A message from PWMS Principal Scott Bjerke

Dear PWMS families,

I want to begin by expressing my deep appreciation for your support and patience throughout these first 11 weeks of school.  Even though we haven’t been able to have all students in person every day, we’ve at least been fortunate to stay in our current learning model since the first day of school.  This has allowed us to connect with students and provide a consistent and somewhat “normal” level of education for the first time since last March.

Unfortunately, as a result of the second wave of the pandemic sweeping through our area, our district, like many other districts in Minnesota, has decided to change our current learning model.  Beginning Monday, November 30th, students in grades K-2 will remain learning in person each day while grades 3 through 12 will move to a full distance learning model.

This is certainly an unwelcome and unwanted situation…...but it can also be viewed as an opportunity.  We have the opportunity to use the feedback you provided us with last spring to try to improve the areas that didn’t work well and build on those that did. Fortunately, we feel we are much better prepared to move into this distance learning model now than we were last April.  

On the following pages, you will find an overview of what distance learning will look like each day for your middle school student.  Please know that your child’s teacher/team of teachers will be communicating directly with you and your student about more specifics related to their respective classes.

Monday, November 30, 2020  through  January 15, 2021

Additional daily schedule notes:

~7th-8th grade students will follow the same schedule they have been following since the first day of school….but in a distance learning format. 

Cohort A students will be expected to log into Google Meet at the beginning of their scheduled classes on Monday-Tuesday to receive lesson information/lecture/explanation/etc.  On Thursday-Friday these students will be completing work independently.  

Cohort B will log in live on Thursday-Friday and work independently on Monday-Tuesday.   

Wednesday’s between 8:00-12:00 teachers will be available remotely for BOTH COHORTS needing extra help/support. See class period times below.

7th-8th Grade Class Period Schedule 

Monday-Tuesday:  Cohort A

Thursday-Friday:  Cohort B

~5th-6th grade students will be notified by their homeroom teacher as to when they will need to log in online each day.

~Special Education and ESL students will be contacted by their case manager about the possibility of in person learning.

~If your student is currently enrolled in Distance Learning with Mrs. Johnson (5th-6th Grade) and/or enrolled in Jacket Academy (7th-8th Grade Distance Learning), he/she will remain in those classes.  Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate requests to switch back to “regular” distance learning until after quarter 2 ends on January 15.

In closing, this health crisis, with the multiple unknowns and rapidly changing guidelines, has and will continue to affect all members of our community in different ways. Many of us will once again be juggling caregiving, work, and home responsibilities.  Some of you may become the teacher of the house…..again. The bottom line is, love and kindness will not protect us from this virus, but they will make life more tolerable in this difficult time.

Please take care and remember:   BE KIND, HELP OTHERS, BE A GOOD PERSON!  That’s WHO WE ARE at PWMS whether we are in person or distance learning!  

Sincerely,

Scott Bjerke, Principal