Central Cass
Mid-Year Newsletter 2020-21
Please take time to review our mid-year digital newsletter below for more information as we move into the new year and as always, please contact us with any questions!
- December 10th- Virtual Choir Concert, Gr. 4-12
- December 11th- Virtual PreK-3rd Grade Concerts
- December 14th- Virtual Band Concert, Gr. 5-12
Important 2021 Dates:
- January 4th- School Resumes
- January 13th-15th - Semester One Finals -High School
- January 15th- End of Quarter 2
- January 18th- No School (Staff Professional Development)
- February 19th- No School
- February 22nd- No School (Added PD Day for Staff)
- February 26th- End of Trimester 2
- March 3rd- No School Parent-Teacher Conferences 12:00 - 7:00 pm
(Professional Development from 8:00 am-noon) - March 4th & 5th- No School (Spring Break)
- March 19th- No School
- March 26th- End of Quarter 3
- April 2nd & 5th- No School (Easter Break)
- May 27th- Last Day of School
- May 30th- Graduation
The school calendar is available on the school's website:
https://www.central-cass.k12.nd.us/calendar
See our tutorial on how to sync your calendar with our Activities Calendars:
CDC QUARANTINE CHANGE
Public health experts locally and at the national level are always analyzing data and making changes as new information becomes available. As a result, the CDC issued new guidance reducing the number of days close contacts will need to quarantine following exposure to a COVID-positive individual.
The new guidelines allow close contacts of those infected to reduce their quarantine period from 14 days to 10 days. If the close contact receives a negative result from a COVID test, they can reduce their quarantine to seven days. Residents at long-term care facilities and other congregate living settings are exempt from the new guidance and should continue to quarantine for the full 14 days.
Individuals will be able to end their quarantine after seven days if they receive a negative COVID-19 diagnostic test, are symptom-free, and wear a face-covering or after 10 days without being tested.
To test out of quarantine, a person can either do a PCR test or a rapid antigen test. The earliest test that should be done is 48 hours before being released from quarantine. Individuals must continue to quarantine while awaiting test results. Individuals should continue to monitor their symptoms and wear a face covering for the full 14 days.
The NDDoH will be working to update the website and factsheets with the new information. For more information on COVID-19, visit health.nd.gov/coronavirus.
Please see our updated COVID-19 Protocol Handout Below!
Central Cass Update and Instructional Model Commitment
Schools throughout the region are operating in a wide array of formats for both academic instruction and athletic events. We recognize this has caused some confusion in the community and we want to continue to clarify a few things:
• The state and county color code is assigned by the Governor in consultation with the ND Health Dept.
• The state or county color does not distinguish the color of each school, although it may have an impact.
• Each district works directly with its local or county health department to designate the school color. There are many variables to consider, most notably the occurrence rate of positive cases within the school itself.
At this point, Central Cass School District remains in GREEN.
Central Cass is committed to continuing in-person instruction along with providing “distance learning” opportunities to students affected by COVID-19 due to a positive case or close/household exposure along with the Virtual Academy option for those that choose to continue to learn from home for an extended amount of time.
We are proud of the efforts our students and staff have made and their compliance with the North Dakota Department of Health’s recommendations of wearing masks, social distancing, and staying home when sick. No major classroom and/or team spread has occurred, and it is because of these efforts that we have experienced the success we have.
Please know if you are not comfortable with in-person learning we still have the option of the Virtual Acadamy. We do ask that if you are a current Virtual Acadamy Learner or choose this option for your child for the second semester that you (re)sign up by Wednesday, December 16th. Please see the links below to register.
If you are continuing in-person you do not need to contact us, we will assume you will be back in the building for the second semester.
Please see the link below if you are interested in registering for the Virtual Academy for the 2nd semester. The Virtual Instructional Model Commitment will need to be submitted by Wednesday, December 16th.
If you have any questions, please call the District Office at 347-5352. Thank you!
Winter Sports Parent Meeting
We have been contacted by a variety of people with questions, ideas, and/or concerns regarding the fan policy and mask practices/expectations established by the school. As such, we feel it best for our administrators to meet collectively with parents, coaches, and athletes to present information, explain our rationale, and answer any questions you may have.
Please join us for a ZOOM meeting on Wednesday, December 9th at 6:00 PM.
(The link will be sent out by the coaches.)
Extracurricular Protocol Guidelines
To comply with the Executive Order by Governor Burgum and to provide a safer environment for participants, spectators, and workers, the following guidelines will be in place at Central Cass sporting events. Contact Activities Director, Mr. Lemar with any questions. Thank you.
Click here for the Extracurricular Protocol/Guidelines
The streaming of our scheduled winter sporting events can be found on YouTube through Jerel's Broadcasting (YouTube Central Cass Basketball and Wrestling) or on the Squirrels Den YouTube Channel!
Storm Delays and Cancellations
North Dakota winter is at our doorstep. . . In the event of inclement weather Central Cass will announce any schedule changes or cancellations on the Central Cass website, our district Facebook page, and through our blackboard (Email, Text, and/or Call) notification system.
The North Dakota Department of Instruction requires schools in North Dakota to meet a set number of instructional hours each school year. Although these requirements vary in Elementary, Middle, and High School, the Central Cass School District calendar has an overage of hours that allows our schools some flexibility in emergency situations.
Because of that flexibility, our first two weather cancellations will not be distance learning days and will not need to be made up. After our “extra” hours are used up the administrative team will discuss a plan for distance learning and/make-up days moving forward. We will communicate those changes and updates as needed.
Please know, because we are mainly a rural school district we do not take closing school lightly but always try to keep the best interests of our students and staff in mind, working closely with the Cass County Sheriff's Office and other local schools to make our final decisions. As you know, in North Dakota, the conditions change not only by the hour but by the minute and we try to take that into consideration. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we make those difficult decisions to stay open or to close our school in the future.
PLEASE NOTE: When school is two hours late the building will also open two hours late. Students may not be in the building while there is no one available to supervise.
All-Region Volleyball
All Region Football
All-State Football
All Region & Elite 80 Club Cross Country
2nd Time Published Author, Julienne Olson
For the second time Julienne Olson, Early Childhood Special Education teacher at Central Cass Public School has become a published author with the release of her new children’s book titled, Patti Discovers Her Gift. Olson published her first book, 200 Essential Preschool Activities back in 2012 which was written as a guide for early educators and focused on improving children’s functional skills and promoting quality early childhood educational opportunities.
Olson, who is a huge advocate within the district for early childhood education and building social skills at all ages, states that the whole process to get the new children’s book published has taken a couple of years from start to finish. She explains that she started the journey with an idea that came to her one day on a plane ride as she traveled to visit her parents. After landing, she quickly got to work getting her idea written out and then began working with publishers and illustrators to bring her idea to a reality. Two years later she proudly holds the freshly printed book in her hands.
In the recently published book, Olson explains that Patti finds her special gift and learns how to connect with friends and teachers. There are questions prompts and opportunities for discussion found on several pages in the book to encourage the reader to talk to children about self-control and to help encourage the reader to make good choices. Patti Discovers Her Gift can now be found on Amazon and is available for sale throughout the United States and many countries around the world.
Olson, who has been with the Central Cass District since 1995, has degrees in Early Childhood Regular Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Intellectual Disabilities (K-12), and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education.
We will begin celebrating our teachers and support staff that have made it to the 5-year mark and then move up to the years of 10/15/20/25 and so on by 5's after the Holiday Break. Be sure to congratulate them for their years of service! We are proud to have them on our team!
(Click the pictures to view larger!)
Matt Ashburn
Angie Buhr
Kristin Scott
Anthony Bryant
Ben DeHaven
Heather Gleave
Absentee Form
Edmodo Grades 5-12
ATTN Parents Grades 5-12, if you need to adjust your Edmodo Parent notifications please see the attached handout. We currently added a new Zoom feature within Edmodo that creates reoccurring meetings and have been alerted that mass messages have been going out. Thank you for adjusting your own notifications as we work out the kinks and sorry for the inconvenience.
Click HERE for directions on how to change your Edmodo Notifications!
PowerSchool
Dollars for Scholars
Central Cass students are eligible and should begin their application for Central Cass Dollars for Scholars Scholarships; http://www.centralcass.dollarsforscholars.org
Central Cass Dollars for Scholars was established in 1990 to provide scholarship assistance to Central Cass high school students who want to pursue their education beyond high school. Since its inception, the Central Cass Dollars for Scholars chapter has awarded approximately $718,775 in scholarships to Central Cass students.
More Scholarship Opportunties
Check out the page Mrs. Ziegelmann has put together with all the other latest scholarship information! Please contact her with any questions!
Stay Connected
Website: https://www.central-cass.k12.nd.us/
Phone: 701-347-5352
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CentralCassSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @CassCentral