In the light of the mandatory closure of Clarke Community Schools, Mr. Seid, Clarke Community School District Superintendent, wanted to reach out to the public to provide a brief update on what the school is doing for the students and families affected by the shutdown.
Adhering to the Governor Reynolds’ statewide request, the Clarke Community School District will be closed through April 13, 2020. A team of administrators, along with Mr. Seid, nurses and members from the Clarke County Public Health are working together to formulate plans to address the safety and security of the Clarke students.
When it comes to academics, and while school is out, students and their families are encouraged to access the district website at https://www.clarke.k12.ia.us for activities that will help challenge and educate the students. These activities were put together through the hard work of Clarke’s Curriculum Director and administrators. While not specifically curriculum-based, they will provide opportunities for all students to maintain an academic mindset and keep them prepared for their eventual return to the classroom.
The district understands lunches and nutrition are a very important part of the students’ lives while attending school. Mr. Seid, along with school administrators and the food service department are working diligently to develop programs and acquire funding to provide nutritional options for students during the closure. As soon as the proper program and funding can be arranged, notices will be sent to students and their families. Unfortunately, this break also affects the district food pantry, which will remain closed through April 13th.
All school activities, including sports and extra-curricular activities are cancelled. The district, though, encourages students and their families to keep active while on this break. Utilizing safe social distancing protocols, there can be plenty to do at home, in the local parks, and trails around throughout the community.
While school is closed, the activity around the school buildings themselves will continue. Construction at the Elementary is in full swing as is the continued renovation at the middle school / high school campus. With the absence of student traffic, the construction has even increased, allowing projects to move along and giving hope that there will be significant progress and completion on some projects when the students and staff return.
With the closure of school and cancellation of activities, the hours at the administration offices have been temporarily changed. Starting immediately, and extending through the mandatory closure period, the Administrative Office hours will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Everyone is encouraged, if they need to visit, to make appointments through phone or email.
Together, Mr. Seid, the administrative team and others in the community will work to make this closure as easy as possible for all students and families. If there are community members who would like to volunteer their time or organizations who would like to help with the coordination and support of programs through the district, they are encouraged to contact Mr. Seid directly at 641-342-4969 extension 6.