Greeting CES,
It goes without saying, but WOW! We have officially entered the final stretch—just three weeks remain in the 2025–2026 school year! As we prepare to close out, we have many exciting events and activities on the horizon.
Please be sure to stay informed of all upcoming dates and events. There’s so much happening, and we don’t want you or your scholar to miss a thing!
Let’s finish strong—we’ve got this!
As we gear up for a busy and celebratory month, please mark your calendars for these important upcoming events:
Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4th – 8th): Get ready to celebrate, because our CES teachers are truly WICKED OZ-SOME! Join us next week in showing our incredible educators how much we appreciate the heart, brains, and courage they bring to our classrooms every day.
May the 4th Be With You! Monday is Star Wars Day! Join the fun by wearing your best galactic attire. Whether you choose your favorite Star Wars t-shirt or a full-on Stormtrooper costume, your participation is highly encouraged. Let's make it an out-of-this-world day!
National Nurses Week is just around the corner (May 6–12), and Wednesday, May 6th, is officially National School Nurse Day! Nurse Banks does so much behind the scenes every single day to keep our students and staff healthy, safe, and supported. Let's show her how much we appreciate her hard work! If you have a moment next Wednesday, 5/6, please consider sending a quick "thank you" or a handwritten note. Let's make Nurse Banks' day extra special!
May 7th at 9:00 - Parent Focus Meeting! Parents, join us on May 7th at 9:00 AM in the AV Room for an incredible session on Supporting Your Student's Mental Health.
Guest speaker Leigh Ann Brown will be sharing simple, practical strategies to help build strong connections and support emotional regulation at home. Plus, the class with the highest parent attendance wins an Ice Cream Sundae Party! Let’s partner together to support our scholars. See you there!
End-of-Year iReady Assessments: Our scholars will be taking their final iReady assessments May 4th - 6th! This is the time for them to show off all the amazing academic growth they have achieved this year. Please ensure your students are well-rested and arrive on time.
Grade-Level Awards & Celebrations: We cannot wait to celebrate our students' hard work and accomplishments! Specific dates and times for your child's grade-level awards ceremonies and end-of-year celebrations are below:
Upcoming Events:
May 13:
PreK EOY (End of Year) Ceremony at 8:30AM
K Awards Day at 10:30
May 14: Awards Day Schedule for students in 1st – 4th grade
4th - 8:30 – 9:15
1st - 9:30 – 10:15
2nd - 10:30 – 11:15
3rd – 11:30 – 12:1 5
May 18: Senior Clap-Out
1:00 PM
Event Details: CES and CMS will join together to celebrate the 2026 Grissom High School Graduates.
May 19: 5th Grade Eagle Up Ceremony
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Event Details: The 5th Grade Clap-Out and a celebratory reception for our scholars and their families will be held immediately following the ceremony.
Absence Excuses:
Please remember to submit absence excuses as soon as your scholar returns to school. You are allowed up to eight (8) parent-written excuses and an unlimited number of doctor’s excuses.
Attendance Goal:
Our attendance goal this year is 95% or better. You can help us meet this goal by ensuring your child attends school each day and is in class by 8:00 AM.
Let's continue making 2026 a year of creating magic, growing, collaborating, and achieving! We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone in our school community and look forward to celebrating the successes of our scholars and partners in the months ahead. Together, we’ll inspire, challenge, and support each other to create a lasting impact on education and beyond.
Important Reminders:
Independent Arrival: We kindly ask that parents no longer walk or escort scholars to class. Our dedicated staff will be stationed in the hallways to guide and support scholars to their classrooms.
Morning Arrival: School opens at 7:30 a.m. For safety reasons, please do not drop off students before this time, as supervision is not available prior to 7:30 a.m.
Start of Instruction: Learning begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. Please ensure your scholar arrives on time each day so they can start the day ready to learn and succeed.
Here's to learning, growing, and Aiming High at Challenger Elementary!
Thank you for helping make Challenger Elementary the BEST place to learn and grow!
Let’s Create Magic 2025 - 2026!
Love yall,
Sherita Joiner
Principal, Challenger Elementary School
Go Eagles!
#CESMAGIC2025
#AIMHIGH