Christine Grant Chronicle

Hello Grizzlies,

A very productive week of learning! Also, here are just a few pics from our Winter Break Dress Up Days which everyone enjoyed. We also had our Winter Concerts earlier today for an amazing start of the day!

Have a safe and relaxing winter break!

Students return to Grant on Monday, January 6th!

Mr. Hildebrand earned the Golden Grizzly! Mr. H provides a safe environment for all students at Christine Grant. He works hard to make sure students have fun in PE as well as learn many different games/sports to figure out what they are interested in. If you ask students at Grant what their favorite subject is, many will say PE and a lot of that has to do with the environment that Mr. H creates! Thanks for all you do, Mr. H!

Congratulations to Coach Josh Hildebrand for being selected as the Coach of the Year in the Mississippi Division of the Mississippi Valley Conference. The boys team had another excellent season. The team were Divisional Champs and earned a 9th place finish as a team at the state meet. The team was anchored by sophomore Keegan Decker at the state meet where his third-place finish at the Class 4A state meet helped his team to their top 10 finish.

This is a well earned award for coach Hildebrand, his coaching staff, and the Lightning boy's cross country program!

Liberty High School's Athletic Department is holding a T-Shirt Design Contest! Each elementary will have a winning entry identified and used as a promotion for LHS T-Shirts!

Please see the guidelines below! Students can pick up paper in the office or feel free to print at home. Submissions are due to the Grant office by end of day January 10th!

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

Dear Students, Families, and Staff,

Your mental health matters, and we want to take a moment to remind you that support is always available. While we celebrate many wonderful moments within our school district community, we also understand that challenges can arise throughout the year.

We encourage you to take advantage of the school-based support services available to you, including School Counselors, Student Family Advocates, and other District staff who are here to assist students in every school. Additionally, we’ve compiled a list of local and national resources to provide support outside of the school setting. These resources are included at the bottom of this message.

To make accessing support even easier, we’ve created a dedicated webpage with a comprehensive list of available resources. You can find it at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Support.

We are continuously working to strengthen our approach to supporting students, staff, and families while finding new ways to engage everyone in these important conversations. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns.

Remember, we are here for you, and it is always okay to ask for help.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

Good Afternoon Families and Staff,

It’s that time of year again—winter weather is just around the corner! Snow, ice, and cold can sometimes mean schedule changes. We want to make sure you have the information you need to stay updated on our inclement weather announcements, including school cancellations, delays, and early releases.

Here’s how you can stay in the know:

• Inclement Weather Guidelines: Visit www.IowaCitySchools.org/WeatherGuidelines to review our detailed plan for cancellations, delays, and early releases.
• Late Starts on Thursdays: In the event of a late start on a regularly scheduled early dismissal day (Thursday), the early dismissal will be canceled, and school will follow regular dismissal times.
• Timely Notifications: You’ll receive email, phone, and text notifications with weather announcements.
• Follow Us Online: Stay informed by checking our website and following us on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Threads for updates.
• Check Out Our Mobile App: Download our official Iowa City Schools mobile app for a centralized hub of all school and district-related information, including weather notifications.

We’re here to help! If you have any questions about our weather procedures, feel free to contact our Educational Services Center at (319) 688-1000.

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, 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 and Employee Relations, 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245, 319-688-1000, Howard.eric@iowacityschools.org.