LE Berger & West Fargo Public Schools Prepare For First Day

The school classrooms and common areas have been modified to help keep students, faculty, and staff safe

WEST FARGO, ND – As schools in the FM area get set to open, L.E. Berger elementary in West Fargo is ready to do the same. Just a day away from welcoming everyone back, it has been a thorough process of getting everything ready for when students arrive.

“We have our first day of school tomorrow,” said LE Berger Elementary Principal Brian Peterson. “We’re really excited to get students back in the buildings and we’ve been preparing here for a while now to follow all those safety guidelines to make sure our students come back in a safe way.” 

Teachers and staff have configured classrooms to meet social distancing requirements, posted distance markers in common areas and safety reminders throughout the building. But with over 400 students enrolled, not everyone can be there together.

“We are following the hybrid model which means we half approximately half of our students here in the building on any given day. It is A through K students generally attending on Monday and Tuesday and students with the last names L through Z on Thursday and Friday; cleaning being done on Wednesday’s in between and after each cohort group,” Peterson said.

For those reluctant to in person learning, they have a choice.

“There is a virtual option for families that choose to do that so we have virtual teachers that will be delivering that curriculum and that instruction in a completely virtual setting,” Peterson said.

It’s a new look but one that’s demanded a change on all levels.

“Conditions in the community are rapidly changing, the schools have to be flexible as well,” Peterson said. “With any large organization, there are a lot of departments that go into it. All these different departments that have to come together and provide a unified structure and unified response.”