Central Public Schools - Education Is Central

Central High School Student Council is hosting a Blood Drive! Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Old Gym at Central High School in Norwood Young America. All community members are invited to participate in the blood drive. For every pint of blood donated, three lives are saved.

Be sure to register and you’ll receive a $10 Amazon Gift card! https://www.redcrossblood.org/

Join the NYA Economic Development Authority in partnership with the Central Trades & Advisory Group on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in recognizing and appreciating the manufacturers of Norwood Young America. Local manufacturers will be offering tours of their facilities to local students and the public. Learn about the reality of modern manufacturing careers and their goals of helping the community and future generations thrive.

RSVP by Monday, Oct. 20! To RSVP, please call 952-467-1810 or email economicdev@cityofnya.com

Our second graders were busy in STEAM class last month! They used their creativity and problem-solving skills to create food-safe inventions. These structures were made to keep food safe outdoors and away from mice, squirrels and raccoons.

The holiday season is quickly approaching! Central Public Schools families are invited to request a meal kit and/or gifts during the holiday season. All information will be kept confidential.

If you, or a family you know, would like to receive assistance, please share and complete the following forms by Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Season of Thanks: https://forms.gle/mDi54sHXvXBk1axM8
Season of Giving: https://forms.gle/FYE9dKBGgcMwgtbz8

As a reminder, there is no school this Thursday, Oct. 16, or Friday, Oct. 17. Enjoy your time away during Fall Recess!

Central Community Education is offering an Adult Enrichment Sourdough Workshop! Join in the stress-free sourdough fun on Thursday, Oct. 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Central Elementary. More sessions are being offered, including Nov. 13, Jan. 15 and Feb. 19. The registration fee is $45 per class plus $15 per class for supplies.

Register today! https://isd108.ce.eleyo.com/course/841/fall-winter-2025-2026/stress-free-sourdough-class?fbclid=IwY2xjawNV-_JleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFDb1pyS2x5YWlIa05RdVFyAR7vNWHkuy9Ov0rTbu7ltrAO8WUaC2-FRUsWANsomaK5T-LnjzoyIZQ6cs_ywA_aem_raTJs5eqkNPueqMhq7Kdbg#8030f25b

Last month, our kindergarteners were learning about letters in STEAM class! They spent time making letters using different building materials, including shape blocks, Play-Doh, and LEGO sets. We love to see our young learners’ creativity take shape!

In case you missed it: During Homecoming Week we once again saw one of our favorite traditions take place!

Our senior class had the honor of passing their school spirit down to the newest members of our school community, the kindergarteners. The students gathered on the football field and the kindergarten students were so excited to run across the field and meet the seniors.

Each senior was able to share a Raider pin with a kindergartner and everyone had a great time talking, connecting, and laughing together.

Read more! https://www.isd108.org/article/2447546

Congratulations to our cross country team! Keep up the great work this season!

Central Public Schools received some exciting news from the 2025 MCA Test results and data with strong growth and achievement in many grade levels and areas! Elementary, middle, and high school grades all had something to be proud of, not only with actual scores, but in the strong growth shown over the previous year.

At the September 2025 Board meeting, Curriculum Leader Andrea Kolstad shared a slide that really speaks volumes about the importance of recognizing that community investment truly does translate to return on investment. The big takeaways were:
- Universal Improvement - All three levels—elementary, middle, and high school—showed gains in both math and reading proficiency in 2025
- Reading Renaissance - Dramatic reading score increases: +13.6 points (elementary), +8.7 points (middle), and +11.8 points (high school)
- Math Momentum - District-wide math improvements, with notable double-digit growth at Central Elementary leading the charge
- State Excellence - CPS outperformed Minnesota's state averages in both math and reading across multiple grade levels

Read more!
https://www.isd108.org/article/2449732

Artist of the Week is back at Central Secondary School! Congratulations to the following students from Draw, Paint, and Print Class: Addison, Destiny, Jerra and Sy!

Our food service provider, Taher, is asking for our students' voices in their school lunch! From now through, Oct. 31, students are invited to take the short survey.

Complete the survey today! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VH3HVR8

Reminder to all seniors that the yearbook needs your senior pictures by November 1st. Also, there are still some baby picture ads available. Head to the payment portal to purchase your baby picture ad, then send the picture and message of 25 words or less to yearbook@isd108.org

Today we had our first middle school awards assembly for the year!

Some of our Varsity Girls Soccer players started their day by visiting the elementary school to invite students to tonight’s game at 7:00 PM vs. Delano. It’s also Senior Night — come out and cheer on the team!

It is National Principals Month! Central Public Schools is proud to acknowledge the dedication of our building principals Ron Erpenbach and Rich Larson. Thank you for your leadership of our buildings, staff and students!

Thank you to our students, staff, and community members for making our Homecoming week one to remember! Also, thank you to our yearbook staff for capturing these memorable moments.

Some of our Varsity volleyball players stopped by to greet elementary students and invite them to tonight’s game against Watertown-Mayer. It’s also First Responders Night, so come out and show your support for both our team and the heroes in our community!

Game Schedule:
B-Squad: 4:30 PM
C-Squad & JV: 5:30 PM
Varsity: 7:00 PM