Central DeWitt School District -

🎓 Meet senior Tyler Ritz who has great advice for younger students! Way to go, Tyler! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

On Thursday, May 2nd at 10:30 a.m. CDHS will host Senior Decision Day to celebrate the plans our seniors have made regarding their futures. Each senior will be recognized for their postsecondary plans whether it be attending a university, college, or trade school, joining the military, starting an apprenticeship, entering the work force or still deciding. We are inviting parents of the seniors to join us for this event at the Central DeWitt Performing Arts Center. If you cannot attend, we encourage you to watch the live stream here: https://youtube.com/live/BdBV0X5hfGs?feature=share We're looking forward to this special event! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniordecisionday2024 #classof2024

Third graders had an experience this morning that was out of this world! They spoke with former astronaut and Central DeWitt graduate David Hilmers through a video call. Students learned all about being in space as well as things about Dr. Hilmers including that one of his favorite foods to eat while in space was shrimp cocktail. He also shared that it was a tradition for astronauts to take a sandwich with them on each flight. Hilmers flew on several missions including the first flight of Atlantis in 1985 and the 1988 mission which was the first flight to follow the Challenger tragedy. He logged over 493 hours in space. During his 12 years with NASA, he also worked as a capsule communicator, helped develop and test space suits, developed flight software and more. Hilmers was selected as an astronaut in 1980 but before that he attended Cornell College and served in the Marine Corps becoming a colonel and earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering. After retiring from NASA and the Marin Corps in 1992, he went to medical school and became a doctor which had always been his dream. Dr. Hilmers has five degrees making him the second most educated astronaut in history. And, this is a very abbreviated version of the incredible work Dr. Hilmers has done in his lifetime and continues to do today. What an inspiring story to share with our students! Thank you, Dr. Hilmers, for answering all of our students’ questions (and staying up late since it was 11:15 p.m. in Sydney, Australia where he currently lives)! You are truly a hero and we are beyond proud to call you a fellow SABER! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #ekstrandelementary #thirdgrade #formerastronaut #davidhilmers #centraldewittgraduate #hero #nasa #learningisfun #outofthisworld #centraldewittalumni #saberssucceeding

We encourage you to join us Monday, April 29th at 5 p.m. for our Community Conversation event in the CDMS Media Center. Superintendent Dr. Dan Peterson, CFO Sarah Johnston, and two school board members will be available to listen to your thoughts and answer questions. Then join us for the Central DeWitt School Board Meeting that begins at 6 p.m. in the CDMS Media Center. You can also attend the school board meeting via Zoom: https://cd-csd.zoom.us/j/83191015724?pwd=aEw3bzg2bXdXdWxLRThnV1A1cHJlZz09 To view the agenda for Monday night’s meeting, visit https://go.boarddocs.com/ia/central/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=D33RLN6E856C Community Conversation will take place before all regularly scheduled board meetings (not work sessions). We look forward to seeing you! #gosabers #centrldewittcsd #schoolboard #communityconversation #centraldewittcommunityconversation #centraldewittschoolboard #schoolboardmeeting

Yesterday Central DeWitt’s National Honor Society (NHS) hosted the EmpowerHer Leadership Summit to promote leadership in young women. The event was attended by young women in NHS from Central Dewitt, Calamus Wheatland and Northeast High Schools. During the event, 13 area women shared their stories of how they haven broken barriers to become leaders in their community and work. After the they shared their stories, members of NHS had a roundtable discussion to get to know more about each leader's story. It was a great experience for the students to hear the different paths these women took and the different ways women can be leaders in all facets of life. Thank you to all of the speakers who shared their inspiring stories: • Jen Vance, Central DeWitt Assistant Superintendent • D’Anne Kroemer, Pleasant Valley Athletic Director • Julie Higgs, Interim Pastor at Zion Evangelical Luthern Church in Clinton • Andrea Howard, Calamus Wheatland 7-12 Principal • Pam Duncan, Retired Physical Education Teacher and Coach who brought women’s sports to • Central DeWitt • Karla Watters, Director of Global Internal Audit at John Deere • Kathryn Ehrke, Civil Engineer/Manager of Program, Data, Quality Management at John Deere • Katherine Wilcox, EICC Welding Instructor • Sarah Johnston – Central DeWitt Chief Financial Officer • Sarah Watson – Quad City Times Journalist • Sarah Jurgens – Vice President Commercial Ag Lending / Credit Administration Manager at DeWitt Bank & Trust • Elaine Franck – Program Technician at USDA Farm Service Agency • Angela Rheingans – DeWitt Chamber & Development Company President & CEO, Vice President Central. DeWitt School Board #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdhsnationalhonorsociety #nhs #calamuswheatlandhighschool #northeasthighschool #empowerherleadershipsummit #womeninleadership #saberssucceeding

🎓 Meet senior Isaac DeHaven who has a bright future ahead of him! Way to go, Isaac! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

Happy Administrative Professionals Day to the women who truly rule our schools! Thank you for all of the different hats you wear and the ways you continually contribute to Central DeWitt’s successes every day. We would be lost without you! Pictured: Allison Swanson (Ekstrand), Angie Herington (Ekstrand), Netty Schneider (Intermediate), Tricia Crank (Middle School), Renee Meier (High School), Rachel Grager (High School), Becky Green (High School Guidance/Activities), Laura Meyer (Transportation), Gayle Pepmeier (Administration), Sarah Penniston (Administration) #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #ekstrandelementary #cdis #cdms #cdhs #administrativeprofessionalsday #thebestofthebest #saberpride #thankyouforallyoudo

As a reward for reaching their building-wide positive behavior goal, CDIS students chose to throw a pie in the face of five staff members who were chosen at random on Monday. The “lucky” employees were Mrs. Hamann, Mrs. Dolphin, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Green and Mrs. Fischer. They each chose a student to throw a pie. Later at the assembly, Mr. Ehlers surprised the principal, Mr. Lueders, with a pie in the face. Students and staff also played a fun game of “Knockout” to end the assembly. Great job students for meeting your goal and thanks to the CDIS staff members for being great sports! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdis #pbis #pieintheface #cdisassembly #knockout #saberssucceeding

STOP and thank our bus drivers as it’s National Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Thank you to all of our drivers who go above and beyond to safely transport our students to school, field trips, activities and more throughout the year. We appreciate you today and every day! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #centraldewittbusdrivers #busdrivers #busdriverappreciationday #weloveourbusdrivers #ekstrandelementary #cdhs #cdms #cdis

Only two more chances this school year to nominate a deserving Central DeWitt employee for the District Employee of the Month! This program gives CDCSD parents, students and community members the opportunity to help us recognize our outstanding employees. Nominations for April are due Friday, April 26th. Nomination form: https://forms.gle/ksRVLaYC6XBXkAbw7 #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #employeeofthemonth #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #nominateanemployee

🎓 Meet senior Brooke Bloom who has big plans for her future! Way to go, Brooke! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

🏆 Congratulations to these outstanding Central DeWitt Employees! #SaberSuperstars recognizes Central DeWitt employees who make a difference, positively impact the lives of those around them, and serve as a role model to others. Thank you for all you do at Central DeWitt Community School District! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #SaberSuperstars #saberpride #cdhs #cdms #cdis #ekstrandelementary #operations #nutritionservices #saberfamily #weloveouremployees

Congratulations to Evan Kinney and Tori Rheingans who were chosen as 2024 CDHS Prom King and Queen! What a great night full of fun thanks to so many who made the 2024 CDHS Prom possible! Thank you to the Central Dewitt Prom leaders Carolynn Bretschneider and Michelle Thines. This was Michelle’s final year organizing prom after seven years. Thank you for all of your time and creativity to making prom a wonderful experience for our students! We also want to thank the Central DeWitt After Prom committee and all the volunteers who put so much time and effort into making sure our students have a really fun, safe way to celebrate the whole night! Thank you to Ed Morse Chevy GMC of DeWitt who generously donated a car which was won by senior Emma Huyten as well as to all of the other local businesses and organizations who donated so many great prizes! To see more photos visit: https://www.cd-csd.org/article/1560977 and to watch the Grand March visit: https://www.youtube.com/live/2gwkN1gXQLQ?si=Vb2wAM-AlMxjJJCY and visit the Central DeWitt Prom and Central DeWitt After Prom Facebook pages to see more! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdhsprom2024 #prom2024 #cdhspromkingandqueen2024 #afterprom2024 #centraldewittafterprom2024 #saberpride

Since 1987 the CDHS Science Department has hosted the annual Science Bowl where teams from each grade level along with a faculty team put their science knowledge to the test. Teams buzzed in to answer questions from seven different categories including anatomy and physiology, physical science, earth science, field science, chemistry, biology, and physics. This year the faculty team came out on top followed by the freshman team in second place. Seniors and juniors tied for third leaving the sophomores in last place this year. It was a great effort by all teams and thank you to our CDHS science teachers for organizing the event and to Mr. Kreiter for hosting! FRESHMEN Tysen Steffens Kyle Olson Luke Hill Jacob Van der Merwe SOPHOMORES Adam Wilke Nile Hootman Ashton Schneider Noah Ericksen JUNIORS Livy Crandall Jenny Claussen Julia Fielding Lily Hartley SENIORS Isabelle Pierce Eliza Petersen Lauren Schladetzky Landon Schroeder FACULTY Mr. Donovan Mr. Mercado Mr. Schwartz Mr. Townsley #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #36thannualsciencebowl #sciencebowl #cdhssciencedepartment #centraldewitttradition #saberssucceeding

Our youngest athletes had a great time increasing their strength as well as learning about group play, cooperation and following rules during Young Athletes Play Day on Thursday! Play day is a great introduction to Special Olympics as the variety of activities students participated in represent the different sports offered by Special Olympics. Seven CDIS Unified Buddies did a great job helping the athletes throughout the event, too. What a fun experience for everyone! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #ekstrandelementary #cdis #centraldewittspecialolympics #unifiedbuddies #specialolympics #youngathletesplaydays #saberpride #saberssucceeding

💜💛 Congratulations to Spencer Lueders the March Central DeWitt Community School District Employee of the Month! For CDIS Principal Spencer Lueders, building positive relationships is a top priority. That’s why most mornings he begins his day around 4 a.m. to tackle administrative tasks so he can spend the school day interacting with students and staff. Even when he has emails to return or plans to read during the day, he can most likely be found completing those tasks while rolling his walking desk through the halls. He said he raised a few eyebrows doing this when he first became a principal, but it helps him be visible and build relationships with students. “I try to spend at least 70 percent of my day out in the hallways,” Mr. Lueders said. “There's always work to do as an administrator, but it's imperative to be out and get to know students.” Building relationships is something both students and staff see as Mr. Lueders’s greatest strength. Parents have also praised Mr. Lueders for the connections he has made with their children and the positive effect it has had on their child’s well-being and desire to attend school. While he tries to maximize the number of positive interactions he has with students, there are times when tough conversations are needed. But, because he has invested his time in getting to know students and shows he truly cares about every student, it makes these situations a little easier and often they turn into positive experiences. “I just look at it as each day is a clean slate,” Mr. Lueders said. “Maybe they made a decision that wasn't great before, but, you know, it doesn't mean that it's a bad year or a bad week or a bad day. And, it's important for kids to know that they're not a bad kid. When I talk with kids, we might spend a little bit of time talking about the past and using reflection, but it's imperative our mind and our eyes are focused on how we can change moving forward. Talking them through that is key.” Another thing that is important to Mr. Lueders is fostering a positive school environment that serves everyone. Mr. Lueders said having a positive environment “is everything” and he helps create that through “intentional kindness.” Students and staff agree saying that interactions with Mr. Lueders make them feel welcomed, appreciated, and supported. Mr. Lueders also contributes to a positive environment by encouraging staff to seek out and spread positivity, pushing them to grow professionally and supporting new opportunities that benefit everyone. “We want the school to be a really awesome environment for everybody,” Mr. Lueders said. “Academically we continue to help kids grow in a way that better prepares them for the future but we also are looking at the overall experience of our kids within our school district. Whether it's additional learning opportunities right where we are or thinking outside of the box to provide opportunities for kids. One example is the craft show, and those ideas are not generated by me. Those ideas are generated by kids and by our staff members.” The craft show was an opportunity for CDIS students to sell their hand-crafted items before school. It was brought about by a student who presented the idea to Extended Learning Program Teacher Mrs. Hahn, who in turn presented it to Mr. Lueders. After considering the learning opportunities that could come from this, CDIS made it happen with great success. Mr. Lueders credits this kind of innovation, passion, dedication and leadership shown by students and staff for most of the successes at CDIS. “We have an awesome staff that are here for the right reasons, and we're moving things in a really promising direction,” Mr. Lueders said. “For me, it's about the people that work within our buildings and the students that we serve. I wish I could just give the award to all of them because it's really their work. I'm just a small puzzle piece to what we're trying to do here.” #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #employeeofthemonth #marchemployeeofthemonth #districtemployeeofthemonth #saberpride #saberssucceeding

CDHS students in the Horticulture class had the opportunity yesterday to design and make their own corsages and boutonnières for prom tonight! Thank you to Kasey Stock from Flowers on the Side who brought her expertise to the classroom to teach and help students with their flowers. They all turned out great! #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #horticultureclass #prom2024 #promcorsage #promboutonnières #saberssucceeding

Saber artists recently competed in a high school invitational at Clinton Community College. Four artists were given distinguished awards for excellence in their various categories: Drawing, Painting, and Graphic Design. Saber artists placed in all three categories! Congrats to all of our Saber artists! View the artwork here: https://bit.ly/3PKhQXx GRAPHIC DESIGN Audrey Wilke(1st place), Megan Daniels (2nd place), Emma Pillers, Joey Coiner, Brooke Crank, Marisa Fee, Izzy Heitz, Emma Holmes, Kerrigan Jefford, Liam Kinrade, Trevor Marcus, Blake Nelson, Olivia Ortner, Emily Sons DRAWING Daria Prymachova (2nd Place), Livy Crandall, Nazahra Gambleton, Alex Hathaway, Hannah Moore PAINTING Audriana Guldner (2nd place), Amelia Griffin, Emma Holmes, Kayla Kuehl, Clara LeConte, Olivia Lopez, Hailee Peters, Abigail Tobey #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #cdhsart #saberartists #highschoolinvitational #clintoncommunitycollege #saberpride #saberssucceeding

🎓 Meet senior Nicholas Reemtsma another one of our seniors who is on the path to success after graduation! Way to go, Nicholas! The Senior Spotlight is created by CDHS AmeriCorps Student Leaders Aubrey Vance and Tori Rheingans. In this role, Aubrey and Tori serve as a resource for their peers in planning and preparing for post-secondary options. They help with scholarships, college applications, FAFSA, work-based learning opportunities, and more. #gosabers #centraldewittcsd #cdhs #seniorspotlight #americorpsstudentleaders #careerandcollegeready #postsecondaryoptions #saberssucceeding

REMINDER! The deadline to participate in the Superintendent Search Survey is this Sunday, April 21st. If you haven’t already, please read the original message from the CDCSD School Board below and then click this link: https://tinyurl.com/CentralDeWittSupt From the CDCSD School Board: Central DeWitt Community School District is seeking a new Superintendent beginning the 2024-25 school year. The search will begin immediately and conclude with the hiring of our next district leader this spring. The School Board requests feedback from the Saber family, including parents, students, district staff, and community members, on the qualifications and traits of this individual. This is your opportunity to provide your opinion in this process. You will be asked your “role” in the district/community, please check all that apply and consider each of your roles when providing feedback. Survey results will influence the interview questions and guide the school board in the selection process. The deadline to complete the survey is April 21st. Survey link: https://tinyurl.com/CentralDeWittSupt Thank you for taking the time to complete this short survey and provide input on this incredibly important decision. Sincerely, Central DeWitt School Board Mike Zimmer, President Angela Rheingans, Vice President Geoff Blandin, Director Roger Hill, Director Dan Smicker, Director