Free Meal Service

Davis Elementary 818 Hamilton Ave.

The Grinnell-Newburg CSD Food Service Department will provide an opportunity for families to drive through and pick up emergency meals for children the ages of 1 to 18 at Davis Elementary. The meal distribution site will be set up outside in the front loop. To maintain social distancing, please stay in your vehicle and meals will be passed through the passenger window.

Please enter the Davis Driveway by driving North on Main Street then turn right/east on Hamilton Avenue.  If there is a waiting line please line up along Main Street so that the line does not back up to Highway 146.

Sack meals will be served Wednesday, March 25th – Wednesday, April 8th on Mondays and Wednesdays. All meals will be served between 11am and 1pm. On Mondays children will receive TWO breakfast meals and TWO lunch meals. On Wednesdays, children will receive THREE breakfast meals and THREE lunch meals. We hope to provide enough meals for everyone, but this is on a first come first served basis. No ID or application is required. Meals are intended to be consumed immediately at home or go directly into your refrigerator.

This program will be solely for the pick-up of meals, and meals will not be consumed on site. We encourage families to continue to be proactive in reducing the risk of COVID-19 by not congregating at the school site once meals have been distributed, continue to wash your hands often, sneeze or cough into a tissue and stay home if you are sick.

Update as of 3/38/2020

Dear Grinnell - Newburg Families:

This update will provide you information on how to access an iPad for K-4 students through a drive up service at your elementary school, and what to do in the event that you left your device at the Middle School or High School.  Please see below for times:

Please pick up your iPad at your school only. If you can not make these times, please email your building principal. 

Middle School students please call the office Monday the 23rd at 641-236-2750 between 6:30 am and 10:00 to set up a time to pick up ipads that day between 10:00 and 2:00. High School students who left their devices at school should email Mr. Seney at kevin.seney@grinnell-k12.org to pick up their device via drive up.  No students will be allowed in the schools at this time.

Food Service: We need information from our parents on the number of meal requests per family so we have an idea on the number of meals to be packed for pick up.  It is our hope that this will begin mid-week, next week for food drive up service. In order to ensure we have enough to supply our families, please complete this three question survey.

If you do not have access to internet please contact your school office next week, so that our staff can assist you on alternative lessons and activities. These will be available as soon as possible.  

Keep listening and watching email and voice reach updates.   


Janet

Dear Parent/Guardian:

UPDATED AS OF 3/16/2020:

As you may have learned the Governor has made the recommendation to close Iowa Public Schools for 4 weeks at this time. Grinnell-Newburg will be closed through April 10th with a plan to re-open on April 13, 2020. Please know that we are in the midst of planning for iPad pick up for K-4 students, meals for families to be picked up through drive through services at schools, and lessons to be planned for continued learning for all students following our Spring Break. Each day I will be updating you on our planning process and sending messages on how you can access resources, iPads, and meals. All athletic activities, practices and events are cancelled through April 10th. We are waiting on guidance from the Department of Education on make up day requirements. I will keep you posted. I do not anticipate being in school beyond June 5 at this time. I recognize this is not easy on our families. We will do everything we can to support you during this challenging time. Please continue to monitor your email, our website and Face Book page.

We understand that the Novel Coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, is causing much anxiety in our community, state and the world. Grinnell-Newburg Community School District is working closely with Poweshiek County Public Health and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.

What is Known

• The virus causing COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified, and causes respiratory illness ranging from a mild cold-like illness to severe respiratory disease.

• Similar to influenza, the people who are most likely to have severe disease and complications from COVID-19 are believed to be the very old, very young and those with other chronic or underlying medical conditions.

• There is no vaccine or treatment currently available for COVID-19, so prevention is very important.

• Currently, there are NO confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iowa. However, experts predict there will eventually be community spread. IDPH, Poweshiek County Public Health and Grinnell-Newburg School District are preparing for when/if this happens.

How The Virus Spreads

• COVID-19 is believed to spread primarily the same way the common cold or flu spreads—through respiratory droplets that are produced when someone coughs or sneezes.

• People who are most at risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 are those who have been in close contact (within about 6 feet) with someone who has the disease. 

• People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).

What You Can Do Now

• Keep children home when they are sick.

• • Students (and parents/guardians) who are ill, especially with acute respiratory symptoms (not allergies or chronic conditions), should stay home. 

• Teach your children to always cover their cough and sneezes with a tissue or elbow.

• Remind them to wash their hands with soap and water (or use hand sanitizer) after they touch their face, use the restroom and before they eat.

• Tell children to avoid touching their mouth and nose since that is how germs get into the body.

• Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects (everyday household disinfectants are fine).

  • Enhance cleaning of high touch surfaces like door knobs, toilet handles and sink handles.

• Plan for when community spread occurs.

  • Ensure you have a plan to designate a caregiver, such as a family member or neighbor, for a sick child(ren) if you can’t stay home.

  • Know your child’s school plan to communicate with you when needed, such as robocalls, email or checking their website. 

Find up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Iowa at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus and follow IDPH on Facebook at @IowaDepartmentofPublicHealth and Twitter at @IAPublicHealth, as well as our district social media @GNCSDTigers.

See further travel advisories as of 3/6/2020.

• http://kcci.com/article/state-urges-iowans-who-travel-from-specific-nations-to-self-isolate/31212041?src=app

Online Registration for the 2019-20 School Year is open, and we encourage parents to register early!

Handy Hints as you are going through the registration module:

1. When you begin you will be given a Confirmation Number.  Please save this number. If you need to stop and return to the application, this will be needed to access your saved application.  

2. To move through each section use the “Next” button.  To move from section to section, click on the “Save and Continue” button. Please ensure all information is entered correctly before moving on to a new section.

Fee Payment and Lunch Accounts
After submitting your registration application, please return to your portal account to submit payment for your student’s instructional fees.   Once in your portal account, click on the “Payments” tab to submit your online payment.  **Can be completed after July 1, 2019 **Families applying for Free and Reduced: Please submit all forms before beginning the payment process.   Instructions for submitting you Free and Reduced Application through your parent portal

Directions to set up your parent portal for the first time

To set up an account you will need a key code. Key codes can be obtained from your building administrative assistant. Please enter your key code and follow the steps to set up your Campus Portal account.  You will be able to create your own username and password.

You will only need to do this once.

1. Click on the Help button in the bottom right hand corner of the page. 
2. Click on the option “If you have been assigned a Campus Portal Activation Key.

Please call 641-236-2700 during regular business hours if you have any questions regarding any of these processes.

Weekly Update: April 3, 2020

Dear Board of Education, Staff, Families and Friends:

As you may have heard, Governor Reynolds announced yesterday that schools in Iowa should remain closed through April 30th in response to the COVID-19 crisis. While we are disappointed knowing that it will be several more weeks before we see our students, the safety of our community and state comes first.

Our board will review options outlined by the Iowa Department of Education for continuing learning during the closure, and consider which is the most appropriate path forward for our students, families, and staff. We want to ensure that we have the ability to provide high-level teacher and learning experiences.   We are also working on finding a resolution to assist families who may need Internet access.  We are working hard to provide engaged activities for all students.

The principals are currently working with their staff to plan for our students.  We are working through the Department of Education template and will keep you informed early next week as to our recommendation to the Board for approval.   Please know it is our expectation that we will see a combination of Voluntary and Required participation in our district. Guidance clearly allows us to meet the requirements under these two categories.   If we did not provide any support, we would be required to make up all of this time. I think that there was some confusion after the announcement. After several meetings with area superintendents and the Department of Education, it was clear that the path we will take will ensure that we meet the guidelines so that we do not have to make up this missed time.  Beginning the week of April 13, 2020 you will see more specific directions for learning, participation, lessons, feedback, formative assessments, and much more for your student to learn and grow. We will release the plan at our upcoming Board meeting on Wednesday.  

We know that you have many questions. Rest assured that as soon as we have more specific information about how we will move forward with learning, we will share it with you. I’m committed to ensuring that every student in the Grinnell-Newburg School District receives the education that they deserve.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Pick up Meals and delivery:

Due to the amazing participation over the last two weeks for our meal pick up program, we have discovered that we need more storage, prep space, and a more practical distribution area to continue to serve our families safely and efficiently. Therefore, starting on Monday, April 6th, we will be moving meal distribution to Grinnell High School and will no longer be distributing at Davis School. Deliveries of meals will continue as planned. 

We encourage people to continue to sign up for curbside pick-up via this form. If you already filled out the form for Davis you don't need to fill it out again. Please email emergencymeals@grinnell-k12.org with questions.   

We will continue to serve on Mondays and Wednesdays, but are changing the time from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.

Meal Pick up will take place in the West Parking Lot, Auditorium Entrance, under the awning.   Please see the map below for driving instructions. Please remember to remain in your vehicle, place your vehicle in park, open your passenger side window, and open your trunk or gate from inside your vehicle.  You are not required to have your student with you to pick up meals. 

This food program is available for all income levels. Anyone with children who are age 1-18 can receive meals. We hope that all of our community will benefit from this service.  

Grace Mcilrath, a junior at GHS, was awarded the highest achievement a student can receive nationally from the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards: the gold medal for her piece, "The Letters of Lord Lavender". The photo from the state award ceremony in March; Grace Mcilrath is on the left and Claire Baechtel is on the right.

Virtual Band:

Mr. Dressler had the opportunity to host a virtual band lesson and invited a composer to work with students.   Here are Mr. Dressler’s thought about the activity:  

“I invited Randall Standridge, the composer of our marching band show "Phoenix Rising," to visit with the band about writing his show, his thoughts on this time we are in, he gave some awesome advice about taking control of the things we have control of and not worrying about the things we can't control, and we also had a bit of time for students to ask him questions. It was truly an amazing time seeing the band students interact with the composer and to see and hear from my band students. I sure miss them! I have attached a couple of pictures of the interaction today.”

Let’s Bake!  

Last week Ms. Skouson started a GNCSD Virtual Baking Club and invited high school students and community members to join. Pretty much it's just a place for students and others to show off their baking done while at home.  Ms. Skouson is posting a baking challenge each week. She is challenging elementary and middle school students as well as high-schoolers. Come on and Let the Baking Begin! Here is the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/GNCSDBaking

Just a reminder…… 

Please continue to remind your students not to gather in large groups, keep social distancing, wash hands often, and stay off the playground equipment.   Be safe, be healthy, stay home!  

Have a wonderful weekend!  

Janet

Interested in volunteering for the Grinnell-Newburg Schools?  There are many ways that you can help to enrich the educational experiences of our students through volunteering.  From reading to a class, to volunteer coaching, to helping out with activities, there is something for everyone. 

Applicants would need to submit a volunteer application and a background check.  Please download the documents and email them to Judy Smith at judy.smith@grinnell-k12.org.  Please call 641-236-2700 with questions. 

Thank you for your interest in volunteering!