July 28, 2020

RTL Update – Timeline / UEN Letter

Here is the latest information around Return to Learn for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Updated Recommendation/Approval Date of RTL Model:

Next Monday, August 3, a recommendation will be made to the school board about the delivery model to start the school year. This is a week earlier than what was originally communicated to allow the District and families more time to plan for the start of school. The school board meeting will be held virtually and can be accessed at the Zoom URL below or watched live on our YouTube Channel. 

https://ames-k12-ia-us.zoom.us/j/87016509538

 

Timeline Update:

The originally designed timeline of building plans and community meetings will remain the same. They are as follows:

August 7 – Building Return to Learn Implementation Plans Released to the Public 

August 11-13 – Building Return to Learn Meetings

https://amescsd.org/district/district/return-to-learn/return-learn-timeline/

 

School Board Work Session from Monday (July 27, 2020):

The Ames School Board held a work session on Monday, July 27 around the topic of Return to Learn. If you did not have a chance to watch it live, it was recorded and is available on our YouTube Channel at the URL below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPpionLSL0U

 

Urban Education Network Letter to the DE

The Ames CSD is a member of the Urban Education Network (UEN), a consortium of some of the largest school districts in Iowa. As an organization, we wrote a letter to Governor Reynolds and the Department of Education (DE), dated July 24, that identifies deep concerns that the July 17 proclamation and subsequent DE guidance “go too far in restricting local authority, leave us waiting for health metric clarity that should already be known, too close to the start of the school year for us to shift course dramatically.” You can read the entire letter at the URL below. 

https://amescsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/UEN-Statement-on-RTL-Implementation-July-24-2020.pdf

 

Online Request Forms:

We understand that some parents would prefer to wait on making a decision based on the delivery model that the District selects. We appreciate and understand that thinking, but also know that many parents are ready to select the online learning option. For that reason, we have opened these forms to assist in our planning. If you are prepared to select the online option, we encourage you to read the Q & A on our website before doing so. 

https://amescsd.org/2020/07/official-form-request-online-learning/

 

Water Bottles:

We are currently in the process of adding water filler stations at all buildings across the District. Staying hydrated is important for learning and we ask that you add a water bottle to your back-to-school list for students. For those who do not have access to a water bottle, we are working with community partners to have many available. If you’re looking to get into the school spirit, we have added a Little Cyclone option to our online apparel store. 

https://acsdstore.com/