Ballard Dimensions
February 2021
From the Superintendent's Desk
Happy February! We have had some weather in the past week, haven’t we? It definitely feels like an Iowa winter. Just a friendly reminder that we do our best to make cancellation decisions as soon as possible with the most up-to-date forecast available. The decisions are made with everyone in mind. If your situation is unique for whatever reason, and you do not feel it is safe for your student to attend when we are having school, have your student(s) stay home and excuse them. It is no different than the many reasons parents have to excuse their students in other circumstances.
For the most part, our quarantine cases and positive Covid cases are under control. Relative to late fall, things are going well. Thank you to our students, parents, and staff for staying vigilant with masking, hand washing, and distancing. From a Covid standpoint, it is awesome to have January behind us!
Iowa is beginning the 1B phase of Covid vaccinations on February 1. Demand for the vaccine is outpacing supply, as I am sure you know. There are 5 tiers in the 1B phase. School personnel are included in the first tier. Story County Public Health is responsible for administering the vaccine in this phase. Ballard has not been notified when our staff will have the opportunity for the vaccine. I anticipate it will be in the next couple of months. Below is some of the information we have communicated to staff.
The vaccine is not mandatory.
Staff are permitted to receive it elsewhere if they are able and prefer to do so.
It is free.
Regardless of whether a staff member has been vaccinated, current mitigation strategies will be maintained for all staff, including masking.
The vaccination will happen on site at Ballard. We do not know when. Nor, will we know if we will receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
The final topic I would like to discuss is regarding the legislative session. Governor Reynolds has proposed a 2.5 percent increase in funding for next year. That is better than many recent years, but insufficient in my opinion. Public education is excellent in Iowa and distinguishes our state from others. The past decade has produced the lowest funding of any decade since the 1970s. This path is not sustainable. In order to recruit highly-qualified teachers, maintain reasonable class sizes, and provide quality instructional materials, revenue must keep up with costs. Modest enrollment increases coupled with effective fiscal management has resulted in a stable financial position for Ballard. This is not the case throughout Iowa. State cash reserves are full, and the fact that the legislature is discussing tax cuts while insufficiently funding something as critical as public education is short-sighted and damaging to our children and families.
On a related note, the Governor has proposed funding for private education by offering vouchers which can be used to pay private school tuition. I am a proponent of private education and a parent’s right to choose that for their student. However, public funds should not support private education. Rural tax dollars are diverted to urban areas where private schools are predominantly located. Private schools are not subject to the same requirements as public schools. Private schools are not required to accept all students like public schools. Private schools currently receive public funds for transportation. Increasing public funding for private education is not an equity-based decision and supports a limited number of students in certain areas of the state at the expense of all Iowa public school students.
Please email me if you would like to advocate for public education. I will provide you with resources and names to contact.
Thank you for your continued support of our Ballard schools. Have a great February everyone! GO BOMBERS!
Ottie
2021-2022 Registration Information
Registration is now open for all Preschool - 12th grade students
New Family to the District
You do not have any children currently enrolled at Ballard or any of our local preschool programs
Current Ballard Family
You already have a child enrolled at Ballard Schools (EK-12) or one of the local preschool programs
For all families who have had a child enrolled in Ballard Community Schools or one of our 4 year old preschool programs, please log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account and select Online Registration from the menu. You will be able to register any existing students and add any new students to your existing household.
3 year old preschool
Ballard West offers a 3-year-old preschool program. To be eligible for 3 year old preschool, a student’s birth date must fall between 9/16/17 – 9/15/18. Registration procedures are the same as the 4-year-old program. This program requires a monthly fee.
4 year old preschool
Ballard Schools, along with several community partners, participate in the Statewide Voluntary 4-year-old Preschool Program through the Department of Education. To be eligible for 4 year old preschool, a student’s birth date must fall between 9/16/16 – 9/15/17 for the 2021-2022 academic year. This program is FREE to all families. If you are interested in your child attending any of the following preschool programs, please follow the steps below for registration.
Participating Four Year Old Programs
Ballard West Preschool: 515-228-3890
Ms. Hollie’s Preschool: 515-291-5604
Miss Wendy’s Preschool: 515-597-3478
Lily Pad Learning Center: 515-597-5437
Whistle Stop Academy: 515-597-3637
Registration
Call your program of choice directly to be added to a roster. *You must get confirmation from the preschool program that you are on their roster before moving to Step 2.
Register online for preschool on the Ballard Community Schools website. Regardless of your child’s attendance center, you MUST register online.
You may submit the required paper documents in one of the following ways:
1. To the Registrar at the District Office, 509 N Main Ave, Huxley, IA 50124
2. Via mail: Ballard Community Schools Attn: Registrar, 509 N Main Ave, Huxley, IA 50124
3. Via email: ajungst@ballard.k12.ia.us
Contact District Registrar, Amber Jungst with any questions or concerns about the enrollment process.
Email: ajungst@ballard.k12.ia.us
Phone: (515) 597-2811 ext. 1002.
Ballard Health Department
February is Dental Health Month
A screening for Kindergarten is valid from age three years to four months after enrollment date.
A screening for ninth grade is valid from one year prior to enrollment to four months after enrollment date.
Dental Screening forms can be found on the Ballard District website.
West Elementary News
What is Belly Breathing?
At Ballard West, we do a lot of belly breathing! Controlling your breath is one of the best ways to calm yourself down when having a big emotion. But what is belly breathing? And how can I practice at home with my student?
Belly breathing is a state of deep breathing that’s controlled by a large muscle in our abdomen called the diaphragm. When you take air into your lungs and breathe shallowly, only the chest cavity moves. Breathing deeply involves more of your body -- the diaphragm contracts and both the belly and the chest cavity expand. Belly breathing and the “fight or flight” response to stress or anxiety can’t occur at the same time. When our bodies switch into “fight or flight” mode, we engage in shallow breathing to get ready for battle. On the other hand, belly breathing slows our heart rate and triggers a relaxation response. It slows us down.
To practice at home:
It’s best to practice when you and your child are already relaxed.
Start by having your child breathe naturally. Ask your child to notice what parts of the body move as they breathe and what their body feels like.
Now have your child lie on their back, relax her muscles, and place their hands on their belly.
With their mouth closed, have them breathe in for four seconds or until they feel their whole chest fill with air, all the way down to their belly.
Have your child hold in the air for four seconds.
Have your child slowly blow the air out until it’s all gone. If your child is having difficulty, have them exhale through a straw. It’s also fun to use a small stuffy and watch as the stuffy moves up and down as your child breathes.
You can practice belly breathing any time but it is a great way to slow down at the end of the night before bed!
Submitted by Erin Adams, West Counselor
Seesaw
What is Seesaw? The first thing that may come to your mind is the old wooden plank found on the playground that squeaked as you teeter- tottered back and forth with a friend. If you were fortunate, you escaped without a bruised tailbone.
Seesaw is a digital journal for students to share their work with their families and their teacher. The students at West Elementary are beginning to use Seesaw in their classrooms as we explore our new Chromebooks!
Individual log-ins allow students and families to sign in to the Seesaw Class app from home to view their student’s work. Students can add posts, respond to activities, view announcements, and leave comments on their own work as well as get feedback from their teacher. In distance learning, it has been a fun point of connection for teachers and students and has enhanced the ability for learning to happen anywhere at any time. During in person learning, it is an easy way to share a student’s creative work by taking pictures of projects and drawings; or to capture a student’s active learning through video reflections and voice recordings of their thinking.
Feel free to contact your child’s teacher for connection information if you wish to be added to the Seesaw class.
Submitted by Holly Johnson, Ballard West Teacher
National Mentoring Month
East Elementary News
3rd Grade
4th Grade Reading and Research
Fourth graders are just beginning an exciting combination of reading and social studies. Together we are reading The Story of Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad. While reading the book we are practicing various reading comprehension strategies, while also taking the opportunity to learn more about a time period with which many students are unfamiliar. We will use this as an opportunity to springboard into conversations ranging from how the country and world has changed from the time of Harriet to today. During this time students will also have the opportunity to complete a research project on famous Black Americans who have worked to make a positive change to their community or our country. These two things are always an eye opening and exciting experience for fourth graders. They have the chance to learn about the world around them, wrestle with difficult topics, and apply what they’ve been learning in both reading and writing.
Submitted by Megan Gingerich, 4th Grade Teacher
WE LOVE SCHOOL!!
February is the month of love and we love our school! I anonymously surveyed 5th grade students at East Elementary and asked them “What do you LOVE about school?” You will find some of the answers below. Even when we are surrounded with chaos and uncertainty, we have so much to be grateful for and so much to love here at Ballard East!
I like being able to spend time with friends and I like how kind the teachers are.”
“I love seeing my friends and going outside to play. Most especially, I love learning new things!”
“What I love about East Elementary is that even though the virus is spreading, we can still come to school.”
“Everybody is very kind, sweet, and welcoming.”
“I love how the teachers are all nice and caring. I love learning and doing things with my classmates.”
“I get to see my friends and play with them, but what I like most about school is what I get to learn. The more I learn, the smarter I am.”
“I love that all of the kids and teachers are nice and that I am learning a lot.”
“I love school because teachers are going out of their way to teach kids. I love 5th grade because we get to do harder math problems and I love challenges. I love Ballard East Elementary because every adult in the building is kind, respectful, helping, and giving.”
“I love that all the teachers are super nice and I like that teachers will find somewhere in their day to help you with something if you didn’t get it when the class did it. I love that people are taught to be nice and caring.”
“I love that I get to see my friends every day and I love my teacher.”
“I love how everyone knows each other!”
“I love that we can learn and have fun at the same time!”
“I love the food that the lunch people make.”
“What I love about Ballard East is that everyone is very supportive.”
“All the teachers are nice to each student and they make you feel like you belong. When you are down, they help you.”
“I love that we learn so much in fifth grade!”
Submitted by Mrs.Wonders, 5th Grade Teacher
Middle School News
M.A.D
Anja Tjernagel
Kydelyn Thompson
Norah Mudd
Brookelen Anderson
Dane Mortensen
Isaac Swisher
Max Wilson
Bryce Miller
High School News
From the Activities Office
IHSADA announces 2020-2021 Outstanding Service Award Winners
The Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association has selected the recipients of their IHSADA 2020-2021 Outstanding Service Awards.
Award winners for Outstanding Volunteer Service:
Mr. Richard Crouch, Malvern
Mr. Gordon Woodrow, Glenwood
Ms. Iola Whitsell, Sheldon
Ms. Sandra Steward, Fontanelle
Mr. Gary Naylor, Ankeny
Mr. Lynn Vogt, Ankeny
Award winners for Sports Media:
Ms. Liz Martin, Cedar Rapids
Ms. Rebecca Martin, Cedar Rapids
Mr. Jim Slosiarek, Cedar Rapids
Mr. Andy Abeyta, Cedar Rapids
Award winners for Sports Medicine:
Mr. Lee Eddy, Huxley
Dr. Kirk Peterson, Huxley
Outstanding Service Award honorees will be recognized at an event in their respective school districts and will be coordinated between the IHSADA Executive Board and the school districts athletic director.
Community Resources
Ballard Elementary PTO
Ballard Education Foundation
Ballard Dollars for Scholars
Ballard Fine Arts Boosters
Ballard Activities Boosters
Digital Backpack
Ballard Community School District
Email: ajungst@ballard.k12.ia.us
Website: www.ballard.k12.ia.us
Location: 509 North Main Avenue, Huxley, IA, USA
Phone: 515-597-2811
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BallardCSD
Twitter: @BallardCSD