District Administrators Corner

by Loren Glasbrenner,  River Valley School District Administrator  The River Valley School District is excited to have students back to our campus the first week of September!  And, we are thankful to be providing in-person instruction to all students, following the school calendar, five days a week.  We believe students need to be in school.  Masks and face coverings are recommended for students and staff. The conditions of the pandemic still exist.  Similar to last year, the complexity of public health is ever-changing, and the district will remain responsive.  We will adapt when county/state/federal mandates are provided to our district as we provide the best education possible for all students. We will use the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), and local health officials to advise our decisions.   There are elements of last year that have taught us all valuable lessons.  We will be posting and encouraging safe social distancing.  We will be encouraging students and staff to stay hydrated and use a personal water bottle when possible.  We have installed touchless sinks, towel dispensers, and soap dispensers.  Our schools have increased ventilation systems and cleaning and disinfecting protocol and are strategic in the use of space.  We will continue to post daily expectations online for students and families. And, we will continue to preach the importance of hand hygiene and reinforce the lessons of avoiding communal supplies, such as no longer sharing water bottles or other personal items. We want a safe and academic school environment for all students, yet we are needing your help as family members.  Symptomatic students need to be at home.  We need to be direct—if a family member or a close contact is symptomatic or waiting for a test, watch your students.  Do not send ill children to school.  If in doubt, call a school nurse and let us help with the decision. The River Valley School District has developed thresholds to keep students and staff safe within their learning environments.  This process was created to remain sustainable for years to come.  Again, the reality remains that masks may be used at some point for all students in a building.  However, we will focus on using relevant district data and building a process that analyzes our community and internal data.   Communication will remain a high priority.  Our website will continue to hold data and provide an avenue for regular communication.  Families will continue to receive emails or updates.  This district is ours and yours and theirs.  Please reach out with any concerns and let us know if we can answer any questions.  And thank you for continuing to support the River Valley School District … we need each other.