Dear Central Lyon Families & Staff,

I am writing to update you on plans Central Lyon Schools has been developing.

Free Meals

Beginning Monday, March 23, FREE meals will be available to all children/students 18-years of age and younger for grab-and-go service. Thanks to the generosity of Central Lyon residents, this FREE meal will consist of a lunch and a breakfast for the next day. Meals will be provided Monday through Friday at the following locations:

Central Lyon School                                                            Doon

Bus Drop-Off Lane / Entrance (south side of school)            Public Library Parking Lot (look for the white school van)

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.                                                          11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

In addition to the pick-up locations, meals will be delivered — upon request — to children/students living outside the city limits of Rock Rapids and Doon. To receive this service, families must request delivery by calling the high school office: (712) 472-2664. Delivery time will be determined by the number of requests and location. When calling, please provide: 1) the total number meals needed and 2) a phone number so school staff can confirm the delivery address.

Central Lyon Distance Learning Resources (CLDLR)

I understand students and parents are anxious to receive learning resources. Distance learning opportunities are being developed by teachers and will be available Monday, March 30.

I purposefully asked teachers to take the development of these resources slowly, so when provided they are meaningful – not just busy work that lacks intentional learning targets. Rest assured, teacher-leaders spent Thursday and Friday collaborating with school administrators, and will lead their peers on Monday and Tuesday in how to: 1) leverage social-emotional strategies to address mental health needs, 2) take advantage of tech tools students are familiar with while expanding features not previously utilized, and

3) capitalize on curriculum resources that will engage all students.

The priorities of Central Lyon’s Distance Learning Resources are to:

1. Maintain and strengthen relationships.
2. Provide resources while maintaining the health and safety of students and staff.
3. Provide the opportunity for all students to access learning resources.

The goals of CLDLR are:

1. Students will reconnect, and remain connected until this closure subsides, with their teachers and peers.

2. Students will engage in meaningful learning experiences at home that address the essential learnings normally delivered in-person from March 16-April 13.

• Elementary students will spend a total of one hour (1) of study, 30 minutes devoted to Literacy and Math each day.
• Middle school students will have one to one and a half hours (1 -1.5) of learning daily.
• High school students will be expected to engage in a total of one and a half to two hours (1.5 -2) of learning daily.

Note: Families are always encouraged to invest more time in learning, but the guidance from the Iowa Department of Education states that schools “may not require” students to participate due to equitable access for all students and the health considerations of staff.

3. Teachers will connect electronically with students for a minimum of 15-minutes each week to discuss the student’s social-emotional well-being, academic routines, and provide necessary supports.

• PK-4 teachers will connect with their classroom students,
• 5-8 teachers will connect with their advisory students, and
• 9-12 teachers will connect with their DEAR students.

4. Teachers will develop two lessons, per week.

• PK-4 teachers will develop lessons for literacy and math.
• 5-12 teachers will develop lessons for each class they teach.

5. Teachers will maintain eight (8) hours of “office hours” daily (Monday-Friday) in which students and families may schedule 15-minute video-chat sessions, phone conversations, or instant-messaging chats to continue their learning.

Enrichment Activities

While teachers continue to develop these opportunities, students should engage in the following learning experiences:

• Talk to each other & stay connected to friends. Pick up the phone, call a family member or friend. Or use technology to video-chat. Write a letter to a relative living in a nursing home or across the country to learn what is happening in their region of the United States.
• Read 30 minutes daily. Fiction or non-fiction, print or electronic, novels or magazines, blogs or websites … just make time to read each day!
• Write for 30 minutes. Send Grandma/Grandpa, a cousin, or a friend - a letter or email. Start a daily journal about what’s happening in our world. Write creatively about any topic that interests you.
• Stay Physically Active. Shovel the sidewalk, go for a walk around the block, ride your bike, or run on the treadmill. Do some jumping jacks, burpees, pushups, or crunches. Create your own work out based upon what you have at home.

Public Health Reminders

I would be remiss if I didn’t stress that the point of not having school for the next several weeks is a mitigation strategy to limit the spread of COVID-19. That means we need to continue to practice social distancing and refrain from regrouping. Parents/ guardians must insist their student(s) social distance themselves! As we’ve heard time and time again, we must all do our part to flatten the curve of this virus.

As a reminder, the following resources are available from IDPH and the CDC:

• IDPH Mitigation Strategies
• CDC: How to Protect Yourself
• CDC: Managing Anxiety & Stress