Red Pride Review- March 26th, 2021

A NOTE FROM TOM MESSINGER

March 26, 2021

Cardinals,

     I hope everyone was able to enjoy a safe and relaxing spring break.  I know this year has been a challenge to think of “normal” or “routine” things with school.  Procedures, schedules, and events have all changed as a result of COVID.  There is one “routine” event people look forward to - the last day of school.  It is quickly approaching and we still have a lot to do.  Be engaged with your child’s education:

• review the calendar for important dates,

• keep your student focused on learning up to the very end,

• have conversations with your student about their school day, and

• be in communication with your student’s school when you have questions.

     It is again the time of year when we are starting the process of looking ahead to the next school year!  This means we will be asking for parents / guardians to re-enroll their students in school and we will start registering our new students.  In the next week, there will be an email going out to our current families and a postcard going out in the mail.  The Newton Community School District will also be distributing information to future Cardinals on registering for school.  Our goal is to get 100% of our families re-enrolled before June 4, 2021.

     Don’t let your engagement end with the 2020-2021 school year.  Help the Newton Community School District as we move forward to 2021-2022.  We are still looking for volunteers to attend two School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) meetings.  The first one is on April 21, 2021.  The focus of the committee is improving our enrollment by addressing open enrollment and improving school - community relationships.  We want to put our best foot forward and need your help to make that happen.  If you are interested, please contact me at 641.792.5809 (Option 5).  Let’s spread Red Pride and help more people understand what that pride means.

Yours Truly, 

Tom Messinger 

Newton Community School District Superintendent 

Cardinal TV

A group of Newton High School students have formed a new group to bring you events and games to your home. Cardinal Tv is a great learning experience for students, and has brought events to those who may have been unable to attend in the last year.

Thank you to our Food Service Department at NCSD!

Newton's Food Service Department is full of caring individuals who show up for an important job everyday for the students! Check out the difference they make at our schools!

Teacher Feature 

Meet Nicole Shanahan! She is a Special Education teacher at Aurora Heights and has made an impact on the lives of students through her specialized approach to teaching. She is a compassionate individual we are lucky to have at  Newton Community Schools!

Looking for School Improvement Advisory Committee Members

The Newton Community School District is needing the assistance of parents, community members, students, and staff. It’s that time of year when the Cardinal Community is charged by the Newton CSD School Board to convene a School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) in order to strengthen the student enrollment inNewton. Morespecifically,theNewtonCommunitySchoolDistrictBoardofDirectors has set a bold, but achievable, goal to improve the net open enrollment for the Newton Community School District by 3.25% of the total enrollment. Achieving this goal may take 3-5 years to meet.

All school districts in Iowa must utilize a SIAC to make recommendations to the Board about the following components:

1. Major educational needs

2. Student learning goals

3. Curriculum, assessment and instruction

4. Long range and annual goals that include, but are not limited to, the state

indicators that address reading, mathematics, and science achievement

5. Bullying and harassment prevention goals

6. Any other issues which relate to school improvement.

This year, we are asking for your help to find ways to reduce our open enrollment deficit by finding our characteristics of success, identifying the ways to meet the needs of our community’s children, and forming or improving our relationships with families and with the community.

We have two meetings on our calendar this spring: April 21 & May 5 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM to be held at the EJH Beard Administration Center (1302 1st Ave W). A meal will be provided. Following our second SIAC meeting, recommendations will be presented to the school board. We want you to be a part of this. If you have interest in joining the SIAC please complete the survey below. We are seeking around 30 volunteers. We are not asking for a long term commitment from people - the membership in SIAC will be renewed each year. Let your Red Pride show!

Take The Survey HERE! 

March 29th

• HS- Boys Tennis Meeting at Maytag Park (3:30pm-5:30pm)
• Soccer: Boys Varsity Scrimmage vs. Washington (IA) @ Washington High School (4:30pm)

March 30th

• HS- Boys Tennis Meeting at Aurora Heights Park (3:30pm-5:30pm)

March 31st

• ACT Prep at HS Room 11 (5:30pm-8pm

April 1st

• Jostens at HS Cafeteria (10:00am-11:30am)
• Tennis: Girls Varsity Match vs. Des Moines East @ Des Moines East High School (4:15pm)
• Track and Field: Girls Varsity Invitational vs. Boone at Boone High School (4:30pm) 
• Soccer: Boys JV Match vs. Marshalltown @ Newton (5:30pm)
• Soccer: Boys Varsity Match vs. Marshalltown @ Newton (7pm)

April 2nd

• Golf: Boys Varsity Invitational vs. Saydel Community at Woodland Hills Golf Course (9am)
• Soccer: Girls JV and Varsity Scrimmage vs. South Tama at Newton HA Lynn Stadium (5pm)

April 3rd

• Soccer: Boys Varsity Tournament at Newton HA Lynn Stadium (9am)

April 5th

• Golf Boys Varsity and JV Invitational at Westwood Golf Course-Newton (4:15pm)
• Tennis: Boys Varsity Match vs. Boone @ Newton- Aurora Heights Tennis Courts (4:15pm)
• Track and Field: Girls Middle School Meet @ Newton HA Lynn Stadium (4:30pm) 
• Track and Field; Boys Varsity Invitational at Boone High School (4:30pm)
• All Star Band Concert at MS North Gym (6pm-9pm)

April 6th

• Track and Field: Boys and Girls Varsity Invitational at South Tama High School (4:30pm)
• Soccer: Girls JV Match vs. Knoxville @ Ken Locke Stadium(5:30pm)
• Soccer: Boys Varsity Match vs. Grinnell @ Grinnell-Ahrens Park
• Soccer: Girls Varsity Match vs. Knoxville @ Ken Locke Stadium (7pm)
• Soccer: Boys JV Match vs. Grinnell @ Grinnell- Ahrens Parks (7pm) 

April 7th

• ACT Prep at HS Room 11 (5:30pm-8pm)

April 8th

• Track and Field: Girls Varsity Invitational at Indianola High School (4:30pm)
• Soccer: Boys JV Match at Southeast Polk High School (4:45pm)
• Soccer: Girls JV Match at Southeast Polk High School (5:30pm)
• Soccer: Boys Varsity Match at Southeast Polk High School (6:15pm)
• Soccer: Girls Varsity Match vs. Ballard at Newton HA Lynn Stadium (7pm)

Upcoming Academic Calendar Dates

• April 1st- End of Third Quarter
• April 2nd- No School Students & District Office Closed

  
  

  • Good Friday Holiday 
  • Teacher Development Day (2 hour Early Dismissal)
• April 5th- Beginning of Fourth Quarter 
• April 12th- School Board Meeting
  • 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm (EJH Beard Administration Center - Room 105A / via ZOOM)