Quality Preschool, Tuition-Free!!!

Superintendent News & Views

Quality Preschool, Tuition-Free!!!

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

We’re pleased to announce that tuition-free preschool for 4-year old students is coming to North Tama in the fall. Starting in the fall of 2017, qualified four-year-old students will be able to attend preschool tuition-free through the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program

This program will allow all 4-year old students regardless of family income to attend preschool at North Tama Schools tuition-free.  Eligible students must be four years old on or before September 15, 2017.

The new preschool program is the result of a collaboration between the North Tama school district and Traer’s Pied Piper Preschool & Child Care Center. Pied Piper will be discontinuing their 4-year-old preschool program, and preschool classes for 4-year-old students will be held at North Tama Elementary instead. Students enrolled at Pied Piper for daycare will be provided with safe, reliable transportation in between the elementary building and Pied Piper.  3-year-old preschool classes will continue to be offered by Pied Piper. 

The new 4-year-old preschool program will provide a state-certified teacher trained in early childhood education and highly-qualified support staff, and offer the state-required minimum of 10 hours of quality preschool instruction per week.  The program will use the Creative Curriculum, a research and evidence-based comprehensive curriculum. The Creative Curriculum addresses all areas of early learning: language and literacy, math, science, physical skills and social skills. It provides children an opportunity to learn in a variety of ways – through play, problem-solving, movement, art, music, drawing and writing, listening and storytelling.

We are so pleased to welcome our new preschool teacher, Jill Miller. Jill comes to us from the South Tama district, where she has several years of experience teaching in a similar preschool program. We feel that we have found the perfect teacher to get this new program off the ground, and we look forward to seeing the program grow and our students being well served for many years into the future.

This program has been a long time in the making. While many people have been involved in the process, I want to personally thank our elementary principal Josh Youel for his leadership. It is because of Mr. Youel’s tireless efforts that tuition-free preschool will become a reality at North Tama. Every component of the program planning has been led by Mr. Youel. This has included the process of applying for state permission to establish the program, holding numerous meetings (preschool advisory committee, Pied Piper staff, Pied Piper preschool board, parent meetings, etc.), writing grants to secure funds for the program, hiring the staff, acquiring the necessary materials and supplies, updating the facilities to meet preschool standards, and much more. THANK YOU, Mr. Youel, for making this happen!  I also want to thank the North Tama School Board for their support of our vision to bring high-quality, tuition-free preschool to North Tama. 

This program is also open to 4-year-olds that live in other school districts. If you know of a young person in the area who will be four years old on or before September 15, 2017, please let their family know about this opportunity. Please direct any questions to principal Josh Youel at (319) 478-2265.

This newspaper column, along with my online blog and my Twitter feed, are part of my strategy for accessibility and communication as a shared superintendent. I invite your thoughts and your feedback in the comments section on my blog, which can be found at https://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/. In addition to an opportunity to comment, the blog provides an opportunity to look back at the other columns I have submitted to the Star Clipper, plus occasional items that are not submitted to the papers. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (my handle is @DavidRobertHill) for blog updates, pictures, and comments on school-related events and activities. 

I'll Call it Independence Day

Superintendent News & Views

I’ll Call it INDEPENDENCE DAY

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

America will soon be celebrating the Independence Day holiday. On July 4, people across our nation will enjoy a day off from work, a day at the lake, a family barbecue, perhaps a parade or local festival, and other traditions. Millions will enjoy beautiful fireworks displays. But often, we don’t take time to consider the origins of the holiday and to appreciate the true meaning of this special day.

Have you read the Declaration of Independence? Have you considered what the declaration meant to those who signed it? I know some of the words may seem a little "old fashioned," but if you are an American and you haven't read it, I encourage you to do so and to think about what it really meant to those at the time.

These brave people believed that their rights came from God -- not from a King, a constitution or any other document, or from any form of government. They understood that because governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed, whenever any form of government becomes destructive the people have the right to alter or abolish their government. Because of the British crown's many abuses of the colonists, they chose to separate from the British government and declare each of the 13 colonies to be free and independent states, and they mutually pledged their lives to defend these United States.

These were the first Americans.

Through the Declaration of Independence, these first Americans were essentially saying, "Hey King, our rights come from God, not from you. We've allowed you to be our leader for a long time, but now you’re not living up to your end of the deal. We're cutting ties with you starting today, and we have every right do to so. If necessary, we're ready to give our lives to defend this right."

Some call the holiday "July 4th." Some call it "America's birthday." Yes, it is the 4th day in July and it is the birthday of our country. But the 4th is just a number, and the word "birthday" brings thoughts of balloons, cake, and presents. I prefer to think of the holiday by its real name, INDEPENDENCE DAY.

When you hear the words Independence Day, I hope you'll remember these first Americans and take a moment to appreciate what this day is really all about. 

Why Teachers are My Heroes

Superintendent News & Views

Why Teachers are My Heroes

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

I am honored to be superintendent of North Tama Schools, and I feel privileged to work with and support the work of such dedicated and talented educational professionals.  This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, and I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you why North Tama’s teachers – and teachers in general – are deserving of our respect and our appreciation.  

Think back to when you were a child. Try to remember Kindergarten or another lower elementary grade.  Do you recall what you wanted to be when you grew up?  When you ask this question of our district’s youngest students, some of the more common responses you will hear include jobs such as firefighter, police officer, scientist, doctor or nurse, teacher, and various military roles. Kids will also often tell you that they want to grow up to do the same job that their mom or dad does.  Why do we so commonly hear these responses?  It’s because these are examples of the people that our students look up to. These people are our kids’ HEROES, and I think it’s awesome that so many students aspire to one day be a hero to others. 

As for me, I first remember wanting to be a teacher in the 4^th grade. Over the years, I probably changed my mind two dozen times as to the grade level or subject matter that I wanted to teach, but I never wavered in my desire to become a teacher.  One of the best days of my life was when I fulfilled my dream by joining the teaching staff at Benton Community Middle/High School. 

Perhaps the reason I wanted to teach is because I was influenced by so many wonderful teachers during my formative years. In addition to the teachers in my school, my grandmother was one of my greatest teachers. Grandma, a retired teacher, had so many stories about her years in the classroom.  Nearly every one of her stories reflected the LOVE that she had of her job and for her students. One of Grandma’s greatest rewards in life came from visiting with her former students and learning about how they have positively influenced their workplaces, their families, and the world around them.    

The relationships teachers build each day with our young people are helping to shape their future. The efforts of North Tama’s teachers today are inspiring and preparing the next generation of innovators, community influencers, and world leaders.

Teachers are role models for our young people. They truly are HEROES. They help students to understand that school is about so much more than learning information. Teachers help our young people learn how to apply the knowledge they’re gaining to reach their goals, fulfill their dreams, and change the world.

 Our teachers are part of a larger team that works together to make a difference for our students.  The bus drivers, coaches, cooks, secretaries, custodians, teacher associates, nurses, speech language pathologists, counselors, principals and others who work in our schools are part of this team, and all of them deserve acknowledgement for the great services they provide to our students each day!

I am very proud to play a role in supporting the work that North Tama’s teachers and staff do each day. Thank you, teachers and staff, for your hard work and dedication – you help our students achieve success in school, in their activities, and in their communities; and, the work you do will pay dividends for MANY YEARS TO COME!!! 

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my Star Clipper columns and leave comments if you wish. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill. 

Teens Behind the Wheel

Last week, our youngest son turned fourteen. Just like his older brothers, one of the first things that Jacob wanted to do upon reaching this milestone age was to visit the DOT Driver License station and take the written test to receive his permit to drive. 

He passed his test, and now he’s getting some of his first experiences behind the wheel. Right now, we’re primarily sticking to the rural roads of Tama County, but we’ll eventually venture into some of the small towns in the area. At some point, I’m sure we’ll endeavor to try out the roads in some of the medium-sized towns and larger cities in the area as we seek to help our son develop his skills as a driver.

I’ll admit that my wife and I aren’t nearly as nervous this time around. Jacob has had two older brothers to “break us in” on the idea of having our kids behind the wheel.  

I recall the first few practice driving sessions with our oldest son and how I was overly anxious about his every move.  I nearly panicked and grabbed the steering wheel as he took his first left turn. This wasn’t because he was doing anything wrong; in retrospect, he was doing just fine. I just wasn’t mentally prepared for the idea of my child becoming a driver!

Our older sons are now both young adults who have gone through the entire process of earning their instruction permits, hours of practice driving with their parents, driver education classes, school permits, and intermediate licenses before finally achieving their full licenses.  Both of them are good drivers, and I’m confident that they – as well as the other drivers and pedestrians that they encounter on a daily basis – are just as safe as anyone is on the road.

Our son Jacob showing off his new
instruction permit. 

As our youngest son is now just getting out there on the road for some of his first practice driving, I’m reminded that EXPERIENCE is one of the best ways to learn.  The guided practice that young drivers receive from their parents as they venture out onto the road as new drivers is critical to their success and to their safety.   

Roughly 40 North Tama students have reached the age of 14 during the past year, and many more students will reach that milestone in the coming months. Driver Education classes will also be starting in the near future. I’m sure these young people’s parents experienced similar degrees of anxiousness as their sons and daughters reached various milestones related to driving.

Parents, you’ve spent your child’s entire lifetime helping him or her to grow and learn. One of your most important goals during this time has been to keep your child safe.  A “rite of passage” as they get older is the freedom and independence of driving. However, with this freedom and independence comes a tremendous amount of risk. Have you prepared your child for this challenging time? Have you done everything you could? Have you sought out sound advice about the dangers of driving as a teen driver before they hit the road alone?

Their life could depend upon it.

Because young drivers lack experience and have had minimal hands-on supervised practice behind the wheel, they may not perceive risks in the same way that you and I do.  Drivers that don’t understand the risks are more likely to be overconfident, leading them to believe that they can handle distractions such as cell phones, multiple passengers, loud music, eating or drinking while driving, emotionally-charged driving, etc. Overconfidence can also lead to a feeling of invincibility, causing drivers to feel that the rules of the road such as speed limits and stop signs don’t apply to them.

One of the most important things a parent can do is to set a positive example.  Remember, they will be watching YOU when you are behind the wheel, and you provide their greatest model. Your respect (or lack of respect) for the rules of the road and your aggressiveness (or lack of aggressiveness) behind the wheel is likely to be reflected in your child’s behaviors behind the wheel.  If you haven’t been setting the best example, there’s no time like right now to get started.

Parents shouldn’t take their child’s driving abilities for granted, and it isn’t safe to assume that they will get all of the behind-the-wheel time that they need during Driver Education class. Young drivers need PRACTICE, and while Driver Education does offer the state-required minimum of 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, their greatest opportunity for practice is driving with parents. Parents should ride with their young drivers often, and should be engaged while their child is driving so that appropriate feedback can be given.

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my Star Clipper columns and leave comments if you wish. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill. 

Why We LOVE Author Visits at North Tama

North Tama’s students and staff have had the opportunity to meet and learn from several well-known authors that have visited the school in recent years. Perhaps you caught some of the media coverage this past September when we were visited by internationally-acclaimed author Peter Reynolds.  If you happened to get a quick glimpse of the assembly during the coverage on KWWL news or when it was broadcast in its entirety on discoveryeducation.com, you surely saw our students’ excitement and understood that September 13 was not a typical day of school at North Tama. 

Peter Reynolds arrives at North Tama
in Carol Detje's dot-decorated bus.

Maybe you saw Carol Detje’s school bus, decorated with hundreds of multicolored dots, as Carol gave Peter Reynolds a tour of Traer before bringing him to the school, where he was greeted by hundreds of cheering students.  While I hope everyone in the community had a chance to share in our excitement, it has occurred to me that some folks might not understand WHY we decided to take time from our school day for such excitement.

We all understand that teaching kids to read, write, compute, solve problems independently, and think critically is serious business…so why do we at North Tama take time from our regular learning experiences for the craziness of an author visit? Could our time and resources be used in a more productive way? 

At North Tama Schools, we believe the time that we spend with authors such as Peter Reynolds, Kirby Larson, Drew Daywalt and others is an INVESTMENT in our students’ futures for many reasons. 

When the teachers and school community show their enthusiasm for an upcoming author visit, students of all ages take the cue that books are important. A buzz of excitement is created. Kids are motivated to read that author's books in preparation for the visit.

There is nothing like an author visit to get kids reading, writing, and understanding the creative process. While our visiting authors often read aloud from the books they have written, it’s not the books that make these visits so successful. Meeting authors makes the reading, the writing process, the literature, and the authors themselves REAL and ACCESIBLE to the students.

When students understand the “inside story” of how and why a particular book was written, they learn to recognize the choices made by authors. This helps to improve their reading comprehension as they develop and practice the ability to make predictions, inferences, and associations. 

When published writers share the real-life process of developing a book from the idea stage to the final product, kids are often inspired to do more of their own writing. Spending time with someone like Peter Reynolds gives students a chance to see that authors are a real person – not just a name on a book cover. While they learn that authors are ordinary people just like you and me, they also discover that even the most successful authors have had to take risks, fail, persevere, and try again. Peter Reynolds helped North Tama students to understand that when they combine creativity with perseverance, nearly anything is possible.

Six months have passed since our most recent author visit; but, you can still see, hear, and feel the effects throughout the school. That’s why we have invested our time and resources in having authors come to North Tama, and that’s why we will continue to provide opportunities like this for our students in the future. We may live in a small, rural community…but we’re committed to providing our students with WORLD CLASS experiences.

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my Star Clipper columns and leave comments if you wish. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill. 

North Tama Joins “The Promise of Iowa” Campaign to Support Public Schools

The Board of Directors of the North Tama County Community School District has passed a resolution in support of “The Promise of Iowa” campaign. The goal of the statewide campaign is to focus attention on the future of Iowa public school students and to rally support for public education in Iowa. The “Promise of Iowa” campaign is being coordinated statewide by the Iowa Association of School Boards.

The campaign’s focus is on building public understanding about the work of public schools today, which are innovating to ensure students are positioned for success in their futures. Iowa’s future leaders, innovators and citizens are its children. They are “The Promise of Iowa.” Their future is created every day by Iowa public schools. Iowa public schools develop their potential, strengthen communities, and contribute to a strong economy.

Another goal of the campaign is to encourage Iowans to show their support for the investments needed to keep our public schools strong. In this era of competing priorities and limited resources, state funding has fallen short in meeting the real needs of our students. As locally elected citizens entrusted with public education, your school board members have decided to support this campaign to rally public support and understanding for continued investments that move our state and community forward.

The North Tama board’s support of “The Promise of Iowa” campaign is an important step in raising awareness statewide about the value of public education in shaping the next generation of Iowa leaders, workers and citizens. The campaign will share information on public schools statewide, and encourage local residents to take part as well.

North Tama’s current school board members are Trisha Kennedy, Tiffany Feisel, Gretchen Pargeon, David Calderwood, Cheryl Popelka, Rod Zobel, and Doug Dvorak. When you see these leaders, please thank them for their dedication and their service to our school.

YOU can get involved in the campaign to support public education in Iowa, too! The “Promise of Iowa” website, www.promiseiowa.org, provides more information about how to get involved in the campaign and how to become an advocate for quality public education in Iowa. 

My SUPERINTENDENT NEWS & VIEWS columns, in addition to my blog and Twitter postings, are part of my plan for open communication with the community. As a part-time superintendent that also has duties in another school district, I believe that open and clear communication is more important than ever before. If you’ve missed any of my columns or would like to re-read or share them with your friends and family, you are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where they are all posted. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter (@DavidRobertHill) where I will occasionally post updates or other information not found on the blog.

Your support of North Tama Schools and of public education in Iowa is appreciated!  

FREE Literacy Resources for Parents

Imagine if there was a “one stop shop” where families could access free literacy resources for PreK-6th Grade children.  Now, imagine if parents and caregivers could use a search and filter tool to select specific types of resources, targeted literacy skills to work on, and an appropriate age range.  You don’t need to use your imagination any longer, as these resources exist and are just a click away. 

The Iowa Reading Research Center (IRRC) has developed a wonderful website to provide these types of targeted resources. The website continues to be expanded regularly to meet the needs of children of all ages. This high-quality collection of over 200 learning activities, videos, articles and parent guides is a great resource families can use to practice and build critical reading skills.

IRRC is collaborating with educators and parents across Iowa to make a multitude of resources available for families on their website at http://www.iowareadingresearch.org/.  IRRC has worked extensively with trained educators and parents who have reviewed hundreds of resources for content, quality and accessibility. Only those resources receiving the highest ratings are hosted on the IRRC website. The resources are free and no log-in is required. Visitors can search the collection by literacy skill, age/grade, and resource type, or search by keyword to find learning tools that are just right for each and every child.

Whether your child is a struggling reader or is one of the most skilled readers in his or her class, he or she will benefit from the resources provided on this website and the time spent with parents or other adults while using these tools.  I encourage parents to visit the IRRC website regularly for current information and additional resources.

Parents and others who support children in their reading may also want to subscribe to the IRRC’s weekly blog at http://www.iowareadingresearch.org/blog/ Blog readers will learn more about the individual resources in the IRRC Family Resources Collection, get specific information how to best utilize the IRC family resources, and have the opportunity read about parents’ real-life experiences with using the tools from the collection.

You can also follow the Iowa Reading Research Center’s Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/IAReading or their Facebook posts at https://www.facebook.com/iowareadingresearchcenter. 

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, older sibling, daycare provider, or anyone else who supports young readers, I hope you will take advantage of these free, high-quality tools.

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. These SUPERINTENDENT NEWS & VIEWS columns, in addition to my blog and Twitter postings, are part of my plan for open communication with the community. As a part-time superintendent that also has duties in another school district, I believe that open and clear communication is more important than ever before. If you’ve missed any of my columns or would like to re-read or share them with your friends and family, you are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where they are all posted. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter (@DavidRobertHill) where I will occasionally post updates or other information not found on the blog.