A collection of frequently asked questions and their answers are below. If you have additional questions, feel free to submit them via this google form!
What is the drop-off process at Central Middle School?
School starts at 8:40 a.m.; outside doors open for students at 8:30 a.m.. On late start days, students will begin school at 9:40 a.m. Students may enter school buildings beginning at 9:30 a.m. The property is monitored starting at 8:20 a.m., for the safety of all staff and students, please refrain from arriving too early. To allow staff to enter the building, do not stop in front of the staff driveway entrance on Sawyer Avenue.
How can I help support a strong start to the school day?
In order to allow for a smooth and effective school day, please encourage your students to follow a few fundamental ground rules about arriving for the school day:
- Cell phones and electronics powered off and put away.
- All open food and drink should be disposed of prior to entering the building.
- Students are not able to leave school grounds once they arrive on campus.
- Students have to walk bikes/skateboards once on the school grounds.
- Cross major streets only at designated crosswalks where crossing guards are located.
- Obey all railroad crossing traffic rules.
Please take some time to review the Parent/Student Handbook along with your child. Sections that students and parents generally inquire about about at the start of the year include:
- Dress Code p. 24
- Medication p. 29
- Extended Day p. 7
- Breakfast/Lunch Program p. 10
- Student Discipline code p. 30
What does my child’s school day look like?
A student is assigned to a group of teachers within a Team. It is unique, and does not specifically mirror the elementary or high school staffing models. Central has two teams in 6th grade, gold and green.
Team sizes consist of 90 – 110 students that travel throughout the day to their assigned core teachers. Core instructional classes consist of English Language Arts (ELA), Science, Social Studies and Math. Any meetings requested outside of parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled with the team of teachers during first period. A sample student schedule for current grade 6 students is structured as follows:
Can my student go to the locker between classes?
Students are required to have their classroom supplies daily. Students will go to their locker for supplies before advisory, before/after lunch, and at the end of the day. A majority of work is done with a Chromebook which will be issued during the first days of attendance along with a protective case. Please make sure your student charges their Chromebook on a nightly basis. Supplies may need to be replenished throughout the year, especially, earbuds, and writing utensils. View the school supply list.
What happens if my child loses their student ID?
Per school policy, school student IDs are to be worn daily around their neck. The first ID is provided along with a lanyard. Students will be checked daily in advisory to make sure they have the ID and are wearing them properly. The ID is also necessary for purchasing lunch and checking out library books in the media center. If it is lost, a replacement can be purchased for $3.
I need to communicate a message to my child during the school day. Can I just text or call them??
In order to allow for a distraction free learning environment, students are required to power off and keep phones/electronic devices out of sight throughout the entire school day. They may power the devices back on outside of the building at the end of the school day. If you need to communicate a message to your student during school hours, please call the main office and we will contact your student.
If any individual circumstances arise necessitating any special arrangements, please contact the team of teachers. Communication between students’ parents/guardians and teachers is encouraged. Do not hesitate to call or email if you have any questions or concerns; teachers do their best to respond in a timely manner, but please be advised that emails sent to teachers may not be read before the end of the school day. Time sensitive messages must go through the office in order to guarantee timely action.
My child left a book bag/ lunch/gym uniform at home. Where do I bring it?
Please bring any items for students to the main entrance vestibule. At the front door, ring the doorbell to communicate your reason for visiting with front office staff.
What clubs and sports does CMS offer?
This school year the district looks to expand athletics and activities at Central Middle School! If you have any suggestions regarding what may interest your child, please feel free to reach out to one of the deans at CMS.
Central is part of the SWIC conference and there are twelve schools in the conference that our teams compete against.
Our offerings include::
- Fall: Softball and Cross Country
- Winter: Basketball and Volleyball
- Spring: Soccer and Track
- Year Round: Choir and Band
Other offerings vary annually but generally include:
- Student Leadership - open to all! Students help plan fun school events & fundraise for service projects and also help with PBIS activities
- Creative Arts - students are able to express themselves creatively through art, music, and writing.
- Giving Garden & Harvest Club gardening - Students plan, cultivate and maintain a variety of produce in spring. In the fall, produce is harvested and donated to The Village Food Pantry.
- Declamation- 7-14 students are chosen from an audition and compete in acting and speech competition in the spring
- Mathletes -6th graders are recommended by their math teachers
What are the requirements to join a sports team?
In order to participate in an athletics activity students need to have:
Good grades - Coaches require students to get a grade sheet signed; grades are a top priority for participation
Good behavior record - Coaches need to know that players can be a good sport, participator and listener ON & OFF the court/field
- Sports Psychical --- required
- Coaches will announce when tryouts take place! Students should listen to morning announcements and read the weekly student newsletter for information!
School news is regularly shared with parents in a variety of ways. Check your email for weekly communications sent from administration and teachers.
Does Central participate in National Jr. Honors Society?
Yes! 6th grade students earning a GPA of 3.7 or higher in all core classes for the first three quarters and exhibiting a good behavior record will be invited to apply for membership. The core subjects are Math, Social Studies, ELA, and Science. All eligible students will be notified and sent home with a letter of eligibility from the advisory teacher and directions for the application process.
Grading Scale
93-100 A
85-92 B
75-84 C
65-74 D
64 or lower F
How can I check what my child has for homework?
POWERSCHOOL & GOOGLE CLASSROOM are the sites to track student school work.
Powerschool is the teachers’ gradebook which can be accessed by password 24/7. We encourage you to check Powerschool regularly to monitor student progress.
Google Classroom is like a digital backpack for your child's schoolwork. Grades are not posted there. Teachers use Google Classroom to share assignments, announcements, and class materials. While parents can't directly access the classroom like students, there are ways to stay informed:
- Guardian Summaries: This is the best way to follow your child's progress. Talk to your child's teacher and ask them to send you guardian summaries. These are emails that tell you about upcoming assignments, missing work, and recent class activity.
- Working with your child: Have your child log in to Google Classroom with you. This will let you see what assignments they have, due dates, and any class materials the teacher has posted.
Please note:: Anything that has a due date in Google Classroom should be turned in on time and completed. However, not everything a student does everyday will be graded in powerschool.
Watch a Google Classroom Parent How-To video to learn more.
My child has missing work. Can it be made up?
YES! The expectation is that all classwork is to be completed on time. However, students can still receive full credit for assignments turned in within three days of the due date. Students will receive 75% credit if turned in within six days of the due date. Work after six days will not be accepted and given 50%.
Is homework help available at the school?
Most school days students have an opportunity to go to the library before and after school to work and study. A teacher is available to students should they have questions or need assistance. More information will be forthcoming when the program starts.
What is the format for parent-teacher conferences?
Parent/teacher conferences will be offered on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26. Central Middle School conference slots will be 10 minutes long. Close to that date, parents/guardians will be able to sign-up via SignUpGenius to see their child’s entire grade level team as a group in 10 minute time slots. Parents/guardians will also have the option to sign-up to visit their child’s PE/Health and Specials teachers in 10 minute time slots individually as well.
My child is going to be absent. What is the procedure for attendance?
Please call the main office to leave a message with the date, child’s name, reason for absence. No emails need to be sent to the teachers. Make-up work will be posted to Google classroom. After returning, two additional nights are offered per missed school day to make up work for full credit.
Vacations are discouraged during school days, but should one occur, please notify the office in advance.
What is LiveSchool?
Students are eligible to participate in PBIS celebrations and incentives throughout the school year. One of the first celebrations CMS hosts is a Back to School Block Party during 6th and 7th period. After that, students can begin collecting points to use toward a celebration or the school store. More information to come from administration as the school year begins.
What can I do at home to ease the transition between elementary and middle school?
We encourage setting routines at home for your middle school student. Middle Schoolers are learning how to handle increased responsibility at home and school, their changing bodies, responding to intense emotions, strong peer influences, etc. Routines for family meals, hygiene, homework, and sleep become even more important in middle school. Sometimes just as much as when they are younger. Limit screen time and have daily time to catch up face-to-face. Consistency, structure, and predictability can be comforting for preteens and teens at any developmental, emotional, or cognitive level. Your routines don’t have to be the same as everyone else. You have unique schedules and personalities in your household. Try to find something that works for your family and stick to it for everyone’s well being. This article is written by an educator who recommends routines for certain areas of your student’s day at home.
These additional articles may be helpful as well:
- Establishing or Reinventing Home Routines and Responsibilities for Learning Success
- Routines for Families
My child came home from school with a problem. What steps should I take?
We encourage students to reach out to an adult at school right away should the need arise. However, we understand that some students wait until they go home to share information. If that does occur, please email a teacher with the concern as soon as possible. From there, the teacher can address the situation and provide support. CMS has social workers and deans that can be available to assist with any situation.
Students also have 24/7 access to the Safe2Help program. It is a confidential helpline link to report bullying or other issues. . Reporters will be encouraged to provide their name and contact information, but it isn’t a requirement. Information received by Safe2Help is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reporting rules and can only be accessed under limited conditions by a court order.