Central DeWitt School District -

We encourage you to join us Monday, March 25th at 5 p.m. for our Community Conversation event in the CDMS Media Center. Superintendent Dr. Dan Peterson, CFO Sarah Johnston, and two school board members will be available to listen to your thoughts and answer questions. Then join us for the Central DeWitt School Board Meeting that begins at 6 p.m. in the CDMS Media Center. You can also attend the school board meeting via Zoom: https://cd-csd.zoom.us/j/86752617759?pwd=SFB4amN2MDc4SDJXYXRkWlQySW9YUT09 To view the agenda for Monday night’s meeting, visit https://go.boarddocs.com/ia/central/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=D3HRN76EBA2A Community Conversation will take place before all regularly scheduled board meetings (not work sessions). We look forward to seeing you! #gosabers #centrldewittcsd #schoolboard #communityconversation #centraldewittcommunityconversation #centraldewittschoolboard #schoolboardmeeting

Here is a great opportunity for high school students to explore several careers at once! Arconic is hosting Skilled Trades Exploration Nights on April 30th and May 1st from 6-8 p.m. To register, scan the QR code. Registration is first come, first served so don’t wait! If you have questions, please reach out to holly.hansen@cd-csd.org. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #arconic #skilledtradesexplorationnight #learnabouttrades #handsonactivities #careerandcollegeready #exploreoptions

ATTENTION 8th GRADE PARENTS AND STUDENTS: Freshman Orientation will be held Monday, March 25th at 6:30 p.m. in the Central DeWitt Performing Arts Center. This is a great opportunity to learn about CDHS and all we have to offer our high school students, meet teachers, and have your questions answered. A letter about the event was emailed to 8th grade parents. If you have any questions, please contact the high school at (563) 659-0715. We look forward to welcoming our new class of freshmen to CDHS! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdms #freshmenorientation2024 #welcomefreshmen #8thgraders #welcometocdhs

Whether you’re a supporter, athlete, Unified buddy, or believer, displaying these yard signs is a great way to show your pride in our Special Olympics program! Signs are $20 each. Order now through March 31st by emailing angieubel@hotmail.com. Please indicate if you would like a Unified Sports sign or Special Olympic Athlete sign and the name that should be displayed in the yellow banner. If you would like a title in the yellow banner such as “BELIEVER” or “SUPPORTER,” etc. instead of a name please include that information. A portion of the proceeds will go toward our Special Olympics team. Thank you for your support and showing your Saber pride! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #specialolympics #specialolympicathletes #unifiedbuddies #supportspecialolympics #showyoursaberpride #yardsigns #specialolympicyardsigns

CDHS Student Council has partnered with St. Ambrose University to host our very own Dance Marathon. All donations will go toward meals for families that are at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. This event will be held April 6 from 5-8 p.m. in the high school competition gym. At this event there will be games, dancing, guest speakers, and prizes! Entry to this event is free, and open to the entire community, so bring your friends and family! Donations are welcome at any time before April 6, 7:30 p.m. We are able to take cash, check (write to St. Ambrose Dance Marathon), or online donations. If you have any questions or need to get in contact with someone about cash or check donation turn-in, please feel free to email anthony.meyer@cd-csd.org. If you would like to donate to this event through card or PayPal please click the following link and click "DONATE TO THIS EVENT." https://events.dancemarathon.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=6163 #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #dancemarathon #FTK #forthekids #steadfamilychildrenshospital #cdhsstuco #stuco #cdhsstudentcouncil

We’d like to share a great, and convenient, opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a substitute teacher! Eastern Iowa Community Colleges will be offering two-day substitute teacher authorization courses this spring and summer for only $100. By committing to just two Saturday classes at EICC you will be qualified to substitute teach in Iowa by this fall. The spring session begins March 23rd and the summer session begins June 15th. To learn more and register, visit https://bit.ly/3TKl4f1 Here is an article that also shares more information: https://bit.ly/43oI7A6.  We hope you will become a substitute teacher at Central DeWitt or share this information with someone you know who would be interested!  Please reach out to Kayla Martens at kayla.martens@cd-csd.org if you have questions or would like to substitute teach at Central DeWitt once authorized.  #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #eicc #eiccsubstituteteacherauthorizationcourse #becomeasubstituteteacher #joinoursaberfamily

Ekstrand Elementary kindergartners were blown away today when Chief Meteorologist Andy McCray Local 4 News read them “Wacky Weather,” a book where the Cat in the Hat shares strange but true weather events. He also talked about changing seasons since today is officially the first day of spring. Make sure you watch the weather on Local 4 News WHBF TV at 4, 5, and 6 p.m. to see some familiar faces! Thank you, Mr. McCray, for taking the time to visit with our students! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #ekstrandelementary #local4news #local4weather #wackyweather #learningisfun

Eight speech students, led by coaches Brianne Magill and Wendy McCartt, represented CDHS at the IHSSA Individual State Speech Contest at Xavier High school in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, March 9th. Two Central DeWitt speech team students have qualified to perform at the IHSSA All State Individual Speech Festival to be held at the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls on Monday, March 25th. Molly Burken will be presenting her Review, and Jack Butler will be performing Prose. The festival is open to the public and showcases students from across Iowa who have been selected by State contest judges for the highest honor in the Iowa High School Speech Association. Congratulations, Sabers! INDIVIDUAL STATE SPEECH CONTEST RESULTS Lauren Burmeister received a Divsiion II for Storytelling Caleb Govert received a Divison II in Individual Improvisation. The following students received Division I ratings for their performances: Molly Burken in two events; Original Oratory and Review Jack Butler in two events; Prose and Review Caleb Govert in Musical Theatre Sabine Housenga in Musical Theatre Hannah Moore in two events; Public Address and Poetry Rachel Spicer in Prose Lacey Stoker in Review #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #saberspeech #individualstatespeechcontest #allstatespeech #saberssucceeding #saberpride

Central DeWitt National Honor Society is holding a supply drive for a local low-cost spay/neuter clinic. All of the collected items will be taken to the clinic to help support the animals they serve. If you are interested in providing any items from the list included on the flyer, please drop off your donations at any school office, including St. Joes, or go to the QR code on the flyer to fill out our pick-up form. Thank you for helping National Honor Society! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #nationalhonorsociety #nhs #nhssupplydrive

The Central DeWitt Special Olympics spring online store opens today! Order your apparel now through March 25th clicking here: www.adcraftwebstores.com/cdsos24 Thank you for supporting our Special Olympic athletes! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #specialolympicsonlinestore #specialollympics #centraldewittspecialolympics #supportoursabers

It’s time to nominate Central DeWitt employees for the March Employee of the Month! This district-wide program gives CDCSD parents, students and community members the opportunity to help us recognize our outstanding employees. Nominations are due Thursday, March 21st! Nomination form: https://forms.gle/ksRVLaYC6XBXkAbw7 #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #employeeofthemonth #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #nominateanemployee

Congratulations to our Unified Special Olympics team who had success competing at the Spring Classic in Iowa City on Saturday, March 9. Our 3-on-3 Unified basketball team earned a silver medal! The team consisted of athletes Kayleb Goldensoph, Gage Heston, Ryland Taylor and Christopher Shenker and Unified partners Adriana Curtner and Izzy Heitz. Our Unified dance team earned a gold medal! The team consisted of athletes Cole Michaelsen, Joslynn Mulholland, Ayana Gooch-Sims, Tatiana Raymond, Adrianna Flick, Skyler Raymond, Jack Burken,Amya Gooch- Sims , Jess Shockey, and Marlee Michelson unified partners Klaire Gruntorad, Kennedy Lackas, Nora Ubel, Lily Gruntorad and Coach Mallory McMahon. Way to go, Sabers! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #centraldewittspecialolympics #special Olympicsspringclassic #specialolympics #saberssucceeding #saberpride

🏆 Congratulations to these outstanding Central DeWitt Employees! #SaberSuperstars recognizes Central DeWitt employees who make a difference, positively impact the lives of those around them, and serve as a role model to others. Thank you for all you do at Central DeWitt Community School District! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #SaberSuperstars #saberpride #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #operations #nutritionservices #saberfamily #weloveouremployees

Over 600 community members, business leaders, parents, students, and staff have taken part in helping us create our Portrait of Graduate so far. The information we have gathered through surveys, focus groups and design team meetings has been instrumental in bringing together our community’s vision for every Central DeWitt student. During the week of March 18th there will be another opportunity for everyone’s voice to be heard! A survey will be sent out with a first draft of the competencies our community has chosen as the most important for our students to learn. Once the survey is available, we hope you will take a minute to answer the questions and share your thoughts. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with you and appreciate the investment you’re making in our students’ futures. If you have any questions regarding Portrait of a Graduate, please reach out to Superintendent Dr. Dan Peterson at dan.peterson@cd-csd.org or (563) 659-4705. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #portraitofagraduate #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #communityvision #collaboration #saberssucceeding

INCLUSION IS MY SUPERPOWER! What a fun week CDCSD had highlighting the importance of inclusion as you can see in this video: https://youtu.be/7gPqHu4NjN8. As a National Unified Champion Schools, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming environment where students of all abilities will succeed. We are so proud of our Special Olympic athletes, Best Buddies and coaches who work hard to build a more inclusive community for all. We hope you continue to #ChooseToInclude! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrand #specialolympics #bestbuddies #inclusionweek2024 #choosetoinclude #saberpride #nationalunifiedchampionschools #saberssucceeding #choosetoinclude

CDHS Early Childhood Education students are studying creative learning environments in class this semester. Because of this, they visited the Bettendorf Family Museum and the QC Botanical Center. At the museum they observed in preschool classrooms, explored the gallery exhibits and created in the Innovation Station. At the botanical gardens they learned so much! Each student planted their own Parlor Palm, got to view, touch and explore numerous plants. What a fun learning experience! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #earlychildhoodeducation #fieldtrip #learningisfun #creativelearningenvironments #saberssucceeding

ATTENTION SABER SENIORS AND PARENTS: It’s that time of the year where we reach out with our senior yearbook ad offer! The 2024 yearbook will be one for the ages and this is a great opportunity for parents to showcase their student's most treasured and embarrassing moments by placing an ad in the yearbook. It allows for a final farewell to your children and students for the school to see and look back on. You can add quotes from your family, a message to your child, and pictures of your child (both recent and/or pictures when they were young) with a personal message. Feel free to contact our advisor at jon.fisher@cd-csd.org with any questions. Submissions are due March 30, so we have time to design the ad pages. All ads are to be submitted through https://yearbookforever.com! Instructions for ordering an ad are here in this video: https://bit.ly/3PiuVqS The pricing for ads is as follows: Full page: $210 Half Page: $160 Quarter page: $110 Eighth Page: $60 Thank you so much for your support. We look forward to your striking senior poses and awkward baby photos! Saber Publications #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdhsyearbook #saberpublications #seniorads #classof2024

💜💛 Congratulations to Hagan Ackley the February Central DeWitt Community School District Employee of the Month! In his first year of teaching at Central DeWitt, Special Education Teacher Mr. Ackley has already made a huge impact on both students and staff at Ekstrand Elementary. His ability to form strong relationships with students and his willingness to support his co-workers is what makes him a valuable part of our Saber family and our employee of the month. “Mr. Ackley is a valuable asset to our Saber community,” First Grade Teacher Mrs. Dirksen said. “He is extremely patient with his students. He builds a lasting relationship, so each student knows that he cares about their individual needs. But, not only does he do that for his students, he builds relationships through collaboration, and concern for the teachers as well.” Mr. Ackley said part of why he relates to students who struggle with behaviors in school is because elementary school was a difficult time for him. “I caused a little trouble here and there and I think something for me was I connected with one of my teachers very well in about the second or third grade,” Mr. Ackley said. “She established the mindset in me that I can do anything as long as I try my best and I put my best foot forward. I'd say that's something that really inspired me to be in education.” Throughout his many years working with youth and teaching, Mr. Ackley discovered he had a deep passion for helping kids work through their problems and teaching them how to self-regulate. He finds having an open mind and the perspective that “everybody, no matter who they are when they come to school, might have something going on that you don't know about” helps him understand behaviors. He also finds it’s important to be respond calmly rather than react to a situation. “His demeanor with his students is very calming, kind and caring. He talks through many tough situations with the students and gives them guidance on ways to improve moving forward,” Ann Bixby, District School Nurse said. Mr. Ackley is grateful for the grace staff and administration have shown him while settling into his position this year. He also gives them, as well as the overall environment at Ekstrand Elementary, for helping him find success as a teacher. “We have a wonderful support staff, whether it is associates that are helping me throughout the day or the teachers that I work with and collaborate with, we're all in it for the same goal,” he said. “And, I know some days it can feel like we're doing so many academic things but one thing I've gathered here in DeWitt is we're in the business of making well-rounded, good people. And, that with all of that at our core, I think it enables us to really establish great routines and expectations for students. You can just see it when you walk around the building how great it is here.” Mr. Ackley said he feels at home here in the Central DeWitt Community School District and looks forward to the day his newborn son will attend school here. We look forward to that, too! Thank you, Mr. Ackley, for your calming demeanor, encouragement, and dedication which helps so many at Central DeWitt. We are lucky to have you! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #employeeofthemonth #februaryemployeeofthemonth #saberssucceeding

On March 8th, these CDHS students visited Morrison Technical Institute in Morrison, IL along with CDHS teacher Mrs. Regenwether and Steve Bunn from Vocational Rehab. The students learned about the opportunities and career training available. Afterwards, they enjoyed lunch at Corner Deli in Clinton. We love seeing our students explore options for after graduation! Pictured: Xavier Brown, Steve Bunn, Landon Flynn, Gunner LaMaack, Will Henningsen, Daniel Arp, Brayden Perry, Landon Brick, Marana Boeding, Lori Regenwether #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #morrisontechnicalinstitute #careerandcollegeready #saberssucceeding

ATTENTION: CDHS Senior Awards Day has been moved to Wednesday, May 15th at 9 a.m. as we are anticipating some of our seniors will be competing in the state track meet on May 17th. Go Sabers! Seniors’ last day and picnic will still be Friday, May 17th. Please spread the word! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #classof2024 #seniorawardsday