District 146 takes pride in its neighborhood elementary schools. Most students who attend Central Middle School are coming from these neighborhood schools and continue to exhibit the same values they learned at those elementary schools.

Students from Fierke Education Center, Fulton School, Kruse Education Center, and Memorial School come together as Twisters when they reach 6th Grade. This transition can sometimes be daunting for parents and students alike. Central strives to ease any concerns throughout the transition process.

Understanding Middle School

Central Middle School understands the complexity in promoting academic success while nurturing the social, physical, and emotional needs of students. CMS strives to: 

1. Be sensitive to the unique development challenges of early adolescence. It is only when students feel connected and valued that true achievement takes place.
2. Emphasize a deep understanding of important concepts and the development of essential skills.
3. Create smaller 'teams' of students within the larger building in order for faculty members to better know the individual student's ability, interests, and needs.
4. Allow collaboration of teachers in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to plan and provide learning opportunities that challenge and support student learning.
5. Advocate for more collaborate learning and problem-solving among students. Learning strategies will often involve inquiry-based, or problem-based, learning on a relevant academic task. This requires a student to collaborate with a group while learning, but learn to be responsible for their individual task.
6. Provide students with the choice of elective/exploratory classes.

Additional Resources

• Making the move to middle school
• Smoothing your child's transition to middle school
• Transition resources for parents, teachers and administrators