April 9, 2021 

Lion Nation,

They say that good things come to those who wait. Well, we must be in store for some great things because we have been waiting patiently for normalcy for over a year now. I was reminded of this yesterday during the morning newscast when the announcer stated that there had not been fans inside Busch Stadium for 550 days and that they won’t be at full capacity for some time. At Northwest, we have waited an entire year for our middle school and high school students to return to the classrooms at “full capacity”. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re a step closer to a near-normal school year. We are also excited about continuing traditional senior events such as prom and graduation. Thank you for your patience as we waited for the right time to safely combine our students once again.

So far, returning to more in-person days and combining the A and B day students is working. A large part of that is due to the mitigation strategies we have in place. The continued wearing of face coverings as a mitigation strategy has not only been important in reducing the transmission of the virus, but is now also a strategy for students to remain in school. Recently, the Jefferson County Health Department revised its guidance for quarantine requirements when students are wearing masks. Therefore, if students are properly wearing a mask, even if they are considered close contacts, they will not have to be quarantined from classes. However, there are conditional restrictions and they will be restricted from sports and extracurricular activities. Given the time out of school this year, we welcome any opportunity to have our students remain in classes. 

I want to take a second to say “Thank you!” to our custodial staff. Without them and their diligence in cleaning and preparing our buildings, combining A and B students would not have been possible. Speaking of combining the A and B students, I also want to send a big shout out to our counselors, course schedulers, and data technicians who made the classroom schedules work. Your efforts are behind the scenes, but rest assured, we see you and appreciate you and the work you do. Thank you. 

Of course, we want to come back as normal as we can next year. One of the ways we can do this is to get the Covid vaccine. The more of us that get the vaccine, the less the virus will spread. Many of our staff, as well as staff in other Jefferson County school districts like Dunklin, Festus, and Fox, have taken advantage of Covid vaccine clinics offered at the schools. At Northwest, the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered to staff tomorrow. By taking advantage of the vaccination opportunity, our staff have expressed their desire to be well and get back to normal. I want to thank each and every one of our staff that have received the vaccine. Your willingness to vaccinate will not only help our students, but our entire community. 

With the vaccine becoming readily available to those who want it, what does this mean for us?  Will we have to wear masks or social distance? We honestly don’t know yet. Hopefully, we can come back to school like a typical August. It is our hope that we can be as close to pre-Covid routines as possible. It will take all of us to get there.

Before we get to next year, we need to finish this year. You may be wondering about our last day of school. After reviewing our state-required number of attendance hours, barring any unforeseen weather incidents, our last day of school for the 2020-21 year will be Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Again, this is only if there are no more weather incidents.  

Last year, we said “We’ve got this.” We never wavered in our belief that Lion Nation would take care of our students, our schools and each other. It has not been easy, and there have been some rough patches, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re almost there, Lion Nation. Until then, be well and stay safe. 

Take good care, 
Desi Kirchhofer, Ed. D
Superintendent, Northwest School District

 

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Feb. 15, 2021 

Lion Nation,

Well, we made it 100 days into the school year before we had to disrupt the schedule with an early dismissal day followed by three traditional snow days. Considering the unusual circumstances this year, I know many staff and students appreciated the pause in activity.

Obviously, no one wants to extend the school year too far beyond the proposed calendar. For now, I have leaned towards calling for more traditional snow days, at least for the recent weather events. As I see “E-learning” scroll across the school closing announcements, I can’t help being concerned about the “learning” and the virtual fatigue. 

At some point, given all the efforts of our staff, students and families to prepare for a virtual day and this week’s forecast, we may need to take an Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI) day. Please be prepared for the potential of a virtual day (AMI) if this weather pattern continues. If you have questions, reach out to your student's teacher or school administrator. We will continue to review our required attendance hours and adjust the school calendar as needed. You never can tell what the next few weeks will bring.

While recent school days have been disrupted by the weather, we have been very fortunate that we have avoided any COVID related closings. Don’t get me wrong, we have had some close calls, especially due to quarantines, but overall our mitigation strategies have been successful and we’ve kept our doors open and the year moving along. 

I know our secondary students and families are anxiously waiting for a return to more in-person learning as soon as possible. After discussion with staff and administrators, we believe it makes the most sense to wait until there is a natural break in the academic calendar to ensure the smoothest transition possible. The 3rd quarter ends on Thursday, March 18. Ironically, that is a year and one day after we physically closed our doors on the 2020 school year. Therefore, we plan to return to four in-person days a week on Monday, March 22 for all hybrid secondary students. 

The plan is to combine the A and B day courses which will more than double some class sizes. While that would be perfectly fine in a normal year, it will pose some challenges when it comes to contact tracing and quarantines. Given that we will be unable to physically distance in classrooms, it will undoubtedly increase the potential for more quarantines. Knowing that more students will present more risks, our current mitigation strategies will be more important than ever. Continuing to use good hygiene practices, staying home if showing any symptoms, and perhaps most important, properly wearing a face covering when social distancing is not possible. 

All that stated, there has been good news in a number of cases in the community which reflects the same in our schools. Hopefully with the onset of spring and better weather, we continue to see this trend. In addition, we hope there is an increase in availability of vaccines.

On another positive note, we are looking forward to planning some traditional senior events this spring. While things will continue to look a bit different than previous years, Northwest High School is working with the senior class to host traditional events such as a senior celebration/prom and senior breakfast. In addition to those events, we are moving forward with a graduation ceremony at the St. Charles Family Arena on May 26. We will keep you updated on the details of these events.

I know this communication brings some bittersweet news. Lion Nation has been exceptionally flexible, patient and understanding as we have navigated a time in all of our lives like no other. Our students, families and staff have truly been amazing, and we should be so proud of all that has been accomplished under the circumstances and constraints of a global pandemic. We have been part of a historic moment in time, and we have shown the resilience to succeed, grow and learn.

Thank you Lion Nation,

Desi Kirchhofer, Ed. D
Superintendent, Northwest School District

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Jan. 22, 2021

Lion Nation,

Welcome to the second semester of the school year. I know that the first semester was full of challenges for us all, including students, parents, and staff, but we found ways to get through it. This is a testament to the resiliency of our entire community as we are nearing the end of a full year in a worldwide pandemic. 

While we have adjusted the way we do things for the time being, we hope those adjustments are temporary. One of the questions I get asked most is “When will secondary students be able to return to more in-person learning days?” It’s a fair question, especially since many other districts are returning to more in-person days. It was also a topic we discussed at last night’s Board of Education meeting. 

As you may know, our district has three operating schedules right now. Elementary students attending five days a week, secondary students attending on A and B schedules, and students fully online with our OnLionEdu program. We gave our OnLionEdu students the opportunity to come back in-person at the semester, and we now have over 500 students who have returned to in-person instruction across the district. 

With our mitigation strategies of social distancing, masks and face coverings when we cannot social distance, and increased sanitization routines, we have done a very good job of limiting the spread of the virus in our buildings.  Remember, our goal at the beginning of the year was not only to open, but to stay open. Our mitigation strategies have been working, so we will continue with those strategies, especially as the 500 plus students return to in-person classes. 

However, as these students return, we need to see if COVID-19 illnesses and quarantines will impact our staff and students any more than they have. If, after a few weeks, the numbers decrease, there is a distinct possibility we may move to four days a week in-person for secondary students, with Wednesdays remaining a virtual day. I want to reiterate that this is the goal and nothing is definite. While we do not have a definitive return, we are considering March 1 as the earliest possibility.

This is a decision that will not be made lightly. Over the past weeks and months, I have spoken with many staff members, students, families, and community members about the level of in-person learning offered to students in hybrid schedules. Throughout all of those conversations, I keep thinking about how our students are doing. I know that many of our students are struggling academically, socially, and emotionally this year. My hope is that by bringing students back to school for four days a week of in-person instruction, we will be able to provide the highest possible level of care and academics to our students.

I know there may be concerns if we return to more in-person learning days, but it has been our goal all along to serve more students in-person for more days. I realize that social distancing will not be possible to the extent we are currently doing. We will be tracking our data even more closely as more students return to school, and we will also be monitoring other secondary schools who have returned to in-person for four or five days. Thus far, the school districts I have spoken with report little to no in-school transmission. The quarantines and contract tracing remain the biggest challenges. 

We can all agree that this year has been like no other for our students, staff, and families. Everyone has had to adjust and adapt as new information comes in regarding COVID-19. Remember, what happens outside of school impacts what happens inside of school. Please consider receiving the vaccine if you are able to, practice social distancing, wear a face covering, and limit gatherings.

Thank you for your continued support and all you do to make Lion Nation special.

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I

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Nov. 30, 2020

Lion Nation,

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday, and that it was filled with laughter and love spent with family. As I write this letter, the snow flakes are slowly drifting down outside. Tomorrow is the first day of December, and we only have three more weeks until our winter break. With winter comes falling temperatures, snow, and ice...as well as school cancellations. 

Earlier this month, we sent out a survey to families, as well as our staff, to gauge the interest in snow days versus alternative methods of instruction, or as we call it, AMI. Basically, it means we have the opportunity to conduct classes virtually or by other means, even if the buildings are physically closed.

Over 1,400 parents and guardians responded to the survey, and we feel that number is a good sample for helping us make informed decisions. One question we asked had to do with having reliable internet access to support online learning. Over 96% of our respondents have reliable access to internet access, which was great for us to hear when considering whether to have snow days or AMI days for inclement weather. 

We also asked families their preferred option for inclement weather days. The choices were traditional snow days, AMI days, or a combination of both. The results of the three options were very close. Just over 37% of respondents preferred AMI days. A combination of traditional and AMI days was preferred by almost 35%. Traditional snow days were preferred by nearly 28%. Our staff preferred a combination of traditional snow days and AMI days, with just over 41%. Just under 41% preferred AMI days only, and 17% preferred traditional snow days. 

Considering this information, we will most likely use a combination of traditional snow days and AMI days when faced with inclement weather. Obviously, other circumstances such as the timing of the weather event and the forecast will always play into the decision as well.

The AMI plan for Northwest was submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) earlier this year, and has been approved for the 2020-21 school year.  However, DESE only allows for 36 hours of AMI instruction per year. This translates into roughly five school days per year. That means that any other inclement weather days would have to be a snow day made up at the end of the year. Therefore, we will be selective in deciding whether to have a traditional snow day or an AMI day. When the call is made, we will include the type of day it will be in our announcement, which will be sent via our communications channels. As a reminder, please make sure your information on file is correct so you can receive these notifications. 

Northwest has students on three different schedules in our district: PreK-5 attending five days per week in-person, our grades 6-12 who attend on an A/B hybrid schedule, and our OnLionEdu students, who are all virtual. We know there will be questions about the difference between a traditional snow day and an AMI day, plus how it impacts our students. To help you understand more about this, we have created a FAQ document which is attached to this letter. 

If you have any more questions about the differences in snow days and AMI days, please contact your child’s school and they will be happy to answer your questions.  

Thank you for trusting us with your children. Together, we’ve got this. 

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Nov. 24, 2020

Hello Lion Nation,

I hope you, your friends and family are doing well. To say this year has been unusual, would be a huge understatement. We continue to live and work in a world of new and unexpected change and challenge. As cases in the community continue to rise, the quarantine of students and staff continues to be one of our biggest challenges. 

With Thanksgiving kicking off the holiday season, like everything else in 2020, our traditional holidays will look different this year. Please continue to do the things necessary to help slow the spread of the virus. No matter what you have planned, please be safe and keep those you love safe.

As a district, we are thankful for everyday we get to have school. As a community, we should do our part to help keep our doors open for our students - they deserve it.  

Personally, I am grateful for Thanksgiving Day, a day dedicated to create pause and be intentional about giving thanks. Even though things are different, there is so much I am lucky to have in my life. I am thankful for a loving family, wonderful friends, awesome colleagues, a terrific school district and community, and some of the best families and students anywhere. 

This community is like a family, and we all look out for each other. No matter what, this community pulls together in times of need. This has been a tough time for many, but we’re going to continue to get through this together. 

I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope your holiday weekend is filled with smiles and laughter. Thank you for all you do to support each other and the Northwest family. 

Take good care, Lion Nation. Together, we’ve got this. 

Desi Kirchhofer, Ed. D
Superintendent, Northwest School District

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Nov. 16, 2020

Lion Nation,

Last week, Governor Mike Parson announced changes to the state’s contact tracing and quarantine recommendations for schools. Under the state’s updated guidance, proper mask wearing may now prevent individuals from being identified as close contacts in K-12 classroom settings that have implemented a mask mandate. However, local health departments make the final determination regarding the contact tracing process. 

The Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) has spent a lot of time reviewing this new guidance from the state level, looked at local data, and reviewed CDC guidance. At this time, JCHD will not be implementing the new recommended school guideline changes. The following information has been released from JCHD:

“Jefferson County Health Department strongly agrees that vigilant and comprehensive mask-wearing will reduce the risk of transmission. However, recent guidance issued by the state of Missouri does not currently align with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In addition, the St. Louis region is experiencing uncontrolled community transmission – with serious implications to the regional health system and ability of local public health practitioners to effectively trace and investigate cases.

With these facts in mind, the Jefferson County Health Department will maintain current quarantine and isolation practices. As always, we will constantly evaluate these practices as new data and scientific consensus is released.”

After conversations with the Jefferson County Health Department and other area school districts, the Northwest School District will continue to follow the guidance of JCHD and continue our current mitigation efforts. We will continue contact tracing, which includes quarantining students and staff if they are identified as primary contacts. This approach has allowed us to be effective in minimizing transmission within our school community. In the meantime, please continue to be diligent in wearing masks, hand washing, avoiding large gatherings outside of your household, and social distancing when possible.

Take good care, Lion Nation. Together, we’ve got this. 

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District

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Nov. 12, 2020

Lion Nation,

I hope you are all doing well as we enter the second quarter of the 2020-21 school year. Covid-19 cases are on the rise around the area, as Jefferson County remains in the Red designation. As a result, we are experiencing a regional spike post-Halloween.  

While we anticipated a potential spike regionally, our schools remain safe. Our students continue to wear face coverings when unable to socially distance, maintain good hygiene practices, and are leading the way when it comes to doing their part to help control the spread in school.

You may be aware that within our county, several schools have moved to an all-virtual format for the time being. This is not due to the number of positive cases spreading in the school, but because of the high numbers of students and staff who must quarantine after close contact with a person who has a lab-confirmed Covid-19 test. Northwest is not to the level of closing schools and we hope to never reach that level. Yet, some of our schools are being challenged to remain operational due to the number of staff having to quarantine.  When we started our return to school planning, we emphasized that it was not just about re-opening, but remaining open.

Today, Governor Parson, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced new guidance for schools regarding close contacts and quarantines. We are communicating with the Jefferson County Health Department to get further clarification on the new guidance. The message is clear that masks are considered an essential mitigation strategy.  This new guidance could help reduce the number of quarantines as staff and students are required to wear masks in school when social distancing is not possible. However, it won’t help with close contacts that occur outside of school that might lead to quarantines.

How can you help keep schools open? Please do your part in combating the spread. Continue to wear face coverings. Avoid large gatherings outside of your household. Keep using good hygiene practices. If you feel ill, stay home.

With Thanksgiving coming up in two weeks, we realize that family gatherings will be  happening.  However, we want to remind you that the community spread impacts our schools. We’re not asking you to forgo your celebrations, but please be aware of the situation we are all in. This situation is not because of what happens inside of our schools, but outside.  

In the meantime, we have added some new information to our Covid Dashboard at https://www.northwestschools.net/coviddashboard. We have included new columns for presumed positive cases for both students and staff.  These numbers are updated daily by nurses and health room staff at our buildings.

With all of the quarantines, I want to give a huge shout out to the staff for their extra efforts. From our teachers and administrators to office personnel behind the scenes to custodians, substitutes, bus drivers and food service workers, our staff has been doing their best to try and keep everything moving along for students. 

As I mentioned before, the best way to keep schools open is to wear face coverings, social distance, and avoid large gatherings outside of your household. I can’t stress it enough, but what happens outside of school hours and in the community has a direct impact on what happens in our schools. Our goal all along  has been and continues to be a return to a full-time schedule, and I feel confident in saying that the majority of our families feel the same way. We can’t do that without your help.

Thanks, Lion Nation. Together, we’ve got this.

Desi Kirchhofer, Ed. D
Superintendent, Northwest School District 

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Oct. 26, 2020

Lion Nation, 

Even though 2020 continues to be a year of uncertainty, we certainly hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. As we end the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year, I can say that this has certainly been an unusual few months in our schools. While Covid-19 has impacted each and every one of us, we have done everything we can to make this school year as ”normal” as possible. The staff is working like never before and putting everything they can into supporting students in and out of school - they have been inspiring. I want to thank our staff, students, families, and community members for all their patience, support, and understanding as we have returned to school during the pandemic. 

Overall, we have been fortunate to not have large outbreaks of Covid-19 in our schools. We believe that the strategies implemented during the school year have helped limit the spread of the virus in our schools. We also believe that if we utilized these practices outside of school and in our community, we could curb the spread of the virus even more. From the first day of school, we have had a cumulative 23 lab confirmed student positive cases and 20 confirmed staff members. 

Because of the concern regarding the spread of the virus, many families selected a virtual option to start the school year. While the virtual option has been successful for many families, it has proven to be a challenge for many others. With the start of the second quarter, we have nearly 300 students returning to in-person learning at our elementary schools. While we are excited that more students are selecting to return in-person, it does pose additional challenges for social distancing. We need to continue frequent hand washing, good sanitization practices, and most importantly, wearing face coverings and checking for symptoms everyday. 

As we move forward from the second quarter, we anticipate that more secondary students will request to return in-person for the second semester. At this time, we do not know if we will continue with the hybrid model or possibly increase the number of in-person days for our secondary schools. There are many factors to consider, such as the current trends among teenagers, enrollment numbers, current data for our district, the community’s current status, guidance from the Jefferson County Health Department, and learning from other school districts who have increased the number of in-person days.  

I know I have stated this multiple times, but what happens in the community has a direct impact on what happens in our schools. It’s not necessarily the number of positive cases that have affected us, but the quarantine numbers. One positive case can quarantine large numbers of people, even an entire classroom. I urge you to continue to practice social distancing, wearing face coverings, and use good hygiene practices outside of school and in the community. Although none of us like to wear face coverings, we should continue to be responsible and do our part to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.

We realize this year continues to have its challenges, but Lion Nation will continue to persevere together.  Thank you for all your support and efforts to make this a successful school year.

We've got this!

Thanks for trusting us with your students,

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District

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Sept. 25, 2020 

Lion Nation,

It’s hard to believe, but fall is here and we’re already a month into the school year. There have been some challenges, but we continue to work through them. However, there have been successes as well. One success we should be particularly proud of is that the Covid-19 mitigation strategies used within our schools appear to be working.

As of this morning, we have four positive student cases and five positive staff cases. This is better than we could have expected, especially being such a large school district in a county with a “red zone” designation. To put it perspective, the cumulative student case count is 0.30% of our in-person population.

We will continue to do what we are doing. This includes social distancing, wearing face coverings when social distancing is not possible, and the cleaning procedures and protocols we have in place. Students at all grade levels have been doing an amazing job with masks, distancing, and adapting to the situation forced upon us by Covid-19. Their resilience and adaptability is key in making the best of this situation, which in turn helps keep the number of positive cases in our buildings down. Along with the current strategies, we want to remind families to continue to review the daily symptoms checklist before sending students to school each day. 

We know families want to stay informed about possible COVID cases in our schools. Due to HIPAA privacy laws, we can only share information such as if the positive case is a student or staff, and what building they are in. Of course, we will call anyone who is directly impacted or in close contact with an exposed case. To keep you informed, we created a Covid-19 dashboard, which is updated as needed, with information on any confirmed positive cases for students and staff, as well as recovered cases. The number of positive cases isn’t that high, but the number of quarantines caused by a single exposure can grow quickly. Therefore, we have added two columns to the dashboard which show the number of current quarantines. All of these numbers are broken down by building and are available 24/7 on our website at https://www.northwestschools.net/coviddashboard. 

It isn’t the current transmission of COVID-19 within our schools, it is the current level of transmission of the virus in the community that is having the greatest impact on our staff and students. We have been saying all along that what happens in the community will make a difference in what is happening in our schools. As the community spread of the virus grows, so does the potential to enter our schools and buildings. The biggest impact we are seeing right now is how quickly quarantine numbers can rise. However, we can change this by our behaviors. This serves as a reminder that how we approach Covid-19 outside of school has a very real impact on Covid-19 within the schools.

Finally, I want to give a big shout out to our custodians and maintenance workers, food service workers, and bus drivers to thank them for the jobs they are doing. While we continue to show great appreciation for our teachers who are making every effort to reach all students, the work of these three employee groups cannot be overlooked. We want them to know that we definitely see and appreciate them and the work they do for our students and staff.

Thank you, Lion Nation. Like I said, we’re a month into this school year, and you’re doing great. Keep it up. We’ve got this!

Respectfully,
Desi Kirchhofer, Ed. D
Superintendent, Northwest School District

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Sept. 8, 2020

Good Evening Lion Nation, 

I wanted to share information regarding recent COVID cases for Northwest staff and students. Over the weekend, we were notified that across the District, one student and three staff members received lab-confirmed positive tests for COVID-19. 

The schools impacted were House Springs Elementary, Maple Grove Elementary, Valley Middle School, and Woodridge Middle School. We are not releasing information about the individuals due to privacy laws, however, the health and safety of our students, staff, and their families remain our highest priority. 

At this time, all close contacts or individuals who were within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes of the positive individual, which are guidelines administered by the Jefferson County Health Department, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have been contacted directly by the district and will not be returning until the end of the required quarantine period. All areas of the building in which the positive case was in have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. 

When we receive notification of a positive case, we will work with the health department to conduct contact tracing immediately. We will continue the practice of personally contacting anyone considering being in close contact with the positive case.

While we don’t want to inundate our staff and families with communication, we are committed to transparency throughout the process and want to keep our school community as updated as possible. Therefore, we will be posting daily updates on the district website at northwestschools.net/coviddashboard. The dashboard will list the number of positive and recovered cases, broken down by students and staff for each school building. Again, any individual considered a close contact with a positive case will be personally contacted. 

In the meantime, please continue to monitor your child’s health daily using the symptom checklist below. 

• Fever greater than 100?
• A new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing?
• Chills or repeated shaking with chills?
• Muscle pain (different than normal exercise induced pain)?
• Headache?
• Sore throat?
• Runny nose or congestion?
• Recent loss of taste or smell?
• Abdominal cramps, diarrhea, or vomiting?
• Within the past 14 days, had close contact with an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19?

If symptoms develop, the Jefferson County Health Department recommends contacting your child’s physician.  

We will continue to take precautions, including social distancing, masks when social distancing is not possible, and rigorous and thorough cleaning of our buildings to lower the risk for COVID-19 as much as possible to allow our students to attend school in-person safely.

If you would like more information on COVID-19, please visit the Jefferson County Health Department website at www.jeffcohealth.org/coronavirus-covid19. 

Respectfully,
Desi Kirchhofer, Ed. D
Superintendent, Northwest School District 

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Sept. 4, 2020

Lion Nation,

We are just over one week into the school year already, and I have to commend our students and staff. They have adapted to the new guidelines; masks are being worn when necessary, social distancing is occurring, and our facilities are being kept clean and disinfected. Even though we are still learning ways to improve each day, our OnLionEdu students are making the most of their virtual learning environments, and our OnLionEdu teachers are adapting to this new way of teaching. Everyone is giving their best effort. Simply put, Lion Nation is resilient personified.

However, we have not been untouched by Covid-19. As of this writing, one staff member has tested positive, as have five students; therefore, several staff and students have had to quarantine.  While all the cases appear to have been contracted outside of school, it still has a big impact on those who may have been exposed and have to quarantine. This is why it is vitally important that we all be responsible by staying home when showing symptoms as listed on the checklist magnets provided to families.   

It is inevitable that some of our students and staff will test positive for Covid-19. Thinking we would not be impacted is naive and wishful thinking. Therefore, we have to be proactive when communicating with our school communities. As a result, we have a form letter that lists what building is impacted, along with important dates in the contact tracing timeline. If it has been determined that your child was in close contact with a person who tests positive, you will receive a call from a health professional or our Director of Health Services, Ann Frankowski. They will be assisting with contact tracing and inform you of next steps. Students identified as close contacts will be required to quarantine. If your child has not been in direct contact, but is a student at an impacted school, you will receive the form letter. It is possible that you may receive the letter more than once depending on the number of positive cases in each building.

Of course, we hope that number does not grow. We will continue to utilize the safety and mitigation strategies and protocols we put in place for this school year.  These efforts are to minimize the amount of close contacts and the possible spread of the virus.

While the spread may not be occurring in school buildings, what happens outside the buildings has an impact on us. The virus is spreading through the community at increasing levels. In their Aug. 30 report, the White House Pandemic Task Force has placed Jefferson County into their highest alert zone of red. The Jefferson County Health Department has released information stating that the county is on the cusp of moving from Orange to Red classification.  

So that begs the question, what does “Red” guidance mean for Northwest?

It means that we need to continue to be diligent with our efforts to practice social distancing, wear face coverings, continue good hygiene and sanitation practices outside of school just as we do in school. Please continue to use the symptoms checklist. If you or your child are experiencing any of the symptoms listed, do not go to work or send your child to school.

With lower class sizes, a hybrid schedule, and a virtual component, our current plan was developed to reopen safely with every effort to remain open. So for now, whether we are in “Orange” or “Red” guidance, it means we will continue to operate under our current plan.  As always, we will continue to work in cooperation with the Health Department to monitor the community spread and the impact on our school community. 

Unfortunately, nothing will protect us 100 percent. However, by using these simple, yet effective, methods at slowing the virus, we can improve our chances of staying healthy and keeping schools open, which we can all agree is our goal.

Please have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend.

Stay safe and healthy, Lion Nation. We’ve got this.

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District

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August 12, 2020

Lion Nation,

The start of the 2020 school year is fast approaching, and I want to keep you updated on our most recent planning efforts. While I hate to inundate families with updates, we promised to keep you informed as we get closer to the first day of school, and we continue to monitor our ever-changing situation. I know any changes can be very frustrating, but our overall goal continues to be to allow students to attend school in-person as safely as possible.

When we started writing the back to school draft plan, there were less than 20 school-aged children in Jefferson County who had tested positive for COVID-19. Since that time, the number of cases from ages 0-19 in our county has grown to 179 as of today. As we continue to plan for the reopening of school, the biggest factor we must account for is how to maintain in-person school while adhering to increased social distancing guidelines. We need to do all we can to mitigate the spread of the virus and limit the number of students and staff from the possibility of being quarantined. 

We realize that opinions and views on the subject vary within our community, and we have done our best to give everyone options by offering both in-person and online options through OnLionEdu. As of this writing, nearly 30 percent of our families have selected OnLionEdu. 

In our elementary schools, we have over 700 students participating in OnLionEdu. In terms of numbers, this essentially makes the virtual option a new school. In order to continue a five days a week, in-person learning option at the elementary level, we need to invest in more staff to reduce the number of students in classrooms and to cover our virtual learning community. We are continuing to do all we can to support our families and serve as many students in-person as we safely can.

At the middle school and high school levels, however, the schedules are built on individual student course selections which makes things a bit more complicated. While the enrollment in the OnLionEdu option has helped reduce class sizes and overall building capacities, it is still not enough to adhere to the distance guidelines that need to be followed. As a result, we need to make additional efforts to reduce our overall class sizes and student populations. 

Recognizing that the virus has spread more among teenagers and that high school and middle school schedules do not accommodate cohorting, we are preparing for a move to a hybrid model for the middle schools and high school, where students will partially attend in-person and partially in a virtual environment. 

The hybrid schedule is necessary as more social distancing is required. Students will be divided into two groups to allow for social distancing. While one group attends in person, the other group will attend virtually. Groups will be determined by splitting the enrollment in the schools, keeping households together and on the same schedule. In addition to helping reduce contact in the classroom, this model will reduce numbers of students in hallways during passing times, in community locations such as cafeterias, and reduce the number of students on school buses. The more contact is reduced, the more we can help control the spread of the virus. Not only will the reduction in numbers help mitigate the spread, it will help in contact tracing efforts if a positive case is identified. 

While this is by no means ideal, we believe it is the safest way to deliver an in-person education for our students to start the year. The high volume of students, the inability to cohort, and the recent rise in the virus’ spread among teenagers has to be considered as we move forward.  

As we continue developing the hybrid model for middle and high schools, details will be shared in a separate communication soon. 

As mentioned before, we have tried our best to offer options that would work for our community. Our goal has been, and continues to be, to bring our students and staff safely back to our buildings. This effort is not only about a safe return, but equally about safely remaining open. Please continue to help us in our efforts for a safe reentry to school.

Stay safe and healthy, Lion Nation.

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District

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August 4, 2020

Lion Nation,

I hope you and your family are enjoying the summer. In our last communication, we shared our return to school plan. We also shared that we would continue to monitor our ever-changing situation and keep you updated as we get closer to the first day of school. In addition to receiving district wide information, each school building will be sharing its specific building plan with families soon. It is still our intention to make a safe physical return to school as well as offer an online learning option.

As most of you have heard, nearly all St. Louis County and City schools have decided to start the school year virtually. At Northwest, we have offered a choice to return in-person or select a virtual option through OnLionEdu. Thus far, nearly 25 percent of our families have selected OnLionEdu. While we are still in the early planning stages, this reduction in overall in-person enrollment should help reduce class sizes and overall building capacities. It is clear that it is making a difference in class sizes for the elementary level. However, it may not be enough at the middle and high school level, and we may have to explore additional strategies to reduce class sizes and decrease the overall capacity on a daily basis. Recognizing that the virus has spread more among teenagers and that high school and middle school schedules do not accommodate cohorting, the secondary schedules may need to be modified to start the school year.  

We continue to be in frequent contact with the Jefferson County Health Department and are closely monitoring the community spread of the virus. While our data in Jefferson County may not be as severe as St. Louis County, we are not trending in the right direction and the Health Department continues to consider increasing restrictions and tightening its guidelines. 

We have shared our back-to-school plans with the Health Department for review. They provided feedback, stating that we need to continue to follow its recommended mitigation strategies. When we originally published our “return to school” draft, we acknowledged that things would likely change as circumstances changed. Given that our community continues to see a growth in positive tests, we want to make sure we are following all the mitigation strategies necessary to help slow the spread and remain open. Therefore, to start the 2020 school year, all staff, students, and visitors will be required to wear a face covering when social distancing of at least six feet is not possible. We understand that there may be medical considerations or other circumstances that may exempt some from this requirement. We also recognize this could be more challenging for our elementary students (especially 9 years and under), and we will work to accommodate younger students and individuals on a case-by-case basis. I understand that not everyone agrees with the concept of face coverings, but we need to do everything we can to have our students safely return to our schools.

Nearly everyone is eager for a safe return to school and activities, but we all need to do our part. In order to help our community, we need to continue to do our part by frequently washing hands, following social distancing protocols, avoiding large congregations, and wearing a face covering when social distancing is not possible. 

Please continue to help us in our efforts for a safe reentry to school.

Stay safe and healthy, Lion Nation.

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District

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June 26, 2020

Lion Nation,

I hope you’re all enjoying the summer. Businesses are opening up once again, travel is resuming, and things are beginning to return to a more normal schedule. While we have been fortunate that the Covid-19 virus has not hit our community as hard as it has in other areas, it is still out there and we should take precautions against it. However, we can resume our pre-Covid lives, albeit with some precautionary measures like social distancing, in place.

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June 12, 2020

Lion Nation,

A couple of weeks ago, I conducted an interview with Mandy Murphey from KTVI Fox 2 News. It was a good conversation, lasting about 25 minutes, and she asked some great questions about reopening schools. Some of those questions, I could only answer the best I could, simply because we do not know the answers at this time. The situation is fluid and we continue to adjust and try to plan based on the most recent information and circumstances.

On Thursday, Governor Mike Parson announced that statewide restrictions will be lifted and Missouri will “fully reopen” on Tuesday, June 16. While Missouri will fully reopen on June 16, Governor Parson emphasized the importance of continuing social distancing and practicing proper hygiene to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “We must remember that COVID-19 is not gone,” Governor Parson said. “It is still extremely important for everyone to continue social distancing. Be proactive. Avoid large, congested crowds, and if you can’t social distance, take extra precautions to protect yourself and those around you.”

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May 15, 2020

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May 8, 2020 

Lion Nation,

As we end the week, counting down toward the end of the school year, today marks day 32 of virtual and alternative methods of learning for our students and staff. Only 10 more school days to go! Keep up the momentum, because you are doing a tremendous job.

While we talk about wrapping up the end of the school year, our thoughts are also with how things may operate and how things may look when we are able to safely re-enter our schools and buildings. Of course, we are hopeful that circumstances will allow us to return to school as any other year, but we have to begin planning for a variety of situations.

As we mentioned last week, we have formed a team to research and discuss how we will continue learning while keeping our students safe when we come back to school. Issues we are looking at include curriculum and instruction, transportation, facilities, social distancing in the classroom, technology, health and wellness, special education, and much more. The district and building administrators, along with representatives from all schools, will serve on the committees addressing these issues. The groups will research items and documents that present considerations for re-entry, such as the guidance referenced in a recent Stltoday article from Missouri School Board Association.

While we address those issues, we have to be prepared that school may look different next year. As mentioned in the previously cited article, this could mean changes in how classrooms look or are operated, transportation, lunch shifts, and other procedures in place in our schools. While we don’t know for sure if these things will be impacted by COVID-19, we have to be prepared that they may. As we have stated in the past, it remains true; our primary concern is the safety of our students, and that will always be taken into consideration as we prepare for the upcoming school year.

Of course, the biggest goal of a student’s career is graduation, and we have some information for our Class of 2020 graduates and their families. While we have a virtual graduation planned for May 22, we have a tentative date of an in-person graduation for July 31, 2020, but only if it is safe to do so based on recommendations from local health officials. Even though we have set a tentative date, we still need our seniors information for the virtual ceremony.  If you haven’t done so, please make sure to submit your graduation information. We will keep you updated on our tentative date as it approaches.

As I shared last week, some of our employees have begun to return to our buildings for essential tasks, picking up personal items, and other year end protocols. However, our buildings and facilities will remain closed to the public for athletic events, practices, and recreational use per Health Department guidance until at least June 30. 

In the meantime, keep up the great work, Lion Nation. We’re almost there...10 more days!

And of course, I couldn’t forget a special shout out to all our moms and best wishes for a Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for all you do!

Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay connected. After all, we’ve got this!

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May 1, 2020

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April 24, 2020

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April 9, 2020

Lion Nation,

As many of you may have heard, Missouri Governor Mike Parson has just announced that all Missouri public and charter schools will close for the rest of this school year due to the COVID-19 virus. 

While this is news I was hoping to never have to deliver, we knew it might be a reality as the nation and region try to slow the spread of COVID-19. 

Rest assured Lion Nation, we will continue to proceed as we had planned by staying connected to our students and families. Our continued relationship with our students and families is critical during this time.  Although buildings are closed, we will continue with our e-learning and alternative instruction plans. Students will continue to receive learning opportunities and support from Northwest teachers and staff. We also plan to continue meal service during the closure. As mentioned in a letter sent this morning, the school year for Northwest R-I will formally end on May 22. For more information, visit https://www.northwestschools.net/coronavirusinformation.

I can assure you that Northwest R-I will continue to communicate and stay connected with students, families, staff, and the entire community. This is a bump in the road not only for Lion Nation, but for the entire world. We have had to adjust to our circumstances and our “new normal” for the foreseeable future, do what we can to help flatten the curve by staying home whenever possible and practicing social distancing when we cannot. We must remain resilient, and together, we will get through this. Now more than ever we need each other. We will stay connected and we will grow stronger.

Stay safe and healthy, Lion Nation.

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District

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Student Meal Information

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April 9, 2020

Lion Nation,

This experience has certainly been a unique, but in many cases, an incredible learning and growth opportunity. Our community has been amazing and I know this common experience will strengthen us.

As we enter our Easter break with a much-deserved three-day weekend beginning tomorrow, I want to touch base with you with some new information about our school calendar.  Since we should be safe from additional inclement weather days, the big news to share with you is that our last day of school for students will be Friday, May 22. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has said that the days schools are closed due to  COVID-19 will be forgiven so we will not have to make up these hours. This makes sense considering all the teaching and learning that continues to occur during our recent closure.

That leads me to the next topic: when we will come back to school? To be honest, we really don’t know. Our most recent closure has us out of school until April 27. Currently, health officials expect the virus to peak during the last week of April through the first week of May. That, however, does not mean that we will be coming back immediately, as the virus will still be prevalent and present. Obviously, when it is safe to reopen our schools and welcome back our students we will do so.  

Earlier this week, I met with area superintendents from St. Louis and Jefferson County to discuss extended closures. It is not what we want to hear, but there is a distinct possibility that we will not be able to safely reopen schools this year. Jefferson County School Districts have another meeting with the Health Department and County Officials scheduled for Tuesday, April 14 to discuss our current status and review next steps. We will let you know as soon as we know anything more about the situation. I want to continue to be transparent with communication and provide you with the most updated information possible. 

Speaking of COVID-19, the number of positive cases has been increasing, with Jefferson County reporting 95 cases. Much of the rise in numbers is due to increased availability of testing and correctly identifying symptoms. Even though it is likely we have had additional cases in our community, we are less likely to be informed by the Health Department due to the time we have been out of school and the risk of exposure.

As we reported last week, a staff member from Maple Grove Elementary tested positive for the virus. I am happy to report the staff member is doing very well and fully recovered. The outpouring of support from Lion Nation for the staff member has been nothing short of amazing. It’s just one more reason our community is such a special place.

I cannot thank you enough for your continued efforts to keep learning and staying connected. I want to wish you all a very happy Easter, Lion Nation. Although your traditions or plans may have changed this year, we are adaptable, we are resilient, and we are in this together. After all, we’ve got this.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay connected,
Desi Kirchhofer

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All Northwest R-I School District Playgrounds and Facilities Closed Effective Immediately

March 31, 2020
6:10 p.m.

Lion Nation, we know that many of you use the playgrounds, tracks, fields, and other outdoor spaces for exercise and enjoyment. While we normally welcome each and every one of you to use our facilities, which we have because of the tremendous community support for our district, we are currently under a “stay at home” order from the Jefferson County Health Department due to the COVID-19 virus. 

Since we have no way of limiting the number of people gathering at our facilities, in the interest of public health, we are requesting your cooperation as we close all Northwest playgrounds, fields, and tracks until the “stay at home” order is lifted. These closures are effective immediately.

We want to remind you that the purpose of the closing of our schools and facilities is to aid in keeping our community healthy. As tempting as it is to get out of the house, especially as temperatures warm, please limit your trips away from home to necessities.

Our community is one that takes care of each other, especially in times like these. We thank you, Lion Nation, for your patience, understanding, and cooperation.

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March 31, 2020

Lion Nation,

I realize that it sometimes seems there is an information overload from either the district or your children’s teachers. We never want to overwhelm you with information, but we feel this is pertinent and wanted to inform you immediately. That is why I write today, to let you know of a COVID-19 issue that impacts our community while also respecting privacy laws. 

Today, the Jefferson County Health Department confirmed that a Northwest staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member works at Maple Grove Elementary. The staff member did not exhibit any symptoms while school was in session and students were present. However, the staff member did make a brief visit to the building on Friday, March 20 and has not been on campus since.

The Jefferson County Health Department will be in contact with anyone at risk of exposure from the staff member. Northwest is cooperating fully while assisting the health department, and we ask for your understanding as the district cannot release any personally identifiable information due to privacy laws.

Please know that our primary concern is for the health and safety of our students and community. If you or a family member develop a cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, you should call your primary care provider before any visit or contact the Missouri State Department of Health COVID-19 Hotline at 877-435-8411, or the Jefferson County Health Department at 636-797-3737 extension 210. You can also visit the CDC website or Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) website, for more information. 

As we send this communication, Jefferson County has 23 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and anticipates more positive cases as the testing increases. We are in frequent contact with the Jefferson County Health Department as we monitor the COVID-19 situation and its impact on our community. We will continue to be transparent in our communications, and will let you know of any further developments. In the meantime, it is important that as a community we abide by the current “stay at home” order.

Stay safe and healthy,

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District 

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March 29, 2020

Lion Nation,

It’s a day early, but I want to say “Welcome back!” During these extremely unusual times, I hope that you still were able to have a relaxing and enjoyable spring break. Tomorrow marks our first day back in our electronic and home classrooms. While the situation is not ideal, we will continue to do our best to provide learning opportunities and support for Northwest students. If you were like me, there were moments of the break that seemed strange because we couldn’t do some things we are accustomed to, but in other cases, it was energizing trying to find new things to do. 

During times like these, when there are many uncertainties, it is important to try to maintain some sort of routine. Things like having a regularly scheduled bedtime and wake-up time go a long way toward making each day feel like a regular day, including time for creating, exercising, and playing. Our goal is to make each day as normal as possible, with regular learning opportunities, ongoing communication with students, and maintaining that connection with them as well as families in our community.  Here is more information from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with tips about how to support learning at home.

As a community, we want to thank New Hope Fellowship Church for donating meals to students during spring break, and on that note, remind you that food service has resumed at Maple Grove Elementary, Valley Middle, and Brennan Woods Elementary schools. More information about food service and other questions can be found at https://www.northwestschools.net/covid19faq.

As I have mentioned before, I always try to find the positive even when faced with adversity. While this situation is very challenging, the silver lining is that we are constantly improving upon our alternative methods of instruction. This could possibly serve as a model for future opportunities, including those for snow days. Can you imagine eight inches of snow on the ground with school canceled for three days, yet not having to make up those hours thanks to an alternative instruction plan? We have a long way to go and will eventually have to submit a plan to be approved by the State Department, but this serves as a good test run.

Once again, I want to thank everyone for their tremendous flexibility and understanding during this closure. While we count down toward the day we can physically open schools, we want to be sure to remain engaged and connected with one another. 

Over the next couple of days, teachers will be contacting families once again to reconnect and discuss learning expectations and future communications. We understand that everyone’s circumstances will be different and we want to work with you to provide the support and resources as best we can. We will be flexible and understanding with assignments and school work during this closure. We will also do our best to stay in contact with students and families to provide learning opportunities without negative consequences.

One particular group of students that many have expressed concern for is our seniors - the Class of 2020. The concerns are not only about academics, credits, and course requirements, but also about activities such as graduation and prom. Looking ahead to the future weeks and months, there remain many uncertainties. That stated, as far as graduation and possibly other traditional 12th grade experiences, we will work with the high school administration to try to address events and do all we can to make these special events possible. The high school administrators have already started discussing possible solutions if the situation doesn't improve by the graduation date. They are committed to making this work for students. It may look different and occur at a different time and place depending on how things evolve, but we will do our best to honor our seniors and have some memorable moments. 

If you have any questions, you can reach out to your child’s teacher or any administrator. We are here for you in this crisis, as well as any other time. Lion Nation, we’ve got this.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and continue practicing physical distancing.

Dr. Desi Kirchhofer
Superintendent, Northwest R-I School District