Central Public Schools - Education Is Central

First graders have participated in various building challenges over the past couple of months in the STEAM room. A few favorites included building a tower at least 100 centimeters tall and making the longest chain. They also get free building time regularly to practice their creativity. Students often team up to build together and the results are always amazing!

Fifth grade classes each made their own city in STEAM. Students had to work in groups to design one block of a city and then we put them all together to make a city. Each student designed a created a building. Then, they practiced their measuring skills to find the dimensions of the building and use those to determine the volume and surface area. Lastly, groups added sidewalks and roads to their blocks and put them all together to form a city. They were a hit for all the students and staff to see on display!

In case you missed it, The "Golden" Spring Fling will be taking place on Sunday, May 4 at Central Secondary School. This is a wonderful event for senior citizens to have dinner and dance! Tickets are available at Old National and Citizens State Bank and can be purchased through Friday, April 25. Don't miss out!

CORRECTION!! Almost, Maine (our senior directed play) is taking the stage on THURSDAY, APRIL 24 at 7:00 PM, and SATURDAY, APRIL 26 at 2:00 pm. Join us for this unique play which follows a new character in each scene. It will make you laugh, and maybe even cry! Tickets are available at the door (CASH ONLY) Adults - $7, Students - $5

We’re proud to congratulate a few more of our student athletes on signing their letters of intent to continue their football careers at the collegiate level! 🏈Taytum Lund – St. Olaf College 🏈 Bradyn Daugs – Bethel University 🏈 Ben Molnau – Bethel University 🏈 Jack Strickfaden – Bethel University Way to go, guys! We can’t wait to see all you accomplish.

Due to the incoming weather we have moved some game times for today: JV/Var. Baseball DH @ Rockford - 3:00 MS Softball @ Rockford - 4:00 JV/Var. Softball DH vs. Rockford - 3:00 7th and 8th Baseball vs. Rockford - 4:00 Track @ Maple Lake - 4:00 C Softball @ Hutch - 4:30

Kindergarten at Central Elementary School is a special place! With foundational reading strategies, STEAM activities, small class sizes, and incredible teachers, the Central Difference makes an impact on students. Kindergarten students had a great time preparing preschoolers for what kindergarten is like! https://www.isd108.org/page/new-student-registration

Central Public Schools is a great place to work! We have some open positions for the 2025-26 school year including Elementary Special Education and Early Childhood Special Education/Elementary Intervention Teacher. Browse open positions and apply today! https://www.applitrack.com/central/OnlineApp/JobPostings/view.asp?all=1

Let's get an update from the STEAM Room at Central Elementary from STEAM Teacher Nicki Kreuser! Kindergarteners spent time learning how to play card games. We practiced War and Go Fish, and some students even taught other games to their groups. It was a lot of fun to see their confidence grow as they got more familiar with the rules. It was also a great way to practice important number skills. They also spent time learning about fabric - how it is made, where it comes from, and what it can be used for. One of the activities included students testing to see which type of material would make the best rain jacket. They used water droppers to see which samples absorbed the water and which ones repelled. They found out that nylon was the best option! Ever week kindergarteners have the opportunity to free build in the STEAM room and it is always fun to watch their creativity shine!

Today’s Senior Spotlight is Grace Mueller! She says that her favorite memory of high school was winning powderpuff football this year and that her favorite teacher was Mrs. Radunze. She plans to go to MedSpa Institute of America for Esthetics. She tells underclassmen to “Enjoy the moment with friends!”

Make sure to come see Central Public Preschool this weekend at the Bunny Trail Event at the Cologne Community Center! The fun happens on Saturday, April 19 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sign up to win these fun baskets and get information on our amazing preschool program with locations in both Cologne and NYA!

Congratulations to these senior athletes who have signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the next level: Cali Fox – Softball at North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) Ben Schefers – Baseball at The College of St. Scholastica Jack Paumen – Baseball at Gustavus Adolphus College

Mrs. Hammers' Criminal Justice class is excited to welcome guest speakers! Recently, we hosted Cam Conlin, a 2018 Central graduate and current Burnsville police officer, and Lindsay Jayawardena, a Juvenile Probation Officer from Carver County. Thank you both for sharing your real-world experiences with our students! If you or someone you know works in the criminal justice field and would like to be a guest speaker, please contact Mrs. Hammers at shammers@isd108.org. We’d love to hear from you!

Little Raider Preschool is a wonderful place to start your child’s journey into learning with different options to meet your family’s needs! Little Raiders enter kindergarten with the necessary skills to promote lifelong learning. Learn more: https://www.isd108.org/page/central-public-preschool

Mental Health Day will be held on May 16 and is a day for students at Central Secondary School to decompress, enjoy time with their peers, and get a well deserved break for working hard all year! We are looking for donations of several items to make this day a success. If you are willing to donate any of the following items, it would be greatly appreciated! Items can be dropped off at either the elementary school or the secondary school (attention school counselors). -Plastic pencil boxes that stay closed (we need a couple hundred total) -Food storage boxes to use for zen gardens -Zen garden figurines -Smooth decorative small rocks -Kinetic Sand -Fine sand (decorative sand) -Bracelet Making Kits -Fleece for blankets Or you can easily shop from the Mental Health Day Wish List on Amazon: https://a.co/gRSqrFc

Let’s celebrate Trevin Herrman! He says his favorite teacher is Mr. Halpaus and that his favorite memory was going to state for football. He plans to attend flight school for all licenses and ratings and has great advice for underclassmen: “Things are only as hard as you make them!”

Don't miss the Senior Directed Play Almost Maine! There will be performances on April 23 at 7 p.m. and April 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for adults and will be sold at the door (cash only). Come check see our talented students!

Summer Kids Company is currently taking registrations for the upcoming summer which begins on June 2. The program is based at Central Elementary and provide a safe and supervised environment for your child. There are a variety of adventurous fun filled field trips, onsite activities, and educational opportunities to help channel your child's positive summer growth experiences. Please contact Phil Hendrycks at phendrycks@isd108.org with any Kids Co. questions you may have. To register: https://isd108.ce.eleyo.com/child-care/1/kids-company

Let's check in with fourth grade. Our 4th grade teachers put a fun and unforgettable twist on encouraging reading during The Read-a-Thon challenge! Each classroom was tasked with logging as many reading minutes as possible—and the stakes were high. The classroom with the most minutes earned the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch their teacher get their head shaved! After a close race, Mr. Evenski’s class came out on top! As a reward, the students got to witness Mr. Schrupp, with the help of Mrs. Kimpling, shave Mr. Evenski’s head in front of the cheering crowd. But the fun isn’t over yet! Mr. Schrupp’s hair might be next! If the students reach their goal for the reading section of the MCA tests, Mr. Evenski’s class will get to turn the clippers on Mr. Schrupp. 📖✂️ It’s all about making reading fun, setting goals, and celebrating success—one page at a time!

Help Student Council raise money to support our community for Earth day, and cover our middle and high school teachers in tattoos!