Central Families,

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and enjoyed time with your families. It is hard to believe we are already halfway through second quarter!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Thanks to all of the families who attended parent-teacher conferences! We heard great feedback from staff on conferences and appreciate the involvement from our families. If you were not available for conferences and have questions for any of your child's teachers, please feel free to reach out.

Thanks to Molly Hofmann and PTO Teacher Appreciation for providing dinner on Monday, November 20! Dinner was delicious, and we appreciate the time you took to set everything up. 

Character Lab

I'd like to share a valuable resource tailored to teenagers called Character Lab. It's a nonprofit organization that collaborates with educators and researchers to explore the factors contributing to the overall well-being of young people in various aspects, including social, emotional, academic, and physical health. You can subscribe to Character Lab Tip of the Week for quick reads about informative topics. Feel free to subscribe HERE.

I came across Character Lab as a middle school teacher, thanks to Angela Duckworth's insightful book, "Grit." Dr. Angela Duckworth, a former middle school teacher and researcher, expands on the idea of a growth mindset with her concept of Grit. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "Talent is important, but effort counts twice." If you're interested, I highly recommend giving it a read if you work with teenagers in any capacity!

Character Lab - Link to the Character Lab Website

Here are a few great articles to get you started:

Invest in Connection

Speed Limit There's no such thing as a fast learner

Future Strangers

Board Member Appreciation 

On November 15, Illinois observed School Board Members Day. At the November Central District 51 Board of Education Meeting, attendees came together to express their appreciation and gratitude towards the dedicated members of Central's Board of Education for their unwavering commitment to the well-being of Central students and their families. 

Central Intermediate School extends heartfelt thanks to our esteemed board members for their invaluable support:

Mrs. Kim Blundy - Board President

Mr. Matt Rampenthal - Board Vice President

Mrs. Michelle Unes - Board Secretary

Mr. Michael Fritz - Board Member 

Mrs. Amy Johnson - Board Member

Mr. Dominic Lang - Board Member 

Second Quarter Grades

There are only three weeks of the second quarter left! The last day of the quarter is Friday, December 22, and report cards will be published on Friday, January 12.

If you are not actively checking Skyward, please take some time to look at your child's grades this weekend. We would love all of our students to be caught up with any work that needs to be completed so they can handle it before winter break. 

Remember, Homework Assistance is available to all students on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Homework Assistance is a great opportunity for students to get help on current or missing assignments or have a quiet place to work. 

If you have questions about your child's grades or assignments, please contact your child's teacher.

Community Day 

Community Day was a fantastic way to kick off Thanksgiving break! Thanks to the hard work of Mrs. Youngman, Central Care Club, and our students and staff, everyone had a great day!

We started the day with the Celebrating Central Heroes assembly highlighting first responders and military heroes. Thanks so much to those who attended and helped out with the assembly!

Here’s a quick look at how each grade level contributed to CIS Community Day:

5th: 

💙 Decorated brown paper bags with positive messages for Lindy’s customers

🧡 Bookmarks for the Washington Public Library 

🖤 Posters to educate the community about STROKE following their Youth Education on Stroke presentation

💙 Trash pickup around CIS

6th: 

🧡 CENTRAL/TROJAN Code lessons for 2nd grade 

🖤 Read with 2nd grade buddies 

💙 Holiday cards to soldiers overseas (former Central students)

🧡 Posters to bring awareness to various charities including Salvation Army, WHIP, Cystic Fibrosis, Kevin Brown, Ronald McDonald House, and T.A.P.S.

7th: 

🖤 Decorated holiday themed name signs for the residents of senior centers in Washington

💙 Kits for seniors with toiletry items for Washington seniors 

🧡 Lap blankets for seniors 

8th: 

🖤 Visited various local Goodwill stores to donate time sorting items 

Communication

We hope all of our Central families have 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