Holidays in Sisters 2020 Pages 15-18
The Nugget
Vol. XLIII No. 48
P OSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion
from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Making the most of limited instruction
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
The three themes under-
girding the work of Sisters
School District 4 Belong,
Prepare, Inspire 4 are harder
to accomplish during the
battle with COVID-19 and
the resultant distance learn-
ing. The teachers of Sisters
middle and high schools are
doing all they can to safely
offer person-to-person inter-
action through what is known
as <limited in-person instruc-
tion= under the state9s <Ready
School, Safe Learners=
guidelines.
Limited In-Person
Instruction, or LIPI, allows
schools to meet in small
groups with time restrictions.
According to Tim Roth, the
assistant principal at Sisters
Middle School, teachers have
found ways to employ LIPI
in most core subject areas
such as music, art, various
electives, counseling, aca-
demic support, and co-curric-
ular activities.
Roth said, <Right now
LIPI is imperative...and mis-
sion-critical. Many of our
kids are down in one way or
PRE-SORTED STANDARD
ECRWSS
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Sisters, OR
Permit No. 15
Sisters
residents
volunteer
in record
numbers
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
There are limits to LIPI
including the number of
people using the build-
ing, meetings cannot be a
required part of the regular
People living in and
around Sisters are showing
their care for the community
by volunteering in record
numbers for a variety of City
boards, committees, and the
Comprehensive Plan Update
Citizens Advisory Committee
(CAC).
The CAC had 37 applica-
tions submitted for a com-
mittee that was slated to have
10-12 members. So many
well-qualified citizens vol-
unteered that the membership
was expanded to 14.
<We had an amazing
pool to choose from,= said
Community Development
Director Scott Woodford.
See SMALL GROUPS on page 31
See VOLUNTEERS on page 29
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
The wood shop at Sisters High School remains active as students get some hands-on building experience
crafting Adirondack chairs.
another 4 they are isolated.=
He continued, <Even the
students who typically don9t
like school are truly excited
for the opportunity to come
back in. They want to be
here.=
That is not to say some
students aren9t thriving in the
virtual classroom, accord-
ing to Roth, but, he said,
<Humans are meant to be
together and kids are eager to
have ways to connect.=
COVID-19 uptick likely Staying in business amid pandemic
to delay return to school
By Jodi Schneider
Correspondent
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
The surging COVID-19
caseload has cast a shadow
over efforts to get middle
school students back into the
classroom.
In a letter sent to parents
Thursday, November 19,
Superintendent Curt Scholl
addressed the questions and
confusion about getting fifth
and sixth graders at Sisters
Middle School back into the
classroom under the <hybrid=
model amidst the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic.
Rising numbers of infec-
tions in Deschutes County
have resulted in a move
into the <orange zone= of
the metrics lined out by the
Inside...
Oregon Health Authority
and the Oregon Department
of Education. Being in the
orange zone means a delay in
getting fifth graders back into
the middle school building.
Deschutes County
reported a total rate of 196.4
cases per 100,000 for the
week ending November 14,
placing county schools very
near the red zone rate of 200
or more cases per 100,000.
The infection rate was
on track to worsen further
last week as the 60 new
cases of COVID-19 that
were reported on Friday,
November 20, marked the
highest single total since the
start of the pandemic.
See DELAY on page 30
Two weeks ago, Governor
Kate Brown announced the
most extensive set of restric-
tions since the March Stay-
at-Home order, in order to
combat a surge in COVID-
19 cases in Oregon. Some
businesses closed 4 like
restaurants, bars, and gyms
4 and gatherings are limited
to no more than six people.
Grocery and retail stores are
open but capped at 75 per-
cent of normal occupancy.
The statewide <freeze=
went into effect for two
weeks beginning November
18.
Unlike large retail chains,
which see a sales peak over
the winter holidays, revenue
for businesses in a smaller
city like Sisters is highest
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER
Sana Hayes at Sisters Cascade serves up homemade fudge for a local
customer. Shops in Sisters are mindful of sanitizing and distancing and
are open for business through the holidays, despite restrictions.
during the spring and sum-
mer. This year, corona-
virus shutdowns hit the
stores hard, with closures,
fewer back-to-school sales,
and with events in town
See OPEN on page 29
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Announcements ...............10 Holidays in Sisters ...... 15-18 Obituaries ...................... 22 Classifieds ................. 26-28
Meetings .......................... 3 Events ............................. 11 Stars over Sisters ............19 Crossword ...................... 25 Real Estate ................ 28-32