SUPERIOR, Wis. – After a graduation that didn’t feel like the real thing by any means because of the pandemic, the Duluth Denfeld Class of 2020 figured out a way to celebrate together. Denfeld graduation usually includes hundreds of people gathered in the auditorium cheering on the new grads. This year’s commencement was a lot different because of COVID-19, but…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth School District’s new superintendent, John Magas, has presented his education strategy for the fall. In his plan, elementary students would return in-person and middle and high school students would return in a hybrid manner, with each student walking through school doors for in-person classes one day per week. “Making this more safe quite often means…
DULUTH, Minn.- Visitors at Glensheen Mansion Saturday got to learn about an old-fashioned trade — being a blacksmith. Forging Community’s blacksmiths were on the mansion grounds demonstrating metal working and smithing. Glensheen staff say they appreciate having them every year and they are an even more valuable attraction during the pandemic. “For the public it’s always kind of fun to…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- Student firefighters at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Superior have just started training on a new fire truck to practice for more complex and challenging emergencies that life as a firefighter could throw their way. Costing about $250,000, the new truck sports a modern pressure control system, which instructors say helps in transporting water over longer distances in…
SILVER BAY, Minn. – A childcare shortage across much of the Northland has become even more urgent during this pandemic, especially in less populated towns. Now, a childcare center is expected to open in Silver Bay to help with the growing demand. Little Mariners Child Care Center is on course to open this fall. The center is expected to greatly…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A UW-Superior professor has been awarded more than $40,000 to study microplastics in the St. Louis River and Lake Superior. The grant is from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. It awarded research money to three UW campuses: Madison, Eau Claire, and Superior. UWS students and chemistry professor Lorena Rios will use the grant money to study how…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- The Superior School District has approved their possible plan for how students will be taught this fall. The coming school year will either be all virtual, all in-person, or a hybrid of at-home and in-school learning. The district is still waiting to pick a final option. They say they hope to have a set plan in place by…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- In their first in-person meeting since March, the Superior School Board Monday approved their COVID-19 District Response Plan on reopening schools this fall. In the plan (found here), families can choose whether to continue having their children learn virtually at home, or attend in a hybrid setting with partial education at home and partial in the school building….
DULUTH, Minn. – A new childcare center is now open in Duluth. It’s hoping to offer an in-demand service to families during the pandemic. “Hope for Kids” is located in Hope United Methodist Church on St. Marie Street near UMD. There are only about 10 kids registered there now, but the center is looking for more children ages six months…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Public Schools will soon welcome its newest assistant superintendent. Anthony Bonds comes to Duluth from the Anniston School District in Alabama. During his time there, he served as executive director of curriculum and instruction, where he was responsible for overseeing teaching and learning practices while in that role. Bonds is also a former assistant superintendent for…
DULUTH, Minn. – Hills Youth and Family Services in Duluth is looking for the community’s help. The organization is still in need of masks to give to the children they serve. Hills Youth is hoping to receive a donation of at least 100 of the protective wear. Each one will go to protect children and their families visiting the Neighborhood…
NORTHLAND, Minn. – The uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis is causing school districts across the nation, including in Minnesota, to create appropriate plans for the upcoming school year. School districts in Minnesota have been given three options from the state for possible strategies to implement in the fall, but all come with their own challenges. Both Duluth and Hermantown school…
DULUTH, Min. – CHUM is once again partnering with Duluth Public Schools for their annual backpack drive. Since 2006, CHUM has provided more than 10,000 backpacks to students in need. This year the goal is to give away about 1,00 bags filled with school supplies, which will go to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The upcoming academic year could…
DULUTH, Minn. – As the Covid-19 crisis has already thrown a curveball in the way students receive their education there is a growing need to help students struggling with math are reading. The Math and Reading Corp of Minnesota is hoping to help fill those gaps. The organization is looking to hire nearly 2,000 tutors across the state and about…
DULUTH, Minn. – The University of Minnesota announced Monday that starting July 1, it will require all students, staff and visitors to wear a mask while in any indoor or enclosed space on campus. In an email sent to staff and students, officials wrote that “We now know that wearing a face covering provides valuable, albeit imperfect, protection against the spread…
DULUTH, Minn. – Lake Superior College is sending a big “thank you” to Subaru of American and Miller Hill Subaru for donating more than $100,000 worth of equipment for the automotive program. The extra equipment will help to further expand training for students to allow them to have a long-standing career. The automotive industry took a hit due to the…
DULUTH, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Duluth is making an effort to help remove barriers for students applying to attend the school. The university is testing a new admissions model, which would no longer require ACT or SAT scores to be submitted. Instead, students are being given the choice to decide whether or not they want the scores to…
DULUTH, Minn. – St. Luke’s Hospital is the first healthcare facility in the region to utilize a spectrometer to help identify microorganisms much faster. Traditional methods to classify bacteria, viruses, and fungi typically take days to return results. The equipment uses a laser to break down the microorganisms for identification in a matter of minutes. “It allows us to deliver…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior School District hopes to open schools for in-person learning in some capacity this fall. That announcement comes after the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issued guidelines for how schools can best reopen during the pandemic. Wisconsin’s Education Forward plan includes examples for how schools may have to change scheduling this fall. Plan examples include four-day…
DULUTH, Minn. – A petition has now been started by several former Duluth Public School students. Those students want the school board to dismiss the district’s relationship with the Duluth Police Department. The petition is also demanding all resource officers be removed from the city’s public schools. There are now four resource officers in Duluth Public Schools. The petition outlines…
DULUTH, Minn. – Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac Mcghie are still being commemorated through this memorial. 100 years later many are hopeful change will come as racial injustices and inequalities still plage the nation.” This day of remembrance is a chance for many in the Duluth community to take a moment to pause and reflect on what happened back…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Families and students at the Superior Middle School returned their borrowed laptops. More than 1,000 laptops were issued to elementary and middle school students. Upon return, the devices will be evaluated and updated for use next year. Superior Middle School was already allowing the use of laptops before the pandemic, but once the school moved to long…
DULUTH, Minn.– As an unprecedented school year wraps up, Duluth teachers and staff found a way to send their students off into the summer in a unique way. Staff from Congdon Park Elementary School held a parade to say goodbye to all of their students for the summer. Teachers at the school say while it’s not the way anyone wanted…
DULUTH, Minn. – Back in April, the Great Lakes Aquarium was forced to furlough 46 employees after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses. Currently, 11 staff members report to work daily. Around 80 percent of the aquarium’s funding comes from ticket sales and field trips. Donations are being accepted through the attraction’s website to help…
Categories: Education, Minnesota, News
DULUTH, Minn. – Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many summer events are canceled, but Animal Allies Humane Society in Duluth has figured out a way to still host educational summer camps with restrictions in place. “We worked really hard collaborating with other humane societies to see what we could offer our community after a stressful period of sheltering in place and…
CLOQUET, Minn. – Washington Elementary in Cloquet held their second “reverse parade” allowing students to be driven around the school to wish their teachers well. Organizers say, although this wasn’t the end of the year they wanted teachers are getting the send-off they deserve. “Today would have been our field day and we wanted to do something to celebrate for…
DULUTH, Minn. – Hundreds of smiling faces drove past Lakewood Elementary School in Duluth Monday. The teachers and staff recently coming up with an idea to safely see their students and say ‘thank you’ for a great year even though it didn’t get to end as planned. “I miss my teachers all I can,” said Wyatt, a first-grade student at…
DULUTH, Minn. – Many summer camps around the Northland are already choosing not open for the season to prevent the potential spread of the coronavirus. Fortunately, University Nursery School isn’t one of them canceling summer programming. University Nursery School’s location, in the Harbor Highlands community, has been transformed to offer a full-time summer program. It can accommodate up to 30…
DULUTH, Minn.- About 2,300 seniors graduated from UMD this year, but they’re listening to pomp and circumstance in their own homes, virtually. “Being a family of five we just try and make it as special as we can,” said Music Education major Hunter Hamby. “We know we can’t emulate the big celebration sort of thing.” That big celebration would normally…
SPOONER, Wis. – Comedian Charlie Berens gave a shoutout to the 2020 seniors at Spooner High School. Berens is a Wisconsin native known for hosting the online show, the Manitowoc Minute. According to the Spooner School District’s Facebook page, the teachers enlisted the help of Berens to help spread humor and positivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can watch and…
DULUTH, Minn.- Graduating seniors at the College of St. Scholastica are celebrating the end of their college lives a bit differently than they may have expected: with a virtual commencement ceremony. This time last year, there was a full gymnasium filled with caps and gowns. “I was homeschooled high school so I never had the ceremony so I was really…
CLOQUET, Minn.- Picking up your graduation cap and gown is a big moment for high school seniors. So the Cloquet High School Administration and the surrounding community made it even bigger, while still maintaining social distance–having them available as a drive-thru. “It really boiled down to some form of togetherness,” said Principal Steve Battaglia. A chorus of honks greeted Cloquet…
DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Public Schools will hold virtual graduations this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school district announced on Tuesday. “Graduation from high school is a significant milestone, one that students anticipate and look forward to for years,” Bill Gronseth, the ISD 709 Superintendent, said in a press release. “In the face of the pandemic and the restrictions…
DULUTH, Minn.- The 28th Annual St. Louis River Quest, the three-day waterfront and water safety education program for sixth graders, has been canceled for the first time due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled for the beginning of May, River Quest has never been canceled since its start in 1993. 1,500 sixth graders from 13 area schools come to the…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Public Schools will continue providing meals and childcare to certain families, and distance learning to all students for the rest of the school year. Superintendent Bill Gronseth tells us the district is planning to hold awards nights and graduations this spring despite schools being shut down. “We’re working with our schools and our students and our…
ASHLAND, Wis. – Kindergartners around the Northland are not in school right now because of the coronavirus shutdown, but that didn’t stop Ashland teachers from celebrating National Kindergarten Day with students and parents driving by Lake Superior Elementary School. A procession of cars was packed with families greeting their favorite kindergarten teachers in-person for the first time in more than…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Public Schools officially have a new superintendent. A three-year contract was unanimously approved Tuesday evening by the Duluth School Board. John Magas will take over as superintendent starting July 1, 2020. “John’s professional experience, especially in the areas of equity and continuous improvement, will serve our Duluth community well,” said Board Chair Jill Lofald. “He’s clearly…
DULUTH, Minn. – Students in Minnesota are currently out of school to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Teachers at Lester Park Elementary in Duluth are making sure to keep the connection with the kids. The teachers left heartwarming messages to their students in the windows. Many of the messages are expressing how much the teachers miss their students. Others…
CLOQUET, Minn.- Cloquet Public Schools launched their Distance Learning Plan for the rest of the year. Elementary School-aged children will receive paper packets weekly to work on at home. Staff will be in charge of picking up finished packets, while dropping off packets for the following week. Middle and High Schoolers will complete work online. The District has plans for…
MINONG, Wis. – At Northwood School in Minong, library media specialist Stephanie Birdsill started a daily Facebook live event called ‘Evergreen Storytime.’ She reads a picture book to younger elementary kids and a chapter book to older elementary and middle school students. She tells us it’s her way to encourage kids to stay positive during the pandemic. “We as teachers…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Public Schools’ teachers and students are using this week to get familiar with online learning tools like Google Classroom. Superintendent Bill Gronseth tells us the district is making sure all students have access to materials. “Families that have internet service but maybe not a device for their student to use, we’re making sure that they are…
DULUTH, Minn. – Distance learning. It’s a platform rarely practiced by teachers, staff, and students in the Northland. But it’s now becoming ‘The New Normal,” at least until Monday, May 4 in Minnesota. It’s throwing teachers, students, and parents for a loop over the last few whirlwind weeks. Kevin Wu is the COO of OneClass. OneClass is a platform to…
DULUTH, Minn. – COVID-19 is keeping students, staff, and teachers separated for the next few weeks. But that’s not stopping students Kyler and Keegan from showing up to Lakewood Elementary School in Duluth to help lift the spirits of those they miss. The boys’ mother, Cassondra, sent in the pictures to FOX 21’s Brett Scott. The boys are holding signs…
DULUTH, Minn. – Lake Superior College is one of 37 colleges and universities in the Minnesota State system resuming some classes this Monday on campus. While the vast majority of classes will be online, some of the students coming back will be back for classes that are more hands on learning including welding and medical lab technician, or MLT. LSC…
DULUTH, Minn.- With discussions around the country about a potential vaccine or drug being developed to treat COVID-19, local experts are speaking out about the reality of treating the virus so soon. While President Trump has touched on different drugs that scientists have said might be helpful in fighting Coronavirus, UMD Applied Human Sciences Professor Jessica Hanson said testing them…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- One of Superior’s busier child care centers reacts to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’s decision to scale back staff and amount of children in child care settings. The order dictates that organizations are not allowed to operate with more than 10 staff and 50 kids present. Meanwhile in Minnesota on Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz offered support to child care…
CARLTON COUNTY, Minn. – Colleges and universities are switching to all-online classes as the coronavirus spreads. That can be a big challenge for teachers who have to change their curriculum to fit the current situation. Annie Dugan is teaching in a unique space for the rest of the semester. “Right now we have this big open greenhouse that I can…
DULUTH, Minn.- In the most intense step the State of Minnesota has taken in response to the Coronavirus, Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order closing all schools in the state starting Wednesday, until March 27th. This comes just two days after Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced all schools statewide would close through April 6th. While parents prepare to cope…
SAINT PETER, Minn. – Current Duluth School District Superintendent Bill Gronseth has been extended an offer to become the next superintendent of the Saint Peter School District. Gronseth made the decision to step down as Duluth’s superintendent when his contract is up in June. According to the 508 District website, their school board made the decision Thursday evening during a…
