1. Department Updates
2. Autism Celebration Month
3. Arab-American Heritage Month
4. Tartan Day
5. Earth Day
6. Upcoming Events
7. Religious Holidays

To check out more from the Equity department, go to our webpage: https://www.iowacityschools.org/equity

How to Report Bullying, Harassment, & Other Forms of Victimization (Students)

We want all of our students to feel safe and supported. Harassment, bullying, hazing, and other forms of victimization are prohibited in the Iowa City Community School District. If you or someone you know has been victimized, you are encouraged to report the incident(s) in one of two ways:

• Report bullying, sexual harassment/assault, or a school safety concern anonymously by text:
• TEXT: @SAYIT
• TO: 833-769-0372
• Contact your school administration to file a complaint.

Please report as soon as possible.

Visit https://www.iowacityschools.org/SaySomething for more information.

It was with tremendous excitement we would like to shout Van Allen's Mr. Hartman's 4th-grade class as their begin journey toward middle school! We are so grateful that Van Allen teachers reached out and invited us to share Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices.

This class has started to embrace the fact they will be part of the class of 2031, and are ready to join their new cohort from other feeder schools as they go to their (and the district's) first day of middle school in August 2024.

This journey began with creating collective values that could be used in the classroom, the lunch room, and recess. This small portion of the class of 2031 is also exploring how to carry these values into and beyond high.

These young scholars have gone to the next steps to establish what guidelines and norms should be honored when learning, sharing, and collaborating in difficult situations.

These plans, tools, and skill building opportunities can help students from any school feel more connected to their school community, and make the transition to secondary easier to manage. Working together through circle, as a community allows students to voice their concerns and their excitement, and to work together to envision their future in the district.

Dear Mr. Hartman's class of 2031, we as the ICCSD community are appreciative of your leadership as you move toward your future!

Pictured above: Van Allen students from Mr. Hartman's 4th grade class work with RJ Coordinate Brad Kelly to develop values and talk about difficult situations as they plan to transition to middle school in the fall.

Our Community Cares volunteers spent more time with our students last month! Volunteers from the University of Iowa were able to meet with students at Mann Elementary and we are grateful for all the students and staff at Mann for welcoming them!

A big shout out goes to these University of Iowa Athletes for making connections and taking the time to build relationships with our students, and to spend their early mornings traveling to as many of our schools as they can this year!

Pictured: Community Cares volunteers meet with ICCSD elementary students in their classrooms.

Pictured: Community Cares volunteers meet with ICCSD elementary students in their classrooms.

We'd like to highlight the amazing work that Renee Person and all of the staff, students, and families at Kirkwood elementary who have all rallied together to help their community in a time of need.

We'd also like to give a special shout out for Ms. Corey who is one of our Kirkwood PTO parents who has been working tirelessly on the ground with several of our families. Your compassion and selflessness is so appreciated!

Several buildings were heavily damaged after the severe weather last Friday, and has displaced many of our families and community members.

Kirkwood has been helping to support a number of Kirkwood and Wickham families, as well as other Coralville residents who have been displaced from their homes without another housing option. They've worked to provide meals at Mainstay Suites where these families are staying, as well as spending time and fellowship with them for a dinner hour.

Our thoughts continue to be with the families who were directly affected by the storms. Johnson County Emergency Management is encouraging individuals who were affected by the severe weather to self-report property damage using this EMA Damage Assessment Form. This is the first step for potential individual assistance through the State of Iowa.

United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties is responding locally by helping individuals and families who are facing losses from the storm. United Way’s 2-1-1 service has been and continues to be, available for those in need of assistance.

In addition, supports are also available within our schools. If students and families are in need of assistance, please contact an adult at your school.

In response to recent legislation that has impacted our LGBTQ+ community, we want you to know that the ICCSD sees you, hears you, and will continue to do everything within our power to build up a loving school community that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion for ALL. We know that this law and others continue to create harm and pain for members of our school community. During this difficult time and moving forward, we want to encourage all stakeholders to continue to support our LGBTQ+ community and especially our transgender students and staff.

If you or someone you know may be in need of additional support services, please connect with some of the supports that we offer as a school district, including but not limited to our counselors, Student Family Advocates, NESTT, or a trusted adult. Please keep in mind that every secondary school building has a GSA with access and resources developed specifically to support our LGBTQ+ community. We will continue to follow up with students sharing additional resources and support.

For employees that may need support, we encourage individuals to reach out to our Employee Assistance Program through Synchrony. This service can provide emotional and mental health support through confidential counseling initially at no cost to the employee.

It is our shared responsibility to ensure every member of our school community is valued and respected regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. We encourage our students, staff, and members of the community to celebrate the inclusiveness and diversity that contribute to the growth, success, safety, and quality of life of everyone at the Iowa City Community School District.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner

Superintendent

Iowa City Schools

*Regarding the 2023 Iowa Legislative Session, we do not have all the answers yet about how incoming bills will or will not affect the policies and procedures of our district. We are committed to doing everything we can to support our LGBTQ students, staff and community.

Additional District Supports include but are not limited to:

• ICCSD LGBTQ Resources - Iowa City Community School District

• ICCSD Student Support and Wellness - Iowa City Community School District

It is our shared responsibility to ensure every member of our school community is valued and respected regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. We encourage our students, staff, and members of the community to celebrate the inclusiveness and diversity that contribute to the growth, success, safety, and quality of life of everyone in the Iowa City Community School District.

Visit OneIowa's Anti-LGBTQ Bills 2023 for more infromation on this legislative session: https://oneiowaaction.org/anti-lgbtq-bills-2023/

This is a reminder to our district that many of our students and staff will be celebrating and participating in Ramadan this month. Ramadan began on March 22nd and will continue until April 20th, and for some of our Muslim community, this means that there will be fasting.

Students who plan to fast through Ramadan will not be eating or drinking during the school day, and we want to do whatever we can to make this easier and help our students feel supported during this holiday.

Staff will make a comfortable space for Muslim students during lunch, and understand that there may be limitations during physical education classes. Buildings will also communicate to students designated locations for prayer before and after school, and during lunch if they require it.

One of the most important things you can do is have an understanding and appreciation for our student's cultures and diversity. This is an opportunity to take an interest in your student's practices which may be different than your own, which can help build community in your classroom and will make a big difference.

To learn more about how you can support your students, click here.

April is Autism Celebration Month! In 2010, the number of identified and diagnosed children with autism was 1 in 125, and by 2020, this number has increased to 1 in 54. We want to celebrate all of our students, families, and parents who are Autistic and/or neurodivergent this month and promote love and celebration of differences in our schools.

We've talked about the difference between Acceptance vs Awareness, and like last year we are not just accepting or being aware, we are having a CELEBRATION of our Autistic community!

Acceptance is about having an understanding of diversity, and the individual experiences and prejudices that affect autistic people in our society. We will sometimes need to confront uncomfortable truths and change our behavior and systems to create environments for our autistic and neurodivergent students to thrive.

Celebration is about lifting up and honoring the contributions of autistic individuals, and wrapping around each other with support and love!

*In a previous year, we used a graphic for Autism Acceptance Month that depicted puzzle pieces. It was brought to our attention that puzzle pieces have been used by groups to depict autistic and neurodivergent individuals negatively. The Autistic community prefers either the gold infinity symbol for autism or the rainbow infinity symbol for neurodiversity to represent them. We removed the image last year and will continue to use the preferred symbols moving forward, and we urge others to do the same.

To learn more about this issue, click here and click here.

Many autistic people have trouble recognizing tone. With our increasing communication via email/text here are some helpful tone indicators that you can incorporate into your day-to-day communication to help our neurodivergent individuals and cut down on miscommunications. Educators can provide a "Key" or a vocabulary resource for their class to show that these will be the tone indicators you will be using going forward.

Tone Indicators:

• /j = joking
• /hj = half joking
• /s or /sarc = sarcastic/sarcasm
• /srs = serious
• /nsrs = not serious
• /ref = reference
• /nm = not mad
• /ot = off topic
• /q = quote
• /m = metaphor/metaphorically
• /rt = retorical question
• /pc or /pos = positive connotation
• /nc or /neg = negative connotation
• /neu = neutral connotation

Try these out in your classroom to see what is and is not helpful to your neurodivergent students!

• A Proclamation on World Autism Awareness Day, 2023 | The White House
• Autism Awareness Month: The History and Today | Stages Learning
  
• Autism Acceptance Month | AUCD
• Autistic Self Advocacy Network | ASAN

• Free Webinars | Monarch Center for Autism

The ICCSD is proud to recognize April as Arab American Heritage Month

and acknowledge the contributions of all in our community with Arab

heritage regardless of nationality.

The Arab world is made up of 22 countries that span North Africa to West

Asia with great diversity. The three most common religions are Islam,

Christianity and Judaism. Hospitality, generosity, faith, family and

community are key pillars of Arab culture and children often become

caretakers for their parents.

It is estimated there are 3.7 million Arab Americans. There are an

estimated 1.2 million Arab immigrants in the US, doubled since the year

2000. The Biden administration has proposed the 2030 US census allow

people of Middle Eastern or North African descent to be counted (they are

currently categorized as white).

Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched the National

Arab American Heritage Month initiative in 2017. President Biden

recognizes the month of April as National Arab American Heritage Month

with a special letter each year. Congress, the U.S. Department of State,

and 37 state governors issued proclamations commemorating the initiative

in 2021.

To learn more, visit the following sources:

Arab America Foundation

National Arab American Medical Association

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)

NPR: What Race are Middle Eastern, North African People?

Credit to: Eyad Hanna and Riad Rahhal for drafting this statement in 2022, and sharing with us their knowledge of Arab American Heritage. Many thanks from ICCSD for all of your hard work.

The Arab American National Museum (AANM) is the only museum in the United States completely devoted to documenting and sharing Arab American contributions to American life. They offer a wide variety of experiences and resources to teach young people about this diverse and rich culture.

You can take a look at their Core Galleries here. You'll find amazing art, videos, and even samples of different instruments. Or, if you're interested in taking a road trip, the museum is located in Dearborn Michigan! They also do virtual tours!

Check out their lesson plans for Middle School and High School here.

Did you know that April 6th is National Tartan Day where we celebrate Scottish-Americans?

In 1998, a Coalition of Scottish Americans with the support of Senator Trent Lott successfully lobbied the Senate for the designation of April 6 as National Tartan Day "to recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States".

Today there are around 6 million Americans that claim Scottish descent! And of the 13 governors of the newly established United States, did you know that NINE were Scottish? Some scholars even say that of the 56 signatures on the Declaration of Independence, nearly a third are of those of Scottish descent!

Listen to some authentic Scottish Bagpipe music.

• Scotland and the USA | Scotland.org
• Scottish American history and influence | National Library of Scotland

This year the first seder, or ritual feast of Passover or Pesach begins April 15th, which is a very important holiday in Jewish culture. It is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday and celebrates the story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt.

We'd like to acknowledge our Jewish families and community during this important time, and if you'd like to know more about Passover, click the links below:

• Passover 2023 (Pesach) } Chabad.org
  
• What is Passover? Why is it celebrated? What you need to know about the Jewish holiday | USA Today
  
• Passover | The History Channel

April 22nd is Earth Day when we support environmental protection! This day was first held in 1970 and now it is a holiday that is celebrated all over the world! Our students have shown a lot of passion for our planet and have advocated for the Iowa City School District to reduce our carbon footprint and become greener!

The district took this to heart, and in March our Director of Facilities stated that we've reduced our carbon footprint by 48%, nine years ahead of schedule for our 10-year plan! Wow!

Click here to read The Gazette article to learn more!

• Earth Day: Celebrate online and in-person | EarthSky
• How to do Earth Day 2023 | EarthDay.org
• The top 10 Earth Day events of 2023 | EarthDay.org

This year we will acknowledge the various diverse cultures that are celebrated throughout the year. We understand that our calendar may not be all-inclusive, so if you are aware of any cultural holidays or months of observance that we should know about, feel free to reach out and let us know.

African American History Month (February)
National African American History Month in February celebrates the contributions that African Americans have made to American history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our Nation's history.

Women's History Month (March)
Women’s History Month honors and celebrates the struggles and achievements of American women throughout the history of the United States.

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)
Irish-American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the contributions which Irish-Americans have made to the United States.

Jewish American Heritage Month (May)
Jewish American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the contributions Jewish Americans have made to America since they first arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654.

Asian Pacific Heritage Month (May)

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the contributions Asian/Pacific Americans have made to American history, society and culture.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month (June)

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month commemorates the events of June 1969 and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for LGBTQ Americans.

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)

National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the contributions Hispanic Americans have made to American society and culture and honors five of our Central American neighbors who celebrate their Independence days in September.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October)
National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebrates the accomplishments in the workplace of persons with disabilities and reaffirms the commitment to ensuring equal employment opportunities to all citizens.

American Indian Heritage Month (November)
National American Indian Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers and settlers of the United States.

By Month

https://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/index.php

We'd love to give a big shout-out to all the holidays happening in April! If you celebrate any of these, we hope that you have an amazing day for yourself and your families!

• Palm Sunday - Sunday, April 2nd
• Mahavir Jayanti - Tuesday, April 4th
  
• Passover (Pesach) First Day - Wednesday, April 5th
• Holy Thursday - Thursday, April 6th
• Hanuman Jayanti - Thursday, April 6th
• Theravada New Year - Thursday, April 6th
• Good Friday - Friday, April 7th
• Easter Sunday - Sunday, April 9th
• Jalál (Glory) - Sunday, April 9th
  
• Easter Monday - Monday, April 10th
• Passover (Pesach) Final Day - Thursday, April 13th
• Tamil New Year - Friday, April 14th
• Vaisakhi / Baisakhi / Vishu - Friday, April 14th
• Holy Friday - Friday, April 14th
• Bengali New Year/Bihu - Saturday, April 15th
• Pasha/Easter - Sunday, April 16th
• Yom Hasho'ah - Tuesday, April 18th
• Laylat al Qadr - Tuesday, April 18th
  
• Birthday of Guru Angad Dev - Tuesday, April 18th
• First Day of Riḍván - Friday, April 21st
• Akshaya Tritiya - Saturday, April 22nd
  
• Ramadan Ends - Saturday, April 22nd
• Eid-al-Fitr - Saturday, April 22nd
  
• St. George's Day - Sunday, April 23rd
• Yom HaAtzma'ut - Wednesday, April 26th
  
• Jamál (Beauty) - Friday, April 28th
  
• Ninth Day of Riḍván - Saturday, April 29th
• Maidyozarem - Sunday, April 30th
  
• Beltane - Sunday, April 30th

Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Eric Howard, Director of Equity & Employee Relations

Email: howard.eric@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/domain/64
Location: 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245
Phone: (319) 688-1000