REIMAGINING
I
education in an ever-changing world
t would be hard to overstate the impact COVID-19 has had on our school district, and education across the country. We’ve to reimagine how we deliver content and instruction, and we continue to adjust to ever-changing health information as we work to keep everyone safe. The good news is that in the face of the constant barrage of challenges this pandemic has presented, our district has continued to move forward. Our staff and students have risen to the occasion, showed their resilience, and strived for excellence. We accomplished many great things during the 201920 school year and I’m confident 2020-21 will be another successful year. Guest Columnist Looking back to the end of last Todd Sesker year, we earned the community’s support for an operating levy to implement a 7-period day at the high school. Starting this fall, for the first time in over 30 years, Faribault students will have more opportunities to explore their interests and discover what they’re passionate about as they choose from 26 new course offerings. We’ve also approved plans for a new early-childhood facility that will allow us to provide more opportunities for our youngest learners. Our students continue to lead in our community. Last December, student groups raised over $14,000 for local families in need. We’ve had students make and donate dozens of blankets and pillows made for Ruth’s house, deliver care packages to military families, raise
$4,000 for a Faribault alum whose young child was diagnosed with cancer, raise $5,000 for the Special Olympics by participating in the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics, collect can goods for the food shelf, and participate in many other service projects around our Faribault. Our students have also excelled in extracurricular activities. Our DECA students qualified for state and national competitions. Our theater department put on outstanding productions. Our music students performed at the Minnesota Music Educators conference and won numerous individual awards. Our dance, track, swim and dive, wrestling, and gymnastics programs all had athletes qualify for state and proudly represent Faribault. I believe our time in distance learning this spring served as a reminder of just how vital education is to our community and to society as a whole. I couldn’t be prouder of our staff for their commitment to educating our students, whether virtually or in person. I’ve been astounded by their ability to adapt, innovate and continue to find ways to connect with students. Our administration has also worked tirelessly to respond to the ever-changing education landscape and establish our plans for this school year. So far, we’ve seen very positive results with our smaller class sizes keeping students safe and allowing for more individualized instruction. This pandemic has forced us to look at education differently. It will be interesting to see what we learn and what adjustments we make to how we deliver instruction based on this experience. We don’t know exactly what the future of education will look like, but we do know that we will continue to do everything we can to provide the best education possible for our students and families. We will learn, adjust, and keep what we value. I am optimistic and excited about the future of Faribault Public Schools. Todd Sesker is superintendent of Faribault Public Schools.
PROGRESS 28
Fall 2020
