Happy Holidays from CRCSD | |
Holiday Break Reminder
This is a friendly reminder that there will be no school from Friday, December 22nd through Tuesday, January 2nd for Winter Break. District offices will also be closed on December 25, 26, 29, and January 1st, and there will be no district newsletter next Friday (12/22). We hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season, and we look forward to what 2024 will bring. Classes resume on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
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A Little Act of Kindness
In the quiet neighborhood surrounding Garfield Elementary School, a heartwarming story of compassion and community spirit has been unfolding. It all began when Garfield's principal, Joy Long, was out canvassing the neighborhood to collect signatures for the bond petition earlier this fall. During her rounds, she had the pleasure of meeting Betty Sassot. Betty expressed her loneliness after losing her husband that spring. Touched by Betty's story, Principal Long made a compassionate decision—the school would "adopt" her and help to provide comfort and companionship.
Since then, each month, classes from Garfield Elementary have taken turns visiting Betty's home to help brighten her day and perform an act of kindness. From making and delivering heartfelt cards to serenading her with songs, the students have helped to fill her home with a little bit of joy.
Today, it was Mrs. Morabito’s 4/5 class’ turn to visit Betty. The class has been working hard to create a warm tie blanket for Betty as a holiday gift. Excitement filled the air as the students eagerly made their way to her house. When the students presented her with the blanket, you could see Betty’s face light up. She was clearly touched by their thoughtful gesture. The class went on to perform some of the festive songs they had learned for their “Cocoa and Carols” performance.
As the academic year progresses, each class eagerly awaits for their designated month to visit and shower Betty with acts of kindness. Principal Long shared that one of the first-grade classes is anxiously waiting for more snow as they plan to go and build a snowman in her yard. While Principal Long initially started this relationship to help Betty, it has also been beneficial for the school. Through their visits and interactions, the students are learning valuable lessons about compassion, kindness, being a good neighbor, and helping those in need.
“This is a good lesson for them about how to be good neighbors and take care of people in need in our community,” shared Principal Long. “And they are seeing firsthand how even the smallest gestures can make a difference.”
Principal Long and the school staff hope they can continue this heartwarming tradition next year when they join Arthur Elementary at the new Trailside building.
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Proposed 2024-2025 Calendar
Monday night, the district’s Calendar Committee presented their proposed 2024-2025 District Calendar to the Board of Education. The goals of the calendar committee were to maximize instructional time, limit disruptions due to modified schedules, increase average daily weekly attendance, promote staff health and well-being, and provide staff with time to learn, apply, and collaborate.
Some things to note about the proposed calendar are:
- Staff professional learning hours changed from early-out Fridays to all-day professional learning on Mondays or Fridays.
- Our start date for students is still scheduled for August 23, 2024.
- Our end date for students is scheduled for June 3, 2025.
- There are 15.5 extra hours built in for the possibility of late starts and early dismissals due to inclement weather.
- Students receive two weeks off during the holidays for winter break.
- Staff receives “no school for students” days each month to do classroom work.
The Calendar Committee would now like to gather your feedback on this proposed calendar. Please click here to share your thoughts and questions. This feedback will be shared with the Board of Education in January.
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Scholarship Resource
Did you know that the district has a scholarship resource webpage? This webpage is a treasure trove of information designed to help support our student’s academic pursuits. The page contains a list of available scholarship opportunities and academic contests, along with helpful tips, resources, and links for scholarship search engines. The site is updated regularly with new information and opportunities, so make sure to check back regularly.
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CRCSD Job Fair
Are you looking for a job where you can make a difference? Then, Cedar Rapids Community School District is the place for you. Join us on Tuesday, December 19th, for a district job fair. Discover the career opportunities available, meet hiring managers, and explore the many benefits of working at the district. We currently have open positions for coaches, teachers, food service assistants, custodians, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and bus attendants. Click here to see job listings. The job fair will be held at the CRCSD Educational Leadership and Support Center on Edgewood Road from 4:00-7:00 PM. We hope to see you there!
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Water Lead Testing Notice
On January 2nd, 2024, Cedar Rapids Community School District will be conducting water lead testing in select buildings across the district. CRCSD annually conducts these routine water tests in all buildings based on a 5-year rotation as part of its Lead Management Plan. This plan follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s 3T’s Program for reducing lead in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities. The district will be testing the drinking water at these elementary schools: Garfield, Grant, Hiawatha, Hoover Community School, Johnson STEAM Academy, Kenwood Leadership Academy, Cedar River Academy, Van Buren, and West Willow. Once your building has been tested, results will be displayed on our website and can be accessed here.
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Glance Around The District | |
The Wright Cafeteria Crew have their holiday decorations up and are serving up smiles with the Chili and Cinnamon Rolls last Friday. | |
Nixon Kindergarten through 2nd grade classrooms are learning to pick better snacks. On Wednesday, they tried air-fried broccoli & cauliflower, which many of them actually enjoyed. | |
A small group of students from Taft Middle School visited The Gardens Senior Living Center to spread some holiday cheer. They sang carols and passed out coloring pages for the residents. | |
3rd graders at Hiawatha Elementary are learning about friction. They then did an experiment using different types of slides to determine which material would have the least amount of friction. | |
The Washington Ceramics classes have been working on making their own ceramic mugs. When done, they celebrated by using them to enjoy some hot chocolate with all the fixings. | |
A group of students from Taft Middle School visited the Gardens Senior Living Center to spread some holiday cheer. They sang carols and passed out coloring pages for the residents. | |
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In case you missed it, here are some of the recent stories in the news media about or of interest to students, teachers, and parents of Cedar Rapids Community School District.
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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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