Month: December 2021

The Crookston School District is looking at adding a self-contained Middle School and Preschool to the district. The preschool would be added to Highland Elementary School, while the Middle School would be a reconfiguration of current existing space at the High School.

Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson said a few different factors for the preschool addition could drive the decision forward. “There are a lot of pieces were looking at for the preschool addition, and one of those is adequate facilities,” said Olson. “Having developmentally appropriate rooms where preschoolers can run around and play and have almost an indoor recess is appropriate for those students. It’s also important to have sinks and bathrooms that are the right sizes for those students.”

Olson also stated that the district has already invested a significant amount in the preschool program over the past couple of years, which has made the district look at how it can best prepare students for kindergarten. “We’ve identified the need to invest in a preschool,” said Olson. “In the last four years, there has probably been three big substantial changes to the preschool culture and environments. The district has really invested in our preschool program, and the preschool teachers have really stepped up to the plate with looking at how they best prepare our students for kindergarten, and we think having an all-day preschool would go a long way towards that.”

The district is also looking at adding a self-contained Middle School to the High School for 6-8 graders to help students get the necessary teaching and preparation they need before entering 9th grade. Olson said he believes a Middle School setting is crucial to a student’s growth. “Going back to what is developmentally right for kids, a middle school hits kids developmentally where they’re at,” said Olson. “So, we’re looking at a self-contained Middle School for grades 6-8. What that would look like, and our hope is that those students have separate facilities and separate bell schedules. This way, we can really focus on meeting kids where they’re at developmentally while also making sure we’re preparing them academically for that next step.”

Olson said the taxpayers won’t need to worry about how this project will affect them, as the funding will come from Federal Dollars given to the School District. “The funding for the project would be federal dollars,” said Olson. “These are funds that have come to Crookston and have an expiration date on them, which leads us to believe we should make a one-time purchase rather than continue current programming. If we use those funds for programming, eventually, when the expiration date hits, the programming will have to be stopped because we wouldn’t have the funding anymore, which wouldn’t be good for kids or programs. So, we want this to be a one-time purchase, and after analyzing our facility needs, we came up with this plan.”

The timeline and overall cost for the potential project is still not set, and no decisions have been made. If this is the path the district goes down, Olson said he would expect the reconfiguration to more than likely not be implemented and complete until the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic school year.

The post CROOKSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT LOOKING AT POSSIBILITY OF ADDING SELF-CONTAINED MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PRESCHOOL ADDITION appeared first on KROX.

The City of Crookston is holding the City Toys for Tots drive again this year. As in the past, The Crookston Firefighters and Auxiliary, along with the City of Crookston Employees, will be delivering toys to kids in Crookston who otherwise would not get anything for Christmas. Donations are being accepted at the Crookston Water Department, 124 North Broadway.

The Donations received so far as of Friday, December 3, 2021, are listed below –

The post CROOKSTON TOYS FOR TOTS DONATIONS – December 3, 2021 appeared first on KROX.

Vaccines, vaccines, vaccines. Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about vaccines. RiverView Health has given over 6,000 COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in the past year, with weekly COVID and influenza clinics continuing.

While COVID-19 vaccines have been in the headlines since before the first Pfizer vaccination went into the arm of Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old from the UK, on Dec. 8, 2020, the influenza (flu) vaccine has taken a back seat. However, as we get deeper into the flu season, the flu vaccination becomes even more critical. Therefore, we highlight the mighty flu shot as we begin National Influenza Vaccination Week, Dec. 5-11.

First, it is not too late to get your flu shot at RiverView Health. Flu most commonly peaks in February and significant activity can continue into May. Being immunized against the flu is more important than ever this year to keep people healthy and not overwhelm our health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anyone six months and older should have a flu vaccine. Vaccination is crucial for protecting people at high risk of serious flu complications, including:

• Young children
• Pregnant women
• Adults 65 years and older
• Anyone with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease

As of Nov. 20, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that Influenza A is the most reported strain this flu season. Flu viruses are constantly changing, and multiple flu viruses can circulate simultaneously during any given flu season. Because of this, flu vaccines are reviewed each year and updated as needed. Flu vaccines protect against the four flu viruses that research indicates will be the most common during flu season. Two of the components included in this year’s vaccine were updated from last year to better match flu viruses expected to spread in the US this season.

While the latest weekly report indicates there have only been 12 reported hospitalization in the state, the number of flu virus detections has increased in recent weeks. More than 90% of the cases detected are among children and young adults aged 5-24 years. That same report shows 41 school outbreaks of the flu have occurred thus far in the season. As of Nov. 5, 162.5 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed in the US.

While the flu shot will not prevent you from getting COVID-19, it may prevent you from being hit by both illnesses at once. According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is possible to get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time.

“Both influenza and COVID-19 are respiratory illnesses that can make people very sick,” shared Angie Salentiny, River­View Infection Prevention/Employee Health coordinator. “That’s why it’s important to take steps to prevent both diseases. The flu vaccine can help protect you from getting the flu and prevent you from passing it to people who could get very sick, such as older family and friends or people with underlying medical conditions.’’

Flu vaccines are the only vaccines that protect against flu. Flu and COVID-19 are different diseases caused by different viruses. One vaccine is not a substitute or a replacement for the other. Both vaccines are recommended, and it is important that people be up to date on their recommended flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

“Get vaccinated to protect yourself from the flu. Cover your cough, wash your hands, stay home when you are sick, clean frequently touched surfaces, wear a mask, and stay 6 feet from others to prevent the spread of flu and COVID-19.”

You can be vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19 at the same visit. To schedule your flu shot, call 281.9595.

The post RIVERVIEW HEALTH REMINDING EVERYONE TO GET THEIR FLU SHOT DURING NATIONAL INFLUENZA WEEK appeared first on KROX.

The City of Crookston announced earlier today that they will be conducting snow removal in Downtown Crookston on North/South streets beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, December 9, and continuing sometime into that morning.

The city is asking that you please park in off-street parking lots during that time.

The post CITY OF CROOKSTON TO CONDUCT DOWNTOWN SNOW REMOVAL ON THURSDAY, DEC. 9 appeared first on KROX.

The Polk County Highway Department wishes to inform all residents of Polk County that in accordance with Minnesota Statute 160.27, Subd. 5, it is illegal to place snow (by plowing, blowing or shoveling, etc.) onto County Highways. Violation of this Statute is considered a misdemeanor. Polk County also cautions that the act of placing snow onto a County Highway can subject a person to civil liability if a road hazard occurs and causes a traffic accident. The civil liability can extend to both the property owner and the person who actually placed the snow on the roadway. All citizens are asked to obey these rules, which are designed to keep our highways safe during the winter months.

The post POLK COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT ASKING RESIDENTS TO AVOID PLACING SNOW ON COUNTY HIGHWAYS appeared first on KROX.