Q: How do I register my Galva-Holstein student for preschool or kindergarten for 2020-2021?

A: Please fill out the appropriate form. If you are looking at transitional kindergarten, please fill out the kindergarten form.

Galva-Holstein 4-year-old preschool: https://bit.ly/GHRegisterPreschool

Galva-Holstein kindergarten: https://bit.ly/GHRegisterKindergarten

Q: Can anyone use the school fitness facilities?

A: Since our school buildings only permit students and members of athletic teams to use at no charge. Our school facilities must remain closed based on information from the Department of Education (DE).

Q: What is the latest on Graduation?

A: Mr. Warnke and I have met with our high school seniors on three occasions to gather their input on what they wanted to do for graduation. The Seniors were adamant that they would like to wait to have a large group graduation ceremony if at all possible. Therefore, The Seniors, Mr. Warnke, and I have set June 28 as the new graduation date. The Seniors were asked if they would like to have something on May 17. They responded that they did not want to have anything May 17 unless it was a whole group ceremony. They thought this would take away from the graduation ceremony. If we cannot hold a whole group ceremony on June 28 we will move the ceremony to July 26. We will either hold a large group ceremony this day or a modified ceremony if we still can’t gather as a whole group.

Q: Can students be promoted to the next grade if we are providing voluntary enrichment?

A: Promotion and retention of students is a local decision. More than likely all students in grades PreK – 8 will be promoted to the next grade level. There may be some instances that students are retained. This is a discussion that should take place with the building principal, classroom teacher(s), and parents.

Q: When will high school summer sports start?

A: The IHSAA and the IAGHSAU will make a decision on June 1, 2020 on the baseball and softball seasons.

Q: How can students pick up personal belongings at the school?

A: The following schedule has been set up to allow for students/parents to pick up personal belongings. Please return all library books, text books and uniforms at this time as well.

Galva-Holstein Elementary - Holstein - Wednesday, April 29 - 11:15-12:30-Teachers will meet students in the WEST parking lot

Schaller-Crestland Elementary - Schaller - Wednesday, April 29 - 11:15-12:30-Teachers will meet students on the NORTH side of the school

Ridge View Middle School - Early - Wednesday, April 29 - 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. - Use Main Entrance

Ridge View High School - Holstein - Wednesday, April 29 - 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. - Use Science Wing Entrance

Galva-Holstein Elementary - Galva - Thursday, April 30 - 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Teachers will meet you on SOUTH side of the school

Schaller-Crestland Elementary - Early - Thursday, April 30 - 11:15-12:30-Teachers will meet students in the EAST parking lot of the school

Ridge View Middle School - Early -Thursday, April 30 - 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. - Use Main Entrance

Ridge View High School - Holstein - Thursday, April 30 - 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. - Use Science Wing Entrance

Q: What can you tell me about the recent changes to online learning for students?

A: Voluntary Distance Learning - We will continue to implement voluntary continuous learning for grades PreK-8th grade through the end of the regular school calendar year (Friday, May 22).

Grades for High School Students - Grades for 2^nd semester classes will be determined based on a student’s current grade in that class at the time of closure. All grades will be converted to Pass/Fail for the semester. Students will receive credit for all classes passed. There will be no impact (positive or negative) on cumulative GPAs from 2^nd semester classes. There will also be no honor roll calculated for 2^nd semester.

Students who were not passing at the time of closure will have an opportunity to turn in missing work or make-up work to try to raise their grade to passing. However, due to Department of Education Guidelines, we cannot grade student work, even make up work, while we are on a voluntary learning plan.

May 11-15, 2020 – Required Learning for ALL High School Students - In order to be able to accept and grade make-up work, we will have one week of required learning from May 11-15. All make-up work should be turned in during that week. Students who do not have a passing grade should be taking the following steps: communicate with your teacher through e-mail and Google Classroom to find out what you can still turn in. Work on those assignments now. Ask your teachers for help. Turn in the assignments between May 11-15.

All High School learning opportunities are now being distributed through Google Classroom directly to students. Google Classroom allows interaction between teachers and students to deliver content and to assign/turn in work. Every teacher has a Classroom set up for each of their courses and will be delivering content through that platform. Students should be logging into their school gmail account daily and then will have access to all of their classes. Parents can be given access to their children’s classes as well. Just e-mail the teacher and ask to be added.

All high school teachers will be holding virtual office hours at least once a week. These will be done through Zoom or Google Meet. Teachers will send a link for those sessions to students through Google Classroom. Students can jump in and out of those sessions as they wish. Office hours will be staggered throughout the week so that no more than 2 teachers will be having office hours at the same time. These will be informal sessions for students to ask questions, get feedback, or just interact with teachers in general. Parents are welcome to participate in office hour visits with your student.

Q: Will we be back at school this semester?

A: On April 17, Governor Reynolds closed all school buildings for the remainder of the school year. Even though the school buildings and facilities are closed we will continue to offer online learning to all of our students.

Q: Will students get credit for the time they missed between March 23, 2020 - April 30, 2020 of the Spring​ ​Semester?

A: YES! Students will NOT be penalized for time missed during mandatory shutdown.

Q: Why are all school facilities closed, including outside facilities like the track and ball fields?

A: President Trump’s social distancing initiative and the recommendation from Governor Reynolds to close all schools until April 30 effectively closed all of our facilities. We are taking a proactive stance in modeling social distancing to help eliminate the spread of COVID-19. This is a consistent approach that many counties and school districts are taking at this time in response to the COVID-19 exposure concerns. We are taking a proactive approach to limit the possibility of 10 or more people gathering to use our outside facilities to abide by the social distancing initiative.

Q: Will there be Spring activities offered this year? What about Summer practices?

A: Following the Governor’s recommendation to keep Iowa schools closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year due to the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), all spring activities of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association are canceled.

The cancellation of all four boys’ and girls’ sports, golf, soccer, tennis, and track, and field, was made by the IGHSAU and IHSAA in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Education and state officials. The decision was also approved by the IGHSAU and IHSAA boards.

Summer sports (boys’ baseball, girls’ softball) are suspended pending an assessment made in collaboration with state officials before June. Practice, competition, and postseason dates will be announced when they become available. A final decision on summer sports will be made by June 1.

Q: Will Ridge View High School have Prom on April 25th?

A: No. At this time Prom is rescheduled for June 17.

Q: Will seniors be able to graduate this year?

A: YES! Seniors will be able to graduate this semester! We will be reviewing seniors and their progress on an individual basis. We will encourage flexibility and latitude as we move through these difficult times.

Q: Will there be a graduation ceremony?

A: We are planning a graduation ceremony on June 28, 2020.

Q: Will Wee Wildcat Daycare or Little Raptors Daycare reopen on May 1?

A: The daycares will remain closed until further notice.

Q: Will scholarships still be awarded to students that applied for them?

A: Yes. All seniors should have received an e-mail from Mrs. Todd about scholarships, deadlines, and how to get applications completed. Please check your school e-mail for that information or e-mail Mrs. Todd with any questions.

Q: Will there be a senior awards ceremony?

A: We are planning on having senior awards night.

Q: Will Spring Music Concerts/Programs take place?

A: Right now we are planning on all elementary and middle school concerts taking place. We may need to reschedule them to give the students time to practice and rehearse for the concert/program.

Q: Will students get credit for the classes they are in?

A: Short answer is yes. We will be working with the high school staff to address this dilemma for all students. The high school staff and administration will be discussing how we move forward. We will encourage flexibility and latitude as we move through these challenging situations.

Q: How will I schedule for 2020-2021 classes, including senior college classes?

A: All students in grades 9-11 will be receiving an email from Mrs. Todd with instructions and scheduling request forms for next year's classes. You will need to make an electronic copy of the form, complete it, and then share it back with Mrs. Todd. If you have any questions, email Mrs. Todd.

Q: What will happen to the spring and summer sessions of Driver’s Education?

A: Following all CDC and IDPH recommendations, all Driver's Education courses are also currently suspended from taking place this spring. We must also follow the Department of Transportation guidelines for the amount of class time and driving time required, as those DOT requirements have not been waived. We will contact the enrolled students when the course suspension is ended and available again. Therefore, we do not know when summer Driver's Education courses will start again.

Q: What is the new date for Galva-Holstein Preschool registration?

A: We will schedule a new date as soon as classes begin again/or as soon as quarantines have been lifted. We will be sure to communicate this out through social media and school announcements.

Q: What is the new date for Kindergarten Round-up?

A: We will schedule a new date as soon as classes begin again/or as soon as quarantines have been lifted. We will be sure to communicate this out through social media and school announcements.

Q: What can communities and families do to build protective capacity during this time?

A: Go for a walk, run or bike ride in a low traffic area

• Check in by phone, skype or social media with your neighbors, friend and family

• Enjoy fun time with your child-read a book, do crafts, or make a blanket fort Click for additional ideas

• Get a virtual parent group together (formal or informal) to provide support and share ideas

• Highlight the positive work going on in your community-there are so many innovative and impactful efforts going on right now-With all of the scary headlines it is important to focus on messages of hope and resilience.

Q: Is there someone I can still talk to about some personal things?

A: Here are some resources that families may use:

• Plains Area Mental Health - 1-800-325-1192

• Season's Center: 1-800-242-5101. They also have a crisis line at 844-345-4569

• Counseling Services LLC, Sac City: 712-662-3222

• Royster & Royster PLLC, Cherokee: 712-225-5344

Family Resources for Food and Financial Assistance or Mental Health Referral:

• Mid Sioux in Cherokee and Ida Counties 712-225-3322 or 800-859-2025

• New Opportunities in Sac County 712-792-9266

Q: How can I sign up for free breakfasts and lunches for my children during this time when school isn't in session?

A: Everyone 18 and under are eligible for free lunches and breakfasts. Please be respectful and order your meals in advance. More information is available here: https://rvraptors.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/lunch-letter-update.pdf or contact G-H Food Service Director Randa Hoover at rhoover@rvraptors.org or S-C Food Service Director Jesse Barnett at jbarnett@rvraptors.org.