Central Elementary News
August 2017
Welcome back, Pirates!
What an exciting day - full of anticipation, first day outfit planning, some precious family traditions, lots of prayers, and a little less sleep than we need. Like you all, I have a bit of jittery excitement leading up to tomorrow morning. Every "first day" is like none before - ready to greet our Pirates and begin the journey of this school year. We have been waiting for this day! We have been waiting for you!
As we prepare for the arrival of your children tomorrow, I want to pause first and express my heartfelt appreciation for our students and our families. Thank you for entrusting us with your children. Thank you for your continued support of Central Elementary and the Lubbock-Cooper community which is like none other. We appreciate all that you do to make our campus so special. Your partnerships amplify our efforts to educate our students. We know the school-to-home connection is critical in the success of our students and we are blessed to have your family on our team.
To those of you who are dropping your child off for the first time tomorrow - we know the emotions you are feeling today! As a mom of three myself, I know that the years have sped past in the blink of an eye and you don't know how its possible that your baby is now a Pirate. I assure you, we've got your back! We're going to hug and love your child, and when you pick your kiddo up from school, they will have tales of great adventures!
To those of you who are dropping your child off as a fifth grader tomorrow - we've got your back, too! We promise to make this last year of elementary a wonderful one! We'll do our best to make the days go slowly and pack the most fun into each moment we possibly can. We'll work hard to prepare your Pirate for life beyond our walls as they get ready to transition to middle school.
We look forward to many "firsts" this year and lots of opportunities to improve our practices to better meet the needs of our students. With a growing campus, our focus will be "connection". Our desire is for every Pirate to know they are supported, valued, and loved. We want each staff member to intentionally seek out students and look for ways to strengthen our relationships with our kids and your families. Every Central Pirate should be connected to their homeroom, their House, and our campus. Layers of support and community should ensure that every child knows just how much they are valued every single day.
We can't wait to see you in the morning! What a GREAT day to be a Pirate!
See you in the morning!
- Candice Cross, Principal
Upcoming Events
September 1 - House Party & Sliding Ceremony
September 4 - Labor Day Holiday, No SchoolSeptember 8 - Fall Picture Day
September 19 - Watch DOG Pizza Night (6:00 PM)
September 21 - Fire Drill
September 21 - Third Grade Parent Meeting (6:00 PM)
September 22 - Central PTO Mother/Son Kickball Tournament
Central Elementary Vision Statement
The vision of Lubbock-Cooper Central Elementary is to cultivate a welcoming, respectful, and safe environment where all are supported and valued equally.
Pirates will be enthusiastically challenged with innovative ideas that encourage academic and civic achievement.
Lubbock-Cooper Central Elementary House System
A “House System” is an underlying organizing structure that exists on campus. The system serves to unify students across grade levels and groups, leading to meaningful connection.
Central Elementary Houses include:
Delta (Green) House
Gamma (Red) House
Omega (Blue) House
Sigma (Yellow) House
Theta (Purple) HouseAll Central Elementary students will be assigned a House during our first House Party and Sliding Ceremony this Friday. Students will spin a wheel to randomly select their House. Please make sure to ask your child which House they will be part of at Central Elementary!
Once students are assigned a House, they will remain in that House throughout their time at Central. For example, a student who selects "Theta" as a first grader will stay in Theta through fifth grade.
At the conclusion of each six weeks, we will have a "House Party" - a time to celebrate achievements and foster community. On House Party days, we ask our Pirates to wear their House colors, which are outlined above. There is no required item, just any article of clothing or item you have at home.
This year, our students will also attend Specials and eat lunch in their Houses. Our hope is for students to continue building relationships with students beyond their homeroom - further cultivating communities within our campus.
We will be sending more information about these special events and new systems home in the weeks to come. We look forward to an exciting year with this new addition!
House Party & Sliding Ceremony - Friday!
Students will spin and randomly be assigned to their House. Upon determination of their House, students will "slide into" their group and have an opportunity to connect with the other students they will work closely with this year.
As you see from our staff Sliding Ceremony photos, our goal for this time is to provide a fun and exciting atmosphere our Pirates enjoy! Our ceremony will take place outside during students' Specials time.
Please make sure to ask your kiddo which House they are part of on Friday afternoon!
Specials Schedules
This week, the Specials rotations will be organized by homeroom, like we have done in the past. There is an attachment to the parent email with this week's schedule. Please note that all students will participate in our first House Party and Sliding Ceremony on Friday during their Specials time.
Beginning next week, Specials will be organized by House. You will also find this rotation schedule attached to the parent email. By organizing Specials in this manner, our students will build relationships with the students in their House, connecting with others who are not in their homeroom. Our hope is for this to provide opportunities for students to collaborate with friends from years past and also to foster new relationships.
ACE Program - Begins Tuesday, September 5
The program will run from 7:20-7:50 each day and after school from 3:20-5:20 Monday through Thursday.
Programming will begin next Tuesday, September 5.
Registration for the program will begin tomorrow, August 28. Students will bring home printed copies of the schedule and registration form for your reference. I will also send the paperwork electronically at noon.
Program enrollment occurs on a first-come, first-served basis, so please return your child's completed registration form at your earliest convenience to ensure their participation in the program.