PARENTS of our PRIDE
9/25/2020
Bringing back the PRIDE Q & A
7:30 for breakfast
7:45 for students walking, riding bikes or being dropped off by parents or daycare providers
Students will go directly to their classroom.
Can I walk my child into their classroom?
Yes, you may for their first two days of school. Practice social distancing and stay on the right side of the hallway. When you arrive at the room, wish your child a great day and head back out. This is not a time to visit, take a tour or hang around. We need parents to be out of the building by 8:00am. However, if your child is familiar with the building and/or feeling confident, we encourage you to let them enter independently to help us manage the number of people in the building.
After these first 2 days, visitors, guests and volunteers are not permitted due to covid restrictions.
What about bussing?
You should have received a letter in power school with route times. Parents can see this bus letter by logging into their parent PowerSchool account via desktop, then click on the Document Vault icon on the left side panel. The bus letter will be available for each child that the parent has connected to their parent account. Please note this information is not accessible using the PowerSchool app.
Students must wear masks on the bus and will have assigned seats. Siblings will sit together.
How does the Car Line work in the morning?
Just pull into the lane that goes in front of the school. This is a one way lane going from south to north. Drivers must stay in the car. Students get out on the sidewalk side. IF parents wish to get out of your car, you must park in a lined parking spot.
What should my child bring?
- face mask (not gators) should be brought on your child's face :). They will wear their mask home each day.
- chrome book (please have it fully charged) and charger (just in case) and earbuds/headphones
- the books you picked up earlier (reading, math and social studies books and workbooks)
- school supplies (Supplies will not be shared and will be kept in your child's desk. A container of some sort (like a pencil box) could be helpful because students will take their supplies with them to specials classes.
- a water bottle (the drinking fountains are turned off, but the bottle fillers are operational)
- lunch (IF your child is bringing home lunch)
- anything else your teacher has indicated
- backpack to carry it all home again
Will my child have to stay in his/her desk/classroom all day?
Nope. We will teach and encourage children to maintain social distancing wherever they are, but students will attend specials classes, eat in the lunch room and go to recess.
Does my child have to wear a mask all day?
Mostly, yes. Masks are required (not gators). Of course, students will remove their mask for lunch. Each student will have a lanyard attached to their mask, so the mask doesn't have to be laid down anywhere, won't be lost and won't be lost. The lanyard will be kept at school in your child's desk.
How will lunch work?
Students will order lunch each morning (only 1 choice) or bring their home lunch. Only one grade level will be in the lunchroom at a time. Students will receive their lunch already served. They will sit socially distanced, on one side of a table with everyone facing the same direction. Students will remove their mask after they are seated. Each student will have a lanyard attached to their mask, so the mask doesn't have to be laid down anywhere, won't be lost and will be ready to put back on before leaving the table.
How will dismissal work?
Dismissal is at 2:55 (except for Wednesdays at 1:55)
*The most critical factor in dismissal is that your child knows what the plan is for them after school. Ideally, they do the same thing each day. IF you have to change plans, please call the office before noon.
This process will be a bit different than years past, but we think it will minimize congestion and still be quick.
1. Bus riders and students going in daycare vans will be dismissed first.
2. Then walkers and bike riders. If you are meeting your child who is walking, or siblings are meeting each other, please arrange a meeting place. Students will exit from the front of the building unless they are walking to Arlington Ridge, in which case they'll exit from the northeast corner of the building by the greenhouse.
3. Once those students are on their way we will begin calling students for the carline. You'll need a sign in your window with your child's last name. Please hold this sign up. We can't read it when it is laying on your dash. Stay in your car. Ms. Fishman will call students via walkie talkie to come out. Students will stay inside the building until their name is called. We believe this process will help us maintain social distancing, but it is new, so please be patient.
(Prek should follow the directions from Mrs. Wernimont.)
PARENTS, please LABEL EVERYTHING with your child's name/class code AND make sure your child, and their homeroom teacher, knows their plan for afterschool.
Finally, I know you may have more questions. I feel confident that we'll all work everything out, but do feel free to email me with more. I'll make a point to reply over the weekend.
More questions? Contact Mrs. Heffner, Principal or Mrs. Marge Hartman, building secretary. 319-688-1150
OPTIMIZING the Online Program
Please read this section each week for info specifically related to the Online Program.
Thank you for picking up the latest provision of materials this week. You can expect another handout of materials in the future -- probably at the beginning of the next trimester.
Also: please note that your child's specials class will now be on a two week rotation. Same time of day, but the link they need will change.
Reading Assessment
This letter shares information about a statewide reading and math test we are using at our school. The Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST) is given to every student three times a year to identify students who are performing at or above grade level in reading and math, and those students who might need additional help.
The K-6th grade reading assessments are administered in a one-to-one setting. The K-1st grade math assessment is also administered in a one-to-one setting, however the 2nd-6th grade math assessments are completed independently by the students through an online system.
We will begin these assessments this week and would like to allow students in our Online Learning Program the option to take the one-to-one tests onsite, or to complete this virtually with a teacher through a one-to-one zoom meeting. You can choose which option works best for your family. All testing needs to be completed by October 8th.
IF you would like your child to test onsite, please use this Signup Genius by September 28. If we do not hear from you, we will proceed with setting up a virtual testing time for your child.
Onsite Testing Information:
For students in grades K-1: Testing will take approximately 30 minutes
For students in grades 2-6: Testing will take approximately 10 minutes
Keeping Everyone Safe and Healthy:
When you bring your child to school during the designated test dates and times please be sure to follow the safety guidelines below.
Take your child’s temperature before coming to school. If your child is not feeling well, please reschedule!
Please make sure your child uses the restroom before arriving at school
Your child will need to wear a mask at all times (adult testers will also be wearing a mask)
Parents are asked to stay outside and/or in your vehicle when dropping off and waiting during testing
Desks, chairs and any other items touched will be sanitized between testing groups.
If your option is to not test in person, your child/ren will be tested online by their homeroom teacher during their regular school day.
Info about School Breakfast and Lunch
Iowa City Community School District will have meals available for students in the hybrid and online learning models during fall 2020. All meals, regardless of model, will be free to all students through December 2020.
* Hybrid Model: Breakfast and lunch will be available through onsite cafeterias for students while they are on campus. Students and staff will follow district health and safety protocols during onsite meal services.
* Grab & Go Meals for any students not on campus will be distributed Monday through Friday (with the exception of No School days) from 12:00pm - 1:00pm at these designated locations:
City High School
Liberty High School
West High School
North Central Junior High
North West Junior High
South East Junior High
Hills Elementary
Menu information can be found at MealViewer, under the Grab & Go menu. Meals are free and available to all Iowa City Community School District students. Children do not need to be present in order for a guardian to pick-up a meal for the child.
Free meals have been approved ONLY through December 2020.
* Families requesting assistance should continue to fill out a free and reduced application form and we are encouraging that to be done by September 20, 2020.
*Applications should be submitted online at www.myschoolapps.com
Before & After School Program (BASP) at Penn
Please email pennbasp@gmail.com for more info
Run for the Schools
Check out the very creative ways to participate this year.
Register by Sept 30 to get the free tshirt
TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS
Here are 2 ways we can strengthen our ability to communicate using Zoom!
1) Click on this link: Delete unnecessary extensions
2) Updating Chromebooks:
Updating is important - FOLLOW THESE STEPS - on a Chromebook:
-Turn on your Chromebook and sign in like you normally would.
-At the bottom right, select the time.
-Select Settings.
-At the bottom of the left panel, select About Chrome OS.
-Select Check for updates.
-If your Chromebook finds a software update, it will start to download automatically.
-Restart when it's done. It will let you know
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Is Sound a problem during your child's zoom meetings?
There are 2 steps to follow that may help.
1. Use this link for directions about how to test and adjust your audio and video zoom settings: zoom sound
2. You may also have to update your chrome book. Here are the directions.
Our library secretary, Julie, can help you if you have a problem. Email her at Agni.Julie@iowacityschools.org
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We are obviously more dependent on technology than ever before -- which also means we are going to have more tech questions and needs. Thankfully, we have an awesome tech department. Please save the info below for easy reference.
One thing we learned this week is that students need to sign in once with their user name and password before the camera is enabled in their device. This is important because they need the camera to use their clever badge.
Technology Visual Guide: this provides brief overviews with pictures of the following
processes and programs:
District Chromebook: Sign In
Clever
ClassLink
Clever & ClassLink Comparison
Seesaw
Lexia
Dreambox
Zoom
ICCSD Technology Resources - this is a one stop resource for every sort of information related to chromebooks, seesaw, zoom and clever.
If you still need technology help at the district HELP Desk by emailing helpdesk@iowacityschools.org or calling 688- 4357. You'll probably have to leave a message. They will get back to you.
Looking Ahead
- Sept 28: First in-person day for students with standard registration in the A cohort
- Oct 6: PTO at 7pm via zoom
- Oct 9: NO SCHOOL
Please direct any equity-related questions to the Director of Equity and Employee Relations Jeremy Tabor, Tabor.Jeremy@iowacityschools.org, (319) 688-1000.