February 6, 2026

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

--Last night the 8th grade girls brown basketball team traveled to Zeeland Christian to take on the Rams. The first half was a slow paced back and forth battle, with the Chix taking a 17-14 lead into halftime. The second half was similar to the first, with the Chix hanging on and eventually beating the Rams 31-25. Ellie Barkey led the Chix with 12 points, while Elise Hoeksema added 6 points and Lucy Gruppen had 5 points. Gruppen, Hoeksema, and LangeLee Felgner led the Chix in rebounds while Thabe Geurink led the Chix in steals on the defensive end. Next up the 5-0 Chix will head to Holland to take on the Dutch next Wednesday.

--The 8 grade girls gold team lost a close game to Wayland yesterday. Sara Perez Diaz led the team in scoring, which was followed by 6 other players scoring in the game! Mari Meza led the team in steals with 6. Keep up the hard work Chix!

--The 7th grade girls gold team had their first home game last night against Wayland. They fought hard but lost a close one 21 - 24. The chix were led in scoring by Adonai Juarez, Varae Veatch, and India Cuevas each with 4 points. Amaya Solis, Sapphire Ram, Brooke Musk, and Greta Barnes each had 2 points. The girls stood their ground defensively and had countless steals. This hounding defense was led by Charlotte Gras and Ella Cote. Great work girls!

--Cityside wrestling traveled to Mona Shores tonight and faced host Shores and Reeths Puffer. Cityside opened the night falling to Reeths Puffer 30 to 93 and then beat host Shores 61 to 48. Undefeated for the night were Monroe Meints, Joel Nichols, and Logan Westrate. Drew Taylor, Jackson Payne, and Isaiah Hill also competed in some very close excited matches.

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

--Do you have a special talent that you would like to share with your school? The Chix Mix is coming up at the end of March! It's time to get your acts together now. For those of you who are new to Cityside, the Chix Mix is our school-wide talent show that is performed during the school day. The date of the 2026 Chix Mix performance is Friday, March 27. Auditions will be at the beginning of March. All talents are welcome to audition for a spot in the show! Get some friends together and put together something fun that we are sure to enjoy! Please direct questions to Mrs. Landes in room 213 or email her at jlandes@zps.org.

--8TH GRADERS GOING TO WASHINGTON, DC: There is a MANDATORY PARENT/STUDENT MEETING on MARCH 3 @ 6:30pm in the AUDITORIUM: Any student going on the Countryside Tours Washington DC trip needs to attend this mandatory meeting WITH A PARENT on Tuesday, March 3rd in the auditorium. Link: INFORMATIONAL FLYER

--Spring Play info meeting: Monday, February 16 3pm-4pm in the Auditorium
Auditions: Friday, February 20 from 3pm-6pm
Please contact Emilie Wurst at ewurst@zps.org with any questions.

--FAMILY MATH FUN FESTIVAL @ HOPE COLLEGE: Family Math Fun Festival is on Saturday, March 7, 10 am - 12 pm at Hope College. This is a free event and open to families with children in Grades K-8. Our festival features a wide variety of interactive low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that will engage families in creative problem solving that won't even feel like mathematics! We'll also be giving away goody bags to all participants containing math games for continued practice at home. Link for registration: https://bit.ly/HopeFamilyMathMarch2026

There is an English and a Spanish flyer linked here: ENGLISH SPANISH

--Students & Parents: On half days of school, the library remains open during regular hours. Individual students are welcome to visit for quiet, independent library use. Please note that the library is not a supervised space or a group hangout area, and staff are not able to provide childcare or group supervision. Students who are unable to follow library expectations will be asked to leave. Students entering as a group will be redirected away from the library to find an alternative location to be.

--GUESS WHAT! This year, all of the schools in Zeeland will be participating in one, unified INCLUSION WEEK!
This week will be from February 23rd through the 26th! It will be a week full of fun, learning, unified games, a spirit week, and a district wide T-shirt sale!
At Cityside, our inclusion week will end with a Black Light Dance at the Bridge from 3:30-5:30! Here's where you gotta lock in- If you buy an Inclusion Shirt for $10, this will get you into the dance, and get you a free piece of Pizza and a can of pop!
You can get an order form from the office or outside the CBC, fill it out, and return it to Mr. Soltis or Mrs. Trombley with $10 by February 5th, to secure your spot at the dance!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Soltis or Mrs. Trombley!

--Students: Just a reminder that backpacks aren't allowed in classrooms during the school day. They must be left in your locker; that includes during 6th hour. They must stay in your locker until after school. Thanks so much!

--Heading to the Library After a Half-Day of School? We’re glad students enjoy spending time at the Howard Miller Library after school. To ensure the library remains a safe, respectful space for everyone, please remind your student of the following expectations:

Respect the space – Seating belongs in chairs, not in aisles or hallways. Backpacks and instruments must be kept out of walkways. Keep it quiet – Low voices help maintain a calm environment for all visitors. One person per computer – Public computers are for individual use only. Snacks only, please – Small snacks and covered drinks are welcome. Full meals (like pizza) should be enjoyed elsewhere.

The library is a shared community space, not a supervised gathering area. We appreciate your support in helping students use it responsibly. Thank you for helping us maintain a positive environment for all visitors.

--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 Mr. Navetta 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: Mr. Navetta 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.

--Hey everyone! We've been seeing a bunch of issues with Chromebooks lately, so let's go over a super important reminder to keep your device safe and working. Here are the rules to remember:

DON'T stick anything into the ports. That means no paperclips, no pencils, no snacks—nothing! Sticking things into the charging or USB ports will break your Chromebook, and you'll have to pay the full replacement cost for a brand new one.

DON'T pull the keys off! We know those little keys might look tempting, but pulling them off the keyboard damages them. Each key we have to replace is a charge.

Also, be careful when packing into your backpacks. The screen can get broken if something pushes too hard against the outside. Replacement of the screen is $150.

Let's treat our Chromebooks like the valuable tools they are so we can all keep learning!

--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 gently used clothes by simply putting them in the box. Thank you for your help!

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

-- IMPORTANT NIGHT OF SAFETY FOR OUR KIDS: February 12 @ 6:00 at the Holland Civic Center! The Outdoor Discovery Center is sponsoring a series called "Unplugged." Join ODC Network for a 4-part speaker series featuring nationally-renowned experts who will explore how technology is reshaping our lives and offer practical ways to restore balance for ourselves, our families, and our communities. February 12 is the 2nd speaker in the series. I heard the first one was fabulous! On February 12, Katherine Martinko will be the speaker. Click HERE to reserve your FREE ticket! This is such an important topic for the safety of our youth. Please join us on Feb. 12th!

There is an English and a Spanish flyer linked here: ENGLISH SPANISH

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

--If you need your child out of school early for an appointment, etc. please call the office ahead of time and we will try to have your student waiting for you. We will then send them outside when they see you pull up. Teachers normally will not let a student leave class early unless they are called down by the office. Thank you!

--If you are picking your child up from school for any reason you must call the office (616-748-3250) 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. Thank you!

--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.

--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. Visit Z for Me to sign up.

--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. For more info: ZPS School Messenger

--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.

--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.

--The Miles of Smiles (MOS) mobile dental unit is scheduled to be in Ottawa County Schools during the 2025-2026 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!

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

--SPORT SIGN-UPS: FINAL FORMS REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE 2025/2026 SCHOOL YEAR. Please see the CITYSIDE ATHLETICS WEBSITE for information on signing up student athletes. All registration and sports sign ups will be done online in the Final Forms Website for the 2025/2026 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 the 2025/2026 school year, please remember that they must have a new sports physical that is dated AFTER April 15, 2025. 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!

--Any athletes needing to get to the high school for practice can ride either Bus #47 OR #40 to the High School.

--All Winter Warrior Participants-- If you do not have a ride arranged to Zeeland East High School, you can ride your bus (if assigned) or any bus going to the High School bus loop (#47 OR #40). Get off the bus at the High School and walk towards the gym. Coach Draeger or Coach Sattler will meet you in the hallway between the Main and AUX gym.--

February 6, 2026

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