Happy New Year, CIS Families!

I hope our students, staff, and families had a wonderful winter break and were able to spend quality time with family and friends. We are excited to welcome students back to school on Monday, January 8, 2024, for the second half of the school year!

Please take a moment to review the information included in this special edition of the CIS Monthly Newsletter. Our regularly scheduled January newsletter will be sent out next week, featuring additional updates from various departments!

Term 2 Grades & Term Dates 

We concluded Term 2 on Friday, December 22nd. Term 2 Report Card grades will be available on Friday, January 12th, via Skyward Family Access. If you have any questions about missing assignments or grades, please don't hesitate to contact your child’s teacher(s) starting on Monday, January 8th.

The term dates for second semester can be found below:

Term 3 Start Date: Monday, January 8

Term 3 Midterm: Friday, February 2

Term 3 End Date: Friday, March 8

Term 3 Report Cards Published: Friday, March 15

Term 4 Start Date: Monday, March 11

Term 4 Midterm: Friday, April 19

Term 4 End Date: TBD

Term 4 Report Cards Published: Wednesday, May 22 (with no emergency days)

Homework Assistance 

Homework Assistance is a great opportunity for all students! Check out the details below:

• Homework Assistance is available every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

  • From 3:00 - 3:30, students can get help from any of their teachers. 

  • From 3:30 - 4:00, students can get help from the supervising teacher. 

• Homework Assistance is open to all students, providing a quiet workspace, additional teacher support, and a chance to catch up on missed work.

• If you're involved in after-school extracurricular activities, don't worry! You can discuss a schedule accommodating Homework Assistance and activities with coaches and sponsors.

If you have questions about Homework Assistance, please contact your child's teachers, Mrs. 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. Results from these assessments, as well as classroom observations and assessments, assist staff in determining interventions (extra support) for students who did not meet expected achievement levels in reading and math. Winter benchmark assessment results will come home with students on Friday, January 12.

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

If you do not want to wait for your child's benchmark assessment results, feel free to sign up for Renaissance Home Connect so you can get the most up-to-date information on your child's benchmark test results and Accelerated Reader. 

Renaissance Home Connect

1. 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: 29mperko

• Password: Student's 4-digit lunch PIN

  • Example password: 1234 

2. Once logged in, scroll to the bottom of the screen.  On the bottom left of the screen, click "Get Email Updates."

3. On the next screen, add your preferred email address.

4. 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.

Attendance and Tardies

Attendance and punctuality are vital for students' academic success, and our goal is that students are present and on time each school day.

We understand that occasional circumstances, such as illness, emergencies, or family situations, may prevent a student from attending school. In such cases, please let the school office know. It is important to note that absences become unexcused after ten absences without a doctor's note. In certain situations, accumulating three unexcused absences may lead to a truancy referral. 

If your child's attendance is affected by special circumstances, please contact Mrs. Bush (ebush@central51.net). We are committed to supporting our students and families to ensure their success.

The CIS office accepts doctor's notes or documentation from previous appointments to adjust attendance records. Please forward any notes or documentation to Mrs. Bright at cbright@central51.net, and she will ensure that the attendance records are updated accordingly. While doctor's notes are not mandatory for absences within the first ten days, we encourage families to provide them if available, especially if your child's absences are likely to exceed ten days. 

Our school day begins at 7:55, and students are expected to be in their classrooms, ready to learn, by this time. Students arriving late and not in their classrooms by 7:55 will be marked tardy. Accumulating three tardies will result in a detention. 

For any special circumstances, if you have any questions or require assistance regarding attendance or tardies, or if your student or family needs support, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Bush at ebush@central51.net. 

CENTRAL Code

CENTRAL Code continued this school year, and we recognized students for being Capable, Empathetic, and Noble in the first semester. Congratulations to all of our students who were recognized! 

Our CENTRAL Code word for January is Thoughtful. Students will focus on being confident, hopeful, and positive regarding themselves and their life situations in the past, present, and future, or optimistic thinking. 

Please consider watching THIS VIDEO with your child as a conversation starter about optimistic thinking! 

Morning Drop-off and Afternoon Pickup

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to students, staff, and families for their commitment to ensuring the safe arrival and dismissal of our students each day. We owe a special thanks to our dedicated staff members who serve as crossing guards and traffic directors during both morning and afternoon routines, playing a crucial role in maintaining safety and efficient traffic flow.

In order to prioritize safety during these high-traffic times in our parking lot and surrounding streets, we have established certain rules and expectations for arrival and dismissal. Please keep the following in mind:

• For the safety of all, students must be accompanied by an adult when walking across the parking lot. If you choose to park and drop off your child in the parking lot, please exit your vehicle and escort your child to the crosswalk in front of the CIS Main Entrance.

• If you prefer to remain in your vehicle during drop-off, please use the designated drop-off line. Remember that dropping off or picking up students across the street from the school is strictly prohibited, as we want to avoid unnecessary crossings during high-traffic times.

• Encourage your child to exit and enter vehicles on the side closest to the sidewalk. This practice ensures their safety by preventing them from walking in front of or behind cars to reach the sidewalk.

• To help maintain smooth traffic flow on Eagle Avenue, please refrain from turning left into the parking lot entrance.

• To accommodate as many cars as possible, please pull up as far as possible in the car line during drop-off.

We greatly appreciate your cooperation in following these guidelines, as our shared responsibility is to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and families. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

ROCK (Rewarding Outstanding Central Kids) Save the Date 

The second and final ROCK is scheduled for Friday, April 19. 

ROCK is a reward party for students with no detentions between Monday, February 12 and Friday, April 12. 

Look for more information about ROCK from PTO later this winter!

Bowling Tryouts

CIS is excited to offer a variety of extracurricular activities for our students. This school year, we have added bowling to our list of options for fifth through eighth graders. The intramural season began in October, and we are thrilled to announce that the competitive season will kick off with tryouts on Tuesday, January 9 at Plaza Lanes in Washington. For more detailed information, please click the link below to hear from Coach Soltow!

2024 CIS Competitive Bowling Information

Important 8th Grade Dates (including Graduation)

WCHS Parent Information Night: Thursday, January 11

Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., WCHS will host a Parent Information Night for parents/guardians. While students are welcome to attend, this evening is geared toward parents/guardians. The high school sent information to Central families about this night last month.

Counselor Visit from WCHS: Friday, January 19

Each year, counselors from Washington Community High School visit Central and speak with 8th graders. Central is trying a different format this year to accommodate smaller groups of students. We hope this change will give students more time and a smaller environment to ask questions they have about high school. The counselor visit will take place during science class on Friday, January 19. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to students learning more about high school. 

WCHS 8th Grade Orientation Night: Thursday, March 7 at 6:00 p.m. 

Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 6:00 p.m., WCHS will host  8th grade Orientation Night for parents/guardians and students at WCHS. 

8th Grade Graduation: Thursday, May 16

I am pleased to announce that our 8th-grade graduation ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 16, at 6:30 PM at WCHS Babcook Field. This will be a momentous occasion to celebrate the achievements of our students as they prepare to transition to high school. Please take a look at the invitation below for more details about graduation. 

Communication

We hope all of our Central families had a wonderful winter break! As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns! 

Email: ebush@central51.net

Office Phone: (309)444-3943 ext. 2402