The 6-8 English Language Arts department has adopted a new curriculum this year and is currently implementing it into the ELA/Reading classrooms. The EL Language Arts curriculum, built in the science of reading, is a nationally acclaimed program that engages students in compelling science & social studies topics, fostering skill and knowledge acquisition. Students build capacity to read, think, talk, and write about complex texts—while developing key social-emotional learning skills. The curriculum allows learners to engage with grade-level complex texts throughout the year in 4 different modules. Each of the four modules in the curriculum is built around a fiction or nonfiction book that guides the learning and helps students connect to the module topic. These books act as portals, giving students access to the perspectives of diverse characters and to the academic challenges required for grade-level success. We are excited to see the growth of our students’ learning through the use of the new curriculum in the 6-8 ELA and reading classrooms!

Last week the Nebraska Attorney General issued a consumer warning for THC

containing products being sold in Nebraska. These products are designed to look like

normal snacks and candies kids would be interested in, and look fun. This information is

intended to help you learn more about these products and Delta-8 THC.

-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive cannabinoid extracted from

the cannabis (marijuana) plant. Delta-8 is a form of THC.

This is coming to the public’s attention now because of increased availability and

increased reported adverse effects.

Delta-8 THC Facts

-Delta-8 THC occurs in cannabis plants at very low levels, so it is chemically made

(synthetic chemical synthesis). The environments it is produced in are unregulated and

sometimes unsanitary facilities.

-Delta-8 THC has psychoactive and intoxicating effects that make you feel “high”, similar to

regular THC (Delta-9) which is found in marajuana/cannabis.

-The intention of making and selling of delta-8 THC products get consumers “high” is legal

in Nebraska and other states.

The following businesses have generously donated to sponsoring our Post Prom activities for this year! Give them a HUGE thank you!!

48 Bowl Inc.

Ceresco Back & Insurance

Williams Cleaners

Super C

Raymond Contracting Inc.

Tvrdy Services

L & L Towing

Farmers Coop

Husker Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, PC

State Farm--Di Pfeiffer

Raymond Central Elementary students raised $ 1,000 in four days for the Valparaiso Rural Fire Department to help fund a new ambulance. The goal of the project was to promote service learning in our local community with as much student participation as possible. Each classroom could earn positive points by bringing in silver coins for their classroom account. However, pennies deposited in any classroom account counted negatively, decreasing the point total. All students could help by bringing in a penny or a jar full of coins! The students used logic and reasoning to help determine a classroom winner, and a little luck also played a part! Mrs. Niewohner’s class won the challenge, and two students, Owen Biegler and Beckham Christensen, Mustang Award winners, were selected to present the check on our Fire Safety Day hosted by the Valparaiso Rural Fire Department with the help of the Raymond Department. Also, thank you to the Valparaiso Fire Department for another fun and knowledgeable Fire Safety Week!

On October 27th, the Blue Crew traveled to Ceresco to help the 2nd grade class carve pumpkins. THey all had a great time, and the pumpkins turned out amazingly well! Thanks, Blue Crew! And thanks to Mrs. Hudson's 2nd Grade class for letting them join in on such a fun activity!

My oldest daughter is attending college in Kansas City. This means that I am increasingly becoming familiar with the trek between here and there. I also realize that I don’t savor road trips as much as I did when I was younger.

One way I mentally make it through longer road trips, such as down to Kansas City, is to not focus on the complete trip. Rather, I focus on smaller sections of the trip. A 40-mile stretch seems much less daunting than the full trip of 218 miles.

I have found this approach to be helpful to students (and myself) as we get into the long stretches of the school year. May 22 can easily seem a long way off. This time of year, it is much easier to think about making it to Thanksgiving.

Ideally, we don’t want students and teachers to simply “make it” to some date on the calendar. We want them to be able to give sustained, productive effort. This is much more likely to happen if we continue to encourage ourselves, and our students, to focus on short-term goals instead of getting overwhelmed with all that needs to happen between now and May 22.

A simple and effective way we can all help our students finish strong is to keep giving them encouragement while helping them set and focus on short-term goals. Those conversations could start with questions such as, “What do you need to accomplish these next two weeks?” Or, “What things are due this week that we need to focus on?” Or maybe, “What is important to focus on for tomorrow?”

The Fall and Winter months can seem long. Let’s focus on one week or two at a time. Before we know it, 2nd semester will be here.

Mr. Smith

The RCHS Marching Band ended their season with two Division II Excellent awards at Bennington and the Oxbow Invitational. We are proud of all the hard work they've put in this season. Way to go band!

The JH Choir, JH Band, and HS Choir performed their first concert of the year on Monday, October 30th. Congratulations on a great performance!

Music Concerts Looking Ahead...

Tuesday, December 5th: K-2 Vocal and 5th Grade Band @ 6:30pm at the HS Main Gym

Tuesday, December 12th: 6-12 Band/Choir Concert @ 6:30pm at the HS Main Gym

Raymond Central Student Council is hosting a canned food drive so that local families have plenty to eat for the holidays. Please bring your canned or boxed goods to the office by Friday, November 17th. The student council has placed boxes there for your donation.

Parent's Night Out is an evening for the RCHS Dance Team to provide child care services for parents near the holidays!

The event is Friday, December 15th, from 3:30-8:00 pm. Students will participate in winter-themed crafts, activities, and games in the gym, pizza dinner, and a movie!

Elementary (PK-5th grade) students will be offered transportation from the elementary schools to the high school using school vans driven by RCHS Staff Members. (Parents do have the option to pick up their child from the elementary and drop them off at the high school building.)

Pricing is described below:

1 Child--$25

2 Children--$45

3+ Children--$60 (Family Maximum)

Staff members are CPR and First Aid Certified. Space for the event is limited to 40 children.

Registration closes December 8th!

Dance Camp will be Saturday, January 6th from 9:00-11:00 am at the Highschool New Gym. Dancers will learn the routine and receive their tshirt. Camp is open to students in grades PK-5th.

The performance will be Tuesday, January 9th during the High School Boys Basketball game, scheduled to start at 7:30 pm.

The Camp is $25 per dancer. Parents will be emailed the music and a video of the routine after camp. Dancer's admission to the game is free. Parent/spectators will need to pay admission. Late registrations may be accepted, but a tshirt order cannot be guaranteed.

A copy of this registration will be sent to the email provided shortly after submission.

Registration closes November 17th.

Contact Courtney Polak via email--cpolak@rcentral.org with any questions.

November 1st Junior Job Shadow Day (pending, details to come)

November 3rd Registration for December ACT

November 3rd No School

November 6th and 7th Naviance with 9th grade

November 8th ASVAB test for 11th grade morning - then results later (maybe Advisory it depends on when how long the test takes) using the Mustang Room!

November 9-10 Osten gone at NSCA

November 15th Mini Career/College Fair - List of Reps

Shanahan Mechanical, Concordia University, UNL, John Henry’s, Army National Guard, Nebraska Wesleyan, Army, UNO, Valparaiso Rural Fire Department, Northwest Missouri State, Northeast Community College, Marines, Willmar Electric, Doane University

November 20th and 21st Naviance with Juniors

November 22-24th Thanksgiving Break

November 28th Osten at ESU

November 29th and 30th Naviance with Sophomores

The FFA Parliamentary Procedure team got first at the State Convention in Lincoln, NE in April. This year they have the opportunity to go to Indianapolis Indiana for the National Convention where they will compete against other teams that qualified for Nationals. The team competes the week of October 30th.

The chapter held a fun night for members on October 24th. Members of the chapter were given a theme to dress up as. The theme was 1970's and the outfits were impressive. Hailee Nelson brought pumpkins from her Supervised Agriculture Experience for members of the Central chapter to decorate. At the meeting there was also a murder mystery for members to complete.

On October 13th members from the FFA Chapter held a feed for farmers in Raymond at the Farmer's Cooperative. Even though the weather was not the best, members still went to supply food for farmers to show our appreciation to them. Then on October 20th members were in Ceresco at the Frontier Cooperative serving pulled pork meals for farmers in that area. As a chapter in both locations, we fed approximately 170 farmers.

Raymond Central District!!

The yearbook showcases EVERY student from Preschool to graduating seniors. This is our third year adding the whole district into our book and we are perfecting it every year.

Ordering is now available! Forms are available below!

Order yours today!!

Here at Three Rivers Public Health, we currently have an opportunity through a maternal and child health grant to sponsor up to 20 students to participate in a driver's education course. We are looking to sponsor students that wouldn't otherwise partake in driver's education due to the cost of the course. It is our hope that you can help us find those students and share this opportunity with them. This will be on a first come, first serve basis meaning the first 20 students to complete the attached agreement and submit their deposit to Three Rivers Public Health will be awarded the opportunity.

All the details as far as to how this opportunity will work can be found in the agreement itself. We listed Big Red Driver's Ed as the suggested course due to the fact that all the "classroom" hours can be done online from anywhere as long as the student has internet and it is self-paced. The in-person driving hours will need to be scheduled with one of the instructors.