Christine Grant Chronicle

The sign up link for conferences was sent last week:

Conference dates:

Wednesday, November 12th - 3:10pm-7:10pm

Wednesday, November 19th - 7:40am - 7:10pm

Parents can contact teachers if prefer to meet via Zoom.

Parent Site for PTC: https://app.ptcwizard.com/iccs-grantes

We very much support the many ways our community supports the school! The PTO is making custom thank you cards to send out to donors and businesses when they partner with us or donate to the PTO. They will include images of student artwork with their first name and grade. If you don't want your student's art used for this, please email Ms. Chicoine by next Friday, 11/14.

chicoine.madison@iowacityschools.org

#iccsdtogether

Online option for direct donations to the NL Community Pantry: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/north-liberty-community-pantry

It's Conference time Grizzlies and we need your help in providing meals to our teachers and staff!!

Please sign up or if you prefer to give money by Venmo you can do that as well! We really do appreciate this help!! Check out the sign up below.

https://m.signupgenius.com/...

Venmo: @ChristineGrantPTO

Please see the following link to order a yearbook for the 2025-2026 school year!
https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A02182897

Please share any photos from the school year to help make our yearbook great!
https://photos.jostens.com/XH6YED

Thank you!!

Dear ICCSD,

It’s game time for the Landers Classic! Join us on Saturday, November 30 at 3:00 PM as the Iowa Heartlanders take the ice at Xtream Arena for a showdown celebrating the pride, passion, and tradition of Heartlanders hockey. Wear your black and gold, show your Landers spirit, and cheer loud in this fan-favorite, family-friendly event that celebrates our community and team history!

As part of our partnership with the Iowa City Community School District, every PreK-5 student in ICCSD will receive a complimentary ticket. For the game on Sunday, 11/30 we invite Penn, Grant, Van Allen, Garner, Kirkwood, Regina Elementary.

To redeem your student’s free ticket, please visit: Claim Your Free Student Ticket Here. Additional tickets for parents, guardians, and siblings can also be purchased through the same link so the whole family can join the fun.

We look forward to welcoming your family to Xtream Arena for this exciting afternoon of hockey and community spirit. Bring your cheers, bring your energy, and most importantly—bring you! For any questions, please contact the Iowa Heartlanders ticket office at 319-569-4625.

Let’s go Landers!

The Landers Squad

The Iowa City Community School District will once again offer influenza (flu) vaccine clinics in our schools this year. This service will be provided through our continued partnership with Towncrest Pharmacy.

You can view the full clinic schedule and make an appointment on our district website.

On the day of your appointment:

• Arrive at the school at your scheduled time.

• Bring your pharmacy insurance card.

• Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

If you have questions about the influenza vaccine or need help scheduling an appointment, please contact Towncrest Pharmacy at (319) 337-3526.

Dear Families, Students, and Staff,

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides monthly food benefits that help eligible households buy groceries. Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP benefits are expected to expire at the end of October. We know this will create stress for many households, and we want to make sure everyone knows what support is available.

What you can count on at school:

• No student is ever denied a meal in our district, regardless of free/reduced status or account balance.
• Students are encouraged to eat both school breakfast and lunch each day.
• Many schools have a Share Table (non-perishable and prepackaged items only, per food-safety rules) that is provided for students to grab additional food items.
• Some schools also host on-site food pantries; check with your school office for hours.
• At the end of each week, excess food from our kitchens is donated to Table to Table and the Salvation Army.

Community food resources:

• We’ve posted an up-to-date list and map of local pantries on our website, which can be found here: Community Food Resources Page. We encourage families to use these resources as needed.
• If you’re able, please consider supporting local pantries; both food and monetary donations help. Examples of some of the most-needed items include financial donations, canned fruit in juice, peanut butter, canned meat, baby diapers and formula, rice, pasta, hearty soups/stews (pop-tab cans), toilet paper, and laundry detergent.

If your income has changed:

• You can apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits at any time. The application can be found at: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict

If you have questions or need help accessing food, please contact your school office to speak with your building’s Student & Family Advocate. Thank you for looking out for one another and for supporting our community during this time.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

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 25-26 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

Dear Families, Students, and Staff

We want to let you know that text messages from your school and the Iowa City Community School District will now come from a new phone number. Starting today, you’ll receive SMS text messages from our new number: 97178. Please note that messages will no longer come from our previous number, 60680.

This change was made to improve the reliability and speed of our text message delivery. We encourage you to save the new number (97178) to your contacts so you recognize our messages right away.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Kristin Pedersen
Executive Director of Community Relations
Iowa City Community School District

Dear Families and Staff,

If your child qualified for free or reduced-price meals last school year, please be aware that the grace period for this eligibility is ending soon.

Each year, your student’s meal eligibility continues for the first 30 days of the new school year or until you reapply. This means last year’s eligibility expires on October 8, 2025, in the absence of a new application.

Starting Thursday, October 9, 2025, any student who has not submitted a new application will return to paid meal status. To avoid any interruptions, please complete a new application before the rollover period ends. You can apply online at myschoolapps.com.

If you’ve already applied or received a notification from the school district confirming your benefits, you can disregard this message.

We encourage you to apply even if you're unsure if your family will qualify. Financial situations can change anytime during the school year, and applications are available year-round. If your circumstances change, feel free to reapply at any time.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our Nutrition Services Office at (319) 688-1021 or email Jackie Andresen at andresen.jackie@iowacityschools.org.

Sincerely,

Alison Demory
Director of Nutrition Services
Iowa City Community School District

Dear Families,

As we prepare for the new school year, we want to remind you about Securly, a web filtering tool that allows parents to monitor and restrict their child’s internet activity, ensuring safer online experiences.

Our students’ Chromebooks are filtered both on and off the school’s network. On-campus, devices are subject to the same content filtering policies as all our internet-connected devices. Off-campus, the Securly service blocks explicit or dangerous content as defined by federal law.

With Securly, you can view your child’s internet activity and set up additional controls for off-campus use. Parents receive weekly email notifications with internet activity reports. If you’re not receiving these emails, please contact your student’s school office to verify that the correct email address is listed in Infinite Campus.

Access this Parent Guide for step-by-step guidance on using Securly.

Parents can utilize the Securly Home app to adjust the settings for their child’s online activity. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and offers several features, including:

Pause the Internet: Control internet access with the tap of a finger.
Offline Schedules: Set device-free family time.
Live Activity Feed: Get real-time updates.
Push Notifications: Receive alerts for flagged activities.
Internet Rules: Easily set internet rules for your home.

If you have questions about accessing your Securly parent account, please contact your child's school for assistance.

Thank you for partnering with us in our commitment to keep our students safe online.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner
Superintendent
Iowa City Community School District

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

Students, Families, and Employees - The Ombuds Office is here to help. Check out our Ombuds webpage to learn more!

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://grant.iowacityschools.org/
Location: 1000 Centro Way, North Liberty, IA
Phone: 319-688-1500

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.