The lights will be on at Trojan Field throughout the night tonight as a crew works to add the finishing touches to the track surface. For the best results, the weather must be mild including a little wind as possible. Currently, the track (and tarp covered turf) are prepped for the finishing coats and look pretty strange! We are excited to see the final result of the new track surface!
Summer meals at no cost are available to all kids age 18 and younger at participating sites. Adult meals are available for $4.50 per meal. To eat, just show up!
Las comidas de verano son gratuitas y están disponibles en sitios participantes para todos los niños de 18 años de edad y menores. Hay comidas para adultos disponibles a $4.50 por comida. Para comer, ¡sólo hay que estar presente!
Click here for more information
Locations: Learning Center, Worthington Middle School, Worthington YMCA, Prairie Elementary, West Learning Center, Worthington High School, Millard Walker Park, Pirtles Park, US Army Reserve Center, Watland Park, and Grace Community Church.
ISD 518 Summer Program Health and Safety Plan (PREPAREDNESS PLAN) – 2021
PLAN GOALS AND EXPLANATION
Independent School District 518 is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for our staff and students. To ensure we have a safe and healthy workplace, we have developed the following Health Safety Plan in response to the ongoing COVID-19 health concerns. Administrators/Supervisors and workers are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and that requires full cooperation among our staff, students and administrators. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of our workers and workplaces.
We are transitioning from state required safety restrictions to health recommendations. COVID still exists and we need to have plans to mitigate the effect of COVID on our staff and students during our summer programs.
Administrators/Supervisors and workers are responsible for implementing and complying with all aspects of this Health Safety Plan. Our workers are our most important assets. We are serious about safety and health and keeping our workers working at Worthington Public Schools. Our Health Safety Plan follows best practice recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines.
SCREENING AND POLICIES FOR EMPLOYEES SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19
District staff have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following procedures are being implemented to assess workers’ health status prior to entering the workplace and for workers to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms.
Independent School District 518has implemented practices that promote workers staying at home when they are sick, when household members are sick, or when required by a health care provider to isolate or quarantine themselves or a member of their household. Employees will follow their contracts for applicable leave options. The district will follow federal and state law regarding authorized leaves.
All staff will be asked to assess how they are feeling each day that they come to a district site by reviewing the Minnesota Department of Health health screening checklist. If they feel ill or have symptoms identified with COVID-19, they are asked to stay home and self-monitor. As soon as practical, they should seek to have a test completed to determine their status. If staying home, they will communicate with their direct supervisor and use the absence management system to enter the information.
If an employee at work becomes ill or experiences any of the symptoms of COVID-19, they will communicate with the front office and immediately leave the building, keeping space from others. In their call to the office, they will include who they have worked with in the past 48 hours and locations in the building they have been.
Independent School District 518 will follow Center for Disease Control and Minnesota Department of Health guidelines on contacting staff who may have been exposed and ask them to self-monitor for any symptoms. As guidelines are updated, the district will notify employees. District 518 will ask employees who may have been in contact with someone testing positive to schedule for a COVID test as soon as practical.
Independent School District 518 will follow all federal and state laws and district policies regarding the privacy of employee health records and release of information. The school district does not have a roster of staff or students who have been vaccinated. Each building has a designated administrator/designee who oversees this plan and responds to positive cases or quarantine cases as a part of contact tracing.
HAND WASHING
All staff and students are instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially when working with shared items, prior to any mealtimes and after using the restroom. All visitors to Independent School District 518 will be encouraged to wash or sanitize their hands prior to or immediately upon entering the facility.
Hand-sanitizer dispensers are at entrances and locations throughout buildings to be used for hand hygiene in place of soap and water, as long as hands are not visibly soiled. Our custodial teams will check the status of the hand sanitizers on a regular basis.
RESPIRATORY ETIQUETTE: COVER YOUR COUGH OR SNEEZE
Staff, students and visitors are instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose and eyes, with their hands. They should dispose of tissues in provided trash receptacles and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward. Respiratory etiquette will be supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available in each classroom and by restrooms.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
Social distancing continues to be recommended. This summer, there will be staff and students who may not have been vaccinated. Please social distance to the extent possible between staff, students and visitors in the school buildings.
The following social distancing guidelines will remain in our school buildings during summer programming:
FACE COVERINGS
Face coverings are no longer required in school buildings for employees. Employees may choose to wear a face covering as a precaution this summer. Many of the students will not have received their vaccination at the time summer programs begin. Guidance on face coverings will be updated throughout the summer months.
All students and staff may consider wearing face coverings. In some rooms, teachers may require students to wear face coverings if social distancing is not possible.
Outdoor activities do not require a face covering.
During transportation to and from Independent School District 518 facilities, students are required to wear masks as defined by the Minnesota Department of Education Return to Summer School Plan.
Types of allowable face coverings include:
The covering should cover the nose and mouth completely, should not be overly tight or restrictive and should feel comfortable to wear.
Face coverings should not be placed on anyone under the age of 2, anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the face covering without assistance or anyone who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical, or behavioral health condition.
CLEANING, DISINFECTION AND VENTILATION
Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of work surfaces and areas in the work environment such as classrooms, offices, restrooms, break rooms, lunch rooms and meeting rooms. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be conducted in high-touch areas, such as phones, keyboards, touch screens, controls, door handles, elevator panels, railings and copy machines. Building custodians will perform the scheduled cleaning using disinfecting/cleaning products approved by the Center for Disease Control/Minnesota Department of Health.
Appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfectant supplies have been purchased and are available for use in accordance with product labels, safety data sheets and manufacturer specifications and are being used with required personal protective equipment for the product. Supplies for disinfecting hard surfaces will be provided by custodians upon request and monitored for refilling as necessary.
Spray bottles and wipes may be used for larger spaces including countertops, desks and tables. For smaller workstations and personal items, disposable wipes will be provided as available. Gloves should be worn when using either of these products and care should be taken when spraying to not spray in the direction of other people’s faces. Surfaces should be allowed to air dry for maximum effectiveness of the disinfectant.
The maximum amount of fresh air is being brought into the workplace. Air recirculation is being limited and ventilation systems are being properly used and maintained. Steps are also being taken to minimize airflow blowing across people. Independent School District 518’s building ventilation systems have been reprogrammed to increase the amount of outside air brought into each space in the building. This increase is monitored by our automation system by measuring the amount of CO2 present at different monitoring stations and modifying fan speed and damper position to meet this requirement. The increased air is then tempered to provide comfort for building occupants.
COMMUNICATIONS AND TRAINING
This Health Safety Plan will be communicated via email and posted in our school offices and staff workrooms by June, 2021. Administrators/Supervisors will be monitoring how effective the program has been implemented. Administrators/Supervisors and workers are to work through this health safety program together and update the training as necessary. This Health Safety Plan has been created by Independent School District 518 and was posted throughout the workplace June, 2021. It may be updated as necessary.
This afternoon at Worthington Middle School, a group of students participated in a student organized and led event in remembrance of victims of social injustice. Prior to the event, the student leaders worked with ISD 518 administration and counselors to ensure the event would be respectful to all those involved and those being honored. District 518 guided the students involved and is proud of the leaders who worked to organize the event in a safe, respectful manner.
Classrooms across ISD 518 also observed a moment of silence as planned in a proclamation from Governor Tim Walz. The moment of silence honored George Floyd and every person whose life has been cut short due to potential racism and discrimination in Minnesota. District 518 continues to educate students on how to appropriately address issues of all kinds in the county to ensure all voices are a part of dealing with injustice.
Worthington High School 2021 Graduation Ceremony
Friday, May 28 – 6:00 P.M.
Worthington High School Gymnasium
A ticket will be required for entry to the ceremony. Each graduate will receive four tickets to the commencement ceremony. Tickets will be distributed to graduates in Trojan Advisory.
The event will be live streamed. Face masks are required for students and guests at the ceremony.
Ceremonia de Graduación
Viernes 28 de mayo a las 6:00 P.M.
Gimnasio de Worthington High School
Usted necesita un boleto para entrar a la ceremonia de graduación; cada estudiante graduando recibirá cuatro boletos para asistir a dicha ceremonia. Estos boletos serán distribuidos a los graduandos por el profesor consejero (Trojan Advisory).
La ceremonia será transmitida en vivo por Internet. Se exige a estudiantes e invitados que usen mascarillas faciales durante la ceremonia.
Congratulations to DeeAnn Crall, who was recently honored by the Minnesota Department of Education for being awarded as a School Lunch Super Hero. DeeAnn in the past year has successfully operated the school lunch program at multiple sites throughout the end of the 2020 school year, summer of 2020 and has continued this 2020-21 school year. She has navigated site closures due to COVID among staff, distribution modifications associated with such, and has given her all to make sure the students of District 518 and the communities that make up the district continue to have as many access points to meals as is possible. From March 2020 to February 2021 DeeAnn and her staff served 214,388 breakfasts and 262,472 lunches.
The School Lunch Hero Award and recognition is a chance to showcase the difference school nutrition professionals make for every child who comes through the cafeteria or other sites.
Between preparing healthy meals for America’s students, adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating student food allergies, and offering service with a smile, school nutrition professionals are true heroes. Congratulations for a job well done, DeeAnn!
For the continued health and safety of our students and staff, and following guidance from the Minnesota Department of Education, ISD 518 will continue requiring the use of face masks within district buildings. Thank you for helping to keep our district community safe.
Para la salud y seguridad continua de nuestros estudiantes y personal; para dar seguimiento al reglamento del Departamento de Educación de Minnesota. El distrito escolar 518 continuará exigiendo el uso de mascarillas faciales dentro de las escuelas del distrito. Se agradece la colaboración para mantener segura la comunidad de nuestro distrito.
As of July 1, 2021, Deb Stoll will be retiring from the position of Director of Special Education for ISD 518. Deb Stoll will be succeeded by Allison Eitreim. Stoll has been working with ISD 518 for 35 years, the last 10 as Director of Special Education. Through her years of service at ISD 518, Stoll improved the district community and the education of students through incredible passion and determination.
Stoll’s career working with ISD 518 began by coaching high school volleyball and track along with middle school basketball for five years, followed by being the Coordinator for the Middle School Day Treatment Program for 10 years, working with students with intense behavioral concerns. The next 10 years were dedicated to teaching students with disabilities at the high school. Stoll served her final 10 years as the Director of Special Education for ISD 518.
“I feel such gratitude for the professionals I have worked alongside and feel such pride in what we have accomplished,” Stoll states. “Providing quality services for students could not have occurred without the commitment of our staff at all levels. Teaching and directing services for students with disabilities, at times, can be difficult and challenging, but it is so worth the efforts. When students make progress, learn, improve and cope with their disabilities, that’s when we know what we do makes all the difference to our students.”
During her time at ISD 518, Stoll lead many efforts including adding an evaluation and several assistive technology teams, beginning Problem Solving Team initiatives in all buildings, writing grants to assist with mental health care and heading up the Special Education Department during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On serving the district during the pandemic, Stoll says, “This may be my proudest moment. I observed the dedication and perseverance of our teachers as they navigated their way through the various learning models, continuing to deliver direct instruction; it was remarkable.”
Looking towards retirement, Stoll plans to travel with her husband, Mike, and visit their three children as well as spend time with their grandchildren. Always committed to serving, Stoll already has plans to continue being positive figure and leader in the community as she looks ahead towards volunteering. On plans for her future, Stoll states, “It is time for me to ‘serve’ without pay!”
Deb Stoll will complete the handoff to Allison Eitreim on July 1. Stoll has great praise for the incoming administrator. “I am pleased to be handing over my responsibilities to such a qualified, energetic and motivated professional. She will serve the district with her heart and her knowledge.”
Allison Eitreim, who has been serving ISD 518 since 2016, currently works as the Assistant Director of Special Education. Before working at ISD 518, Eitreim taught in Adrian Public Schools for 18 years and Luverne for 2 years. She earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in 2000. Sporting this degree, along with licensure for kindergarten through 12th grade principal, and licensure for Director of Special Education, Eitreim steps into the role fully prepared to continue Stoll’s work.
Eitreim inherits a solid and credible Special Programs department that serves over 530 students with special needs and their parents. She states, “Students are the ultimate beneficiaries of our work and the goal is to continue to develop a system that fosters reflective thinking, problem solving and building 21st century skills in each of our learners. To do this, I am going to strive to continue to build on the exemplary instructional skills implemented in each special education classroom.” “Worthington Schools have made me a better version of myself. Being surrounded by a team of educators that is so invested in helping all students feel valued and learn is inspiring!” Eitreim says of her time at ISD 518 leading up to her new position. “I look forward to serving in this leadership capacity. We are a team in search of the best methods and practices to reach every student that walks through the doors. So much good can arise from a foundation of trust and connection. Each day I watch the teachers, paras and administrators work toward this same focus.”
