TF schools welcome back visitors

The Thompson Falls School Board decided last week to allow visitors to enter the school again. Prior to the decision, parents and volunteers were loosely limited to 15 minutes, and certain parent and volunteer activities were disallowed altogether because of the pandemic. Now, visitors can enter the school once again, but must self-screen through a checklist posted at the front desk and provide their phone number for contact tracing.

Each classroom teacher can decide if they will allow visitors and volunteers into their classroom, and people are asked not to visit if they feel sick in any way. Though all the schools now allow visitors, the elementary was most affected by the decision as they have numerous volunteers and parent activities throughout each day.

Though the decision opens the doors further to visitation, the schools still retain some pandemic limitations. One such limitation that particularly affects the elementary is parents attending lunches with their kids, which is still not allowed. One reason elementary principal Len Dorscher gave was primarily because of space. “It would be tough to put people in there, let alone contact trace,” he said.

Dorscher explained that the decision will not really affect much of the day-to-day routine at the school but will allow for certain holiday parties and volunteer activities to return. “We’re just trying to take steps back to whatever normal is supposed to be.”

The schools ask visitors not to come if they are sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms. More information about school and district restrictions can be found at thompsonfalls.net.