Calling all CESD families! Our CPS & CMS Student Councils have some super fun Valentine’s Day fundraisers planned, including roses for sale and a custom candy table. Be sure to check out the attached flyers for all the details! 💙

Hello 8th-grade parents,

It is 2nd semester of 8th grade year and we are preparing for graduation and the transition to freshman year at Illini West. The following is from our Josten's representative:

Jostens met with your students today to discuss topics that should help them prepare and get ready for high school next year. They should be bringing a packet home that has information that was covered, along with an order form that they can use to order their class t-shirts and other high school apparel if they choose to. Order forms are due back to the school office no later than next Friday, January 16th. You may also use the link below to place your order online. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Jostens representative Brock Danko at brock.danko@jostens.com.



Click Here to Order Online: https://form.typeform.com/to/V2pVeuUu



Thanks,



Brock Danko

Jostens

1229 Peoria St.

Washington, Illinois 61571

Office: (309) 691-9081

This is to inform CESD #317 families that today, December 19, 2025, there will be an early dismissal for Kindergarten through 8th grade due to school improvement. Dismissal times: Shuttle Bus 12:20, Primary 12:30, Middle School 12:35. Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

Butterbraid and Cookbooks are in and will be sent home with the sellers today. If your student had a large order, it will be available for pick up after school in the cafeteria.

See picture regarding our dress up days for next week.

Come cheer on the Blueboys at 6:00pm tonight in our rescheduled game against LaHarpe

I apologize for the early message. Due to the weather, there will be no school on Friday, December 12, 2025. All activities, games, and practices will be decided later today. Thank you and have a safe weekend.

Boys basketball game canceled due to weather. Please drive safe and I apologize for the late notice!

This line dancing unit at CMS has been so fun! Today we had a visiting dance teacher to share new moves.

Carthage Primary & Middle Families: We are still in need of volunteers for our Hot Cocoa Run coming up next week. If you’re able to help, we would love to have you join us and make this fun tradition a success for our students. Please use the link below to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12xko6H7lEMsX2v-NcmBGT2ffkCNdpUXaarFtobcRacM/edit Thank you for supporting our Blueboys & Bluegirls!

Congratulations to Elliotte for receiving the Sportsmanship Award and to our 8th-grade Regional Champions!

📣 Carthage Primary School Winter Concert Join us Wednesday, December 10th at 6 PM in the Illini West High School gym (600 Miller St). 🎶 All PreK–4th grade students will perform, youngest to oldest. Please have students dress nicely—festive holiday accessories are welcome! Doors open at 5:40 PM. Please supervise your child until they meet their teacher. For the best experience, avoid entering or exiting while students are singing. The concert lasts about one hour, with time afterward for group photos. Please silence devices and help us keep the gym quiet and respectful. We can’t wait to see you there! ❄️🎄

The 8th grade regional championship game will be played on Saturday, December 6th 10:00am at IW. Come to IW to cheer on the Bluegirls against Camp Point tonight at 6:00p.m. and hopefully again on Saturday.

Attention 5th and 6th-grade girls!
Complete the following link before December 18th if you are interested in playing Volleyball this year.
https://forms.gle/kMhMqWuu6HWXYT7GA
Coach Burling will reach out to interested students after sign-up closes.

The menu has been updated for tomorrow: Breakfast: strawberry cocoa puff parfait and sunflower seeds Lunch: Chicken drumsticks Mashed potatoes & gravy Baked Beans Roll

Carthage ESD 317 Families: School will be canceled tomorrow, December 2, 2025, due to inclement weather. Please stay safe, and thank you for your understanding.

At least one team from each scheduled regional game cannot play tonight due to the incoming weather, so all 8th grade girls basketball games are cancelled tonight. We are working with teams and officials to reschedule the games to tomorrow at the same times. Further athletic updates will be made on our app and IESA.

CESD #317 schools will release students due to incoming inclement weather at 12:30 p.m. We will be utilizing our 1/2 day bus and shuttle schedule. PM preschool is cancelled. Shuttle bus will run at 12:20p.m. As of the time of this message, regional basketball games will play as scheduled. After communicating with LaHarpe, they will not be sending their team to play the boys basketball game tonight; therefore, boys basketball is cancelled. We will share additional updates as they are available.

Carthage ESD #317 Families: With another round of snow expected tomorrow afternoon, we want to give everyone a heads-up that an early dismissal may be possible. As always, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We will share updates as soon as we have more information. Thank you for staying prepared—please stay safe and stay tuned for further communication.

✨ IT’S TIME TO DIG THROUGH THOSE COUCH CUSHIONS! ✨ Our CPS Coin Drive starts tomorrow! Send in your pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters to help us reach our goal. Let’s see how much we can collect when we all pitch in! 💰💙 Thank you for supporting our school!