We had a fabulous first day of school! Students practiced their lockers, met new people, spent the day in advisory learning the expectations and touring the building. Students also went to the gym to hear an administration presentation, where we reviewed the expectations for the year. Let's have a great year!

We had a successful 6th grade Meet the Teacher night on Wednesday, August 21! We started with a parent presentation in the gym increase transparency and communication between the building and families. We had 7th and 8th grade student leaders helping direct students to their classes and lockers. It was great to meet our new students!!

Students will take the first of three Star tests on Tuesday, August 27 and Wednesday, August 28 during advisory. *Students who skip to the high school will take it when they come back.

The first Star assessment serves as a baseline benchmark for us to see what students do and do not know. We use the information as one data point to adapt our instruction to best serve our students.

After the Star assessment, student will look at their scores in both reading and math and create personalized goals during advisory to take ownership over their learning and progress.

Central Middle School will send home the Star Parent Report on Friday, August 30 with students.

Please remind your child to come to school on both days on time with a charged Chromebook and headphones!

Reminder there is no late start on Wednesday, 8/28. School starts at 8:40 a.m.!

CMS is so excited to offer a CMS spirit wear store!!! The store is open for two weeks starting August 23. Please order some today! We will have other stores open throughout the year as well.

If your child is interested in participating in fall sports offered at Central Middle School, please read and complete the Fall sports sign-up form in the link below.

Fall sports are:

• Boys Softball (tryouts will be on Monday, August 26th at Southwest Elementary)
• Girls Softball (tryouts are today Friday, August 23rd at Southwest Elementary)
• Cross Country (informational meeting Wednesday, August 28th in the gym after school at 3:20)

Feel free to contact Mr. Jensen (jjensen@d124.org) if you have any questions regarding Fall sports.

Reminder: please make sure you have a completed sports physical on file in addition to the school physical.

Our 8th grade Springfield trip will take place on October 25, 2024. This is a full-day trip and includes a motor coach bus to Springfield, dinner and entry to all museums. All payments for the trip will be made through the tour company, Hemisphere Educational Travel. Details about how to make a payment are found in the packet and can be made at www.hemisphertravel.com. The web code for our trip is: 24TA17819. Please be on the lookout for an email from Hemisphere Travel regarding payment due August 26th.

We have space for 33 additional students to sign up! Contact Julie Kelly (jkelly@d124.org) if you have any questions.

Central Middle School will be hosting its annual 7th and 8th Grade Meet the Teacher Night this year on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 from 4:30 p.m. until 5:45 p.m. The CMS staff and administration are excited to welcome back our 7th and 8th graders! We have missed them over the summer!

Below you will find the logistics for 7th and 8th grade Meet the Teacher night:

• 7th and 8th grade Meet the Teacher night will start at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4.
• Parents will head into the gym for an informational session with the CMS administration at 4:30 p.m.
• After the presentation, students can travel their schedule and meet their teachers in a meet and greet format. This means there is not a set schedule, and you can visit all classes at your leisure.

In an effort to increase student voice, we will be having a Principal Student Impact Group! The Principal Student Impact Group is a diverse team of students working directly with Dr. Moller to provide input on our school, share student perspectives, and help create a positive school environment. This group gives students a place to use their voice to positively impact CMS!

Dr. Moller shared this opportunity with all students yesterday during the CMS administration's first day of school presentation. Any student can apply! Applications are due August 30, and students will be notified by September 7. See the application below!

Social-emotional learning (SEL) can help all young people thrive personally and academically, develop and maintain positive relationships, become more caring and learn to help the world in which they live.

Here at Central Middle School, we value our students voices and want to support them to share their story. Each month students will be taught a character trait and engage in lessons to help them learn more about the trait. At the end of each unit, we will conduct a community service project as well as a Common Sense Media lesson to teach digital citizenship.

This month we will focus on EMPATHY with more details about the service project coming soon!!

We believe that all of us want the same things for our kids and these values unite us. This program serves to bring communities closer together based on these values-based goals. Ultimately, our purpose is to change the country for the better by doing our small part to provide support to our educators and encouragement to our children.

The time commitment is at minimum one day!

• August 27th and 28th - Star Testing - August 27th and 28th during advisory
• August 28th - No Late Start
• September 4th - 7th/8th Grade Meet the Teacher Night -- 4:30pm to 5:45pm

There have been some changes to the structure of our school! We want you to be able to get your concerns addressed quickly and easily so follow the guide below:

If the question or concern is directly related to a classroom activity, speak with your child's teacher first. If further questions or concerns exist, then the next person in the chain of command should be contacted to aid in problem solving. For the most effective communication, contact should be made in the following order:

• Teacher

• Principal/CMS Administration (see below)

• Superintendent

• Board of Education

Dr. Jenna Moller - Principal

Contact for issues related to curriculum, instruction, assessment, staffing-related concerns, and issues that have been shared, but have not been addressed yet.

Ms. Christina Lavin - Associate Principal

Contact for issues related to student disciplinary and behavior situations, PBIS programming and social and emotional learning and support.

Mr. Djimon Smith (A-L) & Mr. John Jensen (M-Z) - Deans

Contact for issues related to student discipline, restorative practices, athletics, and activities. If your child's last name starts with letter A through L, contact Mr. Smith, and if your child's last name starts with letter M through Z, contact Mr. Jensen.