Greetings to our Central Elementary School families! I am so happy to be starting my fourth year as the principal at Central Elementary School. The 2024-25 school year will be the most exciting for Central Schools in a long time for many reasons. The construction crews in the elementary school are gone, which is such great news. Our staff is excited to begin another school year. We are preparing everything to welcome you back for the start of an exciting school year. I sincerely hope we have a typical year without construction, COVID-19, or other issues.
ASSESSMENT/CONFERENCE DAYS
Central Elementary School will hold two assessment days to start the new school year. These days are scheduled for August 28 from 12 - 5:30 p.m. and August 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each student and at least one family member will be invited to school on one of these two days. During this scheduled time, students and parents/guardians will:
Meet their new teacher and tour the classroom
Take a reading assessment to help teachers identify your child’s strengths
Update your household & emergency information on Infinite Campus. We will have computers set up in the atrium to facilitate this process
Take care of business (transportation, lunch accounts, etc.)
Stop in my office and visit
This time together will allow our teachers to learn about your child individually. It also provides the time for us to gather assessment data needed to address each student's individual learning needs. This day helps staff, students, and families start the year positively. Today, August 8th, your child's teacher will send you an email introducing themselves and providing links you need for snacks, supply lists, and the assessment day Sign Ups. Please use the SignUp link to select an assessment time slot for your child.
COMMUNICATION
We value solid communication between school and home. Communication is an invaluable tool for ensuring individual student success. Teachers will alert you to upcoming events, projects, and announcements via newsletters and emails. When questions or concerns arise, please contact your child’s teacher first, as most issues can be resolved by working together with your child’s teacher. When you need additional help, you can always reach Janet Sykes at 952-467-7300 or me at 952-467-7301.
SCHOOL START TIME
Please remember that students cannot be dropped off earlier than 7:45 a.m. We will not have supervision for kids before 7:45 a.m. If your family needs to drop off before 7:45 a.m., please contact Phil Hendrycks in Community Education at 952-467-7395 or phendrycks@isd108.org. Our school day officially starts at 8:00 a.m. this year. For the safety of our students, please do not accompany your student into the building. We will have staff members at the door to meet the children. Students will not be considered tardy until after 8:15 am. The morning bell schedule is as follows:
8:00 a.m. Kindergarten and First Grade
8:03 a.m. Second, Third Grade, Fourth & Fifth Grades
FREE BREAKFAST/LUNCH FOR ALL STUDENTS
Breakfast will be provided to all K-1 students in their rooms at the start of their school day. Grades 2-5 will grab their breakfast and eat in their rooms. All students will go to the playground before school starts. In addition, lunch will be provided at no cost to all students. Students will follow the daily lunch schedule as directed by teachers.
END-OF-DAY RELEASE TIMES
If you pick your child up after school, please wait in the car and do not enter the building. Doing this can ensure our student’s safety and speed up the pickup process. The end-of-day release schedule is as follows:
2:58 p.m. - Walkers and bike riders
3:03 p.m. - Bus riders load buses first
3:03 p.m. - Parent pick up and Kids Co.
If your child is not following their regular transportation routine, please call Janet Sykes in the school office at 952-467-7300 or email her at jsykes@isd108.org by 2:00 p.m. to request a change in transportation.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
School supply lists are under the Parent Resource link on the district website at www.isd108.org or by clicking here. Clicking the link will direct you to the website, where you can shop online using preloaded carts at many retailers. We are well aware that some items have become more difficult to find. Please do not stress about these items. If your family needs help with school supplies, please contact Janet Sykes in the school office at (952) 467-7300.
SCHOOL STARTING DATE
The school year for all K-5 students will start on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. Please contact the school office at 952-467-7300, if you have any questions about the schedule.
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 28, 2024 - Assessment Day -12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
August 29, 2024 - Assessment Day - 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
September 3, 2024 - No School for K-5 students
September 4, 2024 - First Day of School for K-5 students
Central Elementary 24-25 School Calendar
This is an exciting time of year, and I look forward to this journey with our families. The staff at Central Elementary School is looking forward to teaming up with families to make this a positive, successful school year for your child.
Yours in Education,
Ron Erpenbach