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Due to the recent proclamation issued by Governor Reynolds on November 16^th, our junior high activities are suspended through December 10^th.  We will make efforts to reschedule as many events as possible.  Junior high students and families can stay in communication with the coach, director, or sponsor of their activity for more information concerning practices, lessons, performances, and contests.     

November 12, 2020

Dear District Stakeholder,

The Iowa Department of Education has granted the Red Oak CSD’s request to provide students at Inman Elementary and Red Oak Jr/Sr High School remote instruction through November 24, 2020. In granting this request the Department acknowledged the reasonableness of temporarily providing primarily remote learning based on “public health conditions in the building or district.”  We are currently planning to resume face-to-face instruction in all buildings on Monday, November 30.

Respectfully,

Ron Lorenz

Superintendent

Due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, the Red Oak School Board has voted to immediately transition to remote learning for 48 hours pending approval of a Department of Education waiver to extend remote learning for up to two weeks. Effective November 12, all students at Inman Elementary and Red Oak Jr/Sr High School will participate in remote learning for the remainder of the week. At this time, preschool will continue with regular face-to-face instruction. If the district’s waiver request is approved, all K-12 students will continue to participate in remote learning through November 24, the beginning of Thanksgiving break.

It is important to understand that this is not the same situation we faced last spring. We are not offering voluntary learning opportunities or supplemental resources. We are required to provide robust compulsory virtual instruction to all students. Daily synchronous interactions with students are expected. Rigorous remote lessons will be provided on a daily basis through Google Classroom. Students are required to login and complete assignments daily.

Parents and students may refer to the following links for additional information:

Parent FAQ for Remote Learning Link - https://tinyurl.com/y2xtm6ys

Link to Inman Elementary Google Meet Live Video Teaching Schedule - https://tinyurl.com/y36kal7l

Link to Jr-Sr. High School Google Meet Live Video Teaching Schedules -

A-Day Synchronous Schedule: https://tinyurl.com/y5m3fdge

B-Day Synchronous Schedule: https://tinyurl.com/y4x8w95u

Breakfast/Lunch Survey - https://forms.gle/xwk9rSxDdeZAszdh8

Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge and available for pick up at 5 locations within the community from 7 am- 9 am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Tuesday, families will pick up meals for Tuesday and Wednesday. Pick up locations will be at Inman Elementary, Red Oak Early Childhood Center, Webster School, Faith Community Church, and First Christian Church.

If you have any questions please contact your students attendance center.

ACCOUNTS.GOOGLE.COM

November 10, 2020,

Dear District Stakeholder,

In an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Red Oak CSD is considering a temporary suspension of face-to-face instruction, at Inman Elementary and Red Oak Jr/Sr High School, from Thursday, November 12 through Wednesday, November 25. The district has requested a waiver from the Iowa Department of Education to provide virtual or “continuous” learning for this two-week period. If this waiver is approved, the Red Oak Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, November 11, at 5:00 p.m. to vote on the proposed action.

As the number of COVID-19 cases have risen across the state, the Red Oak CSD has seen a corresponding increase in the number of students and staff impacted by the coronavirus. As more and more teachers have been affected, it has become increasingly difficult to meet the needs of students. We are at the point where we do not have enough substitute teachers to cover for those who are forced to be absent due to personal illness, quarantine requirements, daycare issues and other circumstances. If we do not take action, we could be faced with even greater spread that would further compromise our ability to provide both face-to-face and remote instruction.

Iowa Department of Education and Public Health guidelines recommend applying for temporary permission to provide online learning when positivity rates reach 15-20% and absentee rates exceed 10% among students who are expected to participate in face-to-face learning school. The current 14-day positivity rate in Montgomery County is 20.9% and the positivity rate in Page County is 33.7%. Our current student absentee rate is 15.3%. These numbers, combined with our current staffing challenges, have prompted us to take this action.

Please know that we do not do so lightly. We understand that remote learning places unique challenges on students and families, and we will be here to support you. Teachers will engage with students and provide robust virtual instruction on a daily basis. District personnel will be available to help troubleshoot access and device issues. Sack lunches will be provided to all students who require them. Ultimately, we will do everything we can to support students and families throughout the current pandemic and beyond.

To reiterate, the Red Oak CSD is considering a temporary suspension of face-to-face instruction at Inman Elementary and Red Oak Jr/Sr High School, effective November 12 through the Thanksgiving holiday. These changes will not impact the district’s preschool program. If granted permission by the Iowa Department of Education, the Red Oak Board of Education will consider the matter during a special meeting on Wednesday, November 11. We will keep you appraised as additional information becomes available.

Respectfully,

Ron Lorenz

Superintendent

The district has developed a plan to limit school bus routes to hard surface roads when gravel roads are unsafe or inaccessible.  This plan may be implemented when gravel roads become icy or drifted. It may also be used when soft surface roads become too muddy or rutted to travel.

The district will announce the implementation of its hard surface route plan using area media outlets and the Infinite Campus Emergency Messenger System. A copy of the plan will be posted to the district website and sent to parents whose children ride the bus. 

Every effort will be made to make decisions regarding the implementation of emergency hard surface routes by 6:30 a.m. When hard surface routes are utilized in the morning, they will also be used in the afternoon. Parents will be notified of any afternoon changes by 12:00 p.m.

When restricted to hard surfaces, school buses will stop at predetermined intersections of paved and gravel roads at prescribed times.  Parents will be asked to transport their children to the intersection closest to their home and wait with them for the bus to arrive. Students will not be left at a drop-off point unless a parent or guardian is there to pick them up. If no parent or guardian is at the drop-off point, the student will be returned to the school and parents will be required to pick them up as soon as possible.

Students living on gravel roads who cannot make it to hard surface pick-up points will not be counted absent from school, so long as their parents write a note to the school explaining the situation. They may also participate in remote learning.

October 29, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The Red Oak CSD is taking a different approach to “snow days” during the 2020-2021school year. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a virtual teaching and learning platform that allows us to connect with students in both face-to-face and virtual settings. When inclement weather makes it unsafe to transport students, we will use our virtual teaching and learning platform to provide remote instruction to all students rather than cancel school. This leads to a more effective use of instructional time and prevents the district from having to make up days at the end of the year.

Since some students are participating exclusively in virtual instruction and all students are expected to engage remotely each Wednesday, this change should be less disruptive than emergency cancellations. Remote classes will occur as regularly scheduled unless communicated otherwise. Students should log into their Google Classroom sites at prescribed times for directions regarding the day’s learning activities.

Since we may not have advance warning of winter storms, it will be important that students take their devices and other materials home each day. Elementary teachers will send computers home with younger students. We also will prompt older students when winter weather is imminent, but they should not rely solely on these reminders.  Students should get in the routine of taking their computers home on a daily basis. They will be responsible for making up work that is missed because they did not have their materials at home.

We will continue to issue mass communications to families and district employees using the Infinite Campus Messenger system. To receive emergency text messages and emails, you must provide the district with current email addresses and telephone numbers. We will also continue to announce school closures and delays on local and area media outlets, including KCSI-FM Radio (95.3), KMA-FM Radio (99.1), KSOM-FM (96.5), KTPM-TV (Channel 42), WOWT-TV (Channel 6), KMTV-TV (Channel 3), and KETV-TV (Channel 7). We will also post these announcements on our district website.

It is important to note these changes apply only to school closures.We will not attempt to implement remote learning when school is delayed or dismissed early.

In closing, I would reiterate that we will be requiring students to engage in remote learning rather than cancel school due to inclement weather. We hope it is not necessary to implement such measures, but we want to be prepared when winter storms occur. We appreciate your grace and flexibility in this matter.

Respectfully,

Ron Lorenz

October 8, 2020
Dear Parent or Guardian,

We want you to be aware of potential revisions to the district’s “return-to-learn” plan that would place restrictions
on students participating in remote learning and require students to wear face coverings throughout the school day
except lunch. The Red Oak Board of Education will consider these measures during its regularly scheduled meeting
on Monday, October 12, 2020.
In monitoring the implementation of our “return-to-learn” plan, we have seen a disproportionate number of remote
learners struggling in the virtual setting. We have tried to provide families as much flexibility as possible to select
the instructional model that is best for their children, but too many of our remote learners are falling further and
further behind. Therefore, we are recommending the Board limit remote learning to students who have a legitimate
medical reason or other extenuating circumstances. If the Board approves this recommendation, parents who want
their students to continue learning remotely must provide a doctor’s note verifying their child or an immediate
family member has a medical condition that precludes them from physically attending school. Parents may also
obtain special permission from their building principal allowing their child(ren) to participate in remote learning due
to rare and unusual circumstances. This will have no immediate impact on our current schedule as it will not
eliminate remote learning.
We will also recommend the Board require all students to wear face coverings throughout the school day. On
September 29, Governor Kim Reynolds issued revised guidance stating that individuals who come in close contact
with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 are no longer required to quarantine for fourteen days so long as
both individuals were wearing appropriate face coverings during the exposure. Given this guidance, a face covering
mandate will streamline our contact tracing efforts, enable us to keep more students in school and minimize
potential disruptions for families.
Pending Board approval, restrictions on remote learning will go into effect at the beginning of the second quarter.
Students who are not approved for virtual instruction will be required to return to school, in accordance with
compulsory attendance requirements, no later than October 26, 2020. Pending Board approval, a mask mandate will
go into effect on Thursday, October 15, 2020. It is important to note that face coverings must consist of multiple
layers of fabric to be sufficient under the new guidelines. Face shields, neck “gaiters” scarves, or bandanas are not
currently considered “appropriate” face coverings.
We appreciate your support as we navigate the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19. Please know that we will
continue to monitor the implementation of our “return-to-learn” plans and make revisions as circumstances change
and new information becomes available. We ask for your grace as we seek to do what is best for all students and
district stakeholders.
Respectfully,
Ron Lorenz
Superintendent

Red Oak Community School District Families,
 

Beginning Monday, September 14, 2020, Red Oak Community School District (CSD) will provide free breakfast and lunch to all preschool through 12^th grade students. This change is a result of a COVID-19 waiver extension from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allows schools to serve meals to all students at no cost under the Summer Food Service Program Guidelines.

This service will continue through December 31, OR until USDA funding runs out. If funding runs out before December 31, the Iowa Department of Education will notify school nutrition directors and the Red Oak CSD will notify families. When this waiver expires, the Red Oak CSD will transition back to our current meal service practice, in accordance with USDA guidelines. At that time, students will resume their current regular, reduced, or free meal rate status.

The District will not provide any refunds from student accounts, as we do not know how long this waiver will remain in place and students will still be charged for all extra meals, entrees and a la carte items at normal prices.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the central office at (712) 623-6600.

Ron Lorenz

Superintendent

Red Oak Community School District

(712) 623-6600 ext. 5600 (office)

(712) 623-6603 (fax)