While not all students chose the hybrid option for school this year, many students went hybrid in hopes of creating a good routine by coming into the building. This privilege did not happen overnight. In fact, it took many teachers and staff to help Mounds View feel normal during such an abnormal time. Even as we continue in distance learning, these people continue working to keep our school healthy and monitored.

Mounds View Kitchen Staff

The kitchen staff at Mounds View has made a crucial impact in Mounds View by making sure each student has the ability to eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch every day. The kitchen staff prepares free packaged meals for Mounds View students that are available for pick-up every week. This program helps alleviate the added stress of cost and preparation of food. With the recent move towards distance learning, their work has become much more difficult and important as they have had to find creative ways to get families the food they need. 

The Mounds View Kitchen Staff includes:

• Sheri Basara
• Susan Bowe
• Atsumi Gustafson
• Lisa Hartmann
• Katherine Hillman
• Mirian Jimenez
• Trisha Kasen
• Yvette LaQuess-Knauf
• Teresa Ng
• Anna Ramsdell
• Bev Roback
• Devinder Sidhu
• Kitchen manager, Debra Longen

Alex Hinseth 

Alex Hinseth, Mounds View’s Covid Coordinator and social studies teacher, handles tasks such as tracking COVID-19 cases at Mounds View, how to keep students distanced during lunch, and contacting other schools in the district to see how they manage cases and regulations. One of these jobs include tracing cases of students and members of the Mounds View district. “Whenever we have a positive case, that’s when we have to slow down and ask, ‘Where was this person? When did they get their test back? Were they infectious in the building?’” Hinseth said. His work has helped our school eliminate possible issues before they arise. By analyzing all possible people that an infected person could have exposed, Mounds View can narrow and track the spread of the disease.

Patty McDonagh

Another important staff member at Mounds View is Patty McDonagh, who takes care of attendance. “As the Attendance Clerk, I monitor the 24-hour attendance message line and answer our school’s main phone line,” McDonagh said. “I tend to be the first point of contact when a family is dealing with COVID or any illness.” She works closely with the health officials at Mounds View as they give families advice on how to address COVID-19 cases. “I participated in the pre-planning of COVID safety procedures as a member of the COVID planning team led by Mr. Hinseth,” McDonagh said. McDonagh created hallway traffic plans for this school year, ensuring that congregations of students did not occur. McDonagh has played an influential role in keeping attendance records straight while helping students at Mounds View adjust to new school safety measures.

Alana Schmiesing

As Mounds View’s school nurse, Alana Schmiesing has had her hands full keeping our school healthy and safe. From tracking cases throughout the district to taking calls from parents regarding absences, the nurse staff has had to thoroughly track information. “One of the primary ways health services staff have promoted the safety of our student and staff population during the COVID-19 pandemic has been through educating the community regarding mitigation strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Schmiesing said. She keeps the district up to date on Covid-19 protocols, allowing Mounds View students and families to help keep the virus under control.

These important staff members allow Mounds View to function through difficult times. In addition, each Mounds View teacher has patiently helped students to adjust to a new way of learning and connecting with classmates. This year has made it even more important that the Mustangs give a higher level of grace to their peers and educators. They all deserve big thanks for their hard work and dedication to the students and families of Mounds View high school.