March 23, 2020
The district is committed to keeping you updated during the Des Moines Public Schools COVID-19 closing, which began on March 13, with a reopen date tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 13. Our regular emails include updates and reminders related to the closure of DMPS, along with other items of interest from our schools and the community. ( Please note that we are sending these emails in a new format starting today.)
COVID-19 CLOSURE UPDATES, NEWS AND REMINDERS
Online Learning Resources Page Available TOMORROW
We want to be clear. The last thing parents are expected to do is replace teachers. We know you already have work you need to accomplish and many of you have added caring for children during what are normally school hours to the load. What we want to do is provide age-appropriate, high-quality resources, should you choose to have your student engage in learning activities online. These resources are meant to support, not burden, families. 

Tomorrow we will launch a web page we a variety of items for subject areas and grade levels, which will be updated regularly throughout the closure. These learning activities are suggestions to help keep students engaged during the school closure. These activities will not be assessed or used as a measure of student learning, as the state has directed that school districts may not mandate online learning during this time. However, we want to provide you with some recommendations to help keep your children academically and intellectually active.
DMARC, Food Bank Continue School Meal Sites
Our partners at the Des Moines Area Religious Council and Food Bank of Iowa have been setting up food distribution sites at select schools through Wednesday, when DMPS will begin providing meals (see next item). The DMARC and Food Bank sites for tomorrow and Wednesday are:

TUESDAY, MARCH 24
Howe Elementary School (open to DMPS families)
3:30 PM- 5:30 PM

Carver Elementary School (DMPS students only)
2:00 PM- 4:00 PM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
Hiatt Middle School (open to DMPS families)
11:00 AM- 12:00 PM

Moulton Elementary School (open to DMPS families)
3:00 PM- 4:00 PM

Meredith Middle School (DMPS students only)
2:00 PM- 4:00 PM

DMPS Begins Providing Meals on Thursday
Starting Thursday, the DMPS Food and Nutrition Department will be providing meals for students throughout the community. Meals will be provided between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM at each of the ten middle schools: 
  • Brody Middle School, 2501 Park Ave.
  • Callanan Middle School, 3010 Center St.
  • Goodrell Middle School, 3300 E. 29th St.
  • Harding Middle School, 203 East Euclid Ave.
  • Hiatt Middle School, 1430 East University Ave.
  • Hoyt Middle School, 2700 East 42nd St.
  • McCombs Middle School, 201 County Line Road
  • Meredith Middle School, 4827 Madison Ave.
  • Merrill Middle School, 5301 Grand Ave.
  • Weeks Middle School, 901 East Park Ave.
In addition, details are being finalized on several auxiliary sites, as well. Students will be provided with a grab-and-go lunch as well as breakfast items for the next day. On Fridays we plan to provide some additional food for the weekends. We will have additional details to share tomorrow so you can begin making plans for Thursday and beyond.
Please Use DART Only for Essential Trips
One of the reasons Des Moines Public Schools - along with schools districts, businesses and organizations across the state and nation - are closed is to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing is a key part of that. Therefore, students should NOT use DART buses unless it is for essential trips, such as purchasing groceries. It takes everyone's cooperation to put an end to this pandemic. Stay home and help flatten the curve. For more information please visit the DART web site.
School Nurses Help with State-Wide COVID-19 Response
Normally school nurses deal with childhood maladies, from colds to head lice to whooping cough and more. Today they are among the countless health care professionals responding to the global COVID-19 pandemic. We stopped by the Iowa 211 phone bank at  United Way of Central Iowa  as Beth Angier from Central Campus, Terrie Kruse from North High School, and Jeanne Mark from Hoover High School were answering questions from Iowans about Coronavirus symptoms and exposure to people who tested positive for COVID-19. School nurses are not only important members of the DMPS team in our response to the pandemic, but with schools closed are sharing their time and expertise with all Iowans. Click here to read more about their efforts. 
Life Goes On for Animals Down at the DMPS Farm
Even though Des Moines Public Schools is closed as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, life goes on for farm animals, including at the DMPS  Animal Science & Horticulture program. Case in point: two baby goats were born the other day at their farm campus on the south edge of town. Students are dividing up the chores during the shutdown to make sure the goats, sheep, and chickens are fed and cared for while much Des Moines - and the world - lay low. Click here to read and see more.
CORONAVIRUS: RELY ON THE EXPERTS FOR INFORMATION
Accurate health information about COVID-19 is important as people around the world respond to help put an end to this global pandemic. Stay informed and look for information on Coronavirus from reliable and trusted expert sources:
DMPS-TV NEWS ON CORONAVIRUS CLOSURE 
All Schools Get a Deep Cleaning
While DMPS is shutdown until at least April 13, custodial staff along with our IT department are doing a district-wide deep clean of everything from door knobs and bathrooms to computers and telephones. We stopped by Central Campus as staff was making sure everything was ready for the eventual return of students and staff.  Click here to view the DMPS-TV video.
Partners Provide Food for Students
Several partner organizations, such as the Des Moines Area Religious Council and the Food Bank of Iowa, are providing supplemental food supplies during the period of DMPS closures. Students and families are able to pick up canned and dried food items until DMPS begins providing school meals again on March 26. Click here to view the DMPS-TV video.
It is the policy of the Des Moines Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you believe you (or your child) have been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact Susan Tallman, 2100 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321; phone: 515-242-7709; email: [email protected].