Camden Central School District -

Bus Safety begins with you, and it also begins with our drivers. Let's take a moment to thank our transportation team, who makes sure our students get safely to and from school each day, along with the many events and opportunities our students get to pursue throughout the year. Through their efforts, and yours, we can make every one of the one million combined miles they drive each year, a safe one for every child.

The McConnellsville Pennies for Puppies, Coins for Kitties initiative is back! Contact Shelley Malenowski if you have any questions!

October is National Principal's Month in the United States! Please join us in recognizing the work that our principals, Aaron Fiorini, Brittany DerCola, Craig Ferretti, and Heidi Allen, do each day in support of our students, staff, and families. Thank you!

Yesterday gave us great weather for a hike, and McConnellsville third graders were able to take advantage on a field trip to Potato Hill Farm!

The Section III Field Hockey brackets are out, and look who locked down the #1 seed in Class B! If that's not enough excitement, we are this year's host for the Section III Semifinals and Finals, so the Blue Devils' road to a title defense runs right through the Queen Village. More information to come.

NATIONAL SCHOOL BUS SAFETY WEEK For obvious reasons, motorist conduct is a huge focus when it comes to safety at the bus stop, but what can students and families do to help protect themselves? The good news is, it’s easy to be bus stop smart! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the following tips using a method called SAFE. S - Stay. At least 10 feet from the edge of the road or the curb while waiting for the bus. A - Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, and the bus driver has signaled for you to board. F - Face forward after finding a seat on the bus. E - Exit the bus only after it stops. Look both ways for any moving traffic before crossing, even when the driver has signaled you. Two sets of eyes is even better than one.

October is Camden CSD Attendance Awareness month. It takes a community-wide partnership to make sure our students get to school each day. Even a few days per month can cause difficulties in the future.

Connected Community Schools will hold Open Hub Hours on Thursday at CHS!. Families will be able to get extra grocery items and talk with the team about other community resources. Bring a bag!

To put on a show, it takes a team. On Saturday, October 19th, the cast and crew of the upcoming Camden Middle School production “Willy Wonka Jr.”, and their families, came together to participate in a prop and set building extravaganza! Over the course of the day, the group made important props and also completed the re-purposing of some set pieces from past productions. Among their tasks? The crew painted, cellophaned and tied ribbons for 136 unique lollipops that will provide a huge burst of color to their “World of Pure Imagination”! Thanks to everyone who came in to help! Don’t forget…. The CMS Production of “Willy Wonka Jr.” will be held on November 14th and 15th!

Come learn about what Connected Community Schools and their community partners have to offer and get free diapers while supplies last !

Please join Connected Community Schools for Open HUB! Families are able to get grocery items and talk with the team about other community resources!

Camden's Greenhouse Management students recently started learning about growing fresh herbs, made possible by an amazing donation from Walmart in partnership with Connected Community Schools! The students are growing the herbs so that they can be used for projects in Home and Careers classes, and some will also be available in the Connected Community Schools Hubs for their Open Hub/Grocery Pickup Events!

You've seen her in our Middle School plays and musicals, but Cali Closs recently took on a new role she hasn't played: Librarian. At the invitation of Mrs. Bloomquist and Mrs. Britton, our CMS students are getting the opportunity to be guest librarians! There is a special area of the library where our volunteer student librarians can display collections of books from our shelves, curated by them, for the student body to enjoy. Cali was the first student to volunteer, and took her job very seriously. Here she is selecting books from her favorite part of the library, fantasy novels!

For these seventh graders, learning was the catch of the day.

National School Bus Safety week is here! Held annually during the third full week of October, the goal of National School Bus Safety Week is to bring school districts together with the community to talk about the importance of school bus safety. Did you know that the most dangerous part of a school bus ride is loading and unloading? Often, it involves someone who has illegally passed a stopped school bus, and incidents of illegal passing have been increasing nationwide at about four percent per year. We’ll be covering bus stop safety a few times this week. If you encounter a school bus on the roadway, you should be doing the following: 1. Slow down and be attentive. Buses make frequent stops, so patience and a reasonable rate of speed are important to protect the children, staff, and yourself. Also, remember that school buses are required to stop at railroad crossings. Be even more patient during the winter months, as slick conditions can pose a greater challenge. 2. When yellow lights are flashing, slow down and prepare to stop. When the red lights are flashing and the stop sign/arm is deployed, you must stop completely. It is suggested that you stop at least 20 feet from the bus, as 10 feet or less can be very dangerous. When in doubt, always stop your vehicle until you know it is safe to proceed. 3. Remember that on multiple lane or divided highways, traffic must stop in both directions for a school bus that has its stop sign/arm deployed. 4. When the red lights turn off, and the stop sign/arm comes inward toward the bus, you may continue. However, use caution in the vicinity of the bus. Look around before moving your vehicle, as children may be walking in front of, behind, or on the side of school buses. Check for pedestrians - especially near schools, bus stops, playgrounds, parks, and behind parked cars. Never assume. 5. Even if a bus isn’t loading or unloading right away, be extra careful around buses near our schools, as children may be close by. 6. Obey posted school zone speed limits, such as the one near Camden Elementary School on Oswego Street. Also be mindful of our school zone crosswalks and stop signs throughout the village, especially before and after school. These play an equally important role in getting our students to and from school each day. If we all do our part, we can keep everyone safe this school year, including our students and transportation staff.

Mrs. Willson's WIN periods start each class by calculating the fraction, decimal, and percent representations for how many days we've been in school. These photos are from Day 30! Fractions, decimals, and percents make up a large part of 6th grade math, so this activity is great practice!

The show will be here before you know it! Opening night of the CHS Drama Club's Fall Play Production, "Emily Bronte: Teenage Ghost Hunter" is almost here! Don't forget about the coloring contest and the opportunity for your child to trick-or-treat with the cast at the show! MORE INFO: https://www.camdenschools.org/article/1822362

This week, we observe National School Bus Safety Week! We'll be sharing safety reminders and tips throughout the week, along with some new developments on our end that will help improve transportation safety in our District.

Who says you can't have fun volunteering?

Looking for a gift for the FFA member in your life? Want to support the chapter and its ongoing work? If you answered "Yes", the Camden FFA has a deal for you! They are running an online apparel store from now until 11:59 PM on November 6th! Five dollars from every item goes right back to our FFA Chapter. Click this link to shop! https://1800tshirts.chipply.com/camdenffa/store.aspx