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Cambria-Friesland Elementary School
This fall the School District of Cambria-Friesland determined to reopen school in the traditional, face-to-face format. A number of families chose to remain home and enroll in virtual programming while several others opted to home school or attend elsewhere. What we’ve learned since our first day of school is that we have new challenges everyday in providing a quality education for all of our communities students.
Mostly, we’ve been reminded that we are not in control of this virus. We never have been and any notion that we’re able to manipulate or navigate school without consideration of the disease has quickly disappeared. But, we have learned through adaptation and some compromise, like many other school district’s around the nation we are able to provide our students with a safe learning environment.
We’ve also learned that much of what comes into our building is determined by the decisions our students and families make outside of the forty-hour school week. Good decisions on where we go, who we meet with, and what precautions we take have consequences that are relevant to our daily operations here at school. Please remember that a school is only a reflection of what a community values. These values are more than the core characteristics of what comprise our communities, but also the actions we take which can have either positive or negative consequences for our neighbors and friends.
At the time this letter was published, the district has had a total of four positive COVID-19 cases, both students and staff. Considering the state and national numbers, this isn’t too surprising. Decisions of whether or not to remain open, contact tracing of the disease, and how best to communicate are not done within a bubble. All cases of COVID-19, both suspected and known are reviewed with Columbia County Health and Human Services officials as well as our school physician and nurse. The school assists the County in the contact tracing process as their workload has grown exponentially over the past several weeks.
Final note: This disease is real and is best fought by the practice of good habits by everyone. Wash hands, social distancing and wear masks. It works not just for you, but most importantly for every person you come into contact with. If that isn’t the definition of an active and engaged community, then I don’t know what is.
Be Responsible, Care for Others, Wear a Mask,
Timothy L. Raymond Ed.S.
CFSD Superintendent, Elementary Principal
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