Northland School Board: Board adjusts learning days, snow days

   Board Chair Marc Ruyak expressed concerns regarding the possibility of implementing E-Learning days rather than adding on extra days at the end of the year for any extra snow days that may occur at the Wed., Feb. 15 regular meeting.

   During Covid, Ruyak felt the teachers and staff did a wonderful job of getting information to the students, however many students fell behind due to lack of support at home. The question of how the staff would get information to all students if they were to announce an e-learning day, and the possibility that not all students would have their chromebooks at home or have access to internet to be able to connect. Another concern brought up was how to do e-learning at the elementary level,which Superintendent Mary Yakibchuk mentioned the possibility of creating a bingo card that could be sent home with students in case of snow days. There would be different activities and assignments for those students to choose from to complete and the parents would then sign off on the card that they completed. Ruyak questioned how teachers would know that the student actually did the work.

   Board member Bill Wake felt if days were added to the end of the year those would be wasted also, as most times the last week of school students don’t learn anything and are doing fun activities. However, Wake did see the problems with the e-learning possibility and questioned if some of the scheduled staff planning days or spring break days could be used as a teaching day if needed.

   After much discussion, guidance was given to administration to first add in flexible days where they could be turned into school days rather than staff development days, secondly to add extra days at the end of the year and finally, if there were an abundance of snow days, would to be to try an e-learning day.

   In other Board action:

   • Approved the hire of Mark Trimble as Full Time Custodian, Sarah Ong as Speech/Language Pathologist with a start date of Aug. 28 and Stacey Wake as Head Volleyball Coach.

   • Approved a Resolution of Concurrence from the Indian Education Program.

   • Accepted donations from Hill City Thrift Shop in the amount of $1,000 for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and $100 from Crow Wing Power for 2023 Grad Blast.

   • Heard a report from Elementary Principal Janessa Green stating it is I Love to Read month and they are doing lots of fun activities to get students to read. 

   • Heard a report from Athletic Director Janessa Green with statistics of girls and boys basketball, mentioning the boys have clinched the Northern Lakes Conference title which hasn’t been done in 43 years, and is mentally planning for a fan bus.

   • Heard a report from Principal Mark Motherway with updates on field trips high school students have been going on, an update on tardy penalties and mentioning there was over 70 students able to attend a PBIS bowling trip celebration.

   The board has scheduled the following meetings: The  regular meeting, Wed. Mar. 15 at 5:30 p.m. and a work session, Wed., May 3 at 5:30 p.m., all meetings are held at Northland High School.