1/20/21 - The Thompson Falls School District was notified by the Sanders County Health Department, that a high school student had tested positive for COVID-19.  The student's last day attending school was Monday, January 18th. If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions. Stay safe! 

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12/15/20 - The Thompson Falls School District has been notified by the Sanders County Health Department, that an elementary staff member has tested positive for COVID-19.  The staff member's last day attending school was Wednesday, December 9th. If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions. Stay safe!

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11/28/20 - The Thompson Falls School District has been notified by the Sanders County Health Department, that an elementary staff member has tested positive for COVID-19.  The staff member's last day attending school was Wednesday, November 18th. If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions. Stay safe!

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11/24/20 - The Thompson Falls School District has been notified by the Sanders County Health Department, that a high school staff member has tested positive for COVID-19.  The staff member's last day attending school was Wednesday, November 11th. If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions. Stay safe!

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11/23/20 - Today, November 23rd, the Thompson Falls School District was notified by the Sanders County Health Department, that a junior high school student had tested positive for COVID-19.  The student's last day attending school was Wednesday, November 18th. If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions. Stay safe!

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11/19/20 - Today, November 19th, the Thompson School District was notified that a high school student had tested positive for COVID-19.  The student's last day attending school was Monday, November 16th.  If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with a safe and appropriate course of action.  It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions.  Stay safe!

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11/2/20 - On Monday, November 2nd, the Thompson Falls School District was notified that a high school student had tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, October 29th.  According to the Sanders County Health Department, the student’s last date attending school was Tuesday, October 27th. If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions.  Stay safe!

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10/12/20 - Thompson Falls Public Schools will be deep cleaning campus facilities on Thursday and Friday, October 15th and 16th, while our schools are closed for MEA Days.   We will continue to offer in person instruction as long as we can provide personnel to cover classes.  We will continue to evaluate this in conjunction with the county health department.  Our goal is to keep everyone safe and provide the best educational opportunities we can.  We are thankful for our staff, who work hard everyday to meet these goals and for the support of our parents and community members who entrust us with our students.  Please contact your child’s school or the district office if you have any questions or concerns. 

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10/6/20 - On October 6^th the Thompson Falls School District was notified that a high school student had tested positive for COVID-19.  According to the Sanders County Health Department, the student’s last date attending school was Friday, October 2^nd and the last date at a school activity was Saturday, October 3^rd.  If any students or staff are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions.

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10/5/20 - On October 3, 2020, the Thompson Falls School District was notified that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19. The positive test was confirmed on October 2, 2020. According to the Sanders County Health Department, the District's staff and students may have been in contact with the employee during the period of possible exposure. However, the employee last worked and had person-to-person contact with fellow students/staff at 4:15 pm on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 2 days prior to the employee's diagnosis. If any staff or students are at risk of exposure, the Sanders County Health Department will be in contact with that person to determine a safe and appropriate course of action. It is still recommended that any person who feels sick or ill, seek out their medical provider for specific instructions.

The School District is in contact with the Health Department and reviewing the Centers for Disease Control guidance to complete cleaning the school and other related facilities. The other steps taken by the School District include requiring masks until the number of active cases in the county is below 4. Contact the Superintendent for details about these measures. School officials will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further information if and when it becomes available.

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10/5/20 - There are currently 17 active cases of COVID-19 in Sanders County.  Per the Governor's directive, face coverings are required for all Students, Staff and Visitors.

Thompson Falls School District 2020-21

Plan to Reopen School and Contingencies for School Closure Due to COVID outbreak

Phase 0

Local or State Stay at home order

All school facilities are closed to the public

1. Full time remote learning

Phase 1

Restricted local or state operations

Limits on group size at 10-15, without social distancing, as per local or state order.

Health screening for students done upon arrival at school. Monitoring during the day. Hand washing and steps to limit germ transmission are pro-actively taught and time dedicated throughout the day for this activity. Frequent sanitizing of any common areas, surfaces and bathrooms.

Blended Model of on-site and remote learning.

In the event there is a confirmed case, either staff or student, there could be a short term school closure for contact tracing and additional disinfecting of the facility.

Face coverings are strongly recommended, unless mandated by local or state agencies. Face coverings will be available for staff and students upon request.

No public visitors to schools

Phase 2          Currently the State and County are in Phase 2 of reopening

Modified local or state operations

Limits on group size at 50, without social distancing, as per local or state order

Health screening for students done upon arrival at school.  Monitoring during the day. 

Hand washing and steps to limit germ transmission are pro-actively taught and dedicated time throughout the day. 

Frequent sanitizing of any common areas, surfaces and bathrooms.

Face coverings are recommended, unless mandated by local or state agencies, when social distancing is not possible. Face coverings will be available for staff and students upon request.

No public visitors to schools beyond the office.

On-site learning will return for all students, with possibly a modified schedule.

Near to full capacity in schools with modified operations and school activities (modified lunch, passing times and recess to limit large grouping)

Limited or modified extra-curricular activities in conjunction with plans provided by the MHSA.

In the event there is a confirmed case, either staff or student, there could be a short term school closure for contact tracing and additional disinfecting of the facility.

Upon parent request due to health concerns, parents may request educational instruction through remote learning.

Phase 3

Traditional School Model

Return to normal local activities

Hand washing and steps to limit germ transmission are pro-actively taught.

Time will be dedicated throughout the day for this.

The State of Montana is currently in Phase 2

Phase 2: Reopen All Schools as Normal with In-Class Instruction

In order to return to a healthy educational environment the district asks that parents do not send their children to school if they are sick or exhibiting any of the symptoms related to COVID-19. The district cannot guarantee the health and safety of anyone but we can all work together to minimize the risks of spreading all infectious diseases.

The District will:

1. Provide Staff with PPE as needed
   1. Recommend the use of masks for staff and students.
   2. Hand Sanitizer throughout the buildings
      1. Students and staff will sanitize in and out of classrooms, offices, restrooms
      2. Encourage frequent hand washing throughout the day.
   3. Face Shields will be ordered for staff who want them.
   4. Additional cleaning supplies will be provided for all classrooms, offices, and other areas of the buildings
2. Hire an additional custodian for daytime cleaning in each of the three campuses (3) – 5 hour/day employees
3. Hire a full time nurse
4. Order and install safety signage
5. Order and install touch free dispensers for soap and paper towels.
6. Limit Visitors to parents or guardians picking up students to the office area of buildings
   1. Require visitors to sign in at the school office with phone number for contact tracing if necessary
   2. Limit visitors to less than 15 minutes in the building
   3. Take temperature
   4. Ask the health screening questions
7. Staff will self screen daily.
   1. Take temperature
   2. Answer the health screening questions
8. Teachers will screen their students at the beginning of the day.
   1. Take temperature
   2. Ask the health screening questions
   3. Students with symptoms will be sent to the nurse (K-8) or to the office (9-12) for further screening and parent notification.
9. Encourage social distancing and limited contact between students and other staff.
10. Order and install plexiglass shields in the lunchroom and office windows.
11. Students will sit by class groups in the lunchroom and tables will be spaced out to help with social distancing.
    1. The high school campus will remain open for lunch and students will be encouraged to eat outside in nice weather.
12. Order additional Chromebooks for students and staff
13. Encourage the use of Google Classroom for turning in homework
14. Offer Teachers training in the use of Google Classroom prior to the start of school (starts on Monday, August 10th) and other professional development during the year to support online learning should the need arise.
15. Encourage music and Physical Education classes to take advantage of nice weather and hold class outside whenever possible
16. Communicate with the County Health Nurse regarding students or staff with symptoms. Refer them to their health care provider.
17. Provide an online or distance learning option for parents who do not want to send their children to school.
18. Students who start online must stay online for the remainder of the semester. The district will provide an online platform for students that is age appropriate.
19. Students who miss class due to quarantining will be treated like any other student absence, homework will be provided by the teacher.
20. Busing will be provided using our contractor Mosher Transportation.
    1. Drivers will not be screening students for symptoms before they board the bus.
    2. Students will be required to sit in family groups.
    3. Windows should be opened when weather permits to allow for increased fresh air circulation
    4. Buses will be sanitized after every route is run.
    5. Masks are recommended.
21. Follow Sanders County Health Department, Montana State Health Department, CDC, OPI, and Governor’s recommendations for students or staff that test positive.

Keeping an open and honest dialogue between our school district and the community is very important to us and a necessity to ensure the continued success of Thompson Falls Schools.  The goal of our "Heard Around Town" page is to respond to misconceptions in the community about our school district.  If you have heard something about Thompson Falls Schools that you would like to clarify or need more information about, click HERE to submit and an answer will be provided below.  This page will be updated as often as possible with new submissions being added to the top.

Thanks to the suggestion from a community member, our responses will now be dated.  We hope this will be helpful.

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Heard Around Town:  Was the staff member who contracted COVID dilegently wearing a mask?  If no, why not?  Have all the teachers dilegently been wearing masks even when the cases fall below 4?  If no, why not?  

Response:  10/5/20  All of our staff members follow the District's Reopening of School Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees.

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Heard Around Town:  Thompson Elementary School has had 2 positive cases of COVID 19.  Why were parents with children in elementary school not notified of the positive cases?

Response:  10/1/20  Thompson Falls Elementary has zero (0) cases.  We were surprised to see two (2) cases listed for  Thompson Falls Elementary on the DPHHS COVID tracing website for schools.  After contacting the Sanders County Health Department, we were told: "These 2 students were already in quarantine and tested positive during that time, with isolation extended.  This was prior to school starting so they weren't even in school at the time of quarantine / isolation."

If a student were to test positive, the County Health Nurse would coordinate with our school nurse to work on contact tracing.  Parents would be informed.

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Heard Around Town:  Will the kids have to wear masks?

Response:  We do recommend that they do, but at this time students and teachers are not required to wear masks. 

Update: 10/1/20  We will follow the Governor's directive, so mask wearing status will fluctuate based on the number of confirmed cases of COVID in Sanders County.  Face Coverings will be required for staff, students and visitors, per the Governor's directive, when there are 4 or more active cases of COVID in Sanders County.

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Heard Around Town:  When will the school be releasing information regarding the upcoming school year?

Response:  Our District is currently working out the details for the 2020-21 school year, as well as contingency plans.  We will be sharing those plans via our website as soon as they are finalized.  The board will review the plans at the August board meeting.  Unless there is an increase in cases in Sanders County, we are planning on returning to school on August 26th with in-class instruction.

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Heard Around Town:  Will Thompson Falls Schools reopen in the fall?

Response:  The Board and administration are working with the Sanders County Health Department, Montana School Boards Association, CDC, and the Governor's Office to formulate a plan based on the health and safety of our students, staff, and community to reopen school in the fall.  Currently we will have summer school starting the week of July 13th, the ACT test is July 18th, outdoor activities have started, indoor activities will start on July 6th, and Driver Education will also start in July.  

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Heard Around Town:  Has a new High School Principal been hired?

Response:  Mr. Dan Schrock was chosen as the High School Principal at the School Board Meeting on Monday, April 28.

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Heard Around Town:  Has a new superintendent been hired?

Response:  Mr. Bud Scully was chosen from among 3 interviewing candidates.  He was offered a contract and has accepted.  The Board of Trustees will vote on his official hiring at the Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 28th.

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The tragedy in Florida rekindled the national debate on gun laws and school safety. In 2013, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Thompson Falls School District’s School Board and administration established school safety as our number one goal and declared the environment our top priority. Some of the actions taken by the District since that time are shown below.  These are a few of the items made possible with input from Thompson Falls School District staff, law enforcement, emergency services, and professional state organizations since 2013.

• Added a School Resource Officer, S.R.O., made possible due to a joint effort between the District, Frisbie-Morbella foundation, and City.
• Formed school crisis teams for each campus that review safety procedures.
• Provide annual C.P.R./ First Aid training to staff each fall.
• Installed security cameras that cover every entry and exit to the school and the main corridors of the high school and junior high.
• Installed cameras in all buses.
• Updated emergency response bags in classrooms to include defensive spray.
• Additional lighting installed on each campus.
• Installed mirrors in key locations for increased field of view.
• Installed darkening shades in elementary classrooms.
• Numbered all classrooms and posted emergency evacuation plans.
• Reduced the number of unlocked doors in schools.
• Upgraded Student Information System (S.I.S.), to allow broad messaging through multiple platforms, (text, e-mail, and phone).
• Provided two-way radios to all staff members.
• Upgraded the phone system to allow emergency announcements in each room.

The safety and well-being of the people in our schools and community is everyone’s responsibility. This is our town, our school, and these are our challenges. School and community safety is a multifaceted issue that presents a variety of challenges including mental health, staff training, law enforcement, facility improvements, and emergency response personnel. Our greatest resource is the people in our school and community that work together to find solutions and be positive. We are thankful to all those who dedicate their time and talents to public service. Many opportunities exist in Thompson Falls including; ambulance, firefighters, and search and rescue. The schools are fortunate to have access to support personnel onsite including administrators, school counselors, CSCT therapists, school psychologist, and an S.R.O.

We encourage people to report potential concerns or suspicious behaviors to law enforcement and school officials. Information that is received is investigated in a professional manner. If you have an idea about school safety you would like to share please contact our school administration and/or S.R.O. The District will continue to work on school safety and providing a great environment for our students.