by Rich Larson
During his State of the District presentation yesterday, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann discussed the pride he feels over the way the Northfield School District has handled the pandemic and was optimistic about the continued recovery process and how the Northfield Schools plan to move forward.
Hillmann has said many times that one of the goals for the school year is to keep Covid-19 out of the schools. And while he conceded that is an impossibility, the district does seem to be doing relatively well at keeping it contained. The district has begun the school year with a mask mandate for everyone in a district building, and a quarantine policy for those who test positive or are exposed to the virus. He believes that this strategy is working.
“I would say, two-and-a-half-weeks into our new school year, I would characterize things as our safety measures have mitigated the spread. We know that. The primary mitigation factor that we’re using is, of course, universal masking. And we are seeing that that is limiting the spread at school.”
Since August 31, the district has 23 positive Covid-19 cases, and the number of students who have had to go into quarantine is much less from this point last year. He said he is especially impressed with those numbers because the Covid mitigation process is, in many ways, more difficult than it was last year. There are no state rules to guide them, and there is little consistency from district to district. So, he said things are more complicated and have to be more nuanced. However, he said the district’s first priority is to keep the students, faculty and staff safe, so the measures will be in place for the near future.
He said he believes that we have experienced societal trauma, and that things are not over yet.
“As tough as it has been,” he said, “I’d say we’ve done okay. But we have to keep working together, and we have to keep protecting our kids.”
City offers program for ‘Emerging Leaders’
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said the City of Northfield has announced a new initiative that she hopes will encourage traditionally minoritized people to take a more active role in city government.
The Northfield Emerging Leaders program is for residents in the Northfield area from historically under-represented groups such as people of color, indigenous people, people living with disabilities, LGBTQ people and others who have not yet actively participated on local boards, commissions or committees and who are interested in exploring future leadership opportunities.
According to a statement, the program will help participants strengthen their leadership skills, connect with people who have common interests and build a network. The hope is when they finish the program, they might have some interest in applying for a board or commission.
Mayor Pownell said one of the benefits of the program is the participation of other community leaders.
“One of the other just really neat things about this is that you’ll be paired up with another person within the community, who is in a kind of mentoring role, to really help you understand, at a greater depth, our Northfield Community.”
The current plan is for the program’s four sessions to be held in-person at City Hall from 5:30 to 8:30pm the first Monday of each month from February through May. Applications are available in English and Spanish. Applicants will be notified by December 15 if they have been selected for the program.
Growing Local: Northfield Emerging Leaders program is a partnership between the City of Northfield, University of Minnesota Extension, the Healthy Community Initiative and Northfield Public Schools. Participation in the program is free.
For more information, or to apply, click here.
Northfield Shares grant deadline is approaching quickly
The deadline to submit grant applications to Northfield Shares is this coming Monday, October 4th. 
Northfield Shares is a local foundation that looks to support local programs and non-profit organizations by encouraging philanthropism, volunteering, and promoting collaborative leadership.
Grants through Northfield Shares are judged on specific criteria. A project will be evaluated based on need in the community, feasibility, and the ability of the organization to achieve the project’s goal. Organizations are evaluated on the assistance they offer to sustain a “thriving, equitable community for all residents,” and their ability to create the broadest possible range of help. The foundation tends to favor projects and organizations that involve volunteers, and collaborative projects from multiple organizations.
Grant applicants should have a goal and ability to maintain and enhance the overall well-being of the Northfield community and have the ability to manage the funds granted and deliver on the proposal.
Some grants will come through Northfield Shares’ dedicated funds.
“We’re really fortunate to benefit from the generosity of those who came before us who wanted their work to live in perpetuity,” said program coordinator Carrie Carroll. “Our past donors have created something that we continue to benefit from.”
Those dedicated funds that Northfield Shares manages aid Northfield youth and young adults and help with the beautification of Northfield.
Once an application is received, it will be reviewed by the Grants Committee which will then make its recommendations to the Board of Directors for final approval. Grant recipients are announced in November and the funds will be distributed at the Northfield Shares Annual Meeting on December 8th.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
