1. Back to School
2. Department Updates
3. Summer Recap
4. Women's Equality Day
5. Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month
6. National Suicide Prevention Month
7. Mid-Autumn Festival
8. Upcoming Events
9. Happy Holidays!

We are excited and ready to welcome students back for the 2023-24 school year!

Please remember that all of your back-to-school information can be found at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Back2School. Bell schedules can be found at www.IowaCitySchools.org/BellSchedules and the breakfast and lunch menus can be found at https://schools.mealviewer.com/.

Our top priority is creating a safe and supportive environment where every student can thrive. Recent legislative changes have brought new challenges for us to navigate; however, please know that we are committed to ensuring that your children have a positive and safe place to learn and excel within our District.

We understand that circumstances regarding this new legislation may continue to evolve. We also understand that there is fear and uncertainty felt by many. We are here for you. We will continue our work to ensure we are complying with the law while maintaining our unwavering commitment to providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for everyone who enters our buildings.

Our mission remains steady. We welcome and serve all races, colors, nationalities, sexes, disabilities, religions, creeds, sexual orientations, gender identities, and socioeconomic levels. We will surround all of our students and staff with love and support.

Full text of legislation:

• Senate File 496 - Transparency and Parents’ Rights
• Senate File 482 - Use of Bathroom by Gender

Additional local, state, and national resources:

• ICCSD Mental Health resources
  
• United Action for Youth
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Iowa Safe Schools
• One Iowa
• Mobile Crisis Unit

To see a breakdown of the different bills passed this year, please see the embedded documents below.

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.

A lot happened over the summer! Even though school was not in session, we still want you to know all about the amazing cultural events and observances that occur in June and July!

• LGBTQ Pride Month
• Juneteenth
• Caribbean American Heritage Month
• Fourth of July
• French-American Heritage Month
• ADA 32nd Anniversary

To view our Summer 2023 newsletter, click here.

Are you interested in volunteering your time to build relationships with our students? We are excited to share an opportunity for community members to be involved in our schools and to build relationships with students.

Community Cares is a team of volunteers that will go into our buildings to exclusively be a positive influence for our students.

If this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, please follow the instructions on the flyer below, or reach out to Frederick Newell (newell.frederick@iowacityschools.org).

The Iowa City Community School District's Restorative Justice Initiative is going full speed ahead this 2023-24 school year! But before we look to the future, we wanted to highlight some amazing folks and the work they've one over the summer in preparation for this year:

Summer RJ, had me a BLAST!

Summer RJ, happened so FAST!

We'd like to give accolades to Van Allen Principal Eric Ewald, the Van Allen RJ Team, and 6th-grade Empathy Rockets after they spent June, July, and August in Restorative Learning and Training. This special team worked to build those restorative muscles during the summer, to prepare for the 2023-2024 school year!

Garner Elementary has also started the school year in Restorative Consultation and Preparation for school-wide restorative learning and training for the school 2023-2024. You go Ms. Debbie Bennett and the Garner Team!

To learn more about ICCSD Restorative Justice Initative, click here: https://www.iowacityschools.org/RestorativeJustice

August 26th is Women's Equality Day! Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting the right to vote to women. The amendment was first introduced in 1878.

In 1971, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as Women’s Equality Day. And though, as we've discussed in previous issues, there were still obstacles that different groups of women faced that kept them from the full impact of this amendment, they never stopped fighting for their rights.

The 19th Amendment reads as follows;

"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

On this day we show our appreciation to the women on our staff, and in our community! You are all awesome and we couldn't do this without you!

September 15th to October 15th is National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month! This is a time to celebrate the histories of all our Hispanic/Latino students, staff, families, and community members, and appreciate different cultures while learning about contributions from this diverse community!

Hispanic/Latino Heritage month began as only a week-long observance in 1968 and grew into an entire month-long event to recognize the contributions of Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Americans. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the Hispanic population, as of July 2019, was 60.6 million, making it the nation's largest ethnic or racial minority, and 18.5% of the nation's total population!

Why September?

Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th-October 15th because it coincides with Independence Day celebrations with many different Latin American nations. Five other countries; Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua declared independence from Spain on September 15th, 1821. Mexico's independence day is on September 16th, 1810. Chile celebrates its independence on September 18th, 1810 (from Spain), and Belize on September 21st, 1981 (from Great Britain).

Who is included?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month celebrates those who claim ancestry to Spain, Mexico, and Spanish speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. These countries include: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Hispanic vs. Latino vs. Latinx

Why are we using the terms Hispanic and Latino? Because the communities and cultures that are celebrated this month are very diverse and have rich individual histories and stories. This means that not everyone will always agree on everything. Using the terms Hispanic, Latino, or even Latinx has been a regularly debated topic in modern history, and there isn't one right answer.

In fact, many individuals prefer to be considered and referred to by their country of origin rather than an umbrella term.

As we've discussed before, there is diversity within diversity, and sometimes a term that works for an individual may not work for others, so we need to respect and give space to others and to ourselves to find the terms that work best. The diverse population in question should always have the power to identify as they wish, and words or names should never be forced upon them.

To learn more about the history behind these terms, click here.

• PBS Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 Digital Resources | PBS
• National Hispanic Heritage Month | U.S. Department of Education
• Hispanic Heritage Month Resources | Smithsonian

For Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month we interviewed City High 11th grader Gissele (Alicia) Aguirre about her experiences within our district. She is a part of our Educators Rising (Grow Our Own) Program, and is on track to become a teacher! We would like to thank Ms. Aguirre for taking the time to share her experiences, and we would also like to give her the biggest shout out for her hard work, her passion for education, and determination to succeed.

1) What's been the best part about being Latina in our school district? What's been the hardest part?

• The best part of being Latina in this school district is being able to connect with others that have a similar background to me. It is already evident that our school district is very diverse, so it isn't hard to build relationships with Spanish teachers or other Spanish speaking students. The hardest part I would say is feeling under pressure in trying to be the best at everything and taking all the hard classes in order to show that people of color can accomplish as much as anyone else.

2) Why do you believe teaching might be a good fit for you?

• I believe teaching would be a good fit for me in the future because one of my goals is to be a role model to kids that are ethnically diverse, and proving that people shouldn't be subject to missing out on opportunities just because they're different from everyone else.

3) Who in your life most influenced you to be serious about your education?

• Personally, my parents really push me to be serious about my future because I already have a very fair advantage by being born in the US. Not only that, but my brother reassures me that I can get far in life if I keep up what I'm doing now.

4) What's one wish you have for City High School community and or for all students in our school district?

• One wish I have for City High for all district students is to start cooperating more with the adults and or staff. Everyone should strive to achieve a well-built community.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This is a time to raise awareness of this topic and to open up the conversation and remove shame from the discussion of mental health.

Suicide can affect anyone, no matter their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc. It is the 10th leading cause of death the in United States and is often preventable if we take the proper steps to address the issue at a systemic level.

Whether you are a student, staff, family, or community member, please look at the resources below. Mental Health is everyone's responsibility, and we can change the conversation surrounding it if we work together.

Local Support Resources:

• CommUnity Crisis Services & Mobile Crisis Outreach
• Johnson County Social Services
• IC Compassion
• Abbe Mental Health Center

As we honor and recognize National Suicide Prevention Week, we want to take this opportunity to share new resources that our District has invested in that are specifically targeted at supporting staff mental health and wellness.

• Covenant Workplace Solutions (CWS) provides a robust assistance program to all employees who work in our District, as well as staff members’ immediate families. The CWS program provides eight free mental wellness counseling sessions for each employee AND eight sessions for each member of the employee’s immediate family.
• Human Resources / Employee Assistance Program
• EAP Member Portal Creation
• EAP Benefits Summary Information
• Care Solace is another option for staff and families who are looking to be connected with local therapy resources. More information on this program can be found using the links below.
• Care Solace - Staff Information
• https://www.caresolace.com/site/iccsd

Thank you for the way you show up every day for our students. Your work truly makes a difference, and for that, we are profoundly grateful.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

• Support Center | Iowa City Community School District
• Suicide Prevention Awareness Month | NAMI
• National Suicide Prevention Month | American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Be the Change | Suicide Prevention Resource Center

September 10th marks the Mid-Autumn Festival (Or Moon Festival)! This festival is celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian communities. It is the second most important day of the Chinese New Year, and the celebration dates back over 3,000 years!

To learn more about the Mooncake, click here.

To learn more about the legend of Chang E. click here.

Where can I get mooncakes?

• You can find mooncakes at most of your local Asian Markets
• Or make them yourself! Click here for a recipe
• Need something vegan and gluten-free? Click here to try making the snow skin variation

This year, both Rosh Hashana (or Rosh Hashanah) and Yom Kippur fall in the month of September! An amazing ICCSD parent was kind enough to share about these holidays, and how folks may celebrate them (see below). We would like to thank them for sharing their experience and giving us all the opportunity to learn and grow! Please take the time to read the information provided below to learn more about these important holidays:

__________

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are the called the High Holidays (or high holy days). They are extremely significant holidays at the start of the year. Often people who do not go to the synagogue for services throughout the year will almost invariably still go for high holiday services.

Jewish holidays tend to begin at sundown the night before the date noted on the calendar. So for Rosh Hashana, it begins at sundown on Friday, September 15 and goes through September 17. Rosh Hashana is the Jewish new year and comes first in the line up. (Rosh means head in Hebrew, so head of the year).

Our family typically has a great big meal, inviting friends and family, and then may go to services at the synagogue for evening service and/or day service the next day. It is typical to eat apples and honey as a way to wish a sweet new year or other foods with honey such as honey cake. It is not uncommon to give a gift of honey at this time of year. Prayers are said and thoughts are drawn to how we live our lives. Often folks will dress in white during this time as a symbol of new beginnings. It is a joyous holiday and one that kicks off thinking through how life is going and where we want it to go.

There are always 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (those 10 days are referred to as the days of awe). This is a time when folks tend to be introspective and consider life choices. It is said that this would be a time to contact people you may need to apologize and to right some wrongs. It is often a time when people create new habits and patterns, always striving for a better day. Sometimes families will make special effort to go to the apple orchard during this time of year and celebrate joy, growth, renewal and nature, and beauty.

Yom Kippur (day of atonement) is a very serious holiday. This is a holiday when many Jews choose to fast so they won't eat after dinner on the first night (this year it falls on Sunday, September 24) until sundown and the conclusion of the service on Monday, September 25. There is much attention paid to inward thoughts and relationship with others and with God. Repentance and forgiveness and looking ahead are all part of this holiday.

As with all holidays, we pay homage to those who have passed away and those who have died standing up for who they are and what they believe in. The full experience of observing Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is incredibly powerful and important and lovely and soul filling. It really feels like a journey. On Yom Kippur, some very observant Jews may spend hours and hours in services at the synagogue. Others may choose to observe differently...spending time in nature, finding quiet.

-ICCSD Parent Submission

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

August

• Lammas - Tuesday, August 1st
  
• Lughnasadh - Tuesday, August 1st
  
• Kamál (Perfection) - Tuesday August 1st
• Transfiguration of the Lord - Sunday, August 6th
• Fravardeghan (Begins) - Tuesday, August 8th
  
• Obon - Sunday, August 13th
• The Assumption of Mary - Tuesday, August 15th
• Dormition of the Theotokos - Tuesday, August 15th
  
• Now Ruz (Shenshai) - Wednesday, August 16th
  
• Fravardeghan (Ends) - Thursday, August 17th
  
• Asmá’ - Sunday, August 20th
• Nag Panchami - Monday, August 21st
• Birth of Prophet Zarathustra (Shenshai) - Thursday, August 24th
  
• Varalakshmi Vrat - Friday August 25th
• Paryushana-Parva - Friday, August 25th
  
• Onam Begins - Tuesday, August 29th
• Raksha Bandhan - Wednesday, August 30th
• Onam Ends - Thursday, August 31st

September

• Ecclesiastic New Year - Friday, September 1st
  
• Arba'een - Monday, September 4th
  
• Krishna Janmashtami - Wednesday, September 6th
  
• Janmashtami - Thursday, September 7th
  
• ‘Izzat (Might) - Friday, September 8th
  
• Nativity of Virgin Mary - Friday, September 8th
  
• Ghambar Paitishem (Begins) - Tuesday, September 12th
  
• Holy Cross Day - Thursday, September 14th
  
• Rosh HaShanah (Begins) - Friday September 15th
  
• Ghambar Paitishem (Ends) Saturday, September 16th
  
• Vishwakarma Puja - Sunday, September 17th
  
• Rosh HaShanah (Ends) - Sunday, September 17th
  
• Fast of Gedaliah - Monday, September 18th
  
• Ganesh Chaturthi - Tuesday, September 19th
  
• Gahambar Paitishahem - Tuesday, September 19th
  
• Mabon - Saturday, September 23rd
  
• Yom Kippur - Monday, September 25th
• Mawlid an-Nabi - Tuesday, September 26 - 27th
• Mashíyyat (Will) - Wednesday, September 27th
  
• Milad un Nabi - Thursday, September 28th
  
• Pavarana - Thursday, September 28th
  
• Michael and All Angels - Friday, September 29th
• Sukkot (Begins) - Friday, September 29th

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