Central High School Bulldogs Dr.Snodgrass' Blog

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

2011-03-22T10:23:00.002-05:00

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

2011-02-09T13:40:00.001-06:00

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

2011-02-09T13:31:00.002-06:00

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

2010-10-21T22:01:00.002-05:00

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

2010-05-26T08:18:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-22T09:39:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-16T19:21:00.002-06:00

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.

Scheduling options for 2010-11 being considered

2010-02-06T11:47:00.002-06:00

Four different scheduling options are being considered for the school year 2010-11. Why? As principal I believe we should constantly review and examine our current practices and look for ways to improve. Through teacher surveys, it was discovered that having a common meeting time to conduct business for professional learning, departmental, and faculty meetings would be more productive and meaningful for teachers. Thus, the idea of a late start one day a week. This idea is gaining popularity and is utilized in many schools - in our own district Kickapoo HS has a late start on Wednesdays. There are pros and cons to any schedule - some programs/classes prefer longer periods (block) whereas other programs/classes fit better with a shorter class or daily schedule. Your feedback on this issue is appreciated - you can go to:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZCWWGB9 to see the options being considered and cast your vote.

CHS earns Silver Medal from US News & World Report

2009-12-12T09:59:00.002-06:00

For the third year in a row Central High School has been recognized by US News & World Report as one of America's best high schools. A Bronze medal was awarded for the past two years, but this year CHS jumped up to Silver Medal status! Out of 18,743 high schools across the nation, Central High School is in elite company by earning the Silver Medal. The top 100 schools receive a Gold Medal; the next 461 schools receive the Silver Medal. Based on the academic achievement of all students and the college readiness index (as measured by US News & World Report), Central High School is in the top 3% of the schools ranked. Congratulations to our students and staff for outstanding work! Go Bulldogs!

Springfield voters approve bond proposal

2009-11-04T11:51:00.002-06:00

On behalf of the students and staff of Central High School, I want to thank our community for the support demonstrated for this proposal. Almost 65% of Springfield voters supported the bond proposal on Tuesday, reaffirming the desire of our community to remain a leader in education for southwest Missouri. This no-tax increase bond issue will complete air-conditioning for all schools, fund construction & building improvements, along with essential technology upgrades for classrooms. Thank You!

Commencement 2011

2009-10-26T16:03:00.002-05:00

The school district is considering having all 5 high school graduation ceremonies on one day and one location on a Saturday in May. The first graduation ceremony would start at approximately 9:00 a.m. and the last ceremony around 7:00 p.m. all at Missouri State University. Obviously the main reason is to accomodate more families to attend the ceremony with a weekend date.

This is NOT for this year (2010) - they are considering this for the class of 2011. What do you think?

School starts August 25th!

2009-08-18T22:21:00.004-05:00

The first day for students is Tuesday, August 25th - you will follow your regular "Tuesday" schedule (2, 3, 4, 6, and 8th block). Because we are starting on Tuesday - there will NOT be a regular "Fast Friday" schedule - it will be your normal "Monday/Wednesday" classes on Friday.

One big change this year is the rule on cell phones. Students are allowed to use their phone:

Before and after school (before 8:00 a.m. and after 2:50 p.m.)
During the 5-minute passing time
During your designated lunch period

If you are in class all phones are to be stowed away and not used. If you are out of your class for some reason (restroom, office, etc.) - the phone is NOT allowed to be used.

Best wishes to all staff and students for a great school year!

Later starting time one day a week?

2009-04-29T20:09:00.002-05:00

I'm interested in getting feedback from students, parents, and teachers about starting school one hour late on one day each week. Why?

Having a late start day would allow our teachers to work on professional development, complete departmental meetings, and allow for school-wide faculty meetings at a consistent time each day of the week. As it is now, our professional development time (study groups) are during conference periods, departmental and faculty meetings are after school which prevents many staff members from participating due to after school responsibilities such as coaching or club sponsorship.
What day of the week and what time would school start? A probable starting time would be 8:30 a.m. and the day of the week is flexible. My recommendation would be to have it on Monday - this day historically is our worst attended day by students and typically has a multitude of tardies. Having an 8:30 start time on Mondays could help improve student attendance and lower the number of tardies.
What time would school dismiss? In order to meet the guidelines for number of minutes served in classes, school would have to go later on Mondays - or to make up for the late start time additional minutes could be added throughout the week.
What about buses? Students who ride the school bus would still be dropped off in the morning at the normal time. As stated above, the dismissal time would have to change to accomodate for the late start.
Please give me your thoughts - PRO & CON - this is simply an idea for discussion and possible future planning. No change is anticipated for this fall.

Boys' Basketball Wins District Title

2009-03-01T16:31:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to the boys basketball team for winning the district title! Now we're on to the Sectionals at Southwest Baptist University on Wednesday against the Branson Pirates. The fan support and enthusiasm was great on Friday night for the district championship. Lets keep it up! Sign-up to ride the spirit bus during lunch. Go Bulldogs!

Central celebrates internationalism

2009-01-07T19:58:00.003-06:00

It was an awesome scene in the Commons during Learning Lab today. CHS students and staff representing 31 countries proudly displayed the flag from their home country. The diversity of Central High School is one of the great attributes of our school. The students and staff recognize the diversity of our school and celebrate our unique student body. Go Bulldogs!

Snow Ball Dance Canceled

2008-12-19T16:47:00.002-06:00

I know there is a lot of disappointment about the cancellation of the Snow Ball dance. However, the ticket sales fell short of the established mark of 200 tickets sold by the end of lunch on Friday. This was a minimum standard set to gauge the level of student interest in attending the dance. In comparison, the Homecoming dance sold well over 800 tickets - so where was the support from the student body for this dance? I don't blame the Junior class officers or other STUCO members who devoted a lot of time, effort, and personal expense to make this event a fun evening for students. I applaud their efforts and am sorry that more students did not choose to participate in this event. This decision is not about "administration vs. students," or "I'll show them who is boss" kind of bullying type attitude. This decision is about meeting a guideline that was more than fair. Out of over 1450 students at CHS, expecting only 200 tickets to be sold is not expecting too much. It is my hope that our student body learn from this experience - let's take the disappointment you feel now and channel that energy to help improve our school spirit at future dances, ball games, and other student events. I have learned from this experience and will work to improve communication between administration and student groups when activities such as this are being planned. Thank you for being passionate about CHS - GO BULLDOGS!

7-period per day schedule?

2008-10-29T19:52:00.003-05:00

So what kind of schedule is the best for students? Currently CHS uses a modified 8-block, basically classes meet every other day and all classes meet on Friday with the exception of Learning Lab. Other high schools have their own twists to a block schedule (i.e., 4-block), but what about the traditional daily schedule where every class meets every day? A 7-period schedule would have classes meeting for 50-minutes each every day of the week. This schedule would NOT include Learning Lab. A 7-period/day schedule has advantages - one of the big advantages is an increase in total amount of instructional time. However, no schedule is perfect and there are pros and cons to any type of schedule. I am interested in your thoughts about a 7-period/day schedule. What are the pros & cons as you see it?

Homecoming 2008 - A Walk in "Central" Park

2008-10-01T22:27:00.002-05:00

Homecoming at CHS is this week! The dance will be held on Thursday, October 2nd; the crowning of the Homecoming queen will be Friday night when the Bulldogs take on Strafford at Harrison Stadium. Please post your Homecoming memories - both Alumni and current students! The pride of CHS is seen throughout our community - let us know what makes you proud to be a Bulldog!

School starts August 25th! How are you feeling?

2008-08-12T20:47:00.003-05:00

Starting a new school is always filled with a variety of feelings such as - excitement, apprehension, fear, anxiety, anticipation, joy and many other emotions.

How are you feeling about starting school this year?
What can the teachers and administrators do to help students have a smooth start to the school year?

Provide Feedback for Dr. Snodgrass

2008-06-04T16:58:00.000-05:00

Please respond to one or more of these questions:

What is the best thing about Central High School?
What is one area of concern that needs to be addressed?
What advice do you have for the new principal?

Everett Isaacs retires from Springfield Public Schools

2008-06-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

After 39 years, and the past 10 years as principal of Central High School - Mr. Isaacs is retiring. I congratulate Mr. Isaacs for his dedicated service to our school district and to Central High School. He has been the catalyst for the positive reformation of Central High.