Welcome to Davis Elementary!

If you have questions or concerns about your child or the school please contact your child’s teacher or Nancy Beck, Head Elementary Principal (236-2780).

  For attendance reporting call 641 - 236 - 1414.

 We have emailed the elementary parent handbook to those parents who have provided email addresses.  The handbook provides valuable information about the schools for elementary parents.  Please read the handbook carefully and let us know if you have questions. The handbook is also posted on the Grinnell-Newburg website (http://www.grinnell.k12.ia.us/) under parent resources.  If you do not have email access and need a hard copy of the handbook pick one up in the office.

 Make sure you have a plan for after school and that the school knows what your child is to do after school.   We must know what each child is to do each day.  If the typical routine changes, please let us know.  At Davis Elementary students must be more independent regarding end of day routines – the students must know which bus they are to get on and where it is to take them.  We do not keep lists of students leaving on each bus each day as is done at Bailey Park and Fairview.

Keep the lines of communication open.  If there is a question, concern, or need please let us know.

We cannot deal with a concern unless we know of the concern.  You can contact your child’s teacher, David Ford, the guidance counselor, or Nancy Beck, the head elementary principal.

 

The Davis PTO is active and provides much needed support for the school.  Please join

the PTO, attend meetings, and help with special events.  You’ll get to know other parents

and help the students at the same time.

 

September 30 is Picture Day at Davis Elementary!  You will be receiving more information about pictures in the near future.

 

               Food Allergy Task Force

The Grinnell-Newburg School District’s food allergy task force would like to thank all district parents, staff, and students for their cooperation, compliance, and flexibility last year as we implemented new procedures to manage life-threatening food allergies. We have appreciated the compassionate understanding of our district staff and students and community members as we work together to ensure that our schools and school functions are welcoming and safe for students who live with life-threatening food allergies and attend our schools.

 

As a reminder, a copy of the procedures as well as an FAQ is posted on our district website under “Parent Resources.” We encourage you to reread the documents. They are a great resource for all of us. Also, should you have any questions about the procedures or what you may or may not bring to a classroom or event, please contact a building principal or your child’s teacher.

 

Many children with food allergies will experience the following minor symptoms: hives, itchiness, rash, and sneezing. But a few, including those allergic to peanuts, have allergic reactions that are more alarming such as vomiting, swelling of throat muscles, breathing problems, and even death. Even if they learn to read labels and avoid certain foods, these children may be exposed to minute, harmful residues by touching doorknobs, tables, and others’ hands. For the ever increasing number of students and their families who are affected and for whom anaphylactic shock could occur within seconds of ingestion or tactile contact with an allergy causing food, this is a serious issue. We know our district-wide procedures provide a safer environment to manage food allergies, especially those to nut products, which are the most severe. Strict avoidance of all nut products is the only way to prevent a life-threatening allergic reaction.

 

Our task force is composed of teachers, administrators, parents of children with food allergies, and parents of children who do not have food allergies. With your help, we accomplished a great deal last year as we have all learned to adapt the new procedures district wide. In some instances, when there is a child with a food allergy in a classroom, the procedures for that classroom or building may be stricter than those required district wide. This has sometimes caused confusion, and we appreciate your understanding while we work out the finer points of keeping all our children safe.  Once again, we appreciate your support. As an educational environment we believe in our capacity to educate our families, teachers, and students to better understand and live with life-threatening food allergies.