February 11, 2022

Dear MDU Families, 

Today the Onalaska and Holmen School Districts announced that due to a sharp decline in cases, they will no longer require the wearing of masks in their facilities as of Monday, February 14. We have noted the same sharp decline in cases in our programs and will be following suit. The updated policy for MDU will be effective Monday, February 21 as our studio is closed for Intersessional Break next week. 

Every day that we can get where children can fully express themselves in the classroom and teachers can have full communication, including facial cues, we will celebrate! And, if there are days ahead where cases rise to a point where we have to revisit our mask policy, we will do so. 

In meantime, all other risk-mitigating factors remain in place and parents are asked to keep their children home if they do not feel well and to keep up with other healthy habits such as good hand hygiene, hydration, nutrition, and sleep. Anyone who would still like to wear a mask to class for comfort is welcome to do so and plenty of masks will still be available at the front desk.

I want to thank our faculty, families, and students for their support over the past two years. Working together, we have kept our classrooms open continuously since June of 2020 and we are working on our return to the stage for Spring Recital! Now that’s some awesome teamwork!

Thank you for your support! With appreciation,
Miss Misty



Safer Studio Policy Archive
  • 923 12th Ave S, STE 103, Onalaska, WI 54650
  • 608.779.4642
  • info@mistysdance.com
  • 923 12th Ave S, STE 103, Onalaska, WI 54650
  • 608.779.4642
  • mistysdance@gmail.com

UPDATE: COVID-19

Dear MDU Family,

As you are probably aware, our local schools have changed course from last week’s school board approved plans to open both “face-to-to face + virtual instruction” to opening “virtually only” for at least the first 30 days of fall.

Before I share our plans going forward, let me share this: I have sat in (virtually) on weekly planning meetings with the schools and the County since June. In that time I have witnessed nothing short of an amazing group of professionals working cooperatively and diligently to manage a challenging and continuously changing situation. The local schools, along with our county officials, had an impossible task and made impossible decisions. We support the decisions that have been made and we cheer on our local schools. We will also continue to attend weekly meetings and foster good communication with our friends in public education.

That said, we are going to stay on our path of gradually and responsibly opening services and learning to live in this new world.

A gradual and responsible opening has been our path since day one and we haven’t changed. When the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the Governor’s Safer-at-Home order we could’ve opened back at full capacity, but we didn’t. We stayed on our plan for a gradual and responsible opening.

And, we are staying with our plan for a gradual and responsible opening now. Because for as much as we identify with, and support, our colleagues in public education, we are different:

It is because of those differences, our comprehensive planning, as well as the CDC acknowledgment of the benefits of in-person instruction that we stay on our path of gradual and responsible reopening. According to the CDC, social interaction among children in grades K-12 is important not only for emotional wellbeing, but also for children’s language, communication, social, and interpersonal skills. A weekly dance class supports all of those functions as well as addressing the need for physical activity and creative expression.

Additionally, when we surveyed our families 93% wanted a return to traditional instruction. All summer we have been testing our systems and slowly building capacity to meet that expectation.

On August 17th we will open our fall classes at 50% capacity. To learn more about our plans for fall, including an option for supported virtual academic learning during the day, please join me for an MDU Family Chat on Saturday night, August 1 at 7pm. Click here to attend.

We hope you will consider joining us as we ALL learn how to move forward in this new world.

Respectfully,

Misty Lown