CJHS "Chargers Connection"

It is incredible that October is here and today is the end of 1st quarter! We encourage our students to start 2nd quarter strong and families to sign up for Progress Conferences beginning on Friday, October 18th in order to meet with teams/teachers to continue our partnership of academic excellence at CJHS. Information can be found below on how to sign-up.

~Ms. Nicasio, Principal

nicasim@unit5.org

~Mr. Tripp, Associate Principal

trippd@unit5.org

~Ms. Oxarart, Assistant Principal

oxararta@unit5.org

Did you have a wonderful experience with a CJHS Staff member and would like to shout them out? Students and families are invited to spread joy among our staff! Please fill out this form and we will share your message with them in our future Chargers Newsletters!!

On November 4th, families will have the opportunity to meet with their student's teachers for a virtual or in person parent-teacher conference. We will be using PTC Fast as the online conference scheduler to set up parent-teacher conferences. Parents will be able to sign up using the link below after 3 pm on October 18th.

When you click on the link, you will select the conference(s) you would like to attend. You will then be asked your student's name, your name, and you must provide a valid email address. After that, you will receive an email inviting you to sign up for parent-teacher conferences. You will then need to click on the link in the email and select the conference(s) and times you would like to attend.

We are still seeing a few lockers without locks or lockers that are being left unlocked. All students are required to have a lock and keep their locker locked throughout the school year.

Our #1 caution as a school is tardies!! Next week, students will review expectations for being on time to class!! Reminder that passing period is NOT free time!! Just because you have 3 minutes does not mean you have 3 minutes of free time!

Use these 3 minutes wisely to go to your locker, get a drink, use the bathroom, etc. and head to class!!

Reminder that cell phones should be silent and away throughout the school day!!

• Cell phone ringer is on silent and the cell phone is out of sight.
• It should never be in the student's hands during the school day.
• If your student chooses to keep their phone on their person (pocket or pencil pouch), the cell phone may be confiscated by school personnel if the ringer goes off or they are using it.
• This includes the use of Smart Watches - talking into it or manually texting.

We’re going to do our part to help our students make good choices and minimize disruptions to our learning environments. Parents, we need your help to partner with us to keep unnecessary distractions out of our learning environment.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Our annual "unraiser" is the only fundraiser where 100% of your donation goes toward PTO budget and it DOES NOT involve selling products or spending your valuable time.

Please consider a donation of any amount to help support our school community!! Click on the link below for more information.

The PTO will be providing lunch for the Chiddix staff on Progress Conference Day - Monday, November 4th. The pasta and salad have been generously donated by the First Assembly of God and we're asking our families to help with the breadsticks, desserts and drinks. Please consider signing up to help us provide a delicious luncheon!

We wanted to share that Unit 5 is expanding its use of the Verkada visitor management system to all district schools. This system, which has been used in Unit 5 high schools for the past year, is designed to enhance the safety and security of our students, staff, and visitors.

Upon entry into a school, visitors and volunteers will enter the main office and present their photo ID to be scanned by the Verkada system. The system tracks the arrival and departure of visitors, while also strengthening student safety by checking all visitors against a registered sex offender database.

The visitor's full name and date of birth is searched on sex offender registries. Additionally, the name is reviewed on our district banned person list. Within seconds, the system will share the results with school staff and will print an ID badge for entry.

If someone doesn’t have an ID, they will be checked in manually by office staff, sharing other forms of information.

It is important to note, this is only in use for times a visitor is entering the school during the day. It will not be used for after-school activities or when a parent is just coming to pick up a child.

We believe that the implementation of Verkada will greatly contribute to a safer and more secure environment for everyone in our school community. We are committed to providing a secure learning space and appreciate your support as we integrate this new system.

If you have any questions or concerns about Verkada, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Thank you for your continued partnership in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.

Mariana Nicasio, Principal

Dan Tripp, Associate Principal

Aimee Oxarart, Assistant Principal

Phone Numbers:

• General Information: (309) 557-4405
• Guidance Office: (309) 557-4850
• Attendance Line: (309) 557-4454
• School Nurse: (309) 557-4687
• Transportation: (309) 557-4287

Email: nicasim@unit5.org
Website: https://www.unit5.org/Domain/25
Location: 300 South Walnut Street, Normal, IL, USA
Phone: 309-557-4405