CRCSD Future Ready Today Newsletter | |
College & Career Pathway Meeting Recap
Thank you to everyone who attended one of our College and Career Pathways Informational Meetings this week. Your participation and input are vital as we continue shaping this exciting new program.
For those who couldn’t attend, we’ve included links to the handouts shared during the meetings for your convenience. Additionally, we’re working on providing a recording of the presentation so that every family has the opportunity to learn about this innovative program that will help prepare our students for their futures—whether in college, a career, or the military.
These informational meetings were to share our vision, provide preliminary information, and gather valuable feedback from our community. As we shared, this program is still evolving. We are actively collaborating with students, families, staff, and community partners to refine the structure, pathway offerings, logistics, and curriculum. Updates will be shared as progress is made.
To strengthen this initiative further, we’re excited to invite parents and guardians to join our new Parent Advisory Team for the College and Career Pathways Program. This team will play a key role in clarifying priorities, refining course offerings, and identifying areas where additional information is needed. Together, we can ensure this program meets the needs of all our students. If you’re interested in joining the advisory team, click here to complete an interest form.
We’ve also updated our College and Career Pathways webpage with answers to frequently asked questions from this week’s meetings and will continue to update it in the coming days with answers to more of the questions we received from the meetings and the form on our website.
We are thrilled about the opportunities this program will provide for our students and look forward to working together to support their success.
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Congratulations to Kennedy Senior
We are thrilled to congratulate Kennedy High School senior Tori Paga on an incredible achievement! This week, during her French class, Tori was surprised by representatives from the Iowa Department of Education, who announced she had been selected as one of only two Iowa delegates for the prestigious United States Senate Youth Program.
This honor includes an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in March, where Tori will join student leaders from across the country to engage with government officials and deepen her understanding of leadership and public service. On top of that, Tori will receive a $10,000 college scholarship to support her undergraduate studies, with a focus on history and political science.
Way to go, Tori—your Kennedy & CRCSD family is so proud of you!
Check out the video Announcement
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Harding Mock Trial Teams Earn State Honors
A special shout-out to Harding Middle School’s Mock Trial teams for an outstanding performance at the State Mock Trial Competition held in Des Moines earlier this week. Mock Trial competitions challenge students to prepare and present both sides of a criminal case, honing their critical thinking, public speaking, and teamwork skills.
While they fell just short of the championship, both teams earned 3rd place honors and were the top-ranked public school teams in the state. This success granted them the special opportunity to present their trial in the Iowa Judicial Building, home to the Iowa Supreme Court. In addition to the team honors, several students received individual recognition. Eighth graders Viv Hauschild and Esther Davis received the All-State Top Attorney Award, and Addison Bodeker won the All-State Best Witness Award. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement!
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Winter Recess Policies
With winter weather settling in, we wanted to remind our families to send their students with the items they need to stay warm and prepared for both indoor and outdoor activities. All students will spend time outside before and after school. Plus, our younger students go outside for recess unless the air temperature or windchill is 10 degrees or below. Elementary and preschool students should have snow pants, snow boots, and mittens/gloves to play in areas with snow during recess. Those without snow pants and boots will be required to stay on the shoveled hard surface areas. Students should bring a dry pair of shoes to change into when inside the building. It is also a good idea to put your child’s name on all of their items (coat, hat, mittens, etc.). We find a lot of lost and misplaced items this time of year, and this will help us return them to the appropriate student. Thank you for helping our students stay warm and ready to enjoy the winter season safely!
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High School Thespians Back in Action
Our talented students are taking to the stage for a weekend full of theater magic and show-stopping performances! Here’s the lineup:
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Jefferson High School students are performing She Kills Monsters this weekend. This vibrant and emotional play by Qui Nguyen weaves fantasy and reality together as it tells the story of Agnes Evans, who discovers a Dungeons & Dragons campaign written by her late sister, Tilly. As Agnes delves into the fantasy world, she uncovers secrets about Tilly’s life and their relationship. The play explores the themes of grief, identity, and the power of imagination and is full of fast-paced action, humor, and heartfelt moments. Catch the show on Friday and Saturday, December 6 & 7, at 7:00 PM in the Jefferson Little Theatre. Tickets are available online at https://jhscr.booktix.com/ or available at the door.
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Kennedy High School is bringing in the holiday cheer with Elf The Musical Jr., as part of the Playtime Poppy Children’s Theatre. Elf The Musical Jr. is a heartwarming and festive adaptation of the popular holiday film, focusing on Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole. When Buddy discovers he’s not a real elf, he journeys to New York City to find his real father, spreading Christmas cheer along the way. This family-friendly musical features catchy songs, lovable characters, and an uplifting message about the importance of family and the holiday spirit. There are multiple showings scheduled on December 6 and 7 in the Kennedy Auditorium. Tickets are available online at https://kennedytheater.ludus.com/index.php or
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A huge round of applause to all of the students, directors, and everyone who’s been hard at work behind the scenes to make these productions possible. And to the cast and crew….break a leg! | |
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Washington's speech team is sharpening their skills through practice sessions, ensuring each member is prepared to deliver their best performance. With a focus on technique and confidence, they are ready to take on upcoming competitions and showcase their hard work and talent.
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Students in the Harding Middle School Student Leadership group spent time at the HACAP food pantry boxing up meals for those in need. In all, they made 293 boxes of food and 150 backpacks filled with essentials.
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Johnson STEAM Academy stands out as the only elementary school in the district offering private music lessons during the school day as part of its STEAM activities. The piano and guitar students recently shared their newly learned skills at the school's winter recital. | |
First graders at Erskine Elementary brought the story Balloons Over Broadway to life in their classroom. They created their own balloon floats and used the coding Bee Bots to take them through a parade route. | |
Third graders at Hiawatha Elementary used math blocks to deepen their understanding of adding two-digit numbers together. These fun, hands-on activities help to reinforce their math skills. | |
Ms. White's class at Cedar River Academy collaborated to create a book about second graders with superpowers. The class not only wrote the story but also illustrated it. | |
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In case you missed it, here are recent news items about or of interest to Cedar Rapids Community School District students, teachers, and parents.
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Follow us on social media for the latest updates: | |
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Non-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the Cedar Rapids Community School District not to discriminate in educational programs and/or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, socioeconomic status, national origin, religion, disability, age (except for permitting/prohibiting students to engage in certain activities) or genetic information and in employment opportunities on the basis of age, race, creed, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Darius Ballard, Chief of Human Resources, Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Rd NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, (319) 558-2000.
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