Cheetah Chatter

No school Thursday, October 9 & Friday, October 10 to allow for conferences.

Conferences are a great way to connect with your child’s teacher, review progress, and set goals. If you haven’t signed up yet, please do so — your participation makes a big difference!

Thank you for partnering with us to help every student thrive at Central 💛

Students who go above and beyond to show their P.A.W.S. are awarded with Gold Slips to recognize their behavior. At our first Gold Slip Breakfast of the year, the students played board games and were congratulated for their exceptional behavior by our principal, Sharill Cortez! The next Gold Slip Breakfast is November 5th, so let's show some P.A.W.S!

Our students have been working so hard at turning their tough situations into positive behaviors. Whether they are learning to be kind, to be good listeners in class, or to be brave, the students at Central are growing and practicing new skills every day. When a student visits Ms. Jessica in her classroom to talk about how they are feeling or to learn new ways to improve their behaviors, they get an opportunity to draw a new spot on our cheetah. Our cheetah is earning so many spots! Soon he will be covered in spots, each one representing a student being kind, brave, and thoughtful.

Sometimes our littlest students have a tough time being away from home, especially at the beginning of the school year. When we try to be brave on our own, those small feelings can start to feel big and overwhelming. Instead of being sad, our students just need some extra bravery and a friend to hug! That is where Mr. Cow comes in, he is our classroom helper whenever someone is feeling down. He will be their buddy all day long, and he has had so much fun spending time in the TK and Kindergarten classrooms. If you see him around, feel free to say hello!

Chuck E. Cheese 1126 W. Valley Pkwy, Escondido

Tell them you’re with Central Elementary at the register.

A percentage of your purchase will be donated back to our school.

This is a great opportunity for families to connect, enjoy time together, and support our school at the same time. Please help spread the word to your students and families so we can pack the place with Cheetah Pride!

Our Pay It Forward Club held their first meeting last week to brainstorm community improvement projects. They wrapped up by picking up trash around campus — a great example of students leading with pride and purpose! 💛🐾 We are so thankful for these amazing students and their teacher leader, Ms. Guajardo, for helping make Central and our community a better place.

Let’s work together as a school community to help others in need this winter.

For the next month, we will be collecting NEW SOCKS

If you are able to donate to help out

October 2 to November 13, 2025

SOCKTOBER
Small socks.
Big socks.
Even in between socks.
Orange socks.
Blue socks.
As long as they are new socks.

13th Annual

Central School Pay it Forward Club

Our TK parents were invited to a special presentation by Dinora Reynoso from Vista Hill, and we had a fantastic turnout! 👏 Kudos to all the parents and families who joined in — your involvement helps make our Central community even stronger. 🐾💛

The Family Needs and Assets Survey is now live! QR codes are posted throughout campus, and paper copies were distributed at Back to School Night to make it easy for everyone to participate.

This short survey helps us better understand students’ academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs, as well as family strengths and community resources. Your input directly guides our programs, services, and partnerships to better support Central students and families.

Please complete and submit the survey as soon as possible — either online or on paper. Your voice matters, and every response helps us improve.

🔗 Click here to take the survey online

We’re off to a great start — 28% of our families have already completed the survey! Our goal is to reach 75% or more, so if you haven’t filled it out yet, please take a few minutes to do so. Every response brings us closer to truly understanding and meeting the needs of our Central community.

We’re excited to kick off our Fall 2025 Flag Rugby season! Teams were formed last week as part of our EXPLORE program, and students will spend the first few weeks building skills and teamwork before Saturday games begin on October 18.

Ms. Ricard’s 3rd grade class! They were recognized with the Charlie Cheetah’s Attendance Adventure Award for their outstanding attendance this month. We are so proud of these students for showing up, working hard, and leading the way — keep it up, Cheetahs! 🐆💛

Our Pumpkin Patch Perfect Attendance Challenge kicked off last week! Each classroom is coloring in a pumpkin on their poster for every day they have perfect attendance. At the end of October, the class with the most pumpkins will win a special fall treat with Charlie & Coco!

Thank you for helping your child show up every day — we love seeing those pumpkin patches fill up!

Central is stronger when families and staff work side by side. That’s why we’re inviting parents to join our Guiding Coalition—a team made up of Central teachers and staff working together with families to shape the future of our school. Together, we’ll focus on our three pillars: Achievement, Climate & Culture, and Student Engagement.

The team will meet seven times this year on Thursdays from 12:45–3:00 PM, with our first meeting on Thursday, October 16.

If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to Dannie Hampshire (dhampshire@eusd.org) and Dr. Sharill Cortez (scortez@eusd.org) as soon as possible.

We’re excited to welcome family volunteers on campus this year! To get started, every volunteer must complete the EUSD Volunteer Application process.

📄 Click here to view the full Volunteer Application and Approval Process

✅ Note: If you were approved last year, you do not need to reapply unless your level, TB test, or license/insurance has expired.

Central partners with Escondido Education COMPACT through the Safe Routes to School program to help keep students safe as they travel to and from school. The program provides Bike Rodeos, Safe Walks, and safety resources like helmets for students who need them.

This fall, Safe Routes to School is sharing important reminders for safe driving — especially as the days get shorter:

• ✅ Keep your windshield and headlights clean

• 🚗 Leave more distance between cars

• 🐢 Slow down and drive with extra care

• 💡 Turn off high beams when other cars are approaching

• 😴 Avoid driving if you are tired

Together, we can help keep our students, families, and community safe on the road this season.

Joining the PTA helps make our school an even better place for students. Your membership supports school events, field trips, staff appreciation, and programs that strengthen home-school connections. Plus, it gives families a voice in planning fun and educational activities. Become a member for just $10 and help us keep our PTA strong!

👉🏼 Click HERE to Join Now!

Besides providing support for our school, your PTA membership offers valuable benefits!

Go to: capta.org/memberperks to find out how to get valuable discounts.

Great news! Our PTA Membership Class Competition deadline has been extended to Friday, October 10. There’s still time to join and help your child’s class win. Every membership counts toward special recognition and prizes—thank you for supporting our Central Cheetah community!

122 West 4th Ave

Escondido, CA 92025

(760) 432-2431