School District Roundup: Take-home meals available to students starting today

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Free take-home meals will be available for Charles City students ages 18 and under, beginning Thursday at Washington Elementary School, the district said.

This service will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“Please enter Washington Elementary from 16th Ave., follow the direction of the signage and those working,” the district said in a statement. “Pickup will be on the north side of Washington Elementary and exit to North Grand Ave. There are two stops to make before you receive food.”

The school district asks that if traveling by car, please stay in the car. The district plans to begin additional delivery sites beginning on Monday, March 23.

The service during the novel coronavirus shutdown, which will last until at least April 13, will be similar to the the Summer Food Service program.

“Charles City Family members will be directing traffic as well as those walking. Staff will collect family names and distribute meals for students that are enrolled in our school district,” the district stated. “This includes home school, virtual, Carrie Lane High School and IC Catholic school students, due to our partnership with the music program.”

Students do not need to accompany the pick up person. No pre-orders are necessary.

In other school shutdown-related information, the district has now officially canceled the CCHS spring drama production, which was to be “M*A*S*H.” The Iowa State Music Solo and Ensemble Contest has also been cancelled, as has Iowa State Large Group Band, Choir and Orchestra.

The school’s annual “Jivin’ With Jazz” fundraiser is still listed as postponed.

• All the Charles City campuses are closed. Beginning today, school personnel will be answering phone calls to schools remotely from their homes, but they can only take one phone call at a time. If the call is not urgent, the district asks that parents continue to text and email. Central Services will be open by appointment only.

• Grade-level teams in (PK-8) are in the process of creating one site or classroom per grade level for parents and students to go to for educational resources and teacher communication. The district will be opening up the virtual classrooms for parents, as they have become the chief facilitator of learning for students. This link will go live on Monday. Teachers will be reaching out to individual families this week to check-in.

• Charles City High School students enrolled in NIACC classes should continue with their coursework through online options. Students should connect with instructors this week.

• The school district is offering mental health services to students who can benefit from extra support during the COVID-19 school closure. Virtual mental health is up and running on the district’s website. School counselors and its social worker are available to support students and families during this time. Fill out an online form to schedule a time to talk with a school counselor virtually or by phone. The counselors and social worker have also compiled many resources and services to meet the social and emotional needs of children and families.

• The district will not have to make up the days missed due to the COVID-19 shutdown. The Iowa Senate and Iowa House have agreed to waive the hours requirement for Iowa schools.

• Students are welcome to complete any missing work during the shutdown. Students will also have the opportunity to take corrective action once school resumes.

• The ACT test scheduled for April 4 has been rescheduled to June 13. Those registered for the April 4 test will be receiving information directly from ACT. The district is still waiting on guidance from the Department of Education on the status of state ISASP testing.

Charles City Community Schools will continue with daily updates to the community for as long as there is news to share. Look for these updates through text and email each day around 6 p.m. Visit the district’s website to sign up for “Community-Wide Notifications.”