I’m sure that we can all agree that the past year has been insane. Imagine telling somebody in 2018 that next year a global pandemic would break out and last over a year with millions feeling the effects still now. Well, here we are.
Even in small-town Minnesota, we feel these effects every day. One of the more lighthearted effects is our “homeless” band here at Kasson-Mantorville High School. The band requires a great deal of space; they need enough room to fit all of their nearly 100 students while also keeping in mind that we’re still in a pandemic and need to socially distance.
From playing in the Minnesota WiFi Performing Arts Center to the High School’s South Gym, where hasn’t the music department been moved to?
All of this is because of space limitations. Band and choir directors want to be as conscious as possible about space and student safety during this awkward transition time. The circumstances are understandable … but, come on! BYOS (bring your own stand) every day is getting old!
Hopefully, soon the KMHS band will be able to rehearse in its normal places, but until then, the K-M band is having a little fun with the situation. While yes, sitting in bleachers for 40 minutes trying to play the flute isn’t ideal, we can still manage to sort of… maybe… make it work.
Personally, I love switching it up from time to time, don't get me wrong. But not knowing where we’re going each day isn’t exactly ideal. Keep in mind, when I’m writing this, it’s Monday, Oct. 18, so we can only hope that by the time you’re reading this and it’s published, the band has a more permanent home.
Let me quickly explain this situation a little more in-depth, in case you were unaware of what’s going on in the high school currently. Because we are still in a pandemic, we need to space ourselves out, especially when playing instruments. The available spaces aren’t big enough for the concert band, which means we get the lovely rehearsal space of … nowhere.
With Honk! in the MN WiFi PAC and the pit cover off, there isn’t space for a band to rehearse there. Hopefully, once the musical season is up, there will be available space for bands. There’s no better place to practice than where you’ll eventually perform. Until then, we’re still homeless!
I’m sure all of you know how incredible the acoustics of the South Gym are (not) but just you wait until you pack nearly 100 kids in there. It’s a mess.
So, the next logical option is to rehearse outside, right? Yeah … I don’t think so. There is nothing quite as disappointing as when Mr. Boldt says “we’re going outside!” and it’s maybe 50 degrees. At the most. I’m not too sure about that. I admire his energy and enthusiasm, but none of us want to walk all the way to the turf, play two songs, and walk back. Sorry, Mr. Boldt!
Another option Boldt proposed (because to be completely honest, he’s sick of this too) was playing in the commons. Now I’m sure playing in front of the high school office would get somebody to find a real space for us, but that’s not exactly the best option. We’d still be moving chairs and stands every day, and let’s be honest, it’s just not a great option.
I’m not 100 percent certain if this is the new plan, but the concert band has been playing in the band room.
The chairs are facing backward, and we’re all super packed in, but it works for now. Hopefully, we can figure out the homeless band situation before our concert gets closer and closer.
Until then, the poor, poor concert band is homeless and will be until somebody can make up some sort of decision.
Kasson-Mantorville students might be wondering what’s going on with the construction equipment north of the High School
Well, wonder no more. The heavy equipment is there to assist in the construction of the new Zumbro Education District (ZED) facility. ZED’s current facilities are in Byron, but they’re moving to Kasson.
ZED has been in existence for over 30 years. They provide special education programming to approximately 9,500 students who live in Blooming Prairie, Byron, Hayfield, Kasson-Mantorville, Pine Island, Stewartville and Triton.
In 2019 with their current lease in Byron nearing expiration, ZED presented to each member district’s school board regarding building a new facility. ZED proposed constructing a $16 million, 61,000-square foot building in Kasson with a parking lot of roughly 180 spots. It will be a two-story facility. This building will “integrate unique spaces for students’ specific needs, provide adequate learning and meeting spaces and take student and staff safety into consideration.”
The school boards approved, and now the new ZED facility is scheduled to open to students in 2022.
This new building should bring more space for ZED’s increasing enrollment. It will also be enough space for staff members to have their own designated office, which they have never had before.
In this new ZED building, there will be a separate area for each program operated. ZED’s programs include the Area Learning Center, Transition 2 Success, the Futures/CHOICE/Connections program and Birth to Three Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers.
Info gathered from ZED’s website zumbroed.org and the Dodge County Independent.
By Katie Harfman
Alayna Gossard has been selected the first KoMeTimes Senior of the month for the 2021-2022 school year. Let’s get to know her a little better.
Best advice you have ever received from a teacher? “Save and invest your money.”.- Mr.Fernholz What activities are you involved in? I’m in soccer, Diversity Club, student council secretary, Link Crew, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, KoMet Pride Department, and I am senior class president. What are your plans after high school? I want to go to college and study business management. I am looking at St. Olaf and St. Thomas. What is some advice you would give to an underclassman? Don’t worry what people think of you, just have fun and live your life. What is your favorite part about high school? My favorite part is the social aspect, seeing people. And least favorite part? My least favorite part is the homework. For sure. Who do you look up to most? I look up to my mom the most because she’s my mom and she’s achieved a lot in her life. What is something you want to do before you are done with highschool? Senior prank, I want to prank the teachers. And senior skip, I want to skip a day.
Hey, Komets! It’s the end of the year already! Fourth-graders are coming in and eighth-graders are moving out! The fourth-graders are feeling nervous, excited, happy, worried, sad and some even said they are feeling skeptical about being in the same school as their sibling.
I don’t know … I’m pretty excited to have my brother in the same school as me again. I think he missed me! I am pretty sure they will have a lot more fun than they did in elementary school.
For example, PLTW! In PLTW, the seventh- and eighth-graders had the chance to make a guitar. In sixth-grade PLTW, they made trebuchets. Trebuchet is a fancy word for a catapult. They then had a challenge to see who could launch the tiny Wiffle Ball the farthest.
Speaking of sixth grade, we just went on our trip to Eagle Bluff. We only went for one day, but it was still a great experience. Each group had three classes: South Ropes course or West ropes course, GPS or Archery, and Settler life or Oneota (Native tribe to that area). We had a blast!
Track and Field is happening. On May 19, fifth grade was scheduled to have its Track and Field Day, and on May 20, it was sixth grade’s turn. On May 12 and May 19, fifth- and sixth-graders were invited to go to the KMMS and KMHS track practice to prepare for Track and Field day. We practiced long jump, 50-meter dash, 150-meter dash, shot put, and other track activities. We got to meet some of the athletes, and we worked hard and it was very informative.
On May 7, the rule of having to wear a mask outside (gatherings, recess, etc.) was lifted. This makes outdoor activities more enjoyable. Speaking of outdoors, Mr. Wilke's Outdoor Adventures class went to Mantorville Riverside Park to fish. They caught a few pike, but returned them to the water because they were not in season. Did you know that the fishing opener was May 15? Because of that, the KoMets Fishing Team had their first tournament on May 16. Personally, I love fishing!
Remember when I talked about D.A.R.E. a few months ago? Well, fifth grade recently graduated from D.A.R.E. They got cool D.A.R.E. shirts and learned a lot. Officer Jesse held a D.A.R.E. poster decorating contest, and Brooklyn Maxson, Eleanor Gore, Ambrey Bernatz and Ellie Hruska won. Congratulations!
On May 22, there was a Braxton Raymond Memorial Benefit. They had a BBQ dinner, Cornhole Tournament, a 50/50 raffle, a Silent Auction and a Basketball Competition. What a great way to celebrate Braxton’s birthday!
This year is the very first year that KMMS got BAND T-SHIRTS. Yes, we got band T-shirts for our very first outdoor concert. Our outdoor concert was May 18. When you think about it, this was the sixth-graders’ second real concert and fifth grade's first. We have been doing online/virtual concerts and now we are in person again. What a great way to wrap up the school year!
This is the last KMMS Update for the 20-21 school year; I enjoyed writing for the paper and I think you should give it a shot! Writing for the paper helped me with time-management skills and improved my grammar. It always felt good to see my work in the paper, and creating the KMMS Update gave me the inside scoop, too. Thanks to everyone who gave me information. I hope everyone enjoyed reading!
Last, but not least - Covid. Oh, Covid! Hopefully, this is the last thing I say about Covid in the newspaper. It seems like things are changing. Is this Pandemic going away? We hope! I think by now most of us are used to wearing masks, even though they are annoying. Hopefully, next year will be different. The mask rules are slowly changing, and I hope they are changing enough so this summer we will have sports and other activities without masks. Have a great summer everyone! Go enjoy it! Maybe you go to the pool, go to the lake, play sports, tube, water ski, swim, go boating, go fishing, kayak, canoe, bike, bake, rollerblade, scooter, or go camping. Whatever you do, have fun!
Article by Gabby Moritz
Advisory has gone through some big changes this year, and the reviews are mixed. Beyond the name change to BRIDGE, the grade levels are now mixed, the same advisor is throughout, the time was moved to the morning, and they added “Habitudes.” Now, students and staff have not been able to fully experience what BRIDGE is meant to be due to COVID, but, “We are slowly rolling things out one at a time,” said Mrs. Bielen, who is the Guidance Counselor at K-M. Also when asked why Advisory needed a change, Mrs. Bielen responded, “We were starting to hear it from students and teachers that a change was needed. Teachers also wanted a time to build relationships with students.”
Last year, Advisory was during the day in-between classes and lunch. This allowed seniors to have a longer break with the combined times of open lunch and open advisory. If the BRIDGE time stayed at the same time it was last year, this would now allow both juniors and seniors a longer break since both grades now have the option of open lunch. When junior Sabrina Anderson was asked about the time change, she replied, “They should place BRIDGE back where they used to be because it doesn’t give open lunch students enough time.” On the other hand, when Mr. Arneson was asked about the time change, he said “When BRIDGE was moved to the morning, I think it’s a good way to start the morning. You have a chance to set up your day.”
However, one student felt he would have more homework to work on during the old BRIDGE time. “I feel like I would have more homework to work on during the old-time, rather than in the morning,” Kendall Cunningham said. With BRIDGE in the middle of the day, it provided teachers and students a short break from classes. One teacher who asked to remain anonymous said: “It’s hard to do class, class, class. Advisory was a good break during the day and I think the students miss it.”
Along with the time change, BRIDGE is now a mix of all grades. The “BR” in BRIDGE stands for building relationships; freshmen through seniors now have the chance to meet others that they normally would not meet. “In my advisory, I see kids building relationships, but that’s because I have talkative seniors. If you don’t have outgoing kids, then it’s hard for students to build relationships,” said Mr. Arneson, when asked if he sees students building relationships in BRIDGE.
“I would rather have it be with your grade because no one talks to others outside your grade,” George Gustafson said. “I feel I bond better with my grade.”
Consistent with Gustafson, a social studies teacher at the high school commented “I do not see any relationships being built in my advisory.”
On the other hand, Mr. Arneson commented, “I LOVE the mixed grades.”
Overall, the interviewed teachers like the mixed grades, while students preferred to have advisory with their own grade.
Habitudes was also added to BRIDGE this year; it’s the combination of habits and attitudes that develop important leadership habits in young adults. Throughout the year, students will have different lessons on skills that will help them become good leaders. Mrs. Bielen and several other teachers think the Habitudes lessons are important and a good addition to BRIDGE. When asked about the purpose of Habitudes in BRIDGE, Mrs. Bielen replied, “We want to make sure we are supporting kids not only academically, but in life skills. Especially during the pandemic, we wanted to help kids learn how to build resiliency and overcome obstacles.”
On the other hand, senior Aidan Hugeback feels differently about Habitudes: “I don't like Habitudes because it reminds me of what we did in middle school. We were excited for Advisory in the high school because it was different, and now it’s nearly the same thing we had in middle school. I also think students don’t take it seriously.”
There is a wide variety of opinions on the changes to Advisory. Arneson also commented: “Depending on the makeup of the Advisory, it determines whether the students like it. If no one talks and you don’t get along with your teacher, of course the students won’t like it.”
a story about wearing your masks.
School is back In-Person and with the increased amount of students, guidelines and rules are more important than ever. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states in their 2020-2021 Planning Guide for Schools, “In this planning scenario, schools should create as much space between students and teachers as is feasible during the day and prioritize maintaining six feet of physical distancing for school staff and other adults in the building whenever possible.”
Kasson Mantorville schools are doing their best to uphold these guidelines to keep everyone safe. This includes the teachers recently getting their second round of the vaccine. Another change made to help keep everyone safe is a change to lunch time. Juniors and seniors have open lunch, so they can leave campus during their lunch break. The upstairs has also been opened up to provide more space for students to eat lunch.
There is also a new mask policy. Simply put, if you have trouble with following mask-wearing rules, you will be forced to become a distance student in order to keep others safe.
"If we continue to mask up, if you continue to distance ... we can reduce the pressure on the healthcare workers, on the daycare providers and on our teachers," Governor Walz said.
Students need to wear masks over both their nose and mouth and remember that they are not an exception to the new policy. Some things that the CDC recommends to look for in cloth masks are, “Multiple layers of tightly woven, breathable fabric, and a nose wire. Masks should also block light when held up to a bright light source.”
For disposable masks, the CDC recommends, “A description indicating multiple layers of non-woven material and a nose wire.” For gaiters, the CDC says “Wear a gaiter with two layers or fold it to make two layers.”
Then for face shields alone, they say “Not recommended: Evaluation of face shields is ongoing, but effectiveness is unknown at this time.”
Students must remember that they are not only wearing masks to protect themselves but to protect their siblings, parents, grandparents and friends.
"There is light at the end of the tunnel we just need to get all of our neighbors to the end of the tunnel,” Governor Walz said.
If students want to stay In-Person longer, following the rules in order to reduce the risk that comes without wearing masks properly is a must.
Everyone working together is likely the only way to beat this pandemic.
In conclusion, students will have to work together to beat this virus and to continue to flatten the curve. Remaining vigilant, wearing masks, keeping distance, and personal hygiene are the ways students can keep people safe.
"I tell you now as we enter the hardest part of the pandemic and the most dangerous part of the pandemic, before we get to that light of the tunnel, we're going to have to rely on that most basic thing: that we're all in this together,” Governor Walz said.
What made you want to come to Kasson Mantorville?
My kids go to school in the younger schools and when we moved here from Rochester we just wanted to live in a small community where our kids could go to school with the same kids growing up and kind of have that small town feeling. Also, it was just an opportunity for me to work part time because with Archie(her son) and stuff he has a lot of appointments and so, I’m still able to take him to those and do that kind of stuff.
What inspired you/brought you to pursue teaching English as a career?
So when I first considered being a teacher it was when I was in high school, we had a program which meant you could go out into schools and kind of be a student teacher. I started at an elementary school and I was like I can’t do this, this is not going to work. So then, when I was in college I decided I wanted to try going to a high school for like a clinical and it was awesome. I just loved the students, I loved hearing their voices, their thoughts and what they think about life. So I think that’s why high school is the right fit for me, even now I still feel that way. I mean people always assume I’m an elementary school teacher, when they hear I’m a teacher but then when they find out I’m a high school teacher they’re usually like “What?”.Yeah, it’s my jam.
What are your favorites?
Right now my favorite show is probably The Crown, I’m really enjoying that right now. My favorite show of all time that I can just always go back to and laugh is probably Friends. That’s cliche but just true because it’s just funny and plus it reminds me of middle school. My favorite movies are the kind that have a twist ending and there were a lot of these kinds of movies in the 90’s like fight club, usual suspects, and primal fear; all of those movies have a twist ending that you don’t see coming and I love that. I love those kinds of stories too because then you can go back and you’re like “What? How did I not figure this out?” Those are my favorite kinds of movies even though all three of those movies are rather dark and violent. They have great twist endings, but I hate movies that have twist endings that are stupid, like when they wake up and it was all a dream. I really like chips and salsa, chips and guac, chips and queso; just all the chips and dip them in things. My favorite go to comfort meal would have to be a thanksgiving type meal, I think that’s more about nostalgia though cause it reminds me of when the family’s there. Lately I’ve been into Thai food, Pad thai, Pad see ew, my husband doesn’t like it but that doesn’t matter. I usually like a singer-songwriter with lyrics that really just get me. Like when I was in college I was super into Damien Rice and David Grey. Still, even now, when I’m having just like one of those days those are my go to songs. And I just hear those lyrics and I’m just like “Yes! You so get me!” These days probably what I listen to for fun is Taylor Swift’s new album that came out over the summer, Folklore. I really liked that, again it’s all about the lyrics for me, I love the lyrics. I think that is my go to right now and also Hamilton.
If you weren’t a teacher what would you be?
I think I would be a creative maker of things, so when I wasn’t teaching in the in between time I call it, after I had Cooper and then my other two kids, I was working at Starbucks because I wanted to get some insurance and just kind of figure it out because I couldn’t find a job in Mississippi and I started making clothes for my kids, quilts, stuff like that and I started selling them and it was kind of a successful business for me, so I think that if I hadn’t had the opportunity to come back and teach that that’s what I would do is I would do something creative. I wasn’t so great at the business side of it but I think that’s just because I wasn’t confident in myself. I’m really inspired by people who are able to share the human experience through something they create, so that doesn’t have to be like you know art, music, poetry, for me a lot of my friends make things with fabric and that’s kind of my jam. The stereotype behind quilting is that it’s just for old ladies, which those old ladies are awesome by the way, but I think it’s just a creative outlet.
Are there any interesting facts about you or any hobbies you want to talk about?
When I was in seventh grade, middle school, I went on a tour of the Middle East with my family. We went to Jerusalem, all over Israel really, Egypt, and Rome. I think because I was so young I didn’t appreciate it the way that I maybe would have now but, when I read and see things from those places I feel connected to it. I think that’s why I like traveling so much. If you read a book that takes place in Missouri but you’ve never been to Missouri you can visualize it in your head but it doesn’t have the same impact if you know the place. I just like to have experiences. I told one of my classes yesterday that I would rather die with no money in the bank, having gone to all of the places, than to die with tons of money and have had a boring life.
What has been your best experience so far at Kasson Mantorville?
My best experience has been just meeting all of you guys. I just love you guys. And I try not to be creepy weird about it but honestly my students are super inspiring to me and especially the ones that are unafraid to be their authentic selves at such a young age. It’s really really inspiring to me because it took me a long time to be able to do that. To be able to say this is what I believe about “fill in the blank” because I was scared of rejection or my parent’s disapproval. I’m super inspired by that, just the ability to just say “This is me, if you don’t like it, goodbye to you”. That’s the best part about working here, just the kids, the students.
Breanna Enders
On Monday, Oct. 5, Kasson-Mantorville students in grades 7-12 switched from “In-Person Learning” to “Hybrid Learning.” For many students, this was not surprising. On a daily basis, more and more students were being quarantined as “close contacts” due to the increase in positive COVID-19 cases.
What does Hybrid Learning mean for K-M students? It means they’ll be learning on campus for two days, and then they’ll learn remotely for two days.
That schedule will repeat until Hybrid Learning ends (following the normal calendar, with no true added “off” day). Students have been split into two groups, K and M. So the K group goes to school In-Person for two days, then it’s the M group’s turn. So, what do students and staff have to say about this switch?
Mrs. Wiitanen, who recently retired but is back filling in for Mrs. Vogel as a long-term sub, is teaching from home and this is what she had to say about her situation: “There is definitely not as much personal contact and connection; content is still there and quality education is still being provided, but the personal connection is hard to have online,” she said. “I feel like I am helping the community by offering chemistry, but this is not what I wanted. I can just do the best that I can. Being a teacher from home is definitely hard, I feel like every other year I had great relationships with kids and now I feel like I don't know you guys.”
Many staff members and students echoed Mrs. Wiitanen’s thoughts. Online, the educational process feels “disconnected.” Faces on a computer screen cannot replace real human contact.
Mrs. Dotzler, who is a first-time teacher at K-M Schools, said it hasn’t been an easy first year on the job, but the music department is making the best of this difficult situation.
“Having multiple teachers in the music department for our classes has been great so far,” she said. “We are able to divide and conquer with our students. It is also quite nice to be able to work with smaller groups of around 20-40 rather than 107. I am hoping we can give more individualized attention with the full-time Flex students, as well, which would not have been possible with everyone In-Person. I will say that it has been rather overwhelming with having to keep track of essentially three different curriculums for one class, but I have been really lucky to be a part of such a wonderful and hard-working team.”
The K-M student body is feeling similar pressures and stresses during COVID-19, and the Hybrid Learning model has added new challenges.
“I definitely feel that school has been more stressful, especially since we don’t have as much interaction with our teachers,” K-M junior Winni Zheng said. “I feel like with everything going on, there is going to be a ton of new experiences, and I guess it just takes time getting used to.”
Change isn’t always bad, but adapting to the new way of life at K-M takes time. Some changes are difficult, some are easy, but all require an adjustment period.
Classes are significantly smaller than they used to be. The halls and parking lots are emptier. And there is less social interaction than ever before. Many friend groups have been broken up because of the K/M split. When friend groups are split up on K and M days, it makes seeing friends in person quite difficult, especially now that quarantine is another factor. That’s been emotionally challenging for many students. Not having nearly as much physical contact can be really tolling on relationships, from teacher-student relationships, to friendships and even family relationships.
Many classes are having to adapt to this new way of learning, from breaking up science labs into two days to teaching music theory and having private lessons simultaneously with music performance in person.
These changes are new to everyone, and all K-M students and staff members are in the same boat of confusion. Thankfully, here at K-M, we have a great staff willing to do everything in their power to keep us safe, including the switch to the Hybrid Learning Model.
With these amazing people, K-M students can feel safe coming to school and getting that quality education while still having some social interaction, which is critical. It is okay to feel overwhelmed by current circumstances and the state of everything right now, including school. But the good news is, here at K-M, there are many people willing to help. Students who are feeling bogged down should speak up. And never forget, this is difficult for everyone at K-M, so you’re never alone. K-M students and staff will get better at this every day and get through these challenging times together.
Everyone knows that we have to wear a face covering to go just about anywhere these days. But does everyone fully understand why? “Wearing a mask helps protect people in your community,” says the CDC. COVID-19 is spread through the air as an aerosol; this means that anyone can get it simply by spending time in an enclosed space without wearing masks. Masks have become a very crucial part of just about everyone in the United States’ lives. We wear our masks to school; our parents wear a mask to work or to go shopping; they as a whole are becoming a very integral part of how we as people are working our way through this pandemic.
What is considered a face covering? We’ve all seen the fabric masks, the disposable masks, and the face shields, but in the long run, what’s most important is how your face covering fits you and how effective it really is. The CDC recommends 2-3 layer masks that fit snugly and cover your entire face (nose included). The CDC also gives a guideline for the types of masks you should not use, including but not limited to: Masks that are made of hard to breathe through materials, i.e., vinyl, masks that have valves on the fronts, and masks like the n95 that may be needed by a healthcare professional. Nobody wants to wear a mask all day that is uncomfortable and hard to breathe through; if you know you will need to wear a mask for an extended period of time, make sure to choose one made of a material that is comfortable to you. Next, masks with valves may feel more comfortable to breathe through. Still, they are also counterproductive to the entire point of wearing masks as the valve, while maybe filtering the air it lets in, does not filter as well as multiple layers of fabric, meaning that your valved mask may allow in or out COVID-19 particles. Finally, an n95 mask may seem like the best route to go as it is designed for medical use, and that is correct. It does filter more than pretty much any other mask out there, but it is also used by our frontlines, our medical workers; these masks are essential for those who are in close proximity to an infected patient. We should reserve these masks, as limited as they have been at some points for medical professionals who genuinely need them.
Reusable masks are great for the environment and great for the wallet; they, as of late, have become increasingly affordable and increasingly necessary. One essential part of using a reusable mask is washing it. The CDC recommends that you wash your masks regularly, either in a washing machine or by hand. Your mask is the first line of defense against COVID; the idea is aerosol particles will be caught in the layers of fabric and never reach you. Because there may be infected particles in your mask, they MUST be washed often and in a sanitary way.
Who needs to be wearing a mask? The CDC recommends that anyone over the age of 2 wears a mask in all public settings. Covid can be spread by people who show no symptoms (asymptomatic), so it is necessary to be wearing a mask while in close proximity of anyone whether or not they show any symptoms. The CDC has three main exceptions to people who need to wear a mask, “children under the age of 2, People who have trouble breathing, and anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask on their own.”