CHS Newsletter

Bobcat Nation,

As we wrap up another busy week, I want to thank our students and staff for their flexibility and hard work. With so many activities taking place, we had quite a few students out representing our school in different events. We are always proud to see our students involved and showcasing their talents both on and off campus.

Next week marks the final week of the quarter before Spring Break, so it’s a great time for students to check their grades, complete any missing assignments, and finish strong. Teachers will be working to wrap up the quarter, and we encourage students to stay focused and take care of any remaining responsibilities before the end of the week. To keep the excitement going, we will also have dress-up themes throughout the week, and we hope students will join in the fun while showing their school spirit. Be sure to check the posted themes below to participate!

Finally, Junior and Senior Prom is just around the corner, taking place in about a month. We are excited for this special night and look forward to seeing our students make great memories together. Make sure you purchase your ticket now and reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you for your continued support of our students and school community. We are looking forward to a great final week of the quarter before we head into a well-deserved Spring Break.

For Kids,

John

Congratulations to our amazing educators of the year! We are so proud of each of you and honored to have you at CHS.

For entry into CISD events, we are using the HomeTown app to make it easy to purchase tickets. You can scan the QR code below to download the app.

Prom tickets are now on sale through Hometown Tickets! Permission forms for dates from another school can be picked up in the front office.

We have some exciting news from the VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) Competition this past weekend! 14 of our students participated in this statewide juried event, and we are proud to share that 13 of them received a Rating of 4, which is the highest score awarded by the judges during the artwork evaluation and interview process. The students were recognized with medals and diplomas for their achievement. Our students represented our school with professionalism and confidence. They clearly explained their artistic processes, ideas, and inspirations during their interviews with the judges, demonstrating strong artistic growth and dedication.

Check out their beautiful artwork below!

AP Chemistry students used titration to determine the molar mass and pKa of an unknown acid sample, which they were then able to identify.

Congratulations to our students that placed at the Prosper Invitational on Feb. 14th for Speech & Debate.

1. Leonardo Marquez 4th Place Persuasive Extemp
   
2. Masturah Adeleke 3rd Place LD Debate
   
3. Advik Udayar 4th Place LD Debate
   
4. Shriya Shah 5th Place LD Debate
   
5. Amelia Johannessen 6th Place LD Debate

Congratulations to Annabelle Forner on earning 5th place in the UIL Young Filmmakers State Competition last week for her narrative film, Jesper. Mr. Slivocka and the entire AV program are incredibly proud of her remarkable achievement.

CTV Show Episode 8

• Celina Rugby
• Art
• Robotics
• Powerlifting

The Las Gatitas proudly represented Celina High School at the Crowdpleasers State Championship, showcasing performances in 4 different dance styles, High Kick, Pom, Novelty and Contemporary. The team brought home 1st Place in High Kick and 1st Place in Novelty, along with 2nd Runner-Up in Pom and 1st Runner-Up in Contemporary. In addition to their placement awards, the team earned special recognition for Outstanding Choreography in their High Kick routine. Las Gatitas represented our campus and community with integrity, professionalism, and heart. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and the way they continue to set a standard of excellence both on and off the dance floor. Congratulations, Las Gatitas!

Help us pack the house for the Las Gatitas Spring Show on April 10th. The Gatitas will be performing a variety of show stopping routines and feature some very special guest performers. Tickets are on sale now!

Our CHS Journalism students have been hard at work populating their new online news website. Check out some of their articles and leave some comments!

Check out these photos of our JV Baseball team captured by student, Brock McNutt!

As we gear up for the graduation, we are working diligently to celebrate each senior to the fullest.

Each year, prior to the start of the commencement ceremony, we prepare a slideshow showcasing our seniors' baby pictures. To be included in the slideshow, we are in need of a baby picture of your graduating senior.

Requirements to be included in the slideshow:
Submit pictures in the Google form: https://forms.gle/KC2KRDLBSsuA14B49
Pictures MUST be submitted by April 17, 2026 (HARD DEADLINE)
Baby MUST be fully clothed in the picture
If you have any questions, please reach out to tammywindon@celinaisd.com or kristycarr@celinaisd.com.

Sincerely,

Kristy Carr
Associate Principal

McKinney Prom Closet 2026 Shopping Days. A FREE prom shopping experience for high school girls in our community. Last year, thanks to your support, 180 girls found their dream dresses at no cost!

Students can now preview dresses and updates on our new social pages:
Instagram & Facebook – McKinney Prom Closet

2026 Shopping Days
March 26 & 27 | 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
March 28 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
March 29 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Stonebridge United Methodist Church
Free dresses, shoes & accessories
Open to all high school girls (student must be present)

Join us for the 2025-2026 Lunch n Learn Series! Brittany Cortez is a College and Career Counselor from Collin College and will cover a variety of college related topics throughout the year. The sessions will start at 12pm via Zoom. No sign up is required, just grab your lunch and click on the Zoom link in the flyer. Each of these topics will also be offered to all students to attend throughout the school year.

Helping Hands of Celina

Community Action Team (CATS)

Our CATS is our parent organization that helps to support all 1500 students and 135 staff throughout the year with bake sales, selling the official Homecoming t-shirt, and providing goodies/luncheons for our staff. Please join to add a layer of support for our kids and our staff. You can join through your School Cafe account and look for CATS (HS PTO) Membership '25-'26.

If you do not have a School Cafe account, you can click here to set up one and this will allow you to join CATS, purchase the official Homecoming t-shirt designed and sold by our CATS, set up a lunch account, and order other items like paying for parking spots and dues for various classes.

School Lunch

Free and reduced lunch applications can be found in the following link: https://www.schoolcafe.com/CELINAISD The grace period will end September 26, 2025, so please take time to complete your application.

For our new families, you can create school cafe account using the link above, you can send money with your child, or you can have your child bring their lunch. In School Cafe, you can monitor your child's account and place restrictions on their meal accounts if you would like to do so (e.g., your child can only buy one ice cream).

For those who were in Celina ISD last year, any balance that you have in School Cafe rolls over from the previous school year. Please add funds to your account before the first day of school.

GPA Update beginning for Class of 2026

Please click this link for the GPA update for the Class of 2026.

GPA Update beginning for Class of 2029

Please click this link for the GPA update for the Class of 2029.

2025-2026 Attendance Goal = 98%

We achieved 95.1% attendance last year so 98% is a very bold and ambitious goal! Furthermore, the more students are here, the more connections and positive relationships that they have, and the more that they learn!

Attendance-Truancy Tribunal

Chapter 25 of the Texas Education Code details the attendance requirements for students in Texas. Students must be in attendance for 90% of their class in order to receive credit for the class (remember that our goal is 98%). In addition, there is language in this code that directs schools/school districts to take action when a student accumulates a certain number of unexcused absences (including tardies - 3 tardies = an unexcused absence) and this includes filing truancy charges on the parent. Celina ISD wants to partner with our parents in order to prevent truancy charges from being filed. Therefore, when a student accumulates 7 unexcused absences/tardies, we will send a summons to the parent and student to attend a Truancy Tribunal Hearing in order to develop a plan to improve the attendance of the student. The Truancy Tribunal process has proven to decrease unexcused absences, decrease failed classes, and decrease discipline incidents of students. We are proud to implement the Truancy Tribunal Hearings and we know that this will benefit our kids and our families. If you have questions about the Truancy Tribunal process, please reach out to me via email or phone call at the information in my signature

Student Code of Conduct

At CHS, we start with the knowledge that we have the best students and parents on the planet! As such, we hold the highest standards for our kids because we know that they will live up to these standards. Likewise, we hold ourselves the to the highest standards to support our kids and our parents. We want to make sure that you have all of the information needed regarding our dress code and the passage of the new "cell phone ban" HB 1481. The dress code and standards of conduct are contained in the link above. The dress code is addressed on pp. 58-59 so please take a moment to familiarize yourself with CISD standards of dress and decorum.

HB1481 Device Ban

The major change for this year is the passage of HB 1481 that prohibits personal communication devices. Celina High School will strictly enforce this law/policy between 8:45-4:10. Prior to 8:45, students should turn off and put any prohibited devices in their backpack. This will prevent any prohibited devices from being seen or heard and will allow students to form relationships with other students and teachers and focus on learning. If you need to contact your child, you can send a message to their school email account and if there is an emergency, you can contact our front desk and we will assist in getting the message to your child(ren).

Although HB 1481 does not go into effect until September 1, 2025, CISD has chosen to implement this law beginning Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Our staff will continue to only use their personal devices for professional use only during the work day and because we receive emergency notifications and we send emergency notifications through our personal devices.

Prohibited personal communication devices include, but are not limited to:

• Smartphones
  

• Laptops and tablets
  

• Smartwatches
  

• Earbuds and earphones
  

• Smart eyeglasses

• Portable gaming devices

Contact Information for Administrators and Counselors

Administrators

• Dr. John M. Burdett (Principal) - johnburdett@celinaisd.com
• Kristy Carr (Student last names A-Gan) - kristycarr@celinaisd.com
• Greg Sherwood-(Student last names Gar-N) - gregsherwood@celinaisd.com
• Dr. Adam Washburn (Student last names O-Z) - adamwashburn@celinaisd.com

Counselors

• Carrie Crane (Student last names A-Gan) carriecrane@celinaisd.com
• Denise Moore (Student last names Gar-N) denisemoore@celinaisd.com
• Karen Pelkey (Student last names O-Z) karenpelkey@celinaisd.com