ISD 31 FAQs
Will Bemidji Area Schools need to make up any days lost to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Answer: No. The governor’s Executive Order states that all days devoted to distance learning and to preparation for distance learning will be treated as school days. So, as of now, we are being told that no days will need to be made up.
During the eight days when teachers are developing lessons for distance learning, what should students be doing from home? Are they supposed to be studying or doing homework?
Answer: The Minnesota Department of Education is treating this period of eight days as a spring break. The MDE would like school districts and teachers to dedicate time fully to preparing their lessons so that school have a solid distance-learning plan that they can launch starting on March 30th and running as long as necessary.
While a holiday or summer break is always a time to relax, Bemidji Area Schools recommends that parents encourage their children to continue learning through reading, exploring online resources, and being inquisitive about current events. Another excellent idea that promotes emotional health, while encouraging learning, is to have your children spend time journaling about current events and their thoughts and feelings about what is occuring in the world with COVID-19 today. Some day they will look back at their journaling and be amazed at the thoughts that they wrote down.
