Top teacher, Scarlet success, lockdowns, and more.

By Press release submission

Oct 19, 2021

Des Moines Public Schools issued the following announcement on October 15.

It's a sizable issue today: a teacher wins big, a student-athlete does the extraordinary, and we include information about a survey coming soon to your inbox.

On November 2, the community heads to the polls to elect School Board members as well as determine the future of improving our public schools. Your gently-used instrument could help a budding musician. We explain external lockdowns at schools. And, a federal grant will help us provide Arabic language learning to more students.

We also cover universal masking, COVID testing, flu shot clinics and hope you'll help us spread the word about open positions at DMPS. Read on for all this and more.

HOOVER'S HAMILTON: IOWA'S TOP ENGLISH TEACHER

Hoover High School may be the smallest of the five high schools in Des Moines, but their teachers are earning some big recognitions. This summer Hoover became home to the state's top history teacher and this week it's the state's top English teacher. Congratulations to Sarah Hamilton on being presented with the 2021 High School Teacher of Excellence Award from the Iowa Council of Teachers of English! Click here to meet another outstanding DMPS educator.

DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT MAKES WAVES AT EAST

"I take every opportunity I have now that I have my new lungs." East High School swimmer and double-lung transplant recipient Ashley Vazquez-Hernandez went from non-swimmer to student-athlete with her own cheering section in just a few months. Click here to meet this amazing Scarlet.

REVENUE PURPOSE STATEMENT: SMART PLANNING

On November 2, voters in Iowa will go to the polls to elect School Board and City Council members. In addition, some communities will include various local measures on the ballot. Here in Des Moines, voters will see a Revenue Purpose Statement for Des Moines Public Schools on the ballot. If approved, the updated Revenue Purpose Statement means DMPS may continue to spend existing state sales tax funds to improve our community’s public schools and benefit local taxpayers. Click here to learn more about the Revenue Purpose Statement.

DMPS TO SURVEY FAMILIES ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

On Monday, October 18, DMPS families will receive an email asking them to provide DMPS with feedback on their perception of the experiences, environment, engagement barriers, and safety of children at our schools. The survey has two parts. The first part is about access to internet and electronic devices for school use. In order to meet needs identified in the first part of the survey, household information will be gathered. The second part of the survey will ask questions about your child’s school experiences, the school environment, engagement barriers, school safety, and family background. The second part of the survey is conducted by an outside company and is confidential. The survey provides an opportunity for families to share how schools can create a more welcoming school environment, support student learning at home, and build lasting partnerships that contribute to student success. Utilizing survey results, schools will be able to determine strengths and areas for improvement around family-school relationships.

INSTRUMENTS NEEDED AS "SUPPLY CHAIN" SLOWS

There have been a lot of reports about how interruptions in the "supply chain" is impacting the delivery of, well, just about everything. Including musical instruments. DMPS is still waiting on the shipment of hundreds of instruments for our school bands and orchestras. In the meantime, we're working the Des Moines Education Association to gather donations of gently-used instruments for students to use. Please visit our web site to learn how you can help.

FEDERAL GRANT EXPANDS ARABIC INSTRUCTION

DMPS serves students from around the globe, which means world languages are an important part of our educational offerings. This is about to expand thanks to a federal grant. DMPS is being awarded a grant of more than $112,000 from the U.S. Department of Defense STARTALK program in support our Arabic language program. Click here to learn more.

NORTH MUSIC RECRUITS WITH HALLOWEEN CONCERT

The North High School orchestras, directed by Marisa Maniglia, visited Harding Middle School yesterday to perform a Halloween concert featuring a selection of spooky music for the younger musicians (and encourage them to continue on as Polar Bear musicians when they get to high school). See more of the special performance on our Flickr page.

THANKING OUR DMPS MEAL PROVIDERS

A big thank you to our DMPS food and nutrition staff for working hard during the COVID-related national supply shortage to bring students healthy meals. It's a big job. In a single month, students consume nearly half a million cartons of milk, 52,000 oranges, and 4.5 tons of chicken nuggets! You won't be surprised to hear nuggets are the favorite lunch item among students, followed by the chicken sandwich and pizza. During this National School Lunch Week, take a moment to thank the lunch ladies and gentlemen serving up the fuel students need to succeed.

EXTERNAL LOCKDOWNS EXPLAINED

In a city the size of Des Moines, everything happens near a school (or a church, business, park or home). When someone in the community makes a poor choice, like committing a crime, police notify any nearby schools and DMPS Public Safety may issue an external lockdown. They often do as a precaution which requires little effort and adds a layer of protection for students and staff as they go about their day inside the building. To learn more about what happens during an external lockdown (hint: it's not as scary as it sounds) and what parents and guardians can do to support schools, please click here.

MASK MANDATE REMAINS IN PLACE FOR NOW

Last Friday afternoon, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction against Iowa's anti-mask mandate law, meaning school districts may continue to require masks. DMPS will continue our mask mandate that has been in place for the past month due to the current COVID-19 levels in the community. However, DMPS is closely monitoring information, such as community transmission and the positivity rate, as well as when a vaccine will be available to elementary school students, to determine when it will be appropriate to end this requirement. None of us want to wear a face mask unless it is absolutely necessary for the public's health and well-being. In the meantime, if people continue to take some simple measures - such as getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in public buildings - the pandemic can be put behind us sooner rather than later.

COVID TESTS AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF

The number of reported COVID-19 cases at DMPS is slowly decreasing. Please help us continue this trend by wearing a mask and getting vaccinated if you are eligible. The district is coordinating with Nomi Health to give students and staff members priority access to COVID-19 testing. Testing sites are open at two locations – Hoover High School and the DMPS Welcome Center. The drive-thru sites offer both rapid antigen testing (with a 1-hour turn-around time) and PCR testing (with a 24-48-hour turnaround time). Click here to make an appointment.

POLK COUNTY HEALTH OFFERS FLU SHOT CLINICS

It's the perfect time to get your annual flu shot! Our partners at the Polk County Health Department recommend being vaccinated against the flu by the end of October. Sign up today to get your influenza vaccination at one of the clinics offered by Polk County Health. Click here to see a list of clinic dates, times and locations.

WE WANT YOU: HIRING AT DMPS

Des Moines is a great place to live. And DMPS is a great place to work! Rewarding jobs with good pay, good benefits … and now we offer bonuses for several positions, such as:

Part-time Bus Drivers: $2,000-$5,000
Part-time Food Service: $2,000
Special Education Associates: $1,500

Substitute teachers are also in demand. Check out some of the most competitive wages in Central Iowa:

Long-Term Substitutes: $180 per day
Assigned Substitutes: $165 per day
Retired DMPS Educators: $165 per day
All Other Substitutes: $150 per day

Spread the word and visit jobs.dmschools.org to learn more.

VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

VIRTUAL CAMPUS NOW ENROLLING

At Virtual Campus, students can plan school around their lives. Providing accredited high and middle school courses, Virtual Campus is our online secondary school available to all Iowa students, and is now accepting enrollments for 2022-23 school year. Click here to learn more.

OFFERINGS AT CENTRAL CAMPUS

Where learning leads to earning: Central Campus is a nationally recognized program offering students from DMPS and throughout Iowa a variety of top career educational programs. Click here to see more of what Central Campus has to offer.

ICYMI: DMPS IN THE NEWS

Recent items in the news media about or of interest for students, teachers and parents at Des Moines Public Schools.

DMPS and DMEA launched an instrument drive earlier this week to encourage community members to donate gently used instruments. The number of students interested in music has grown as students returned to in-person learning. "Supply chain" issues are holding up a delivery of instruments and students are waiting. WHO-TV 13's Taylor Musgrove talked with band teacher Joseph Thering and Fine Arts coordinator Kelly Schnackenberg about the issue. Click here to see Channel 13's report.
The November 2 election is weeks away and many candidates are seeking seats on the DMPS School Board. Des Moines Register reporter Samantha Hernandez talked with each of the candidates to learn where they stand on the issues. Click here to read the Register's report.
Every industry is facing a staffing shortage as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. DMPS is taking steps to encourage applicants including offering hiring and referral bonuses, and strengthening relationships with community partners. WOI-TV 5's Mary Sugden talked with Talent and Personnel manager Charles Mercer and Director of Community Schools Allyson Vukovich about how it's working. Click here to see Local 5's report.