Central School District 51 is seeking applicants for the following positions: -District Office Administrative Assistant -Literature Teacher (Grade 8) -Reading Interventionist (Grades 4-8) -Life Skills Special Education Teacher (Grades 4-6) -Full-Time Evening Custodian -Sub/Extracurricular Bus Driver -Substitute Teacher Please go to our employment page for... READ MORE >

8th Grade Students and ParentsIn order to celebrate our 8th Grade Class of 2020, CIS has produced a graduation video that will be shared with families on Sunday, May 17. The graduation ceremony will include our 8th grade student speakers and the presentation of the American Legion Awards, The Illinois Principals Association Student Recognition, and the Trojan... READ MORE >

Central School District 51 is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on its Board of Education due to the resignation of Casey Pfeifer. Mrs. Pfeifer served on the Board for three years, and we appreciate her dedication and service to the District. Interested parties should email a letter of interest and a resume to Dale Heidbreder at dheidbreder@central51.net. All... READ MORE >

Curbside pickup for Monday, May 18 lunches through Friday, May 22 lunches will take place this Monday, May 18th from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. All lunches for the week will be packed and handed out on Monday, May 18th. This will be the final week for CPS and CIS lunches for Central students and their siblings 1 year or older. Lunch pickup for CPS and CIS families will... READ MORE >

Please see the attached letter from Superintendent Dale Heidbreder with an update on Remote Learning Days. This letter includes a list of frequently asked questions and answers. 4/24/2020 Central 51 Parent Update READ MORE >

We have had some of our parents reaching out to make sure our neediest students are being taken care of over the time off. We are thankful for the very generous donations of Snack Packs for children in our Township Districts. We received a delivery of snack packs for our students Monday morning and we delivered those to their houses. We are working with the other... READ MORE >

Mrs. Burke, third grade CPS teacher, presented at the March 12th school board meeting to share information on the Lucy Calkins' Writer's Workshop and the progress her students have made this year as writers. She emphasized the writing process including rehearsing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. She shared that her students had completed a nonfiction... READ MORE >

Good morning!CIS DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS 3/12/2020GENERAL SCHOOL-WIDE INFO PLEASE SHARE DAILY WITH ALL STUDENTS Health will be in Mrs. Kennedy’s computer lab today. IAR Testing: Please make sure your Chromebook is charged for testing this week. Please make sure you have wired earbuds or headphones for testing. PE- Tuesday, March 10th Bowling Schedule! 8th... READ MORE >

The Winter 2020 District Newsletter has been published!Click here to check it out. READ MORE >

The American Heart Association visited Central Primary School this week. The theme of the assembly was Healthy Heart! The students were asked to raise money that will benefit the American Heart Association. A percentage of the money raised will come back the PE department at Central Primary School. Disability Awareness Day was held at both Central Primary... READ MORE >

Kindergarten Registration Central School District 51 We will be conducting Kindergarten Registration from March 2, 2020 through March 13, 2020. Your child must be 5 years of age by September 1, 2020 to be eligible for the 2020-2021 school year. The registration link can be found at, central51.net. Please call the school at, 444-3580, should you have... READ MORE >

Mrs. Hranka's second grade classroom received a special treat on February 27th. Dr. Chris Michaels, from 104.9 The Wolf, visited and presented the class with cupcakes from Guilty Pleasures Bakery. Congratulations Mrs Hranka and students! Isla, in Mrs. Wulf's Kindergarten class, did an amazing job reading for Mrs. Wulf this week! She celebrated by reading for... READ MORE >

A video about being kind brought to you by Girl Scout Troop 4763Be the "I" in Kind READ MORE >

Five staff members from Central Primary attended the Reading Recovery conference in Chicago from January 22nd through January 24th. The staff members presented their major takeaways from the conference to colleagues on February 14th. The day was a huge success for both the presenters and the staff members who were able to hear about best practices in reading. ... READ MORE >

On Thursday, February 13, the Board of Education approved the district calendar for the 2020-21 school year. Please use the following link to view the calendar and additional information. 2020-21 District Calendar READ MORE >

Mrs. Amy Zeuhls visited classrooms at CPS over several days sharing her experiences living and visiting Alaska and Antarctica. Students were able to see and hear how people live and eat in Alaska, as well as, the citizens customs. Students also learned about penguins that call Antarctica home. Our third graders at CPS had their Winter... READ MORE >

Mrs. Faulkner's first grade students at CPS have third grade book buddies they meet with each Friday. The students are loving it, and it is beneficial in developing a love of literacy and developing positive role models. Proud to be a Trojan! Mrs. Walsh's third grade class at CPS works on a weekly student newsletter. The newsletter goes out on Fridays, and... READ MORE >

Mrs. McClintock, a parent in Mrs. Tanner’s second grade classroom, visited this week. Mrs. McClintock shared information about the Chinese New Year. Students learned about Chinese culture, snacks, and practiced proper chopstick techniques. This week, Mrs. Felix practiced math and reading with her Kindergarten students using a word problem. They worked... READ MORE >

Mrs. Mescher's Kindergarten class celebrated the 100th day of school with Zero the Hero bringing in STEM activities. Our kindergarten students are proud to be Central Trojans and 100 days smarter! Mrs. Evans' Kindergarten classroom celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream was that everyone would be treated equally no matter what... READ MORE >

Mr. Cox, CPS Principal, was a guest reader in Mrs. Couri's classroom. A student brought in a book to share that he was very excited about. It was a special treat for both Mr. Cox and Mrs. Couri's students. This year, Central welcomed Mrs. Carolyn Cracaft as our new Early Childhood Education classroom teacher. Mrs. Cracraft considers sensory needs and gross... READ MORE >

Happy 90th day of school from Mrs. Evans' Kindergarten classroom! Her students celebrated our 90th day of school with a Zero the Hero guest reader and even created fun snowmen masks. #celebratecentral51. The kindergarten through third graders participated in Christmas caroling at Barnes and Noble in Peoria. The event occurred on a Saturday and was done in... READ MORE >

CPS Kindergarten teachers and students participated in Christmas rotations this week. All Kindergarten teachers had a special Christmas themed activity that the whole grade level got a chance to participate in. It was fun for all involved! CPS staff and students participated in our Leader in Me all school assembly celebrating our success with the coin... READ MORE >

CPS staff and students are practicing Leader in Me Habit 4: Think win-win, as we are decking the halls for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We are collecting coins Dec. 9th-13th and are making deposits into others' emotional bank accounts. After students have donated they bring back a colored St. Jude emblem to display in our atrium. We can't wait to see... READ MORE >

Our math interventionist, Kris Mertens, nominated our amazing CPS librarian, Katie Mann, in a contest through popular children's author Mike Thaler. Mike Thaler is the author of many children's books including the popular Black Lagoon series. Mrs. Katie Mann was selected as a winner and received a Black Lagoon Author Visit DVD, a signed Black Lagoon Scholastic... READ MORE >

The PTO hosted a VIP Breakfast for our students on November 14th and 15th. The breakfast was an opportunity for students to enjoy a light breakfast with a very important person in their lives. Donations were collected during the event and $600.00 was donated to the Washington Weekend Snackpac Program. Mrs. Couri's first grade class shared their monster... READ MORE >

A day of shopping and fun! Come out and enjoy music performances from CPS students at 11 and 11:30 a.m. followed by CIS at 1 p.m. More updates and information to come soon! When: Saturday, December 14th Location: Barnes & Noble 5001 N. Big Hollow Road, Peoria (Glen Hollow Shopping Center) #celebratecentral51 #BNBookfairs READ MORE >

Friday, November 15th is School Board Appreciation Day. A big thanks to our Central 51 Board of Education for the work they do to provide educational opportunities for our Central students! We appreciate you! 💙 READ MORE >

Mrs. Wulf's kindergarten class sent kindness on World Kindness Day 2019. They wrote Be Kind to Everyone, drew a picture of something that made their heart happy and delivered their hearts to staff members around CPS. What a pleasant surprise and a great way to spread kindness to others! At the end of Mrs. Burke's True Story Writing Unit, the students picked a... READ MORE >

Mrs. Publes spoke to the children about the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead in Mrs. Couri's classroom this week. She danced with the children and helped them make paper flowers in celebration of the holiday on November 1st. Third grade students read the book Moldilocks and... READ MORE >

The Fall 2019 District Newsletter has been published!To view the newsletter, please use the following link:District Newsletter - Fall 2019 READ MORE >

Central Primary School's Leader in Me all school assembly focused on Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind. Teachers participated in multiple skits demonstrating the power in setting goals and beginning with the end in mind. Mrs. Evans kindergarten class celebrated Halloween with a pumpkin activity. The activity... READ MORE >

This week marks National Principal Appreciation Week!Mr. Cox, CPS principal, is in his first year of service here at Central District 51. Mr. Cox has served as an administrator for the past 7 years and has proven himself as a successful instructional leader. We are so happy to have him here at CPS and look forward to a bright future!Mr. Hoelscher, CIS principal,... READ MORE >

Mrs. Hartzler's Kindergarten students have a partnership with 6th grade students in Mrs. Uftring's Advanced Literature class. The sixth grade students plan and teach lessons to their Kindergarten buddies. What a great collaboration! #celebratecentral51 A critical piece of our Central Primary School life is Leader In Me. Leader in Me (LiM) is an evidence-based,... READ MORE >

October is Fire Prevention Month! The goal of Fire Prevention month is to raise awareness about fire safety and help ensure your home and family is prepared in the event of an emergency. CPS Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students visited the Washington Fire Department. Kindergarten is looking good as fire station Dalmatians. Students in Mr. Dalberg's PE... READ MORE >

The PTO was at CPS to reward our readers. Students earn prizes for their active participation in the AR program. Parent support continues to be phenomenal at CPS! The Leader In Me Events Committee put together an all school assembly at CPS. The focus of the assembly was habit #1, Be Proactive. The students enjoyed several "real school" scenarios put together... READ MORE >

Grandparent's Day for our second half of third grade was last Friday. They too did a fantastic job! Thanks again to the PTO, Mrs. Cunningham, and the third grade teachers and students for an amazing program. Mr. Schu visited 3rd and 4th grade students today at Central! Mr. Schu is a blogger, a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, and the Ambassador of... READ MORE >

Good News Call of the Day is up and running at CPS. We are excited to celebrate students making good choices at school and on the bus. Several students have received certificates and a positive phone call home already this year. Go Trojans, keep up the good work! CPS celebrated Grandparent's Day this week with 3rd grade. Congratulations to Mrs. Cunningham,... READ MORE >

CPS staff and students celebrated the beginning of a great school year with an all school assembly! We introduced staff and reviewed the 7 Habits from Leader in Me. There was great energy from all involved and we are looking forward to future assemblies digging deeper into Leader in Me. CPS is proud to recognize Mrs. Mann for all of her hard work this year... READ MORE >

Mrs. Arms came into Mrs. Cox’s 7th Grade Class to discuss what bullying is, who to go to and ways to handle tough situations. READ MORE >

CPS celebrated the start of football season with jersey day. Staff and students wore their favorite team jersey to school on Thursday. As you can see a few staff members and students made the correct choice! CPS teachers enjoyed a team building activity at their first staff meeting this Tuesday. Congratulations to our 2nd grade team for building the tallest... READ MORE >

This week in Kindergarten, Zero the Hero stopped by to visit. Zero the Hero reads a book to students, discussing the significance of the number zero. Our hero stopped by this week to celebrate day 10! Team work makes the dream work! Teachers at CPS worked collaboratively after school to reorganize the leveled library. It’s temporarily placed in the 1st/2nd... READ MORE >

The Central Primary School staff rallied early in August to create a warm and welcoming classroom environment in all of our classrooms. The classrooms looked phenomenal as the doors were opened to students and parents. Great work staff for your dedication and hard work in making CPS a wonderful place to learn. CPS custodians, Tim and Steve, did an outstanding... READ MORE >

Central Alums from the class of 2015 received scholarships from the Community Foundation on Wednesday. Sierra Sonnemaker: The Roy & Ada Romani ScholarshipBen Learned: Paul A. Kinsinger M.D. Memorial ScholarshipEthan Miller: Illinois Mutual Employees Children Scholarship.Congratulations! Central is proud of you! READ MORE >

A message from W.H.I.P.: Washington Helps It’s People, WHIP, would like to thank the students, families and staff at Central District 51 for your amazing support. Over 3,500 cans and boxes of food were collected during the 2018-2019 school year! These donations have a big impact keeping our shelves stocked. The food was distributed to over 330 Washington... READ MORE >

Two CPS students enjoyed a ride to school in a police car thanks to a bid at the Central 51 Trojan Gala on Saturday, March 2nd. Quinn and Riley were escorted by our Central 51 D.A.R.E Officer, Officer Taylor. Mrs. Ekena's second grade students enjoyed an end of the year campout in their classroom on Wednesday, May 29th! They enjoyed scavenger hunts, flashlight... READ MORE >

1. Central Primary School would like to thank the Washington Rotary Club for their donation to our school for leveled readers for our kindergarten students. Our beginning readers have been able to use these readers as they learn the fundamentals of reading. Our kindergarten students have grown so much this year, and we thank the Washington Rotary Club for their... READ MORE >

Central School District 51 to Host Groundbreaking Ceremony Washington, IL— Central School District #51 will host a Groundbreaking Ceremony on Thursday, June 6 at 6 p.m. to mark the start of construction for an addition and district facility improvements. The groundbreaking will be held behind Central Intermediate School’s Holford Gymnasium. The public is... READ MORE >

1. On Wednesday, May 15th, Luke Flowers, children's author and illustrator made a virtual visit to our CPS Gym to do an Author Skype Visit with our kindergarten and first grade students! Mr. Flowers talked to students, created a Ninja with students and allowed students to ask questions. Students enjoyed the opportunity to listen to this author, and we are so... READ MORE >

1. Principal Madeline and Assistant Principal Josie stayed very busy on Thursday, May 2nd. They visited classrooms, helped with Prize Patrol, attended a meeting, met with the superintendent to discuss building plans, supervised lunches, ate lunch in the teacher’s lounge, and gave some input on how to improve our school! Both students had a great day! 2. Third... READ MORE >

1. On Wednesday, April 24th, we celebrated Administrative Assistants Day. Our Central #51 administrative assistants go above and beyond to help our district run smoothly and support our students day in and day out. Their commitment and support are appreciated by all of us, and we are lucky to work with such dedicated individuals. 2. The long-anticipated CPS... READ MORE >

On Wednesday, April 17th, CPS students engaged in Synergize activities. Kindergarten and first grade students worked together on Pattern Blocks and Buddy Reading. Second and third grade students worked on tangrams and cootie-catchers. This was a great opportunity for different classrooms to work together! Mrs. Wulf's kindergarten class worked on... READ MORE >

1. Morgan Frans joined the CPS café staff this winter. In addition to her talents in the kitchen preparing meals each day for our K-3 students, she is a talented artist. Morgan was a 2013 graduate of Washington High School and excelled in art during her high school years. She is now bringing her artistic skills to the café as she draws a cartoon each day to match... READ MORE >

1. PTO organized Muffins with Moms for Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22. Students and the special ladies in their lives enjoyed donuts, milk, coffee, conversation, and fun! Following their muffins, students enjoyed a movie in the gym. A big thanks to all those who helped this event run smoothly! 2. Mr. Dalberg held a basketball camp for students over spring... READ MORE >

1. On Wednesday, March 20th, Central Primary School students and staff attended an assembly about Habit 5, Seek first to understand, then to be understood. During the assembly, students reviewed Habit 5 and discussed its importance. Then, teachers led students in building a monster who shows that he is ready to listen. The assembly was a great way for students to... READ MORE >

1. On Friday, March 8th, Mrs. Faulkner's class worked with the Washington Community High School IMPACT Program. This WCHS program seeks to help high school students realize their potential to make a difference through community service. In Mrs. Faulkner's class, WCHS students lead math instructional centers and had the opportunity to engage with excited first... READ MORE >

CIS Drama Club will be performing Willy Wonka Junior in the CPS Gym on Friday March 15 and Saturday, March 16. Performances begin at 7:00 with the doors opening at 6:00.All tickets are $5 Hope to see you all there! READ MORE >

1. The kindergarteners at CPS participated in their first CPS music program on Monday, March 4th in Holford Gym. Students sang traditional songs, classics from Raffi, and sang and danced. Students did a great job, and we are excited to see where music takes them throughout their time at Central.2. Third graders are teaming up with community members to contribute to... READ MORE >

1. On Wednesday, February 13th, our 3rd grade students participated in their music program held in the Central Primary School gymnasium. Students sang, danced, played instruments, and showed off their Nintendo Labo piano that incorporated STEM into music education! The 3rd grade students did a wonderful job performing, and Mr. Nelson did a great job organizing the... READ MORE >

1. On Friday, February 8th, a team of kindergarten teachers and other educators from Dunlap Schools came to visit our Kindergarten classrooms at CPS to view the use of 1:1 Chromebooks. Teachers and students answered questions about the Chromebooks, and it was evident that our CPS teachers and students have done a great job integrating the Chromebooks in classrooms.... READ MORE >

1. On Friday, February 2nd, students at Central Primary School celebrated the 100th day of school by participating in various activities using 100 items. Teachers adjusted their regular schedules so students could take part in celebrating this special day. Students had a great day engaging in fun activities!2. January Golden Apple winners, Kate Norburg and Kendra... READ MORE >

The generosity of our community was on display this month as WHIP was able to collect 439 items! Thank you for your continued support of WHIP! READ MORE >

A reminder that the 8th Grade Parent Only Night will be held Thursday, January 31 at 7:00 at WCHS. Please bring the white form that was given to your student by the counselors during their meetings at CIS. 8th Grade Orientation will be held on Thursday, February 21st from 6:00-9:00 at WCHS. Parents and students are encouraged to attend. For questions regarding... READ MORE >

1. Friday, January 18th, our students were dismissed early in order for teachers to participate in professional development. Central Primary School teachers engaged in Aligning Academics through Leader in Me in order to learn about ways to incorporate the 7 Habits into their instruction. Professional development provides meaningful opportunities for staff to... READ MORE >

It is time to order your Central Yearbook! Orders will only be taken online at the Lifetouch website. Choose your own package! Central Primary and Central Intermediate are combined into one yearbook. The link will state Central Intermediate only. However, please know that it is for both schools! Please go to: https://ybpay.lifetouch.com Central Yearbook ID... READ MORE >

1. In late December our 3rd grade students did a writing exercise on compare and contrast. The topic for the unit was police dogs and service dogs. The 3rd grade teachers invited Jim and Susie Dunnan to bring their hunting dogs to each 3rd grade class on December 17th to compare and contrast the differences between an adult trained Labrador Retriever and a 10 month... READ MORE >

1. Students, staff, parent volunteers, and Mr. Heidbreder had a blast helping our kindergarten students with their science experiments before winter break. It was so much fun to watch our littlest learners get so excited about learning. A big thanks to our kindergarten team for planning such engaging learning experiences for our students during a hectic week! 2.... READ MORE >

We are excited to roll out our new Central 51 App available at the following links: ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/…/central-school-dis…/id1420691520… Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details… READ MORE >