318 Staff News
Board Workshop Highlights
The Board held two workshops in the past week. On Wednesday, September 8, the Board met in a goal-setting workshop. Board members reviewed goals from last year and identified steps necessary to continue to move the district forward. The final version will be presented to the public at the October Board Meeting.

The Board also met on Monday, September 13 for a regular workshop. During the workshop, the Board discussed the opportunity to combine polling places for the November 2 School Board Special Election. The School Board election is the only item on the ballot. There will be no ballots mailed unless requested through the Absentee Voting process. More information about the election is available on our website.

The Board also discussed collaborative opportunities available to the district. These opportunities range from improving and expanding on existing IASC collaborations like Career Pathways and Special Education services to district-level collaborations.

We are continuing to explore ways to partner with Nashwauk-Keewatin and Greenway in order to work on additional programming and collaboration that could provide better early childhood education, career and technical programming, and identify new ways to be inclusive of those who may be currently underserved. The partnership is an effort to find ways to enhance the education for students in both districts by building on the existing collaboration through Career Pathways, Community Education, and Invest Early.
ESSER Funding ThoughtExchange
The ESSER ThoughtExchange is open through Sunday, September 19. If you've already shared your thoughts, be sure to revisit the exchange to respond to the ideas of others.

This input can help make our support of students even stronger.
Click here to join the exchange today. If you have questions, please contact Jessica Setness.
Educational Benefits Help Still Needed!
School districts receive Compensatory Revenue from the state based on the numbers of students receiving free and reduced lunch services at each site. Our COVID funding was also based on those numbers. Each year, despite our best efforts, the number of families completing these forms go down even while poverty rates remain steady. The number of families completing the form is expected to decrease even more now that COVID funding is providing meals free of charge to all students.

In the seven county region of NE Minnesota we lost a total of $3.8 million dollars in Compensatory Revenue from the 2020-2021 school year to the 2021-2022 school year. This revenue benefits ALL students in our schools.

That's why we're asking for your help in encouraging families to complete the form. We've made the process even easier with a quick online app. Visit www.isd318.org/edbenefits for more information and a link to the app. If families have any questions or problems completing the form, they can contact their building principal or the Food Service Department at 218-327-5771.

At the district level, we will continue to communicate with families who applied last year, but have not yet completed a form for this year. If you have questions about district-level communication for Educational Benefits, please contact Jessica Setness.
Strategic Planning Updates
One of the goals identified at the September 8 Board Workshop was to continue work on the district's strategic plan. Decisions we make through this process will help us offer the best educational opportunities possible and create a great student experience for all our learners. Your input will be an important part of the process.

Teachers and ESPs will be invited to participate in focus groups throughout the coming months on our Wednesday early outs. If you are not scheduled to work on those days, C-7s will be available. We will be connecting with our other unit leaders through our Labor Management Committee. All staff will also have the opportunity to share feedback through survey opportunities as well.

We recognize that participating in a focus group on an early out may take staff away from their usual PLC discussions. We believe that your input on how we can best serve students is vital for us to create an environment for learning where every student feels supported. If you have questions, please contact Jessica Setness.

Please visit the Strategic Planning section of our website for a detailed timeline of the plan development and watch your email for opportunities to participate.
COVID Testing Update
At the beginning of the school year, we had communicated with families that rapid tests for COVID-19 would be available in our school buildings. Unfortunately, rapid tests are not currently available due to limited supplies. While we are hopeful this will change soon, families will need to obtain a test from their local health care provider.

When the state announced that they were going to be supporting districts with testing and testing supplies, we started the process on our end, applied for the waivers, and procured the funding we needed. Unfortunately, the supply chain for tests has not kept up with the demand, and we are waiting on testing materials. We will communicate with families as soon as supplies are available in school.

If you have questions, please contact Jessica Setness.
Community Education Opportunities
The new Community Education Catalog was unveiled last month and there are so many great new opportunities to check out! And don't miss out on the basket weaving classes. They fill up so quickly!


Find these and more great classes at getlearning.org.
318Pride Stories
Each of you has already done so much to make the year successful. It's clear how committed you are to helping our students succeed. We're grateful for all you do.

And we are grateful for the support you show each other. We received this 318Pride story about your work:

I was talking to a student about his past school experiences. I asked him if he had any positive experiences with school and he immediately said "Mrs. Sue Roy." The student then went on to list clear behaviors that she demonstrated towards him. He clearly remembered how he was treated in 3rd grade and he said, she was very nice, she taught me how to be nice. He said he wanted to call her and say "thank you."

It was incredible to hear his story and how she (Sue Roy) impacted his life while he was in 3rd grade. How he was treated in the 3rd grade obviously affected him, even to this date. Today, the student is in high school. I am so proud to be part of a team that treats the kids (students) in our care with dignity and respect. It is an honor to be part of a district team that provides a safe environment to all students we serve.

I was inspired by this student's story and by Mrs. Sue Roy. This story reminded me that every interaction is an opportunity to have a lifelong lasting impact on students. I hope this story can resonate with you as it did with me and be reminded that every interaction is an opportunity to make a positive school experience with the students in our care. Sue, WELL DONE!

If you have a story you'd like to share about your peers, drop it into our new 318Pride form!