Van Allen Newsletter
A Preview and an Update for Our School Community
April 12, 2024 | Volume 18
A Note from the Principal
Good afternoon -
A final reminder that Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) testing begins next week for students in grades three through six. Students in fifth grade will begin testing on Monday, April 15th. Students in third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades will be testing Tuesday, April 16th through Thursday, April 18th.
- Fifth grade students will take the Science assessments on Monday, April 15th
- Third through sixth grade students will take the Math assessments on Tuesday, April 16th
- Third through sixth grade students will take the Reading assessments on Wednesday, April 17th
- Third through sixth grade students will take the Language assessments on Thursday, April 18th
To ensure that your child is fully prepared to take these assessments, you can assist with the following:
- Please make every attempt for your child to be on-time and present during these test administration dates/times.
- All students will test using their fully charged, school issued Chromebook.
- As a result, Chromebooks will be kept at school starting on Friday, April 12th through the duration of testing. Please make sure that your child brings their Chromebook and their charger with them to school on Monday, March 28th. Charging locations and storage will be in each student's classroom.
- No other electronic devices will be allowed during the test administration time including cell phones, smart watches, tablets, etc.
- If students have these items on them, they will need to be turned-in during testing.
- Please talk with your child to make sure that they have working earbuds/headphones that are also comfortable to wear and available to them at school.
- As always, please encourage your child to bring a water bottle with them to school.
- Help ensure that students get plenty of rest the night before each test.
- Along the same lines, making sure that your child eats a good, healthy breakfast each morning is another key.
- Talk to your child about the test. Encourage them to do their best; we want students to take the tests seriously, but we don’t want them to feel overly anxious as a result.
- You may assist your child in a practice assessment which can be found online at iowa.pearsonaccessnext.com, under the “Test Preparation” tab.
As always, thank you for your support. Have a great weekend; take care.
- Eric Ewald
Principal, Van Allen Elementary
Don't miss Van Allen night at an Iowa Heartlanders Hockey game on April 13th at 6:05pm! It is also fan appreciation night, so there will be a pregame tailgate party from 3-6pm with food and drinks being served for purchase. Additionally, every 15 minutes at the tailgate, an in-game experience will be given away to a fan. These include zamboni rides, bench buddies, penalty box buddies, and much more! Purchase your tickets at the link, above.
Other Dates to Know for Things Ahead:
- There will be an option to attend in-person in the Van Allen Library, or there will be an option to attend virtually (a Zoom link will be emailed on 4/17)
No School: Friday, April 19th
5th/6th Grade Track & Field Meet: Monday, May 13th
- City High School
PTO's Annual Spring Fling: Saturday, May 18th, 3-6pm
5th Grade Celebration of Learning: Tuesday, June 4th, AM 🎓
6th Grade Celebration of Learning: Tuesday, June 4th, PM 🎓
Conditions for Learning Student Survey
Our school is getting ready to administer an annual school climate and culture survey called Conditions for Learning to students in grades 3-6. This survey administration is required by the state’s plan to meet a federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act. Our school is conducting the survey on April 22nd (3rd and 4th grades) and April 23rd (5th and 6th grades). All Iowa public school districts will use the Conditions for Learning Survey (Survey) to improve safety, student engagement, and the overall learning environment so that all Iowa students have optimum conditions for learning. Our work to improve safety, student engagement, and the overall learning environment will have a lasting impact on the future.
Iowa measures conditions for learning by asking the real experts each year - our students. This is their chance to make their voice heard, and we intend to listen. Studies have shown this work matters. Improving skills such as solving problems, working out conflict, and working with other people in a group has led to double-digit increases in achievement test scores, improved classroom behavior, and improved attitudes.
All public schools in Iowa will use an online survey to assess the conditions for learning in their school for students in grades 3-12. Student responses will be confidential, and individual response data will not be available to anyone in the survey platform or in reporting. The Iowa City Community School District will receive aggregated data annually at the building level to support the alignment of professional development with identified culture and climate needs.
We will ask your child to simply fill out a confidential Survey. The Survey will focus on issues ranging from student safety to positive student relationships, to school rules and how they are enforced. A high rate of participation by students in completing the Conditions for Learning Survey is important for obtaining the most complete school climate data for our school. Support from you in communicating to your students that this is their chance to be heard and to be part of the effort to improve conditions for learning at their school is critical.
Thank you for partnering with us to improve conditions for learning in our schools throughout the state. Included is an overview of this opportunity, as well as:
- An information summary about the Survey
- A written refusal form if you do not want your child/children to participate in completing the Survey
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you again!
Employment Opportunity
Any questions can be sent via email to ewald.eric@iowacityschools.org.
Please share this information with others who you think might be interested in either of these opportunities. Thanks!
A new feature included in our newsletter are these brief features of Van Allen staff members. Our student council took the lead on interviewing staff and the write-ups that are being shared. Hopefully this gives you some additional insight in regards to the faces that you see and the names that you hear at Van Allen.
Liberty High School Sports Camps are now LIVE!!!
- Register today to secure your spot!
Arrival and Dismissal Notes
- The only reason that a student should be getting to school before 7:40am is if they are eating breakfast (starts at 7:30am) or signed-up to attend our before-school program.
- Vehicles should utilize the east loop as it can accommodate many more vehicles whenever possible in an effort to keep traffic moving.
The time spent in car line both before and after school will be reduced if/when everyone follows the procedures that are outlined below. These are in-place to ensure that our school environment is safe, supportive, and orderly. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for your attention to this.
Digital Student Handbooks
Inclement Weather Guidelines
Good Afternoon Families and Staff,
Winter weather has arrived! Just a friendly reminder that our District's Inclement Weather Guidelines, outlining decisions for delays, cancellations, and early releases, are available on our website at www.IowaCitySchools.org/WeatherGuidelines. Please note the change to the school day if there is a late start issued on a Thursday.
When we make decisions about changes to the school day, we are committed to keeping families informed in a convenient and timely manner. Alongside our email, phone, and text notifications, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Additionally, we recommend downloading our mobile app, which provides a centralized hub for all school and district-related information.
If you have any questions, please contact our Educational Services Center at (319) 688-1000.
Info. from the Coralville Parks & Rec. Dept.
Peachjar Flyers
Our District cooperates with approved community partners by posting eflyers online and distributing them electronically through our service provider, Peachjar. As part of our efforts to be more environmentally friendly, embrace innovative technology, and maintain fiscal responsibility, we have transitioned from paper to electronic flyer delivery.
Shine Award
Snacks & Celebrations
The District is committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment for our students.
When food is served to students in the classroom as a snack, birthday treat, or during a classroom celebration, the following rules apply (ICCSD Wellness Policy 507.9):
- allow only fresh fruits/vegetables or purchased foods with the ingredients listed (no homemade foods).
- allow only foods that meet the Healthy Food Guidelines/ Smart Snacks. (the only exception to this would be food-tasting related to district-approved curriculum lessons)
- not allow foods with peanuts or peanut butter, or foods that were made in a factory where cross-contamination may occur.
- food that does not meet the guidelines will be sent home.
- a list of acceptable foods (linked).
Thank you for your attention to this.
🚨 High Reliability Schools (HRS) Update 🚨
We are continuing to embrace the HRS framework at Van Allen and throughout the ICCSD. Please see this linked form (also inserted, below) that helps us achieve Leading Indicator 1.6, "Students, parents, and the community have formal ways to provide input regarding the optimal functioning in the school."
This will be a standing item in our newsletter. Please note that submitting an idea to this form does not ensure that it will be implemented. Once we have a collection of responses to share, we will plan to include a recurring section within our newsletter dedicated to providing feedback and/or any response in regards to the different ideas that we have received from this form.
#VanAllenPride - Follow and Like Us
We use these platforms (below) to highlight our accomplishments (including pictures) and share relevant announcements and reminders.
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Van Allen Elementary School
Email: ewald.eric@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://vanallen.iowacityschools.org/
Location: 170 Abigail Avenue, North Liberty, IA, United States
Phone: (319)688-1185
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JVANorthLiberty/?ref=settings
Twitter: @VanAllen_ICCSD
Non-Discrimination Statement
It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Eric Howard, Director of Equity and Employee Relations, 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245, 319-688-1000, howard.eric@iowacityschools.org.
Principal at Van Allen Elementary in the Iowa City Community School District