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Welcome to Mark Twain Elementary School! Our motto at Twain is "We are a responsible, respectful, caring community." The students and staff at Twain demonstrate these character traits every day. Please stop by our wonderful community to see learning happening every minute of every day.
I am excited to be a part of the Twain family. I encourage you to reach out to me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Jason McGinnis, Principal
(319) 688-1165
mcginnis.jason@iowacityschools.org
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Information from Principal McGinnis
As a principal, it is my goal to make teaching and learning my primary focus. Everyone knows how day-to-day management tasks and outside distractions can take us away from our desired goals. As a result, I am participating in a nationally tested and proven professional development process called SAM. It uses a unique set of tools to help principals focus on activities that are directly connected to improving teaching and learning.
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Learning Model Update (1/22/21)
Earlier this week, a bill was introduced in the Iowa Legislature that would require school districts to provide parents an option to send students to school five days a week. In the Iowa City Community School District, this means that the District would offer a five day a week in-person option (100% on-site model) and a 100% online option (ICCSD PK-12 Online Learning Program). The District would no longer offer the current hybrid option. While details still need to be finalized, we would like to provide some initial information for your consideration. Should the legislation be approved and signed by the Governor, families would be provided a multi-day window to decide whether their child(ren) will attend the on-site program or the online program. This choice is open to all families.
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Open Enrollment Deadline
Parents/guardians residing in an Iowa school district may enroll their child into another Iowa school district under the terms and conditions of Iowa Code section 282.18 and the administrative rules of the Iowa Department of Education. Forms to be used are available in the central office of Iowa school districts. For students in grades 1-12, the completed form must be filed with both the resident and receiving district by March 1 of the year preceding the school year for which open enrollment is desired.
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Welcome Back
We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, January 4, 2021. We will return in the hybrid learning model. As a reminder, Monday and Tuesday are “A’ group days, and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are “B” group days next week. This schedule does not apply to students enrolled in the ICCSD PK-12 Online Learning Program. The Grab & Go meal program will also resume on Monday. Menu information can be found at MealViewer, under the Grab & Go menu. Meals are free and will be distributed Monday through Friday (with the exception of No School days) from 11:30 am -1:00 pm at the following locations:
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Message of Thanks
It is with the utmost appreciation that I write this message. We have come a long way and have covered a significant amount of unchartered territory over the past nine months. We could not have done this alone and, for this, we are incredibly thankful.
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Learning Model Update for December 14-18, 2020
As we shared with you earlier this week, we are planning to return to the hybrid learning model beginning Monday, December 14, 2020. Tuesday evening, the School Board indicated that if Johnson County positivity rates remained stable, we would welcome students back on-site for the week of December 14-18, 2020. The Board also instructed that the District submit an online waiver request to the State in case rates began to climb. This afternoon we were informed that the District’s waiver request was granted by the State. However, due to this late notice and the current positivity rates in our community, we will transition back to the hybrid learning model next week.
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Learning Model Update (12/8/20)
We would like to provide an update regarding the District’s learning model plan for the week of December 14-18, 2020. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 positivity rates in Johnson County. Based on the current downward trend of the rates, we are planning for a return to a hybrid learning model beginning Monday, December 14, 2020.
