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CGES Newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 7

CGES NewsletterVolume 2, Issue 7

Principal's Message

February Greetings! We are well into the second semester and in spite of the challenges that the weather has given us, the students and staff are working hard each day to increase understanding and build skills.

February is National Random Acts of Kindness month with the week of February 12th designated as Random Acts of Kindness week. Kindness is an essential elemental of every community. Research shows that it can reduce stress, help get rid of negative feelings, help us live longer, and helps to make the world a happier place - spreading kindness is contagious! My February challenge is for everyone to show at least one act of kindness each day for the entire month. With almost 800 students and staff, we could accomplish almost 25,000 acts of kindness this month alone! One act of kindness can often lead to more which would increase that total greatly! Acts of kindness can make the world a happier place for everyone. They can boost feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism. They take a little amount of time or money. These small acts can have a big impact! So let's be kind in the days (and weeks) ahead and see the positive impact in our community!


Warmly,
Mr. Buckler

AP's Announcements

Dear CGES Families,


Happy 100+ of School! We can‘t believe that we are more than halfway through the school year! We wanted to take a moment to emphasize the importance of consistent attendance. Attending school is crucial for children’s social, emotional, and educational development. When students miss a lot of school, it can have a long-term effect on their learning. We need your help to ensure that your child’s education doesn’t suffer in the long term from significant gaps in their learning. Please make sure they attend and are on-time to school every day, so they can make the most of their education.


Did you know that:

  • Absences can add up before you know it! Missing just 2 days a month means you miss 10% of the school year.

  • By middle and high school, chronic absences are a leading warning sign that a student will drop out.

  • Attendance matters as early as kindergarten! Studies show many children who miss too many days in kindergarten or 1st grade, often will have trouble mastering reading by the end of 3rd grade.

  • Doesn’t matter if absences are excused or unexcused, they all represent lost time in the classroom and lost opportunities to learn!


Please visit the district website for the start and end times for all our schools here at CG!

As always, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your child’s education!


Warmest Regards,

Mrs. Johnson


“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” -Helen Keller

Counselor's Corner

Happy February!

Things continue to buzz here at CGES as there are many exciting happenings right now. Some of our most recent adventures include our successful 5th grade mentor program where 49 of our very own 5th grade students have been paired up to show leadership, guidance, and support to some of our younger students. If ever you are visiting, you may see them playing games, doing Minds in Motion, reading a book, or just taking a break together. This is our 2nd “official” year for this program, and the benefits have been amazing! If you have a child in 4th grade who might be interested in learning more, I will be meeting with each classroom soon to introduce the program and answer any questions they may have. My hope is to have my mentors set for next year BEFORE we end the school year so we can hit the ground running!

Another successful program in its 2nd year is with our therapy dog, Harley (and Ms. Kathy)! Harley visits our school every Friday afternoon, and he has already touched the lives of students in 19 classrooms, not to mention the many small group or individual cuddle sessions. For those of you who might not know, Harley is a graduate of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and works at the VA Hospital as well as the Hospice Center when he isn’t with us. Our teachers have the opportunity to schedule a classroom visit where the students learn about Harley, the purpose of therapy dogs, and the many benefits he brings to our school. Did you know that the brain releases serotonin (one of the “happy” hormones) just by petting a dog? If you could see the smiles on the faces of our students when Harley walks in a room, you would know it was true!

Our monthly Pizza with a Police Officer continues to show our students how helping others, being positive role models, and respect can truly make a difference. So far, 15 of our students from grades Kindergarten, 3rd, and 5th have shared pizza and treats with some of CGPD’s very own resource officers!

Lastly, my lunch clubs and group meetings are in full swing. With a huge focus on kindness for the month of February, we will continue to learn about friendship, conflict resolution, and healthy relationships as I plan for more classroom visits and activities. If you are interested in having your child join me for one of our groups, don’t hesitate to reach out! I am always happy to have new faces join us!


Warmest wishes,


Jennifer Taylor

No School on Monday, February 19th - President's Day!

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PTO News

PTO has many exciting events planned for the students in the month of February. Cookiegrams will be delivered on the 9th, students will enjoy Valentine's parties on the 14th, the Family Night at the Artcraft is on the 25th, and students will enjoy the mobile planetarium on the 26th and 27th!

Plan on attending the next PTO meeting at 6:30 on the evening of the 20th to hear all about the events planned this semester.

Thanks to ALL the parents who help to make these events possible for our students. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!

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Kids Heart Challenge

Center Grove Elementary School will be kicking off our annual Kids Heart Challenge (formerly Jump Rope for Heart) during their PE class this next week. This is a great opportunity for the students to learn about their hearts while providing service to the American Heart Association...and of course learning jump rope skills! Your child should be bringing home a Kids Heart Challenge parent letter tonight after school, so please check their backpacks.

We will officially start collecting donations on Monday, February 5, 2024. CGES students will have until Tuesday, February 20, 2024, to turn in all donations. Unlike in the past, we will only be accepting online donations this year. Thank you for your continued support for our CGES Community and the American Heart Association.


You can sign your child up at http://www2.heart.org/goto/centergrove.

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Did you know?

Did you know that February is one of the most misspelled words in the English Dictionary! It is also the only month with less than 30 days. Once every four years February has an additional day - the 29th and this is known as leap year which occurs this year! February 29th is the rarest birthday one can have. However, over five million people celebrate this as their birthday each year!

So enjoy this shortest month!

Car Rider Procedures - Reminder

Student Safety is the highest of priorities at Center Grove Elementary School. In an effort to ensure the safe arrival and departure of students, we have established procedure(s) and guideline(s). These procedures have been in place the past couple of years, and we need everyone’s cooperation to ensure a safe arrival and dismissal.

Morning Drop-off Procedures:

Students should not be dropped off in front of the school. This area is reserved for daycare vans or special circumstances that have been approved in advance. Vehicles will not be allowed in the front parking lot for student drop-off. Parents should follow the car rider line to drop off students on the north side of CGES.

New Afternoon Pick-Up Procedures (See map below):

Due to the volume of parents picking up students each day, it is necessary to revise our traffic flow to get cars off of Morgantown Road. Please follow the instructions below:


  1. Enter the campus off of Morgantown Road. (No traffic will be allowed to enter the car rider line from Stones Crossing.)
    • Please leave room for the buses to pull into the MSC lot as indicated on the map.
  2. Proceed east toward CGES.
    1. IF no cars are backed up, you may follow the orange arrow below around the front of the school to the north side of the building.
    2. IF cars are backed up, continue east along the bus parking lot.
  3. Follow the drive that curves south toward the front of MSC.
  4. Turn west in front of MSC and follow the drive along the front of the school.
  5. Follow the drive as it curves north, all the way to the stop sign.
  6. Turn east to enter into the turn lane on the north side of the CGES drive.
    • Please leave room for the buses to pull into the MSC lot as indicated on the map.
  7. Once cars move up to allow space, turn north onto the drive in front of CGES.
  8. Follow the drive north, then east, and around the parking lot to the pick-up zone as indicated on the map.
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Total Solar Eclipse

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!

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Riley Red Wagon Week

Thanks to your generosity the students and staff were able to raise 911.50 for Riley Children's Hospital. The students enjoyed wearing their silly socks and hats during that week!


It's true, a small donation can make a large impact!

Fantastic February! Note these important dates!

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

2/5 - National School Counseling Week

2/7 - Early Release

2/12 - Kids Heart Challenge Week

2/13 - Fifth Grade to CGHS for Music Fest

2/14 - Classroom Valentine's Parties, Early Release

2/15 - National Resource Officer Day

2/19 - President's Day - No School

2/20 - PTO Meeting @ 6:30

2/21 - Early Release

2/25 - Family Movie @ Artcraft

2/26 - Planetarium Visit

2/27 - Planetarium Visit

2/28 - Early Release

Craig Buckler
Craig is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters