Penn Pride Newsletter
Morning Carline Update
If you are parking on the north side of the school and we have stopped you we thought you'd like to know why. We are holding traffic in an effort to keep Dubuque Street cleared in addition to making room in the drop off zone in front of the school. This normally only happens between 7:50-7:55 as we see necessary. Thank you for your patience and helping us get our 500+ kids to school safely each morning.
Mileage Club
Back by popular demand Mileage Club will be starting again this fall. This in an activity offered during lunch recess to promote physical activity and is popular among our students. We are seeking volunteers to count laps and punch cards to help students earn prizes. Click the link to sign up as a volunteer.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0A48ACAD2EA0FA7-50989363-mileage
Cell Phone and Smart Watch Guidance
Allowed Use:
Personal Devices (i.e., cell phones, smart watches, tablets, personal laptops, etc.): Students may use personal devices while school is in session when permission is given and under the direct supervision of a school staff member. Users should be courteous and respectful of others. All devices must be put away/secured, and ringers silenced before entering the classroom. Devices in use or view during class time may be confiscated by staff (this includes using phones to listen to music). Personal devices are allowed to be used on the school bus; however, all expectations of appropriate use/restrictions during the school day still apply. Students who refuse to comply will be subject to school consequences. Additionally, students are not allowed to have headphones/earbuds on or in their ears during class unless permission is granted by the supervising adult.
The district will not be held accountable for lost or stolen items brought to school by a student.
Restrictions:
- Profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, language that is harassing, any form of bullying, derogatory, or otherwise inappropriate for the school environment is not permitted. Language that promotes illegal activity or dangerous acts, is lewd or offensive, creates a material disruption to the school environment, or contains knowingly false, recklessly false, or defamatory information is not permitted.
- Users shall not display, send, retrieve, or download any items that are sexually explicit or contain hate-based or discriminatory material.
- Users shall notify a staff member in the event inappropriate material is inadvertently accessed. Users must not distribute contents described or will be subject to disciplinary action.
- Videos or photos (audio or visual recordings) to record the activities of others or to violate the privacy of others is not permitted.
- Devices cannot be used to cheat on school-assigned tasks.
September Cafeteria Volunteers
**If you are new to volunteering this school year please complete the background check here.
ICCSD Attendance Policy Update
Reporting Absences:
If your child will be absent, please notify your school’s attendance office before the start of the school day. You can do this by creating an Absence Request in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or by calling the school attendance office. If we do not hear from you, the school will reach out to confirm your student’s safety and ensure you are aware of their absence.
State Attendance Requirements:
The Iowa Department of Education has implemented strict guidance that requires schools to address absenteeism. As part of this, schools will send notifications to guardians when a student has missed a certain number of days each grading period.
- First Letter: A written notification that your child has missed a certain number of days.
- Second Letter: A certified letter sharing that your child has reached 10% absenteeism in a grading period and that the district was required to inform the county attorney.
- Third Letter: If your child reaches 15% absenteeism, a School Engagement meeting will be scheduled, and an Absenteeism Prevention Plan will be created. If these steps are not followed, the county attorney may initiate legal proceedings.
Additional information about the State’s attendance requirements and absence exemptions, as well as district guidance, is available on the updated Attendance Page of our District website.
New Technology Information: Emailed blurb from 8/20/24
Welcome back! I hope you’ve had an amazing summer and are feeling refreshed and ready to roll into the new school year! I also hope you’ve had a chance to read the email sent by the school district on August 19, 2024, regarding technology. I wanted to follow up with some details that will directly impact our students.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, the school no longer has loaner computers available for students who forget to bring their devices from home or break them due to new devices being deployed to students in the spring. While we were able to provide this option in the past, several factors have led us to discontinue it. It is now critical that students bring their Chromebooks to school every day, as some instruction and testing are specifically designed to be completed using their devices.
To help ensure that students are always prepared, we strongly encourage them to leave their Chromebooks at school. However, if your child does need to bring their device home, please remind them to pack it in their school bag before leaving in the morning.
Please pay close attention to the paragraph about securely. Guardians can receive a weekly email with highlights of their student’s online activities and access to the Securly Home portal for further monitoring and restricting off-campus access. This is a powerful tool and I recommend all parents sign up for the weekly updates.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. If you have questions after reading this message please feel free to email Mr. Brandon at brandon.david@iowacityschools.org or Mrs. Hemann at hemann.salina@iowacityschools.org
Liberty Color Run
Get ready to kick off Liberty's Homecoming week with some colorful fun! Join the Liberty Community for the 2nd Annual Color Run on Sunday, September 15, at Liberty High School.
- Event Start: 10:00am
- Location: Liberty High School
- Distance Options: 1 mile or 5k
- Extras: Kona Ice and an Inflatable Obstacle Course!
This exciting event is a fundraiser for the LIberty Fund, that supports various school programs and activities. Come out, get active, and enjoy a great day!
ICCSD Birthday Celebration Policy
Teachers will share with you the guidelines for their grade levels:
Our District is deeply committed to ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment for all our students. In response to the rising concerns about food allergies and childhood obesity, we've made adjustments to our District's Wellness Policy concerning classroom snacks, birthday treats, and classroom celebrations. Please be aware that some elementary schools have chosen to celebrate birthdays without food, so we recommend checking with your child's school to learn about their specific practice.
When food is served to students in the classroom for snacks, birthday celebrations, or classroom festivities, we follow these guidelines:
- Only fresh fruits/vegetables or store-bought items with clear ingredient lists are permitted (homemade foods are not allowed).
- Foods served must align with the Healthy Food Guidelines/Smart Snacks (with the only exception being food related to District-approved curriculum lessons).
- Foods containing peanuts or peanut butter, or those produced in facilities with potential cross-contamination, are not allowed.
- Any food items that do not meet these guidelines will be sent back home.
- We will provide parents and teachers with a list of approved foods (Healthy Food Guidelines/Smart Snacks) at the beginning of the school year.
These measures are designed to promote the health and well-being of our students while maintaining a positive and inclusive learning environment. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in supporting our commitment to their safety and health.
Click here for the district guidelines
Animals on School Property
606.3 - Animals in the School District
Updated May 1 2024
Adoption Date: 06/22/2021
History: 4/26/22 (updated), 3/28/23 (reviewed), 3/26/24 (reviewed)
Live animals will not be allowed in school district facilities except under special circumstances and only for an educational purpose. Permission from the principal or deputy superintendent will be required of anyone wishing to bring an animal into school district facilities. Appropriate supervision of animals is required when animals are brought into the school district facilities.
The person bringing the animal must furnish transportation for the animal brought to school.
It is the responsibility of the principal to determine appropriate supervision of animals in the classroom. Specific guidance regarding visiting animals and resident animals is provided in guidelines 606.3G1 and 606.3G2. This policy is not intended to address the use of service animals, assistive animals, therapy animals, or emotional support animals on District property. Guidance for use of Service Animals and Therapy Animals is contained in Policy 105.
Policy References:
Iowa Code § 279.8
Click here for the full policy
Penn Pride Rock Sign-up
Penn Pride Rock- Penn's Pride Rock is a way to celebrate your child. For $15 a day (proceeds to the Penn PTO) you are able to paint a message on the rock to celebrate your child's special day. Click here to reserve your spot.
Funding assistance is available for any family. If you are needing assistance email Mr. Brandon at brandon.david@iowacityschools.org
