CHS & Drury School of Architecture collaborate on the future of CHS

Students from Drury University School of Architecture are working with CHS stakeholders on a vision for our campus. What changes would you like to see? A new gymnasium? A new parking deck? New programs or expansion of current course offerings? What about a Fine Arts Academy or updated Practical Arts facilities? You have to dream it before it can become a reality!

Lady Bulldogs ranked 9th in the state of Missouri in class 5

Our very own Lady Bulldogs basketball team, with a record of 18-3, is currently ranked 9th in the state of Missouri in Class 5. GO BULLDOGS!

Two (2) scenarios depending on whether school is held on Thursday, Feb. 10

Plan A: If school is in session on Thursday, Feb. 10 - all activities go as planned. The Loyalty Assembly will be held in the morning; the crowning of king/queen will occur Thursday evening in the Pit during the Hillcrest game. School on Friday, Feb. 11 will run a normal "Friday" schedule and the Loyalty Dance will be held Friday night 8:30 - 11:00.

Plan B: If school is NOT in session on Thursday, Feb 10 - all Loyalty activities will occur on Friday, Feb. 11. We will run a Tues/Thurs schedule of classes. The Loyalty assembly will occur in the morning; the crowning of the king/queen will occur Friday evening in the Pit during the Rogersville game. The dance will go as scheduled 8:30-11:00. Dance tickets will be on sale before school, at lunch, and after school.

Central HS receives the highest rating on 5 of 7 standards in accreditaion review

The Quality Assurance Review (QAR) team composed of school leaders from St. Louis Metro HS, Lee's Summit HS, Joplin HS, Neosho HS, Ozark HS, and North Kansas City schools recently conducted an accreditation review based on the standards set forth by AdvancEd (formerly North Central). The review team rated CHS fully accreditated and rated 5 of the 7 standards as "highly functional". This is an outstanding rating and one that should make all students, staff, parents, and community members very proud.

Attendance Incentives proposed

Overall student attendance percentage this year has been poor - in an effort to provide an incentive for a greater number of students, the following is proposed:

Incentive A - If a student has 100% attendance in a block for a semester, the student is awarded a 20% bonus of the points earned on the final examination, or other end of term activity. No absences allowed for a class to earn this incentive.

Incentive B - If a student has 96-99% attendance in a block for a semester, the student is awarded a 15% bonus of the points earned on the final examination, or other end of term activity. A student could miss a maximum of 3 class periods for the semester in any one class to earn this incentive.

Incentive C - If a student has 92-95% attendance in a block for a semester, the student is awarded a 10% bonus of the points earned on the final examination, or other end of term activity. A student could miss a maximum of 7 class periods for the semester in any one class to earn this incentive.

Tardies - Three (3) tardies in any one block count as one day of absence for that block in the awarding of the above incentives.

• Absences due to ISS, OSS, and/or ACE count against the attendance incentive.
• School-related absences do not count against the attendance incentive.
• Eighth-semester seniors may opt out of a final of any course they have an "A" in at the end of the semester.

Our current Bulldog Card incentive would become obsolete and discontinued - this incentive would reach more students (92% attendance as opposed to 95% for Bulldog card) and provide a relatively equal incentive for good attendance. ALL teachers would be required to provide this incentive for each of the classes taught. The attendance percentages are based on the teachers' personal attendance/grade book records.

Mission & Vision statements revised

Throughout this school year, staff members have been "tweaking" the Mission & Vision statements to truly reflect who we are and what we hope to become. This review is done on an annual basis, but was particularly important this year to align these statements with IB for the Middle Years Programme (MYP) authorization and the Diploma Programme (DP) five-year review. Please offer your thoughts on these important statements:

Our Mission:

"Excellence in Teaching and Learning for All!"

• We strive for excellence in teaching and learning for all by inspiring students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners who are prepared to be active participants in a global society.

Our Vision:

"Superior Academics - Global Citizenship - Diversity"

• The vision of Central High School is to be a Premier Educational Center providing a quality education for a diverse student population. We are committed to developing a community of learners devoted to academic excellence, good citizenship, and the celebration of diversity. By sharing experiences in the classroom setting and beyond, students can develop their awareness of, and sensitivity to, the experiences of others beyond the local or national community. We believe in providing opportunities for all students to develop lifelong skills in these areas: Academic Excellence, Global Citizenship, and Diversity.

Scheduling options down to Option A or B

The input process has concluded and the choice is clear - either Option A (current schedule) or Option B (current schedule with a late start on one day). Over 600 people responded to the on-line survey with the majority selecting Option B, but Option A was a close second. The faculty voted as well - and the same results occurred. The late start option is being studied further before a final decision is made to institute this for the fall. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during this process - I realize it created some stress - but the process worked and I believe we learned more about ourselves because of it.