CJHS "Chargers Connection"
August 25, 2023
From the Principals...
It has been wonderful to welcome our staff and students back to school! Thank you to all our families for making sure your student(s) is on time for school, ready to learn! Reminder that students are welcome to enter the building beginning at 8:20 a.m. and must report either to the cafeteria or gym. At 8:35 a.m., students may head to their locker or drop off instruments/sports equipment and be in first period class by 8:45 a.m.
~Ms. Nicasio, Principal
~Mr. Tripp, Associate Principal
Sharing the Joy!
CJHS Spirit Wear Sale...
Click here for the link to purchase items!
Last day to order is TODAY Friday, August 25th!
Car pick-up/drop-off
We also ask that you help us in following the procedures for drop off at the North Door before school! Please make an entire lap around the parking lot (green arrow) and drop off your students when you get to the grass area closest to the school. All of this should be done in one line. This will ensure a safe and speedy drop off for everyone in line!
Please do NOT use the red arrow directions where:
#1) we wrap around the entrance/exit of the parking lot
#2) cutting through the parking lot to get in a second line to drop off and
#3) passing parked vehicles that are letting children out
These steps will ensure that the morning drop off will be both smooth, quick, and most importantly, safe. Thank you for your help in ensuring our CHARGERS stay safe!
PBIS Kick-Off Week
Next week, teachers will continue to review, model, and reteach expectations to students.
Students have the opportunity to earn Charger Cash for following expectations!
Students will also begin to receive consequences for failure to follow these expectations including our dress code.
We invite our families to ask their student(s) what they learned and determine areas to focus on together! Click here for our CJHS PBIS Matrix of expectations.
Safety Drills...
At the beginning of each school year, we introduce students to the various emergency action plans and conduct safety drills at different points over the course of the year. We want to ensure our CJHS families understand the importance of preparedness as well as understand each type of drill.
The students and CJHS staff will be practicing various emergency drills each year. We want each student to understand and be aware of the importance of these drills. By practicing, they will know what to do and how to do it in a timely and efficient manner should an emergency situation occur.
Our Emergency Action Plans are explained below...
Hold: This is initiated when an incident is occurring inside the school such as a medical situation where hallways need to be kept clear. Students and staff stay within their classrooms and ignore bells until given the all clear that they may move about the building as normal.
Secure: This is initiated when there is a hazard such as an unsafe condition in the immediate neighborhood. All exterior doors remain locked and closed. No one is permitted to enter or leave the building during this time. Students/staff move around as usual inside the school.
Code Red Lockdown: This is initiated when there is an active threat inside the building requiring students to be in a secure location within the school.
Evacuate: This is initiated when a fire or other unsafe situation is suspected within the building and it is necessary for students, staff, and any volunteers to evacuate the building.
Shelter: The purpose of this drill is to be prepared to move to a safe location within the building in case of severe weather or tornados.
In addition, students practice a bus evacuation drill and are taught how to evacuate a school bus safely from all exits.
The staff at our school will spend time discussing the importance and reviewing the procedures prior to running these drills with our students. We also take time after the drills to talk about the drill in an effort to determine if we can improve our practice.
Should we need to put any of the lockdown procedures above in place, we ask that you do not contact your child’s cell phone, as it is imperative that we have quiet to move through our procedures efficiently. As well, please do not contact the school office, as the lines need to be kept open for emergency response. Know that parents will receive information from me or the district providing information regarding next steps in the event of an emergency situation.
All of our drills were developed with the assistance of local police and fire officials as well as the Regional Office of Education with recommendation from the U.S. Dept. of Education. Each time we practice, we continue to evaluate our emergency preparedness plans to ensure appropriate procedures are in place so students and staff know how to respond to different situations that may occur.
Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will be taking their Fall FastBridge Assessments this coming week!
Locks
Reminder that ALL students should have two locks - one for PE locker and the other for hallway locker. There are MANY lockers in the hallway without locks and we want to avoid missing items!
Locks are sold in the office - $18 for the pair. Payment is accepted in the form of cash or check.
Cell phones
Should you need to be in contact with your student, please reach out to the main office and we would be happy to deliver your message to them. Thank you for helping our students following our schoolwide expectations.
Daily Announcements
If you are interested in reading announcements in the morning at CJHS, please fill out the form here!
Our annual "unraiser" is the only fundraiser where 100% of your donation goes toward PTO budget and it DOES NOT involve selling products or spending your valuable time.
Please consider a donation of any amount to help support our school community!! Click on the link below for more information.
High School Athletic Events
Football season kicks off tonight!
High school football games are great events for junior high and elementary students to attend to start seeing what high school life is like. It is important to note that junior high and elementary students coming to a football game at either Normal Community or Normal West must be accompanied by an adult (18 or older).
Junior high or elementary students without an adult will not be allowed to enter the stadium. We also ask that students not bring bags, footballs, or toys to the game.
Thank you for your cooperation and we invite you to come out and support our Unit 5 teams this fall!
Jr. High Meal Program
Athletics and Activities at CJHS
Girls Basketball Open Gyms and Tryouts:
The schedule for girls basketball open gyms and tryouts has been announced:
Open Gyms will be: Friday, August 25 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM and Monday, August 28, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.
Tryouts will be: Wednesday, August 30 from 7:00 to 8:15 AM (morning) and Thursday, August 31 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.
All athletes must turn in their physicals before tryouts. No one will be allowed to try out if their physical is not up to date and they have not registered on 8 to 18.
Registration will close at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 29 for tryouts. No registrations will be accepted on the actual day of tryouts.
No registrations will be accepted on the actual day of tryouts or the beginning of participation for no-cut sports.
Any questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Tripp at trippd@unit5.org
Art Club Sign-Up:
6th, 7th and 8th grade Art Club sign-up begins now and will close on Friday September 1st. Please stop by room 119 to get your Art Club packet as soon as possible. Art Club will begin on Tuesday September 5th. Have questions? Please email Mrs. Vincent.
Reminder that there is no school next Monday!!
Stay Connected...
You can also visit our school website for additional information. Please be patient as changes are being made to the website to ensure the most updated information is provided.
Visitors
All visitors to school property are required to check into the Main Office and receive permission to remain on school property. All visitors' log, identifying their name, the date and time of arrival, and the classroom or location they are visiting, show identification, and wear a visitor's badge.
Chiddix Junior High School
Dan Tripp, Associate Principal
Phone Numbers:
- General Information: (309) 557-4405
- Guidance Office: (309) 557-4850
- Attendance Line: (309) 557-4454
- School Nurse: (309) 557-4687
- Transportation: (309) 557-4287
Email: nicasim@unit5.org
Website: https://www.unit5.org/Domain/25
Location: 300 South Walnut Street, Normal, IL, USA
Phone: 309-557-4405