COVID Rules and Changes to Mask Requirements - The Mt. Adams School District will move to the next phase of COVID – 19 starting Monday, March 14, 2022. Here are some of the rules that we will follow that impact students, staff, and community.
• Masks are optional. Students and staff may wear masks if so desired but they are not required on school buses nor on school grounds or classrooms.
• Vaccines are still required for all staff and those employed by the school district unless they have received an exemption by the District.
• Students and staff who are ill are asked to stay home. Anyone with a fever is required to stay home.
• COVID-19 Rapid Tests are available to allow students and staff to Test-and-Stay at school. If there is a negative test, the individual may remain at school as long and there is no fever.
• If student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19, they are required to quarantine and not come to school while following the established timeframe – please check with building leadership as these rules continue to change.
Thank you Commissioner Jimmy Shike and the Yakama Tribal Police – The White Swan Administrator Team met with Commissioner Jimmy Shike from Tribal Police, Sheriff Robert Udell from Yakima County Sheriff Department, and Shane Nelson the lead division officer from the Washington State Patrol. Resulting from that meeting, I have been invited to testify at the Yakima County Commissioner Study session to discuss the need for a full time Sheriff Deputy to be stationed in the District.
In addition, I received word from Commissioner Shike this week that starting this past Monday, Tribal Police will have an officer stationed in White Swan Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. The Commission understands the needs in our District and the community, making a commitment to meeting our needs for safety. Thank you Commissioner Shike and all of the Yakama Tribal Police for helping keep students and staff a priority for safety!
Playground planning – Spring is just around the corner and therefore the weather will cooperate with the installation of the playground at the new Harrah School. There will be a beautiful play structure and ADA compliant rubberized play surface. Stay tuned!
High School Campus Planning – My first of many planning sessions with our District’s Architect started this week looking at ideas and plans for renovation of our High School. There will be significant dialogue with state and federal legislators, a need to pass a bond, and support from the community to make this happen. We look forward to holding some meetings with students, staff, and community members in order to plan an upgrade to the athletic facilities to improve the safety and academic efficiencies of the campus.
Old Harrah Campus – I have met with Barbara Harrer, Mayor of Harrah as well as the Owner of Korn’s Appraisals to continue to discuss plans for the Harrah Grade School Campus. The town would like to purchase the track as it is an active part of the community for those who walk and play on the field and track. There are not yet plans for the buildings and the District will entertain any ideas and offers once the appraisal is completed.
Virtual Town Hall – The Mt. Adams School District conducted its first ever “Virtual” Town Hall Meeting this week. It was attended by almost twenty individuals. Topics included communication, child welfare and support, and student needs. The conversation was pleasant and productive with many ideas shared and great information for the District to consider as we continue to improve our services to students and families.
End of Tri 2 – It is hard to believe that we are moving into the third trimester for the 2021-2022 school year. Each trimester is approximately 60 days in length, which means that there are less than 60 days of school. We encourage parents to ensure that students attend every day for the rest of the school year in order to make up and keep up since many students lost learning tine during COVID. Let’s finish 2021-22 strong!
NAFIS Good Idea Grant Video – Mr. Jackson applied for a NAFIS Good Idea Grant to purchase a sound booth for students on the White Swan Campus. The booth is used to broadcast weekly podcasts and to give students experience with audio productions. A video has been produced by students and can be seen on the MASD Website.
Open House on March 17, 2022 on the Harrah Campus - Mr. McCracken and Mrs. Widener look forward to showing off the new Harrah campus, students’ work, and the excellent and dedicated Harrah Staff. Mr. McCracken sees this as an opportunity for teachers to let their personalities shine through so that parents can make a real connection because, “Our teachers are individuals who care about their students and want to help them succeed. This is an opportunity to provide a time for parents to meet teachers and review expectations. It is NOT a time for individual conferences.”
What family members can expect is relatively simple:
A clean and organized classroom that their child takes ownership of
A warm and friendly teacher who welcomes them
An informal, easy-to-understand presentation that provides a good sense of what the year has been and will be like.
Parents will see, states Mr. McCracken that:
Teachers love their students and look forward to seeing them every day!
Teachers care about the kids and enjoy teaching new ideas and concepts!
Teachers want to support parents, families, and children to help them be successful!
Teachers at Harrah are kind, fair, and easy to work with!
Home visits in the District – The home visitor team consists of Helen Haggerty, Felicia Hernandez, and Lorie Garcia. Visits can be made for any number of reasons. To check on a child’s well-being, to deliver food, clothing, or educational materials, to discuss attendance, or any number of other reasons.
What happens if you are not home? Well, the District, Thanks to Mrs. Jarnecke, home visitors will leave a flier on the door that looks like this:
If you receive one, please return the visit with a phone call or email to touch base with the visitor.
Remember, we visit because we care!
The Final item for today’s news to report is that we had scientists, professors, and other professionals visiting classes at Harrah this week. The visitors talked about professions in STEM and opportunities that students can have if they study, stay in school, and make plans to attend college to prepare for a rewarding career in STEM.
These professors and visitors were from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Heritage University, and other institutions of Higher Education. Thank you to our visitors who also care deeply about the success of our students.