About Grant Wood
At Grant Wood, we are respectful and productive citizens who set and meet academic and social goals.
Grant Wood’s parent teacher association (PTA) sponsors after-school enrichments that are available to all students twice a year. Teachers, parents, and community volunteers instruct interactive classes that allow Grant Wood students the opportunity to experience a wide range of activities. Over the years, some popular classes have included beading, swimming, bowling, cake decorating, pet care, sign language, and many more. Students are exposed to unique learning opportunities they can tie to their learning in the classroom and perhaps carry over into their adult lives. Grant Wood has a very active PTA and a strong pool of community volunteers. We also partner with the Foster Grandparents Program, AmeriCorps, Hy-Vee, and Little Caesars.
Grant Wood also has several co-curricular opportunities for all students, including Lego League, Eastern Iowa Arts Academy classes, as well as Boys Scout and Girls Scout opportunities.
School history
Grant Wood Elementary School opened in the spring of 1951 and is named after Grant Wood, the Iowa artist known for his regionalist style of art, and his most popular oil painting, “American Gothic,” which depicts a farmer and his daughter in front of an American farmhouse. The Cedar Rapids Gazette sponsored a contest to name our school. Tommy Woodhouse, a fifth grader at Buchanan Elementary School, submitted the winning entry. Our school is the first in Cedar Rapids to be named after an artist.
Grant Wood School Song
Rap: We’re the Grant Wood Griffins from the southeast side, and in our elementary school we take a lot of pride!
Chorus: Grant Wood Griffins, we’re smart and we’re strong,
Grant Wood Griffins, we know right from wrong,
We will act respectfully and do what’s best for you and me,
Grant Wood Griffins, (clap) we love our school.
Verse 1: When a lion and an eagle are combined, you get a Griffin and they’re mighty fine! Strength and intelligence are what they show, and we, too can show there how we learn and grow.
Chorus: Grant Wood Griffins, we’re smart and we’re strong,
Grant Wood Griffins, we know right from wrong,
We will act respectfully and do what’s best for you and me,
Grant Wood Griffins, (clap) we love our school.
Verse 2: Like the lion and the eagle, we’ll work as a team, we’ll show cooperation like you’ve never seen. We’ll be strong in character, we’ll always reach for more, we’ll spread our mighty wings and we will soar!
Chorus: Grant Wood Griffins, we’re smart and we’re strong,
Grant Wood Griffins, we know right from wrong,
We will act respectfully and do what’s best for you and me,
Grant Wood Griffins, (clap) we love our
Grant Wood Griffins, (clap) we love our
Grant Wood Griffins, (clap) we love our school.
A message from our principal
Welcome to Grant Wood Elementary! Established in 1951, Grant Wood Elementary is nestled in a quiet neighborhood in the city's southeast quadrant. Named after Iowa’s famous artist, our school is dedicated to providing a safe, caring environment where every student receives the academic, social, and emotional support they need to become kind and productive citizens. We are incredibly proud of our vibrant diversity, which allows our students and families to cultivate a deep appreciation and acceptance of the wider world.
Our educational efforts are deeply enriched by community partnerships and thousands of volunteer hours each year. We are grateful for the continuous support of our amazing PTO, community members, Washington High School students, and dedicated generations of families—including current and former parents, grandparents, staff, and alumni. We also extend a special thanks to our valued community partner, the Mount Vernon Road Hy-Vee, for their ongoing support of our school.
Condra Allred
Principal