We are All WDMCS

West Des Moines Community Schools Newsletter

Friday, July 10, 2020

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING COVID-19

The 2020-21 school year’s instructional format may change to ensure student and staff safety, which could include transitioning to online learning and/or a hybrid of on-site and online instruction. Administrators may adjust processes based on their building’s learning environment at any given point throughout the school year.

SIGN UP YOUR STUDENT FOR SCHOOL NOW

hybrid option 2 graphic

WDMCS Seeks Board Approval for Hybrid Option 2

To prepare for the 2020-21 school year, WDMCS assembled a leadership team dedicated to creating a 2020-21 school year that is safe and effective for students, families, and staff.

Over the past two months, dozens of district employees have worked to develop plans that will best support our entire student body regardless of the learning environment.

As we created solutions, we kept the following three questions at the forefront of our minds:


  • What will learning look like for students?
  • How will students and staff be safe?
  • How will you decide which learning environment to use?


The leadership team reviewed multiple pieces of feedback throughout the past two months including data from over 5,000 parent survey submissions, nearly 1,000 staff survey submissions, and from feedback collected during a virtual town hall meeting on July 9.


Taking into consideration the feedback reviewed, the administration recommends starting the 2020-21 school year in the Hybrid Option 2 approach with mitigation strategies in place, pending Board of Education approval Monday, July 13.


Hybrid Option 2

Families CHOOSE which environment their child will learn in for an entire semester or trimester at a time:


  • Student learns in the online continuous learning environment OR
  • Student learns at school using appropriate safety mitigation strategies.


There are still many details to work out at the building level (such as schedules, potential staffing, lunch, etc.). The administration will continue to work on those details in the next month.


WDMCS families and staff will receive more detailed information the week of July 13-17 about Hybrid Option 2 and how families can communicate which learning environment they will choose for the first semester.

Adopt a Family: Provide Technology Access

Connect with the WDMCS Foundation to support families in need.

student wearing Valley mask

Valley/Valley Southwoods PTO Mask Orders

student wearing Valley mask

The Valley/Valley Southwoods PTO is selling masks with the Valley “V” or Tiger Paw. Designs are available in both adult and children sizes.

  • Masks are $10.75 each.
  • Pre-orders will be taken through Sunday, July 12.
  • Masks are expected to arrive and be distributed at Valley High School during the first week of August.
  • Masks will not be shipped.


Order Your Mask >


Note: WDMCS will soon have a variety of masks for sale on the official WDMCS online store. Watch for more details in the coming weeks.

DHS Announces Pandemic Food Assistance Plan

From the Iowa Department of Education:


"The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) announced the distribution plan for $76,268,223 in food assistance benefits for Iowa families. The Families First CoronaVirus Act allowed states to issue Food Assistance benefits to households with children in Pre-K through grade 12 who lost access to free and reduced-price school meals due to pandemic-related school closures in the spring."


Learn more >

School/Community Relations

School/Community Relations

School/Community Relations
Laine Mendenhall-Buck
buckl@wdmcs.org

515-633-5023


Alexandra Wade

wadea@wdmcs.org

515-633-5022


Aaron Young

younga@wdmcs.org
515-633-5016

3550 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA, USA scroffice@wdmcs.org wdmcs.org