October 23, 2026

October 23, 2026

Hello Central Middle School Families,

Today, as we round out our week of parent-teacher conferences, we are going to start our newsletter off with a few “thank yous” because it truly takes a village to make CMS the place that it is!

• To our teachers: Thank you for the long days, late nights, and intentional preparation that went into having meaningful, impactful conversations with nearly 100 families. The time and care you invest in getting to know our students and partnering with their families is one of the many ways we bring our vision of every student, every day, being seen, heard, and cared for to life.

• To our families: Thank you for making time for conferences, even when balancing multiple children, work schedules, busy households, and the many other things that fill your evenings. Your willingness to partner with us and make your CMS student’s learning a priority reminds us that we are all working toward the same goal of helping your child feel known, supported, and successful.

• To our PTO: Thank you for providing the food and snacks that kept our staff fueled throughout conference evenings! These thoughtful contributions may seem like a small thing, but they make a real difference and are a great reminder that caring for our students takes a whole community of people who care about the work happening at CMS.

• To our students: Lets keep it simple... they are the reason that we are here and they put a smile on our faces each and every day!

Go Rangers!

Jeff Simon
Proud Principal of Central Middle School
jsimon@fhps.net - (616) 493-8750

October 26-November 2 Reproductive Classes start

October 26 Science Olympiad

October 27 8th Grade band performs in Bandtasia @ FAC 6pm

October 28 D&D Meeting, 2:45

October 28 Debate Team Meeting, 2:45

October 29 Science Olympiad, 2:45

October 29 Student Leadership

Costumes are allowed on Halloween at Central Middle School for students. You will likely see many of the staff wearing them, too. :) With this in mind, it is expected that every student demonstrates P.R.I.D.E with their costume and towards other students.

A couple of things to keep in mind when your student is dressing up:

• The dress code must be followed. If costumes do not meet the requirements of the dress code, or are a distraction to the learning environment, your student will be asked to change.

• Masks and full-face makeup are not allowed. We still need to see all of the faces of our students.

• No part of the costume can be or resemble a weapon. Period.

• Have fun but also remember that this is a privilege.

As part of our ongoing commitment to safety and security, FHPS is introducing a new visitor management system in all of our schools this November. The system keeps track of who is in our buildings at all times, so we can continue providing a safe and welcoming environment for students, staff, and families. When you visit any FHPS school during the school day, there are two important things to remember:

1. Always enter through the main entrance and check in with the office staff.
2. If your visit will take you beyond the main office, for example, to volunteer or read to a class, bring a valid government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID.

If you’ll be going beyond the office, here’s what to expect when you arrive:

• Enter the secure vestibule area inside the main school entrance. Press the security door buzzer, and proceed to the main office. Scan your ID using the designated iPad and follow the directions posted at each iPad kiosk. If you need assistance, an office member can help you.
• Scan your ID at the kiosk each time you visit.
• The system reads your name, photo, and date of birth from your ID. It then runs a brief background check against the sex offender registry and any flags or local alerts entered by school personnel.
• Once you’re cleared, the kiosk prints a visitor sticker. Visitors must wear their sticker where staff can easily see it throughout their visit, so staff know you’re an approved visitor.
• Before you leave, return your sticker to the front office and quickly scan out. The entire check-in process typically takes less than 30 seconds.

Not every visit requires scanning in. If you’re stopping by briefly to drop off or pick up a student, or to make a delivery, you won’t need to use the system. Furthermore, for larger school events, the check in process will be more streamlined and communicated to families prior to these events, like class parties or school fundraising walks, to name a few.

Keeping students and staff safe takes many layers working together: secure entrances, school esource officers, regular drills, and caring adults who know our students well. This year, with funding from a state Section 31aa school safety and security grant, FHPS has added one more layer to our buildings: the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert badge system.

All staff members wear a CrisisAlert badge while working. If they need help, they press its button, and responders are alerted within seconds. There are two types of alerts.

• Staff alert. This is used when a staff member needs help, such as when a student is having a medical emergency. The alert goes to school administrators and the building’s medical response team of staff members right away. It shows who needs help and exactly where they are, specifically, what floor and what room. That means a teacher can stay with a student while help comes to them.
• Campus-wide alert. This alert is used only in a lockdown situation, and is connected to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. Within seconds of a staff member starting a lockdown from their badge, first responders get the alert and are on their way. Strobe lights begin flashing across the school campus, an intercom announcement tells everyone to lock down, and computer screens in the school display the alert. A digital campus map shows first responders who started the lockdown and exactly where help is needed. From classrooms and cafeterias to entrances and locker rooms, everyone knows what to do to follow safety procedures.

We are excited to kick off our Ranger community fundraiser and to continue our relationship with Family Promise of West Michigan next week! Central High has been partnering with Family Promise for over 25 years and helping support our community to end homelessness one family at a time. Our Ranger community has been the primary supporter of their holiday store event, which provides toys and gifts during the holiday season. With our fundraising efforts, we are able to help provide a holiday experience for over 120 kids and 80 adults each year. For over 15 years, families have been able to come and shop the holiday store to pick out gifts for their children. All is made possible by the efforts of our Ranger families.

Last year our Rangers raised $27,400 to support Family Promise of West Michigan. Family Promise is seeing a greater need this year and has more families to support. There are currently over 4000 homeless children in Grand Rapids, and on any given night, 40 to 50 kids and their families require emergency housing (shelters). This fantastic organization helps families get back on their feet by providing resources and aftercare support. Check out their website here and watch this video.

The collection will take place from October 23rd to November 1st. We know that not everyone can help, but if your family can give any small amount, it all adds up to help us reach our goal. Online donations can be made directly on their donation page or through their Venmo with this link or the QR code below. All donations with a check made out directly to Family Promise or digital donations through their website or Venmo are tax-deductible.

If you donate online on their website or through Venmo, please put Forest Hills and the name of your school. The winning elementary school will be joined by our Men’s and Women’s basketball teams during recess!

Venmo donations can be made through the QR code below or the link provided. https://venmo.com/u/Familypromisegr

Thank you for your generosity and support!

Jonathan Haga

Principal of Central High School

Our student scheduling team is working to finalize schedules for second semester. You may notice some changes to your schedule over the next few weeks. Please know that schedules are not finalized until we pass them out prior to winter break.

Its time to see our CMS students shine! CMS has Talent! features students featuring talents of song, dance, music, art, acting.....the possibilities are endless! If your student is interested, please have them come to the Office to sign up. Auditions will be held after school on Thursday, November 5, from 2:50-4:00 PM!

For more information, please visit: Information for Students and Parents

**To sign up to participate in the AMC, please visit: Sign-up Form

ODYSSEY OF THE MIND - it's not too late! Sign-ups are still being accepted for students who love to build cool stuff, perform, write stories, or otherwise use their limitless imagination. Click here for the form to sign up ASAP. Need more information? Contact your OM Coordinator, Marti Atwater, at matwater@fhps.net.

Get ready to celebrate 20 years of Disney's High School Musical! Forest Hills Northern's talented students are bringing this fan-favorite musical to life November 19–21 at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center! Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 PM and Saturday at 3 PM and 7 PM. Don't miss this high-energy show filled with music, dancing, and Wildcat spirit!

Tickets are on sale NOW at FHFAC.Ludus.com or at the FAC Box Office, Monday–Friday, 9 AM–4:30 PM.

Help us bring sunshine and smiles to our staff! Pick a theme, get creative, and provide an edible treat and beverage for approximately 50 staff members. Volunteers must have an FHPS Volunteer Form for the 2026–27 school year on file.

Sign Up for the Treat Trolley

We’re looking for volunteers to make copies for teachers and cover the front desk during office staff meetings. Volunteers must have an FHPS Volunteer Consent Form for the 2026–27 school year on file.

View Volunteer Opportunities & Sign Up

Cannonsburg is offering discounted lift ticket punch cards for K–12 students for the 2026–27 season, with no blackout dates! Purchase by November 30 before prices increase. When purchasing, please be sure to enter “Central Middle School” in the comments section.

Purchase a Cannonsburg Punch Card

• Central High School’s Community Club is hosting its second annual Trunk or Treat event, Wednesday, Oct. 28 (rain date is Oct. 29) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Forest Hills Central High School’s parking lot in front of the school (the lot off of Hall St.). FHC’s Community Club’s advisor is Rebecca Lipke, a mathematics teacher at FHC. For questions, please contact her at rlipke@fhps.net.

For more opportunities for your student, visit FHPS community flyers.

On Monday of this week, Central Middle School shared all the information for our reproductive health unit with our 8th grade families. In case you missed it, you can find that letter here.

This begins on Monday, October 26.

Show off your FHC pride with some swag from the FHC Swag Store!

OK2SAY is the student safety program that allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, and schools. It uses a comprehensive communication system to facilitate tip sharing among students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and law enforcement officials about harmful behaviors that threaten to disrupt the learning environment.