Initial Reaction to School Start Date Change

As many of you have probably heard, Governor Branstad has directed the Iowa Department of Education to no longer allow waivers for an early school start date.  School districts are now being told they can start no earlier than the week of September 1st. 

Judging from our community's reaction to my initial calendar proposal last year, the Governor's decision will not be a popular one here locally.  If you recall, my initial calendar proposal had Central starting later and ending later (last week of June).  I revised the calendar because your feedback stated you wanted out of school no later than early June.

I strongly believe voted school board members should make calendar decisions that meet the needs of the communities they represent.  Information I consider in making this decision includes:

• Last night the Central School Board voted in favor of a first reading to expand our college course offerings from 6 college credits to 24 college credits.  Most of these college classes are taught in conjunction with Northeast Iowa Community College.  Unless community colleges are also required to change their calendars Central students taking online classes will have several weeks of courses when other students are in or out of session.  As we look to expand college course opportunities for our students, we need the flexibility to develop a calendar that supports college level learning.
• Sports practices start late July/early August with games also starting in August.  To my knowledge the athletic associations are not being held to the same standards as the school districts.  So we will have practices and games a month before classes even get started.  This will have a negative affect on school spirit and culture. 
• An argument for a later start date is the loss of instructional time due to early dismissals for heat.  This is not an issue at Central, since both buildings have air conditioning.
• Parents state students are ready to get back to school in August.  Teachers state students shut down when the weather gets nice in June.  
• Colleges begin summer courses in early June.  Unless four-year colleges and universities change their summer schedules, both teachers and students will be unable to attend summer school classes in June since school will continue to be in session.
• No research or data shows students starting school in early September learn more or better than those starting in August.
• The difficulty of employing high school students for the tourism industry is invalid for students in our school district.  Jobs in tourism are not available for the youth of our community.  Jobs like the community pool which opens Memorial Day weekend are available.
• The existing law already allows school districts near tourism attractions, e.g., Iowa State Fair, Adventureland, etc. a starting date allowing students to be employed in tourism.  I believe it is inappropriate for the state to dictate when all school districts start because many school districts in tourism areas have chosen not to start later to accommodate the tourism industry.
• A clear message is being sent by local school districts that an earlier start date is better for their students since 99% of Iowa School Districts have requested the early start waiver for this school year.

I believe local control of our schools districts should mean just that.  Let the voters hold our voted school board members accountable for the decisions we make locally.

Pay For College Night

Central will be hosting a "Paying for College" night on Tuesday, December 16th.  This night is open to ALL parents.  Paying and planning for college should start the moment your child is born, and if you are like me you have not done this!  On this night we will have experts that will share simple ways you can prepare for paying for college, no matter if you have a senior or a new born.

1.  6:00-6:30 pm 529 plan info via skype session with Heather Doe from the Iowa College Student Aid Commission - all families need info on saving for college, the ease of setting this up, the best people to hold the 529 so it does not count against financial aid for a student, and how it can be used....she will cover all bases.

2. 6:30-7:00 College classes in high school - 6-11 grade families.   Both NICC and UIU will be present to talk about offerings and readiness.  Mrs. Metcalf will address philosophy that we are not a college but these are offerings that extend what is taught at Central when students are ready, counseling available to understand readiness, how a four year plan helps.

3.  7:00-7:30 Scholarship Searching - Mrs. Metcalf & college reps - tips on how to begin, what you need where to look...for seniors and any interested junior parents.

 4.  6:00-7:15 Applying for the FAFSA- ICAN rep will present this session for seniors and any interested junior parents.

Iowa Food & Fitness Highlights Central

I am always proud when Central gets good press!  A big thank you to Cassie Panther and her work in promoting wellness at Central.

Enjoy the articles: http://iowafoodandfitness.org/wegrow/author/cassie-panther/

3D Printer Coming to Central!

I was notified today that Mr. Ungerer received a grant for a new EKOCYCLE Cube 3D Printer.  This will be a valuable tool as Central looks to expand STEM and Project Based Learning intiatives.

Here is the email:
3D Systems and The Coca-Cola Company are pleased to partner with FIRST® to support theFIRST® Robotics Competition and the FIRST® Tech Challenge, bringing 3D printing technology to FIRST teams in the US and around the Globe.  Congratulations on being awarded an EKOCYCLE™ Cube® 3D printer, which uses post-consumer recycled plastic for its printer cartridges. We are excited to see how you use it to prototype and build your robots!

A very big thank you to Mr. Ungerer for writing the grant and bringing this opportunity to our students!

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone enjoyed the full week of fall break.  As an educator, breaks like these help us reflect on our practice and stay energized throughout the school year. 

With three full weeks until winter break I will be busy preparing for our Department of Education Site-Visit as well as working with teachers in aligning our curriculum with the Iowa Core and placing a stronger emphasis on the individual student.  The Central School Board will also host a work session that will focus on our vision and give clear goals to achieve that vision.  Sometime in the next three weeks Central will also find out if they are awarded the Teacher Leadership and Compensation grant. 

One of the most exciting happenings is Central's work with Struxture Architects.  The timing of this work couldn't be any better based on your feedback in our Parent Survey.  Many of you commented on the fact that we needed a better flow to our school building and that is exactly what Struxture is trying to address.  Struxture Architects will be meeting with our Facilities Committee sometime before winter break.  If you are interested in being a part of this committee please let me know.  Currently I would like to have more students, parents, and business leaders represented on the committee.

As you can see a lot of exciting work taking place at Central.  I am thankful for all of the support each of you give our school district.

Sincerely,
Mr. Trenkamp

Stand Up 4 Public Schools

I recently signed the pledge in support of public schools and I encourage all of my followers to do the same.  The link is found here: http://standup4publicschools.org/

If you follow legislation and the political process, it is amazing how a small group of people can get a lot accomplished.  The majority of us are products of public schools and send our kids to public schools.  Yet, our voice is currently being overpowered by the minority against public schools.  This is proven through the lack of public school funding (Iowa is currently $1650 behind the per-pupil average in the Nation), the false attacks on the Iowa Core, negative media surrounding public education and public teachers, the lack of accountability for home-school, etc.  Supporters of public education need to start fighting back, and yes I said fight.  If we believe in our local school districts, our voice has to start being heard.

I am currently working with other Superintendents of surrounding school districts to ensure our voice is heard.  We are developing a calendar to ensure supporters of public education are at the State Capital at all times.  We need parents to join us!

The Central School Board also approved the following letter to be sent to our local politicians.  These priorities are vital to ensure Central continues to grow and provide a quality education to our kids.  Please let me know if you are interested in being a positive voice for public education and if you are able to attend a trip to Des Moines.  Together our voice will make a difference!

On behalf of the Central Community School District Board of Directors I would like to thank you for representing us in...

With the 2014/2015 general session about to begin, we would like you to consider the following points in representing our school district:

• In many instances, the areas you represent, public schools are the largest employer of the community.  As our State surplus has grown, funding for education has not.  Iowa is now $1,657.00 per pupil spending behind the national average, with only 10 states lowering educational spending more than Iowa.  Iowa ranks 37^th in the nation in terms of per-pupil spending, and this directly correlates with academic performance.  The States that are making education a financial priority are outperforming Iowa.  Iowa has a strong history of being the best in education, please fund our schools at a minimum of 6% State Supplemental Aid so we can once again provide the resources needed to obtain that tradition.  Without this funding, Central Community School District will have to cut teachers and resources, which means we cut academic programs for our students.  Please make this your number one priority.
• Central Community School District strongly supports the Teacher Leadership and Compensation program.  We thank Governor Branstad for recognizing the need to transform our educational system.  Unfortunately, sustainability of this program can only happen if all other school funding streams are fully funded. 
• Supporting a funding mechanism for school districts’ transportation costs that do not reduce funding for the educational program.  This is a major concern for the rural school districts you represent.
• Education Savings Accounts, Vouchers, and Open Enrollment.  Central Community School District records parent survey data that shows how strongly our community supports their school district.  By supporting ESA’s, vouchers, home-school, and open enrollment, you support a decrease in enrollment to our community public schools.  While we support parent choice, those choices should all be held to the same accountability standards as the public schools are held.
• Central Community School District strongly supports the Iowa Core.  Our teachers are starting to see the advantages the Iowa Core has on their instructional practices and improving student achievement. 

We invite you to come and visit Central Community School District and would enjoy the chance to meet face to face as well as give you a tour of our facilities.  Northeast Iowa has excellent public schools that are severely struggling due to lack of funding and a declining enrollment population.  We look forward to working together to address these concerns and improving Iowa’s future workforce.

Central Elementary Fundraiser and Halloween Parade!

Annual Halloween Parade and Student Share-Out

A reminder to join us tomorrow for our Chrysler Drive for Kids Fundraiser and Student Share-Out Day/Halloween Parade.  Details for the day are as follows:

Chrysler Drive for Kids Fundraiser: Main entrance of the school.

Time:  10:30 am – 2:30 pm

What: A quick 5 minute test drive earns the school $10.00.  If we get 150 test drives, Central Elementary gets an additional $500.  Please remember to bring your license and help us raise money for our field trips!

Parent/Community Share Out: Your child’s classrooms.

Time:  12:45 pm – 1:30 pm

What: Parents and community members are invited to tour elementary classrooms as part of a gallery walk so our students can share with you what they have been learning.

Parent Informational Meeting: High School Gymnasium.

Time:  1:35 pm – 2:05 pm

What: Mr. Trenkamp & Mrs. Tuecke will present on Essential Grade Level Standards.

Halloween Parade: High School Gymnasium.

Time:  2:10 pm – 2:30 pm

What: Central Elementary Annual Halloween Parade.  You can pick up your student in his/her classroom after the parade.

I look forward to sharing our learning together and raising money for our Elementary students!

Very Proud of our Central Cross Country Team

Yesterday Central boys and girls both qualified for State!  Both teams have been a class act all season long and have improved greatly.  The strong showing at the district meet (girls 1st and boys 3rd) follows a very strong showing at the Upper Iowa Conference meet where boys and girls both took 1st place.

A big tip of the hat goes out to the Bauder's.  They consistently produce strong runners at Central, and for the size of school we are with limited student body, this is simply amazing.

I also want to thank our athletes, you prove that hard work pays off!  Another thanks to the parents for allowing your children to compete and supporting them along the way.

Very proud of both teams and the Central Cross County program.  Best of luck at State!

Staying Connected!

On Tuesday, Central staff attended a training hosted by Keystone AEA about the importance of being a connected educator.  We started the morning with a concentration on Twitter and Pinterest.  Both offer excellent resources for not only our teachers, but students and parents.  The late morning portion concentrated on Blogging, both classrooms and teacher Blogs.  Obviously if you are reading this, you understand the importance of Blogging as a communication tool.

Central is also looking into upgrading our district website.  We are hoping this upgrade takes place at the start of the second semester.  Central will now also have a Facebook page, the link is www.facebook.com/centralcommunityschool  Please check us out and friend us!  Lastly, we now also have a Hashtag for our district on Twitter.  If you tweet out any information relevant to our school district, use the hashtag #centcs so we can all share and learn together!

I share a lot of information on my twitter account that may geared towards teachers, but parents can also use to increase learning in the home.  I apologize in advance for the occasional Hawkeye and Chicago Cub tweets you may have to weed through!

Together lets work at making Central a connected community.  Please let me know if you have other ideas as well.

Go Warriors!

Central School Board approves new lunch collection policy

Central Parents/Guardians,

Over the last couple months the Central School Board has been discussing implementing a new school lunch policy to address the concern of delinquent lunch accounts.  At one time last year the District was owed $6000 in unpaid lunch accounts.  As of today, the district is owed $3000 with the number growing monthly and no previous policy to address the concern.  Having a healthy lunch account balance affects all Central Stakeholders and taxpayers equally.  Due to this concern the Central School Board requested me to research and present a policy to address delinquent lunch accounts. 

Much discussion took place on what is “fair” and not punishing Central students.  I feel the approved policy is both “fair” and does not punish Central students.  As long as parents/guardians communicate with the school district, NO CHILD will receive an alternative meal.  If parents/guardians refuse to communicate and work with the school district, then yes, their child/ren will receive an alternative meal until communication and a payment plan are in place.  Parents/guardians are also reminded that at anytime they can fill out a free & reduced lunch application if financial circumstances change.  Central also offers a backpack program to help with ensuring our students are eating at home.  All of this information is kept confidential.

I believe you will find the approved policy, which goes into effect immediately, to be one of ample opportunity to address delinquent accounts and a policy that is very similar to policies used effectively by the majority of school districts across the Nation.  The new policy is as follows:

Code No. 710.5 DISTRICT FOOD SERVICE ACCOUNT COLLECTION

Parent(s)/guardian(s) of students are required to pay for meals and milk in advance and maintain a positive “account” balance.  It is the responsibility of the parent(s)/guardian(s) to keep track of the balance in their account and make timely payments to the school to avert a negative balance.  Payments for meals and/or milk should be made to the school or district office.

LOW BALANCE NOTICE:

The District Office will review accounts on a daily basis.  When an account drops below $0.00, an account statement is sent by mail or email.  Once an account is 30 days past due, a phone call from the Superintendent will be made informing parent(s)/guardian(s) that they have 15 days to develop an agreed upon payment plan with the district.  If a plan and attempt to pay has not been made after 45 days past due, students will receive a sandwich as the main dish until an approved payment plan is in place.  If the family account has a negative balance of $10.00 or more, students will not be allowed to charge ala carte purchases.

PAST DUE ACCOUNTS:

The District may file a claim with small claims court or utilize the services of a collection agency and/or legal counsel to secure the collection of unpaid food service debt that is forty-five or more days past due.  Any charges associated with a small claims court filing or fees charged by a collection agency shall be added to the unpaid debt due the District.  The District will delay such action when a parent/guardian agrees to and makes timely payments in accordance with an alternative payment plan to eliminate the debt.

First Reading:   September 15, 2014           Second Reading:  October 20, 2014

If you have any questions surrounding the new policy please feel free to contact me by phone or email.