Focus on the Fabulous Things Going On
It’s hard to keep up with so many things going on in our district. Friday, September 10th, was our third Professional Development day for the year. Dr. Hensley put together an engaging day of learning that was aligned to our District Action Plan and that was responsive to feedback staff had provided in regards to PD areas of interest and need. The morning began with Kevin Hagan leading a Thinking Strategies and Workshop Model session for our secondary staff, while elementary teachers worked with Dr. Hensley on informational writing.
The staff then had some fun with book study commercials! Book study leaders enticed the rest of the staff to choose their book of choice and join their book club. The rest of the day, staff had time to work on Canvas onboarding and quarterly assessments. CCSD is committed to our core belief that quality planning, instruction, and assessment lead to high results for ALL students.
Our nurses have been going above and beyond to keep our students and staff safe during the pandemic. On Friday, September 10th, while our staff was participating in PD, our nurses were providing COVID-19 drive-thru testing in the CHS parking lot for the community.
This coming week we are hoping to kick off our serial COVID testing. This will be available for students and staff. If students haven’t filled out permission slips they can do so at the school office. Students will receive a $25 gift card incentive for the first test and $10 for each additional weekly test. On Wednesday, Sept. 22nd we will be offering COVID-19 vaccines for students twelve years and older.
Thank you all for working with us in keeping our students and community safe. Remember, starting Monday, September 20th, we will be starting our mask mandate for all elementary students.
Fast Forward
We are excited to invite our families and community to our annual Open House that will be held this Wednesday, September 22nd. Our fabulous food services team will be preparing a picnic BBQ for everyone. Parents and family members will have the chance to meet their students’ teachers, support staff, Board members, and administrators. Families will bring blankets and lawn chairs so that they can eat on the lawn. Families will receive tickets that they will need to complete and turn in so that they can be entered in the drawing for some great prizes. Throughout the event, you will have the chance to get to know our Viking family a little bit better. Of course, there will be some familiar faces, but you will also see some new members of our team.
Meet Our Fabulous New Elementary Staff
Mckinsey Harrop began her teaching career in Center last year. She started out as a student teacher and was able to transition successfully into a first-grade position. She is well suited for this position with her diversity-inclusive mindset and philosophy. Mckinsey takes a creative approach to lesson planning and instruction. She is excited about this school year!
Krista Gjellum is our new second-grade teacher. She comes to us with ten years of experience working with elementary students. She does a fantastic job establishing relationships with students, families, and colleagues. She is a data-driven educator and is always willing to learn from new experiences. We are lucky to have her join our team!
Jacob Mosher also began his teaching career in Center last year. He worked with Mrs. Mikeljack and this year he has joined our awesome fifth-grade crew. He has been working hard and even jumped in this summer to help with our summer school program. Jacob considers his strengths to be his patience, inclusivity, and thoroughness.
Deb Morris tried to retire, but when you’re good, we can’t let you go. We are blessed to have her working with our Kindergarteners this year. These kiddos keep her on her toes and young at heart- and she has a big heart. She has thirty-plus years in the classroom. Deb has taken over the position that opened up when Kim Gonzales moved into the new CLD position to support our English learners at the elementary level.
Brooke Slane is starting her second year teaching and her first year in our district. She has joined our 3rd-grade team. The students have big smiles on their faces when they enter her classroom! They are eager for the day and the engaging learning experiences she has prepared. Brooke’s passion for education, compassion for students, and organizational skills are some of her areas of strength. We are happy to have her in the Viking family.
We are thrilled with the amazing team that has come together this year for our students. Here's to a great week! #VikingStrong #StaytheCourse