Hermantown 5th, 6th graders going to online learning

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Hermantown Middle School will switch 5th and 6th graders to online learning after the percentage of positive COVID-19 cases in the grades exceeded a 5% threshold.

In a note to parents and guardians on Friday, Principal Jenny Wiese said 8.1% of 5th graders and 5.9% of 6th graders are currently positive.

"There’s about 160 students in fifth grade, and right now, thirteen of them have tested positive that we know of," explained Hermantown Community Schools Superintendent Wayne Whitwam. "At this time, it’s just best to take a pause and try to ensure that this is not spreading here at school."

Students will still report to school for in-person classes on Monday, Nov. 15, providing an opportunity for the school to send Chromebooks home with any students who need them. The district also has a limited number of internet hotspots available for families without internet access.

The students will then participate in online classes starting Tuesday, with in-person learning scheduled to resume after Thanksgiving on Monday, Nov. 29.

"We want all of our students healthy and back in school. We will strive to provide the best possible education throughout this reset. We thank you for your patience and apologize for the hardship this creates on your family," Wiese wrote.

7th and 8th graders at Hermantown Middle School will continue in-person learning.

"We’re not going to have eighth graders stay home when there’s only one positive case in eighth grade," Whitwam said. "So we really looked at fifth and sixth grades, those are the grades where we have the most number of cases so we’re just going to do a reset on those."

The full "Safe Return to In-Person Learning" plan for Hermantown Community Schools can be found here.

More information about the school district’s current Covid cases can be found at this website.

The latest information on covid, including cases by county can be found here.