Dear Students, Staff, and Parents,

I want to provide an update as we continue to offer a face-to-face learning model for our students guided by the SDNR Tiger Launch Plan 2020-21 (8-13-20). To date, the SDNR has experienced (25) twenty-five positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the school year. We currently have (7) seven active cases in our District. We have had to quarantine various students and staff out of precaution due to these individuals being a contact of a positive COVID-19 case. However, as stated in our Tiger Launch Plan, we have been able to provide a synchronous learning experience to those students that are quarantined. In collaboration with St. Croix County Public Health, Westfields Hospital & Clinic, SDNR Contact Tracer, SDNR District Nurse, SDNR Staff and Administration, we continue to find that the spread of COVID-19 is not in the school buildings, but is traced back to outside interactions.

Our goal is to continue to safely educate our students in our face-to-face learning model. As previously communicated, we continue to monitor our decision matrix and data points to gauge if a different learning model should be considered. At this time, we do not believe a change is warranted based on the spread happening outside of the District buildings. As a reminder, this decision is a combination of the following data points:

• 14 Day County Level Case Rate
• Student and Staff Absences due to COVID-19 (SCCPH Required Quarantine)
• Student and Staff COVID-19 Positive Test
• Student and Staff Absences due to COVID-19 (Self Quarantine)
• Substitute Staffing Availability
• Community of New Richmond COVID-19 Testing Data
• SCCPH and DHS School Guidance

We are confident in our Tiger Launch Plan and continue to find the balance in every step we take. We understand this has been difficult on everyone and appreciate your patience with this fluid situation. We have made various modifications to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic planning. Please keep in mind that St. Croix County represents 736 square miles and the 14 Day County Level Case Rate takes into account breakouts throughout this large geographic area and not just positive cases in the New Richmond Area. The county cases are on the rise compared to the first two weeks of school but the case count in St. Croix County schools is very low. Schools are not seeing the spread as in the general public.  We continue to learn more from each situation to make appropriate modifications. I am very proud of how our students, staff, parents, and community have collaborated to embrace our COVID-19 mitigation strategies, so we are able to continue to educate our students in a face-to- face learning model. Please read over the following attachments carefully as we have made various updates, changes, and additions to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please see the attached update for more detailed information.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, collaboration, and assistance as we continue to keep our doors open and provide the best educational experience possible for our students during this challenging time. I could not be prouder of our staff for their sacrifice, determination, creativity, and care as we are in this situation together. As always, please feel free to contact me anytime with questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

Patrick B. Olson
District Administrator

Dear Students and Parents,

The Tiger Launch Plan has allowed us to start the year with success in many areas. We also continue to learn, discuss, and explore ways to improve. One area that we have been exploring is to find additional preparation time for our teaching staff with our current face-to-face learning model while also continuing the education of students quarantined for 10 or 14 days using a remote synchronous model.

With input from our teachers, administration, and Board of Education, it has been decided to implement a 2-hour late start every Wednesday beginning October 7, 2020. We may continue this 2-hour late start on Wednesdays, even if a school or the District moves to a hybrid-learning model depending upon the level effected.

We know this schedule change may have a significant impact on some of our families. We hope you understand our need to find the best possible solution for our teachers and our students. Below are some specific items impacted by the Wednesday 2-hour late start:

• The late start will be similar to a weather related late start, which moves the Wednesday start time later by two hours at all levels.
• Tiger Pack will run at each school for scheduled late starts on Wednesday’s beginning on October 7^th, 2020.
• Tiger Pack will open at 6:00 AM and run extended hours to 10:00 AM during scheduled late starts. If your student attends - an additional $4.50 charge will be added to your morning session ($10 total morning charge). If your student arrives after 10:00 AM, you will NOT NEED to use Tiger Pack.
• Breakfast will be offered at each site at 8:00 AM for Tiger Pack Students.
• Wednesday late start morning sessions will be available for adding or dropping online on your eleyo account under a regularly scheduled day. If you are already scheduled on these days, and plan to use Tiger Pack - no changes or communication is needed.
• Any questions or inquiries can be sent to Tiger Pack coordinator Rachel Twedten at rtwedten@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• Students with IEP’s who’s service schedule will be affected by the shortened Wednesday late start will be contacted by their child’s case manager.
• 4K programming will not be adjusted as classes and transportation can be provided as usual.
• Breakfast will also be available for all other students not attending Tiger Pack to start the day.

Thank you for your tremendous flexibility and care as we continue to work together and make the most of the current circumstances. As always, please feel free to contact your building principal or myself anytime with questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

Patrick B. Olson
District Administrator

Dear Students and Parents,

I want to provide an update as we continue to maneuver through the start of the 2020-21 school year guided by the SDNR Tiger Launch Plan 2020-21 (8-13-20). To date, the SDNR has experienced four (4) staff positive COVID-19 Cases and four (4) student positive COVID-19 cases. We continue to learn more from each situation to make modifications. I am very proud of how our students, staff, and parents have collaborated to embrace our COVID-19 mitigation strategies so we are able to continue to educate our students in a face-to-face learning model. Please read over the following links carefully as we have made various updates, changes, and additions to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, I have added information for busing and the 2020 SDNR Annual meeting below.

Please see the attached update for more detailed information.

As always, please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

Patrick B. Olson
District Administrator

Dear Students and Parents,

I want to provide an update as we continue to maneuver through the start of the 2020-21 school year guided by the SDNR Tiger Launch Plan 2020-21 (8-13-20). We have had zero (0) positive COVID-19 student cases in the SDNR since July 6, 2020. We have had one staff member test positive but this was prior to any students in the building thus no communication was sent out. This past week we did have another staff member test positive in the District but that individual had limited contact with any students and that building was notified as planned. We have had to quarantine a small number of students and staff out of precaution due to these individuals being a contact of a positive COVID-19 case outside of school. 

Please see the attached update for more detailed information.

As always, please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

 

 

Patrick B. Olson
District Administrator

SDNR COVID-19 Update Welcome Back

SDNR COVID-19 Tiger Launch Plan Update 8-13-20

SDNR COVID-19 Update Tiger Launch Plan 7-22-20

SDNR COVID-19 Closure 5-26-20

SDNR COVID-19 School Closure Parent Staff Letter 5-8-2020

SDNR COVID-19 Parent Letter 4/26/20

Governor Evers extended the “Safer at Home” order from April 24 to May 26, 2020. This order includes the closure of all Wisconsin schools for the remainder of the school year.

SDNR COVID-19 Closure 4-17-20

Impressed does not begin to describe what students, parents, and our team of staff members are doing in a time where there is no road map. As you have often heard me quote, Ralph Waldo Emerson “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” those words could not be more true than on this day.

SDNR COVID-19 Closure Family Letter dated 4-5-20

March 29, 2020

Dear SDNR Students and Parents,

We hope this correspondence finds you and your family safe and well. As a reminder, SDNR remote learning will continue starting tomorrow Monday, March 30, 2020 as initially planned. This past week, no remote learning took place due to our District’s scheduled spring break. To best understand that to expect as a parent during this remote learning opportunity please reference the following summary letter SDNR COVID-19 Closure 3-17-20.

As you know, Governor Evers issued Emergency Order #12, Safer At Home Order. This Order was effective at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 and will remain in effect until 8:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 2020, or until a superseding order is issued. The order requires all individuals present within the State of Wisconsin to stay at home or at their place of residence, with exceptions. To the extent, individuals are using shared or outdoor spaces other than their home or residence, they must at all times as reasonably possible maintain social distancing of at least six (6) feet from any other person consistent with social distancing requirements. As a District, we continue to follow the same timeline in terms of our direction and recommendations.

Staff members have been meeting throughout this past week to prepare our District for remote learning from April 6th to April 24th. You will be contacted by District staff this coming week, as our focus during this extended closure is to provide continued education for all students at each level that is effectively communicated. We thank you for your continued patience and partnership as we endure this situation together.

The following includes various key pieces of information with this extended closure past the original April 6, 2020 date.

Since Thursday, March 19, 2020, all buildings have remained closed and no access as been available except for essential staff. This protocol will remain in place until further notice. 

Please also feel free to visit the District’s COVID-19 page by clicking HERE for continuous updates.

The School District of New Richmond announces Tech Support for Grades 6-12 families. As our students continue to learn through our COVID-19 school closure, the District’s IT department would like to offer tech assistance. Families can now submit a Tech Support Ticket. One of our IT support specialists will respond to each ticket in the order, which they are received.

PBS Wisconsin, Milwaukee PBS, and DPI have partnered to support at-home learning for students and families by broadcasting a new weekday television schedule of programming with digital resources that connect to Wisconsin’s state academic standards. Beginning Monday, March 30, PBS Wisconsin will dedicate the 5 a.m.-5 p.m. daytime weekday schedule on The Wisconsin Channel, or PBS Wisconsin-2, and Milwaukee PBS will dedicate the 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daytime weekday schedule on WMVT 36.1 to educational programming including specific blocks of time for pre-K through 12th grade levels and covers subjects, including English language arts, social studies, science, and math. The special broadcast schedule will also be available to stream online at pbswisconsin.org/familyresources along with corresponding free digital content for at-home learning and support for teachers. Also, Milwaukee PBS is hosting free digital resources for at home learning at milwaukeepbs.org/onlineresources/.

Updated Free Meals During School Closure: The School District of New Richmond’s School Nutrition Department will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to any child 18 years old and younger during the school closure. If you see the following individuals, please thank them for their continued support of our students and families as they prepare and hand out over 1,984 breakfast meals and 2,045 lunch meals every week. With tremendous gratitude, we thank Bobbie Guyette, Jessica Coolidge, Crissy Partridge, Denise Rondeau, Becky Gann, Ana Cowen, Linnae Strand, Megan Walters, Dana Johnson, Tricia Bonnes, Drew Johnson, Rachel Twedten, and Chantelle Schultz for all help during this difficult time.

- Please note the following changes starting on Monday, March 30th, 2020 - 
To limit contact during this pandemic time, meals will be offered on only Monday and Thursday 
Monday: 3 days of meals provided 
Thursday: 2 days of meals provided

Sites: For safety reasons, we ask that each family or group approach service stations separately. There will be signs directing you at each site as well as volunteers helping to direct traffic flow.

• Starr Elementary (bus parking lot) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 967 South Starr Ave, New Richmond, WI 54017
• Deer Path Townhomes (parking lot) 10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. 665 Monette Ave, New Richmond, WI 54017
• Croft Place Apartments (parking lot) 11:20 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. 233 Croft St., New Richmond, WI 54017
• The Centre (parking lot) 11:55 a.m. - 12:25 p.m. 425 E 5th St., New Richmond, WI 54017
• Star Prairie (village lot near post office) 12:35 p.m. - 1:05 p.m. Post Office: 300 Main Street, Star Prairie, WI 54026

Any special concerns or delivery requests, you may email Bobbie Guyette, Supervisor of School Nutrition, at bguyette@newrichmond.k12.wi.us or contact her at 715-781-3629.

For information about the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• WI Department of Health Services
• St. Croix County Public Health Department

Community of New Richmond:

Alert New Richmond- We strongly encourage community members to sign up for Alert New Richmond. We will be sending out information through this application as needed, in addition to our social media sites. To sign up visit: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=Newrichmondwi

City YouTube Channel- The City will be utilizing our YouTube channel for community outreach, fitness activities, self-care ideas, etc. We will be publishing content weekly at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqVDjHuzGmWwtiLDT4UKFOA

In my most recent COVID-19 emergency management meeting the following advice was shared:

In order to really flatten the curve, we need 90% of the population to limit their interaction to 5 people over the next 3 months. When you leave work, just be with your family. It is not 5 people at a time, it is 5 people total! We have got to stop interacting to stop the disease. Go run your errands once a week, and do not leave your house unless you have to.

At the time of this letter, we recognize there are still many unanswered questions. We will continue to be provide additional communications as appropriate. At any time, please feel free to contact any member of the administration team for further assistance.

• District Administrator, Patrick Olson polson@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• NRHS Principal, Tom Wissink twissink@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• NRHS Assistant Principal, Heidi Link hlink@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• NRHS Assistant Principal, Jeff Swanson jswanson@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• NRHS Athletic Director, Casey Eckardt ceckardt@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• NRMS Principal, Doug Hatch dhatch@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• NRMS Assistant Principal, Michele Wood mwood@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• Hillside Elementary Principal, Frank Norton fnorton@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• Paperjack Elementary Principal, Mike Ballard mballard@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
• Starr Elementary Principal, Nicholas Hall nhall@newrichmond.k12.wi.us

Whether you are an essential or a non-essential worker, each of you are doing your part as we are all essential in this life!

Stay well and stay safe!

Patrick B. Olson 
District Administrator