September 9, 2026
------------------------- TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENTS ----------------------------
--The Cross Country team traveled to Mona Shores yesterday to compete in the Mona Shores Jamboree. The cloud cover and occasional sprinkles made for excellent running conditions at Cityside showed up to race. Leading the way for the boys was Caden Atkinson followed closely by Hudson Tidball who earned a PR for his opening race of the season. Junius Gerbers and Wes Navetta also scored for the boys as well as Graham Beukema. The boys finished 4th overall. The girls raced next with Hadley Tidball leading the charge followed closely by Louisa Travis and Amiya Brower. Ella Maat and Monroe Meints rounded out the scoring for the girls. Among the many great efforts, Scarlett Potvin earned herself a PR on the season opener. The girls placed 3rd overall. Great Job XC!
--The 7th-grade boys soccer team kicked off their season yesterday afternoon in an absolute thriller against a tough Crestwood squad. Crestwood struck first, but the Chix answered back when Carsten Kok delivered a beautiful pass to Grayson Vos, who buried his first goal of the season to tie it up! Crestwood quickly reclaimed the lead just a minute later, but the Chix refused to back down. With a mere 3 seconds remaining in the half, Carsten found the back of the net to send both teams into halftime locked at 2. The second half belonged entirely to the Chix. Greyson Tucker turned into a literal brick wall in goal, shutting down Crestwood's offense completely. Meanwhile, the attack kept rolling as Lucas Lemnaru and Grayson Vos both struck gold, punching in second-half goals to secure a spectacular 4-2 victory for their first win of the season! Next up, the boys take on Hudsonville this Thursday. Let's go, Chix!
--Fall Athletes: There are still about 20 students who have not signed their 4 student forms digitally in Final Forms. Please check your email and if you see an email from Final Forms, follow the link to login to get those forms signed. Thanks!
--Odyssey of the Mind - Cityside Middle School is bringing back Odyssey of the Mind this school year! Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving program where teams work to solve a complex, open-ended "long-term problem" over several months. This often includes building a device, creating a performance, or designing a structure. OM is a program that is open to any and all students here at Cityside. Tryouts for the OM team will be held on September 23 from 5:00-7:00 pm at Cityside.
--Please remember to charge your Chromebook every night. Mr Navetta does not have loaner chargers this year.
------------------------- REMINDERS FOR STUDENTS ----------------------------
--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. 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.
--Hey everyone! We’ve noticed more Chromebooks coming in for repairs lately, so here’s a quick "Pro-Tip" guide on how to avoid accidental damage and those pesky repair fees:
Clear the Ports: Only chargers and USB cables belong in the ports. Anything else—pencils, clips, or snacks—will break the device. If the port breaks, you’ll be responsible for the total cost of a new Chromebook.
Hands Off the Keys: We know they’re clicky, but please don't pull them off! Replacing just one key will cost $40.
Pack with Care: Screens are sensitive to pressure. Avoid stuffing your bag too full or dropping it roughly. A cracked screen is a $150 fix.
Replacement Chargers are available for $15.
Bottom Line: These devices are valuable tools for your education. Please handle them with care to avoid repair bills and lost study time!
--2026/2027 SPORTS SIGN-UPS: Final Forms is now open to register for athletics for the 2026/2027 school year. Please see the CITYSIDE ATHLETICS WEB PAGE for information and requirements about signing up. All registration and sports sign ups must be done online through the Final Forms website. If you are planning to participate in any sports during the upcoming school year, please remember that you must have a new sports physical that is dated AFTER April 15, 2026. Please bring sports physicals to the office to the attention of Mrs. Nelson or have your parents upload a PDF copy into your Final Forms record. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact Mrs. Nelson at: tnelson@zps.org.
--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. This is a food-free library. Drinks are allowed only in covered, spill-proof containers.
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.
--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.
--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!
--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.
--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.
-------------------------------- FOR PARENTS ----------------------------------
--Parents: Follow THIS LINK for information about ZPS Tech Insurance for the 2026/2027 school year.
--Click this link for the ZPS 2026 - 2027 Calendar
--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.
--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 ----------------------------
--Student Athletes: Shuttle buses for athletes going from Cityside to the high schools are to board buses 47 & 49 first. Once those fill up the drivers will direct you to board any other bus which will have open seats for you.
--2026/2027 SPORTS SIGN-UPS: Final Forms will open for the 2026/2027 school year on May 1, 2026. Please see the CITYSIDE ATHLETICS WEB PAGE for information and requirements about signing up student athletes. All registration and sports sign ups must be done online in the Final Forms website. If your student is planning to participate in any sports during the upcoming school year, please remember that they must have a new sports physical that is dated AFTER April 15, 2026. Please bring sports physicals to the office to the attention of Mrs. Nelson or upload a PDF copy into your student's Final Forms record. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact Tammy Nelson at: tnelson@zps.org.