Christine Grant Chronicle

Monday, May 26th - No School

Friday, June 6th - Last Day of School (2 hour early out)

Please let us know if your student will NOT be attending Christine Grant Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year. If you have multiple students that attend, please submit each student separately. This does not include our 5th grade students who will be moving up to NCMS. Thank you!

https://forms.gle/CwSWrxLp9e4hLFCP7

Congratualtions to our School Nurse Taryn McGuire on receiving the Shine Award!

From the nominating letter, "Our daughter's medical team believes that being surrounded by people who genuinely cared for her played a role in her success, and at the heart of that support system was Nurse Taryn. She didn’t just care for our daughter, she cared for her little brother, for me, and for all of us. The trust she builds with students comes from a place of true dedication and compassion. Grant is beyond lucky to have her!"

We love Nurse Taryn!!

Dear Grant Families,

The Christine Grant Elementary PTO is once again offering pre-packaged School Supply Kits for Fall 2025. School supply kits are an easy and more affordable option to buy school supplies.

What’s in ‘em?

Brand-name items (Crayola, Elmer's, Fiskars) that match the district’s school supply list. Headphones are included in the kits for every grade level.

How much do they cost?

All the buy-in-bulk savings is passed directly to families. A comparison to Amazon and Target shows that these kits cost 40% less than Amazon and 33% less than Target.

• Grades K-2 kit: $69.00 each

• Grades 3-5 kit: $61.00 each

When will I get it?

Kits will be ready and waiting in your child's classroom at Ice Cream Social this fall.

How do I order?

Visit this link: https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks/?schoolId=GRA443 The deadline to order is June 24, 2025.

What if I have questions?

Contact Jessica Wolf, supply kit coordinator, at jess.wolf7@gmail.com

Thanks, Grizzlies!

Do you have a little one turning 5 years old on or before September 15, 2025? Then it’s time for Kindergarten Registration! If you have not already registered your child for Kindergarten for the 2025/26 school year, please contact our school office to get started.

We can’t wait to welcome your child to our Kindergarten family! Learn more at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Kindergarten

With recent changes to federal immigration policies and practices, we want to assure you of the measures we have in place within our schools.

Our Safeguards:

• Requests from immigration officials to access information or communicate with a student will be immediately referred to the Superintendent’s Office. We will work closely with legal counsel to ensure compliance with the law while safeguarding students' privacy and rights.

• Any law enforcement action involving our schools must comply with proper legal authority.

• While following the law, we will prioritize protecting students' constitutional and legal rights. We will not share student information or grant law enforcement building access unless legally required to do so.

Important note: Please review and update your contact information in Infinite Campus to ensure we can communicate effectively with you. Accurate information helps us maintain our comprehensive school safety plans. Please take a moment to verify the following:

• Personal contact details (phone numbers and email addresses).

• Emergency contact information.

• Approved individuals who can pick up your child from school.

Please visit our Supports for Immigrant Students and Families webpage for more information.

Dear Families,

As part of our preparation for the 2025-26 school year, we would like to share important information about the school bus transportation options available to your student.

Here’s a quick overview of the eligibility guidelines:

• Elementary students are eligible for free transportation if they live more than two miles from their assigned school.
  
  
• Middle School and High School students are eligible for free transportation if they live more than three miles from their assigned school.

If your family qualifies based on these mileage requirements and you would like to sign up for transportation, please complete the Application for Transportation.

Additionally, families who do not qualify for transportation based on mileage may apply for our Pay-to-Ride Program. If you’re interested in Pay-to-Ride, please submit your application and payment by June 6, 2025, to be considered for a bus spot at the start of the school year.

If you have any questions before applying, please don’t hesitate to contact our Transportation Manager, Esme Davis, at Davis.Esme@iowacityschools.org.

Additional information can be found on our website at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Transportation.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

Dear Families, Students, and Staff,

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate the winter season and its impact on our school schedule. While we hope the worst of the weather is behind us, we also recognize that spring can bring additional challenges.

As a reminder, Iowa law requires school districts to meet either a minimum of 180 days or 1,080 hours of instruction each year. Our school calendar is built with additional time to account for weather-related schedule changes, but after last week’s cancellation, we are now one hour short of the required instructional time.

To address this, we will cancel the one-hour early release scheduled for Thursday, June 5, 2025, to recapture the required hour.

If additional instructional time is lost due to future weather-related disruptions, we will evaluate further adjustments, including the cancellation of additional Thursday early releases as needed. At this time, the only change to the calendar is the cancellation of the early release on June 5, 2025.

We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we work through these adjustments. We truly understand the heavy impact schedule changes can have on families, and we don’t take these decisions lightly. If any further changes are necessary, we will communicate them as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

We’d love to welcome your little one to our preschool family! Our teachers are certified in both general and special education, and we offer free half-day programming for 4-year-olds in all of our elementary schools, with full-day options also available.

Preschool registration for the 2025-26 school year opens Feb. 6, 2025. Register on-site between 4 & 6 pm at City High, Liberty High, or West High School. Online registration is also available beginning at 4 pm on Feb. 6.

Learn more at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Preschool

Hello Grizzlies,

Thanks to those who volunteered last year! All volunteers enjoyed their time being with our Grizzlies! We are rolling this out again for the 23-24 year.

Expectations are in place for students in both locations, and a volunteer would be paired with an experienced staff member. Some cafeteria duties include opening containers (milk, juice, etc..), giving out napkins and spending some time interacting in a positive manner. Playground expectations are also in place. Duties are primarily connected to being visible and available for student needs while monitoring for safe choices.

This sign up link offers opportunities to sign up for specific days and times. We included the lunch/recess schedule so you will know the grade level and location.

The district does have protocols for volunteering. This link will direct you to the online background check.

Not only do we appreciate any support, we are also excited that parents have the opportunity to get into the school and add to our positive and supportive atmosphere!

Thanks!

Mr. Turnis

Looking for information on Securly, our web filtering tool? Find all the information here www.IowaCitySchools.org/Securly.

The school day runs from 7:55-2:55. Our weekly one hour early out (1:55) will be each Thursday this year.

Here is a link to the district elementary handbook. There will be some updates added soon relative to attendance. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sarah Siddig is Grant's SFA.

Sarah can assist families in a variety of ways including, but not limited to:

• seeking out community resources
• assisting with registration
• building home-school connections
• locating school supplies and winter gear
• housing
• transportation
• attendance
• accessing mental health supports

As noted above, breakfast and lunches are back on a payment system this coming year. A pricing link is included above.

Breakfast is available at a cost daily for all Grizzly students from 7:40-7:50. If opting to have school breakfast, please use the front doors. Depending on the number of students accessing breakfast, we may adjust to an earlier time.

BIRTHDAY BOULDERS

The celebratory boulders have been fun! For a $10 donation to the PTO, you can “rent” the large boulders in front of the building and paint a special birthday message for your child on their big day.

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for a date to “rent” a boulder. Reserve both if you’re extra ambitious! The $10 reservation fee goes straight to the PTO support teachers, students, and staff at Grant.

2. Pay through our secure payment portal (you’ll get instructions after reserving your date)

3. Come up with your birthday message design idea. Is your kiddo into sharks? Cover the rock with blue and put Jaws on there. Does your child love all things strawberries? Paint a bushel of them around their name. It's all up to your imagination.

4. Gather your materials—we’ll advise you on the best kind of paint to use. You can begin painting after 4pm the day before your rental.

All the guidelines and details can be found on the sign up sheet >> Reserve a Birthday Boulder

https://www.facebook.com/ChristineGrantGrizzlies/

@ChristineGrantGrizzlies

Email: turnis.ken@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/Domain/4089
Location: 1000 Centro Way, North Liberty, IA
Phone: 319-688-1500
Facebook: facebook.com/ChristineGrantGrizzlies/

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 (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 have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact:

• Laura Cottrell (Executive Director of Educational Services & Student Success) for programming at cottrell.laura@iowacityschools.org
• Nick Proud (Chief Human Resources Officer) for employment at proud.nick@iowacityschools.org, 2255 N. Dubuque Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52245, (319) 688-1000; or
• If you are unsure how to proceed or would like assistance in discussing your options, you may also contact Janet Abejo-Parker at ombuds@iowacityschools.org or (319) 688-1312.