Happy New (school) Year!
UPDATED ON AUGUST 20, 2021
Dear Central Academy Students and Families,
We must cancel the Walk-Your-Schedule event which was scheduled for Monday August 23 from 4 – 7 PM due to rising numbers of COVID cases in our district and community. We want to prioritize the safety of our staff and students so we can ensure a healthy start to the new school year.
The Academy building is easy to navigate and I am confident that we can help you find your way on the first day of classes. Use these MAPS to help you orient.
The Academy teachers will be making welcome videos over the weekend in place of the Walk-Your-Schedule event. As they complete their videos, I will be posting them on our webpage from the Academy YouTube Channel. Last year’s videos will remain up until the new ones are produced.
FIRST DAY
Remember, Academy classes for high school students begin on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 25. We will be following the 7-period bell schedule for the first week of classes (August 25 , 26, 27).
Academy classes for middle school students begin on the second day of school, Thursday, August 26. Most middle schools are having special welcoming and orientation events on the first day. It is important not to miss those.
LUNCH
Middle school students eat lunch at their middle schools.
High school students eat wherever they have their period 4 class. On Thursday block schedule days, there is no period 4, so students eat with their period 5 class.
Every student served by DMPS will be able to eat school meals for free. Scan your DMPS school ID (and we are printing those for our students with primary enrollments in other districts) or enter your 6-digit DMPS school ID number at the cashier’s station.
In order the the meal students choose to qualify for the free program it must meet these requirements. Some foods, like chips, rice crispy treats, and sugared drinks, cost extra.
If you are getting a lunch at the Campus Cafeteria, you may request a disposable tray to bring your meal over to Academy to eat. Or you may use a red tray and eat in the Campus Cafeteria.
STUDENT COMPUTERS
Students who attend a DMPS school will be issued a student laptop by their home schools. They should bring their laptops fully charged to school every day. They will be used in their Academy classes.
Out of district students who attend Academy will be checked out a student laptop by Academy. Please email bradley.jacobson@dmschools.org to set up a time to pick yours up.
PARKING
Just about everything you need to know about parking at Central is found at Central Parking Fy2022. The one thing I left off was that you will need a parking tag to register your car and yourself as a driver to park in our school lots. There is no cost for a parking tag. And having a parking tag does not guarantee a parking space will be available.
The form for parking tags will be available when school starts in the Academy office and the front lobby at Campus. We will not enforce parking tags during the sign-up period.
Remember, parking lot space is limited. But nothing prevents you from parking on the street a block or two away on Ingersoll or just north of there.
Stay well, friends! We are so looking forward to seeing you in person next week!
-Dr. Gogerty, Director of Advanced Learning
ORIGINAL POST SENT ON AUGUST 15, 2021
Dear Central Academy Students and Families,
I am so excited to welcome students back to in-person learning in the Academy building! Bringing our learning community back together is invigorating. I have missed the energy of students in our hallways hurrying to somewhere up ahead. Our goal is for students to earn a B or higher in their Academy classes. Teachers and staff have been hard at work this summer preparing for the unique nature of the coming school year after the unusual circumstances of last year. I am optimistic that we will reach our goal if we work together.
COVID MITIGATIONS
Despite the excitement, many have mixed feelings about returning to in-person learning because of the rise of the Delta variant in our community. It is reasonable and rational to feel trepidation about the gathering together indoors. Our path forward is to mitigate the risks to ourselves and others as much as possible. Learn more from our school nurse, Jasmine Lester, DMPS’ statement on a healthy start, or from the American Association of Pediatricians.
- Get Vaccinated. The science is clear, the vaccines are like personal body armor. If you have not yet been vaccinated, please go to www.immunizepolk.com for information on receiving the vaccine in Polk County. In Polk County, according to the latest data, 71.4% of people 12 years old and older have had at least one dose of vaccine and 64.6% are fully vaccinated ( as of 8/14/2021).
- Wear a Mask correctly and consistently inside schools. Wearing is caring. Masks protect our younger brothers and sisters who are not old enough to get the vaccine and other unvaccinated and vulnerable people. Masks are highly encouraged for everyone inside our school. You MUST wear masks on school buses by federal order. We will have masks on hand for those who need them. But it would be helpful if you could provide your own.
- Stay home when sick. We will work hard to provide supports to students who cannot attend in-person due to illness or quarantine through the use of Canvas and, when possible, on Teams. We will utilize online resources when possible. For example, AP classes have access to My AP Classroom resources and supports. If you must be absent, please email your teacher and call our attendance office at 515-242-7653. If you have health concerns or questions Jasmine Lester, school nurse can be reached at 515-242-7779.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water improves your immunity. Carry a water bottle. The first floor drinking fountain has a water bottle filler. We are installing a second water bottle filling station on the second floor soon.
- Wash your hands. We have installed hand sanitizing stations at almost every turn and in every classroom.
- Keep indoor spaces well ventilated. We have a new HVAC system that was installed this summer (and just turned on this week) and we will run our ventilation system at higher than normal volumes to cycle the air.
- Limit your exposure to crowds whenever possible. This one is hard to do in schools. But we do have space to spread out during lunch because of the design of our building. Please be respectful of others who are unmasking at lunch.
CLASS AND BUS TIMES
Doors open at 8:15. First period starts at 8:45. The second page of the Central Bell Schedule FY2022 lists bus and lunch times. Breakfast is served in the Campus Cafeteria from 8:15 – 9:15.
Academy classes for high school students begin on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 25.
Academy classes for middle school students begin on the second day of school, Thursday, August 26. Most middle schools are having special welcoming and orientation events on the first day. It is important not to miss those.
For the first week of school (Aug. 25 -27) we will be using the 7-period schedule (normally used on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays) so that we can establish routines before we begin our modified blocked schedule on Wednesday and Thursday, September 1 – 2.
High School students eat lunch wherever they take their period 4 class. If a student “Arrives for Five” (their first Central class is period 5) they eat lunch during MTSS before period 4. After period 4 at their home school, they ride the bus to Central while their classmates go to lunch. Middle School students eat lunch at their home schools.
The FY2022 Central Student School Calendar lays out the school year. Additional parent teacher conference times will be added in both semesters. General parent teacher conferences will be held virtually, by phone, and email. In some cases, in person conferences will be needed and will be scheduled individually.
TOUR YOUR SCHEDULE
More than half of you will be coming to the building for the very first time, either because you are new to the Academy or because you have only attended virtual classes with us. During the first days of school, we will have people in the hallways to help you find your way.
However, if it helps you to walk your schedule before the first day, our doors will be open on Monday, August 23 from 4 – 7 PM. Please access your schedule through Infinite Campus and bring it with you (look at it on your phone while you’re here). To reduce crowds, we will not be having “orientation” activities, like presentations in the auditorium. Teachers will be on hand to say hello and help you find your way. Whenever possible, please use online resources for longer discussions.
- Use these Academy Maps to help find your way.
- Please email teachers if you want to share something about your child with them. You can find all staff email addresses HERE.
- If you need a schedule change, please email jami.powers@dmschools.org. We will not be doing schedule changes on Monday night so staff will be available to help people navigate.
- Will you be driving to Central? Learn about Central Parking Fy2022.
PARKING
Just about everything you need to know about parking at Central is found at Central Parking Fy2022. The one thing I left off was that you will need a parking tag to register your car and yourself as a driver to park in our school lots. There is no cost for a parking tag. And having a parking tag does not guarantee a parking space will be available.
RETURNING LAST YEAR’S TEXTBOOKS
Do you still have some of your Academy textbooks from last year (or the year before)? Bring them in during the first week of school. We have not added fees for unreturned textbooks yet because people still need time to get those checked in. If you have some cluttering up your closet, please bring them back, we could use them!
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND NEW STATE LAWS
In compliance with State Law, we will be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of period 1 every day. There have been American flags in every classroom at Central Academy for many years. Students are invited but not compelled to participate.
The State of Iowa has also instituted several other new measures regarding Equity, Inclusion and Free Speech in K-12 schools. Read the Iowa Department of Education’s Guidance on these laws. Central Academy has long agreed with Justice William Brennen’s position, “The Nation’s future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to that robust exchange of ideas which discovers truth “out of a multitude of tongues, [rather] than through any kind of authoritative selection.” An understanding of self and the development of one’s own critical thinking through the exposure to new ideas is the essence of intellectual growth.
Welcome back! We are so excited to see you soon!
-Dr. Gogerty, Director of Advanced Learning