Community Night Rewind and Board Policy 804.5

 Hello everyone,

 

Recently,  AHSTW Community School District held an informational night for students, parents, and community members to learn more about the topics facing all of us in today’s society.  The information shared by Deputy Kava, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, on internet and social media safety, and Mr. Deric Kidd, a public speaker from Carlisle, IA, on the topic of drug use, overdose and poisoning, helped us understand those challenges at a greater level in addition to the importance of recognizing warning signs to assist our students. For that, I am thankful.

 

Although, Mr. Kidd’s message shared the unfortunate and tragic consequences of drug use, he also talked about the ‘Why of Drug Use’ and how our understanding of the ‘Why’ can assist us in helping the youth of our five communities in their efforts to resist substances.  The following items are examples of the ‘Why’.

 

Reasons to begin experimentation
·       Anxiety / Depression	·       Inclusion into friend groups
·       Trauma	·       Bullying
·       Peer Pressure	·       Surgery/Pain
·       Boredom	·       Experimentation
·       Grief	·       Social Media

 

We hope that by sharing the concepts above we all become more aware situations that may encourage experimentation in order to become more proactive in assisting each other, both young and old.  

 

Fortunately, additional steps are being taken to protect students across the State of Iowa.  The first protections are coming through the development of an app to assist individuals in asking for help or reporting events or potential actions in which friends are at-risk. The hotline will hopefully be shared prior to the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

 

The Iowa State House of Representatives and Iowa Senate during last year’s legislative session determined health risks for students to be at a risk level high enough to provide Iowa School Districts with the ability to purchase and stock certain medications in our health offices.  One such medication is the opioid antagonist, Narcan.  Narcan is a medication designed to counteract the symptoms of drug overdose or drug poisoning.  This is a step that no one believed would ever be necessary.  However, the legislative action did provide us and the AHSTW Board of Education the ability to discuss, modify, and adopt an updated version of Board Policy 804.5, which we did with the hope the medications would never be needed.  In addition to Narcan, the policy also provides districts with the ability to purchase and stock epinephrine and bronchodilators for the health and safety of our students.

 

We understand you may have questions on the topics associated with this letter and welcome any conversations on the topics.  So, please feel free to contact Mrs. Lane, Mrs. Kock, Mrs. Rold, Mr. Embrock or myself with those questions at 712-343-6364.

 

Respectfully,

 

Mr. Darin Jones

Superintendent

AHSTW Community School District

AHSTW CSD Buildings Are Proactive and Safe with Radon

 AHSTW CSD Schools Are Proactive and Safe with Radon

 

Recently, AHSTW Community School District completed the process of testing our building(s) for radon. We recently received good news: Our test results came back below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) advised radon action level of 4.0 pCi/L. This means we now have peace of mind that our students, staff and community are learning in spaces that are as safe as possible from radon.

What is radon and why does it matter? Radon gas cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, and moves upward through cracks and other openings in the foundations of buildings from the soil under a building. In the United States, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers.

The State of Iowa requires radon testing at least once every 5 years for all Iowa public school attendance centers, licensed preschools and licensed child care centers.

To learn how to accurately do the initial radon testing ourselves, we saved taxpayer dollars by receiving training from the School Radon Training & Support System facilitated by Energy Association of Iowa Schools (EAIS). If we would have found elevated radon in our school, EAIS would have coached us through the process of fixing it. EAIS also helped us proactively place our school building on a multi-year rotating radon test schedule so we can continue to ensure radon safety in the future.

For most students and staff, research suggests that schools are actually the second largest contributor to radon exposure. The home is likely to be the most significant source of radon exposure. Please test your home for radon and if necessary, take action to reduce the risk of lung cancer by reducing elevated radon concentrations. 

If you have questions regarding radon testing for AHSTW Community School District, please feel free to contact Mr. Darin Jones, Superintendent, at 712 -343-6364. More information regarding residential radon testing can be found at www.epa.gov/radon.

Respectfully,

 

Mr. Darin Jones

Superintendent

AHSTW Community School District

AHSTW School Designations - Reporting Period 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

The state has released new information on school performance as required by a federal education law called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):

·       The Iowa School Performance Profiles reflects how public schools performed on a set of core accountability measures, such as results on the statewide assessment. The tool displays a school’s score based on overall performance, as well as scores based on the performance of subgroups of students. These subgroups include students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, students receiving special education services, English learners, and students from racial/ethnic minority groups.

·       Based on these scores, some schools in Iowa have been identified for additional support and improvement (Comprehensive or Targeted) and some schools have been identified for extended supports if they continue to be identified after 3 years (Extended Comprehensive or Extended Targeted).

AHSTW Community School District has received the designation of Acceptable for the reporting year 2022 for the Primary, Intermediate, and High School Academic Buildings.

Our school has not received designations for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (which is based on overall performance), Targeted Support and Improvement (which is based on the performance of student subgroups), or any Extended status.  However, our school still receives scores on these accountability measures, and these are updated annually; you can locate our scores and results on the Iowa School Performance Profiles site.

We have many things to celebrate in our school including:

·       Our Primary grade levels have successfully adopted and implemented of a new math text series to support our curriculum and have seen positive increases in fall achievement data.

·       Our HS MTSS system now includes the use study tables allowing designated times for students and staff to meet in areas needed for a student’s academic growth.

·       Our Intermediate MTSS team consistently reviews student data to appropriately provide interventions based on student need. 

We also continue to work toward improvement in the following areas:

·       Social Emotional Learning and Health

·       Increased proficiency in reading, math and science.

We view Iowa’s accountability and support as an opportunity to review our strengths and areas for improvement and to build on the great things we have going on. 

Thank you for your continued support of our school, our staff, and our students.

For more information about the Iowa School Performance Profiles and ESSA, visit the following website: www.iaschoolperformance.gov  

 

Respectfully,

 

Mr. Darin Jones

Superintendent of Schools

AHSTW Facility Update

AHSTW Community School District

Facility Update

In November of 2021, the communities of Avoca, Hancock, Shelby, Tennant, and Walnut approved a $12.9 million dollar referendum to improve our K-12 school facilities.  The referendum was developed to complete a renovation of our existing high school, improve lighting throughout our K-12 facility, and to create a new section of classrooms for our Career and Technical classes.  The future addition of classrooms to the high school would then allow us to create more classroom space across our facility, including our elementary section.  I am sure this feels like a long time ago, but behind the scenes many activities have been happening to move our project closer to reality.

 

I hope the following descriptions provide you with some insights into those activities.

 

AHSTW Facility Activities: 

-       Schematic Design Meetings:  [3 meetings:  January – March]

o   The purpose of the Schematic Design Meetings with SitelogIQ were to ensure the project resolved the identified areas of need determined by the site review and conversations prior to the referendum.

o   Three meetings were held to discuss overall building space and functionality, promote a safe environment for students, educators, and visitors, update our current mechanical systems, move our HVAC units to one control system with individual thermostats in each classroom, and to create a quality experience for students now and into the future.

-       Design & Development Meetings [4 meetings:  April – July]

o   The Design Development Phase of our meetings helped us further define each individual area of the new construction and areas to be renovated.

o   Topics discussed in these meetings involved:  Scope of Projects, mechanical systems, floor coverings, colors, design of areas, ceiling replacements, choice of casework, and further develop pathways to exterior exits.

o   Individual meetings were held with classroom teachers within our Career and Technology courses to gather their input in regards to their needs in the new classrooms.

-       Construction Documents [2 meetings:  August – September]

o   The upcoming Construction Documentation phase will provide us an opportunity to complete a detailed review the project and finalize our needs for outlets, internet drops, selection of furniture, as well as completing a page turn of the entire set of plans.

-       Bidding Process: [Late October – December]

o   AHSTW Community School District and SitelogIQ plan to advertise the project blueprints for bid in late October to early November of 2022.

o   The goal will then be to establish a let date in December.

o   The dates described above are flexible at this time, but will become more defined as we move through the development of the construction documents.

-       Project Start Date:

o   Our goal is to start the project as early as the spring will allow!

 

We are extremely excited for this project as it will certainly enhance our building and opportunities for our AHSTW family!  Keep watching for future updates and potential renderings of the updated facility!

Respectfully,

Mr. Darin Jones

Superintendent

Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Reflection

 Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Tonight, I sit at home concerned.  Concerned because another senseless act of violence occurred in a school district in Texas.  An act that by day's end claimed the lives of 19 students and 1 teacher.  Lives lost because a person elected to take action against innocent people.  In fact, my concerns are further heightened not only due to actions of Tuesday afternoon but also because of the other senseless acts of violence in a Buffalo grocery store and in a subway shooting on the east coast.

The aforementioned events of the past two weeks make no sense and lead me to consider so many questions.  Some of the questions are simple and obvious, while others are ones that I can't yet identify.  So, I will start with the obvious: 

1. Why?
2. Why would someone decide to take action against innocent people?
3. What clues did the perpetrator show us or persons close to them?  
• In on-line activity, daily actions that may have been out of the ordinary, journals or manifestos that may present themselves in upcoming days.

1. Why didn't someone say something prior to the event, if they did see something?
2. How could the acts have been prevented?

Reflection brings me back to my office around 4:45 PM and the voice of a news anchor, a reporter, and a therapist who all seem to believe that this event will not be the last.  With that thought my mind snaps back to the now and a search for proactive steps designed to make our environment safer, inviting, and even more comfortable for all.

The evening news then takes me to another concern, one that discusses stories of suicidal events, some close to AHSTW and others afar, for both HS and College students who are taking their lives for various reasons:  peer interactions, stress in regards to the pressure facing them in areas of athletics, depression, and overall mental health needs.  Again, I find this hard to understand and find myself asking, Why?  What can I do?  What can we do?

Well, here is a start:

1. Say hello and listen for a response
2. Let each person know we are happy to see them!
3. Create routines to provide consistency for students.  Routines help create a safe environment and lessen anxiety
4. Foster positive relationships and classroom expectations
5. Focus on outcomes
6. Be respectful of others
7. Speak kindly
8. Ask to know if a person is okay
9. Listen, truly listen.
10. See Something, Say Something

Now on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, our students will return and potentially return with questions about the recent events and how do we answer them?  I wish I had THE exact answer, one that would put everyone at ease, but I do not and that is okay!

So, if I find myself in conversation tomorrow or any upcoming day, I might start like this:

Question:  Why did an 18-year old student in Texas hurt innocent kids?

Answer:  I do not know why senseless acts of violence happen.  They could happen for a variety of reasons, so I personally ask myself the following question, 'What can we do to make our school safer?'  

[Pause & Listen for an answer].  

With no answer,  I would start by prompting to expand the conversation:

• Could we check in with people? [Both Friends and others who might not be friends, yet!]
• What would that look like?
• How might we start the conversation?
• How and when would I follow-up if the answer was, "Fine", but the body language did not match?
• Could we hold ourselves to high expectations in how we positively interact with others!
• Do you know of someone in our school who might be struggling and need a friend?
• How do we ensure positive relationships develop?

Well, I know you are preparing for the day and I am very appreciative that we have staff who want the best for students.  Thankful for people who are willing to have the conversation to make our school safer and our students comfortable.  So, thank you for your efforts and what you are about to do over the final two days of the school year and the summer for our students and colleagues!

Know that I am available to talk with you on this topic and others as we can figure this out together.  But if you are looking for ideas I have also attached a link to some supports:  https://www.pbis.org/current/returning-to-school-during-and-after-crisis.

Have a great day and please let me know how I can help you on Wednesday or Thursday if the conversations begin.

Mr. Darin Jones

Community Assistance

 Good afternoon,

Parents and members of our AHSTW Community, we need your help. Recently, we have been made aware through reports from students and parents regarding inappropriate/harmful/hurtful social media accounts, primarily on Instagram.  It appears that students are creating multiple accounts within their profile, creating private groups, or creating anonymous AHSTW accounts designed to publicly shame others, disclose embarrassing information and spread rumors.

At this time, we are working to find ways to have the accounts taken down. However, we are fearful that other accounts will soon appear and replace the removed pages.  Some of the sites only have a few followers, but other accounts that we may not be aware of may have more viewing and anonymously posting content. 

So, at this time we are asking for your help!

What can parents do to help?

• Let your child/ren know they can always come to you to talk about what they are experiencing online.
• Have conversations with your child/ren about their social media usage. Check their phones and their social media usage.
• Remind your child/ren that what they post on social media never really goes away. Sites can be shut down or images removed, but people's lives and feelings can forever be affected and harmed.
• Encourage your child/ren to report any inappropriate accounts to Instagram and have them block the account on their social media.
• Teach your child/ren that if they wouldn’t say out loud to you what they post online, they shouldn’t be posting it.

And to our AHSTW students – we know that you are better than this. You also have a role to help solve this problem. Stand up for those that are being bullied. Report these accounts yourself to Instagram, or even better yet don’t be a follower of these accounts. You can always unsubscribe from following an account and we would suggest this would be a great option. Words can hurt for a lifetime. We are above all of this and should spend our time promoting the positives that are happening for our school, students, peers, staff, and community!  At this time, we ask that you individually STAND UP for each other and continually strive to be better.

Collectively, we can make a difference and promote kindness and connections for all!

Respectfully,

Mr. Darin Jones 

Superintendent

AHSTW Community Schools

Thank you!

 Referendum Question #1: Approved

We would like to thank all community members of the AHSTW School District for your support of AHSTW Schools and our current and future students by approving Referendum Question #1 on November 2.  The unofficial results indicate that 65.98% of voters approved Referendum Question 1, which will allow us to remodel, repair, improve the existing PK-12 facilities, along with classroom additions.  The building projects will certainly impact our Pk-12 learning environment.

AHSTW Community Schools thanks everyone for the time and effort to learn about our proposed projects by reviewing our district website, viewing our on-line videos, reading shared information, and by attending our community meetings.  It was enjoyable to meet with you along the way and to provide information that you hopefully found meaningful in your decision-making process.

Your support of question #2 and the construction of the auditorium is also appreciated.  Even though the measure did not pass, we value your consideration of the project.

Our work with SitelogIQ will continue in effort to finalize project design, develop a timeframe for upcoming events, and plan for the phasing of the school projects and future school calendars to maximize learning opportunities for our students.

Again, thank you for your support of our school community and students!

Mr. Darin Jones AHSTW Community School Board

Superintendent

AHSTW Community School District