CJHS "Chargers Connection"
Back to School - July 28, 2023
From the Principal...
I hope everyone has been having a wonderful summer break! It is my pleasure to welcome you all to what will soon be the 2023-2024 school year! I am excited to continue serving the CJHS school community and build upon our traditions! Below is a little information about myself and I am happy to introduce our new Associate Principal, Daniel Tripp. He will continue to assist me in school improvement and work alongside our staff to promote positive behavior interventions as well as lead our athletic department. You can get to know him a little bit more in his bio below!
We know that a great deal of information will be headed your way in the weeks building up to the beginning of the school year. The purpose of our newsletter is to capture some of the initial middle school specific details you will find helpful as we transition into a new school year.
Below please find information to provide you with an insight to the start of the school year and answer some questions you might have regarding upcoming events including links for your reference. Our next newsletter will come out on Friday, August 11th. Continue to have a safe and restful summer!
Meet our CJHS Principal, Ms. Nicasio...
My family and friends are my support system and absolutely love spending time with my sister, brother, and all my nephews and nieces. I am the proud mother of a 25 year old daughter who lives up by the Chicagoland area with her husband, my two granddogs, and multiple snakes and reptiles. Both my parents were immigrants to this country and I am proudly bilingual in Spanish. I am always looking for a new book to read, new recipes to try, and new places to explore. I enjoy immersing myself in new cultures through my traveling adventures and visiting historical landmarks. I enjoy spending time in the sunshine as much as possible and love camping and exploring in nature.
As a leader, I am here to serve and support our CJHS staff, students, and families with positivity, love, and courage. I have always believed in an open door policy and I welcome you to come to me with your questions and concerns. Please know that your voice is important in cultivating an environment of equity, collaboration, and excellence at CJHS. I look forward to working with our school community to continue the tradition of outstanding teaching and learning at CJHS!
~Ms. Nicasio, Proud Principal of CJHS
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." ~Dumbledore
Meet our new Associate Principal, Mr. Tripp...
Hello Chiddix Junior High! My name is Daniel Tripp and I’m entering my 16th year in education that has moved me to almost every area of the state. A graduate of Sandwich High School in 2003, I got my degree in Music Education (Magna Cum Laude) from Western Illinois University in 2008. I received my MA in Educational Administration from EIU in 2014 while working in Paris, IL. Life moved me closer to Chicago (family resides in Plainfield) and got to teach in Manteno, IL where I met my wife, Brenna, who also taught music in the district.
We bought a house and had two kids, Maddox (1st grade at Fairview) and Donovan (2 years out from Kindergarten). COVID hit, and we both got opportunities closer to her home in Decatur, IL where I taught band in Sullivan, IL and she was in DPS as a Curriculum Coordinator. We both graduated from the Vandercook College of Music in 2021 where I was humbly offered the role of class president and gave the closing speech at our graduation.
After working in 2 of the hardest years of my life, I felt the call to administration and was given the opportunity to serve the students, staff, and community of Dee-Mack CUSD No. 701. I am forever grateful for that selection and have loved the challenge to serve ALL students and staff within a building.
My wife has left the education field and is now employed by State Farm while I have this new venture here in Unit 5! I couldn’t wait to jump at the chance to help influence the very school and district where my children will grow. My hobbies include golfing, pickleballing, grilling/smoking meat, coaching youth sports, attending horribly-frustrating White Sox games, jamming on various instruments, playing various video and board games with family, and reading.
My job is to ensure that every child that walks into Chiddix is given the opportunity to learn, grow, and be themselves in a safe, secure environment. I can not wait to get to meet you and your children as we navigate these all-important years of their Junior High experience.
Mr. Tripp ~ Associate Principal/Athletic Director
“Be Curious, Not Judgmental… Barbecue Sauce” ~Ted Lasso
Registration for the next School Year (2023-2024) is open on Infinite Campus
Infinite Campus Returning Student Registration Directions
Current Unit 5 student information can be found at this link - Established Student Registration. This link is for families that had a student registered with Unit 5 for the 2022-2023 school year. Log in to Infinite Campus Parent Portal, go to "More" on the left-hand side of the page, and click on "Online Registration."
New students to the district registration information can be found with this link - New Student Registration
Interested in decorating your locker?
Students are invited to decorate the inside of their locker following the below guidance:
- All pictures must be school appropriate.
- Reminder that no tape or hot glue is allowed.
- Magnets only to adhere anything to the inside of your locker.
School Supply Lists
Once students learn of their team assignment, please purchase items under specific team requests.
We also ask that you continue to supplement your student with pens/pencils as this is the most lost and needed commodity throughout the school year! Thank you for your support!!
Before school supervision program...
Please note we will be offering a before school supervision program for families that are interested. Students will be supervised by a teacher from 7:20 a.m. - 8:20 a.m. At that time, students would join the rest of the students in the gym/cafeteria. Parents will be responsible for transporting their child to school each day.
The program fee is $85.00 per quarter (which equates to about $2.00 per day). The fee needs to be paid prior to the quarter starting. There will be no refund if a student does not attend on any given day. Students that are continued disruptions may be removed from the program.
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
Schedule Information
- Student schedules are built during the summer based on individual student needs along with course selections made by students at the end of last school year. Every attempt is made to honor requests, but not all requests are possible.
- Please note that all schedules are subject to change.
- Check out our Math FAQ!
- Please read our Advisory Letter that has all that information!
When will schedules be available to students and families?
- Schedules will be available electronically through Infinite Campus on Friday, August 4th after 4 p.m.
Athletics/Activities Corner...
Chiddix Charger Cheer has kicked off their season working on stunt choreography and school cheers at their camp this past week. They have also been working on their competitive team performance with their choreographer over the summer!
Lady Charger Softball started this week with tryouts and first practices at NCHS. They have a Saturday practice from 9-11 am with a parent meeting to follow afterwards. The first game is on Thursday, August 3rd starting at 4:15 pm against Tri-Valley.
Charger Baseball starts next week! 8th Grade tryouts will be held on Monday, July 31st from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 1st from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday from 9:00 to 11:00 am. 6th/7th grade tryouts will be held on Monday, July 31st, Tuesday, August 1st, and Wednesday, August 2nd from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day. Make sure to get those physicals turned in!
First games are on Wednesday, August 9th! 8th Grade first game is home against Parkside at 4:15 pm with 7th Grade visiting Parkside starting at 4:30 pm.
Charger Cross Country also starts on Monday, July 31st! The first practice will be 9-10:45 a.m. starting behind CJHS on the track. A parent meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 7th at 6 pm in the cafeteria. First event will be at Washington Central on Saturday, August 12th starting at 9 am!
Golf had their tryouts this past week at Ironwoods and the team will be set soon! Please reach out to Coach Lewis with any questions.
Chiddix Racquet Club...
Are you interested in playing racquet sports like tennis, pickleball, badminton, and ping pong? If so, join the Chiddix Racquet Club! This club is for ALL levels of racquet sports players from advanced to beginners. There is no cost for participation in the Chiddix Racquet Club.
We will begin to play tennis in August at Anderson Park. We will start with tennis and explore other racquet sports such as pickleball, badminton and ping pong. Our meetings will be on Wednesdays from 4:00 - 5:30 while the weather cooperates. Once the weather changes we will meet about twice a month.
If you are interested in participating, please take the following steps:
Email Mr. Broach via email for planning purposes. Provide the following information: student name, incoming grade, level of experience, and parent email address.
Participants may need to sign up through the 8 to 18 website: https://chiddix.8to18.com/accounts/login. Mr. Broach will let you know when this website is ready for participants to sign-up.
Bookmark your calendar for our first meeting, Wednesday, August 9th from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm at Anderson Park!
It should be fun! Any questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me!
Mr. Jim Broach
6th Grade Teacher
Chiddix Junior High School
Chiddix PTO...
We are happy to introduce you to our 2023-2024 PTO Board:
- President - Meghan Quinn
- Vice President - Melanie Moody
- Treasurer - JoAnn Cavanaugh
- Hospitality Committee - Sara Tracey
- Secretary - Nia Gillott
The PTO board will be holding a planning meeting on July 31, from 6-7pm in the IMC. Anyone who is interested in helping with PTO activities is welcome to join us! Please email us at chiddixpto@gmail.com if you have any questions.
We look forward to partnering with all Chiddix families and Staff to have a great school year!
SAVE THE DATES...CJHS Open Houses!!
Tuesday, August 15th...Food Truck courtesy of Healthy in a Hurry!! Bring your $$$ and leave a healthy tip to help us raise funds for our school student and staff appreciation programs!
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.
Chiddix Junior High School
Daniel Tripp, Associate Principal
Email: nicasim@unit5.org
Website: https://www.unit5.org/Domain/25
Location: 300 South Walnut Street, Normal, IL, USA
Phone: 309-557-4405