December 16, 2024

December 16, 2024

------------------------- TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENTS  ----------------------------    

--Attn: swimmers and divers:   A slight adjustment to transportation today.  You will still take shuttle Bus #34 afterschool today but it will pick up the Creekside team first and then it will come pick up the Cityside team.  Then you will all be dropped off at Zeeland West where swimmers will have normal practice at the high school and then cheer on the divers as they compete in the conference meet! Good Luck Divers!!!!

--On Saturday, the Cityside Competitive Cheer team competed at the PawPaw Invitational.  They not only earned a season best score of 266.76, but they took 1st place!  Way to represent Cityside ladies! 

--Congratulations to our Robotics team - the OverClucked Bots! They ranked 2nd in their field after qualifications and won their division to face the Robodux from Creekside in the State finals. The Robodux and their partners won the competition setting a new world high score in the final match. Currently our Cityside OverClucked Bots are ranked 8th in the world for Offensive Power Ranking (OPR)!!!!! It was a great weekend, and the students did a fantastic job. We are so proud of our Robotics team, their coaches, the parents and the many volunteers and business sponsors. We appreciate you all!

--This week Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the 8th grade art students will be selling ornaments before and after school and during 7th and 8th grade lunches.  These beautiful ornaments are only $4 for the small ones & $5 for the larger ones.  All proceeds go to benefit Resilience of Holland.  These will make great gifts and stocking stuffers.  Or, you can purchase these beautiful ornaments online at this LINK.

--Listen Up all Spellers! The Cityside Spelling/Vocabulary Bee will be held on Tuesday, January 14th at 12:45. You will want to start studying for the Spelling/Vocabulary Bee over break.  Please stop in the main office to sign up for the Bee and to pick up your study guide sometime between Dec. 13-20. See Mrs. Huizenga with any questions. 

--Unfortunately, our ski club outing for this Thursday is canceled.   Bittersweet will not allow us to go this Thursday because they have started their "holiday rates."   Mr. Blacquiere will schedule a couple more events after Christmas break to make up for it.   

--The following students need to come to the CBC right now to pick up their ski passes:  Reese Beyer, Ellie Blanton, Mia Bouhan, Zayleigh Hop, Zuree Hop, Henrik Klingenberg, Brynna Koziak, Kaleb McElroy, and Connor Nagelkirk. 

--Students ~ Join the staff in a spirit week this week leading up to our holiday break!  The dress up days are: 

  • Tuesday: Let It Snow Day: wear clothing with a snowperson, snowflakes or blue and white! 
  • Wednesday: Festive Vest Day: wear your favorite puffer vest or a festive vest! 
  • Thursday: Holiday Head & Toe Thursday: wear your favorite holiday hat and comfy holiday socks or slippers! 
  • Friday: Ugly Sweater Day: wear your best festive ugly sweater! 

--One week left to get signed up and cleared in Final Forms if you're planning to play a sport after we return from our Holiday break.  The sports for Winter 2 are:  6/7/8 Co-ed Wrestling, 6/7/8 Boys Swim & Dive, and 7/8 Girls Basketball.  Please double check your Final Forms account to make sure you are all set to participate.  Have questions or need help?  See Mrs. Nelson in the CBC. 

-------------------------  REMINDERS FOR STUDENTS  ----------------------------

--Students:  Having good ATTENDANCE and being at school as much as possible is so important to a successful education.  Please make every effort to arrive to school on time, to get to class on time, and to come every day.  We love having you with us here at Cityside! 

--If your Chromebook needs to be repaired, please bring it to Mrs. Nelson in the CBC by 9:00 in the morning so it can be sent off to the technology office the same day.  Just a reminder:  Mrs. Nelson does NOT have any loaner Chromebooks or charging cords for kids who forget them at home.  Please make sure you are charging your Chromebook fully at night and make sure you take it to school every day.  If you forget it, you will need to call home to have someone bring it to you.  If you forgot to charge it, bring your cord from home. Please completely shut down your Chromebook at least once a week to install any updates that are out there and please remember to fully charge it at home each night.

--Students:  You must use a crosswalk when crossing the road at any time because we care about your safety.  State law requires you to ONLY cross at a crosswalk.  It is illegal and unsafe to cross anywhere else.  Please make sure to find the closest crosswalks and use those to get where you need to go before or after school.  Thank you! 

--If you leave school early for any reason, you MUST go through the office and let them know you are leaving.  Thank you.

----Students: Chix Tutor Time runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 2:40-3:40 in Mrs. Sluiter's room, #135. Chix Tutor Time is  a drop-in homework help where you can get help with homework from certified teachers. You do not have to attend every week or certain days; you can come as needed. However, you do need to stay the whole hour if you attend. Remember ~ this will only run on Tuesday & Thursday afternoons (not Wednesdays like last year). We hope to see you there!  

----A quick reminder about Success Time:  If you have been assigned success time or lunch detention, first drop off your assignments and Chromebook (if needed to complete your assignment)to the LGI room and then grab your lunch so you're ready to get to work right away.  If you've turned your assignments in and have a signed slip, you have 3 options:

1. Hand your signed slip to Mrs. DenBoer in the LGI on your way to lunch. 

2. Put your signed slip in the folder on Mrs. DenBoer's office door in the Media Center. 

3. Put your signed slip in the Success Time Folder on the front desk in the Main Office. 

--Students:  There is now a donation bin/box beside the Lost and Found table outside of the office.  The bin/box is for clothing donations that will go to the organization City on the Hill to help clothe homeless people. Feel free to donate old used clothes by simply putting them in the box. Thank you for your help! 

--------------------------------  FOR PARENTS  ----------------------------------

--This Friday, Dec. 13, is a half day of school. If your student plans to visit the Howard Miller library after dismissal, please remind them to follow the library's rules to ensure a safe and enjoyable space for all:

  • Respect the space and rules: Use chairs, not aisles or hallways, for seating. Keep backpacks and instruments out of walkways.
  • Keep it quiet: Speak in low voices to maintain a calm atmosphere.
  • Computer use: Public computers are limited to one person per station.
  • Snacks only: While snacks and covered drinks are allowed, full meals (like pizza) should be enjoyed outside.

The Howard Miller library looks forward to welcoming our students and appreciate their cooperation in making the library a welcoming place for everyone! Thank you for your support.

--Foodservice Newsletter Note: Zeeland Public Schools is committed to ensuring all students have access to nutritious meals through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs. Through the 2024-2025 school year, every Michigan student can get FREE breakfast and lunch at their school. No qualifications are necessary. The purpose of posting this regulation is to comply with federal reporting requirements for the USDA Child Nutrition Program and to provide oversight for collecting outstanding student account balances. To learn more, please visit this link. Have questions? Email questions to Food Service Director Sarah Stone at sstone@zps.org.

--Sign Up to Receive the 'Z for Me,' our ZPS district email newsletter- Stay informed about the latest ZPS news, events, and updates, including important district announcements (school closings, etc.), upcoming events, and more. See this FLYER and visit www.zps.org to sign up.

--Parents, please make sure you have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account set up.  You will be able to check your student's bus schedule, grades, attendance, etc. with the Parent Portal.  If you have any questions, please contact Heidi Wolters at hwolters@zps.org.

--If your child will not be in school, for any reason, you MUST call the attendance line at 748-3205. Thank you! 

--If you are picking your child up from school for any reason you must call the office before we will let them go.  You may also call their cell phone in addition to the office, but the office must hear from you.  616-748-3250. Thank you!  

--ZPS utilizes the School Messenger system to deliver text messages straight to your mobile phone with important information, including school
closings, safety alerts, and more. You can participate in this free service just by sending a text message of "Y" to our school's short code, 67587. See this informational FLYER for more details. 

--Any message needing to get to a student must be received by 1:20 pm. We call students down at the beginning of their last hour during announcements so we are not disturbing classroom instruction time.

--We need your help to ensure our schools receive important state and federal funding by completing the Education Benefits Form,which collects information for educational program grants.  Even though all students get free breakfast and lunch this year, filling out this form can also provide your child with additional services like summer food support, help with school fees, and potential household support for internet and cable.  Questions?  Please see your building principal.  Scan the code on this Informational Flyer for more details. 

--We would like to offer your student the opportunity to participate in a program at Cityside Middle School called “Hand2Hand”. This program helps provide a student with food for the weekends and is intended for families who currently may be experiencing a financial burden.  Please contact the front office if you would like to participate.   Please see the attached Hand2Hand Registration Flyer which is in both English and Spanish. Print it off and return it to the Cityside front office.

**Our Miles of Smiles (MOS) mobile dental unit is scheduled to be in Ottawa County Schools during the 2023-2024 school year. Our mobile dental unit provides no cost, preventive and restorative dental services for financially-qualifying children.  Unfortunately, MOS will not be visiting your school this year. However, we want parents to know that they can schedule their child to be seen on our mobile unit when we locate at another Ottawa County School.  Miles of Smiles can be accessed by using the following informational application link:  MILES OF SMILES 

--Please do not have lunch food delivered from area restaurants to our students for lunch.  We aren't allowed to sign your credit card receipts, and often the order only comes with a student's first name on it making it very difficult for us to know who it is for.  Students often don't know a lunch is being delivered for them, so they don't come to pick it up and the food goes uneaten. Thanks for understanding!

--Help us spread the word! Throughout December, ZPS will host tours at our early childhood and elementary buildings to give prospective families a firsthand look at the incredible programs, caring staff, and safe, welcoming spaces that define Zeeland Public Schools. If you know a family searching for the right school, invite them to join a tour and experience all that ZPS offers. Your recommendation can make a lasting difference in our community—let’s grow ZPS together! Click HERE to learn more and see this FLYER for the dates to visit each school. 

--The student made website for the 8th grade art class Community service project is live! https://sit es.google.com/zpsstudents.org/artsale24/home
Check out the cutest clay Christmas ornaments in the ornament shop to see all of the options.  These would make a great gift for family and friends and they are only 4 or 5 Dollars!  All proceeds will benefit Resilience of Holland. If you go to the "about" page on the web site, you will see information about Resilience.  The students are doing an amazing job and are excited to present Resilience with a nice gift.  We appreciate your support!

--Last year a new tradition was born in the Zeeland Public Schools Performing Arts Department,as we hosted our first ever benefit concert. This concert had a charitable focus and featured performances by our most advanced ensembles in every performing arts discipline. Friends, family and community were able to see all of our top ensembles in one night, in a performance that lasted about one hour. The feedback we received after this event was positive and encouraging, with many saying it was a joy to see all of our advanced groups at once.  So, our new one night collage style concert was born. Please join the Zeeland Public Schools Performing Arts Department for our Christmas themed benefit concert on Thursday, December 19 in DeWitt Auditorium. This year's benefactor is our very own Norma Sneller Scholarship and Summer Arts Study Fund! This fund provides scholarships to students in grades 6-12 to pursue their art form over the summer, through private lessons, at camps/intensives, and for our college bound performing artists!Patrons set their own ticket price at zpsarts.ludus.com! This year you will enjoy many holiday favorites including, "Carol of the Bells, "Snow," "Sleigh Ride," "Rudolph," "Winter Wonderland," and much more. The concert features Jazz Band, Dance Ensemble, Varsity Voices, Zeeland High Players, Wind Ensemble, and the Advanced String Chamber Ensemble! Support our Zeeland Performing Artists with your attendance and donation to our scholarship fund!  See you on Thursday, December 19 at 6:30 PM in DeWitt Auditorium!

-------------------------  ATHLETICS ANNOUNCEMENTS  ----------------------------

--SPORT SIGN-UPS:  FINAL FORMS REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 2024/2025 SCHOOL YEAR! Please see the CITYSIDE ATHLETICS WEB PAGE for information on signing up student athletes.  All registration and sports sign ups will be done online in the Final Forms website for the 2024/2025 school year.  Drop in locations for sports physicals are also listed on the athletic web page.  If your student is planning to participate in any sports during this 2024/2025 school year, please remember that they must have a new sports physical that is dated AFTER April 15, 2024.   Please bring sports physicals to Mrs. Nelson in the CBC or upload a PDF (Preferred format) into your student's Final Forms record.  

--Hey Chix Families!  Have you heard the big news in athletics? For the first time ever, the Zeeland Athletic Boosters are allowing you to directly support our Cityside athletics the next time you volunteer! New to Cityside or new to our Athletic Boosters? No problem! Everyone is encouraged to volunteer!  The Zeeland Athletic Boosters are our biggest partner when it comes to supporting our athletes. From purchasing equipment or jerseys, to providing scholarships to our Senior Athletes, our Boosters help support athletic excellence at Zeeland Public Schools.   The next time you volunteer, just write “Cityside” for the team/program you would like to sponsor. By doing this, the funds you raise will go directly to our Cityside Athletics account. Workers earn $10/hour at any ZPS athletic event! Sign up here!  Go Chix!

--7th and 8th grade boys interested in playing Boys Volleyball or Baseball this spring, you are now able to sign up on Final Forms to receive preseason and tryout information. Questions? Ask Mr. Gontjes!