CGES Newsletter

Welcome to the month of March! It is difficult to believe that we are nearing the final quarter of the school year! Spring break and the busy last weeks of school are just around the corner.

Although the school year is well underway, it is important to continue to build and maintain those strong lines of communication between home and school. Open communication helps both educators and families to understand students better. We work every day to provide students with learning environments to support student learning and achievement. I encourage you to reach out any time you have a question or concern. Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Taylor, teachers, and myself are all available by email or phone to engage in dialogue. We are also always willing to meet to collaborate to support our students. There are many benefits to strong lines of communication. They include improved achievement for students, a more positive attitude toward learning, the feeling of empowerment and confidence in students, enhancing relationships, and improved attendance. Continue to use those important lines of communication to make school the most successful it can be.

As March has arrived, so has the testing season. Please note that all second graders and some third graders will be testing next week. Attendance is very important as students complete this assessment. If you have any questions regard IREAD, please reach out directly to your child's teacher. I am confident in the learning that has taken place over the school year and will be proud of the effort that our students put forth!

Warmly,
Mr. Buckler

Dear Center Grove Elementary Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and high spirits! As we bid farewell to the winter chill and welcome the blossoms of spring, we are excited for so many upcoming events and activities here at CGES! For example, our Ukulele Club Parent Breakfast is this month, our Spring Choir Club begins, a few grade level field trips are happening, and the Kids Heart Challenge-Pie a Teacher in the Face Prize are just to name a few. 🙂

Listed below are some other happenings for the month of March…

IREAD 3 Testing:

In March, our 2nd grade students and a portion of our 3rd grade students will be participating in the IREAD 3 assessment. This standardized test is an important milestone, assessing their proficiency in reading and comprehension. We appreciate your support in ensuring that our students are well-prepared for this assessment, and we are confident that their hard work will be reflected in their results.

Your encouragement and support play a crucial role in the success of our students. Please ensure that your child gets plenty of rest before the testing day and encourage them to approach the assessment with confidence. If you have any questions or concerns about the IREAD 3 testing, do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher, myself, or Mr. Buckler.

Spring Break:

As we look forward to the warmer days of spring, please be reminded that Spring Break is scheduled from March 25th to April 5th. We hope our students and their families take this time to rest, rejuvenate, and create lasting memories!

Thank you for your continued support, collaboration, and dedication to the success of our students. As always, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your child’s education.

Wishing you a fantastic month of March!

Warm Regards,

Mrs. Johnson

Can I just brag about our students for just a minute? Many of you know that last month was Kindness Month here at CGES. With that said, the vast majority of our students participated in classroom challenges, lessons, and spirit days. Let me tell you what a joy it was to see and hear our students not only engaging in these activities, but also coming together to work towards a common goal. With that said, our 1st ever Mentor/Mentee Valentine Buddy party was a huge success! And… to round out an amazing week, our teachers enjoyed a dessert bar because of the amazing generosity of so many parents! The bottom line? You. As parents, the lessons we teach our children go far beyond those found in textbooks. I truly believe that our kids are a direct reflection of our efforts. So, thank you for teaching your children to be kind. Thank you for having tough conversations about peer relations, hard work, character, and integrity. We see it.

This month, our focus is on Disability Awareness. I am excited to share that we are “lucky” to have 3 speakers come to our school on March 11th. During that day, there will be a separate presentation for our K-1 students, one for our 2-3 students, and another for 3-5. This year, I am even more excited that our speakers are actual high school students from our very own Center Grove High School! Needless to say, we are thrilled that they will be here and are looking forward to a great week of building our awareness.

Happy Almost Spring!

Mrs. Taylor

With the arrival of spring, so comes the testing season. Please note the following state testing windows:

IREAD 3 - All second grade students and some third grade students will complete IREAD 3 the week of March 4th. Students will be testing Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings.

ILEARN - Begins for students in grades three, four, and five the week of April 15th. Students will be tested in English/Language Arts and Math (grades 3-5), Science (grade 4), and Social Studies (grade 5).

Please make sure that students come to school rested and ready for show their best effort on each of these assessments! If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher!

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails free books to children from birth until age five. The books are sent free to families but the cost is $25.00 per child per year to cover the cost of the books. The Johnson County region currently has almost 4, 400 students enrolled with increasing enrollment each month. It is estimated that the 2024 budget will be over $100,000. Center Grove schools are raising money to help support this excellent literacy initiative which has a direct impact on the readiness of our students when entering Kindergarten.

To support the Imagination Library, CGES will have some OPTIONAL days to donate money to participate in activities during Read Across America Week (the first week of March). Students may participate if donating one dollar for each activity.

Thank you for your support and happy reading!

Wednesday, March 6th - Hat Day

Friday, March 8th - Free tech time/extra recess

We look forward to welcoming all of our incoming Kindergarten students on Thursday, March 7th. Families will be able to visit a classroom, meet teachers, visit a school bus, register for screenings, and receive lots of important information. If you have an incoming kindergarten student or know of a family with an incoming student, please plan on attending on the evening of the 7th between 6:30 and 7:30. If you have any questions, please reach out to our office for additional details!

Welcome to Mrs. Stephanie Smith as she joins the CGES staff as Special Education resource teacher. She will be splitting her time between CGES and Maple Grove to support students at both buildings! Mrs. Smith as experience as both a general education teacher and special educator. She will begin with us on Monday, March 11th and will be working with our fourth and fifth grade students! More specific information will be shared with the families of students she will directly be working with. As well, Mrs. Smith will be reaching out once she officially begins. She is very excited to join our staff and to begin working with our students, families, and staff and we are thrilled to have her as part of our Special Education program!

Our clocks spring forward on March 10th! Be sure to set your clock ahead one hour!

Just a reminder that there will be no school on April 8th for the Total Solar Eclipse. Please mark your calendars on this additional day off at the end of Spring Break. School will resume on Tuesday, April 9th!

Make note of these important dates for the month of March:

March 4 - IREAD Testing Week Begins

March 6 - Early Release

March 7 - KDG Open House, End of 3rd Nine Weeks

March 12 - 14 - Spring Book Fair

March 12 - Donuts with Grownups

March 13 - Early Release

March 14 - Family Art Knight

March 20 - Early Release

March 22 - Spring Break begins at dismissal

March 22 - April 9 - Spring Break