News from Centennial Middle School

Website: www.isd12.org/cms
Location: 399 Elm Street, Lino Lakes, MN, USA
Phone: 763-792-5400

Friday, November 1st: No School (Staff Grading Day)

Monday, November 4th: No School (Staff Development Day)

Tuesday, November 5th: A Day

Wednesday, November 6th: B Day

Thursday, November 7th: A Day

Friday, November 8th: B Day

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• November 6th through November 9th: MS Fall Play
• Thursday, November 7th: Mid-Semester grades posted to Campus Portal after 3 pm
• Tuesday, November 12th: MS Conferences (in-person), 4:00-7:30 pm
• Thursday, November 14th: MS Conferences (virtual), 4:00-7:30 pm

Professor Penelope visited the 602 science classroom to introduce upcoming science concepts through some hands-on experiments. Students learned about thermal energy through chemical reactions and floating ghosts. Then they learned the secrets and chemistry behind dry ice and got to hold Boo bubbles. Students were given examples of science experiments they could make and do at home.

CMS Student Council is kicking off our 18th annual H20 for Life fundraiser next week by selling lanyards with sleeves for ID cards! All profits will go to H20 for Life! The lanyards are $3 each and will be sold during lunches Wednesday, November 16th--Friday, November 18th and the following Tuesdays in November.

This is a fun way to have your students support a great outreach to students in other countries who need clean water so they can attend school... with an added bonus of helping your child have their lanyards at lunch!

We have raised $71, 202 for H2O for Life over the past 17 years, and we are excited to continue this long-standing service project by selling lanyards! Thank you for joining us!

CMS Student Council

As we enter the colder months of the school year, we want to remind you if your child is not participating in an after-school event, they should be picked up no later than 3:15 PM each day.

For families needing additional supervision beyond 3:15 PM, we offer an after-school supervision program where students can remain under supervision until 6:00 PM Monday-Friday on days school is in session. This is a fee-based program that is available to middle school families. To register, log into your Campus Parent Portal account and go to "fees." There is an "optional fee" located there for supervision. Select the option you will need. Once you have paid your fee, your student is then automatically registered. Note: Students must be registered each quarter to participate.

Additionally, we kindly ask that high school siblings do not wait for rides at the middle school. They should be picked up at the high school to ensure a smoother and safer pickup process for both middle and high school students. High school students not involved in an activity at the middle school are not allowed in the building.

Your child's safety is our top priority, and timely pickups help ensure they remain secure. Thank you for your cooperation!

Conferences at Centennial Middle School are coming up on Tuesday, November 12th & Thursday, November 14th from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm. We will be offering the option of in-person conferences at CMS or virtual conferences via Google Meet. Please see the information below for details and how you can sign up for conferences.

Please be aware of the following when you sign up for conferences:

• Conferences on Tuesday, November 12th are in-person conferences at CMS. You will conference with staff in their classrooms. There is no option for virtual conferences on Tuesday, November 12th..
• Conferences on Thursday, November 14th are virtual conferences via Google Meet. There is no option for in-person conferences on Thursday, November 14th. If you want to attend an in-person conference at CMS, you will need to sign up for a conference on Tuesday, November 12th.

• CMS is using MyConferenceTime as the platform for signing up for conferences.
• Each conference is scheduled for five minutes. Thank you in advance for waiting to join the meeting or waiting in the hall until your scheduled conference time.
• You can choose to view multiple teacher schedules at the same time. See the link below for help with scheduling.
• You do not need to conference with all your child’s/children’s teachers – only those you would like to.
• Once you have signed up for conferences, you will receive an email confirmation. Your confirmation email will contain a link to the Google Meet. Note: You will only need this if you are joining virtually on Thursday, November 14th.

All questions regarding conferences and the sign-up process should be directed to Sara Verke at sverke@isd12.org or 763-792-5413.

Conference Sign-Up Links:

6th Grade - 6th grade

7th Grade - 7th grade

8th Grade - 8th grade

ELL, Special Education Teachers and Therapists - ELL, Special Educations and Therapists

Specialists - Specialist

MyConferenceTime: Schedule List - Centennial Middle School MN MyConferenceTime

Helpful Links:

Help with signing up: https://www.myconferencetime.com/info/help/video-how-to-sign-up/

Canceling a conference: https://myconferencetime.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/48000236886-cancel-a-registration

In-person conferences will be held at the Middle School on Tuesday, November 12th from 4:00-7:30 pm. Please consider donating so we can host a meal for our teachers after school that day. Donations may be dropped off in the school office any time between 7:30am-2pm on November 12th.

Non-perishable donations may be brought to school November 11th between 7:30am-3pm. Cash donations for pizza should be sent to the school office in an envelope labeled "conference meal."

SIGN UP TO DONATE HERE.

*To ease with cleanup, we encourage donations be provided in disposable containers that do not need to be returned. If you do need to pick up your container afterwards, please clearly label it with your name.

Thank you for considering donating to our amazing staff here at CMS!

Performances will be held at the Centennial Middle School Auditorium on Thursday, November 7th and Friday, November 8th at 7 pm, and on Saturday, November 9th at 1 & 5 pm. Online tickets can be purchased here. More information can be found at https://centennialtheatre.org/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-a-middle-school-mystery/

Order your 2024-25 CMS Yearbook before the price goes up! There are three ways to order! Go to jostens.com/backtoschool, scan the QR code, or call 1-877-767-5217.

Do you want to show how proud you are of your student?

Take out an ad in the yearbook! You could do a baby picture, a recent picture, or a nice letter celebrating your student! Use the QR code, the phone number, or the website to get started. All ads must be in before November 27th to be printed in the yearbook!

Help! We need your summer pictures for the yearbook! Please send in pictures of your middle school child enjoying summer fun and sports by February 1st. Click here to submit.

We are looking for great fall or winter sports and activity photos for the yearbook! Please upload one or two photos of your student enjoying a fall/winter sport or participating in a fall/winter activity. All photos must be in by February 1st in order to be in the yearbook. Click here to upload your photos.

Open to all 7th and 8th Grade Boys (we have a particular need for boys interested in diving)

Middle School Season: December 2 - February 15th

Practice at Centennial Pool: 3:20-4:50 M – F

Parent Meeting – November 6, 2024 (6:30 PM) - High School West

Building Learning Commons

Questions - Contact Head Coach Mr. Crawford (Pcrawford@isd12.org)

Team Website: https://www.teamunify.com/team/recchsb/page/home

Student absence requests are submitted through Campus Parent Portal. An “Attendance Request” link is also found on the Parent Hub of the school website for easy access to the Portal and resources to assist.

The direct link can be found here: Campus Attendance Reporting

Helpful links: Parent Portal Login Assistance

For attendance reporting questions, please email Sara Verke at sverke@isd12.org.

Immunization reminder

Minnesota law requires children enrolled in childcare, early childhood education, or school to be immunized against certain diseases, unless the child is medically or non-medically exempt. If proper documentation is not provided, students are unable to attend school after November 1, 2024. Visit www.health.state.mn.us for more information.

Want to receive school closing and bus delay info by text?
Text “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. Families must opt in to receive Centennial text messages annually. Terms and conditions: Message frequency varies. Standard message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel.

American Indian Education Parent Committee meeting
Mark your calendar for the upcoming American Indian Education Parent Committee meeting on November 13. The meeting will be held at Centennial High School, Room 435 from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

It’s almost here! The Winter Activity Guide will open for registration on Wednesday, December 4 at 8 am. Look for all offerings for both youth and adults for winter through early spring!

Here’s what’s happening soon:

Nov. 7- Video Production: Podcasting (gr. 6-8)(virtual)

Nov. 11- Cookies and Canvas (gr. 6-8)

Nov. 24- Cougar Soccer Academy (gr. 6)

Dec. 2- Cookies and Canvas (gr. 6-8)

Dec. 3- Middle School Cougar Strength (gr. 7-8)

Dec. 5- Sugar Cookie Decorating (ages 10+)

Dec. 9- Middle School Speech Team (gr. 6-8)

Dec. 14- Centennial Ski/Snowboard Club (gr. 6-12)

Go online to view all activities and to register: www.isd12.org/community-education.

Welcome to the Digital Backpack, the district’s central posting place for community flyers. If you have questions regarding these programs, please contact the organizations directly. Click HERE to browse the Digital Backpack.

The Centennial School District has compiled a wide variety of resources for our students, families, and greater community. These resources include mental health, learning and enrichment, services specific to our aging population, crisis, where to find economic assistance and much, much more. You can find these resources on our district website here.

Browse Centennial Cougar gear for men, women, kids and even must-have accessories online!

Centennial School District has partnered with Paper to provide free, 24/7 access to 1-on-1 tutoring and writing support for students in grade 6-12. Through federal relief funds, we are able to provide additional academic support for students. Students can access this online tutor via the chat function. The app is available on student Chromebooks. For more information about Paper, click here.