📚 Welcome to GCE! 📚
We’re so excited to welcome Dawn Cowles (Ms. Cowles) as our new 1st Grade Teacher at Greene County Elementary!
Born and raised in Ames, Iowa, Ms. Cowles earned her first degree in Apparel Design from Iowa State University in 1995. Later, she returned to school and received her Elementary Teaching degree from the University of Northern Iowa in May 2025. She also brings 9 years of experience from a private school in Ames.
She’s most excited to join the Rams community and can’t wait to meet her 1st grade students and families. She looks forward to teaching, learning, and growing together—while seeing her students’ smiling faces every day!
Her journey to teaching is an inspiring one. After working in schools and subbing in 2020, she quickly knew that teaching was her calling. Encouraged by her family and driven by a passion for helping children (inspired in part by her own kids’ experiences in school), she went back to college to pursue her dream—and now she’s here at GCE!
A few fun facts about Ms. Cowles:
🥤 Favorite drink: Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso with Salted Caramel Cold Foam
🍫 Favorite treat: Iced coffee, chocolate, and ice cream
🐾 Pets: A black cat named Pippa, guinea pigs Garregg and Pickles, and a brand-new turtle (still waiting on a name!)
🏃♀️ She has run half marathons, competed in M2M three times, and is a proud Cyclone fan—Go STATE!
📖 Outside of school, she loves reading on her deck, traveling to visit her grown kids, and cheering on her youngest in cheer, dance, and track.
Join us in giving Ms. Cowles a warm Ram Fam welcome—we’re so glad you’re here! 💚
We’re so excited to welcome Dawn Cowles (Ms. Cowles) as our new 1st Grade Teacher at Greene County Elementary!
Born and raised in Ames, Iowa, Ms. Cowles earned her first degree in Apparel Design from Iowa State University in 1995. Later, she returned to school and received her Elementary Teaching degree from the University of Northern Iowa in May 2025. She also brings 9 years of experience from a private school in Ames.
She’s most excited to join the Rams community and can’t wait to meet her 1st grade students and families. She looks forward to teaching, learning, and growing together—while seeing her students’ smiling faces every day!
Her journey to teaching is an inspiring one. After working in schools and subbing in 2020, she quickly knew that teaching was her calling. Encouraged by her family and driven by a passion for helping children (inspired in part by her own kids’ experiences in school), she went back to college to pursue her dream—and now she’s here at GCE!
A few fun facts about Ms. Cowles:
🥤 Favorite drink: Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso with Salted Caramel Cold Foam
🍫 Favorite treat: Iced coffee, chocolate, and ice cream
🐾 Pets: A black cat named Pippa, guinea pigs Garregg and Pickles, and a brand-new turtle (still waiting on a name!)
🏃♀️ She has run half marathons, competed in M2M three times, and is a proud Cyclone fan—Go STATE!
📖 Outside of school, she loves reading on her deck, traveling to visit her grown kids, and cheering on her youngest in cheer, dance, and track.
Join us in giving Ms. Cowles a warm Ram Fam welcome—we’re so glad you’re here! 💚
🌟 Welcome to GCE! 🌟
We’re excited to introduce Elijah Davis as our new PE Teacher at Greene County Elementary!
Mr. Davis is a graduate of Waverly-Shell Rock High School and the University of Northern Iowa. 🐾 He’s looking forward to working with a whole new group of students and getting to know his fellow coworkers this school year.
PE has always been Mr. Davis' favorite subject, and his strong passion for fitness and working with kids made this the perfect career path for him. 💪
A few fun facts about Mr. Davis:
🥤 Favorite drink: Fruit Punch BodyArmor
🍪 Favorite treat: Energy Balls
🎵 Fun fact: He’s currently learning how to play the trombone!
🏌️♂️ Outside of school, you’ll find him working out, golfing, or spending time with friends and family.
We’re thrilled to have Mr. Davis bring his energy and enthusiasm to the Ram Fam—welcome to the team! 🎉
We’re excited to introduce Elijah Davis as our new PE Teacher at Greene County Elementary!
Mr. Davis is a graduate of Waverly-Shell Rock High School and the University of Northern Iowa. 🐾 He’s looking forward to working with a whole new group of students and getting to know his fellow coworkers this school year.
PE has always been Mr. Davis' favorite subject, and his strong passion for fitness and working with kids made this the perfect career path for him. 💪
A few fun facts about Mr. Davis:
🥤 Favorite drink: Fruit Punch BodyArmor
🍪 Favorite treat: Energy Balls
🎵 Fun fact: He’s currently learning how to play the trombone!
🏌️♂️ Outside of school, you’ll find him working out, golfing, or spending time with friends and family.
We’re thrilled to have Mr. Davis bring his energy and enthusiasm to the Ram Fam—welcome to the team! 🎉
🌟 Welcome to GCE! 🌟
Please join us in welcoming Sadie Larrabee to Greene County Elementary as our new Behavior Interventionist!
Sadie is a proud graduate of Greene County Community School District, and continued her education at Iowa Central Community College and Iowa State University. 🎓
She’s excited for the new opportunities this year to inspire, encourage, and make a difference in the lives of our students. Sadie chose this career path because she believes every child deserves to feel seen, heard, and supported—a mission we know she’ll carry out with heart. 💚
A few fun facts about Sadie:
🥤 Favorite drink: Dr. Pepper
🍉 Favorite treat: Watermelon or Sour Patch Kids
🐾 She has a golden retriever named Ginger
🌊 Loves going to the beach
🏃♀️ When she’s not at school, you’ll likely find her at the gym, out for a walk, or spending time with her husband, Jacob, and sweet pup, Ginger.
We’re so lucky to have Sadie join the Ram Fam—welcome to the team! 🎉
Please join us in welcoming Sadie Larrabee to Greene County Elementary as our new Behavior Interventionist!
Sadie is a proud graduate of Greene County Community School District, and continued her education at Iowa Central Community College and Iowa State University. 🎓
She’s excited for the new opportunities this year to inspire, encourage, and make a difference in the lives of our students. Sadie chose this career path because she believes every child deserves to feel seen, heard, and supported—a mission we know she’ll carry out with heart. 💚
A few fun facts about Sadie:
🥤 Favorite drink: Dr. Pepper
🍉 Favorite treat: Watermelon or Sour Patch Kids
🐾 She has a golden retriever named Ginger
🌊 Loves going to the beach
🏃♀️ When she’s not at school, you’ll likely find her at the gym, out for a walk, or spending time with her husband, Jacob, and sweet pup, Ginger.
We’re so lucky to have Sadie join the Ram Fam—welcome to the team! 🎉
🌟 Welcome to GCE! 🌟
We’re excited to welcome Shailynne Woodley to our Greene County Elementary team as a new associate!
Shailynne is a 2024 graduate of Greene County High School and is currently attending college to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. She has always had a passion for working with young children and is excited to begin her career in education!
She’s most looking forward to meeting all the new student faces and getting to know her coworkers this school year. 💚
A few fun facts about Shailynne:
🥤 Favorite drink: Dr. Pepper
🍫 Favorite treat: Scotcharoos
🐶 She has a dog named Chase who lives with her parents
🎬 She loves Disney movies and Mexican food
🌳 In her free time, you’ll find her with family, enjoying the outdoors, or spending Saturday nights at Boone Speedway!
Join us in giving Shailynne a warm GCE welcome—we’re so glad you’re here! 🎉📚
We’re so glad you’re here, Shailynne! Welcome to the GCE family! 💚📚
We’re excited to welcome Shailynne Woodley to our Greene County Elementary team as a new associate!
Shailynne is a 2024 graduate of Greene County High School and is currently attending college to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. She has always had a passion for working with young children and is excited to begin her career in education!
She’s most looking forward to meeting all the new student faces and getting to know her coworkers this school year. 💚
A few fun facts about Shailynne:
🥤 Favorite drink: Dr. Pepper
🍫 Favorite treat: Scotcharoos
🐶 She has a dog named Chase who lives with her parents
🎬 She loves Disney movies and Mexican food
🌳 In her free time, you’ll find her with family, enjoying the outdoors, or spending Saturday nights at Boone Speedway!
Join us in giving Shailynne a warm GCE welcome—we’re so glad you’re here! 🎉📚
We’re so glad you’re here, Shailynne! Welcome to the GCE family! 💚📚
Back to School Reminders!
Reminder to those coming to the Regional Softball game tonight that you will need to enter through the gate behind home plate. Admission for tonight is $8 and season passes are not accepted.
Due to extremely wet field conditions, the JV/V softball game at Denison tonight (6/26) has been cancelled.
More opportunities to join our team!
Join the team!
Jump start the 25-26 school year and register!! (New families should visit our website to learn how to register for the 25-26 school year: https://www.gccsd.k12.ia.us/page/school-enrollment-registration-resources)
Dear Ram Families,
This morning, our middle school was briefly placed in a hold for approximately 17 minutes while a random and unannounced K9 sweep was conducted in coordination with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. The K9 unit worked through the hallways as part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff.
We want to assure you that the hold was implemented as a precautionary safety measure and that there was no threat to students or staff at any time. Classes continued within classrooms during the hold, and normal operations resumed shortly afterward.
We are grateful for the continued partnership with Greene County law enforcement, and we appreciate their proactive support in helping us ensure the safety of our schools.
Thank you for your understanding and continued trust in our district.
Greene County CSD
Happy School Principal's Day! Today we are celebrating our three incredible leaders who go above and beyond for our students, staff, and community. Their tireless work improves our schools every day. Thank you, principals, for all that you do!
#GoRams #PrincipalsDay
Join us this evening at 7:00 in the high school auditorium to watch our Greene County Elementary 4th grade students perform their "Welcome Spring" concert! The doors are scheduled to open at 6:30 PM. It's going to be a great concert, and the students have worked hard preparing, so come out and give them your support!
Can't make it in person? Watch the livestream on the GCCSD YouTube Channel using the link below:
https://youtube.com/live/7QggE6Kwbxc?feature=share
Greene County has cancelled all activities for today, Monday 4/28, due to the threat of severe weather. Make up dates are yet to be determined.
Dear Ram Families,
It’s official: the last day of school will be Friday, May 23rd, with all schools dismissing at 12:30 p.m. So yes, your students will soon be free to sleep until noon and raid your pantry hourly—but not just yet.
We still have four glorious weeks ahead, packed with learning, laughter, and at least one surprise fire drill. Please remind your students (gently, or with snacks) that attendance still counts, and there's plenty left to accomplish before we high-five our way into summer.
Let’s finish strong—safely, joyfully, and maybe even a little ahead on our to-do lists.
Thanks for your support,
Mr. Abbotts, Superintendent
Greene County CSD
#RollRams
Friendly reminder (fee statements went out in the mail on Friday, 4/18)!
🚍💛 Greene County Schools are Celebrating Our Everyday Heroes! 💛🚍
Today, we roll out a huge THANK YOU to our incredible bus drivers who safely transport our students to and from school every day! 🛑✨
Your dedication, patience, and care create a journey filled with safety and care. You are often the first friendly face students see in the morning and the last to wish them a great evening — and that matters more than words can say.
👏 Let's all take a moment to appreciate the drivers who make sure the wheels on the bus keep going 'round and 'round
Tonight’s the night! Our 3rd grade students are ready to knock it out of the park with their baseball-themed concert, “It’s a Hit!"
Join us in the Greene County High School auditorium this evening for a fun-filled performance you won’t want to miss!
Can’t make it in person? Watch the livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/live/uZ3MX7oXC2w
Let’s cheer them on!
Join us this evening at 7:00 PM in the Greene County High School auditorium for the second grade performance of "Bugz"—a fun and lively musical full of songs, smiles, and tiny wings!
If you can't attend in person, no worries! You can still enjoy the show from home by tuning in to the live stream on the district’s YouTube channel here:
https://youtube.com/live/q6GzqCxyTro?feature=share
We hope you’ll join us to support our young performers!
Preschool Registration HAS STARTED! If you have a preschooler who needs to be registered for the upcoming school year, stop by the elementary school today until 6:00 PM.
Can’t make it in person? Register online below:
https://sites.google.com/greenecountycsd.net/pkroundup/home
