Thursday, September 12, 2013 N/Warren Town and County News Page Eleven
OVIATT ELEMENTARY I
By Sheila Taylor, Principal
I am so proud of the Oviatt students and how they
have started the year. They have adjusted well to the
routines and are excited to be at school. We love having
them here and appreciate the parents for entrusting us
with them for a part of their day. With the start of the
year, we have had the opportunity to practice changes
in the routine with the warmer temperatures, which has
caused us to move recesses indoors. We follow the Child
Care Weather Watch chart to indicate when it is safe for
children to play outside, considering the heat index and
wind-chill factors. We are so grateful to have our schools
air conditioned. We would have lost valuable instruc-
tional time if we did not have this luxury.
Keep N Track-Starting this month Oviatt will be
implementing Keep N Track which monitors all visi-
tors entering our building. This will be a big change in
procedures. Some of you might be asking why we are
making this change. The district has a commitment to
provide a safe environmentffor our students. This sys-
tem helps us be proactive in making sure everyone who
works with students will add to the environment in a
positive way. With the Keep N Track system we can con-
trol who comes in and out of buildings. This can only
be done with having one entrance for visitors, versus
the three entrances we have for students. We have staff
at each of the doors to help children enter the building
safely and help them find where they are going. Work
with your children to say good-bye in the car or entrance
of the building and have your child walk info school on
their own. Be assured we have people at the entrances
that will help them find where they are to go. As a par-
6nt, I know what you are going through if you have a
nervous and emotional child. I am here to help and will
walk your child in if they are having trouble. Once the
students get the confidence that they can come in on
their own it is amazing to see them grow.
Volunteering at Oviatt-There are opportunities for
parents to volunteer in our schools through PTO, Watch
D.O.G.S, Everybody Wins- I0wa Power Lunch, assist-
hag in the classrooms, or volunteering to help supervise
students before school or during lunch. Everyone who
wants to volunteer needs to complete an online appli-
cation through our Keep N Track system. If you filled
out a form last year, you need to reapply this year. On
the website along the left column, find the link "Keep
N Track." The application takes only a minute to com-
plete. Your information will be submitted and you will
receive an email indicating if you are safe to volunteer
in the schools. If we receive a report on a volunteer that
isn't conducive to working with students, I will be call-
ing you to talk about this and what that involves.
Spirit Days-Each Friday is Spirit Day. We encourage
students and staff to show their Warrior School Spirit
by wearing our school colors of purple and gold. If your
child doesn't have Norwalk gear, that is okay. They can
show their spirit by wearing clothes that have purple or
gold on them. It is a fun way to show our support for
our schools in a family environment. If you are inter-
ested in purchasing Norwalk attire here are some sites
and stores that carry Norwalk attire: PTO website
www.norwalkpto.com; local stores Fareway and Scott's
carry Norwalk apparel; www.greatshirtsnow.com; and
the Norwalk Boosters open their online Nike Store at
different times throughout the year www.sportspage
team.com.
Elementary Fundraiser-It is the time of year when
elementary students will be asking for your support
through our food sales fundraiser. Your support helps
our students and schools through the purchase of play-
ground equipment, technology and fun activities for our
students and families. Oviatt's goal is to create an out-
door learning environment in our courtyard. This is a
wonderful space that can be utilized with hands-on
outdoor learning opportunities. The fundraiser runs
from September 5-16. One thing I have noticed and ap-
preciated about Norwalk is the community's support
of the schools. Thank you in advance for your contin-
ued support.
PHOTO PRINTING
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GOVERNMENT IN ACTION
Concluded from p. 1
dinances concerning automotive repair as a special use
in the C-4 zoning district could not be voted upon.
Councilmember Mike Leto could not vote on the mat-
ter as he is the one inquiring about the space on Main
and North (previously Norwalk Collision Certer). Since
there was not a quorum this item was delayed until a
later date.
Item 9 regarding establishing a definition for auto-
motive repair and permitting this in the C-2 and C-3
zoning districts failed due to no motion to approve.
Item 10 was approved by council. The final reading
of an ordinance regarding rental permits and inspec-
tion fees.
Item 11 passed by council will adopt provisions per-
taining to rental conversion, registration, rental inspec-
tions and assessment of costs.
Item 12 Council approved the disposal of surplus li-
brary materials.
Item 13 regarding the site plan for Cedarbrooke
Apartments Complex was pulled from the agenda.
Item 14 approved the resolution for the final plat for
the Ridge at Echo Valley Plat 3.
Item 15 was approved and relates to financing of a
proposed project to be undertaken by the city establish-
ing compliance with reimbursement bond regulations
under the Internal Revenue Code.
Item 16 regarding an application to the Iowa DOT
was approved. This is for partial funding of Highway
28 and Beardsley intersection improvements and the city
will match funds of said project.
Item 17 was approved by council regarding a hotel
market study with Hospitality Marketers International.
The fee for a study to see if a hotel would be successful
in the Norwalk area is $7,150. The funds to pay for this
study would come from the economic development area
of the city's budget.
Item 18 was passed by council and this resolution
concerns a beautification/streetscape plan for portions
of Highway 28. $8,000 will be funded for this plan and
a citizen committee is being formed to oversee the
project.
Item 19 was tabled. The resolution concerned an
agreement for engineering work related to the High-
way 28 trail revitalization with McClure Engineering.
Item 20-was approved and council waived the plat
review authority for property generally located at the
intersection of Highway 28 and County G24.
Item 21 updated council on the speed signs for
Parkhill Drive. Councilmember Leto asked why speed
bumps could not be installed in lieu of signs to deal
with speeding vehicles on Parkhill.
Updates-Mayor Pierce stated the City Manager's con-
tract update will be on the September 19 agenda.
Councilmember Murillo recognized the efforts of the
Norwalk Fire Department and the Emergency Medical
teams for their service to Norwalk resident TJ Utterback.
Utterback was present at the meeting and thanked the
city and all departments that responded to his home in
2012. "
Celebrate College
Savings Month
State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald recently an-
nounced that Iowa has joined forces with other states in
declaring September as College Savings Month. College
Savings Month is a time when families are encouraged
to explore the benefits of saving through a 529 plan, such
as College Savings Iowa.
"As a way to raise awareness among families about
saving for higher education, College Savings Iowa will
be awarding a $5,290 College Savings Iowa account this
fall," Fitzgerald said. "I encourage all Iowans with
young children to register today for a chance to win and
jump-start their children's college savings." For more
information about the giveaway and to register, visit
collegesavingsiowa.com.
College Savings Iowa is an affordable, tax-advantaged
option for families who are saving for their children's
higher education. It takes just $25 to open a College Sav-
ings Iowa account, and anyone - parents, grandparents,
friends and relatives - can invest on behalf of a child.
Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contri-
butions up to $3,045 per beneficiary account from their
adjusted gross income in 2013 and there are no income
or residency restrictions.* To learn more about College
Savings Iowa, go to collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-
888-672-9116.
*Adjusted annually for inflation if withdrawals are
not qualified, the deductions must be added back to
Iowa taxable income. The availabilffy of tax or other
benefits may be contingent on meeting other require-
ments.
Activities
at the
NORWALK
LIBRARY
1051 North Ave • 981-0217
Saturday, Sept. 14
Baby & Me, 9 a.m. Join us for Baby & Me early liter-
ary class which includes lapsit stories, finger plays and
songs, all designed for babies. Care providers should
bring a soft blanket to lay their baby on during class.
Parents: expect full interaction with your little ones and
some helpful tips on early literacy skills you can use at
home. This storytime is designed for a one-one or two-
one care provider to child ratio and last approximately
15 to 20 minutes. Registration required.
Wee Ones, 9:30 a.m. Join us for this early literacy
class, designed for walkers up to 22 months. Registra-
tion required.
Learn at Your Library, 9-10 a.m. Social Media - An
introduction for you to use social and professional me-
dia sites (Facebook, Linkedln, etc). Registration re-
quired.
Tuesday, Sept. 17
Pre-School Story Time, 10:30-11 a.m. For 3-6 year-
olds, join us for stories, finger plays, songs and flannel
boards! Parents, expect some interaction with your little
ones and helpful tips on early literacy skills you can use
at home. This storytime is also a good fit for parents
attending with several children and for daycare groups.
History Night, 6:30-8 p.m. Participants share arti-
facts, stories and learn more about the history of
Norwalk and surrounding areas (check the online cal-
endar for exact dates and times). Bring your own pho-
tos, documents or artifacts to share. Additionally, we
will have speakers about historical preservation and
topics related to history. As an extension of this group
we hope to design a virtual museum online.
Wednesday, Sept. 18
Take a Break, 10-11 a.m. Join us on Wednesdays for
this adult/youth collaborative program. Drop by and
talk with other adults while your kids participate in age
- appropriate literacy centers or activities. Working with
the Adult Services Coordinator, participants will choose
how this group works (for example, whether to start a
book club, work on curriculum design, explore the li-
brary collection and preview new library materials, etc.)
Ideal for home-schooled families or anyone with chil-
dren in their care!
2nd - 3rd Grade Book Club, 2-2:45 p.m. On the third
Wednesday of each month, join us for book talks, ac-
tivities and snacks. Bring what you are currently read-
ing or come to get some ideas for new reads.
Card Night, 6:30-8 p.m. Play cards! Learn and teach
new card games or form a foursome to play your favor-
ite game. This group meets monthly and tonight we're
playing 500. Cards provided.
Thursday, Sept. 19
Toddler Time, 10:30-11 a.m. For ages 18 months to
three years, join us for stories, finger plays, songs and
flannel boards! Parents: expect lots of interaction with
your little ones and some helpful tips on early literacy
skills you can use at home.
JULIAN GARRETT , .
Concluded from p. 2
going on for many years. The Director has resigned and
Governor Branstad "has appointed the Director of the
Eldora State Training School for Boys as the temporary
director for the Iowa Juvenile Home. The Governor has
also issued executive order 82, severely limiting re-
straints or seclusion and ordering the highest level of
care for residents of the home. Education for the resi-
dents will be transferred from the Department of Hu-
man Services to the local Area Education Agency. The
order also provides for a task force to recommend ad-
ditional reforms for the Home. It is to report its find-
ings by October 15.
As always, feel free to contact me with your ideas or
concerns at 515-281-3221 or Julian.Garrett@legis.
iowa.gov.
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