As we move into what will be a third calendar year with Covid-19, and with the Omicron variant playing havoc with holiday plans, Northfield
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the district is taking another step to ensure the safety of all the students and staff when school resumes next week. Before that happens, however, he said it is important, at the end of the calendar year, to take a moment and say thank you to the entire community for the hard work, the understanding, and the grace that has been shown in the name of educating our young people.
Hillmann praised the district staff, from faculty to administrative to custodial, and said everyone in the district has navigated change after change, while working tirelessly under very difficult conditions. He also expressed appreciation to the families within the district who have been as supportive as they can be in a time when there are measures and protocols in place that are not always easy to live with. The families have been flexible and understanding, which, he said, has been truly appreciated.
Dr. Hillmann said he also needs to recognize the students themselves for the contributions they have made while working through the worst health crisis in a century.
“And most importantly, I just want to thank our students. They are living history right now, and so we will see how history writes this part of their lives. They’ve done very well. We certainly know that there are things that are different, and our students have demonstrated a lot of resilience and the ability to adapt.”
Once again, another spike in positive cases of Covid-19 has erupted, and the State of Minnesota has provided the school district with more than 2000 rapid test kits. Hillmann said it’s a good idea for every student to be tested before going back to school on January 3rd, and the tests are being made available at no charge through the district offices.
The tests provided are BD Veritor rapid result tests. With the use of a smart phone app, which Hillmann said is required to see the results of the test, students can know right away if they have contracted the virus or not and if they are safe to go back to school. The testing site set up during the school year at the district offices will not re-open again until next week, so Hillmann hopes that every family will take advantage of the at home tests. He said they are not quite as reliable as the Q-Tests the district site runs, but they are good enough, and those testing positive with these tests can be sure that the result is correct.
The BD Veritor kits contain two tests, and the district is offering one kit per student. They are available just inside the main, Orchard Street entrance of the district offices.
Historical Society to help Northfield schools with field trip bussing
The Northfield Historical Society has taken steps to increase their collaborative efforts with Northfield schools in 2022 to ensure that every third grader has an opportunity to visit the museum and learn a little bit more about the history of their community.
Cathy Osterman, the executive director of the Historical Society said this has been a goal of hers for quite some time. While some classes have been able to visit the museum, Osterman said they have only come from Bridgewater and Prairie Creek Elementary Schools, because the students are able to walk there. No classes from Greenvale Park Elementary or St. Dominics School visit the museum, and the classes that do get there are only able to come if the weather on the day of the field trip is conducive to walking.
The solution, she said, is bussing students in from their schools. However, there is no allocation in any of the elementary schools for busses to get the students to the museum, so Osterman took it upon herself to find a solution. She contacted the Benjammin Bus Company and received a quote for the amount it would cost to provide bussing for each Northfield third grade class. She then folded that amount of money into the contract that the historical society has with the City of Northfield. In a presentation she made to the City Council last fall, she said the opportunity for every third grader to visit the museum will “help students see a bit more of themselves within the community.” The council passed the funding increase unanimously.
Osterman said she is hopeful that the schools will take advantage of this new opportunity right away, if for no other reason than to break up the tedious routine of school in the winter months.
“So, if we can make this a citywide [program, where] third graders make a visit to the Northfield Historical Society in the middle of winter, when it is so boring, and the kids are antsy…it might be kind of fun to have a local field trip.”
County Recorder’s Office says fees for initial passports have increased
And the Rice County Recorder’s Office said in a statement last week that first time application fees for United States passports have increased
by $20. The U.S. State Department announced the increase last week and made it effective on Monday.
The application fee for a first-time adult passport book moves to $130; the fee for minors will be $100. A $35 fee paid to the acceptance facility remains unchanged. There is no increase in the fee for a passport card or expedited service.
Adults applying for their initial passport, and minors applying for or renewing their passport may do so by appointment only at the Rice County Recorder’s Office inside the Rice County Government Services Building, 320 Third St., Faribault. Hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays, excluding holidays. Call 507-332-6114 to schedule appointment.
Adults applying for their first passport, and minors needing their first passport or a renewal should
Complete the DS-11 passport application in black ink before arriving at the Recorder’s Office. Do not sign the application. Applications should be printed on one side of the page only. DS-11 applications can be found online by clicking here.
Bring a certified birth certificate or U.S. Naturalization certificate to the appointment. Applicants born in Minnesota can obtain a birth certificate for $26 from the Recorder’s Office. Note: Citizenship documentation will be submitted to the State Department with the passport application, and returned once the passport is mailed.
A passport-size photo is required. The Recorder’s Office can take the photos for a $15 fee.
A valid photo ID is must be presented when applying.
A separate check or money order made payable to the U.S. Department of State is required for each application.
Execution fees can be paid by cash, check or money order made payable to the Rice County Recorder.
Adults needing to renew passports, provided they have expired within the last five years or are about to expire, should apply via mail using the DS-82 form can be found online by clicking here.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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