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Curbside, Free Meal Pick-Up

Good news! Caregivers are now allowed to pick up meals for children at our grab & go locations without having to bring them. Free sack lunches are available weekdays for anyone 18 & under. Simply drive or walk up.

Here is the Monday-Friday schedule:
9-10am        Cunningham, Kingsley, and Orange
10-11am       Kittrell, Highland
11am-12pm  Becker and Lou Henry
12-1pm          Irving, Lincoln, Poyner
9am-12pm   Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St. (site for Lowell)
Please remember these meals are for children 18 and under. Please request only one per child to ensure we can continue to serve meals during this crisis.

Information for Families (Instructional Support is suggested, not mandatory):

Elementary-

Elementary Packet Part 1

Elementary Packet Part 2

Middle & High School- 

Secondary Instructional Packet

• Personally-issued Chromebooks (6-12 grades) can be used for online learning enrichment activities/emails to teachers. If your student still needs to get essential items from our buildings (medication, Chromebook), you can accompany your child to their school for access on Wed., March 25 from 4-6pm. 
• Need internet access? 

Mediacom offers a program for those who meet their qualifications (must qualify for free/reduced lunch):

•         Free for 60 days, then $9.95/month
•         Call 1-855-904-2225 
•     https://mediacomc2c.com/
• Kindergarten registration has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a future date.

Information for Families (Instructional Support is suggested, not mandatory):

• Check out this online learning document by clicking here with lessons for K-8 students that will continue to be updated during the shutdown. Teachers may provide ideas for students to do enrichment activities, but there will not be regularly assigned/required lessons that will be graded at this time. Waterloo Career Center students taking concurrent courses will receive information about requirements to fulfill coursework.  
• Packets with lessons/activities for elementary students will be handed out at Curbside Meal Pick-up beginning tomorrow on Tuesday, March 24. Packets for middle and high school students should be available later this week. Drive or walk-up to pick one up.

Here is the schedule:
9-10am  Cunningham, Kingsley, and Orange
10-11am Kittrell, Highland
11am-12pm Becker and Lou Henry
12-1pm Irving, Lincoln, Poyner
9am-12pm Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St. (site for Lowell)

During the 3/23-4/12 district shutdown when buildings are closed, we would like to provide you with the following options to connect with us, as our staff will still be working during this time:
-Call the District Shutdown Hotline 319-433-2020 for general questions regarding the district shutdown.
-Email staff directly with questions or call your child’s school and leave a voicemail. Secretaries will be checking voicemails and respond back within 24 hours.
-Call the District Office at 319-433-1800.

If your student still needs to get essential items from our buildings (medication, Chromebook), you can accompany your child to their school for access on Wed., March 25 from 4-6pm.

Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center school-based mental health therapists, as part of Success Street, remain available for appointments during this time. Appointments with your child’s school-based mental health therapist are available at Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center, located at 3251 W. 9th St. in Waterloo. For more information, to schedule an appointment for your child or to discuss concerns with your child’s therapist, please call 319-234-2893.

Our curbside meal pick-up starts tomorrow (Monday, March 23) and will happen each weekday. The name and age of each of the children in your vehicle will be recorded to ensure each child only gets one meal. Please STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE with your children and only get the meals you need for those in your house that are 18 & younger. Students may also walk up to get a meal but will not be allowed in the building. Here is the schedule:

9-10am  Cunningham, Kingsley, and Orange

10-11amKittrell, Highland

11am-12pmBecker and Lou Henry

12-1pmIrving, Lincoln, Poyner

9am-12pmEducation Service Center, 1516 Washington St. (site for Lowell)

Update 3/18/2020:

Guidance for our students with special education support:
First, thank you all for your patience and understanding as we work through a situation for which no one was prepared.  We will work tirelessly to get you accurate and updated information as we get it from the AEA and state agencies. 

The guidance we are receiving is to treat our instructional response similar to summer or winter break when students are not accessing school. During those times, no students are getting services, so likewise students with IEPs would not receive additional specially designed instruction. We will, however, pass along other resources to you as we gather them. During the shutdown, the district is providing educational opportunities for all students.  These materials will be available online and via paper copies at the elementary schools during curbside meal pick-up times. 

Students who currently have open IEPs, are in evaluation or have IEP reviews due before 4/13/2020 will be on hold until we return. We will do our best to provide updates as this is a fluid, ever-changing situation.   If you have specific questions feel free to contact me directly at 319-433-1854. 

Please know we are looking forward to your child’s return so we can get back to doing what we love!

Respectfully,
Ivan Gentry, Director of Special Education

Update 3/17/2020: 

On Wednesday, March 18, students may retrieve ESSENTIAL items from the schools. It is our belief that the vast majority of families/students WILL NOT need to access buildings. We are in the process of sanitizing our buildings, so any access granted will be quick and targeted to retrieve only the items you need. Appropriate staff will be available to get student medication for you, but an authorized adult must sign for it. We cannot return medication to students.

This opportunity is being offered only out of necessity. It is NOT an opportunity to clean out lockers or check in with teachers. Be prepared to check in with office staff, stating the item and location of your essential item. Students in grades 6-12: If necessary, you may pick up your personally-issued Chromebook if you left it at school.

We will work with families next week as necessary who are unable to retrieve essential items on Wednesday, March 18. Call 319-433-1800 with questions.

Update 3/16/2020:

Parents/Caregivers: We realize this is a difficult time and are grateful for your trust and patience as we make decisions meant to support you and your children. We will continue providing updates as needed.

Building Access: Between Monday, March 23 – Friday, April 10, our buildings will be closed; however, schools will be open this Wednesday, March 18 from 2-7 pm to allow students to retrieve ​essential​ items (like medication, Chromebooks). We are in the process of sanitizing our buildings, so access should be quick and targeted to retrieve ​only​ the items you need. If you need to get your child’s medication, an authorized adult MUST sign for it. It cannot be given to children.

Instructional Support: To help learning continue, our educators are organizing links to activities and lessons by grade level and subject. Paper copies of worksheets will be available for our younger students at the elementary schools (during the Curbside Grab-N-Go meal distribution). While teachers will not be assigning or grading work over the next three weeks, they will be checking their email and available to support your child’s learning. Remember to have your child read every day or read to them​!

Curbside Grab-N-Go Meals: For three weeks starting on Monday, March 23, meals will be available on weekdays (Monday-Friday) at ANY of our elementary schools for children 18 and younger. There is NO need to sign up ahead of time, but please know the meals CAN ONLY BE PROVIDED TO THE CHILD. Regardless of the school your child attends, you may simply drive or walk up WITH YOUR CHILDREN (ages 18 and younger) to any of the elementary school front entrances during these pick-up times:
9-10am Cunningham, Kingsley, and Orange
10-11am Kittrell, Highland
11am-12pm Becker and Lou Henry
12-1pm Irving, Lincoln, Poyner
9am-12pm Education Service Center (1516 Washington Street)

Athletic Update: Click here for the latest from IHSAA regarding Spring Sports.
SAT Updates
ACT Updates

Update 3/16/2020: Based on Governor Reynolds’ recommendation, Waterloo Schools will close our schools and public building use for four weeks through Sunday, April 12. More information will be coming later today about weekly instructional support for online and hard copy resources for students. Beginning Monday, March 23, we will have optional curbside pick-up available for free meals for our students Monday-Friday while we are closed. More info on how to sign up for those meals will be forthcoming. Thank you for your patience.

Update 3/15/2020: We wanted to let you know that Waterloo Schools is aware of Governor Kim Reynolds’ announcement tonight about school closures. Our district leadership team will meet first thing tomorrow morning to make decisions about next steps. We have been monitoring the Covid-19 situation and working with health officials regularly since the outbreak started. Thank you for your patience as we finalize details.

3/13/20: We wanted to update you as we continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control is advising school districts, like ours, located in areas where the outbreak is not currently significant to hold off on short-term closures as that may only exacerbate the spread to vulnerable/older adults the children would then be around. At the point where the outbreak may be more pervasive locally, we will consider alternative plans.  Reminder that after Spring Break next week, Monday, March 23 is a Teacher Quality day so there is no school for students. While the normal instructional day will continue, we have decided to cancel any non-instructional/non-essential athletics and activities scheduled outside of the day beginning Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, March 29 to help decrease the number of contacts for students and adults.  This includes after school clubs, extramurals, after school activities, all games/meets, practices, open weight rooms/gyms, any off-site practices or gatherings and any fine arts concerts and/or programs during that time period. At this time, Y-Care/Y-Kids and Boys and Girls Club will not be impacted. Thank you for your patience and understanding–have a safe and healthy Spring Break!