MCKINLEY STEAM ACADEMY
NOVEMBER 20, 2020
THANKSGIVING BREAK - NO SCHOOL FROM NOVEMBER 25 THRU NOVEMBER 27
I hope this communication finds you and your family safe and well. In the season of thanks, we can't begin to thank you enough, our students and families, for your ongoing support for our school and community.
On behalf of the entire McKinley STEAM Academy staff,
“We hope this season is filled with,
Lots of happiness and joy,
Wealth and prosperity
May your home be filled with love
On this wonderful occasion of
Thanksgiving”
PARENT SURVEY (ALL FAMILIES)
SCHOOL FEES
If you believe your Book Fee should be waived, please complete the Education Benefits Survey thru E-Verification in Infinite Campus.
If you have any questions regarding the Book Fee, please call the Main Office at 558-2348.
MEDICATION AND VACCINATION UPDATE - PLEASE READ (IN PERSON STUDENTS)
ATTENTION 7TH GRADERS: Please check with your primary healthcare provider NOW about meningoccal vaccination and Tdap vaccine. You or your healthcare provider may send proof to our health secretary, Mrs. Sacora at asacora@crschools.us. The proof can also be mailed to McKinley STEAM Academy, 620 10th Street, SE; Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the McKinley Health Office at 558-2519.
STUDENT ARTWORK
BARNES & NOBLE BOOKFAIR - DECEMBER 5 AND 6
In Person Shoppers: If you shop in person say you are there to support McKinley when checking out
On Line Shoppers: On the payment page, there will be a section at the bottom that states Apply Bookfair ID here. Use code 12583316
ATTENDANCE
Attendance remains one of our top priorities and is key to a student’s success. Attendance will be taken each day and monitored throughout live instruction. We will have proactive collaboration between home and school if attendance and engagement becomes a concern.
For in-person and remote learners, if your student has a pre-arranged absence or is unable to attend their scheduled classes, please call our Attendance Office at (319) 558-2150 to have it documented.
UPDATE: COVID-19 SCHOOL GUIDELINES
We have two important announcements to share with families, staff and the community.
1. A decision will be made and communicated Tuesday, November 24, as to whether CRCSD will file for another 14-day waiver from the Iowa Department of Education. The following CRCSD parameters and state guidelines outline the decision-making process. Note that waivers can only be filed within 14-day increments. If a waiver is filed, it will cover the time period of November 30 - December 14. Also, note that the waiver would apply to district-wide remote learning, and not on an individual school basis.
- If there is a community positivity rate of 20% or greater, CRCSD will file for an extended waiver.
- CRCSD will consult with Linn County Public Health to determine if the healthcare infrastructure is at capacity. This will be one of the deciding factors.
- Since CRCSD needs healthy adults to conduct all elements of school programming (teachers, bus drivers, school meal employees, crossing guards), potential staff shortages will be a significant factor in the decision making process.
The message here is that we need to monitor what is happening in the adult community and apply the decision-making process to the school children. We need community support to stop the virus spread and bring our students back to in-person learning.
2. CRCSD will follow Linn County Public Health’s guidance regarding “close contact” definition, as it aligns with CDC recommendations. On November 12, Linn County Public Health (LCPH) released updated guidance for contact tracing and quarantine related to the definition of “close contact.” Throughout the pandemic, CRCSD has worked closely with LCPH and will continue this partnership within our specific county. While this updated local county guidance is a departure from the Iowa Department of Public Health, LCPH is aligning their guidance with CDC recommendations in order to mitigate the current high rate of Linn County community spread.
- Close contact is defined by CDC, and subsequently LCPH, as: Being within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more in a 24 hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset or testing.*
- Living in the same household as a COVID-19 positive person
- Direct physical contact with a COVID-19 positive person (hugged or kissed them)
- Exposure to respiratory droplets from a COVID-19 positive person (sneezed on, coughed on, etc.)
*Even if you had a mask on. Please note this is the significant differentiator between CDC/LCPH and Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines.
Based on the modified definition, we anticipate there will be increased quarantine situations as it relates to classrooms and staffing. This could hasten our ability to conduct in-person learning. We will constantly monitor the impact of this new definition and keep you updated.
“With these two guidelines announced here, it just solidifies the message further - wear a mask, social distance, and limit your encounters with others in the community,” said Superintendent Noreen Bush. “If we want our school children back to in-person learning, then the adult community must do its part.”
ATTENTION 6TH GRADE IN-PERSON AND REMOTE STUDENTS
Your Language Arts book is now available to be picked up at McKinley. Please call 558.2348 upon arrival, and we will bring it out to you.
NEED TECH HELP
HOTSPOT UPDATE
EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT MCKINLEY
McKinley PTA has set up an Amazon Smile account. If you haven't heard of it, when people choose McKinley as their charitable organization, every time they shop at Amazon, McKinley receives a % of their sale.
This link will take you directly to McKinley's Amazon Smile Account
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/42-1313714
Box Tops
Box Tops has gone digital! Simply download the Box Tops App, set up your account designating McKinley as your school and scan your receipts! Unsure if your purchase included any Box Top items? Scan your receipt anyway and in just a few seconds you'll know. It's fast and easy! McKinley will still collect clipped Box Tops during the transition to 100% digital. Simply clip and drop off in the main office. Each Box Top is worth $0.10 for our school. Talk about easy money!! Thank you for supporting our school!
Hy-Vee Cash 4 Students
Scroll down to the bottom of newsletter for more information.
Office Depot
When you make an in-store or online purchase at Office Depot, provide McKinley's School ID #70027714 at checkout and McKinley will receive 5% back in credits for FREE student school supplies!
Cedar Rapids Community Schools Foundation
Your money would go towards purchases to support the following vital programs at McKinley STEAM Academy
Help Us Meet Our Goal of $20,000!
Funding for STEAM-integrated projects in all classrooms
Consumable supplies for our STEAMLab
Multicultural books for Language Arts classroom libraries
After-school student enrichment programs (material and stipend support)
BearPaw Store — Recognizing and celebrating students for exhibiting the BEARWay
Grizzly Cove — Funding to support McKinley’s food pantry and clothes closet
Classic Edition Show Choir — Costumes, music, transportation, and student scholarships
HY-VEE CASH 4 STUDENTS PROGRAM UPDATE
Thank you to all who participated in last year's Hy-Vee Cash 4 Students Program. Thanks to you we raised over $1200 for McKinley.
CONTINUE TO COLLECT HY-VEE RECEIPTS! Because of COVID, we are encouraging you to sign up for electronic receipts. Instructions on how to sign up are below. If your student is returning in person, receipts can be given to their advisory teacher. Receipts can also be mailed or dropped off at McKinley. Call the main office at 558-2348 when you arrive, and someone will come down to meet you.
SCAN: If you wish to scan/take photos of your receipts, you can send them to mckhyvee@gmail.com.
Money raised from the Hy-Vee Cash 4 Students Program goes towards purchasing items for the bear paw store.
Thank you for your support.
To sign up for electronic receipts, go to https://www.hy-vee.com/perks/. Once you log in, it will bring you to your customer profile. Towards the bottom of the first column, it will ask you if you want to receive a digital receipt. Click yes. E-mail your electronic Hy-Vee receipts to Mckhyvee@gmail.com
McKinley Passcode: 1013613902043906
All yearbooks will be mailed home.
McKinley STEAM Academy
Email: jmason@cr.k12.ia.us
Website: http://mckinley.cr.k12.ia.us/
Location: 620 10th Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
Phone: 319-558-2348
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McKinleySTEAM/
Twitter: @CRMcKinleyMS