A NOTE FROM TOM MESSINGER

April 16, 2021

Cardinals,

We have once again reached that point of time where we begin the process of bringing another school year to a close. This means many things: ISASP testing (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress), scheduling for the upcoming year, re-enrollment in school, and graduation. Each of these are very important in the lives of our students and necessary for the school district in our plans to move forward.

Graduation is going to happen!! WEST Academy will be holding their graduation ceremony outdoors at WEST Academy on Friday, May 28, 2021 at 4:00 PM. We will be hosting the Newton Senior High School’s traditional Cardinal Graduation Commencement Exercises at Maytag Park on Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 3:00 PM. Staff will work to make the events both safe and enjoyable. In the event of inclement weather, the NHS ceremony will be moved to the upper gymnasium and WEST Academy ceremony to the DMACC Auditorium.

The Newton Community School District is continuing to monitor the guidance of the CDC, Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Jasper County Public Health Department. We continue to follow their recommendations while looking for ways to reinstate some of our time-honored traditions such as graduation. We know it has been a long road and also believe everyone has done an outstanding job of working together to navigate our way through the year of the pandemic.

If you have a student who will be attending the Newton Community School District in the fall of 2021, please take a few minutes to either complete the re-enrollment process, or contact the District Office (641) 792.5809 (Option 1 – Student Registration) to get the enrollment process started. We are already looking forward to another exciting year and ready to celebrate the arrival of our new Cardinals!

Yours Truly,

Tom Messinger

Newton Community School District Superintendent

Newton Jazz Program

Newton Community School District is lucky enough to have instructors and students who are interested in Jazz music and willing to take on the challenge of a flourishing middle school and high school jazz program. Learn more about the students and what the jazz program has to offer to students at NCSD!

Senior Wrap Up the 2020-21 School Year

Congrats to the Class of 2021! Seniors are looking forward to a busy end of the school year. Seniors were ecstatic to have a successful prom this past weekend.

“We are grateful to our Community Business partner Baquara for hosting the event, and to our parents for organizing our after prom!” -Bill Peters, Principal of Newton Senior High School

Newton Senior High School Commencement will be at Maytag Park on May 30th. There will not be guest restrictions as this is an outdoor event. Newton Community School District is excited to honor these Seniors and wish them well as they graduate.

We look forward to celebrating year end festivities with Seniors and the excitement as the class of 2020-21 graduates, and making this a special occasion for all involved.

Follow us on Facebook for the latest updates on Senior Events!

TEACHER FEATURE

Eric Vander Velden is a great individual to have on the Red Pride team! He is involved in many programs and is always willing to lend a helping hand when needed.

Upcoming Academic Calendar Dates

April 26th- No School- Teacher Development (ALL DISTRICT)
April 26th- School Board Meeting
- 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm (EJH Beard Administration Center - Room 105A / via ZOOM)
April 28th- Parent Teacher Conferences at WEST Academy (3:30p-7:30pm)
April 29th- Parent Teacher Conferences at Berg Middle School (ALL DAY)

Spring is in full swing and so are sports! Check out our full activity calendar for the latest events.

THERE IS STILL TIME!

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!

Red Pride Review- April 16th, 2021