February 2026 Newsletter

You still have a few more days to purchase Fannie May chocolate from one of our OES Band students! Band students will be taking orders for Fannie May chocolate until Tuesday, February 3.

Band students can drop off their order forms and money at Central School on Monday, February 2 and Wednesday, February 4 from 3:45 to 5:00.

Beginning February 3, 2026, students and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the eleventh annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent/guardian, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

· Effective Leaders

· Collaborative Teachers

· Involved Families

· Supportive Environments

· Ambitious Instruction

Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.

All teachers and fourth through 12th grade students will be responding to this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in May and will also be included in the State School Report Card.

Additionally, your district has chosen to provide the optional supplement parent survey. If at least 20 percent of Central Intermediate School parents/guardians complete this survey, a parent report will also be generated. The parent data will not be included on the State Report Card.

Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey for students and teachers will be conducted February 3, 2026-March 13, 2026. The Parent Survey Supplement will be conducted during that same period. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Survey Support at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.

January's Champions of the Charter were recently chosen by the staff at Central School. This month, these students went above and beyond to practice self management skills. They have shown their desire to reach goals by staying focused and motivated. The champions will be recognized at the board meeting on February 17th. We are very proud of the great example they set for their fellow students. Congratulations to: Piper S., Ellawyn T., Ellie F., Willow L., Reagan B., Alondra P., Gianna R., Zeke M., Emmett H., Juan M., Jayanna R., Addison D., Skylar L., Izzy H., Jenna L.

In January, we had 165 students that had perfect attendance! Students will have a sticker added to their perfect attendance badge on their locker, and are highlighted on a school bulletin board. Students that receive perfect attendance each month will be entered into a drawing for prizes, and will be able to help their class earn class rewards. Having great attendance is very beneficial to the success of our students. Congratulations to all of our students with perfect attendance!

On January 21st, 21 of our 6th grade students competed in the spelling bee held at Central School. We are very proud of all the students that participated! Our winner was Khaly T., and the runner up was Todd T. Congratulations to the following students that participated: Khaly T., Todd T., Sam S., Marleine T., Nora M., Brian T., Gael G., Juan M., Harper J., Declan H., Taylin C., Atley S., Rory E., Logan P., Ainslee S., Hazel O., Maverick K., Beau C., Axel K., James H., Brendan O.

Hello, and welcome to Mrs. Loy’s classroom. The students are having a lot of hands-on experience this year in science. Our class is currently learning about Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Energy. The students had fun finishing the unit by making a do-it-yourself water wheel. This water wheel activity demonstrated to the students that the energy of the moving water is transferred to the wheel, which makes the wheel spin! They learned that in real life, this motion energy of the wheel turning can be used to spin a generator which makes electricity. That electricity can be used far away from the power plant to turn on lights, charge your computer, and so much more!

In Literature we were excited to finish reading the book, “The One and Only Ivan.” Then we watched the movie version of the book to compare the differences and similarities between the two. It was a fun way to encourage critical thinking in our reading lessons. We are currently learning about Dr. Martin Luther King and then will be moving on to our Figurative Language Unit.

Recently, our 6th grade volleyball team won the Spring Valley Volleyball Tournament. They defeated Mendota Northbrook to bring home first place. We are so very proud of these girls and how they represent our school. Go, Cyclones!

In order to keep our students safe, we ask that anyone dropping off, or picking up, a student wait in the drop off/pick up line in front of Central School. Cones will be placed in our fire lane to keep it open, as a safety measure, and will be removed as we approach dismissal time. We ask that parents arrive no more than 30 minutes prior to dismissal. We also ask that those picking up their student remain in the pick up line, and refrain from parking in the parking lot. It is unsafe for our students to run across traffic to get to a car waiting in the parking lot, therefore, students and parents will not be permitted to walk through traffic in the parking lot. Please treat our staff with respect as they enforce this policy designed to keep our students safe.