Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Editor At the Mount Pleasant Middle school families form a line and grab a school lunch. They walk in one at a time, tell the food service workers how many they want and take their lunches. The heartwarming crew of lunch ladies and maintenance workers chat with the people in line, and each other, talking about their grandkids and exchanging greetings. The crew adorned in Mount Pleasant T-shirts are considered “essential workers”, akin to doctors and nurses. These people like many other ‘essential workers’ are on the frontlines braving exposure to the general public so that those in need get essential nutrition. So that our children do not go hungry.
These lunches are part of a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. The Summer Lunch program is usually run by the Fellowship Cup in Mount Pleasant, but since district food service workers are still employed they have taken the program into their realm for the time of the school closure. The program is aimed at making sure kids have food when school isn’t in session because sadly many children would go to bed hungry if it weren’t for their school meals. “There may be families out there that without this [Sack Lunch] program, wouldn’t have this extra meal a day. With people struggling with not working, this really helps them,” said Food Service Director Sheryl Wilson. The Mount Pleasant Food Service Department serves lunch to children ages 3-18. They serve approximately 250 lunches a day in many locations throughout the district. At their most popular location, Mount Pleasant Middle School, they serve approximately 150 - 170 a day. They also serve lunches at Salem Elementary and Trenton. They deliver lunches to Christamore House, trailer parks, and the housing development behind Faith Christian Outreach Center. The food service workers really enjoy providing these lunches! The cute kiddos help! “It’s a good feeling. A lot of them say they're thankful and it really makes it worth it,” said Mrs. Wilson If your child is in need of a meal, please visit one of the pickup locations! They serve lunch from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM. If your family is in need of assistance please contact the Fellowship Cup at (319) 385-3242 or visit them in person at 203 N Jefferson Street. If you are unemployed due to the coronavirus outbreak, you can receive benefits even if you are a part-time worker!
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Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Editor Unless you are currently tuning in from Bikini Bottom, you have heard an earful about COVID-19. You have heard about the symptoms, the mortality rate, and infections spreading across the United States. If you’re like me, the information is too shocking and too complicated to be easily understood. So I’m here, your friendly Maroon Echoes editor to help you decipher this information.
First off we are going to talk about the virus itself and how it is transmitted. COVID-19 has been pronounced a pandemic, COVID-19 (stands for Corona Virus Disease - 2019) is caused by a new type of coronavirus. A coronavirus is a type of virus that can be transmitted between humans and animals. In the initial stages it has been traced all the way back in Wuhan, China. Human coronavirus have existed for at least a century but this is a newer, more deadly and viral strain of the virus. It is now transmitted between humans that are in close contact with each other (6 feet). The transfer comes from little droplets when someone coughs or sneezes. It has also been known to spread through a phenomenon called “community spread. This can occur when a person comes in contact with a surface that has the virus on it. The virus can survive on a surface for several days after someone sneezes or coughs in the area. The most common symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms, including headache, sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, have also been reported, but are less common. This is similar to a cold, the flu, and many other viruses often leading those infected to shrug it off and put off getting tested then going on to spread it to others. This virus is in many ways different from the flu. It is more severe due to the unknowns about the disease and no available vaccine. To protect yourself avoid going places where there are known cases of the virus; avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol. If you think you are sick, stay home – don’t go anywhere unless absolutely necessary. Cover your cough or sneeze, preferably into a tissue that you throw away. Clean “high traffic” objects like door knobs and handles. If you are recommended to stay home by a medical professional, please do so. If you don’t do so, you are putting others at risk including your loved ones because while you might not die but your grandma and grandpa might. Don’t take the chance, stay at home! Those who are most vulnerable to the virus include the elderly and those with weak immune systems are those who are most likely to develop a severe case of the virus. It isn’t as likely to kill young people but it is not guaranteed that you will survive. So stay home, and practice social distancing because these are the only guaranteed ways that this will end anytime soon. If we, as a nation, do not follow guidance from the CDC, it will only prolong this crisis and cause more deaths. This crisis has led to closures in Iowa, ordered by the Governor, not only in schools but in stores. Almost all businesses except those deemed “essential” have been ordered to close or offer their services remotely. This has also led to a massive economic downturn leading to the federal government passing legislation that guarantees every American adult (with a social security number) will receive a one-time $1,200 check with $500 for every child. Thankfully vaccines and treatments are currently in the works but it will take at least another 12-24 months to come up with solutions. This crisis has been predicted to last into the summer, causing shutdowns and restrictions for most of the rest of the school year. As of now, Iowa has closed all schools until April 10th. School in the Mount Pleasant Community School District as of publication is scheduled to resume April 13th unless things change. In conclusion, There are around 450,000 cases worldwide with almost 21,000 deaths. In the U.S. there are around 69,000 cases with over 1,000 deaths. This crisis is far from over, it will take a concerted effort from the country as a whole to turn this around. So please heed the advice above, take temporary inconveniences to help everyone stay healthy. Take this time to appreciate your loved ones. For tips on how to spend your quarantine keep reading! We’ve got you covered. The Maroon Echoes used information from the CDC and the government’s coronavirus.gov website. For more information visit coronvirus.gov or cdc.gov. For updates on the situation in Iowa visit kcrg.com Updated: March 23, 2020
How long has Governor Reynold’s mandated schools remain closed in Iowa? School closure will last until April 13, 2020. Will there be student activities during the closure? No. All activities and events have been canceled or postponed through April 12. All classroom field trips have been canceled through the remainder of the school year. What about Prom? No decision has been made about Prom at this time. What about our Graduation Ceremony? No decision has been made about graduation at this time. Are meals available for students? Yes. Lunch is available to any student ages 3-18. Starting Monday, March 23, sack lunch distribution will be at the following places and times:
All lunches will be in Mount Pleasant CSD marked vehicles. What educational services and learning will be available? The district has created a resource page for families to support their students in being educationally connected during the closure period. It is posted on the District Website (www.mtpcsd.org) and is updated frequently. Learning activities offered are designed to review, reinforce and practice from previously taught content. This is not intended to introduce new learning to students. All activities are voluntary and will not have a direct impact on grades, attendance or earned credits. Per the Iowa Department of Education, we cannot, at this time, teach new material. Learning activities may come in a variety of formats. The types and amounts will vary based on age of the student and content area. They may include:
While the activities are voluntary, we encourage families to access resources to limit learning loss. It is important for students to connect with their teachers and peers during this isolation period. Internet Access: If you don’t have access to the internet, please contact your local cell phone or internet providers to see if they have educational support. There are several national programs that could provide internet options. Access to a device: Many of our families have students at the secondary level who have a Mac Computer. Please allow younger students access to those devices as additional devices will not be provided to those families due to our limited number. If you need access to a device because you do not have a secondary student (grades 6-12) OR you do not have a personal computer or tablet at home, please put your name and information into this form so that we can make arrangements with you to get a device temporarily loaned to your student. How does this impact students who are seniors? The guidance from the Iowa Department of Education is: If districts and non-public schools have graduating seniors who are unable to complete their classes for the year due to school closure, illness, family illness or related COVID-19 issues, the Department suggests the district use local discretion to determine whether the students have completed sufficient course content to consider the units complete. We recommend that districts provide as much latitude for students to graduate on time as possible. The District is working to support our seniors. Decisions will be made based on the length of the school closure. How do I contact my school? We recommend using email to contact your teachers and administrators as we adhere to the government request for social distancing and only having essential staff available. High School: Todd Liechty [email protected] Middle School: Nathan Lange [email protected] Harlan Elementary: Michael Gossen [email protected] Lincoln Elementary: Lori LaFrenz [email protected] Salem Elementary: Michael Gossen [email protected] Van Allen Elementary: Don LeBlanc [email protected] Wisdom Quest: Tyler Rodgers [email protected] Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Editor The Mount Pleasant Community School District School Board met in a special session and later had a work session Monday, March 23rd. In their special session, they passed a resolution that declared, as of it’s passing, that the last day of school in the MPCSD would remain May 29th; that all district employees will be paid through April 10th; that all employees may be recalled at the discretion of the Superintendent; and that the schools will remain closed through April 10th per the governor’s recommendation.
They also approved a motion contracting Shive-Hattery Architecture as the engineering firm for the Van Allen exterior renovation. The board has been discussing the renovations of the elementary school for months now, they hired the firm to examine the structural integrity of the structure and if there are any biological contaminants in the structure. The architectural test would see how the structure of the school is changing with it’s weathering; test the soil’s ability to hold the structure; supervise the demolition and recladding of the structure. Biological testing would test the air quality in the elementary school and the environmental impact of the renovation. Then in a work session, the board discussed the budget plan and projects for the Penny Sales Tax fund, which is traditionally designated as a buildings and grounds improvement fund. The fund pulls it’s money from sales tax revenue. Superintendent John Henriksen cautioned the board regarding the funding for the Penny Sales Tax numbers. This is due to the current economic crisis that COVID-19 has brought about and with the decrease in sales and business closings. The sales tax numbers are likely to follow in suit and decrease dramatically. This left the board struggling to figure out what projects are essential for the next fiscal year and to see what projects they should table for the next time around. Much of the money in the fund goes to bond or lease payments that the district still owes on. The total payment amount for the district is $1,262,000 in encumbered expenses for the 2021 fiscal year. The expenses include the Middle School Renovation at $752,000, Bus Leases at $180,000, Central Office Renovations at $45,000, and expenses labeled as other at $285,000. The other category is expenses that are unexpected and is calculated by expenses from other years. The projects that the board salvaged totaled up to about $183,100. The projects that remain include a restroom remodel at the middle school ($20,000), pea gravel on the Lincoln playground ($14,000), Van Allen exterior repair ($15,000; this just includes the expenses for the engineering firm), fountains in the Van Allen Gym ($1,300), fencing around the new parking lot at Van Allen Elementary ($4,000), gym doors at Salem elementary ($500), a sink in the gym at Salem elementary ($300), the front driveway at Salem elementary ($37,000), pea gravel on the playground at Salem elementary ($16,000), Pickleball courts at the Middle School ($15,000), and Elementary floor scrubbers ($15,000 per or $60,000 total). Mr. Henriksen explained that the district took safety as a priority when reexamining their project priorities. Projects that have been left for a later time include: For the High School: finishing the high school family and consumer sciences room ($60,000), finishing the high school driveway ($80,000), hand dryers at the high school ($3,200), a second entrance/exit at the high school ($200,000), and a new chiller at the high school ($300,000). For Lincoln Elementary School: a cutout area for busses/cars ($20,000). For Harlan Elementary School: a vestibule that would allow educators to prevent the overstimulation of kids who have additional needs under the district’s new trauma-informed care protocols ($15,000). For Van Allen Elementary School: a walking path($45,000), hallway doors ($8,000), parking on the east side ($30,000), pea gravel on the playground ($18,000), and Classroom Lockers ($9,000). For the Middle School: a parking area on North Lincoln St. ($65,000). For the district as a whole: Elementary roofs ($95,000 per building), Softball field dugouts ($20,000), additional storage at Mapleleaf ($15,000), Bus Barn doors and windows ($15,000), Bus Barn Asphalt ($18,000), and Elementary classroom lockers ($2,500 per room). Totaling about $1,408,700 approximately. Many programs, however, were cut out in talks months ago amongst the board committee members. Mr. Henriksen also took note of several additions and redactions to be made. Henriksen explained in the coming years more and more projects will be taken on. This is due to a decrease in the district’s encumbered costs. Next year the district will only have to pay about $400,000 on the Middle School renovation bond meaning. That would be the last bond payment on the Middle School renovation meaning that almost $700,000 in money would be freed up for use. In the coming years, the district expects to whittle down this list. He will present the Penny Sales Tax Fund budget for the 2021 fiscal year at the April School Board Meeting for Approval. Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Managing Editor On March 11th a band of students filed into two vans in the early morning before school even began. On this chilly morning, in the predawn hours, they began their trek to William Penn University in Oskaloosa. These kids were a ragtag bunch – some modern Hemingways and a few J.K. Rowlings, even a younger Steven King. These kids are young writers interested in learning more about the craft, more on how to slay your enemies with the stroke of the pen, or even subject-preterite agreement.
Guided by their sage middle school Language Arts teacher Gina Dexter, the padawans of pencil and paper were on a journey to the Iowa Young Writers Conference, an event produced and hosted by the local Great Prairie Area Education Agency. There they would share a piece of writing, attend a few workshops, and even listen to a keynote speaker Bob Kann. Bob Khan is an author and storyteller that uses his juggling talent to captivate his audience. He mainly writes historical fiction. “The best part of the conference last week for me was getting to see one of my eighth-grade students, who is pretty solitary at school, making immediate connections with the kids in his group. Girls were saying to him, ‘Oh my gosh that is the most incredible piece. It makes me interested in World War II, and I’ve never really been interested,’” said Mrs. Dexter, the group’s advisor. “He actually had to leave earlier to catch the bus. I was really proud of him. A kid who never speaks, stood up and said ‘Four of you haven’t read yet, can I get copies of what you brought so I can read it?’” When it comes down to who is going to make the cut to attend the event, Mrs. Dexter has only one criterion, “We look for kids who are absolutely passionate about writing, but they may not necessarily be good at it. They are just passionate about it.” This allows kids to share their voice through their writing, teaching them ways of becoming better people and better writers. “We are told what to write so often. Even as English teachers we are told that we have to have kids write an argumentative [essay], a research paper, an informative [essay], you are told what to write. Really writing at its core is getting out the bones on paper of what is inside your head. So this encourages kids to get that creative outlet. Whether it’s total creativity or what’s going on in their world, or whatever combination of the two: to get it out,” said Mrs. Dexter. In the end, the conference is geared to teach kids how to write better, but it also teaches the students the importance of creative writing. That the best way to vent is through a piece of paper and a pen or in the digital age, a computer and a keyboard. Below is a list of all events that have been postponed or canceled during the recommended closure by the Governor.
Tuesday, March 17th:
Saturday, March 21st:
Sunday, March 22nd:
Thursday, March 26th
Friday, March 27th
Sunday, March 29th
Monday March 30th
Tuesday, March 31st:
Thursday, April 2nd
Saturday, April 4th
Monday, April 6th
Tuesday, April 7th
Thursday, April 9th
Monday, April 13th
Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes Managing Editor Editor's Note: This situation is very fluid and more cancellations are likely as this situation progresses. We will continue to keep you updated to the best of our abilities. Check our website: maroonechoesnews.weebly.com for an updated list of closures and cancellations.
The Mount Pleasant Community School Board approved several motions at an emergency session on Wednesday, March 18th. These motions create a district response to the school closure due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and Governor Reynold’s closure recommendation. The board first approved a measure that guaranteed that the student’s last day would be May 29th. The seniors would have their last day 5 days earlier than that on May 22nd. The calendar change would cancel all professional development days and early outs for the rest of the year. This leaves the district with a total of 1,011.75 instructional hours on May 29th. The state minimum of instructional hours before the Governor forgave the 4-week closure was 1,080 hours. All of the time missed during the 4-week closure has been forgiven by the state legislature. The legislature also gave the governor emergency powers to forgive more school time if needed. The board then approved a measure to pay all regular district employees including teachers, paraeducators, janitors, secretaries, and food service workers during the shutdown. Substitute employees will not be paid. The measure approves regular payment of employees through the April 13th closure. The board also discussed how to make up time guaranteed contract time for teachers and other contracted employees. The board instructed Superintendent John Henriksen to come up with options for the next board meeting so that the board can make a better-informed decision. The final motion of the session approved the district’s Sack Lunch program during the closure, the program operates similar to the Summer Sack Lunch program. All students can pick up sack lunches at the Middle School at 400 North Adams Street, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641 and Salem Elementary at 412 East Jackson Street, Salem, IA 52649. In other news, the district will not move to online learning during the four-week closure. This is due to restrictions set down by the Iowa State Department of Education prohibiting the use of online instruction for grades or credits. Superintendent John Henriksen attributes this to the fact that not all students have access to the internet and those with IEP’s or Individual Education Plans are required to have access to specialized instruction. The district is offering educational resources for those who would like them on the district website at mtpcsd.org. The Iowa State Tests ISASP’s have been suspended until further notice, leaving more instructional time. The spring SAT and ACT tests have also been postponed. The April 4th ACT will be rescheduled for June 13th, but the May 2nd SAT has been canceled. Students are allowed in the high school building to get their stuff from their lockers if they contact the building administrators directly. The gym, weight room, and wrestling room are off-limits to everyone for the duration of the closure. The building will be closed to all staff and students between April 6th to April 10th so that custodians can disinfect the buildings before students return. According to Mr. Henriksen, all events scheduled after the recommended time of closure will still be held as long as it is determined that the health risk for such a large group of people has dissipated. These events include prom, graduation, and the band trip. Henriksen stated that the high school athletics associations would have to determine how to reschedule their season since all sports practices are canceled during the 4-week closure. The closure would end 4 weeks into the beginning of the sports season. Henriksen has previously stated that the district would attend any scheduled events as long as it is determined safe to do so. Again, a reminder that the current emergency situation is ongoing and that any or all of this information could change in the days and weeks ahead. As we learn more, we will continue to communicate as much as possible. See the Latest Maroon Echoes Newsletters Online! |
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