The first day of school is Wednesday, August 23, 2023. Please remember students may not enter the building before 7:45 a.m.

Students in grades TK-4 will report to their teacher's classroom, while students in grades 5-8 will report to their homeroom. Students in grades 9-12 will report to the high school auditorium.

School Start & Dismissal Times

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, school starts at 8:10 a.m. and is dismissed at 3:15 p.m. On Wednesdays, school starts at 8:10 a.m. and is dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

4-Year-Old Preschool

The first day of classes for 4-year-old preschool is Tuesday, September 6. The morning session runs from 8:15 to 11 a.m., and the afternoon session is from 12:30 to 3:15 p.m.

These three words serve as Central Lyon's Vision for students and staff. Perhaps you've seen them on the school's website, in a social media post from the school, or at the bottom of an email from me. But as we look forward to welcoming students back for the 2023-24 school year, these three words capture our hopes for the year. Central Lyon families and staff members expect our tradition of excellence will be continued in our classrooms, on our fields of competition, and in the Forester Auditorium as our students tackle the lessons designed by teachers, prepare for match-ups against Siouxland competitors, and hone their performance skills. Our staff will partner with parents and families to model integrity for our students, so that students can further develop their own skills and attributes that will serve them well as members of our community. Finally, as staff and students return to the halls of Central Lyon, it is our mission to empower students to develop their strengths and uncover their unique talents so that they become productive, life-long learners.

New Faces for 2023-24

Please join me in welcoming our new staff members for the 2023-24 School Year:

• Tina Bonner - Elementary Special Education
• Sarah deVries - 9th-12th Grade Business & CAPS and Secondary At-Risk
• Adam Kellenberger - 7th & 8th Grade Social Studies
• Emery Martin - Preschool
• Ivy Ramsey - Elementary Art
  
• Garrett Sayler - 1st Grade
• Sutton Schlumbohm - 4th Grade
• Beth Steven - 9th-12th Grade Spanish
  
• Kyra Waletich - Secondary Special Education
  

We hope to see you tomorrow night for open house and are counting the days until school starts next Wednesday, August 23rd.

Onward Lions!

Brent Jorth, Superintendent

Welcome Back

As we approach the start of another school year at Central Lyon, I am thrilled to welcome back our incredible students and families to what promises to be an exciting and enriching academic journey! As always, the start of each school year begins a fresh chapter filled with opportunities, new friendships, and endless possibilities. Not that we can’t hang our hats on the accomplishments of the past, but a new school year is a chance to build upon those previous achievements and embark on many new and exciting journeys toward individual and collective success. With a dedicated faculty and staff, who will work tirelessly to create and maintain a positive, safe, and supportive learning environment for all; I’m confident we will achieve great things together, this school year.

Dates/Events to Remember

Wednesday, August 16th TK-12 Open House 5:00-7:00 PM

• 7-12 Students & Families - Please stop in to drop off school supplies, talk with teachers, say “hello” to your principal, drop off any medications, or just look around.

• 7th Grade Students & Parents – You are encouraged to attend our 30-minute welcome back event in the high school auditorium at 6:30 PM. *Those that attend will be presented with our technology information that will expedite your child’s use of a school-issued computer.

• 9th Grade Students & Students New to Central Lyon - you have the opportunity from 5:00-7:00 PM to take a tour of the high school and meet staff with the support of a student guide. *Student council tour guides will be stationed in the high school commons.

Wednesday, August 23rd First Day of School

• Doors will open at 7:45 AM, with the school day officially starting at 8:13 AM.
• Students in grades 9-12 will first meet in the high school auditorium to start their day.
• Students in grades 7-8 will begin their day in their homeroom (1st scheduled classroom).

First Practices for 7th & 8th Grade Fall Sports

• Football – Wednesday, Aug 23rd @ 3:15 – Team Meeting & Equipment Handout
• Cross Country – Wednesday, Aug 23rd @ 3:45 – Practice in George
• Volleyball – Thursday, August 24th – Team Meeting / Friday, Aug 25th – 1st Practice

Points of Emphasis for 7th-12th Grade Students

• Attendance - Students attending school, and all their classes, remains a top priority for all Central Lyon stakeholders. Attending school consistently allows students to engage in valuable classroom discussions, interactive learning activities, and hands-on experiences; as a result, it has a high impact on a student’s level of achievement. Consistent attendance also proves to help students develop essential skills such as time management, responsibility, teamwork, and problem-solving; otherwise missed when not in the classroom. Lastly, attending school regularly helps students build and nurture friendships with their peers. These social interactions can help a child’s confidence and feel a part of the school community, contributing to their overall involvement and sense of belonging. When your student can be at school, they should be at school and remain in school for the duration of the day. If you have questions concerning school attendance, please contact us at the school for assistance.
  

• FLEX Period - Along those same lines of attendance, attending, and taking advantage of the time available in our end-of-the-day FLEX period is critical. This period is designed on Mondays as a helpful community-building and skill development timeframe that we believe will help support your child’s day-to-day experiences at Central Lyon and elsewhere. FLEX on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are also important for our students as it allows them time to study, complete outstanding assignments, seek remediation, as well as participate in team/activity meetings and activities. Most of our staff is available at this time to provide much-needed interventions for those seeking/needing assistance. This is not the time for students to travel home before practices, or contests to retrieve materials; we would much rather they come prepared every day and utilize this FLEX period for those reasons.
  

• Skill Development - The students at Central Lyon will be challenged in many areas including but not limited to academics, athletics, fine arts, co-curriculars, and much more. The material and knowledge they will obtain in each of these areas will be challenging, engaging, and completely applicable. Aside from the content, a strong emphasis on “employability” skills will also be of vast importance to the overall development of our students. Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, punctuality, time management, accountability, and teamwork, amongst many others will be prefaced and highlighted throughout our programs. In society, our students not only need to be knowledgeable, but they must also be prepared and ready to be employed and contributors to a greater whole.
  

Let’s Have a Great Year

As this year unfolds, we will most certainly be presented with unique challenges, but also many celebrations for our students. With a professional and dedicated staff, I assure you we will be prepared for those challenges and ready and willing to work alongside our families to support the learning and development of our students. In that same breath, we will also be present and excited to help celebrate the many accomplishments and achievements of our talented youth as they make progress towards their goals.

We at Central Lyon are once again excited for this year to begin, and partner with our exceptional students, families, and communities. It’s going to be a great year at Central Lyon, and together we will continue to build upon the strong tradition of what it means to be a Central Lyon Lion.

Jason Engleman, 7-12 Principal

New for 2023-24, families and student-athletes in grades 7-12 need to register on Bound in order to upload their Athletic Physical and Concussion Forms. This will allow students, families, coaches, and Central Lyon's athletic trainer to have 24/7 access to each student's medical history.

To register on Bound go to: www.gobound.com/ia/schools/centrallyonrockrapids and click on the Registration button. Otherwise, use the QR Code in this article.

All athletes and cheerleaders in grades 7-12 are required to submit an Athletic Physical as well as a Concussion form PRIOR to the first day of practice. Both forms are available on the school website, under Health & Wellness > Forms/Requirements.

I would like to welcome all our new families and students to the Central Lyon School District. After a great summer, I hope all students are excited for the start of the 2023-2024 as the teaching staff is planning a great year for all grades and students. Here’s a preview of items that parents/guardians should be discussing with your children attending Central Lyon.

Schedule Revisions for 2023-24

All families will notice some minor schedule tweaks occurring in the classrooms of grades TK-4. These alterations are implemented to support the State of Iowa Mandates where 90 minutes of reading instruction and 60 minutes of math instruction are aligned. Central Lyon is taking a step further with those initiatives, securing that time with zero interruptions due to other scheduling needs. The district will now be able to align and utilize resources such as Title I, Special Education, English Language Learning, and Talented and Gifted with common times of instruction for more of a push-in approach to learning.

The start of each school day will utilize a welcome process. Following the welcome, a 90 minute reading block using multiple curriculum supports of Into Reading, Really Great Reading, and small groups will be utilized. A break will occur after the reading in the form of recess or specials (Art, Music, or P.E.). Students then move to a 60 minute math block with Illustrative Math and small group instruction, followed by lunch.

In the afternoon, students will see partake in reading intervention, math Intervention centers, Social Studies/ Science, Library, and counseling. The new math intervention centers will give each teacher the opportunity to work with students in small group settings to enhance number sense and basic math facts for all students.

Illustrative Math

Central Lyon will be implementing a new math curriculum called Illustrative Math (IM). After an intense research process, staff selected IM due to its problem/solving approach that utilizes more than just an algorithmic process to math. Students and families will notice a process of different ways to discover a solution instead of just solving to a number answer and moving on.

The Illustrative Math (IM) curriculum will also offer a math intervention process with small group, center-based skills to reinforce number sense equations and basic math fact discovery and recollection. The framework of the IM curriculum escapes the drill and kill method of problem solving. Students will expand on problem-solving methods which will lead to life-long learning.

Character Strong & PBIS:

Social emotional learning and student behavior remain a top priority for all that attend the Central Lyon. Students and staff will continue to utilize Character Strong to help students develop strong relationships and with their peers and the adults at school. Teachers and students focus on a specific character trait each month of the year, when students return in August our first trait will be RESPECT. Teaching Staff will lead discussions and circle time in the classroom to build healthy relations with every student.

PBIS also supports our relationship building initiative. Central Lyon is in its 6th year of implementation of PBIS with solid strategies for both Tier 1 & Tier 2 support. Tier 1 provides common expectations for both students and staff. By establishing common expectations we are able to build a unified vocabulary amongst staff members along with a cohesive theme received by the students.

Tier 2 of PBIS has been enhanced in the past year to include a Check- In/Check-Out process that provides students with adult mentors, and a SAIG (Social Academic Instructional Group) for students who can be provided specific lessons to support positive behavior while at school. Both Tier 1 & 2 focus on the positive interactions between students, as well as interactions between staff and students. It is our hope that PBIS creates a positive learning environment where all students feel welcome and want to succeed. Our families can expect their students to use the language of PBIS at home too. If you would like to learn more about PBIS, don't hesitate to contact me or your students' classroom teacher.

Open House: Wednesday, August 16
All the staff join me in welcoming back students for the 2023-24 school year and want to share the message of how many good things are going to occur. Please join us at Open House from 5-7 pm on Wednesday, August 16.

Steve Harman, Elementary Principal

Breakfast and lunch provide a strong foundation for learning at Central Lyon. New for the 2023-24 school year is FREE breakfast for all students. We encourage all students to join us each morning for a healthy start to their day. Also new for this year, students can get a full second lunch meal for only $3.00 or a second entrée for only $2.00.

Menus

A combined breakfast and lunch menu is available each month on our website, www.centrallyon.org. You'll find the Lunch Menu button on the homepage under QuickLinks.

Families are encouraged to check out the Health section of the school's website to download forms that need to be completed prior to the first day of school: Central Lyon’s website > Health > Forms/Requirements.

Parents are reminded the following immunizations and screenings are required of students:

• Kindergarten — dental screening, vision screening, lead test, and the following immunizations: 5 doses of DTap, 4 doses of Polio, 3 doses of Hepatitis B, 2 doses of MMR, and 2 doses of Varicella, or a valid exemption certificate
• 3rd Grade — vision screening
• 7th Grade — 1 dose Tdap and 1 dose Meningitis
• 9th Grade — dental Screening
• 12th Grade — 2 doses of Meningitis

Central Lyon fans can now buy their Single Game Tickets & Season Activity Passes by using Bound in 2023-24.

All Siouxland Conference Schools now charge $7 for single admission, including district football. To purchase your tickets in advance go to www.gobound.com/ia/schools/centrallyonrockrapids/tickets or scan the QR Code in this article.

Central Lyon offers adult, family, and senior citizen activity passes. To purchase your pass use the same website and QR Code in this article.

Family Athletic & Activities Pass ................................. $200

Adult Athletic & Activities Pass ................................... $100

Senior Citizen (65+) Athletic & Activities Pass ........... $50

Student Athletic & Activities Pass ............................... $50

The Central Lyon website, www.centrallyon.org, contains a lot of information and resources.

The Parent Info section holds information related to:

• Annual Notices
• Handbooks
• Inclement Weather procedures
• School meals and their related programs
• Transportation routes

Be sure to visit our website www.centrallyon.org for more information such as student handbooks, school policies, activity calendars and more. Our social media accounts are also very active. "Like" us on Facebook and "Follow" us on Twitter!

Website: https://www.centrallyon.org/
Location: 1010 South Greene Street, Rock Rapids, IA, USA
Phone: (712) 472-2664
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CLlions
Twitter: @CentralLyon

It is the policy of the Central Lyon Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact the Superintendent, Central Lyon CSD, 1010 S. Greene St., Rock Rapids, IA 51246, (712) 472 2664, superintendent@centrallyon.org.