Month: June 2020

The Crookston School District has officially canceled prom.  Superintendent Jeremy Olson talks about school in the fall, prom and graduation.  The letter to the public is below-

Crookston School District is planning for three scenarios for this fall: distance learning, hybrid model (50% student capacity with distance learning used to bridge the gap when students are not inattendance), and face to face with several safety protocols in place. Minnesota schools have been told that on the week of July 27th we will find out from the state which methods of instruction will be allowed.  

I am certainly hoping for face to face instruction with safety protocols because I believe that this is best for learning and best for kids. I also believe that we can’t hit the pause button indefinitely, and that we must rise to the challenge and safely face whatever comes at us. If we return to face to face instruction, I do want to make sure that the community understands that this will not represent business as usual. What I have learned in my time as a school leader is that managing expectations is important. I very much want our community to understand that even a face to face return will look and feel very different from business as normal as we are going to do everything we can to provide a safe environment for students. 

As we learn to live and thrive in this pandemic we must learn to be adaptable. Schools will certainly  look and feel different this fall even if we are allowed to be in a face to face learning situation. Expect to see transportation to school look vastly different, students entering school will most likely experience some type of temp check or questionnaire on how they are feeling. Staff will have masks on and the school will most likely be strongly recommending students to wear masks as well. Lunch lines and recess will look vastly different and may be staggered to accommodate social distancing. Inside of the classroom protocols will need to be established to help kids understand social distancing to the greatest extent possible in a learning environment. 

We also need to understand that the situation we start in this Fall may change and may necessitate a more or less restrictive response which is why we must plan for several scenarios. We need to be prepared to quickly and seamlessly adapt to changing conditions and recommendations from healthcare experts to ensure that we keep our students safe. 

From a timeline perspective here is what you can expect:

July- Planning Phase-planning for three different scenarios: distance learning, hybrid model (½ student capacity), and face to face instruction. 

Early August: Announcement on which method we will start the school year off with. 

August-final planning/training for staff/setting of expectations for this Fall. 

Event Status

We have been in consultation with Public Health to determine what is safely feasible for our students as safety is our primary responsibility.

Prom: We will be cancelling the Prom that was originally planned for July as the current guidelines do not allow for this type of close proximity and interaction necessary for a Prom. While I know that this will come as a disappointment to many, I do believe that this is the responsible thing to do in light of the current guidelines.

Graduation: At this time we are planning on holding a somewhat traditional graduation on July 25th at 2pm. Under current guidelines we can allow each graduate to have two guests attend a traditional graduation ceremony in our gym as we are limited to 250 people. We are developing a safety plan for entrance into and out of the gym to comply with current guidelines. We will also recommend masks for attendees. This event is subject to cancellation if health guidelines would change or if the local always if you have questions or comments about Crookston Public Schools, feel free to contact me at 218-770-8717 (cell) or email me at jeremyolson@isd593.org. Go Pirates!

The University of Minnesota Crookston’s business department recently was granted official accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). It joins the ranks of 1,200 member campuses globally to be accredited.

In addition to attaining regular accreditation for the eight business degree programs, the university also received separate accreditation for the Accounting degree program, which makes UMC one of only two universities in the state of Minnesota with this separate accreditation.  

Kevin Thompson, Unit Head for the Business and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education Departments, underscored the significance of receiving the ACBSP accreditation. “Our department and campus have always had a strong focus on quality and continuous improvement to benefit our students in preparing them for their future careers. Being a part of ACBSP will bolster our efforts and bring us to a new level of teaching and learning excellence,” he said.

“The University of Minnesota Crookston has shown its commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Steve Parscale. By going the extra step to add accounting accreditation, Parscale said that UMC is proving a “deep commitment to providing the highest quality business education” for its students.

Thompson said that ACBSP accreditation offers resources, best practices, and connections with member colleagues that will benefit students and the university.

The ACBSP Model of Excellence
ACBSP (www.acbsp.org) is a leading specialized accreditation body for business education. It provides a set of standards and criteria to assist ACBSP undergraduate degree member institutions in achieving excellence in business program education. Through a process of self-study, on-site visits, and assessment, business units can demonstrate their commitment to serving students, other institutions, and industry.

ACBSP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and was the first to offer business accreditation at all degree levels. ACBSP currently accredits business programs in 63 countries. ASBSP sets standards of excellence that are based on student participation and achievement, innovative curriculum development, research-based teaching methods, and the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence.

The Polk County Wellness Coalition (PCWC) works on improving health and wellness throughout Polk County by helping to make healthy choices easier where we live, work, and play. Achieving and maintaining physical and mental health can be challenging, and it is critical to nurture both, as one can affect the other. To promote mental well-being, PCWC is launching a community-based initiative, known as BeWell.

BeWell supports health through happiness and meaningful relationships using proven resiliency tools. BeWell aims for a community that flourishes by practicing positive emotion, engagement, and positive relationships. Evidenced-based mental health resiliency tools (such as Random Acts of Kindness, Gratitude- 3 Good Things, Taking it Outside, Thank-You Letters, and Social Connectedness) are incorporated into daily life will create reserves of well-being that can be drawn upon when times are tough. Individuals and organizations are invited to participate!

The Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Board (PNM CHB) completed its Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), which was adopted by the PNM CHB on November 23, 2019. A Community Health Improvement Plan is a long-term plan, describing how the local health departments and a broad set of community partners and stakeholders plan to address needs identified in recent community health assessments. The 2020-2024 plan is based on a community health assessment, which was completed for Polk, Norman, and Mahnomen counties in 2017 and 2018. The top 10 health issues were identified from the assessment. Partners cultivated and established strategies for addressing the top three health priorities (focus areas) for 2020-2024. One of the top three health priorities for Polk, Norman, and Mahnomen counties, is improving mental health and well-being.

Positive mental well-being can increase social connectedness and can decrease the number of adults feeling hopeless, anxious, or loss of interest. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and Trauma and Hope Informed Care are a high priority for many agencies and school districts. In Polk County, we want to work to increase resiliency and coping strategies, while reducing the stigma around mental well-being.

Join Polk County Public Health and the Polk County Wellness Coalition as we #TakeItOutside and BeWell. Being outside can be calming, peaceful, and rejuvenating for the soul. #TakeItOutside is great for your overall mental well-being. What does #TakeItOutside look like for you? Take your virtual meeting outside, take lunch outside, or take your phone conversation outside. Be creative and see if you can TAKE (You fill in the blank____) OUTSIDE!

Join public health and the wellness coalition as they #TakeItOutside. Post a picture on Polk County social media and include the hashtag #TakeItOutside. They look forward to your photos and fun activities.

For more information on Take It Outside and other upcoming ‘BeWell’ initiatives, please contact Brenna Olson at Polk County Public Health at brenna.olson@co.polk.mn.us or by calling 218-281-3385.

Farmers Union Insurance Agent Chris Swanson presented a $500 check on Tuesday to Crookston United Way Executive Director Lori Wagner. The company made the funds available to agents to donate to organizations helping their local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Families still have time to apply for additional food assistance benefits to help feed their children this summer when they are not receiving school lunches. Due to a deadline extension up to 150,000 families have until July 31 to apply for Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer, also referred to as P-EBT. The benefits are issued by the Minnesota Department of Human Services in a lump sum of $325 per child to purchase food within a year of the date issued. More than 200,000 families have already applied for or received P-EBT.

Minnesota has also extended P-EBT to provide an additional food benefit through the summer. With Summer P-EBT, each eligible child will receive an additional $100 food benefit. Eligibility follows P-EBT guidelines. Those who have applied will receive the benefit automatically; those who have not can apply for P-EBT online. The department will issue the summer program funds in August.

DHS and the state Department of Education are urging families with school children who received the federal free and reduced-price meal program to apply for P-EBT online at www.mn.p-ebt.org. Qualifying families with children receiving free or reduced-price meals, who were already on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Minnesota Family Investment Program received these benefits automatically on their existing EBT cards in late May. Families can check their EBT card balance at ebtedge.com. Families who were receiving free or reduced meals for the 2019-2020 school year but who were not also receiving SNAP or MFIP benefits need to sign up for a benefits card, known as a P-EBT card, to receive P-EBT and Summer P-EBT funds.

Also new for July, children enrolled in a school district pre-K program who received federal free and reduced-price meals will be eligible to receive P-EBT benefits by applying online at ww.mn.p-ebt.org.

Individuals in need of translation assistance can call the DHS P-EBT hotline at either 651-431-4050 or 800-657-3698, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information also can be found online in P-EBT frequently asked questions and in a series of fliers in Somali, Russian, Spanish and Hmong posted online. The application is available in these languages as well.

In addition to using EBT cards at traditional grocery retailers, people who use SNAP can use their EBT cards to purchase groceries online. While Walmart and Amazon are the only online retailers approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for SNAP purchases available in Minnesota at this time, DHS is encouraging other retailers to seek approval from the USDA so that SNAP recipients have more options to buy food safely.

Families in need of additional assistance accessing healthy foods are urged to contact their county or tribal human services office or the Minnesota Food Helpline at 888-711-1151 or www.hungersolutions.org.

The Minnesota Department of Health said the state had 12,705 COVID-19 tests with 444 new cases and six new deaths.
There have now been 36,303 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state from the 605,316 tests taken and 1,141 deaths. Of the deaths, 1,131 have resided in long-term or assisted living facilities, and there are an additional 35 probable COVID-19 deaths that do not have a positive test documented. As of today, 270 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, 136 of those in ICU, and 31,601 patients no longer need isolation. All the numbers are below – 

Updated June 30, 2020
Updated daily at 11 a.m., with data current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.

Data is for cases that were tested and returned positive. All data is preliminary and may change as cases are investigated. Many data points are collected during case interviews. Data presented below is for all cases, regardless of interview status. Data for cases pending interview may be listed as “unknown/missing.”

Not all suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested, so this data is not representative of the total number of people in Minnesota who have or had COVID-19. Cumulative numbers are since Jan. 20, 2020.

• Minnesota COVID-19 Public Dashboard
• Minnesota’s COVID-19 Response and Preparation Capacity
• CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Cases in the U.S.
• Minnesota COVID-19 Modeling

Data in the data tables is correct as of 11 a.m. daily. Dynamic images and maps for case demographics, likely exposure, residence, and residence type will update shortly after 11 a.m. daily and will not work if your browser is in compatibility mode.