Keep Kids Learning During the Summer

Superintendent News & Views

Keep Kids Learning During the Summer

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

Summer is a great time to seek out opportunities to extend a child’s learning. There are many opportunities to learn during the summer – story hour at the public library, swimming lessons, vacation Bible school, scouting and 4-H activities, summer camp, volunteer activities, and summer sports are just a few examples.

Over the summer months, children can lose a shocking amount of what they’ve already learned unless there is an intentional effort to keep their brains engaged. That means the kids who put forth just a little bit of effort are going to be ahead come fall. Parents, you owe it to your kids—and to their futures—to incorporate learning activities into their summer.

Reading and learning activities can be an important part of your child’s summer experience while still allowing plenty of time for play and relaxation. Here are a few suggestions, courtesy of the National Association of Elementary Principals.

FIND ACTIVITY BOOKS TO EXERCISE THEIR MINDS. There is a huge variety of activity books available, usually catered to specific age groups. Give your children their own activity book and let them work at their own pace to finish it. (Set a “due by” date to keep them on track.) Crossword puzzles, math activity books, and number puzzles all keep children’s brains in motion.

INCORPORATE “THINKING” INTO TRAVELING. If your family takes a vacation during the summer, include stops at a few places that will incorporate learning along with fun. Zoos, children’s museums, and historic sites are educational as well as entertaining. For bonus learning, have your children help you plot out the trip using an atlas or online mapping software. Older children can tally up the miles, keep track of expenses, or figure out gas mileage.

SET A READING TIME EVERY DAY. Set aside a certain time every day where everyone puts away their smartphones and turns off the computer, TV, music, and video games. Spends 15 minutes or more reading. Parents can set an example by participating in this reading time along with your child.

GET BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR CHILD. Check out the American Library Association’s recommended Summer Reading lists for kids at https://tinyurl.com/summer-reading-list-18. Be sure to sign your kids up for summer reading programs at the local library, too!

BE “INTERNATIONAL.” Set aside one or two nights during the summer to have an international evening. Together, find recipes from a different nation and put together a special meal. Learn a few basic words in that country’s language and find a children’s book or online information on what life is like in that country. Get out a world map or a globe and show them where the country is and talk about what you’d want to visit if you could go there.

PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS AND EXERCISE. T-Ball, little league, dance, and other organized activities offered in the community are a great way to build foundational skills and squeeze in some physical activity. Even if your child can’t participate in a local sports league or community-based team, there are plenty of ways to get exercise—family trips to area swimming pools, jumping rope, taking family walks around your neighborhood, or visiting the playground equipment at an area park.

While it does take some effort and planning to keep kids engaged in learning during the summer, the benefit to a child’s education is beyond measure.

I hope parents, grandparents, and others who have an influence on the lives of young people will find these suggestions to be helpful. Do you have another tip to share, or a comment about this article? You are welcome to visit my blog at at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my columns from the Star Clipper and leave comments if you wish. I also occasionally post pictures and other content that is not submitted to the paper or additional information that expands upon what was submitted to the paper. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill. Have a great summer!

PUBLIC NOTICE – SCHOOL BOARD VACANCY

North Tama Patrons:

We are seeking a qualified individual to fill a vacancy on the school board until the next school board election in November 2019. To qualify, an individual must be a registered voter whose residence is located in Director District 5. A detailed description of Director District 5, along with other requirements, can be found in the "PUBLIC NOTICE" below. The accompanying photo shows a visual description of Director District 5.

PUBLIC NOTICE – BOARD VACANCY

The North Tama County Community School District’s Board of Education publishes this notice to inform district patrons of a vacancy on the Board of Education. Pursuant to Iowa Code 279.6, the Board intends to appoint a person within 30 days to fill this vacancy on the Board. Any eligible persons residing within Director District 5 who may be interested in filling this vacancy are asked to contact Superintendent David Hill at 605 Walnut Street, Traer, Iowa 50675. Telephone (319) 478-2265. Potential candidates may be asked to fill out a questionnaire or complete an interview with the board.

Director District 5 includes areas within the city limits of Traer that are south of 2nd Street (Highway 8) and east of Main Street (Highway 63). The Superintendent can provide a map of the director district or answer any questions about specific addresses.

Eligible electors of the North Tama County Community School District have the right to file a petition requiring that this vacancy be filled by special election. Petitions must be received by the board secretary within 14 days after the publication of this notice. For signatory requirements, contact Board Secretary Terrill Karr at 605 Walnut Street, Traer, Iowa 50675. Telephone (319) 478-2265.

North Tama Board Agenda for Monday, May 21, 2018

Monday's school board meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the ICN room.  The agenda is posted at the link below:

https://bit.ly/2Iy9lKr

Taken for a Ride

Superintendent News & Views

Taken for a Ride

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

During the 2016-2017 school year, North Tama’s school buses traveled over 48,000 miles on regular daily bus routes and over 16,000 miles on “non-route” transportation such as field trips and activity trips.  An average of 178.4 students were transported on our routes each day, with an annual average cost per transported pupil of $1,210. 

This might sound like a lot of miles and a very high cost per student, because it is.  The North Tama district includes 155 square miles of total land area, and our students are distributed among large area including Traer, Buckingham, Clutier, and Dinsdale, and the rural areas surrounding these small towns.  Many other large rural districts are in a similar situation. My other district (Gladbrook-Reinbeck: 189 square miles) is in a similar situation, spending about $1,261 per transported student last year. 

Compare this to a district like the Marion Independent School district which has a total land area of 3.6 square miles.  That district’s annual average cost per pupil transported last year was $517.57.  In the West Burlington district (land area: 2 square miles), the average per-student cost was $532.86.

Statistically speaking, school buses are the safest way for the district to transport hundreds of students to and from school and on their various activity trips; furthermore, Iowa school districts are required by law to provide free transportation for any elementary student living 2 or more miles from the school and any secondary student living 3 or more miles from the school. 

In some urban and suburban districts with a higher population density, a bus can travel three or four miles and be filled to capacity, while in some rural districts a bus can travel three or four miles and only stop for the occasional stop sign. Here at North Tama, we were able to reduce a bus route this year, so we’re now operating three daily routes rather than four.  We’re doing our best to make our transportation system as efficient and effective as possible so more of our limited funding can be used to provide educational opportunities for students.

 

Yes, busing is expensive – that’s nothing new.  The problem is that the funds used to pay for most transportation expenses such as bus driver salaries, fuel, and most bus repairs must come from the general fund – that’s the same funding source that is used to pay for most educational expenses such as teacher salaries, textbooks, classroom software, and supplies. The general fund dollars come to the district based on a per-pupil allocation that is essentially the same for all districts.  Therefore, school districts like North Tama that serve a large rural area and spend more on transportation have less to spend on classroom instruction. Or if you look at it another way, students from urban and suburban districts that spend less per-student on transportation have an advantage, since their districts have more money to spend on classroom instruction.

Either way you look at it, this situation is inequitable.  A student who lives in Clutier or Traer should have access to the same educational opportunities as a student from Waterloo, Waukee, or West Des Moines.  But the only way to ensure that would be for there to be some sort of separate funding source outside of a district’s per-pupil funding to pay for transportation costs.  Transportation equity legislation was proposed during the 2017 legislative session, but the legislation wasn’t supported…primarily because it would just be so expensive to provide the equity that districts like North Tama need and deserve. 

Consider asking your elected representatives their feelings about this transportation equity issue. I still believe the Iowa legislature should be asked to provide an additional funding stream for transportation, or use a formula based on population density when determining Supplemental State Aid.

Perhaps you saw the recent news story on KWWL News called “Taken for a Ride” which looked on this topic in depth, focusing on the Western Dubuque Community School District which is Iowa’s largest at 555 square miles.  Yes, that’s where I got the title for this column – and I believe it is an appropriate title because there truly are many students and school districts that are being “Taken for a Ride.”  The video portion of the story has now been taken down from the KWWL website, but you can read the associated article here: https://tinyurl.com/Taken4aRide 

Our rural students represent the future of Iowa. No matter where they live, they deserve equal access to a top-notch school experience! Each and every one of them deserves a quality education regardless of whether they live in one of Iowa’s large metro areas, a growing suburb, or in a rural area that may be losing population.

You are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/where this column and all of the columns I have written for the Star Clipper are posted. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill. 

Don’t Miss a Winter Weather Announcement!

Superintendent News & Views

Don’t Miss a Winter Weather Announcement! 

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at North Tama Schools!  I hope our students are all enjoying their break from school and finding an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate in preparation for their return to school on January 3. 

I’m pleased that we haven’t had had any big snowstorms or ice storms that have disrupted our school schedule yet this school year. It’s always great when we can make it to Christmas break without a weather-related cancellation. Parents, teachers, school administrators and even many students agree – while we don’t like disrupting our schedule and taking away scheduled learning time due to severe weather, we understand that there are times that safety simply must come first. 

While we try to keep disruptions and calendar changes to a minimum, there are times when changing our schedule at the last minute is simply the right thing to do for the safety of all.  Our school district is responsible for transporting hundreds of young people every day. We need to consider the safety of everyone concerned when making the decisions about school cancellations, delays, or early dismissals. 

As Winter progresses, there will be days when decisions of this nature will need to be made. Fortunately, there is no need to sit by the TV or radio waiting to find out if school has been canceled or delayed. Anyone can have real-time text message notifications sent directly to their cellular phone. This system is available to anyone who may be interested, whether or not they have children in school. 

Parents of North Tama students are already included in our alert system for inclement weather notices. Parents - if you need to change your number, please contact the secretaries or log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account to update your information. Community members that wish to receive our text alerts regarding delays, cancellations, and early dismissals are invited to sign up for this service at no charge. Just visit the following link and enter your information: http://www.n-tama.k12.ia.us/textalerts.  If you signed up last year, you are still signed up and do not need to enter your information again.

While it’s great that we’ve made it to Christmas break without a snow day, keep in mind that Winter actually just began on December 21 – so there is plenty of time for Mother Nature to hit us hard with snow, extreme temperatures, ice, and reduced visibilities.  Be sure to get signed up for North Tama’s text notifications today so you don’t miss out on an important announcement! 

2017 has been a great year for all of us at North Tama Schools – not just weather-wise, but educationally as well. We’re looking forward to another great year in 2018!  I encourage you to visit my blog at https://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ to keep up-to-date on my activities and opinions as your superintendent in the coming year. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter (@DavidRobertHill) where I will occasionally post updates, photos, and other information not found on the blog.

A Holiday Gift That’s Also an Investment in the Future

Superintendent News & Views

A Holiday Gift That’s Also an Investment in the Future

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

I have a possible solution to your gift-giving dilemmas this holiday season, especially if you are connected to anyone under age 18 and would like to make an investment in their future. Instead of trying to figure out what is on the “wish list” of the special young person in your life, you can give one of the most meaningful gifts a child may ever receive. You can even earn yourself a state tax deduction in the process.  I’m talking about opening or contributing to a College Savings Iowa account. 

A contribution to a College Savings Iowa account is a great present for Christmas, birthdays, or other nearly any other special occasion.  It will show the child in your life that you value education and that you want to invest in their future.  Whether they are a toddler, a preschool student, in grade school, or in high school, a contribution to their College Savings Iowa account is a great way to show how much you care. Even if the special young person in your life is getting very close to their college years, it’s never too late to start planning for the future.

 Opening a College Savings Iowa account has two-fold benefits. Not only are you helping a young person prepare for his or her future education, but you can take advantage of the tax benefits as well.

College Savings Iowa lets anyone — parents, grandparents, friends, and relatives — contribute towards college costs on behalf of a future scholar of any age.  Iowa taxpayers contributing to College Savings Iowa can deduct up to $3,239 per account from their state taxable income in 2017.

Contributions and earnings grow free of federal and state income taxes while invested. They remain tax-free when they are used to pay for qualified higher education expenses.

Administered the office of Iowa’s State Treasurer, College Savings Iowa allows multiple investment options, including options that take into account the child's age and the account owner's tolerance for risk. As a general rule, age-based accounts opened for younger beneficiaries are invested in stocks early on; these accounts try to maximize returns by taking advantage of the longer time horizon. As the beneficiary nears college age, the assets are automatically shifted to more conservative portfolios. This allows you to protect your capital and reduce the market risk before you begin making withdrawals for college expenses.

It takes just $25 and 10 minutes to open an account online. Investors can withdraw their investment tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses, which include tuition, books, supplies and room and board at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad. While participants do not need to be an Iowa resident to invest in the plan, they do need to be an Iowa taxpayer to take advantage of the Iowa income tax deduction.

For more information about College Savings Iowa, call (888) 672-9116 or visit CollegeSavingslowa.com.

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 with duties in another area school district. 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.

American Education Week

Superintendent News & Views

American Education Week

By David Hill, North Tama Superintendent

"When I was a boy on the Mississippi River there was a proposition in a township there to discontinue public schools because they were too expensive. An old farmer spoke up and said if they stopped building the schools they would not save anything, because every time a school was closed a jail had to be built." —Mark Twain

Each year during the week prior to Thanksgiving week, American Education Week is observed. This year’s national observation of American Education Week will take place next week, November 13-17.

American Education Week is a great opportunity to recognize the many ways that Americans work together to provide the very best for our young people – and to recognize the importance of public education in securing the future of our communities, our state, and our nation. Teachers, parents, administrators, school support staff, school board members, business, and the community at large all play a part in helping young people in our schools develop to their fullest potential. 

Did you know that American Education Week actually in Iowa? 

In 1921, the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly met in Des Moines.  The NEA passed a resolution calling for the designation of one week each year to spotlight education. In its resolution, the NEA called for: "An educational week ... observed in all communities annually for the purpose of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those needs."

This resolution was the continuation of a discussion between the NEA and the American Legion which started in 1919. The 1921 conventions of both organizations adopted resolutions of support for a national effort to raise public awareness of the importance of education. The first observance of American Education Week occurred December 4-10, 1921, with the NEA and American Legion as the cosponsors. A year later, the then U.S. Department of Education joined the effort as a co-sponsor, and the National PTA followed in 1938.

Other national organizations jumped on board as co-sponsors, including the American Legion Auxiliary, the American Association of School Administrators, the National School Boards Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of State Boards of Education, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

The North Tama school board recently adopted a resolution recognizing public schools as the backbone of our republic and designating November 13-17 as American Education Week.  That resolution is included with this column.  Your school board believes, as Benjamin Franklin did, that, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” and they understand the role that North Tama’s schools play in the community. I thank them – and you – for your support of North Tama Schools. 

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 with duties in another area school district. 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.