Senior Class Picture taken by Johnson Photography
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World Class Schools for Our Students
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A few people have asked me which course school administrators and teachers take to learn how to respond to a global pandemic. My answer is always that there is no specific course that teaches school administrators and teachers how to handle a crisis with the magnitude of the COVID-19 virus, which has caused schools to close in Iowa and around the world. The amalgamation of leadership ability, professional training, grit, kind and compassionate attitudes, situational awareness, and ingenuity are key factors that are helping administrators and teachers in the Norwalk CSD effectively respond to these extraordinary times.
At a recent staff meeting, I asked staff members to share their thoughts on how they persevere during difficult times and here are a few of the insights they shared with me. These insights have helped me and I hope they help you as well.
“I do what I can do. I learn more about CBE (Competency-Based Education), I confer with students, I work with colleagues from other states and countries. There ARE things we can do, even if it feels like not enough right now.”- NHS Teacher
“Faith.” - NCSD Administrator
“I am finding strength in connecting with my students and colleagues. I am finding ways to help out my community by donating to the Food Bank and sewing masks. I am finding ways to extend grace to myself and others in these trying times.” - Orchard Hills Teacher
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National Teacher Appreciation Week! May 4-8
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Never have our nation's teachers been more appreciated and seen--even as they work with students from a distance. For Teacher Appreciation Week, the NCSD is participating in the National Education Association's social media celebration asking our Warrior community one question per day to help showcase all that teachers do for our students.
Get emoji-tional with us and
#ThankATeacher
during
Teacher Appreciation Week
, May 4-8, 2020!
Teachers change the lives of millions of children every day—their immense work and impact moves us beyond words, so we need emojis to say how we feel. And with the abrupt end to the physical school year, our teachers have done even more to continue education with virtual classrooms and learning at home lessons. All to ensure every student has the tools they need to reach their full potential.
So, let’s all shower teachers in appreciation and share how we love (❤️) like (👍), celebrate (🎉) and care for (😍) our teachers! It's in these challenging times that we truly recognize and appreciate how our nation’s educators play such a pivotal role in our children’s lives—inspiring a lifelong love of learning and discovery and making a difference in their well-being and long-term success.
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2020 Senior Poster Parade Project
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Thank you to the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce for creating a fun and memorable way to honor our Norwalk 2020 graduating seniors with a senior sign parade! Parade to be held in May at the Norwalk High School parking lot. Start date of the parade will be announced soon. Graduating 2020 seniors will have a sign posted with their photo in the grassy areas around the parking lot. The community is encouraged to drive around and view the parade of signs.
This project will be funded by parents, Norwalk Community Schools and the community. The cost is $25 per student. If you wish to donate to the project, please use the online form at:
https://bit.ly/3asKXHu
Thanks to all the generous donors and Bowen Design and Print for printing the project!
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NHS Senior Department Awards
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On Monday, 4-27-2020, Norwalk High School held its annual department awards virtually. During the event, 20 Seniors were honored for their spirit, leadership, and academic excellence. The winners for the Student Impact Award and Spirit Award were chosen by the administration and counseling office. Each department selected the best student in each curriculum area. Congratulations to all our winners and good luck to the entire senior class as each moves into a new phase of life!
Click here to view award recipients:
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NHS Senior Evan Voogd Receives Top State Academic Honor
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Evan Voogd, Norwalk,
Top 5 Southwest Region,
Academic All-State 2020
Article Credit: The Des Moines Register
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2020-2021 Norwalk School Registration & Kindergarten Registration
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2020-2021 Online Registration (OLR) will begin for all PK-12th grade students on May 15, 2020. An annual registration must be completed for ALL students (returning and new). The online application for both new and existing families can be found
here
.
The district will again be offering discounted fees for registration and transportation fees to all parents that register and pay fees prior to June 30th. Early registration of students allows the district to properly plan for the number of students served and the specific needs of individual students. The “Early Bird” discounts will end if both steps (OLR & fee payments) are not completed by June 30th. The 2020-21 fee schedule can be found right or by clicking
here
. Fees can be paid through Revtrak Online by clicking
here
after submitting the registration application. Debit or credit card payments are accepted with no transaction fees.
- Parents of students qualifying for Free and Reduced meals and completing the fee waiver must complete the registration by 06-30-20 but the payment date is extended until 08-01-20 when the new Free & Reduced meal application is due. If the student does not qualify, fees are due immediately.
- Transportation requests, activity passes and student parking permits are now included in the online registration process.
- Transportation requests received after 08-01-20 may not be placed on a bus route until 09-09-20.
- Bus passes are scheduled to be mailed 08-15-20.
- All students are required to have a bus pass to board their assigned bus.
- All fees for the household must be paid in full before parents are eligible to purchase optional school services such as Pay-for-Ride Transportation or Student and Family Activity Passes.
2020-2021 Kindergarten Registration Presentation & Information
Kindergarten registration information is now available online! These materials were created in absence of what is usually a Kindergarten Parent Meeting that the District hosts in the spring. Since we are not able to meet in person, this is a great way for parents to learn all about Kindergarten at Oviatt Elementary!
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#StayHomeFor Social Media Campaign
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Who Do You Stay Home For?
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The Norwalk CSD alongside NHS Student Body President, Eva Newland is launching a new
#StayHomeFor
campaign along with many other Americans and organizations around the country. The goal of this campaign is to remind students, families and community members about the importance of social distancing and staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
There are many ways you can get involved! Show your creativity and who you #StayHomeFor on your favorite social media accounts i.e. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc! We’d love to get your support in this campaign to help remind everyone to stay home, stay safe and stay WARRIOR STRONG! #StayHomeFor #WarriorStrong
Ways To Support This Initiative:
- Instagram’s “Stay Home” sticker can be found in Stories. If you use the sticker, your photo or video will be added to a shared Instagram story where people can see how you’re staying home and staying safe.
- Share your picture on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #StayHomeFor #WarriorStrong
- Don’t forget to spread the love! Challenge a couple friends!
Credit: Eva Newland, NHS 2020 Student Body President, Student School Board Representative, and NHS Marching Band Drum Major
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Community & School Resources for Parents
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Emergency Meal Service for Children
by DeeAnna Serres, NCSD Nutrition Director
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Emergency Meal Service for Children under 18 years of Age
The next weekly meal pickup day will be Monday, May 4. This service will continue every Monday through June 1, 2020.
Meals can be picked up once a week at either Lakewood Elementary or Norwalk City Park from 11:30-12:30 While Supplies Last.
Families can pick up meals from either Lakewood parking lot (look for the school bus) or at Norwalk City Park (look for the white Nutrition truck). No identification or registration is required. A bag containing lunches and breakfast meals for 5 days (if possible) will be provided for each child in the vehicle/walking group. Children DO NOT HAVE to be present in order for meals to be provided. You may not get meals from both sites in Norwalk due to USDA regulations.
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Thank you to our Norwalk nutrition professionals for all that you do! A special thank you to the following nutrition employees who have been working on the frontline to help feed children in our community through the emergency meals service! 11,702 school meals and 1875 individual snacks have been distributed since March 23! We are so grateful! 💜
Ryan Harm, Chef Rolando Molina, Denise Burken, Lori Sweet, Lisa Canby and Kim Vaughan
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The District has provided and will continue to update educational resources as an option for PreK-12th students via our website on the
District Academic Resources
page. Many of the resources are focused on PreK-5th students, though there are a number of links that address secondary students and content.
Another source of optional resources for 6th-12th grade students is through Google Apps, and includes Classroom, Hangouts, Gmail and other tools available to us through the Google Suite for Educators. Through our extended closure, students are able to access a range of materials already made available to them through those platforms. Teachers may also be adding additional optional materials to help support all students to review, to continue learning, and to stay connected and productive.
Iowa Department of Education Pages:
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THANK YOU!
NCSD IT Department for all your work the past month in cleaning/deploying
over 700
Chromebooks to so many
K-5th grade students
to use at home for
online learning!
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Norwalk Local Community Support
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The City of Norwalk has launched a new
website
to connect residents with local resources to help combat the COVID-19 virus. On Norwalk Local, you can find local resources such as takeout and delivery restaurants, online worship, grocery hours, food pantry information, pharmacy options, doctors, workouts from local gyms, creative ideas for kids and much more.
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Employee & Family Resources’ Student
Assistance Program
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Employee & Family Resources’ (EFR) Student Assistance Program (SAP) remains open and accessible to students and families through these unprecedented times.
Phone support is available 24/7/365 at
515-244-6090
. Assessment, referral and brief counseling sessions are also still available, but will be available by Zoom or telephone only as of March 18, 2020.
The uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic can increase feelings of anxiety and stress, which is a normal response under such circumstances. Please don’t forget to look to EFR to help you navigate these feelings in the coming days and weeks. EFR is prepared to continue serving our clients. Do not hesitate to reach out.
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NCSD Career Opportunities
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NHS Yearbook Images Needed
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ATTENTION PARENTS: ALL HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS and SUMMER ATHLETES AND ACTIVITIES PARTICIPANT PICTURES and PROM PICTURES ARE NEEDED!
The high school yearbook staff is hard at work trying to make this year memorable beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Lakewood Elementary Launches New Quarantine Crew YouTube Channel
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It's the Quarantine Crew!
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A creative way to keep students engaged! Lakewood Elementary debuts new Quarantine Crew YouTube series for kids!
Thank you to Callen and Marin Randall who brainstormed this fun idea with the help of some Lakewood students on what topics to share. The Quarantine Crew will be doing one segment a week with teachers sharing videos on Thursday and then don't forget to look for Miss Grace Sullivan's "Sully Snack" recipes on Friday!
Follow Lakewood Elementary on Twitter or Facebook to catch next week's Quarantine Crew videos!
@LakewoodElem
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Upcoming Events & Activities
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