After having the opportunity to visit with representatives from the Department of Transportation on March 22nd, it appears that the project will have an effect on our bus routes and shuttle routes.
The project can begin as early as late April, and must start on or before early June. The DOT is projecting that construction will reasonably begin late May, and should be completed the end of August. We are anticipating and planning for altering bus routes and shuttle routes the last couple of weeks this school year and the first few weeks to begin next school year. I am excited that the DOT is taking on this project. It will be a great benefit for our communities.
During the times when we are not able to drive on highway 7, I encourage parents of high school students driving from Aurelia to Alta daily, to take hard surface roads. It is possible to drive from Aurelia to Alta mostly on gravel roads, and it will be tempting for some. Keep in mind that spring time gravel roads are not always in the best condition and could be unsafe for novice drivers.
Continuing to upgrade all of the school buildings' wireless access.
This summer, the third phase in upgrading the wireless access in all of our school buildings will be completed. The first phase increased bandwidth, which was very much needed to speed up network traffic so that the systems were truly usable for educational applications.
The second phase increased the capacity for the number of users accessing the system, updating wireless access points, hubs, switches, and routers. This done to help eliminate frequent dropage that was occurring due mainly to outdated technology.
This third phase will further increase the number of users that can access the system at the same time in all areas of our buildings. This is being done to accommodate the increase of wireless devices that we now have available for student and teacher use. It is also to prepare for the new Iowa assessments that will be conduct completely on computers rather than paper/pencil as in the past. If there is a push from staff and community for a 1 to 1 environment, the infrastructure will mostly be in place to support such an initiative.
Transition planning for 5th and 6th grade students.
On March 21st and March 22nd, Mr. Hanna and Mrs. Henningsen hosted question and answer sessions for parents of 5th and 6th grade students to help prepare them for the transition to middle school. March 21st was held in Aurelia, March 22nd was in Alta. Parents could attend either or both sessions.
I was able to sit in on both evenings sessions and I was very impressed with how prepared our principals were, and the questions that the parents asked. Thank you to those who were able to attend. If you were not able to make either session, but have questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Hanna, Mrs. Henningsen or myself anytime.
There are plans being made for two student transition days this spring. One designed mainly for socialization. Allowing students to meet, and spend extended time together in a fun and structured environment. The second day being a more traditional, formal transition day, with students following a mini-schedule, meeting more in depth with teachers, and touring the building.
