TIGER TOWN NEWSLETTER

• Tonight is the Trunk or Treat at Madison High School! (see flyer below)
• Spirit Wear online sale is LIVE!! Look below for link on how to order.
• 10/31: CAS Halloween Parade at 1:45pm; Laser Light Show Assembly
• 11/4: Last day for your family to donate a book to our CAS library ~ Book Club (see below)

*Be sure to also read the Bond Referendum, scroll down below!

• 11/6 & 11/7: Scholastic Book Fair
• 11/6-11/8: Parent/Teacher conferences, half days of school (school day ends at 12:45p)
• 11/6-11/8: Half Day Bagel Lunch
• 11/9 & 11/10: NO SCHOOL
• 11/15: Dinosaurs Rock Assembly
• 11/15: Grade 1 Principal chat at 7PM in the gymnasium
• 11/22: Half day of school ~ dismissal at 12:45PM

There is room for more volunteers to care for the pollinator garden at the corner of Central and Walnut Avenues! We're meeting this Sunday 10/29 at 1pm. If you can't make it but you'd consider lending a shovel, trowel, fork or tarp or other tools it would be greatly appreciated. Email landscapecas@gmail.com or visit the sign up form

Join us outside of CAS on 10/31 for the annual Halloween Parade which will start at 1:45pm.

Please read the following Halloween info from Mr. Liss

Keep scrolling for additional Halloween events this weekend!

When can we shop?

Monday, November 6th

• 8:45am-12:45pm - Students shop with their classrooms
• 12:45pm-2:00pm - Family Shopping Hours
• 4:45pm-8:00pm - Family Shopping Hours

Tuesday, November 7th

• 8:45am-12:45pm - Students shop with their Classrooms
• 12:45pm-2:00pm - Family Shopping Hours

What payments are accepted at the Book Fair?

Cash, credit cards (when presented by a parent) & Scholastic eWallets

What’s a Scholastic eWallet?

It’s a safe, cash-free payment option that makes your child’s Book Fair shopping experience easy and stress free. Simply create an account, add funds with a credit card, and your child is ready to shop with their electronic wallet! Any unspent funds can be used at future Scholastic Book Fairs.

How do I create a Scholastic eWallet?

Go to our CAS Book Fair homepage. Scroll down to the eWallet section, click “Get Started” and follow the outlined steps. It is super easy! (*Please ignore the Nov 8th deadline mentioned in the eWallet section of our Book Fair homepage. eWallets must be created in time for our shopping days on 11/6 & 11/7!).

If you’ve set up eWallets for previous Scholastic Book Fairs, sign in using the same email address to create a new eWallet for Fall 2023. You’ll be prompted to transfer over any unused funds from previous Book Fairs.

You can print the eWallet and send it in with your child on their shopping day. Or, we can look up your child’s account in our system during the Fair.

Can I donate Book Fair purchases to my child’s classroom?

Classroom teachers are able to create Classroom eWallets. Interested families can donate funds to these eWallets and the teachers will use the balance to shop for books for their classroom. You will receive your Teacher’s eWallet Link from your Class Coordinator (or directly from your teacher if you do not have a Class Coordinator).

Can I volunteer at the Book Fair?

Yes and please! We’d love your help! Sign up for a volunteer shift via our SignUpGenius Link.

Our online sale is currently OPEN! Please click this link to purchase. There is a case sensitive password to enter: casmod. Purchase CAS t-shirts, sweatpants, blankets, and scrunchies. There are a LOT of new designs and something for everyone! This sale will close on November 5th so that orders are made and ready in time for the holidays. All orders are final as they are custom made to each order. Check out the website and place your orders TODAY!

• Have your child choose the genre/category of their choice
• Mr. Paradiso will invite your child/children to choose a book in their requested category
• A special label will be placed inside the book’s cover in honor of your family
• Your child/children will have the opportunity to be the first one to check that book out of the library
• Make your $20 (or more) donation by November 4th!
• Click here: Book Club

Evening parent/teacher conferences will be held on Monday, November 6, 2023 between 5pm-8pm. Daytime conferences will be held on Tuesday, November 7 & 8, 2023 between 1:30pm-3:45 PM. All three days are single session days with students being dismissed at 12:45 PM. Teachers have begun to reach out to schedule in-person conferences. At your child’s conference time you may be meeting with one or more of your child’s teachers. We kindly ask that you be on time for your scheduled conference time as our teachers will be busy with back to back meetings and have an allotted time for each conference. Teachers are equipped to share out various aspects of student progress as well as individual data points such as your child’s reading level, writing samples, and in-class assessments. We hope to continue to remain as partners in your child’s education.

We have paired up with Bagel Nosh to make lunch easy. Pre-order a bagel ahead of the upcoming half days of school. It will be delivered right to your child at the end of the school day! Plain and Rainbow Bagels available (with options for butter and cream cheese)

If your child was absent for school photos, you have the opportunity to have make up taken on November 8, 2023. The photos are taken at Countryside Studios NOT Central Avenue School. In order to schedule make up photos, please email Countryside directly at: schools.countrysidestudios@gmail.com

Please include school name and student name when emailing.

Organized by the student council, please help the Interfaith Food Pantry this holiday season! Donated food items can be placed in the hallway boxes by November 13th! Thank you for your generosity!

Fourth and Fifth graders are welcome to show off their talents (individually or in a group) at the CAS Entertainment Night (January 18th at 7pm)! For more information, an interest meeting will be held on October 30th during recess.

Kindergarten through 3rd grade students still have an opportunity to have lunch with Mr. Liss and friends! The goal of these lunches is for students to share what they love about CAS as well as an opportunity for Mr. Liss to get to know your child even better! Please note: this is for students only. (Parents do not attend - only are involved to sign up your child(ren).) This is not mandatory! One spot per student.

(Thank you to those who were accommodating when date changes had to be made!)

Sign-up below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094DACAD2CA0F58-44664995-lunch#/

Don’t forget to log your reading minutes to complete our first month of the Blue Tiger Reading Challenge! Help your team to win the prize for October!

Click here to enter your minutes

The holidays are coming and we want to make the season even more special for your children, but we need YOUR help! Do you have an eye for design? Can you help turn the cafeteria into a winter wonderland? Are you a wrap star? Any and all help is needed and appreciated! Please fill out this Volunteer Form if you are interested in helping.

Thank you to all our parent volunteers who have recently helped with Picture Day, Library, Lunch Duty, Learning Garden, and more! Your help does not go unnoticed and we are grateful to all our volunteers!!!

Book Fair

Our Fall Book Fair will be here soon! In addition to Set-up and Clean-up assistance, we'll also need help during the Fair on Monday, 11/6 and Tuesday, 11/7. Please visit our Book Fair Volunteer Sign-up Link if you'd like to volunteer when your child will be attending the Fair with their classroom, or help us out during our Family Shopping Hours after school!

CAS Holiday Shop

Please fill out this Volunteer Form if you are interested in helping. We will need coordinators to help plan as well as “day-of” volunteers! Also looking for donations!!! (see flyer above)

A very important vote is set to take place on December 12, 2023 regarding the proposed bond referendum for our School District. The buildings in our district require major updates in infrastructure as well as upgrades and improvements in our facilities. Please refer to this website for all information regarding the referendum. MADISON REFERENDUM

The Board of Education invites all community members to our first walk-through opportunities at Central Avenue School and Madison High School on Sunday, November 5th to see some of the areas that would be updated if voters approve the bond referendum on December 12th.

Guided walk-throughs of CAS will begin at 9 and 10am. Tours at MHS will be provided at 10 and 11am. Additional walk-through opportunities will be scheduled at all Madison schools at a future date. Scheduled times and more information can be found at madisonpublicschools.org/vote.

PUMPKIN ILLUMINATION AND TRUNK OR TREAT

This even is TONIGHT, FRIDAY. OCTOBER 27TH. Begins at 6PM at Madison High School ~ Don’t miss the Spookiest Fun! See flyer below.

MADISON PARADE & MAGIC SHOW

Saturday, October 28th, The Madison Halloween Parade & Magic Show will be spooktacular! The Halloween costume parade starts at 12:30pm in front of the Hartley Dodge Memorial building, followed by the Magic Show on Waverly Place. Trick Or Treat from 1:30-3pm at participating businesses that have a bright orange pumpkin in the window! Happy Haunting!

Election Day is November 7. Check your voter registration here.

Check out this week's Home Connection Skill:

Developmentally Appropriate Conversing

Many students are privy to information or content that they simply do not understand. In many of these situations they have difficulty processing the information or take away information that is damaging to their social and emotional skill sets. It is important to engage children in developmentally appropriate conversations and content. Click to keep reading

What is SEL?
By now you have probably heard the term “SEL,” or Social Emotional Learning. But many ask: “what is that?”

Simply put, social emotional learning (SEL) involves learning social emotional skills, which are just as important as learning reading and math. Through SEL, kids learn how to manage their own emotions and behaviors, have empathy for others, and maintain healthy relationships. SEL is most effective when it is started early, and continues through high school. At CAS, SEL elements are included in all lessons and classroom procedures. Most elementary schools in the US have been teaching social emotional content as a matter of course for many years. Research indicates that SEL makes a real difference. Not only do students do better academically when SEL is utilized consistently, but their attitudes and behaviors improve, disruptive behaviors and conflicts decline, and children feel more connected to their school, peers, and teachers.

How can you reinforce SEL at home? You can start by ‘going back to basics':

• Consistently use (and teach) ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ at home.
• Encourage your child to talk openly about their thoughts and feelings.
• If your child is worrying, validate the worry, and brainstorm solutions.
• Focus on interpersonal skills like eye contact, listening, and not interrupting.

Believe it or not, these small steps go a long way in supporting SEL.

Mike Shugrue, LCSW

School Social Worker

Central Avenue School

Mark your calendars and get those wishlists ready, the PTO is excited to announce the HOLIDAY SHOP is coming to CAS on 11/30 and 12/1! Stay tuned for more info! We will need volunteers! Keep an eye out for more details or look at the “Volunteer Section” below for more information.