the PENN NEWSLETTER
4/12/2019
PENN PRIDE: we have. we are.
Students: This week students in 3rd - 6th grade took the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP). Remember filling in all those dots when you were a kid? No more of that! These assessments are all done on a chrome book. The format of the questions vary a lot, so they are not all multiple choice. There are even short answer questions for which students have to type a written answer. Students seemed to enjoy the format.
Students also did the Pacer and Curl-ups in PE. Our PE teachers work hard to balance fitness and fun. Fitness is fun.
Staff: On Tuesday afternoon, 2nd students enjoyed having guest teachers while their teachers worked together to develop more strategies and tools for teaching math. Making this happen is a lot of work for the teachers, but so worth the time for the long term benefits for students.
On Thursday afternoon, teachers worked in committees to plan our Tell Your Story event and activities for the last day of school.
KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP for incoming kindergartners
Date and time:
Thursday, April 18, 2019
2:30 - 3:30 pm
Place:
At your elementary school except for those who will attend Grant. Grant Elementary Round-Up will be held at the North Liberty Community Center.
If you have not yet registered your child for Kindergarten, please contact your neighborhood elementary school and they will be happy to assist you. If registration has not yet been completed, you will need the following documentation to complete the process.
Requirements at registration:
- Verification of your child’s birth date (Examples include a copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport. For additional options, please contact the Educational Services Center at (319) 688-1000.)
- Child’s immunization records
- Proof of residency (Examples include a lease/rental agreement or utility bill.)
If you do not have the needed documentation, please contact your school for assistance.
Order Pizza. Feed your family. Raise some $ for Penn PTO.
You're Invited to: Tell Your Story event
Mark your calendars for Friday, May 3rd from 5:30-7:00 for Penn’s Tell Your Story Night. One focus of this year at Penn has been learning about each other’s stories and traditions. There will be student displays, presentations, and some tasty tidbits. This night is a celebration of each student's story. What each of us brings to the Penn family is an important part of who were are as a PRIDE. We hope to see you there!
LAST DAY of SCHOOL
8:15 - 6th grade Celebration in the gym. Parents and special guests are invited
9 - 10:30 Fun Activities on the playground. Families are welcome.
10:30 - 10:55 Students will return to their classrooms for a closing activity with their teacher and classmates. Parents may wait outside (weather permitting) for dismissal.
CAUTION around road construction
Spring is in the air and that brings a lot of road construction, but especially this year at the Front/Penn intersection where the four way stop is becoming a roundabout.
We reached out to the city of North Liberty this week and received this helpful information with options for navigating through that area.
A temporary sidewalk is being installed on the northwest corner of the Front/Penn site to connect the current sidewalks along Front and Penn streets.
For parents who want to avoid the site entirely, we have a map of open trail and sidewalks online which might help, available here: https://northlibertyiowa.org/2019/03/15/penn-and-front-street-improvements-detours-and-parking-changes-start-in-march/.
For kids traveling around the construction, the designated crossing of Front Street is at Jefferson Street, and of Penn Street it is at Stewart Street. Unfortunately, either detour might add distance the student’s route, but a few extra steps are worth their safety. Please stress to your children to only cross at Jefferson Street or Stewart Street.
And for everyone driving, please stay extra alert for children!
The good news is that while we’re dealing with this in the spring, we expect the sidewalks and trails to be reopened ahead of the next school year and Christine Grant Elementary.
Giving input on next year's classroom assignment
CRANDIC race
The 2nd annual CRANDIC race on Sunday, April 28th. The race has a full marathon and half marathon, with the full marathon beginning in Iowa City at Lower City Park and ending in Cedar Rapids at Czech Village. The half marathon will be completely run in Linn County this year. All proceeds from this race will be split between the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids school districts. More information on the race can be found here: www.runcrandic.com.
"Pay to Ride" Bus Option
If you live less than 2 miles from Penn you will not be routed for bus transportation. However, you can fill out the attached “Pay to Ride” form to apply for busing.
If there is room on the bus, the District can provide a bus for your student through the “Pay to Ride” program.
If your family is on free lunch, there is NO CHARGE!
If your family is on reduced lunch, the fee is $260 per student per year.
If your family is NOT eligible for free or reduced lunch, the fee is $438 per student per year.
Please know that seats on the bus will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. So please get your application in as soon as possible!
The deadline to apply is June 3rd. Please use this link: https://www.iowacityschools.org/Page/17325 to access the application form.
The application can be turned into Penn no later than May 31st.
If you have questions or need help with the form, please contact the office at 688-1150.
May 3, 5:30 - 7:00: TELL YOUR STORY OPEN HOUSE
Info from ICCSD
Attendance Zones
The Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors approved new elementary attendance areas for the 2019-20 school year. The new boundaries were approved during their November 27 board meeting. The updated maps can be found on the District website at the following link: www.IowaCitySchools.org/DistrictMaps. In addition, the District’s Attendance Area Look-Up links have been updated to reflect the approved boundary changes. The Attendance Area Look-Up links provide school information specific for your home address. The links can be found on the District website at the following link: www.IowaCitySchools.org/AttendanceAreaLookUp. Junior high and high school students may also be impacted by these changes. Please be sure to check the Attendance Area Look-Up link above to determine if changes to the elementary boundaries have affected your student.
- Elementary Roadmap - Please be sure to regularly check the timeline of events over the remainder of the year. This can be found here.
Info for Future Grant Grizzlies
Looking Ahead
- Thursday, April 18 Kindergarten Round-Up
- Friday, May 3: TELL YOUR STORY community event, 5:30 - 7:00
- Monday, May 13: 5th & 6th grade Track & Field at West High, approx. noon
Music Informances Wednesday, May 15- Penn Gym
8:30 AM 3rd Grade
9:00 AM 2nd Grade
10:00 AM 5th Grade
10:30 AM 4th Grade
May 31: Last Day of School
9:00 - 10:30 Fun on the playground, families welcome
10:55 Dismissal