Good News
August-September 2010
A Newsletter from the Mount Ayr Community School District
“. . . caring and working together to create excellence in a dynamic educational process for the global citizen.”
Many notices offered for new school year
First day for
students Aug. 23
First day of school for the 2010-11
year for Mount Ayr Community school
district will be Monday, Aug. 23.
School pictures to
be taken Aug. 30
Individual pictures of all Mount
Ayr Community school students will
be taken Monday, Aug. 30.
An opportunity will also be given
for preschool children to have their
pictures taken at the same time. The
preschool pictures will be taken from
7:10 to 8:15 a.m. on the stage at the
elementary gymnasium.
No school will be
held on Labor Day
There will be no classes in the
Mount Ayr Community school district
Monday, September 6, because of the
Labor Day holiday.
Classes will resume Tues., Sept. 7.
Orientation set
for elementary
An elementary meet-the-teacher-
night and open house has been set for
Thursday, Aug. 19.
The session begins at 6:15 p.m. in
the elementary gym with a school-
wide Title I meeting for all parents,
followed by an open house from 6:30
to 7:30 p.m. for students, parents and
the community.
Locker padlocks
available again
Padlocks will be available for rent
at the Mount Ayr Community high
school again this year for an afford-
able rate.
Padlocks will cost $5 to rent for the
year and $3 will be returned to stu-
dents when they return the padlock at
the end of the year.
Copy of curriculum
objectives available
Parents who would like a copy of
the school’s curriculum objectives can
notify the principal’s office with the
child’s name, grade level, and subject
areas desired. Allow two weeks for
processing.
Senior citizen passes
available again
Once again the Mount Ayr Com-
munity school district will be offer-
ing senior citizens who are 65 or over
and live in the Mount Ayr Community
school district senior citizen passes.
This pass will be good for admis-
sion to Mount Ayr Community athletic
events with the exception of any home
district or state athletic events.
No passes can be used for school
musicals.
Insurance an
Student/parent rights important part of
in identification, new school year
As families across the state be-
gin making preparations for another
evaluation, placement school year, the Iowa Department of
Public Health is making every effort
to put children’s health care coverage
The following is a description of student and parent rights granted by
at the top of families’ back-to-school
federal law. The intent of the law is to keep you fully informed concerning checklist - right up there with buying
decisions about your child and to inform you of your rights if you disagree
school supplies and new school shoes.
with any of these decisions. Parents need to know that they can
earn as much as $40,000 for a fam-
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: ily of four and their children could
1. Have your child take part in, and receive benefits from public educa-
qualify for Hawk-I, (lowa’s State
tion programs without discrimination based on a disability. Children’s Health Insurance Program)
2. Have the school district advise you as to your rights under federal which provides low-cost or free health
law.
3. Receive notice with respect to identification, evaluation, or placement
insurance.
According to statewide statistics,
of your child.
4. Have your child receive a free appropriate public education. This in-
approximately 40,000 children in Iowa
do not have health care coverage. And
cludes the right to be educated with other students to the maximum extent without insurance, these kids will face
appropriate. It also includes the right to have the school district make rea- obstacles in school that their peers sit-
sonable accommodations to allow your child an equal opportunity to par- ting at the desks next to them may not.
ticipate in school and school-related activities. The U. S. Department of Health and
5. Have your child educated in facilities and receive services comparable Human Services reports that children
to those provided students without disabilities. without health care coverage are less
6. Have your child receive special education and related services if she/ likely to receive proper medical care
he is found to be eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education for sore throats, ear aches and asthma,
Act (IDEA) (PL 10 1 -476), or to receive reasonable accommodations under the common childhood illnesses that
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. often cause school absence. In fact,
7. Have evaluation, educational, and placement decisions made based a Florida study found that uninsured
upon a variety of information sources, and by individuals who know the Florida children are 25 percent more
student, the evaluation data and placement options. likely to miss school than insured
8. Have transportation provided to a school placement setting at no children. Without health insurance,
greater cost to you than would be incurred if the student were placed in a there’s a large chance that health prob-
program operated by the school district. lems will get in the way -- of their at-
9. Give your child an equal opportunity to participate in nonacademic tendance, of their ability to focus and
and extracurricular activities offered by the school district.
10. Examine all relevant records relating to decisions regarding your
learn, and in their likelihood of trying
out for sports and recreational activi-
child’s identification, evaluation, educational program and placement.
11. Obtain copies of educational records at a reasonable cost if the fee
ties due to risk of injury.
Eligibility in the Hawk-I is based
would effectively deny you access to the records. on family size and household income.
12. Receive a response from the school district to reasonable requests Benefits include doctor visits, vision
for explanations and interpretations of your child’s records. exams, hospital care, prescriptions,
13. Request amendment of your child’s educational records if there is dental visits and emergencies. For
reasonable cause to believe that they are inaccurate, misleading or other- more information on the program, call
wise in violation of the privacy rights of your child. If the school district 1-800-257-8563 or visit the website at
refuses this request, it shall notify you within a reasonable time, and advise www.hawk-i.org.
you of the right to a hearing.
14. Request mediation or an impartial due process hearing related to de-
cisions regarding your child’s identification, evaluation, educational pro-
gram, or placement. You and your child may take part in the hearing and
have an attorney represent you.
15. Ask for payment of reasonable attorney fees if you are successful on
your claim.
Season tickets
16. File a local grievance.
available again
The person in the school district who is responsible for section 504 com- Season tickets will be available for
pliance is: superintendent Joe Drake, 641-464-0500. adults and students for several of the
sports seasons this year.
These tickets provide a conve-
nience for those attending events regu-
Open enrollment notice to parents larly as well as a savings on admission
throughout the course of the season.
Parents/guardians considering the use of the open enrollment option to Seasons include football, volley-
enroll their children in another public school district in the state of Iowa ball, basketball, softball and baseball.
should be aware of the following dates: Please call the high school office
March 1, 2011 -- Last date for regular open enrollment requests for the at 464-0512 before the beginning of
2011-12 school year. each sport season to get pricing infor-
Open enrollment requests for entering kindergarten students and those mation for season passes.
falling under the “good cause” definition must be filed by the Thursday be- Passes may not be used for invita-
fore September 1 of any given school year. tional tournaments nor state sponsored
For further details, contact the school office. tournaments.