Wildcat News
New School Year 2022-2023
Contact our office at: 253-298-3200 centralavenue@fpschools.org
Central Avenue Elementary
Tonya Middling - Principal
Vanessa Batts-Assistant Principal
Dear Parents and Families,
Welcome back!! Hopefully you have had a wonderful summer so far, enjoying family and friends, and finding the right balance of rest and adventure! We are getting excited about students returning to school in just under three weeks from now!
During the week of August 22nd, our staff will be engaging in professional development organized around our school district's 3 pillars:
- Improved Instruction
- Equity/Social Justice
- Family/Community Partnerships
Our school MISSION statement will continue to be our guide for this year's work:
With the support of, and in partnership with our Wildcat families, our mission is to provide equitable and engaging instruction in a mutually safe and respectful space where all students prosper academically, socially, and emotionally for success in life and learning beyond Central Avenue.
We hope to create new pathways for our families to have an authentic voice in the work that we do as a school and community. To that end, teachers will be reaching out to some families to arrange an introductory meeting for students that are newer to our school as a means to connect prior to the school year starting. There will be additional opportunities to connect to our school as noted below.
Get excited. Let's go!
Mrs. Middling
It's great to be a Wildcat!
Important Dates to Remember
August 15th: Franklin Pierce Virtual Parent Information Session for Before/After School Care
August 25th: Back to School Night: 4:30-6:00 p.m.
August 30th: First Day of School
September 2nd: No School - Labor Day
September 5th: No School - Labor Day
September 6th: First Full Day of Kindergarten
September 14th: 90 Minute Early Release: 2:35pm
September 21st: 90 Minute Early Release: 2:35pm
September 28th: 90 Minute Early Release: 2:35pm
Back to School Night
Back to school night will be organized differently this year. Grade level teams will be assigned times to meet with parents and families in the library (intermediate grades) or gym (primary grades) to provide an overview of the grade level goals, routines, and your preferred communication before taking you down to your child's classroom so students can see where to go on those first days of school. Each grade level will repeat the presentation to accommodate families with children in more than one grade level. See the schedule below.
What: Back to School Night Ice Cream Social
When: Thursday, Aug. 25th
Time: 4:30-6:00 pm
Who: All CA families!
Building and Celebrating Community
New Assistant Principal: Ms. Vanessa Batts
We are so excited to welcome Ms. Batts to Central Avenue as our new Assistant Principal! She feels honored to serve as the Assistant Principal at Central Avenue Elementary this school year! This is her 8th year in education where she has served in many roles that include teacher assistant, taught grades 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, and, most recently, served as an Instructional Coach. Ms. Batts has a Bachelors in Elementary Education, a Masters in School Counseling and a Masters in School Administration. Ms. Batts and her family just arrived from Alaska this summer. They have one daughter (15) and a son (23) who is in the Navy stationed in San Diego.
She is so grateful to be a part of the Central Avenue family! Welcome Ms. Batts!
FIRST WEEK OF KINDERGARTEN REMINDER
Wow, the first week is just around the corner! We wanted to remind you about the rolling start that your child will have for the first week of school. Kinders only come one day during the first week (Aug. 01-Sept. 1). They will be given a scheduled day to attend (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) where they will come and meet a few students from class, go through the morning routine and learn about doing school. During the afternoon they will be working with our Learning Specialist, Para Educators, and their teacher to complete WA KIDS testing. Parents will have a designated time to come and meet with the teacher and student. After this has been done, you'll be able to take your student home.
Information about your scheduled time will be coming later this month.
The official kick-off for Kindergartners will be Tuesday, September 6th where they'll be here every day, all day.
Welcome New Staff to Central Avenue!
- Mr. Conner Budrick: 4th Grade
- Ms. Jordan Duncan: Kindergarten
- Ms. Michelle Cross: LAP/PBI Paraeducator
- Ms. Darla Hall: 4th Grade
- Ms. Tori Quill: MEL Teacher
- Ms. Shanelle Lum: 4th Grade
- Ms. Tia Hendricks: Kindergarten
- Brady Gates: 1:1 Support Center Para
- Ms. Jamerica Haslet: Resource Room Para
- Ms. Vanessa Batts: Assistant Principal
And for staff moving positions within the school include:
- Ms. Abbie Isaacson: Office Assistant
- Mrs. Jennifer Velazquez: 3rd Grade
- Ms. Anna Neel: 2nd Grade
- Mrs. Maddie Stenhjem: 5th Grade
- Ms. Kristal Simpson: Support Center Para
- Ms. Cecilia Leal: ELL Para
- Ms. Susan Templin: Library/ITS
Parent Pick-Up Zones
NEW Before and Afterschool Care for the 2022-23 School Year!
Serving students at ALL 8 Elementary Schools
Beginning in Fall of 2022, Right at School will operate before and afterschool programs at all eight Franklin Pierce elementary schools! Right at Schools offers a safe environment for students to learn, to play and to grow!
Direct link to Central Ave's registration page!!
Immunization Requirements
Per WA Department of Health, the immunization requirements in RCW 28A.210 regarding schools, the Department of Health has updated the Immunization Manual for Schools, Preschools, and Child Care Facilities (PDF). This means that all students enrolled at a public school must follow the immunization rules. Students will need a completed Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) and/or Certificate of Exemption (COE) on file at the school or district program in order to attend school.
Join our Team!
Interested in working with some AMAZING Central Avenue Wildcats? Consider becoming a guest-educator! You will have a flexible schedule and work when and where you choose. To be a guest classroom teacher, you need a bachelor’s degree in any subject. With that, you can apply for an Emergency Substitute teaching certificate--you do not need to have a current teaching certificate. We will provide some additional training.
To be a paraeducator, you must possess a high school diploma, plus 72 quarter college credits of 100 level or above, an AA or a BA or pass the Para Assessment exam. For more information, please go to fpschools.org > Get Involved > Careers > Current Job Openings > Job Openings and type sub in the position column to see specific information. We would love to have you join the Wildcats team!
New Student Registration for 22-23 School Year
Registration for new kindergarten through grade 5 students who live within our school boundaries has opened. A child must be five years of age on or before August 31, 2022 to be eligible to enroll. Please prepare to register by obtaining medically verified immunization records, birth certificate, and a proof of residence (utility bill, lease/rental agreement, or mortgage papers). We register new students online at our district website ~ Franklin Pierce Schools. Please click here to start the process.
Current students who live within CA boundaries are automatically enrolled at CA for the 22/23 school year.
Any questions, please contact our school office at 253.298.3200.
Central Avenue Elementary
Email: centralavenue@fpschools.org
Website: http://centralavenue.fpschools.org/
Location: 4505 104th Street East, Tacoma, WA, USA
Phone: 253-298-3200
Facebook: facebook.com/centralavenueelementary