By Elaine Rassel
The Boards discussed the MMCRU Return-to-Learn Plan/Procedures at their Monday meeting. The following isolation and illness management practices will be followed: Students and staff who are ill or exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 will be directed to stay home. Those developing symptoms of COVID-19 at school will be sent home, including body temperatures of 100.0 degrees or higher (if a student’s body temperature is measured at 99.6 degrees or higher , parents wil be notified). While MMCRU will maintain strict confidentiality in received reports of any staff member or student having a communicable disease or illness, Cherokee/Plymouth County Public Health may be contacted when a report has been received. Contact tracing and self-isolation may be required based on recommendations by local public health.
Students WILL NOT be penalized if they stay home because they are sick with or have been exposed to COVID-19.
Student visits to the school nurse’s office will be limited, and nurse’s office protocol will be changed as follows: Medications will be administered to students in the nurse’s office by certified personnel (medications may be administered in the school office if needed). Additional staff will be equipped to assist students with minor health-related issues at alternative locations.
Handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer will be taught and reinforced. Handwashing will be taught. Hand sanitizer wil be placed in every classroom and throughout the building in common areas and building entries.
The personal use of face coverings and other personal protective equipment (PPE) by staff and students will be allowed.
Some routines and activities within the school will be modified to reduce possible exposure that includes_water bottles will be used at the water fountains. Parent/teachers meetings may be scheduled or conducted through virtual meetings. Posting signage throughout the buildings on ways to stop the spread of illness, properly wash hands, and promote everyday protective measures will be seen.
Educational/classroom routines will be modified to benefit school safety_passing time may be relaxed to promoted hand washing. The utilization of outdoor classrooms will be encouraged when appropriate.
It remains MMCRU Schools/ goal to have the students learning on site, however the following contingencies have been made if the entire district goes to distance learning: All students in grade two through grade twelve will be issued Chromebook laptops and will utilize Google Classroom. All students in PS-Grade 1 will be issued iPads and wil utilize Seesaw. All learning will be REQUIRED whether traditionally on-site or at a distance per the Iowa Department of Education guidelines and Iowa law.
Hybrid learning will occur when the decision has been made by the Governor or the Department of Education that buildings must operate at 50% of capacity. During hybrid learning, the school calendar wil be adjusted and student schedules to accommodate 50% capacity. The goal of hybrid learning is to maintain a high quality of instruction to our students and provide each of them with the necessary capacity, we will continue to practice the guidelines we have in place with the face-to-face traditional on-site model to ensure that all students and staff are kept as safe and healthy as possible.
Distance learning will only occur when the decision has been made by the Governor or the Department of Education that face-to-face traditional learning or a reduced capacity cannot be achieved in a safe manner. During distance learning all students will be at home receiving required instruction online with an altered schedule. The updated Return-to-Learn plan as presented was approved.
There was one resignation that of Rachel Harmelink, a cook at MMC. Kelsey Campe was hired as a para-professional.
The Boards went on to discuss the new ISSL Standards (Iowa’s Standards for School Leaders). Definitions of Effectiveness_Ineffective: Ineffective school leaders may be aware of effective practices but do not consistently demonstrate evidence of implementation. Leadership is inconsistent, ineffective, and in need of significant intervention and assistance.
Developing: Developing school leaders know and model effective practices. They strive to implement consistently and are in the process of building their own capacity to do so. Their leadership shows growth and promise.
Highly Effective: Highly effective school leaders promote and advance effective practices both within and beyond their own school. They serve as a resource to colleagues and local and state organizations because of their impactful leadership and sustained results.
Whole Grade Sharing Costs were gone over by Joe Mohning (SB0) and approved
Remsen-Union Board had sale of school vehicles discussed by them.
There was quite a bit of discussion on a Mascot for MMCRU. There was one pictured of a head of a lion wearing a crown. A similar one was shown from Hopkins (a school in Minnesota). This in a sense is a registered trade mark and probably cannot be used by another school. An attorney would have to look into this. It was said that at one time Cherokee had a mascot that was used by another school in another state. There was a problem with this. Until the next meeting, nothing was finalized.
Toby Young, Principal of MMCRU Middle School/Remsen Elementary reported: The final touches are being done as we’re getting ready to begin the 2021-2022 school year. The custodial staff has done a great job getting our building ready and we greatly appreciate all their hard work. Our teachers have been in the building getting their classrooms ready as well. All teachers are required to put in at least one 8 hour day prior to the first day of school or use Friday, August 20. Our Professional Development calendar for the upcoming year has been shared with all staff and we’re excited about the opportunities to collaborate with each other to continue to build our teaching and learning capacity and support the overall well-being of our students and staff. I encourage our school boards to attend our RIPL training on Thursday, August 19 in the Remsen Auditorium. I believe this will be a great way for all staff to kick off the school year and use what we’ve learned to positively impact MMCRU. We have great students, staff and communities and I know the 2021-2022 school year is going to be great! GO ROYALS.
He also had the 3rd-8th grades ISASP individual class comparison for 2019 and 2021. It compared each grade level to overall state percentages for (NP, P, A).
Upcoming Events included: Monday (Aug. 16) New Teacher, PD. Tuesday (Aug. 17) All Teacher’s PD; and that evening was OPEN HOUSE from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 18) All Teacher’s /Para/s PD; Thursday (Aug. 19) All Staff PD and Friday (Aug. 20) Teacher Work Day/Day off.
Monday, August 23 is the First Day of School and also the First Day of Junior High Athletic Practices for CC, FB, and VB.
Wednesday, August 25 is 1:25 p.m. Dismissal for Teacher PD.
Monday, September 6 there is NO SCHOOL because of Labor Day. And Wednesday, September 8 there is a 1:25: Dismissal for Teacher PD.
Projected Numbers for 2021-2022 School Year include PS (15); TK (20); K (22); Grade 1 (22); Grade 2 (21); Grade 3 (27) and Grade 4 (13). Grade 5 (34); Grade 6 (50); Grade 7 (52) and Grade 8 (53) for a TOTAL of 329 students at Remsen.
As of August 11, 2021 the following JOB OPENINGS at Remsen are available: Paraprofessional (3); ESL Paraprofessional; Special Education Teacher; and Junior High Track Coach.
Travis Sprague, Principal for PK-4th, and 9-12 at MMCRU Marcus Elementary and MMCRU High School reported that the MMCRU Marcus Elementary and MMCRU High School area preparing to welcome students on Monday, August 23. This includes teachers preparing their classrooms, setting up their technology, and planning to meet students’ needs.
During the past month I have participated in meetings with the Iowa Department of Education, School Administrators of Iowa, CMBA architects, various teachers and other groups.
The ISASP Published Reports, for district and state, had been posted and are attached.
Professional Development this year will focus on RIPL, PLCs, Technology for Higher-Order Thinking and Increased student Engagement, and interventions.
In terms of extracurricular activities, our fall sports numbers are strong: Football, Volleyball (30), Cheerleading (14), Dance (10), and cross country 11). High School practice officially began on Monday, August 9.
Tentative Class Numbers for 2021-2022 are PK (32); TK (9); KG (23); Grade 1 (25); Grade 2 (31); Grade 3 (30) and Grade 4 (22) for a TOTAL of 172 in Elementary.
Grade 9 (51 with 1 Alternative School); Grade 10 (54); Grade 11 (48 with 3 Alternative School and 1 Foreign Exchange); and Grade 12 (39 with 1 Alternative School) for a TOTAL of 192 in High School.
Current Openings in Marcus include 3 High School Paraprofessionals and 2 Cooks.
Superintendent Dan Barkel reported: The preparation for the upcoming school year is in full swing. Today was the first inservice/PD day for our new staff members at MMCRU. Tomorrow the veteran staff members will arrive, and we kick off the first contracted day of the year for all staff. We are looking forward to a new and exciting year, and especially look forward to the RIPL training we will undergo on Thursday morning. For a taste of what this is all about, check it out at www.ripltraining.org
Open House will take place August 17 from 5-7 p.m. in both the Marcus and Remsen sites. We invite you to visit and see the first interactions of our staff and students in the new school year.
Placed in the board packet is the Return-to-Learn plan for MMCRU for the 2021-2022 school year. We are mandated to have a plan posted to our website in order to access ESSER funds from the federal government. We need approval by the board of the plan before we can post it to our website.
I will briefly give an overview of the new ISSL (Iowa Standards for School Leaders) standards with the boards tonight. These are the new standards adopted by the Iowa Dept. of Education the are used for evaluative purposed by school administrators and central office staff.
Our SBO, Joe Mohning will give an overview of our whole grade sharing costs with both boards so you have an understanding of our funding in our current situation as two separate districts in a whole grade sharing situation.
The RU Board is being asked to consider approving the sale of two vehicles, a 30 passenger bus that is old and rarely used, and the blue van. We are looking into the possibility of purchasing a Ford Transit, or another vehicle that can be used to transport students for school activities that will not require a licensed bus driver. Used Ford Transits are in short supply, so we are also investigating other potential vehicles that could be used for similar purposes.
The administration of MMCRU has been working on plans needed to secure funding for ESSER III (Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund) from the federal government. On August 10 we held a meeting with individuals representing various stakeholders required from the federal government to examine learning data and decide how to spend the 20% set-aside of funds to address learning loss or to accelerate learning through evidence-based interventions from ESSER III. We are in the process of drafting a plan which will include an updated Return-to-Learn document, which will be posted on our website and Facebook page, allowing for public comment. We need to follow these procedures and more in order to secure this funding from the federal government.
I have been asked by a board member to begin a discussion with the board about the possibility of adopting a school mascot. In the board packets is an example of a mascot from the Hopkins, MN school district which has the “Royals” nickname like MMCRU. Tonight we will merely discuss and gather thoughts, ideas, and opinions. We will not vote to approve or reject the concept. Before we would formally adopt anything like a mascot, we would need to make sure we are not violating any trademark law. We would likely need to consult with a graphic artist to design our own mascot, and run it by an attorney to make sure we are not in violation of any other organizations’ trademark.
We are excited about the new school year! I think it will be a great year for MMCRU, and one of great excitement and positive change, especially in terms of facilities. We have an excellent staff assembled to teach our students and work hand in hand with our families to develop and grow the minds and bodies of our students. GO Royals!
The Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community Schools Regular Board Meeting with Remsen-Union Boards met Monday, August 16, 2021 in the MMCRU Commons at Marcus.
Remsen-Union Board members present were: Poeckes, Talen, , woman,
Absent: No one.
MMC Board members present were: Prunty, Olsen, Staab, and Leavitt. Dreckman was on “phone” from Chicago. Absent: No one.