keep sick children in their classroom on the floor until their parent arrives. Newfolden Elementary School Constructed: 1916 | Last Addition: 1994 Babe Ruth was only in his third season of playing Major League Baseball when the original school was built in Newfolden. Since then, the building received an addition completed in 1941, 1955, and had a portion torn down and replaced in 1994. Safety is a district priority and space is one of our biggest current challenges. Here are some reasons why safety is an issue at Newfolden Elementary School. • Students must cross County Road 28 multiple times each day traveling to the High School for music, library, and after school programs. • The fire marshal has condemned the second-floor classroom spaces above the gym due to accessibility rules. This is wasted square footage and poses potential hazards. • The gym, which was built in 1941, does not meet Minnesota Department of Education size recommendations. Safety concerns include minimal space between the court and walls, as well as between the court and stationary bleachers. The gym does not have locker-rooms. • The building lacks a safe area reserved for bus drop-off and parent pick-up/drop-off. The only available option is curbside pick-up/drop-off from County Road 28 or a city street. Marshall County Central High School Constructed: 1970 and rebuilt in 1992 | Last Addition: None The High School has not received any updates in nearly three decades since the rebuild after the fire. That’s about how long it’s been since the Twins won their last World Series, which was in 1991. The combination of space needs and enrollment growth leaves the district in a tough situation. Here are some of the most important space needs at the High School. • We do not have a kitchen or cafeteria, forcing our students to cross County Road 28 to eat breakfast and lunch at the Elementary School. • The high school lacks gym space for junior high practices and games, which means our students share the 1941 gym at Newfolden Elementary School. • We share the music room with elementary students, which limits us from expanding our music program and creates scheduling conflicts. • There is no dedicated parent pick-up/drop-off area resulting in sharing this space with buses. Parking lots have one entrance/exit causing congestion and safety concerns in the morning and afternoon. • The high school library needs upgrades because of its multipurpose nature. It was designed as a library but gets used for student meetings, study areas, public meetings, staff meetings, our Freeze Kids Program, and Community Education. • The weight room is undersized and does not meet current needs of students or demands of the community. • The current gymnasium's multipurpose nature does not provide the necessary space when we have special events like programs, concerts, graduation, Home for the Holidays, and local trade shows. When we have those events our gym classes are displaced, or students go into a classroom losing activity time. The proposed improvements in Viking and Newfolden will help build a solid foundation of educational excellence for the students in our district, now and into the future. Together, we can build MCC strong. Mail-in balloting begins June 25th and election day is August 10th. Please visit www.buildmccstrong.org to learn more about the referendum. Jeffrey Lund Superintendent/Elementary Principal Marshall County Central Schools www.buildmccstrong.org