By Jean Doran Matua, Editor
Both the Kimball and Eden Valley-Watkins school boards had meetings within the past week. Dealing with rising COVID-19 cases in our low-vaccination, high-infection rate area while keeping students in school for in-person instruction is a big challenge.
Kimball
The Kimball school board discussed a mitigation matrix at a special meeting Oct. 6; it was not approved, and no further discussion of it has been scheduled. The district is working its Return to Safe Learning plan that has been in place since the start of school this year. As of Friday afternoon, there was a 1% rate of COVID-19 at the high school (that is 4 or 5 individuals), and 0% at the elementary.
No visitors are allowed in school buildings during school hours. Zoom Vault tests are available to test students. Non-masking mitigation strategies have been in place since the start of school.
Eden Valley-Watkins
In addition to the mitigation matrix adopted at its Sept. 21 special meeting, the EV-W school board approved several additional strategies. These are listed in the Superintendent’s update on page 18.
One notable measure is the change of four Fridays (Oct. 29, Nov. 12, Dec. 3, and Dec. 17) as “flexible Fridays.” Students will be at home these days, working on virtual assignments, and staff will be in school. Many staff have had to give up their scheduled prep time to cover classes and duties for others because of COVID-19 and quarantines. This flexible schedule, combined with 2-hour late starts every Friday through the end of December, is to help alleviate some of the mental and physical fatigue caused by this prolonged loss of prep time.
Other approved measures will increase distance, shift to virtual mode, or cancel unnecessary events. All this is to keep students and staff in-person, safe, and healthy.
Support
Both schools are committed to the safety of students and staff, and to avoiding distance learning as long as safely possible.
Our students and all school personnel need and deserve our support at this time, as a community. Whether it’s staying healthy for the sake of all, cooperating with distancing or masking requests at school activities and on buses, or saying a prayer once in awhile – all support is appreciated.