Penn Pride Newsletter
Book Fair Coming Soon
Our library will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair to provide students with new books and to raise money for the library. Below are the dates you can browse the selection.
November 20th- 3:00 to 7:00
November 21st- 2:00 to 6:00
November 22nd- 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM
More information can be found at https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/pennelementaryschool3.
November Cafeteria Volunteers
**If you are new to volunteering this school year please complete the background check here.
Online Conference Sign-up
You will need your Infinite Campus username and password. If you do not remember your Infinite Campus username and password you can go to the Infinite Campus parent portal login page and select the “Forgot Password” or “Forgot Username” buttons in order to reset your password. Then return to the PTC Wizard login page and try again.
Click here for step by step directions to sign-up
Recording Breaking Hy Vee Receipt Collection
So far we are on track to set a new record at Penn for our Hy Vee receipt total. Below you will find an updated total profit for our school.
Simply drop your receipts in the box inside of the main entrance. We turn your receipt into cash to benefit the school. For every $200 dollars spent at HyVee we get $1. Receipts can be collected from all Hy Vee locations.
If you have online receipts you can take a screenshot and submit them to the pennpto@gmail.com
Yearbook Cover Art Contest
Calling all 5th Grade Artists!
The school yearbook needs your help in creating a new cover! We are in need of a creative individual (or group) to create an original 2-D work on an 8.5 x 11-inch paper. You can use any medium on the paper, but it must be created in portrait style, with the short ends on the top and bottom.
Use your time to show off what makes Penn Elementary great! The artwork will be returned to the artist at the end of the contest, so be sure to put your NAME and CLASS CODE on the BACK in pencil! Any identifying marks on the front will need to be modified prior to submission.
Let’s see your great designs! Make sure to turn in your submissions to your teacher or the main office by Thursday, November 7.
More detailed instructions for teachers/parents
New Dates: Music Sharing Events
This year we will have our music sharing events after student hours to allow parents to come attend your child's performance. These will be multi grade level events where kids have short performance. See below for your dates and times:
- Kindergarten-2nd grade: January 28th starting at 6:00
- 3rd-5th grade May 13th starting at 5:00; Glow Show from 6:00-7:00
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
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
