Cedar Falls Schools took first place once again in the Cedar Valley Student Food Drive for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Our drive raised 5000 more meals than the 2019 drive! This increase is astounding as we were not able to collect food this year focusing on money donations only. CFEA joined as a partner this year and included a donation of $1000!
The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and isolating for many people. Gatherings during the upcoming holidays can be an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends. This holiday season, consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to keep your friends, families, and communities healthy and safe.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 epidemic is worsening, and small household gatherings are an important contributor to the rise in COVID-19 cases. CDC offers the following considerations to slow the spread of COVID-19 during small gatherings.

The following people should not attend in-person holiday gatherings:
People with or exposed to COVID-19
Do not host or participate in any in-person gatherings if you or anyone in your household
Do not host or attend gatherings with anyone who has COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
People at increased risk for severe illness
If you are an older adult or person with certain medical conditions who is at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, or live or work with someone at increased risk of severe illness, you should avoid in-person gatherings with people who do not live in your household.

Considerations for Hosting or Attending a Gathering
If you will be hosting a gathering during the holiday season that brings people who live in different households together, follow CDC tips for hosting gatherings. If you will be attending a gathering that someone else is hosting, follow CDC Considerations for Events and Gatherings. Below are some general considerations for hosting a gathering that brings together people from different households. Guests should be aware of these considerations and ask their host what mitigation measures will be in place during the gathering. Hosts should consider the following:
  • Check the COVID-19 infection rates in areas where attendees live on state, local, territorial, or tribal health department websites. Based on the current status of the pandemic, consider if it is safe to hold or attend the gathering on the proposed date.
  • Limit the number of attendees as much as possible to allow people from different households to remain at least 6 feet apart at all times. Guests should avoid direct contact, including handshakes and hugs, with others not from their household.
  • Host outdoor rather than indoor gatherings as much as possible. Even outdoors, require guests to wear masks when not eating or drinking.
  • Avoid holding gatherings in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces with persons who are not in your household.
  • Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather, or by placing central air and heating on continuous circulation.
  • For additional information on increasing ventilation, visit CDC’s information on Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home.
  • Winter weather can be cold, wet, and unpredictable. Inclement weather makes it difficult to increase ventilation by opening windows or to hold an event outdoors.
  • If setting up outdoor seating under a pop-up open air tent, ensure guests are still seated with physical distancing in mind. Enclosed 4-wall tents will have less air circulation than open air tents. If outdoor temperature or weather forces you to put up the tent sidewalls, consider leaving one or more sides open or rolling up the bottom 12” of each sidewall to enhance ventilation while still providing a wind break.
  • Require guests to wear masks. At gatherings that include persons of different households, everyone should always wear a mask that covers both the mouth and nose, except when eating or drinking. It is also important to stay at least 6 feet away from people who are not in your household at all times.
  • Encourage guests to avoid singing or shouting, especially indoors. Keep music levels down so people don’t have to shout or speak loudly to be heard.
  • Encourage attendees to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Provide guests information about any COVID-19 safety guidelines and steps that will be in place at the gathering to prevent the spread of the virus.
  • Provide and/or encourage attendees to bring supplies to help everyone to stay healthy. These include extra masks (do not share or swap with others), hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and tissues. Stock bathrooms with enough hand soap and single use towels.
  • Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items such as serving utensils.
  • Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and any shared items between use when feasible. Use EPA-approved disinfectant.
  • Use touchless garbage cans if available. Use gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash. Wash hands after removing gloves.
  • Plan ahead and ask guests to avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.
The more of these prevention measures that you put in place, the safer your gathering will be. No one measure is enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Health News from School Nurses
As we approach flu season during this COVID pandemic, we want to remind everyone of the CDC recommendations for prevention:
  • Get the flu vaccine
  • Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough
  • Stay home when you are ill
  • Practice frequent hand washing

Please keep the 24-hour rule in mind when deciding when to return to school after an illness: 24 hours free of fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea without medications.
Also, here is a quick reminder and/or review of our medication policy: Over-the-counter medications, as well as prescription medications, may be given at school as long as we have written parent permission. The form is on our CF district web page or available in our office. OTC medications should be in a new unopened bottle or box. Our policy requires that medications be brought in or picked up by parents for the safety of all students.
Cedar Falls Schools Foundation Awards Classroom Excellence Grants
Cedar Falls Schools Foundation awards Classroom Excellence Grants each year to district staff for innovative projects. These projects carry out the Foundation's mission of enhancing excellence in education by helping teachers create learning experiences for students above and beyond typical classroom activities.

Thanks to many generous donors, 14 Classroom Excellence Grants, totaling nearly $12,000, were awarded in November. Five of the fourteen were named grants — one given in honor of the Class of 1970, and four in memory of:
  • Pat Lyman, former Lincoln Elementary volunteer
  • Robert L. Savereide, former counselor at Peet Junior High
  • Jim & Karen Bolger, Karen was a P.E. teacher at Peet Junior High
  • Dick Nystuen, former school administrator
Click here to read about all the projects supported this year.
Congratulations to our Women’s Swimming and Diving - 2nd Place Team at Regionals!
5 Regional Individual Champions and 2 Relay Champions
State Swimming and Diving Meet is November 13-14
Congratulations to our Men’s Cross Country Team - 3rd place finish at State!
Our Veterans Day celebrations looked different this year. We still paused to thank our veterans and active service members! Thank you for your service and commitment to our country! The CFHS Band program recorded three patriotic works (with the help of guest narrator Rich Strike). Enjoy the Cedar Falls High School Wind Symphony performing "An American Fanfare" by Rick Kirby. The second piece is by CFHS Symphonic Band Black, performing "Each Time You Tell Their Story", by Samuel Hazo, a somber portrayal of the love, duty, and honor many veterans experience as part of their service. This composition is especially unique because it includes a poem to be read over the cadence of a snare drum. Our guest narrator is Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) Richard Strike, Iowa Army National Guard. The final piece, performed by the CFHS Symphonic Band Red, is "Bonds of Unity", by Karl King, a march which was originally placed in an album called Liberty March Folio (with a picture of the Statue of Liberty on the cover), and each composition was given a patriotic title in accordance with world events at the time.
Mr. Ron, Cedar Heights Elementary head custodian, spent his last day with the students at Cedar Heights this week. He is retiring after 15 years at Cedar Heights and the Cedar Falls School District. In honor of Mr. Ron's last day, the students and staff wrote messages on index cards and they were put on the bulletin board. These will be something Mr. Ron will be able to take with him. The students and staff also wore red today, just for him.
THANK YOU MR. RON FOR EVERYTHING! We will miss you!
Make sure to like the Virtual Campus Facebook page!
Cedar Falls High School National Letter of Intent Signing Day
November 11, 2020
Congratulations to our Football and Volleyball Teams -
state tournament qualifiers!
The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is sponsoring a Family Volunteer Day on November 21. This year, because of the pandemic, we are providing kits that parent may pick up and do in their homes with their children. We will have projects to keep, projects to give, and projects for agencies. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to work together for the greater good of the community. Parents may register for a kit here. or on our website www.vccv.org. 

Cedar Falls Schools | 319-553-3000 | Website