Hello -

Congratulations on a successful completion to the 2023-2024 school year!

As always, thank you for your support along the way. You share your most precious commodity with us, and you entrust us to keep them safe while furthering their academic and social development. This is a tall task; it's what makes our jobs difficult, but it's also what makes our jobs meaningful. Thank you for this amazing opportunity.

Be aware that end-of-year reports should have been sent home with your child. Additionally, kindergarten through fourth grade students should have received a note outlining their anticipated classroom teacher for the 2024-2025 school year. There are a lot of moving parts that go into developing these class lists. Please know that we spend a lot of time working to make sure that all of our students have the best fit possible. Due to the time that we have already spent creating class lists, it makes accommodating new requests for placements very difficult.

If your child left items at school, please make arrangements to get them; items NOT picked-up by June 6th will be donated.

Recently, we've been collecting some end-of-year community feedback. We will spend some time further analyzing the responses that we've received over the summer months in preparation for next school year. You can expect further analysis in August. However, some initial themes from the survey responses are outlined below:

Keep Doing

• Birthday Selfies and Rocket Boosters
• Communication: posting pictures on social media, teacher updates, text reminders, weekly newsletters
• Dance Marathon, Spring Fling, Workout Wednesday, and other activies/events that involve families

Stop Doing

• Carline: 1) Allowing vehicles to get away with not following the procedures, and 2) too many reminders about the carline procedures
• Holding our music concerts during the school day

Start Doing

• Holding our music concerts at the end-of-the-school day or at night
• Hosting more events/opportunities for families to come into the school

I hope that everyone has a wonderful summer; rest, relax, and enjoy. See you, again, for the 2024-2025 school year!

- Eric Ewald
Principal, Van Allen Elementary

We are excited to participate again in the Summer Food Service Program this summer. We will provide free meals and snacks to all children on a first-come, first-served basis. The program will run from June 17 to August 2, 2024, with a break from July 1 to 6, when all sites will be closed. The locations and schedules are as follows:

Antelope Mobile Lending Library: Afternoon snacks will be served as noted below from June 19 through August 10, 2024, at the following stops:

• Wednesdays:
• Western Hills Mobile Home Park, 3701 2nd St, Coralville (1:15 to 2:45 pm)
• Breckenridge Mobile Home Park, 4494 Taft Ave SE, Iowa City (3:30 to 5:00 pm)
• Waterfront HACAP Office, 367 Southgate Ave, Iowa City (5:30 to 7:00 pm)
• Fridays:
• Coralville Food Pantry, 804 13th Ave, Coralville (12:30 to 2:00 pm)
• Mercer, 1317 Dover St, Iowa City (3:15 to 4:45 pm)
• Saturdays:
• Regency Mobile Home Park, 4455 Oak Crest Hill Rd, Iowa City (12:15 to 1:15 pm)
• Casey’s, 1904 Broadway St, Iowa City (1:45 to 3:15 pm)
• Open Heartland, 3 E Benton St, Iowa City (5:00 to 6:30 pm)

Coralville Food Pantry: 804 13th Ave, Coralville

• Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays:
• Lunch from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm
• Afternoon snack from 1:00 to 1:30 pm
• Closed on June 19, 2024

Hills Elementary School: 301 Main St, Hills

• Mondays and Wednesdays only, grab & go meals including breakfast and lunch for 2 to 3 days provided from noon to 1:00 pm.

Iowa City Public Library: 123 S Linn St, Iowa City

• Monday through Friday, afternoon snack from 2:00 to 2:30 pm
• Open June 17 through August 9, 2024, except for July 4, when the library is closed.

Wetherby Park: 2400 Taylor Drive, Iowa City

• Monday through Friday, morning snack from 10:30 to 11:00 am

We are seeking to hire 6.5 hours/day (7:55am - 2:55pm) special education paraeducators for the 2023/2024 school year. These positions are considered full-time and come with benefits. For more information and/or to apply, please visit the link that is inserted below.

Any questions can be sent via email to ewald.eric@iowacityschools.org.

Please share this information with others who you think might be interested in either of these opportunities. Thanks!

We are excited to announce that registration for the 2024-25 school year is now open! We encourage you to take this early opportunity to register your students for the next school year.

As a reminder, all families are required to register their students in Infinite Campus each year. Please use the link below to register your child(ren). Remember to select the school year “24-25” to register for next year.

Registration instructions for returning families to the District

Families who need assistance with the registration process may attend on-site registration at their home school which will be held this summer. On-site registration schedules will be shared at a later date.

We thank you for taking the time to register your students early as it helps greatly with our staffing efforts over the spring and summer.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

We would like to notify you of the 2024-25 Pay-to-Ride program, which is available to families that do not qualify for mandatory transportation as required by the State of Iowa.

Iowa Code 285.1.a. The Board of Directors in every school district shall provide transportation, either directly or by reimbursement for transportation, for all resident pupils attending public school, kindergarten through twelfth grade, except that:

1. Elementary pupils shall be entitled to transportation only if they live more than two miles from the school designated for attendance.
2. High school pupils shall be entitled to transportation only if they live more than three miles from the school designated for attendance.

If you have any questions, before applying, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email at Davis.Esme@iowacityschools.org.

The Pay-to-Ride program details are available on the attached Pay-to-Ride application and on our District website at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Transportation.

Payment and Fees for Service

• Pay-to-Ride fee is:
• $650 per student, per year, round trip
• $390 per student, per year, round trip, for students who qualify for reduced-price lunch.
• $0 per student, per year, round trip, for students who qualify for free lunch.
• Full payments must be made no later than June 7, 2024, to be included on a bus roster for the start of the school year.
• Applications submitted after June 8th through September 8th will be included on a bus no later than September 27 if space available. Efforts will be made to make placements earlier; however, a date prior to September 27th cannot be guaranteed and remains dependent on space being available.
• After September 8 applicants will be notified no later than 10 school days from submission if space available.
• Applications will be accepted after the due date while capacity remains on existing routes. (Note: Students will only be assigned to existing bus stops and routes; buses will not be re-routed to accommodate requests.)
• Students are not eligible to ride until payment is received and the application is approved.

Application Process

1. To apply for pay-to-ride busing, please complete the attached Pay-to-Ride application.
2. Payment can only be made online: https://www.myschoolbucks.com
3. Mail or bring your application and receipt from MySchoolBucks to the following address:
   Iowa City Community School District
   Transportation Department
   1725 N Dodge Street
   Iowa City, IA 52245

If you are interested in participating in the Pay-to-Ride program, please return the application and payment no later than June 7, 2024, to be considered for a bus roster for the start of the school year.

Sincerely,

Esme Davis
Transportation Manager
Iowa City Community School District

• Register today to secure your spot!

Dear Parent/Guardian of Van Allen 6th graders,

Iowa law requires all students entering 7th grade to have proof of two additional vaccines before they can start school in the fall. They will need a tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis booster (Tdap) and their first dose of the meningococcal conjugate (MCV4) vaccine.

Please check your child’s immunization record or call their healthcare provider to determine if they have received these vaccines, and make an appointment if necessary. Additional resources:

• Johnson County Public Health provides immunizations to children with or without health insurance, please call 319-356-6042 to make an appointment.

• If your child does not have insurance, they may qualify for an appointment at Healthy Kids School-Based Clinic. Call or text 319-631-3204 to see if you qualify for an appointment.

According to state law, students will not be able to start school on the first day of 7th grade without proof of having received these vaccines or a qualifying medical or religious exemption. It is important to contact your healthcare provider soon, as summer appointments fill up quickly.

If your student has already had their 7th grade vaccinations, please send them to me prior to the end of the school year and I will forward it along with their health file to their middle school nurse. If your student will receive the vaccinations over the summer, plan to email the record to your student’s middle school nurse prior to the start of next school year. If your student will attend North Central Junior High, their school nurse will be Christel Philipp, philipp.christel@iowacityschools.org. If your student will attend a different middle school within the ICCSD, find the nurse's email at this link.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Haley Pins, RN, BSN

School Nurse

Buford Garner Elementary and Van Allen Elementary

Health Services, ICCSD

We want to remind you that your mental health matters. While there is much to celebrate within our school district family, we also recognize the challenges many face throughout the year. As summer approaches, we understand that this transition can bring a new set of challenges for many. It is important that you are aware of local resources that can provide support throughout the year, including during the summer months.

Below is a list of local and national support services. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know needs help.

In addition, our District maintains and continuously updates a webpage dedicated to support resources available to our community. Don’t hesitate to visit www.IowaCitySchools.org/Support to access the resources below and more. A QR code linking to this support page is printed on every secondary student’s school ID.

We genuinely hope you have a safe and healthy summer!

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

Examples of Local and National Mental Health Support Services:

CommUnity Crisis Services & Mobile Crisis Outreach: Mobile Crisis operates in our community as a mental health crisis response. CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank has counselors equipped to help individuals struggling with a wide variety of issues. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, thinking of suicide, or experiencing overwhelming mental health symptoms, Mobile Crisis is there to respond to you in person.

• To contact the Mobile Crisis team, please call 1-855-581-8111 and ask to meet with Mobile Crisis counselors.
• Crisis Phone/Text: 988
• Food Bank: 319-351-0128
• https://builtbycommunity.org/

Johnson County Social Services: Comprehensive resource directory of services available across Johnson County.

• Phone: 319-356-6090

• Website: https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/social-services/resource-directory

United Action for Youth: Prevention and intervention services specifically aimed at supporting youth and their families.

• Phone: 319-338-7518
• Website: https://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/

Four Oaks: Network of programs available across the state to support children and their families.

• Phone: 319-364-0259
• Website: https://www.fouroaks.org/

ChildServe: Specialized support for children with mental health concerns, developmental delays, disabilities, injuries, and other special healthcare needs.

• Phone: 319-351-5437
• Website: https://www.childserve.org/

IC Compassion: Community services aimed at supporting our immigrant families

• Phone: 319-330-9883
• Website: https://www.iccompassion.org/

Abbe Mental Health Center: Provides a variety of behavioral health service options to provide help and healing with expertise in nearly all aspects of counseling, mental health and psychiatric treatment.

• Phone: (319) 338-7884
• Website: https://www.unitypoint.org/cedarrapids/abbe-mental-health-center.aspx

University of Iowa - Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Resources: Multiple options for mental health care and support through the University of Iowa

• Website: https://mentalhealth.uiowa.edu/mental-health-resources/
• Website: https://uichildrens.org/health-library/suicidal-adolescent-family-empowerment-safe-program

988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Provides 24/7, free and confidential support for anyone in crisis.

• Phone: 988
• Website: https://988lifeline.org/

If you or someone you know has attempted suicide or is facing imminent physical harm, please call 911 immediately.

Please see the attachment, below, for information about our before and after school program, open gym program, and rental opportunities at Van Allen through the Coralville Parks & Recreation Department.

Our District cooperates with approved community partners by posting eflyers online and distributing them electronically through our service provider, Peachjar. As part of our efforts to be more environmentally friendly, embrace innovative technology, and maintain fiscal responsibility, we have transitioned from paper to electronic flyer delivery.

• Listing of Van Allen Elementary's Current Peachjar Flyers

Do you know a deserving Van Allen staff member who you would like to recognize with a Shine Award? Nomination can be completed here.

Students, Families, and Employees - The Ombuds Office is here to help! Visit https://www.iowacityschools.org/services-supports/ombuds to learn more!

We are continuing to embrace the HRS framework at Van Allen and throughout the ICCSD. Please see this linked form (also inserted, below) that helps us achieve Leading Indicator 1.6, "Students, parents, and the community have formal ways to provide input regarding the optimal functioning in the school."

This will be a standing item in our newsletter. Please note that submitting an idea to this form does not ensure that it will be implemented. Once we have a collection of responses to share, we will plan to include a recurring section within our newsletter dedicated to providing feedback and/or any response in regards to the different ideas that we have received from this form.

We use these platforms (below) to highlight our accomplishments (including pictures) and share relevant announcements and reminders.

Email: ewald.eric@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://vanallen.iowacityschools.org/
Location: 170 Abigail Avenue, North Liberty, IA, United States
Phone: (319)688-1185
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JVANorthLiberty/?ref=settings
Twitter: @VanAllen_ICCSD

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Eric Howard, Director of Equity and Employee Relations, 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245, 319-688-1000, howard.eric@iowacityschools.org.