May 2019
Monthly Newsletter
Issue 28
Mission:
To educate all students to succeed by ensuring quality leadership, curriculum, and instruction.
2018-2019 Year In Review
It all begins with you ! The parents who entrust the district and community to provide their children with a safe and nurturing environment where they can grow and develop skills to be successful. 

It begins with you ! The community members who entrust the district to provide students with a learning environment reflective of the needs of the community, region, state, and world.

It begins with you ! The staff member who develop a positive connection with each student and provides them with the essential tools to be well-rounded members of the community.

It begins with you ! The students who never cease to amaze us with your creativity, ambition, and desire to learn.

You are the reason the district is precision focused on meeting the goals and objectives of the strategic plan as outlined below:
  • Student Achievement
  • Facilities & Finance
  • School Culture
  • Community & State Partnerships
  • Staff Engagement

The change from trimester to semester scheduling provides students with greater continuity in instruction and learning. Phase II of 1:1 technology at the high school is successful as students, teachers, and staff learn, adapt, and thrive in the new learning environment. Successful implementation of a new comprehensive assessment (NWEA) to analyze and improve student achievement, instruction, and curriculum has taken place.

The budget is managed to maintain a balanced approach to provide quality educational services while being mindful of taxpayer resources. The annual audit reflects sound fiscal management and governance of educational resources.

We kept our commitment to provide a safe and secure learning environment and installed secure access and surveillance systems. We partnered with the Clarinda police department to conduct K9 searches of district facilities and grounds emphasizing a drug-free environment. We implemented Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) to model and support high expectations for appropriate behaviors and positive relationships.

We continue the focus on developing partnerships and engaging our parents and community members in our work by providing you opportunities to participate in school activities, events, and surveys. This partnership creates the bond and foundation that supports the education of all students, and we always welcome your involvement. We engage with our legislators as they visit our schools, meet with stakeholders and the school board to understand the needs and impact of legislation on our community and school.

Through a revised teacher leadership model, all staff are supported and given professional development opportunities to improve the learning environment and instruction. 

Our students proudly represent the district and community as they excel in academics, arts, and athletics! Staff go above and beyond to support our students and create opportunities for them to be successful!

It has been a year with many changes filled with successes that are only possible through the collaborative support from our students, staff, parents, and community members! Thank you for making our schools the pride of our community! We look forward to the continued support.
Class of 2019 Graduation Ceremony May 19th
Please join us on May 19th, at 2:00 p.m. , at the Clarinda High School gym to celebrate the success of our students.

Please click here to view the high school website for information on the year end events.

In the Spotlight
Annual School Satisfaction Survey
Dear Clarinda School District Stakeholders,

The Clarinda Community School District invites you to participate in a survey about our schools. Your feedback will assist the district in making decisions for continuous improvement and allow us to understand how our constituents feel about our schools.

While completing the survey, focus your thoughts and perceptions based on your experience with the school, as well as your perceptions of a child's experience as a student. ( Click here to take the survey.)

Your responses are completely anonymous and the survey should take approximately 7 minutes to complete. The survey closes on Friday, May 24th. Thank you for your participation!

Yours in Education,
Deron Stender, Superintendent
Future Ready Planning
As the district continues to proceed with Future Ready planning, you may ask what does that mean and why is the school board having these conversations? Future Ready is a concept of what do our schools have to provide and look like to prepare our students and staff to be ready for an ever-changing future. The conversation is driven by the districts need to address aging mechanical systems and structures that have or will exceed their functional capacity. Some examples of facility needs are heating and cooling systems starting to fail, roofs that start to leak, and traffic flow and parking lots that are hazardous. In addition, there is an increased interest in providing quality vocational programs as well as early learning programming for all students.

Future Ready is an assessment of expectations and needs of the district and we have reached a point where it is time to have a conversation that includes all of our stakeholders.  As we continue to plan for Future Ready and work with CMBA to review the needs of the district, opportunities for stakeholders to provide input will be provided and welcomed. This Future Ready Schedule can serve as a guide to the planning process. 

The public is welcome to review the facility assessment and all public documents at any time by visiting any district office, the Lied Public Library, or by clicking on the Future Ready link on the district webpage. We look forward to your input as we work together to make our schools the leader in education!
Last Day of School is Friday, May 24th

The last day of school is Friday, May 24th . Please note, there is no early dismissal and the school will follow the normal start and end times.

Free Summer Lunch
Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture partners with local organizations like the Clarinda Community School District, to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer. Anyone 18 or younger may come and enjoy a free meal. 

The district will provide free meals to children during the summer at the Clarinda Middle School Cafeteria beginning June 3 . Meals are available Monday-Friday from 11:30-12:30

If you would like to volunteer or donate to the Summer Meal Program or have any questions, please contact Traci DeBolt, Food Service Director at 712-542-5167 for more information. 
Summer Reading Program
Our students have been busy reading lots of books. This year, more than 47,000 books were circulated at our schools.

Many studies show children who read during the summer improve their reading ability and those who don’t tend to lose literacy skills. This year, we are collaborating with the Lied Public Library to promote their summer reading programs. Lied Public Library Youth Services Librarian will be visiting our schools to share information with students about these exciting summer programs.
 
If you have any questions, please contact:

Clarinda Community Schools at 712-542-2132 or jcabeen@clarindacsd.org  
Lied Public Library at 712-542-2416 or askliedlib@iowatelecom.net

Reminder: Please return all school library books by Friday, May 10th.
May is School Board Appreciation
Clarinda Community School District joins public education systems throughout the state to salute school board members and celebrate public education during Iowa’s annual School Board Recognition Month.

The commemorative month is designed to recognize the contributions made by Iowa’s nearly 1,900 local school boards, community college and AEA board members, including the members of the Clarinda Board of Education, who are charged with governing public education under state law.

Clarinda school board members are chosen by their communities through elections to manage our local schools. They oversee an annual budget of more than $14 million, 962 students, 140 employees, and 3 buildings. 

These volunteer leaders are also responsible for formulating school policy, approving curriculum, maintaining school facilities and adhering to state and federal education law. Legal concerns and the complexities of school finance, including budgeting and taxation, require them to spend many hours in board training programs and personal study to enhance their understanding of these issues.

We don’t always recognize the dedication and hard work of these public servants who are elected to represent us and the interest of our children. Let them know you appreciate what they do for your kids and our community. Please join us by saying “thanks” to our school board members during School Board Member Recognition Month. Thank you, Greg Jones, Nola Bond, Darin Sunderman, Stacy Pulliam, and Ann Meyer for their dedication and commitment to our students, staff, and community.
Employment Opportunities
Are you looking to make a difference? There are several opportunities to work for the district and touch the lives of students. Employment opportunities are posted on the district website and applications are available online.

Currently, we are seeking the following positions for the 2019-2020 school year:

  • Bus drivers & substitute bus drivers
  • Substitute teachers
  • Paraprofessionals & substitute paraprofessionals

For more information, please contact
Superintendent Deron Stender at: 712-542-5165.
Coffee with Superintendent Stender
Coffees with the community will resume in August. Community members are always welcome to visit with Mr. Stender by contacting or stopping in at the district office.


Thank You for Supporting Our Schools!
On behalf of the Clarinda Community School District, we thank all of our parents, partners, and community members for your support, together, we make our schools the pride of our community!

423 East Nodaway
Clarinda, Iowa 51632
www.clarinda.k12.ia.us
712-542-5165
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