UNITY NEWS MAY

On Wednesday, May 1st, Unity Elementary will have TK and Kindergarten registration for the 2019-2020 school year. There will be NO TK or Kindergarten classes on that day!!

Thursday, May 9th--Writer's Celebration! (All Grades) End of day

This all-student book exchange program takes place once a month in the library from 8:20-8:35 am. Students may bring up to 5 books to exchange, and they will receive a book tag for attending. Please remind students to wear their book tag chain each time they attend! The FINAL Bring a Book, Take a Book date for this school year is:

Friday, May 10th

This year's Carnival will be held on Wednesday, May 15th, from 6:00-7:30! Please plan on stopping by for games, food, and fun!

On Thursday, May 16th, Unity will be hosting a spring Music Celebration! There will be two performances during the day: 9:30 am and 2:00 pm. The concert will include 4th and 5th grade Orchestra! Friends and Family are encouraged to attend one of the performances. Come see us sing, play, and dance!

This year's Field Day will be held on Tuesday, May 21st.

Grades 3rd-5th will celebrate field day from 9:00 - 11:00 am. Grades TK - 2nd will celebrate field day from 1:00-3:00 pm.

This spring, Unity's 3rd grade classes have had the opportunity to spend a day at Fairview Schoolhouse, a one room schoolhouse located on Country Club Boulevard. Students had the chance to step back in time and experience pioneer life firsthand. Kids dressed similar to how pioneer children dressed in the late 1890's and got to see what a school day was like for them. The Fairview schoolhouse was built in Holstein, Iowa, in 1882, then moved to it's current location in 1970.

On Tuesday, April 23rd, Mrs. Versluis' TK class and Mrs. Poulson's Kindergarten class cleaned up trash outside the front of Unity Elementary School to celebrate Earth Day! Thank you to all who participated in helping keep Unity looking great!

Unity Girls 5th grade book club meets once a week after school. They are reading the book Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper. In this novel, Melody Brooks is an eleven-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. Melody's body is stiff and uncooperative, forcing her to use a wheelchair. Her mind works well, but she cannot speak. The theme of the book is implicit, and is that everyone has a right to be respected and loved for who they are.

On Thursday, April 11th, our 4th and 5th grade band students performed a concert for students, staff, and parents!

Mrs. Den Herder's 3rd grade has been playing Survivor in their classroom. Mrs. Den Herder is a longtime fan of the show and thought this would be an inviting way to get students working together as a team and challenging their minds all while reviewing math and ELA topics in preparation for the Iowa standardized test at the end of April. There will be tribes, challenges, immunity, rewards, tribal buffs, and tribal council! Votes will go to the tribe member who has shown the most teamwork and improvement! Mrs. Den Herder did an awesome job of decorating her classroom to fit the theme of Survivor. Good luck to her students while they attempt to Outwork, Outplay, and Outlast to become the "Sole Survivor"

This month Mrs. Clymer, from Ag in the Classroom, taught 2nd grade students in Ms. Moser's class all about the Life Cycle, and various uses, of Soybeans!

On Tuesday, April 9th, Unity's Title I teachers hosted Pop Open a Good Book! This event was open to all 4th and 5th grade students and their parents. Parents were invited to come to Unity to learn about different reading strategies and then were able to spend time reading a book with their child.

Attention Parents: Student medication for end of 2017-2018 school year

Student medication and/or medical supplies will be sent home with your child on the last day of school. If you would like to make other arrangements, please contact the school office before the last day of school. Any unused medication that remains at school will be given to the School Resource Officers for proper disposal. Thank you

Paying School Fees is Quick and Easy Online

Do you have school fees that need to be paid? Visit www.siouxcityschools.org and click on the “Parents” tab to pay your fees online. On the drop-down menu of the “Parents” tab, you can select either “Pay Curriculum Resource Fees” or “Pay Lunch Balance.” Both links will take you to “My School Bucks” to complete the payment transaction. Payment for curriculum resource fees can be made under the “School Store” by selecting “Categories” and then “Curriculum Fees.” If you have any questions, please contact our school’s bookkeeper. Thank you.

Kindergarten and 3rd Grade Students

According to Iowa law, all children enrolling in kindergarten and 3rd grade are required to evidence of a vision screening no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no more than 6 months after the date of your student’s enrollment. Vision screening forms are available through eye care professional, from your school nurse, or at the following website, https://idph.iowa.gov/Portals/1/userfiles/88/Cert%20of%20Vision%20ScrnDec2015%20wFacts%20Fillable_FINAL.pdf

7th and 12th Grade Immunization Requirements

Iowa Immunization law requires that all students entering 7th grade have both a Meningococcal vaccination and a Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis/whooping cough) vaccination before school starts in the fall.

Iowa law requires that all students entering 12th grade have a Meningococcal vaccination. The requirement is 2 doses of meningococcal (A, C, W, Y) vaccine for students in grade 12, if born after September 15, 1999; or 1 dose if received when students are 16 years of age or older are required before school starts in the fall.

The Tdap requirement has been in place since the 2013/14 school year and requires a booster dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, and acellular Pertussis containing vaccine for students entering 7th grade, regardless of the interval since the last Tetanus/Diphtheria containing vaccine. Pertussis (whooping cough) is a very contagious disease that causes violent coughing fits that make it hard to breathe.

The meningococcal vaccine has been required since the start of the 2017/18 school year. Meningococcal disease is a life-threatening illness that is caused by bacteria that infects the brain, blood, and spinal cord. It easily spreads in crowded settings. The vaccine is required prior to both the 7th and 12th grades.

What does this mean for you? You will need to call your physician’s office to make an appointment for these vaccines. You will need to check your home records or call your physician’s office to see what your student’s status is. If you do not have insurance, you can contact the Siouxland District Health Department at 279-6119. Please send a copy of your student’s updated immunization record to the school nurse prior to the first day of school. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Kindergarten & 9th Grade Students

According to Iowa law, all Iowa children enrolling for the first time in Kindergarten or 9th grade must have a dental screening on file. It’s required per Iowa law! According to this law: Screening must occur no earlier than 1 year before enrollment and no later than 4 months after enrollment. If you think you have already sent this form to school, please double check with your student to make sure that they have turned it into the nurse’s office. Screenings can be performed by dentists or dental hygienists.

Here is a link to the dental form. http://www.siouxcityschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Certificate_of_Dental_Screening_9.13.12.pdf Please have this form filled out by your dental provider and turned in to your high school.

Free Summer Meal Program for Children - Open Sites

Sioux City, IA – The Sioux City Community School District is once again participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Beginning June 3, 2019 thru July 26, 2019, meals are available Monday -Friday for all children ages 1-18 years without charge. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. All locations will be closed on July 4. All Breakfast serving times are 7:30 -8:45 a.m. and lunch serving times are 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

· Hunt Elementary School at 1114 W. 27th St. serving lunch only.

· Loess Hills Elementary School at 1717 Cassleman St. serving breakfast and lunch.

· Irving Dual Language Elementary School at 901 Floyd Blvd. serving breakfast and lunch.

· Leeds Elementary School at 3919 Jefferson St. serving breakfast and lunch.

· Liberty Elementary School at 1623 Rebecca St. serving breakfast and lunch.

· Morningside STEM Elem at 3601 Bushnell Ave. serving breakfast and lunch.

· Leeds Park Splash Pad at 3810 41st St. serving lunch only. 10:45-11:30a.m. (mobile food truck)

· Spalding Park Environmental Sciences Elem at 4101 Stone Ave. serving breakfast and lunch.

· West High School June 4th thru June 28th. 2001 Cassleman St. serving breakfast and lunch.

· Boys & Girls Home at 2101 Court St. serving lunch only.

· Glendale Baptist Church at 1600 Glendale Blvd. serving lunch only.

· #1 (mobile food bus) June 3rd thru Aug 9th

o Leeds Splash Pad at 3810 41st St serving lunch only 10:30-11:00am (mobile food bus)

o Dale Street Park at 913 15th St serving lunch only 11:15-11:45am (mobile food bus)

o Rosehill Park at 1405 Grandview serving lunch only 12:00-12:15am (mobile food bus)

· #2 (mobile food bus) June 3rd thru Aug 9th

o Children’s Launch Pad at 623 Pearl St. serving lunch only. 10:30-11:15a.m. ( food bus)

o Cone Park Splash Pad at 3800 Line Drive serving lunch only 11:45am-12:30 (food bus)

o Verizon Camp at WiTT serving lunch only 12:45pm-1:15pm. June 10 thru June 28. Monday thru Thursday (mobile food bus)

· St. Luke Lutheran Church at 2039 S. St. Aubin St. serving lunch only.

· Trimble United Methodist Church at 1424 27th St. serving lunch only.

· Midtown Family Center 525 14th st. open June 3 thru Aug 9, 2019 serving lunch and snack. Snack served at 3:00-3:30p.m.

· Martin’s Evergreen Trailer Park 5309 Hwy 75N serving breakfast and lunch.

· Miracle Park Splash Pad 100 Riverside Blvd. serving lunch only.

· Hop-A-Lot fun center at So Hills Mall (Younkers bldg.) serving lunch only.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Iowa Non-Discrimination Statement:

“It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office building, 400 E. 14th St. Des Moines, IA 50319-1004; phone number 515-281-4121, 800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/.

1. Parents can plan ahead for school supplies for the 2019-2020 School Year: https://www.siouxcityschools.org/supply-lists/

Between April 8 and May 24, 2019, your child/children in 4th, 6th, 9th, and 11th grade will be invited to complete a Social and Emotional Health screening. This is a survey that asks students questions about their social and emotional health, family and school safety. If you do not wish to have your student participate in the Social and Emotional Health screening, please complete the PPRA Notice form found online in the District Forms by April 5, 2019.

The Sioux City Community School District is committed to providing an environment where students and staff members are treated with dignity and respect. We recognize that we are not unique, in that we experience the challenges of school and community-based bullying, yet we want to be unique in serving as a District that works to make a significant and positive difference in this arena. Please, join us in the effort to maintain a safe and healthy school environment. Visit our website, www.siouxcityschools.org/anti-bullying-harassment-hazing/, to learn more about our anti-bullying policy, view resources to help us combat bullying, or report concerns. We also welcome your feedback. Consider sharing your ideas or concerns using the Let’s Talk tool on our website.