Central DeWitt School District -

🎓 Meet Ethan Hansen one of our seniors who has big plans for his future! Way to go, Ethan! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

Come cheer on our Sabers this Saturday, April 6th at the Special Olympics Track and Field Day hosted by Central DeWitt! Admission is FREE and events will take place at both the CDMS gym and the CDHS track. Opening ceremony begins at 9:45 a.m. See blow for schedule of when Central DeWitt athletes will compete. Let’s go, Sabers! TRACK SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 6 9:45 a.m. - Opening ceremony 10:30 a.m. - 50 m dash: Nyna, Cole, Joslynn 10:30 a.m. - SLJ: Nyna, Cole, Joslynn 10:45 a.m. - 25m walk with me: Marlee 10:45 a.m. - shot put: Izzy 11:15 a.m. - Running long jump: Kayleb 11:45 a.m. - shot put: Erik 12:00 p.m. - shot put: Ryland, Chris, Ayana, Amya, Gage 12:00 p.m. - softball throw: Marlee 12:45 p.m. - 100m dash: Adrianna, Tatiana, Jack, Ryland, Chris #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #centraldewittspecialolympics #specialolympics #specialolympicstrackandfieldday #saberssucceeding #saberpride #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #goodlucksabers

ON SALE NOW! Get your tickets to the CDHS spring play, “The Alibis.” This classic whodunnit with a comedy twist will have you laughing and trying to solve the mystery until the very end. Performances are Friday, April 12th and 13th at 7 p.m. at the Central DeWitt Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10. Students and senior citizens are $5 To purchase tickets visit: https://www.cd-csd.org/page/saber-box-office Play written by Jonathan Dorf, Tyler Dwiggins, Kathryn Funkhouser, Patrick Greene, Mora V. Harris, Ian McWethy, Carrie McWethy (McCrossen) and Jason Pizzarello #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdhsspringplay #thealibis #ticketsonsalenow

💜💛 Congratulations to our March 2024 District Student of the Month Lane Adams! He is featured in today's edition of The Observer thanks to our friends at First Central State Bank. Third grader Lane Adams was nominated for Student of the Month by Ekstrand Elementary Associate Lauren Jorge and his Third Grade Teacher Madeline Johnson for his generosity, kindness and ability to put others before himself. In Ms. Johnson’s class, there is an incentive program that gives students the opportunity to earn points for demonstrating good behaviors. After students receive points, they have a chance to turn them in for various prizes. For most of the school year, Lane has intentionally saved up his points to use on a party for his entire class instead of something for himself. When Lane turned in his points for a class party, he and his classmates together decided to have a root beer float party since that is Lane’s favorite. “The whole class was happy, and that made me happy,” Lane said. “And, my stomach was happy, too.” Lane said choosing to have a party for his class was the “good thing to do.” He also saw it as a way to include others who might not have the opportunity to use points to have a party. “It was so heartwarming to watch his classmates light up from this gesture, but most of all, to see how happy Lane was to make everyone around him smile,” Ms. Jorge said. “He chose to bring happiness to everyone around him instead of reward himself for his year-long hard work and discipline.” For Lane, being kind and including others is something everyone should do. “If you’re not kind to them, they might not be kind to other people, which it’s a big loop around the whole world and back to you.” Lane said. “Sure, it might take a long time to get the kindness back to you, but it’s worth it.” Lane has shown in so many ways this year that not only is he a great student and friend, but also a role model and true SABER. #gosabers #cdcsdstudentofthemonth #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #firstcentralstatebank #saberssucceeding

It’s Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day! Our paraprofessionals are an integral part of our schools and often the unsung heroes behind a lot of our successes. Their dedication to our students’ well-being and the support they provide for other staff is immeasurable. We are so grateful for each and every one of you! THANK YOU TO: Camryn Anderson, Natalie Andresen, Dea Banowetz, Tiffany Barr, Meagan Beal, Kim Behrend, Sharri Block, Kathy Blumer-Gronewold, Vicki Brainerd, Carolynn Bretschneider, Jennifer Burke, Megan Cahill, Bailey Carstensen, Kendra Casel, Tammy Cousins, Lynzee Croce, Amanda Daniels, Brittney Darrow, Amanda Dwinal, Shannon Edwards, Shawn Everett, Tesha Fischer, Faith Fletcher, Melissa Franzen, Luann Freese, Michele Gruntorad, Renae Havener, Abbey Hurning, Melisa Jacobsen, Deb Jasper, Darlene Johnston, Lauren Jorge, Abby Kampe, Lisa Leab, Kimberly Lueders, Raelynn McAleer, Grace McCaulley, Amber McClain, Colleen McDevitt, Paula Mess, Irene Myers, Madison Napierkowski, Louisa Pace, Japatra Person-Cason, Deb Petersen, Sarah Reed, Jessica Sander, Holly Saunders, Camryn Schnede, Heather Schnoor, Melissa Shady, Cassandra Tibbetts, Megan Tobey, Mary Townsley, Jessica Venden, Leann Walker, Paula Webinger, Michelle Wiebers, Laurie Wildes, Dawn Wright, Anna Zakharchenko, Samantha Zeimet #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #paraprofessionalappreciationday #superheroes #nationalparaprofessionalsday #weloveourparaprofessionals #thankyouforallyoudo

Check out the unique planets that were on display at the 5th Grade Planet Fair last week! Students created their own planet, built a 3-D model, and prepared a presentation about the characteristics of their planet. This project is part of their solar system lesson. Great job, Sabers! See more photos at: https://www.cd-csd.org/article/1532627 #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdis #5thgradeplanetfair #saberssucceeding #learningisfun

🎓 Meet Brooke Kent one of our seniors who has great advice for younger students! Way to go, Brooke! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

Thank you to the several local professionals who took time out of their day last Thursday to visit with our sophomores during the DeWitt Chamber & Development Co. Success Roundtable! Students met with professionals from several different industries to learn about their journey to finding success in their chosen careers. We are lucky to have a community that is invested in helping our students find success! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdhssophomoresandjuniors #dcdc #dewittchamberanddevelopmentcompany #dcdcsuccessroundtable

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? Over the past several months, a team of students, teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and business leaders (the Portrait of a Graduate "Design Team") have been learning about knowledge and skills our students will need when they graduate and go on to higher education and the world of work. This team has developed a list of 5 future-ready competencies that we believe will ensure future success for our students and our graduates. As important members of the school community and community at large, we would like to gather your feedback on the proposed descriptions of each competency our Portrait of a Graduate Design Team believes will ensure future success for our students and graduates. Our goal is to make descriptions both clear and actionable (e.g., we could see or hear these skills in the classroom or community). Please note that the symbols for each question correspond to which group prioritized each competency or descriptor when previously surveyed. Δ = Staff ★ = Community DT = Design Team S = Students FS = Graduates FG = Business/Industry Focus Group To share your thoughts, visit: https://forms.gle/VNvKAxwWJdVn4Y5f6 Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback and help us continue to shape our collective Portrait of a Graduate! Please reach out to Superintendent Dr. Peterson at dan.peterson@cd-csd.org or (563) 659-4705 with questions.

Get ready to help CDIS, CDMS, and CDHS students take the dive to help raise money for Special Olympics! These schools will be participating in the Cool School Polar plunge on Wednesday, May 1st. Students can sign up to plunge under their homeroom teacher’s name here: https://www.classy.org/campaign/2024-central-dewitt-cool-school-plunge/c548745 Students who want to plunge must raise $25, however, if they raise more there are other incentives. See flyer for details as well as below: • Homerooms that raise at least $250 can choose a staff member to plunge! • Mr. Pickup has agreed to take the plunge if the high school staff and students raise $800. • Mr. Lueders has agreed to take the plunge if the Intermediate school staff and students raise $3,000. • Digit will be plunging in place of Mr. Petshce (he will be out of town) and will take the plunge if the middle school staff and students raise $1,000. Let’s make this happen, Sabers! All students will need to have the Cool Schools waiver signed and returned before the day of the plunge. To access the waiver click here: https://5il.co/2hjot #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdms #cdis #coolschoolpolarplunge #centraldewittspecialolympics #specialolympicsiowa #saberpride #sabersucceeding #taketheplunge

Congratulations to Saber artists Emma Holmes and Isaac DeHaven for winning prestigious Quad City Arts Awards! And, congratulations to the 12 Saber artists whose work was selected for the QC Arts High School Invitational art show! Student work was chosen in a variety of media from Mrs. Richmann and Mrs. Dunlavey’s studio art classes. You can see the work for free at the Rock Island QC Arts Gallery now through April 25, 2024. Hours are: M-F 10a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. – 5p.m. More information and awards: https://www.quadcityarts.com/hs-invitational-2024.html SABER ARTISITS Emma Holmes Isaac DeHaven Madison Gilroy Ella Klinkenberg Joellynn Dwinal Emma Pillers Dalani Beuthien Bry Tobey Kerrigan Jefford Audrey Wilke Izzy Heitz Emily Sons Liam Kinrade #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdhsart #saberartists #qcartsawards #qcartshsinvitational #saberpride #saberssucceeding

These talented CDIS students put on a great performance last Thursday at the CDIS Poetry Slam! While some students recited published works, a majority of students shared original poems they wrote. Everyone did a great job! Hosts: Jack McDermott and Brynn Schroeder Maddox Grell and Gavin Birt “Why Do We Have to Go to School” Brynn Schroeder “Being a Saber” Brady Dies, Shupriya Karki, Tegan Spain, Lincoln Skinner, and Veronica Santos “Inclusion” Payton Goldensoph “Eyes” Talia Stroud “Flying Free” Jack McDermott, Luke Kedley, Collin Oliver and Cael Ceurvorst “The Sad Life of a Stick” Eloise Ohnemus and Lois Purcell “Raggedy Girl” by Judith Vorst Sam VonMuenster and Payton Goldensoph “Journey of Life” Payton Goldensoph “River” Shupriya Karki “Courage and Strength” Lois Purcell “Peace” Zane Burzlaff “Dear Soldier” Jonathan Stroud “My Great Grandpa” Sam VonMuenster, Cade Converse, and Gavin Feldpausch “Sports” Collin Oliver “Basketball” Tegan Spain and Veronica Santos “What a Friend Is” Lincoln Skinner “What a Friend Isn’t” Shupriya Karki “Sadness” Penny Postell “Tiny Little Man” Penny Postell “I’m Tired of Being Little” Zane Burzlaff “Dog’s Day” Rebekah House “Beauty of the Mind” and “Robot” Talia Stroud “Stars” Lincoln Skinner “Changing” Veronica Santos “Fake” Rebekah House and Penny Postell “What a Mad Magician Did to Me” Caleb Adams “Wild Strawberry” and “What Pet Fruit” Talia Stroud “This is for You” Tegan Spain “Random Acts of Kindness” Jonathan Stroud “If I Had a Pet Reindeer” Eloise Ohnemus “Bear” by Shel Silverstein Shupriya Karki “Why I Didn’t Finish My Homework” Brynn Schroeder and Charlee Meyer “If We Were Mayor of DeWitt” Levi Kinrade and Callen Gordon “”2nd American Revolution” Callen Gordon, Brooklyn Pettitt, Penny Postell, Rebekah House, Becca Stewart, Levi Kinrade, Lois Purcell, Eloise Ohnemus and Jonathan Stroud “Now is the Time” #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdis #cdispoetryslam #saberssucceeding #saberpride

🎓 Meet Logyn Dingbaum one of our seniors who is on the path to success after graduation! Way to go, Logyn! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

As you have heard, Superintendent Dr. Dan Peterson has resigned from his position effective June 30, 2024. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Peterson for the last 16 years he dedicated to Central DeWitt and the numerous and valuable ways he has positively impacted our students, staff, and community as superintendent. You will be missed, Dr. Peterson! Below is a letter he has written to our Saber community: Dear Saber Family, I am writing to share with you a significant personal decision. After 16 years of service, I will be stepping down as the superintendent of Central DeWitt Community School District, effective June 30, 2024. This decision marks the end of a rewarding chapter in my career, one filled with challenges, accomplishments, and the joy of working alongside such a dedicated school community. Throughout my tenure, we have collectively achieved remarkable successes that have propelled our district forward, enhancing the educational experience for our students. Our achievements in academic excellence, program innovation, and infrastructure development have solidified Central DeWitt’s reputation as a leading institution in education. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the entire Central DeWitt school community. To our staff, your commitment and expertise have been instrumental in our district’s achievements. Your dedication to our students’ growth and well-being has been the cornerstone of our success. To our students, your passion for learning and your resilience in the face of challenges have been truly inspiring. It has been a privilege to witness your growth and achievements. As I prepare for this transition, I am filled with pride for what we have accomplished together and am confident that Central DeWitt will continue to excel and build on this strong foundation. I am looking forward to seeing the district reach new heights in the coming years. Thank you for the support, trust, and collaboration over the last 16 years. It has been an honor to serve as your superintendent and to be a part of this extraordinary school district. With heartfelt appreciation and best wishes for the future, Dr. Dan Peterson Superintendent

REMINDER: There is no school tomorrow, Friday, March 29th. Enjoy the long weekend and we’ll see everyone again on Monday, April 1st! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #noschoolfriday #noschoolmarch29 #enjoyyourlongweekend #seeyoumonday

🎓 Meet Drew McAvan one of our seniors who has big plans for his future! Way to go, Drew! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

FROM THE CDCSD SCHOOL BOARD: The Board would like to share that Superintendent Peterson has offered his resignation from the Central DeWitt Community School District effective June 30, 2024. The Board will act on Dr. Peterson’s resignation at its Special Board meeting at 6:00 pm on April 1, 2024. In providing his resignation, Dr. Peterson wrote “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the entire Central DeWitt school community. To our staff, your commitment and expertise have been instrumental in our district’s achievements. Your dedication to our students’ growth and well-being has been the cornerstone of our success. To our students, your passion for learning and your resilience in the face of challenges have been truly inspiring. It has been a privilege to witness your growth and achievements.” The Board would like to thank Dr. Peterson for his service and commitment to the Central DeWitt Community School District. He has been a dedicated and conscientious leader committed to improving all aspects of the educational experience. During his time leading our district, Dr. Peterson has found opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of our staff and students. We wish Dr. Peterson well in his future endeavors. The Board recognizes this as an opportunity for new leadership for the Central DeWitt Community School District. A state-wide search will be launched with the help of a search firm recognized for its connections in the educational field within the month. During this process, we will seek community input and keep our staff and the public updated. We look forward to welcoming our next leader who will continue to serve all students in an innovative and supportive learning environment that prepares them for life-long success. Mike Zimmer, Board President Angela Rheingans, Board Vice-President Geoff Blandin, Board Member Roger Hill, Board Member Dan Smicker, Board Member

The first-ever “Chopped” Student vs. Staff Cooking Competition occurred in Family and Consumer Science Teacher Ms. Sage's room yesterday. The competition took place to prepare these CDHS students for an upcoming cooking competition taking place on April 12th at Scott Community College. The students will use their teamwork and cooking skills to compete against other area high school students in hopes of winning the inaugural (SCC) cooking competition. During yesterday’s practice competition the student and staff teams were tasked with cooking a meal within a one hour and 15-minute time limit. Competitors were surprised at the beginning of their time with four ingredients to use in their meal: sweet potatoes, ground chicken, non-alcoholic white cooking wine, and fresh sage. The student team prepared a creamy chicken and sage alfredo pasta with mashed cinnamon and sugar sweet potatoes while the staff members prepared a “rustic” chicken patty drizzled with a maple-Dijon sauce, mashed parmesan sweet potatoes, and a homemade biscuit. When time finished a panel of judges rated the dishes based on appearance, taste, texture and creativity. It was a very close competition but the judges ultimately gave the “Golden Utensils” and the win to the team of staff members. Thank you to Mrs. Jacobsen, Mrs. Wildes, Mr. Kuehl and Mrs. Burbach for helping prepare our students for the competition! And, thanks to Mya Campbell for filling in on the student team yesterday! Best of luck to CDHS culinary students Emma Peña, Karson Hoenig, JJ Coates, Dalton McCollam and Olivia Ortner who will be competing in the upcoming cooking competition! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #chopped #choppedcompetition #studentvsstaff #scottcommunitycollegecookingcompetition #saberpride #saberssucceeding

During spring break, members of this year's Central DeWitt Robotics Team were given a unique opportunity travel to Puerto Rico to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge Puerto Rico Championship. This opportunity came about when an affiliate partner for FIRST in Puerto Rico, Mr. Roberto Gorbea, reached out to other affiliate partners from the United States to help organize the inaugural island championship. After receiving some help and training from Iowa's affiliate partner, Ms. Rebecca Whitaker, he asked for recommendations of Iowa teams that might be interested in participating. Ms. Whitaker reached out to Central DeWitt robotics coach Eddie Mercado, who had family from the island and lived there for a time. Mr. Mercado began to lay the groundwork for the team to participate, and received approval from the administration and school board. Thanks to generous donations from Guardian Glass, John Deere, and the Central DeWitt Robotics Booster Club, $7500 was raised to pay for transportation and hotels. The event was a huge success, and the Central DeWitt team was proud to help make it possible. Their efforts earned the team the Innovate Award, sponsored by RTX. The Innovate Award celebrates a team that thinks imaginatively and has the ingenuity, creativity, and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. The students were also able to connect with new teams and hope to remain in contact with them to help grow FIRST across the island. And, this opportunity gave them a chance to experience a new culture and language, as well as explore some of the island's natural beauty including Old San Juan, the only tropical rainforest in the US national forest system, several of the island's pristine beaches, and a bioluminescent bay that is unique to the island's special ecosystem. What an incredible experience for our students and congratulations to Mr. Mercado and the Central DeWitt RoboticsTeam on a successful competition! CDHS students included: Garrison Chrones, Tyler Ritz, Alivia Crandall, Camila Reyna, Isaac Lewis, and Drew Stroud. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #centraldewittrobotics #centraldewittroboticsteam #FIRSTTechChallengePuertoRicoChampionship #FIRSTTechChallenge #robotics #saberpride #saberssucceeding

Last week 6th grade students learned about cacao production in the Caribbean and created social media posts to share their knowledge about issues happening in cacao production and chocolate manufacturing. Check out their work! Way to go, Sabers! This is lesson was part of Ag in the Classroom taught by consultant Jenna Stevens. Ag in the Classroom is program that helps K-12 students understand the role agriculture plays in their lives. See posts at: https://youtube.com/shorts/9SUyTaASqgc?feature=share #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdis #agintheclassroom #cacao #cacaoproduction #chocolatemanufacturing #learningisfun #saberpride #saberssucceeding