March Newsletter

• March 1 - 6th Grade Trimester Reward Party

• March 1 - Report Cards being sent home

• March 4 - 2024-2025 Registration begins

• March 7 - 5th Grade Honors Breakfast

• March 8 - 6th Grade Honors Breakfast

• March 14 - Cyclone Band Concert at 7:00

• March 22 - ½ day student attendance - 11:30 dismissal

• March 25-April 1 - Spring Break

• April 2 - School Resumes

• April 3 - Spring Pictures

Beginning January 30, 2024, students and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the eleventh annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent/guardian, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.

Central Intermediate School needs your input. We ask that you take a few minutes to go online to take the 5Essentials Survey at https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/. With our parents taking the survey, we are able to gather information that will help to guide improvement within the school. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

The Parent Survey Supplement will be conducted from January 30, 2024-March 29, 2024. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Survey Support at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.

If you have further questions, please contact the school office.

IAR testing begins the week of March 4, and will continue until March 22. A good night's rest and breakfast are the best fuel for a successful testing session! Also, please remind your child to charge their iPad each evening. This will be very helpful for our students and teachers.

Central recently completed our winter test sessions for MAP. These tests give us insight into the areas that our students need extra assistance, as well as areas where they excel. We would like to recognize the following students for scoring the highest in their grade level in the areas of math, reading, and language arts:

5th grade math- Tanner W.

5th grade reading - Tanner W.

5th grade language - Tanner W.

6th grade math- Tobias Z.

6th grade reading - Adelynn D.

6th grade language - Adelynn D.

We would also like to recognize the following students for making great growth on their MAP tests from the fall to winter.

5th grade math- Jalissa Z. gained 34 points

5th grade reading - Christopher N. gained 40 points

5th grade language - Madison V. gained 32 points

6th grade math- Tylee D. gained 26 points

6th grade reading - Addison S. gained 23 points

6th grade language - Pandora S. gained 33 points

Congratulations!

During the month of January, 159 Central students had perfect attendance. Students received a perfect attendance badge on their locker and are highlighted on a school bulletin board. Students that receive perfect attendance each month will be entered into a drawing for prizes, and will be able to help their class earn class rewards. Having great attendance is very beneficial to the success of our students. Congratulations to all of our students with perfect attendance!

February’s Champions of the Charter were recently chosen by the staff at Central School. This month, these students went above and beyond to practice and help others to feel POSITIVE, SAFE and CALM here at Central School. The champions will be recognized at the board meeting on March 19. We are very proud of the great example they set for their fellow students. Congratulations to: Penelope C., Zuri U., Ellianna B., Tucker M., Donovin D., Colter O., Nora A., Kira S., Julian S., Jackson M., Delilah S., Emersen B., Tripp N., Tommy C., and Scarlet M.!

Online registration for the 2024-2025 school year begins March 4. Families can access online registration through TeacherEase. In addition to registering online, each child will have a paper packet of information that will need to be completed and returned to their child’s school by April 5. If you have questions about registration, please contact the school office.

On February 29, two of our sixth grade students were honored at the John Ourth Breakfast at Streator High School. Every year, students in exiting grades are chosen as representatives from their school. These students are honored for their leadership skills, academics, and overall great character. We are very proud to have had Adelynn D. and Landon G. recognized at this event. Congratulations!

I am in my eighteenth year of teaching, all at Central Intermediate School. I am an Ottawa native, having gone to Central School from kindergarten through sixth grade. I went to Ottawa High School and Illinois State University. I am married to Brian and have two boys, Adam and Grant. We like to go on road trips together as a family. Teaching in the Life Skills program has been a lifelong dream of mine, I absolutely love what I do!

I grew up here in Ottawa, Illinois and attended Ottawa Elementary schools as a child. As I was known as a “Flood Kid,” being placed in Lincoln’s gym, a church and the old Walmart building. I have made my way back to Central. I have been a Paraprofessional here for 5 years. I love working with the students and staff at Central. I have a one year old little girl, Aspyn. She is the light of my life. In my free time we like to go shopping or binge watch a TV series.

My name is Maddy Duffy. I am born and raised in Ottawa, Illinois and am 29 years old. I've been working as a Paraprofessional at Central Intermediate for 5 years now in the Life Skills program, and have loved every minute of it. I am currently continuing my education to obtain my teaching degree in Special Education. I work with an incredible group and feel so blessed to be able to do what I do.

Project Unify is back in action. We meet on Thursday (5th grade) and Friday (6th grade) mornings from 8:00-8:20. All students are welcome to join us. Our goals include: developing friendships with peers, learning about disabilities, becoming leaders and reducing bullying. Our current project is a school-wide effort to collect 1,000 pounds of plastic to be recycled into a bench for our garden area. Students recently made posters to hang around the school. Our next focus will be learning basic sign language. April 15th is National American Sign Language Day. We will play games using sign language to celebrate the first school for deaf children opening on April 15, 1816.

Congratulations to all of our students that earned honor roll for the 2nd trimester. Students that make honor roll all three trimesters of 5th grade, and the first 2 trimesters of 6th grade, will receive the Presidential Academic Award at the end of 6th grade. Keep up the good work!