Wildcat News
March 29-April 2; Culture & Climate Survey; Women's History
Safe, Responsible, & Kind...
Dear Grant Wood Parents & Families:
As you may already know from Superintendent Degner’s announcement earlier this week, and the Board's approval on Tuesday, March 23rd, I will remain as Principal of Grant Wood. While I've had opportunity to work with many students and several parents & families this year, I am very much looking forward to future (upcoming) opportunities to get to better know our students and to meet and work with more of our parents/guardians - ideally all families. I am honored to continue as Principal of Grant Wood.
This week we conclude March and welcome the start of April. And with the season change into Spring we are seeing plenty of humidity, and will most likely see plenty of rain in the coming days & weeks.
Please mark your calendars at home and on your phones - Wednesdays are early release days and school dismisses at 1:55pm on Wednesdays.
With Spring it seems that weeks go by faster - here are some April dates to remember as well.
- April 6th ~ Photo Retake/Make up Day (3pm-4:30pm)
- April 16 ~ No School
- April 26-30 ~ ISASP Testing for 3rd-6th Grade
(100% on site enrollment students)
#GrantWoodSafe
#GrantWoodResponsible
#GrantWoodKind
Principal: Ms. Maria, martin.maria@iowacityschools.org
School Facilitator: Mr. Brown, brown.ryan@iowacityschools.org
Counselor: Ms. Newman, newman.heather@iowacityschools.org
Student & Family Advocate: Ms Palante, palante.alyssa@iowacityschools.org
Instructional Design Strategist (IDS): Ms. Mangan, mangan.ashley@iowacityschools.org
Attendance Secretary: Ms. Steggall, steggall.kara@iowacityschools.org
Office Secretary: Ms. Peggy, tucker.peggy@iowacityschools.org
Email: martin.maria@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/Domain/552
Location: 1930 Lakeside Dr, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA
Phone: 319-688-1180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grantwoodwildcats/
Twitter: @20_GrantWood_21
Photo Make up/Retake Day - April 6th (3-4:30pm)
Did you take your photo on February 5th but wish ou could retake it? No worries
Halverson Photography will be back at Grant Wood on Tuesday, April 6th from 3pm to 4:30pm in the community foyer.
Josten's Yearbook - Grant Wood
Josten's now has a web page set up for Grant Wood families to order their 20-21 yearbook.
The cost of the yearbooks is $6.50.
The link to the Josten's page will be live through April 16th - here it is:
Dine Out (or Take Out) for Education - April 1st
Mark your calendar and #gethungryforeducation! The spring Dine Out (or Take Out) for Education is on Thursday, April 1, 2021. All you have to do is dine or take out at one or more of our 42 participating restaurants and businesses on April 1 and they will donate 10% of their daily sales in support of our schools. Take-out and delivery count! For more information, visit the ICCSD Foundation website at www.iccsdfoundation.org/dine-out-for-education/ or take a look at partner restaurants’ online menus.
#GetHungryForEducation on April 1 and support our schools by dining at one of our 42 participating restaurants:
March... Women's History Month
History is never constructed by any one individual or group of individuals - it is constructed by all of us, and all that came before us. Heritage months are an attempt to acknowledge the contributions of groups that have historically not been acknowledged much, if at all, in our textbooks. Learning about the breadth and depth of history gives us a more complete understanding of the complexity of human interactions: socially, politically, economically, educationally, etc. March is Women's Histroy Month.
2021 Climate Survey
This week, Grant Wood students in 5th and 6th grades will be completing the 2021 Student Climate Survey. Participation in the survey is strictly voluntary and no student is required to fill out the questionnaire. The survey will take approximately one class period, 40 minutes, to complete. You may view the 2021 Student Climate Survey on our district website.
The purpose of the survey is to collect information about our youth so we can better assess how they experience the classroom and school environment. It is important to ask children to tell us what is good and working in their schools, and what needs improvement, from their perspectives.
All information collected will be confidential. Information from the survey will be linked to individual student records in order to assess whether students’ classroom and building experiences correlate with student outcomes. Individual identifiers (such as name, student email, and student ID) will be removed from the data for analysis and in any reporting (internal and external). The overall survey results will then be analyzed by our team to evaluate and develop programs to better address student needs.
If you have questions or concerns regarding the 2021 Student Climate Survey, please feel free to contact Laura Gray (gray.laura@iowacityschools.org).
Nominate a teacher...
Nominate an educator that has "overcome stressful circumstances, limited resources, and new technologies to connect with children and continue providing an engaging educational environment.... Any educator who has made a significant contribution to student-centered active learning is eligible for the award. Nominations can be submitted from parents, educators, administrators, students, and community members."
- "fosters an "active learning" environment."
- provides "innovative & impactful lessons or activities."
- "demonstrates a spirit of cooperation, responsibility, and respect"
The deadline for nominations is Friday, April 16, 2021.
Conditions for Learning - District Message
Dear Families and Staff,
The Iowa City Community School District is getting ready to administer an annual school climate and culture survey called Conditions for Learning to students in grades 3-12. This survey administration is required by the state’s plan to meet a federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act. Our District will conduct the survey between April 5-May 28. All Iowa public school districts will use the Conditions for Learning Survey (Survey) to improve safety, student engagement and the overall learning environment so that all Iowa students have optimum conditions for learning. Our work to improve safety, student engagement and the overall learning environment will have a lasting impact on the future.
Iowa measures conditions for learning by asking the real experts each year - our students. This is their chance to make their voice heard, and we intend to listen. Studies have shown this work matters. Improving skills such as solving problems, working out conflict, and working with other people in a group has led to double-digit increases on achievement test scores, improved classroom behavior and improved attitudes.
All public schools in Iowa will use an online survey to assess the conditions for learning in their school for students in grades 3-12. Student responses will be confidential, and individual response data will not be available to anyone in the survey platform or in reporting. Each attendance center will receive aggregated data annually at the building level to support alignment of professional development with identified culture and climate needs.
We will ask your child to simply fill out a confidential Survey. The Survey will focus on issues ranging from student safety, to positive student relationships, to school rules and how they are enforced. A high rate of participation by students in completing the Conditions for Learning Survey is important for obtaining the most complete school climate data for our school. Support from you in communicating to your students that this is their chance to be heard and to be part of the effort to improve conditions for learning at their school is critical.
Thank you for partnering with us to improve conditions for learning in our schools throughout the state. Included is an overview of this opportunity, as well as:
1) An information summary about the Survey
2) A written refusal form if you do not want your child/children to participate in completing the Survey
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you again!
Planning summer 2021?
City High is excited to be able to safely offer camps this summer! Registration for City High summer camps will become active on May 1st. Please direct your questions to City High athletic department at and contact Mr. Phillip Hansen, hansen.phillip@iowacityschools.org or call 319-688-1045.
7th grade Immunizations - required
- Two vaccines are required for students entering 7th grade: a meningococcal vaccine (MCV) and a tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis booster (Tdap)
- Students are not allowed to start 7th grade in the fall without documentation of a MCV vaccine according to Iowa law
Please check your 6th grade child’s immunization record or call their health care provider to find out if they have received the Tdap booster and meningococcal vaccines (MCV) and make an appointment if needed.
- Johnson County Public Health also provides immunizations and can be reached at 319-356-6045
- If your child does not have insurance, please reach out to Healthy Kids Clinic. Call or text 319-631-3204 to make an appointment
- If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse, Megan Colgan (colgan.megan@iowacityschools.org).
ICCSD Online Open for 2021-22 Registrations
Parents who want their students to learn virtually for the 2021-22 school year are able to register for ICCSD Online, Iowa City Community School District's new online school, between April 5 and April 12. An email will be sent to parents on April 5 which will include a link to the registration form. Parents can also access this form from the ICCSD Online website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/iccsdonline. Registrations are due by Monday, April 12.
There are three ways to learn more about ICCSD Online.
Watch the ICCSD Webinar: https://iowacityschools-org.zoom.us/rec/share/W0j_L1Nf4jkVjjiJLutgSVAcVpIy-coO5H9bYYxTOpfiaxhEoOik-3dyAhWnCDc2.iWzuASCk-XjDDQeJ
Visit the ICCSD Online Website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/iccsdonline
Email questions to: iccsdonline@iowacityschools.org
Monitoring Children's Internet Use
ICCSD is entering its fourth year of using Securly, a service that filters internet access on District devices and also includes the SecurlyHome Parent Hub, which parents can use to monitor internet usage, receive usage notifications, and establish limits on what your child can access. Limits parents can set include turning school-issued devices off at parent-determined times (such as bedtime).
You may have already received an email from Securly when your child was issued their 1:1 device. You can access Securly at https://www.securly.com/parent-login, and your login email will be the primary email address listed for your child(ren)'s contacts in PowerSchool. If you have trouble accessing Securly, please verify your primary contact email in PowerSchool or contact your child's school to do so (Grant Wood, 319-688-1180). You can also contact Securly support if you've confirmed your email in PowerSchool and are still having trouble accessing Securly.
What is a conundrum? A situation where there is no clear right or good solution. Yet, a difficult choice must be made...
In this conundrum, a secret ingredient makes AstraSweets special. The question is: Can the secret ingredient's inventor use Astra Sweet's secret ingredient in her own recipe? This video ends with a question, leading right into a discussion. Download this worksheet to help organize your thinking!"
Tech Support & Help Desk Assistance
Students and families are welcome to reach out to Tech Support for any issues. Feel free to check out the link below and get the help you need:
http://innovation.iowacityschools.org/2020/03/30/getting-tech-support-during-the-covid-19-closure/Have questions on how your child is using technology this year? Check out this FAQ:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1toS-wrT8tTlEYoCJ2pP6fuEbn7NO1kQlAUCDbswmQL8/edit?usp=sharing
ICCSD HelpDesk
Hours: 7:30AM to 4:30PM Monday - Friday.
Phone: (319)-688-1950
Additional Community Resources...
The following resources are available to students and families for assistance with academic achievement, mental health, and emotional well-being. Additional information on Covid-19 and School-Age Child Care assistance are also available.
Coding for Kids (Free options)
No visitors:
For health and safety reasons we cannot receive visitors onto our campus beyond the office. No visitors into our classrooms nor our cafeteria. To help with keeping our community physically distanced, please keep in mind that the Grant Wood office secretaries along with others can be reached by phone, 319-688-1180 and email. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us:
Principal: Ms. Maria, martin.maria@iowacityschools.org
School Facilitator: Mr. Brown, brown.ryan@iowacityschools.org
Student Family Advocate (SFA): Ms. Palante, palante.alyssa@iowacityschools.org
Instructional Design Strategist (IDS): Ms. Mangan, mangan.ashley@iowacityschools.org
Counselor: Ms. Newman, newman.heather@iowacityschools.org
Attendance secretary: Ms. Steggall, steggall.kara@iowacityschools.org
Office secretary: Ms. Peggy, tucker.peggy@iowacityschools.org