Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members:
I would like to provide some updated information from our March 15th Exira-EHK Board Meeting. This includes information regarding our mask mandate, prom, graduation, administrative changes, and the last day of school for PK-11 students.
Mask Mandate:
The Exira-EHK School Board met on Monday, March 15th, and voted to continue the mask mandate through our next board meeting. At the April 12th meeting they will discuss the topic again.. What that means to our students, staff, and community members is that there is no change. Masks are still required to be worn in most school settings. I understand there are different beliefs and thoughts on masks and their effectiveness but our staff and student attendance rate has been better this year than in past years. This also allows us to keep students in school with contact tracing and minimizing exposure. We will be waiting for guidance from the State on outdoor activities for those of you who will be attending golf and/or track and field meets.
Spring Music Events:
The elementary spring concert will be held on April 8th. We are planning a staggered concert (K-1, 2-3, and 4-5) to allow more family members to attend. We are currently making plans for a smooth transition between grade-levels. Like other activities in the gym, masks will be required, and family groups will be asked to social distance.. Information regarding the MS/HS events will be released in the future.
Prom:
Prom will be held on April 17th assuming our COVID numbers do not take a turn for the worse. Additional information will be shared closer to the actual date. Attendees should expect to follow normal school mitigation efforts including wearing masks and social distancing, to the extent that is practical.
Graduation:
The class of 2021 graduation will take place on Sunday, May 16th. We are currently making plans for how to organize the seating for those in attendance, as well as for our students, band and choir.. The district will provide additional information in the weeks prior to graduation.. Seniors last day will be Thursday, May 13th. Like other activities in the gym, attendance will be limited (still working on a final number), masks will be required, and family groups will be asked to social distance..
Last Day of School for PK-11 Students:
As long as we do not have any more weather related issues, our last day for students will be Wednesday, May 19th with a 12:30 pm dismissal. The last day for preschool students will be Tuesday, May 18th. It is hard to believe we are less than two months away from the end of the school year considering last year we were not in school for the last two months.
Administrative Changes for 21-22:
Mrs. Harris’s resignation was approved at the February board meeting. She has done a great job for our district over the past 2 years and we wish her the best of luck as continues on her next journey. We have hired Nate McDonald as the new Secondary Principal, Nate is currently a 5-6 grade teacher, assistant basketball coach, and activities director at Logan Magnolia. We had seventeen candidates for the position and interviewed four. Mr. McDonald was the committee’s top choice and we are looking forward to Mr. McDonald joining our administrative team for the 21-22 school year. I will be working with Mr. McDonald to provide more information for our parents and communities.
I will be providing an update on our Elementary Principal position within the next couple of weeks. As you know Mrs. Morenz has filled in as the interim/Assistant Elementary Principal this year for Mrs. Bruns.
I will be shared with IKM-Manning at 70% IKM-Manning and 30% at Exira-EHK. Both districts will have new administrators, and I wanted to be sure that I could dedicate enough time to help ensure the new administrators will be successful. The 70% means I will be in the IKM-Manning District four days one week and three days the next. I will be in the Exira-EHK district one day one week and two days the following week. Currently during the 20-21 school year the sharing percentages were 80% IKM-Manning and 20% Exira-EHK.
I appreciate both of the school boards willingness to work together for what is best for both districts.
I want to thank everyone for their flexibility and support during the 20-21 school year. We have been able to offer in-person learning since last August. While some schools have been virtual or hybrid, the Exira-EHK School District has been able to offer an in-person option the entire school year. The school year has been challenging, but our staff has been amazing and has gone above and beyond this year for all of our students. We have had some cohorts and clusters sent home due to COVID, but we have never had to shut down a building or the entire district. This is due to the hard work of everyone following mitigation and social distancing efforts.
I will be providing additional updates as we move forward into spring and close in on the end of the year. Hopefully this information will assist parents, guardians, and community members with their planning.
Thank you
Mr. Miller Superintendent