Morford Monthly Memo

Central Elementary families,

I can't believe how time seems to be flying by! In just a couple days we will be headed into our holiday break. No matter the season, and what you may or may not celebrate, the staff at Central Elementary would like to wish you a peaceful and restful break with your Eagle!

We look forward to seeing our eagles back to learning on January 6, 2025. With that said, the end of the first semester, the halfway point of our school year, is Friday, January 17th. Now is a great time to have those conversations with your eagle about work completion and ensuring they end the semester strong.

In partnership with you,

Katie Morford

The cold has officially arrived and we continue to be on the look out for the first SNOW! Please make sure your child is prepared for the elements. Hats, gloves, warm coats, snow pants, and boots are all essential regardless of the changing weather patterns. It's always easier to have clothing you don't need for recess then it is to go outside wishing you had another layer of protection from the elements. Students will be going out weather permitted. The office does not keep extra clothes for students to utilize for recess. If your family is in need of support of winter gear, please contact the office.

At what temperature do you keep the children inside for recess?

When the "feels like" temperature is below zero we will keep the children inside, yes, this includes the wind chill.

We are finding that more and more items from home that are not necessary to the learning environment are making the trip here to Central. Please have conversations with your student that stuffed animals, toys, games, etc. need to stay at home.

Of course the only pass on this is if teachers have a scheduled reading day that students might be able to bring a blanket or stuffed animal. Otherwise, all "home" items must stay at home. If your student continues to be warned, we will place a phone call for you to pick up the item in the office.

Thank you for your support with this!

Is your eagle missing something?? Make sure to have the lost and found checked. Items that are not claimed will be donated to a local charity.

We are definitely in the cold and flu season; please remind your children the importance of washing their hands, trying to keep their hands off their faces, covering their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and not sharing their food with others. These are proven strategies to reducing the spread of illness. Remember, a child with a fever or who is physically ill must stay home for at least 24 hours and be symptom free without medication before returning to school.

Here are some ways your student can show off how they SOAR:

• Stay Safe - Wearing winter gear outside at recess, following playground rules.

• Offer Kindness - Using kind words, offering support to a classmate who is struggling.

• Act Responsibly - Making good decisions when no one is watching, cleaning up after ourselves at lunch.

• Remember respect - Using appropriate language when speaking to a teacher, staying out of other people’s personal space.

Ask your 4th or 5th grader… how did you SOAR today at Central?

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Linden Community Schools has launched a Positive School Climate initiative across the district centered around the S.O.A.R acronym: Stay Safe, Offer Kindness, Act Responsibly, and Remember Respect. Here at Central Elementary, each classroom has a positive behavior matrix listing the expectations for students to be successful learners. We also have a schoolwide matrix that sets expectations for behavior in spaces like the playground, the cafeteria, the hallways, and the bathrooms. Daily morning announcements, classroom lessons, and the distribution of SOAR tickets to students who are following these expectations help reinforce these values and create a strong, respectful community in our school.

When picking up your student from school early, please be prepared to show your ID. This is for safety and security of our students. Know that while we are working to build relationships with our families we don't always have the same people working in the office, nor do we often see you each day. Thank you for being patient to ensure our Eagles are safe!

Just wanted to remind you of the health safety information shared in the welcome back letter in August especially as it pertains to meds and birthday treats.

Some of our students have been diagnosed with Tree Nut/Peanut Allergies and have had severe reactions after contact. Please be cognizant of any allergy in your child’s classroom.
A few students are diabetic and have food restrictions. Medications and special accommodations for the health of your child are required to have a medical professional authorization form completed. Please refer to the forms section at www.lindenschools.org. If planning for birthday treats please take the above info into consideration and plan for store bought pre-packaged items. Check with your child’s teacher for ideas.

I am noticing that arrival and dismissal can be a bit challenging. Please know that student safety is of top priority. While we recognize that some of you may be in a hurry, it is absolutely important to pack your patience each day for both arrival and dismissal for pick up and drop off.

Students cannot be wandering into the parking lot on their own. The parking lot is for "parking" only. If you wish to park and walk your child up to the building that is up to you. If you must pick them up from the parking lot, it is expected that you walk your student to ensure safety. The last thing that we want is that someone gets injured because of carelessness.

Our main goal is fluidity, so please join the queue to drop your Eagle off or pick them up from the car line loop. If all those participating in the loop pull all the way forward, students hop out or into the car quickly, the time will be minimal.

I am hopeful that together we can work through this to ensure student safety.

The office is a busy place at the end of the day. If you would like to sign your student out at the end of the day please be sure to stop by the office prior to 3:15pm. As the end of day dismissal is happening, students are packing up, teachers and students are moving, it makes it very difficult to locate students. It takes a village and we appreciate you understanding.

If you are aware of end of day changes in which your eagle will veer off the "normal" schedule (needs to be a pick up rather than ride the bus), please make sure to send your student with a note to school that day. If you must contact the school to make changes to end of day dismissal, you must call the office by 3pm. Please know that the office gets rather crazy towards the end of day and while we do try and make sure all information is passed along, students start traveling throughout the building and it makes the message hard to reach the recipient. A note will help!

Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to switch busses, allow a friend to tag along with another student, etc. so please plan accordingly as the transportation works through continuous transportation glitches.

Emergency contacts and transportation information needs to be updated when changes happen. Please make sure that your ParentVue account has been updated when things change, like that of phone numbers, address, etc. Our systems pull from this data and if you haven't updated it, we will not know without you making changes to ParentVue. If you should have questions, please contact the office at 810/591-8410.

Congrats to Cassidy Elmer who was chosen as our staff of the month. Her colleagues have this to say about her... Cassidy goes about and beyond for her students. She has many special activities for them and always a warm, welcome classroom. She is inclusive of all students, often you will see her taking her students and inviting others to join in on STEM activities so that students are engaged in their learning. She talks to her students and provides encouragement on how to include and help students with disabilities so that everyone feels a sense of belonging. She provides personal items for many students if they need it, to ensure all of their needs are met. Oftentimes you will see her spending her own money out of her pocket to ensure that students have lotion or chapstick, just the necessities to be able to focus on their academics. This year she led the Central staff in the Follies performance helping staff who were even the most reluctant to try something new and be a part of a community event. Her warmth, dedication and commitment is evident in her work ethic and relationships with all staff and students.

Congrats Cassidy!

Have you completed the form for Education Benefits? Although meals are free this year, we still need an Education Benefits Application completed. This information is critical in determining the amount of money that our school receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs like Title I A, At-risk (31a), Title II A, E-Rate, etc. If you haven't already completed the form please take a moment to do so. Access the form here. You may also click on this link for Frequently Asked Questions.

HUGE thank you to all those who came out to support our 8th Annual Christmas Extravaganza. We had a record number of crafters this year!

PALS would like to invite all of our parents to the next meeting on February 7th at 9am.

Visitors are welcome in our building. In order to chaperone on trips, assist in classroom parties, help at field day, etc. you must have completed a Volunteer Registration Form to have a background check done prior to you helping. Given the process takes a couple days, please plan ahead. The application must be turned into the school at least 5 school days prior to the activity occurring. The form must be completed and is a non-negotiable for student safety. If you do not have one on file the day of the event, you will not be able to attend. As a parent myself, I hope that you understand the importance of the background check and will trust this process.

The best way to avoid hiccups and issues is to complete the form now! Click here to access the form. Complete the form and return it to the main office.

Please make sure you have a scheduled appointment time with your child’s teacher if coming in. Upon arrival, please sign in at the office.

School Hours 8:19 am - 3:27 pm.

8:00am - students getting breakfast can enter building

8:09am - all students can enter building

8:19am - bell rings to start class

Students arriving after 8:19am must be signed in by an adult in the office

4th Grade

Recess is from 11:15-11:40am

Lunch is from 11:40-12:10pm

5th Grade (divided into 2 groups)

Group 1 Recess from 11:501-12:15pm

Group 1 Lunch from 12:15-12:40pm

Group 2 Recess from 12:00-12:25pm

Group 2 Lunch from 12:25-12:40pm

3:27 pm Dismissal

December 21-January 5 - Christmas Vacation

January 8 - Half Day of School - PD in afternoon

January 17 - End of First Semester

January 20 - Teacher PD - No School for Students

February 17 - No School - President's Day

March 7 - ZED Assembly

March 13 - Half Day of School - Parent Teacher Conferences

March 14 - Teacher PD Day - No School for Students

March 29-April 6 - Spring Break

April 18 - No School

April 28 - 5th Grade Spring Concert at LHS Theater

April 29 - 4th Grade Spring Concert at LHS Theater

May 21 - SOAR Field Day

May 26 - No School - Memorial Day

June 6 - Last Day of School - Half Day for Students and Teachers