+ Shirts - Red t-shirts for grades 1 - 5 that were purchased through the school. Shirts will be sent home on Monday before the program. Students may wear a white long sleeve t-shirt underneath if they like.

+ Scarf - Students may add a winter scarf to wear around their neck. This is optional.

+ Pants for all grades-All students should wear jeans in good repair-no holes or tears.

+ Shoes for all grades-All students should wear athletic shoes.

+ Middle School Costumes - Students will either purchase their costumes through the school or will be given different instructions this week depending on the their character in the play. 

Questions regarding the program should be directed to Mrs. Land at susanland@centraldayschool.com.

Snowy Canvas Workshop -  Brrrr!...It's getting colder outside! Bring the snow to your front door with this beautiful, snowy canvas. Students will use a variety of canvas painting techniques to create blizzard- like conditions in glittering shades of blue, purple, and pink!  To top it all off, Mrs. H will personalize your canvas with the wording of your choice! The one-session workshop is Tuesday, December 11 from 3:30-4:30 and is open to grades K-2. Total cost of the workshop is $30 including instruction and materials. Click here to print the registration form.

Christmas Canvas Workshop -  Is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas in your home? Add to your Christmas décor with this beautiful canvas featuring tree ornaments and sparkling lights! In this workshop, students will learn about balance, repetition, and three dimensional painting techniques. For a finishing touch, Mrs. H will personalize these masterpieces with the wording of your choice! These will be a treasured keepsake for years to come! This one-session workshop is Thursday, December 14 from 3:30-4:30 and is open to grades 3-8. Total cost of the workshop is $30 including instruction and materials. Click here to print the registration form.

CDS-PTF Spotlight

Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice!

This Thursday, November 6 , we will be hosting a fun evening of caroling, cookies, cocoa, story-time with Mr. Spice and Scripture reading with Pastor Surber. We hope to see you all there. All students that attend will receive an out of uniform pass. There will be several door prizes like a week out of uniform pass for one student. We will be needing volunteers to assist with this event. If you are available to assist or have any questions please contact Amy or Terra at ptf@centraldayschool.com

Sponsorship Drive

CONGRATULATIONS to Shelia Phipps, Evyn Graham's grandmother and Doug and Patti Carr, Ressie Carr's grandparents. They are the winners of the front row seating for the Christmas and End of Year Music Programs. We will be distributing the incentives before the Christmas break.

Parent Pals

Parent Pals are the "room parent" for the teachers and administrators who do not have home rooms. We still have some teachers and administrators that need a "Pal". If you are interested or would like additional information please contact Amy or Terra at ptf@centraldayschool.com.

Upcoming Events

December 6: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice 6 p.m.

December 18: Christmas Program 7 p.m.

December 19: Birthday party for Jesus 10 a.m.

                            Class Parties 11 a.m.

                            Dismiss at 12:15 p.m.        

Brain Teaser

How many seconds (2nd) are there in a year?

Be sure and check back next week for the answer!

Last Week: Some months have 30 days, some have 31, but how many have 28 days?

Last Week's Answer: All twelve have 28 days!

Recently, I was asked the following question:  "If someone had ten million dollars to give away, what might you say to convince them that CDS would be a good return on their investment?" Now this was a purely hypothetical question posed by chairman of the SAIS Accreditation team which will be visiting our school this Spring. (We are accredited through the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, and are up for re-accreditation this school year.) It was a very profound question, intended to surface the unique characteristics of a Central Day School education among our public and private school peers.

When one looks at the educational alternatives available to parents in our area, it is clear that CDS is one among any number of viable options. So why would someone want to invest in a CDS education? I believe the answer can be found in two key characteristics that are unique to our school: 1. A strong academic program, integrated with the truth of God's word; and lived out each day according to God's plan for each child. 2. A diverse student body who from a very early age learn how to work together toward a common goal and truly appreciate one another for who they are.

Academic Excellence with a Spiritual Emphasis

With regards to academics, we regularly hear from private high schools in our area about how glad they are to enroll our graduates. They tell us how well prepared our students are academically and socially.

Not long ago we received a newsletter from one of the "upper tier" schools in our area. Among other student accomplishments, a number of their seventh graders were recognized for outstanding achievement in the "Talent Identification Program, sponsored by Duke University. Five of their students were awarded "state" recognition for their scores on the college prep SAT and ACT tests. Interestingly enough, we had seven of our students participate in the same program and received  the state level of recognition by Duke. This is even more significant when one takes into account the size of our school which is quite a bit smaller than the above mentioned school.

As impressed as I am with our school's history of high academics, I am more impressed with the spiritual and biblical context in which our students learn and grow each day. How blessed we are to have parents who "teach their children in the way they should go," as it says in Proverbs 22:6. This morning in car line I was blessed to overhear a father remind his son, "Do good on your test today," to which the son replied, "Yes Sir." Those two short sentences informed me of the responsibility towards school work and the respect towards adults being taught in this home. The other day I was in the hall while middle schoolers were changing classes when a seventh grader approached me with the following request: "Mr. Spice, Meredith and Mrs. Frey won't be able to lead the Godly Girls Bible Study since they moved, and I was wondering if I could lead the Bible Study this year?" The fact that a middle schooler would take this kind of initiative is a blessing in and of itself. And then to realize the impact our teachers, students, and Godly Girls Bible Study are having on her causes me to believe those are the truly unique distinctives of our school.

Diversity: A Rich Tapestry of Life and Learning at CDS

Last summer I was intrigued by NASA's latest major accomplishment--the interplanetary space landing of Mars Rover, Curiosity. The very idea of remotely landing a spacecraft on a patch of ground the size of your living room from over thirty-five million miles away boggles the mind. The landing culminated countless hours of planning by a multitude of engineers and scientists, all focused on one objective, to land the spacecraft aptly named, "Curiosity," on Mars. To appreciate the magnitude of this accomplishment you may view a YouTube rendition of this event by clicking here.

This amazing feat aside, another aspect depicted in the video is the diversity represented within the group of NASA scientists. Male and female, young and old, black and white, long hair and short-- all working together towards a common goal. What a great example of the energy and power that comes from a diverse, yet very unified group of people.

When I look at the diverse and unified student body we have been blessed with here at Central Day School, I get excited about their future and ours. We have heard it said many times. They ARE our future, and we can take pleasure in knowing they are getting not just an excellent education, but an education for eternity.

By the way, if you know of someone with ten million dollars they'd like to give towards a worthy cause, have them come talk to me. I know just the place they can invest into our nation's future!