During April's Board of Education meeting, the board approved a revised 2024-25 school year calendar.

Effective at the start of the 2024-25 school year, the district will return to a 3:05 p.m. daily dismissal time. Instead of dismissing early every Wednesday for teacher professional development, the district will dismiss early, at 12:30 p.m., only five Wednesdays during the school year. 

The calendar has been updated to include a 12:30 p.m. early dismissal time for students on the following days:

• Wednesday, September 11

• Wednesday, October 9

• Wednesday, December 11 

• Wednesday, January 15

• Wednesday, April 9

No other changes were made to the 2024-25 calendar. As a reminder, the activities/athletics calendar of events as well as the school year overview calendars, can be found on the district's website, www.centralsprings.net.

The Panther Pantry was organized this school year at Central Springs High School to help support students and families with essential needs. 

With a generous $500 donation from the Sons of Legion in Manly and other private donors, students at Central Springs have access to food items, laundry detergent, health care items, and toiletries. The United Methodist Church in Manly is also helping to keep resources stocked. 

This service is open to all students and families. The Panther Pantry is located in the hallway outside Mr. Straube's Family/Consumer Science Room. It will be available in the summer for students/families.  



If there are further needs for supplies, please contact Nicci McDonough at the high school: nmcdonough@centralsprings.net

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our retirees for their dedication to our students over the years. Your commitment has made a lasting impact, and we're grateful for everything you've done. Best wishes for a wonderful retirement ahead.

Iowa Non-Discrimination Statement:

“It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office building, 400 E. 14th St. Des Moines, IA 50319-1004; phone number 515-281-4121, 800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/.”

Several students had their art showcased at the Top of Iowa Conference Art Show at Waldorf University. Our students' participation not only showcased their artistic abilities but also highlighted the importance of arts education in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression. Congratulations to all of the student participants for their outstanding work!

Place Winners:

The second grade classes of Manly and Nora Springs made their annual trek to the Rockford Fossil Park and Prairie Preserve, a trip they have been making for more than 20 years!

While visiting the Fossil Park and Prairie Preserve, Floyd County Naturalist, Heidi Reams, shared how the fossil park came to be in existence. Many of the kids were surprised that Iowa used to be covered by an ocean during the Devonian period. They also learned that the location was the home of the former Rockford Brick & Tile Co. The students also got to see the two remaining beehive kilns that were used by the tile company. Worth County Naturalist, Heaven Walker, led the students on a Nature Scavenger Hunt where they spotted geese and their nest of eggs, a painted turtle, and a red-bellied snake. 

Following lunch, the kids started the fossil hunt! This year, several students had success finding the elusive Moon Coral fossil! Other types of fossils found were crinoids, a variety of brachiopods, horn-shaped coral, and gastropods. After the fossil hunt, the kids had a chance to play at Boulder Park in Nora Springs. This field trip is a culminating activity for the science units studied this year. The students are in the classes of Mrs. Matzen, Mrs. Lorentzen, and Mrs. Olney.

Thanks to funding from the PTOs in Manly and Nora Springs, students in third grade went to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines on Friday, May 3. 

Students worked hard researching an animal that they could see at a zoo and then presented their findings to the class. 

At Nora Springs, groups made slide shows and presented with peer partnerships, showing off their “teaching voice” and technology skills. At the conclusion of the presentations, they completed an exit ticket to showcase the animal they learned about. 

In Manly, students wrote a research paper and practiced using technology to type and edit their papers. Then in groups, students shared their research papers and interesting facts they learned. Visiting the zoo was a great wrap-up to all of their hard work. What a great group of engaged learners! 

Celebrating our Middle School and High School lifting program participants for their commitment and hard work this school year. Congratulations to our lifting incentive winners who showed up for 50% or more sessions to earn a T-Shirt, and 90% or more to earn a backpack!

The Central Springs team, known as the Quackalations, had a recent 6th Grade Math Bee at the AEA in Cedar Falls. More than 40 teams participated and the math topics included: The number system, expression and equations, geometry, statistics and probability ratios, and proportional relationships.

The Central Springs team – Abby Coe, Amber Coe, Allaire Klemas, and Maci Arthur – nailed it with their teamwork and smart thinking!

Board Members:

• Jean Schilling, President
• Ashley Kohler, Vice President
• Sean Arthur, Board Member
• Joe Rowe, Board Member
• Josh Berman, Board Member

Thank you for helping our students, staff, and community!