Pella High School Newsletter
March 2020
Dear Pella High School Families,
Safety is one of our district’s top priorities and to help safeguard our school community, we’ve taken an important step that I want to share with you. Our district is now using SafeSchools Alert, a tip reporting service that allows students, staff, and parents to submit safety concerns to our administration one way:
App: Search for “SafeSchools Alert” in the App Store to download for free
You and your child can easily report tips on bullying, harassment, drugs, vandalism, threats of violence, or any safety issue you're concerned about through SafeSchools Alert. When you submit a tip, be sure to use our district’s identification code: 1915 in your communication.
Every tip SafeSchools Alert receives about our district is immediately logged in the system and our administration is notified so that they can investigate and take appropriate action. And, tips may also be submitted anonymously if you prefer. Together, using SafeSchools Alert, we can continue to make our district a safer place to work and learn! Thanks in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Adam Beckel, HS Principal
Derek Schulte, Assistant Principal
Information on the Iowa Statewide Assessment
The state of Iowa will continue to use the state assessment that will be given to every student in grades 3-11 during the fourth quarter of this year. The test is called the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student progress or ISASP. The Pella Community Schools will give these tests during the first two weeks of April.
The tests are not timed. Students can take as long as they need but the following guidelines have been given to us for planning.
Reading - allow 60 minutes for grades 3-11
Math - allow for 60 minutes for grades 3-11
Language Arts / Writing - allow 120 minutes for grades 3-11 ( we will split this over two days)
Science - allow 60 minutes for grades 5, 8, and 10
Students will only take one test per day.
Grades 3-6 will be taking the tests in paper format while grades 7-11 will take them online.
Questions are now varied in style including essay, short answer, and multiple choice.
The students will be taking a practice test in each area over the next two months. This will introduce them to the format and help them learn the tools that are built into the online system for grades 7-11. If you would like to view the practice tests for any grade level, they are available at this link. We appreciate you communicating the importance of the test with your child and the importance of them doing their best. We want to show how truly great we really are!
Iowa State Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP): Practice Tests
We will have two school-wide practice tests for the Iowa State Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) on March 10th & 23rd. All freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will report to their 4th period class at 8:10 a.m. for the practice tests. Seniors will not need to report to school until 9:00 a.m. on the two practice test days.
On March 30, all 10th graders will do their ISASP Science practice test during their science class.
Report Cards for your Insurance Company
If your insurance company is in need of your child’s report card, please print the report card from the “Reports” tab on the parent portal. Please, do not print off grades from the “Grades” tab. If you need assistance to access your child’s information, please contact Allissa Grandia at allissa.grandia@pellaschools.org
ACT workshop
An ACT workshop is planned at Pella High School for March 4th & 5th, 6:30 - 9 p.m. This two night workshop will cover all four of the ACT testing subjects. An instructor from the ZAPS company will lead students in a classroom setting with tips and strategies for the ACT standardized test. It is encouraged for juniors to take the ACT test this spring or summer (dates in April, June, or July) if they are anticipating attending a four year institution. Please visit the Doorway to College website (look for the Register Now tab) to register for the workshop and to find any further study tips and statistics on the ZAPs workshop benefits.
Junior Parents/Students: Financial Aid Night
ICAN (Iowa College Access Network) will present a Financial Aid Night at Pella High School on Monday, March 30th. This event will be held at 7 p.m. in the High School Auditorium. Please put this on your calendar to attend if you have a junior student. ICAN is a fabulous resource which also provides a wealth of information for students, parents, and schools. The Financial Aid presentation will cover the details of completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as well as other grants and loans offered through this application for families with college bound students. The reporting requirements in this federal program allows families to file earlier in senior year to determine eligibility for federal student aid.
Open Campus Next Year
Please continue to make attendance and grades a priority for your students, as Open Campus eligibility for next year’s juniors during SMART Lunch and seniors during open periods is determined this semester. Parent permission for Open Campus for next year’s juniors and seniors is found in the 2019-20 Online Registration. No paper forms will be sent home.
Senior Service Day
Our annual Senior Service Day is Wednesday, April 22. Seniors are encouraged to sign up and take part in clean-up and maintenance projects throughout the community. More information and a permission slip will be shared during Homeroom in early April.
2020-21 Pella Schools Registration: Deadline to Register Online is March 31
To complete registration, visit www.pellaschools.org/register and follow the steps under “Returning Student”. Or, simply find the “Online Registration” button under “More” on Campus Parent. On July 1, 2020, the required 2020-21 Textbook Fee will be available along with the optional fees such as Athletic Passes, Yearbook, Band Fee, Choir Fee, and Parking Permit.
Senior Volunteer Hours
Any seniors collecting volunteer hours for our Distinguished Service Program should submit all the hours they have by Friday, April 24. If they are planning to accumulate hours during Tulip Time, they should still submit their other hours by the 24th, so we can try to complete the logging process. Tulip Time hours will still be counted; just turn them in the Monday after. The final deadline for seniors’ hours will be Monday, May 11.
Article of Interest:
School Calendar
March
2 - Post 6-Week Grades
4 - Professional Development:90-Minute Early Dismissal
10 : ISASP Student Training and Math practice test - “Test Day” Schedule
11 - Professional Development:90-Minute Early Dismissal
15-20 - Spring Break
23 - ISASP Reading and Writing Practice Tests - "Game Day" Format & Schedule
25 - Professional Development: 90-Minute Early Dismissal
30 - ISASP Science Practice Test (10th Grade) during Chemistry class
30 - Post 9-week (Mid-Term) grades
April
1 - Professional Development: 90-Minute Early Dismissal
2 - ISASP Science Test (10th Grade)
2 - Meals for the Heartland Packaging Event
4 - Junior/Senior Prom
6 -10 - ISASP Week
10 - Make Up Day (2/13/2020)
13-17 - ISASP Make-up Tests
15 - Professional Development: 90-Minute Early Dismissal
20 - Post 12-Week Grades
22 - Senior Service Day
22 - Professional Development: 90-Minute Early Dismissal
29 - Professional Development: 90-Minute Early Dismissal
May
7 - Tulip Time - 11:15 Dismissal
8 - Tulip Time - 11:15 dismissal
11 - Post 15-Week Grades
13 - Professional Development: 90-Minute Early Dismissal
13 - Senior Awards Night
20 - Seniors Last Day
20 - Professional Development: 90-Minute Early Dismissal
22 - Graduation
25 - Memorial Day - No School
29 - Semester Assessment, Laptop Return, & Student Check-Out
June 1 & 2 - Semester Assessment, Laptop Return, & Student Check-Out
June 2 - Last Day of School - 12:30 Dismissal
* Go to www.pella.k12.ia.us and click on the calendar tab to see all events/activities. You may also access the calendar by going to www.littlehawkeyeconference.com