FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson) 

New RFP Sought For Managing PAC
27 Mar 2024 14:48

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]

Seiners Get Second Day with 2 Areas to Fish
27 Mar 2024 14:46

By Sentinel Staff
    The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]

Braves Take Second in Last Minute Upset
27 Mar 2024 12:41

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]

Tuesday City League Volleyball
27 Mar 2024 12:39

By Sentinel Staff
    The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]

Kodiak Alutiiq Museum Getting New Attention
27 Mar 2024 12:37

By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
    A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]

House Hearing on Inmate Deaths Halted
27 Mar 2024 12:35

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in  [ ... ]

Nominee to Bering Sea Council: Not a Trawler
27 Mar 2024 12:34

By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
    Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Police Blotter
27 Mar 2024 12:26

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Community Happenings
27 Mar 2024 12:25

Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]

Reassessments Raise Tax Bills for Sitkans
26 Mar 2024 15:22

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]

Two Areas Opened in Herring Fishery Today
26 Mar 2024 15:21

By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]

Lady Wolves Rally to Take Fourth at State
26 Mar 2024 15:16

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]

Edgecumbe Girls Close Out Season Up North
26 Mar 2024 14:58

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
    Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]

City League Monday
26 Mar 2024 14:55

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]

House Votes to Broaden Rules For Review Panel Memb...
26 Mar 2024 14:52

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday  [ ... ]

Alaskan Grilled in D.C. Over Climate Science
26 Mar 2024 14:51

By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
    Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]

Faster Internet Speeds In Rural Schools OK'd
26 Mar 2024 13:53

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]

Native Words Gathered In Environment Studies
26 Mar 2024 13:52

By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
    In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska,  [ ... ]

March 26, 2024, Police Blotter
26 Mar 2024 13:49

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]

March 26, 2024, Community Happenings
26 Mar 2024 13:48

Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m.  [ ... ]

Sac Roe Herring Fishery Opens in Hayward
25 Mar 2024 15:30

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]

Projects on the Table For Cruise Tax Funds
25 Mar 2024 15:28

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]

Braves Take Second at State after Close Loss
25 Mar 2024 15:23

By Sentinel Staff
    Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]

City League Games Continue
25 Mar 2024 15:11

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]

Other Articles

Daily Sitka Sentinel

MEHS Plans to Reopen with Kids Protected

By GARLAND KENNEDY

Sentinel Staff Writer

Mt. Edgecumbe High School has announced a plan for resuming in-person education this fall with a number of precautions in place to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

The state-run boarding school was abruptly shut down and the students sent home in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The plan for resuming classes stresses the need for regular cleaning, hand washing, mask wearing, and physical distancing, but MEHS Superintendent Janelle Vanasse said she hopes students will still receive the full high school experience.

“Part of what makes Mt. Edgecumbe so special is that students create real family relationships with other students, with RAs (resident advisors) with staff, and we need to be able to continue to do that. But we will not be able to do some of the closeness physically,” Vanasse said today.

She emphasized that plans are still in process and that MEHS is cooperating with the Sitka School District and City of Sitka in making a plan to protect against spread of the virus. She added that some uncertainty remains.

“We don’t have all the answers, nobody does right now. We expect to be navigating this and we’re happy to have partners in SEARHC. We have a really good relationship with the Sitka School District,” she said.

With the help of SEARHC, Mt. Edgecumbe High will have its own virus testing capability on campus.

The reopening plan states:

“The testing protocol may be adjusted with continued medical information and guidance; however, it is expected that students will be tested at the start of the year and routinely tested throughout the school year.”

Any student travel will involve testing and quarantines as well, the document says.

While close cooperation with local authorities remains high on MEHS’ priority list, Mt. Edgecumbe students likely will not be crossing the bridge to Baranof Island for what they call “town leave” unless virus risk becomes low, the superintendent said.

“The point where we are considered low risk, we would indeed allow students to go to town with a mask and social distancing,” Vanasse said. 

In moderate or high risk scenarios, the school reopening plan stipulates that all activities will remain on campus.

With reopening, students will have desks spaced at least three feet apart, the reopening plan states. Vanasse said boarding schools in Australia and New Zealand have served as models.

“They’re doing very well,” she said of those schools. “What they are doing with their classroom spacing, that is where we got to having desks in a row and facing one direction,” she said. Masks will be required when distancing is not possible.

“If we get to the point that we are requiring masks 24-7 its not going to be doable,” she said. “It’s really finding a place where kids have a break from their mask in places and situations where it’s safe. So it is reasonable for them to keep them on at times when you can’t socially distance.”

She added that school administration will keep updates on the local situation. The state-issued risk matrix for the prevalence of the COVID-19 virus is color-coded green, yellow, and red. Different risk levels initiate different protocols. Mt. Edgecumbe will be in “yellow” when students return. “Green” would indicate a lack of community spread. In “red,” Vanasse said, students would likely be sent home, as they were in March.

“If you’re getting community spread that cannot be identified or isolated very quickly, that is what we’re all really watching for and that would require some significant action,” she said.

She added that the autumn  cross country season remains uncertain, but that travel to communities for races would be possible only in a low-risk environment.

“What’s important is that we are all working to move through this and we’ve got plans, but we also need to remain flexible,” she said.

Vanasse also noted in addition to virus precautions students would have access to mental health services if needed.

“We already have pretty robust access to counseling, so that’s really helpful in these times. We don’t really need to boost up our number of counselors, we just need to make sure our counselors are prepared for what may come out of a pandemic,” Vanasse said.

Mt. Edgecumbe High’s full virus mitigation plan is available on their website http://mehs.ss13.sharpschool.com/home under the General + COVID tab.

The reopening plan for the Sitka School District is being drawn up by a task force of community and school district representatives, and is to be presented to the School Board for approval by the end of this month.

 

You have no rights to post comments

Login Form

 

20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.


50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....

Calendar

Local Events

Instagram

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Instagram!

Facebook

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Facebook!