#271 News & Notes
2020-21 School Year
Coeur d'Alene Public Schools — October 6, 2020
We are looking for students to serve on our first student advisory group
We believe our students deserve to have a voice in how the school district provides for student learning and how our schools can be improved. That's why we are assembling the District's first Student Advisory Group this fall.
We invite students in grades 2nd through 12th to apply to be part of this new Student Advisory Group. This is an opportunity to work directly with the Superintendent and District administrators, and to collaborate to help provide solutions to issues most important to students.
Students selected to be part of the advisory group will meet regularly during the school year to discuss their interests, priorities and ideas for improving schools and student learning. Representatives of the group will provide students in their schools with updates about School Board activities, and the Student Advisory Group chairperson will represent the group’s views to the School Board.
Interested in applying to be part of the first-ever Student Advisory Group for Coeur d'Alene Public Schools? Please visit our Student Advisory Group web page at https://www.cdaschools.org/sag. There you will find an application form, or your student can pick one up at their school office. Completed applications should be returned to your school office by Friday, Oct. 16.
School now starts 1 hour later on wednesdays
STUDENTS AND FAMILIES: Please remember that school will begin one hour later tomorrow and every Wednesday this year. Bus schedules and morning bells have been adjusted across the District.
The one-hour delay (formerly scheduled on Mondays) provides teachers and other school staff time for collaboration work and professional development. Some of our collaboration topics this fall include COVID-19 response priorities; developing teaching skills and dispositions for high-quality blended and online learning; and building awareness and understanding of our instructional framework, which is one component of our new strategic plan.
Keeping tabs on COVID cases in schools
You can keep an eye on the number of students and District staff who are isolating due to a positive COVID-19 test result, and how many are expected to quarantine after being in close contact with them. The information is updated daily on our coronavirus web page: https://www.cdaschools.org/coronavirus
These quarantine and isolation periods are a result of direction from Panhandle Health District and follow guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When you visit that page, look directly below the information on the current risk level to find our COVID-19 Situation Report. It lists the number of individuals (students and staff) who are currently isolated after testing positive for COVID-19. They remain in isolation until 10 days after the onset of symptoms and 24 hours of being symptom free without the use of medication.
Below that is a table displaying each instance in which the District is informed of a student or staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19. It includes the date the District learned of the positive test result, the building where the student attends or the employee works, and the number of individuals instructed to quarantine as a result of being in close contact with the person who contracted COVID.
Overview of our fall testing
Our school district administers educational assessments to students that provide valuable feedback to parents, teachers and students on how our students are growing.
As we near the end of our fall testing window, we'd like to provide an overview of our program, what you can expect to see from reporting, and how everything supports students to meet and exceed state standards.
See our About Assessments newsletter at https://www.smore.com/q36p9
window to transfer from e-school open from October 14 through October 23
Our eSchool students who wish to transfer back to their affiliated school will be able to submit their request beginning October 14. The transfer request window will close on October 23.
We will inform families of their transfer options the week of November 2, and transfers will take effect November 9.
Similar transfer windows will be available at the end of the first semester (January 28) and following Spring Break.
The transfer request form and process will be posted on our eSchool website: https://www.cdaschools.org/eschool
School Board meetings available on YouTube
Screening for symptoms daily helps keep students in school
One of the most important strategies for controlling the spread of coronavirus in our schools is by doing a quick symptom screener every morning. Please stay home and call in sick if you have any of the symptoms of this virus. Stay home until you have gone 24 hours without symptoms. If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, the health department direction is to stay home for 14 days.
Please check each student every morning. Take their temperature and ask if they have a sore throat, new cough, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain, or new onset of severe headache.
You can view or download a copy of the student screening handout by clicking here.
What's new with Back to School Vaccinations
Wondering what back-to-school vaccinations are required for your child? You can find the 2020-21 Idaho Guide to Immunization Requirement by going here.
Also find our District information on Immunizations and Communicable Disease here.
What to know this year:
- NEW - 12th graders now need a meningococcal ACWY booster.
- 7th graders need a Tdap booster and a meningococcal ACWY vaccine.
- Kindergarten and 1st graders need 5 DTaP, 2 MMR, 4 Polio, 3 Hepatitis B, 2 Varicella (Chickenpox), and 2 Hepatitis A
Stay Connected
Email: info@cdaschools.org
Website: www.cdaschools.org
Location: 1400 N. Northwood Center Court
Phone: (208) 664-8241
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cdaschools
Twitter: @cdaschools