Principals' Update

Happy October!

As autumn officially takes hold and the school-year routine settles in, this month’s spotlight is on what truly makes our school community thrive: empathy. Being a Central Trojan means more than just excelling in academics or athletics. It means showing up for one another with kindness, integrity, and respect.

This October, we are recognizing Trojans who live out our CENTRAL Code by showing Empathy and helping make our school a strong, connected, and welcoming place for everyone.

As part of our CENTRAL Code lessons this month, students will explore what empathy looks like in their everyday interactions. We want students to remember that being empathetic does not mean we have to agree with everyone. It means trying to understand how someone else might be feeling and choosing our words and actions with that in mind.

We will encourage our Trojans to think about empathy in three simple steps:

NOTICE → UNDERSTAND → RESPOND

An empathetic Trojan notices how others may be feeling, tries to understand another person's perspective, listens without immediately judging or trying to fix the problem, and responds with kindness and respect.

Positive Social Action: Displaying socially acceptable, respectful, and supportive actions toward both peers and staff, ensuring our school remains a safe and encouraging environment for everyone.
Building Connections: Actively maintaining positive, constructive, and trusting relationships across our school community.
Communication Skills: Communicating respectfully with staff, students, and community members in every interaction.

When our students practice empathy, they lift up those around them and lead by example. Read on to discover how our Trojans are putting these principles into practice this month and building a culture we can all be proud of!

Here is how empathy and relationship skills show up across our grade levels:

5th Grade (Leading with Kindness): Welcoming new classmates to cafeteria tables, inviting peers to join during recess, and learning to use active listening when working on group projects.
6th Grade (Navigating Change Together): Supporting peers through middle school transitions, speaking up against exclusion, and using respectful language when communicating with teachers and hallway staff.
7th Grade (Building Trust & Community): Showing active empathy by listening without judging, offering help when a classmate is struggling, and resolving peer conflicts through constructive, calm dialogue.
8th Grade (Role Models & Leaders): Setting the standard for the school by offering encouragement to younger students, modeling respectful digital communication, and maintaining positive relationships with staff and community members.

Family Tips for Building Empathetic Students:

Practice Active Listening at the Dinner Table

Focus on listening without interrupting or jumping straight to solutions when your child shares their day.
Try asking: "How did that make you feel?" or "What do you think your friend/teacher was feeling in that moment?"

Name and Validate Emotions

Help your child identify their own feelings and recognize those same emotions in others.
Try saying: "It sounds like you were really frustrated. It's totally okay to feel that way, but let's talk about how to express it respectfully."

Model Respectful Communication

Show your child what constructive communication looks like during disagreement—whether with family members, neighbors, or service staff.
Kids mirror how adults handle frustration, tone, and conflict resolution.

Encourage Small Acts of Positive Social Action

Create simple household or neighborhood routines centered on helping others.
Rake leaves for an elderly neighbor, write a thank-you note to a teacher, or welcome a new family to the community.

Discuss Perspective in Movies, Books, and News

Use stories and pop culture as low-stakes ways to practice empathy.
Pause during a show or book and ask: "Why do you think that character reacted that way?" or "What could someone say to help them right now?"

Set Positive Digital Communication Standards

Talk regularly about digital citizenship, reminding them that tone in group chats, gaming lobbies, and social media matters just as much as face-to-face interaction.
Encourage them to ask themselves before posting: Is it kind, respectful, and supportive?

Thank you for continuing to partner with us on your student’s journey toward becoming a Empathetic Trojan who practices relationship skills.

Dr. Ericka Bush, CIS Principal
Ms. Kim Martin, CIS Assistant Principal

General Information

Yearbook Ordering 2026

Central Yearbook Orders

Capture the memories, the friendships, and all the highlight moments from this school year! Yearbooks are officially available for purchase, but order yours now to guarantee a copy.

Deadline to Order: March 1, 2027

How to Order: Visit inter-state.com/order and enter our school code 0709VY to place your order online.

Cost: Color Hardcover is $28.00 and a Color Softcover is $25.00

Don't wait until the last minute! Once the deadline passes, extra copies will not be ordered. Secure your copy today!

CIS Extracurricular Expectations

We love when students come support their fellow classmates at extracurricular events! Please keep in mind that all spectators are expected to adhere to the following behavior during all Central events:

Students are expected to show good sportsmanship at all times. Central students cheer FOR our athletes, NOT against the opponents. Actions like booing, turning backs to players, taunting, and making noises during expected silent times, and cheering against the other team do not show good sportsmanship.
Spectators should not yell or attempt to talk to officials, coaches, or opponents.
Spectators are expected to be in the gym during gameplay. Spectators may not hang out in Holford Lobby/Foyer during games.
Spectators should stay off the court of play at all times, even during halftime.
Concession items are allowed in the gym. Spectators should pick up after themselves.
Students should arrange for transportation prior to the event.
Students in fourth grade or lower grade levels are to remain with their parents/guardians for the duration of the game. Students at this age level will not be allowed to sit in the CIS student section.
Fifth grade students must have a parent/guardian present throughout the game while the student is present.

WCHS Football Game Expectations

High school football games are a great time for many students. Please review these expectations and share with your child as these policies will be enforced at all home games:

Students (high school, middle school, and grade school) must remain on the
home side of the field, and conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.
Excessive horseplay, throwing items, unsportsmanlike conduct, etc. will not be permitted. Students will be asked to leave if behavior becomes an issue.
Parents/guardians must remain at the stadium with their middle school or
younger children.
No open containers or outside beverages of any kind are allowed in the stadium.
No coolers or backpacks are allowed. Bags may be subject to search.
JFL players must pay the student rate of $3, with the exception of JFL Night,
where they are allowed to enter for free when wearing their game jersey.
Students who leave the game will not be allowed to re-enter the facility.

Family Support Services

Washington Weekend Snackpac

Washington Weekend Snackpac provides a bag of food items to children for weekends when school lunch and breakfast are unavailable. All food is nonperishable and provided to children free of charge. Bags are distributed on the last school day before a weekend or break. Any child who attends Washington schools who qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program is eligible to participate in Washington Weekend Snackpac. The program is run completely by caring volunteers and is funded through the generous gifts from Washington area churches, businesses, and residents of this community. We encourage you to take advantage of this program for your children.

Central Care Closet

What: Branches of Washington is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to assist children, youth, and their families by offering programs that provide free clothing, hygiene items, and snacks. On a monthly basis, volunteers will staff the care closet room at school and help students shop for free hygiene items, new/gently used clothing, and snacks. Clothing items include shorts, pants, shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, shoes, coats, and new packages of underwear and socks. Hygiene products include shampoo, conditioner, 3-in-1, body wash, lotion, deodorant, feminine hygiene supplies, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

Where: Central Primary and Intermediate Schools

When: Once per month

Who: Any student who qualifies for free or reduced-price school lunch can participate in this program. Students must have this permission form or the online form completed before they shop.

Questions?

How Much Does it Cost? All items in the Care Closet are free.
Who Donates the Items? Clothing and hygiene items are donated by Washington area churches, businesses, and residents.
How Can My Child Participate?
- Complete the information through this ONLINE FORM.
- Print and complete the permission form HERE, and return it to school. The CIS Office will also send a copy of this permission slip home with students who qualify. Families who wish to sign up may return the completed form to school with their child.

Congratulations to the Central 51 PTO on an incredibly successful 5th Annual Trojan Trot! So much time, planning, and hard work goes into making this event happen, and seeing our students having such a great time makes it all worth it. We are so fortunate to have a PTO that works so hard to support our students, staff, and schools. Thank you to our PTO, volunteers, sponsors, staff, families, and everyone who donated and helped make this year’s Trojan Trot such a success. We are excited to announce that we have surpassed our goal of $72,000!! What an amazing day to be a Trojan!

Don't forget that our Central Spirit Store is open year round, so you can stock up on Trojan gear anytime and show your school pride throughout the year.

We recently completed an Active Intruder drill with the assistance of WPD, and we were very pleased with how well it went. We will continue to have drills throughout the year regarding all the aspects of I Love You Guys protocol. Our next drill is a fire drill on October 15. Central follows the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to ensure our students and staff have clear, consistent procedures to follow during a variety of emergency situations.

Behavior Expectations & Policies

26-27 Central District 51 Student/Family Handbook

CIS Behavior Expectations

At CIS, we believe in creating a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment where all students can learn and grow. Students are expected to treat others with kindness, follow school rules, and make responsible choices throughout the day, whether in the classroom, hallway, cafeteria, or on the playground. We teach and reinforce these expectations regularly and work together as a team to support positive behavior. When students make mistakes, we see it as a chance to reteach and help them learn from the experience. However, when behavior becomes unsafe, disruptive, or disrespectful, appropriate consequences will follow, and families will be contacted as needed.

All of our behavior expectations, policies, and procedures are outlined in the CIS Student-Family Handbook, which we encourage all families to review together at the beginning of the school year. Below are a few key expectations students will encounter during the school day. Reviewing these ahead of time helps set everyone up for a safe, successful, and respectful school year.

Positive Behavior = Fun Opportunities!

At CIS, we love celebrating students who consistently make positive choices and follow school expectations. One of the most exciting rewards is getting to attend ROCK—a fun, PTO-sponsored evening event filled with games, junk food, and friends! Students with no detentions or suspensions are eligible to attend!

Please also note that tardies count toward detentions, so arriving at school on time each day is an important part of staying eligible. We encourage families to help students build strong routines and take pride in their positive behavior!

Academics

CIS Homework Assistance

Homework Assistance is an after-school opportunity for all students to work on school assignments, receive extra help from teachers, and stay caught up on their learning in a quiet, supportive environment.

Starting Tuesday, September 8, Homework Assistance will be offered on the following days:

5th-8th grades:
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 2:51 – 4:00 p.m.

Here’s how it works:

2:51 – 3:30 PM – Students can get help from any of their teachers.
3:30 – 4:00 PM – Students work with the supervising teacher for that day.

At least one teacher from each grade level will stay after school on these days to provide support.

Students who are staying for Homework Assistance should report directly to the assigned Homework Assistance classroom after the second bell rings at dismissal. Students must be picked up from Homework Assistance by 4:00 PM. If rides are later than 4:00 PM on multiple occasions, your child may not be able to attend in the future.

Whether you need help with a tough assignment, time to catch up on missing work, or just a quiet place to focus—Homework Assistance is for you!

In extracurriculars? No problem! Talk to your coach or sponsor about a schedule that allows you to take advantage of both.

🚍 Transportation is available for students who attend Homework Assistance and need a ride home.

Homework Assistance Transportation

Transportation Procedure for Mandatory Homework Assistance

Form Submission: Please complete the Google Form linked below if your child requires transportation home from Mandatory Homework Assistance. Forms are also available on grade-level websites and Google Classrooms.
Timing: Forms must be submitted by 3:00 PM the day before transportation is needed.
Notification: Once submitted, the form will notify your child’s teacher, the transportation department, and the office.

Transportation for Non-Mandatory Homework Assistance

Students who stay for Homework Assistance to have a quiet place to work or receive extra help are also welcome to use transportation.
Form Submission: Complete the form linked below according to your child’s grade level and arrange this with your child’s teacher ahead of time.
Regular Use: If your child regularly stays for Homework Assistance and would benefit from transportation, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher to set up a regular transportation plan.
Submission: Forms must be submitted by 3:00 PM the day before transportation is needed.

We’re looking forward to supporting our students and making Homework Assistance more accessible.

4th Grade Homework Assistance Request Form

5th Grade Homework Assistance Request Form

6th Grade Homework Assistance Request Form

7th Grade Homework Assistance Request Form

8th Grade Homework Assistance Request Form

If you have questions about Homework Assistance, please contact your child's teachers, Dr. Bush, or Ms. Martin.

Benchmark Testing & Renaissance Home Connect

As part of district-wide efforts to improve student achievement, all Central Intermediate students take benchmark assessments three times per year (fall, winter, and spring) to measure their academic progress and growth. All Central Intermediate students will take benchmark assessments during the following weeks:

Fall Benchmark: Monday, August 24 - Friday, August 28

Winter Benchmark: Monday, December 7 - Friday, December 11

Spring Benchmark: Monday, April 26 - Friday, April 30

Please take a moment to read the CIS Benchmark Assessment Family Letter for detailed information about benchmark testing.

If you would like immediate results from your child's benchmark assessments, sign up for Renaissance Home Connect to get the most up-to-date information on your child's benchmark test results and Accelerated Reader.

Renaissance Home Connect

Log into your child’s Renaissance account, or have them log in for you.

Username: Last two digits of student's 8th grade graduation year, first initial, last name
- Example username: 29msmith
Password: Student's 4-digit lunch PIN
- Example password: 1234

Once logged in, scroll to the bottom of the screen. On the bottom left of the screen, click "Get Email Updates."
On the next screen, add your preferred email address.
Scroll down to preferences. Here, check any assessments for which you would like to be notified.
- Recommended: Accelerated Reader Tests, STAR Reading, STAR Math

The next time your student takes an AR test or a STAR reading or math assessment, you will be notified via email of the results within minutes of test completion!

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Home Connect through Renaissance, please email or call Mrs. Perko (mperko@central51.net), reading interventionist, or Mrs. Hahn (ehahn@central51.net), math interventionist.

Important Dates

Click the Trojan head below to see what events are happening at Central this month!

Central School District 51Central Primary and Central Intermediate School