Lion Tales 8/17/23- Back to School Edition

The first day of school  –  Together on Mission at CLA!!

This edition of Lion Tales celebrates the start of school…  If you have any questions or need to contact someone at the school, please try any of the following:

Office - Mrs. Westley -  [email protected] or [email protected] or call 309-449-3346

Principal - Mr. Horning - [email protected], 309-267-8781 

You are also welcome to talk directly with teachers… let’s communicate well this year!


Upcoming Dates

Thursday, Aug 19 Baseball practice 3:40-5:00

Volleyball (HS) practice 3:40-5:00

Monday, Aug 21 First Day for PreK student attendance (8:45-11:15 am) 

Baseball HOME game vs Morton United, 4:30 pm

Volleyball (JH) practice 3:40-5:30

Tuesday, Aug 22 Volleyball AWAY vs Pekin FBCS (at Cornerstone Groveland) 5 pm JH / 6 pm V

Baseball practice 3:40-5:00

Wednesday, Aug 23 Volleyball (JH) practice 3:40-5:00

Thursday, Aug 24 Baseball game @ South Pekin 4:15 (Bus 3:05)

Volleyball (HS) practice 3:40-5:00

Saturday, Aug 26 Board of Directors’ meeting 7:30 am (open to public)

Monday, Aug 28 PTF meeting 3:45 pm (see below)


Reminder from the CLA office as we start off the year…

Please continue to return any paperwork or payments to the school office. You also can drop off in our outdoor drop box to the right of the main entrance.


First Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF) meeting of the year!

PTF will have their first meeting of the school year on Monday, August 28 at 3:45.  This will be held in our “meeting room” - first classroom on the left past the restrooms.  We encourage you to get involved with CLA’s Parent Teacher Fellowship - a great way to get to know other parents and teachers, and to volunteer to help the school!


CLA Apparel/Gear is in the works - look for an opportunity to buy some… coming soon!!


Families - join our Lions’ Den Facebook Parent Page!

Please join our parent page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2357381807869894

This is a private group, which means that posts, information, and photos can not be “shared” outside of the group.  Staff will post information and photos about student activities on this page to help keep student information safe. Please make sure that you answer all of the membership questions identifying your connection to CLA- this will help us approve your membership faster!


GoGuardian Parent App

Parents- GoGuardian, our school's primary filtration program, has a parent app that will allow you to monitor your student's chromebook usage- convenient for after school hours. You can block sites, pause the internet, and more.  To sign up, please email Mrs. Stribling at [email protected] with your student's name and the email address(es) you wish to use.  You can find the GoGuardian Parent App in the app store for Android and Apple platforms.  *Please note- the GoGuardian PARENT app is different from the regular GoGuardian app that the school uses.  It is specifically labeled “GoGuardian Parent App.”  Make sure you download the correct one!  


A reminder about “after school” student presence at school

Students who are not picked up at regular dismissal time will have the following options:

  • K-6 students must be signed in (with a reserved spot ahead of time) to AFTER SCHOOL CARE if they remain at school.  If you have not already done so, please sign up (sheet in lobby/email Mrs. Westley) if this is something your family needs.

  • 5th - HS students who are on a SPORTS TEAM - fall sports at this time include 5th-8th boys baseball, and 5-12 girls volleyball.  Participants should change and report directly to the ball field/gym.

  • Additional MS and HS students, if not picked up immediately after school, must be signed in at the daycare hallway - students remain in the hallway area at a desk if daycare is inside, and must remain under supervision of the daycare teacher at ALL TIMES.  Students may not be anywhere else in the building, and may not be on the playground or anywhere on school grounds unsupervised.

  • PLEASE NOTE…it is important that students are picked up in a timely manner.  If we begin to see too many students in our daycare program (exceeding 20 total students daily overall, including our regular Olympia daycare) we will have to add paid staff, and thus begin to charge daycare fees for all students not picked up immediately at the end of the school day.  Please respect the families who NEED this after school program and the benefits to their family.  

We are encouraging ALL families to be prompt and courteous of our staff when it comes to picking up children.  Thank you for your partnership.

From the Principal's Desk

The first day of school is always full of excitement, apprehension, joy, and many other emotions.  What a great day! What a great group of families and students we have in our school!  If you haven’t already heard, ask your children about the theme for this year and how it was demonstrated in our opening chapel.  Our scripture passage to kick off the school year is from 1 Peter 4:10-11.   “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Today we had an example of different people having different gifts such as building, playing or business.  Here’s a picture of our three “volunteers” who demonstrated God’s mission - on the move - in their “costumes.”  

We are looking forward to an exciting year of learning God’s mission for all of us!


Blessings,

        Mr. Horning