We are ALL WDMCS
West Des Moines Community Schools | Sept. 25, 2020
Superintendent Reads to Second-Grade Online Class
Valley Hall of Honor Postponed for 2020-21
The 2020-21 Hall of Honor is postponed for this year due to COVID-19. We wish to honor our recipients with an event at Valley High School and are unable to do that this year.
We will communicate when nominations will open next year. We look forward to hosting a 2021-22 Hall of Honor event in spring 2022.
COVID-19 Dashboard FAQs
What does it mean to be a "close contact"?
Close contact is defined by the CDC as within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more, regardless of personal protective equipment. Close contacts will self-quarantine for 14 days, based on guidance from the Polk County Health Department. Students will transition to the online learning environment during this time. Staff may transition online based on their role and ability to continue their job responsibilities while quarantined.
If a classroom transitions online temporarily, why isn't every student in the class considered a close contact?
Only individuals who have been confirmed as close contacts using the parameters outlined above will be updated on the dashboard. Only some students in a class may be considered close contacts and need to quarantine for 14 days. The rest of the class would return to the building once disinfection is complete.
Why do I get an email about a positive case at my school but it doesn't show on the dashboard?
This could happen for two reasons: either the dashboard has not yet been updated because we update by noon each weekday with the previous day's data OR the case is a staff member. We do not show staff data individually by school.
Why don't you show staff data individually by school?
In order to help prevent staff from being identified because there are fewer staff members in buildings than students, we group data by "elementary," "secondary," and "other" staff on our dashboard.
Update Preferences Before Winter Weather
WDMCS will not have traditional "school cancellations" for an entire day due to winter weather conditions this year. This is because students will be able to transition to online learning for that day. However, we still need you to make sure you update your communication preferences within Blackboard, the district's communication system.
Should we need to start late, dismiss early, and/or transition to a full day of online learning, we need to quickly communicate updates to you.
If you have never logged into Blackboard, you will need to log into the link below using your Infinite Campus username and click the "forget password" link to reset your password in this new system. View the brief video tutorial below for the simple steps to update your preferences.
The test emergency communication is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. We will send out email, text, app, phone, and social media notices.
Polk County Percentages Clarification for Temporarily Transitioning Online
0-5% Positivity in Polk County
- Students learn at school or online based on what families chose BEFORE Sept. 4.
- Daily wellness checks by staff and students who learn on-site.
- Face coverings required. Social distancing followed when possible.
- Practice frequent hand washing and other safety measures.
- Continued consultation with local health officials.
6-9% Positivity in Polk County
UNLESS
the positivity percentage in Polk County over a 14-day period has falls BELOW 6% and then rises ABOVE 6%.
THEN
WDMCS will email parents to let them CHOOSE if they wish students to remain AT SCHOOL or move ONLINE for rest of the semester.
- Parents will have 72 hours to request changes through a form.
- It may take up to a week to transition students online based on staffing adjustments needed to accommodate requests.
10+% Positivity in Polk County
THINGS TO CONSIDER
- Positivity percentage in classroom, school, or district.
- Types and number of student absences.
- Availability of staff within a classroom, building, or school.
WDMCS will call a Board meeting to provide a recommendation to the Board for review.
Need A Refresher? View Previous Newsletters
- Friday, Sept. 18: 2020 Homecoming, Valley Mask BANDITs, tech help for multilingual learners.
- Wednesday, Sept. 9: No school Sept. 14, bus safety update, homecoming, COVID-19 dashboard.
- Thursday, Sept. 3: Livestreaming football, deadline for online transition, COVID-19 dashboard promotion.
- Friday, Aug. 28: Photos, stories from first week of school, new COVID-19 exposure flowchart, student placements online through Sept. 4.
- Friday, Aug. 21: WDMCS visions for 2020-21 video, teacher assignment update, bus info., new health guidelines, Nutrition updates, Canvas help, and helping kids adjust to face coverings.
- Friday, Aug. 14: WDMCS Hires new executive director of equity, inclusion, and diversity, transitioning between online and at-school, COVID-19 exposure guidance for students, staff.
- Friday, Aug. 7: video that answers Return-to-Learn questions, percentages of families choosing online versus on-site, Board of Education vote on delay to start date.
School/Community Relations
buckl@wdmcs.org
515-633-5023
Alexandra Wade
515-633-5022
Aaron Young
younga@wdmcs.org
515-633-5016
Email: scroffice@wdmcs.org
Website: www.wdmcs.org
Location: 3550 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wdmcs/
Twitter: @WDMCS