🧠🏆 CCCMS Scholars Bowl on the Move! 🏆🧠
Our CCCMS Scholars Bowl teams are gearing up for competition as they head to Marysville Jr/Sr High School for the NCKL Tournament! They’ll be putting their knowledge to the test against seven other teams—we’re excited to see them shine!
📍 Location: Marysville Jr/Sr High School
⏰ Competition Begins: 4:00 PM
🕝 Dismissal from 7th Hour: 2:15 PM
🚌 Departure from CCCMS: 2:30 PM
Good luck to our students as they represent CCCMS with pride, teamwork, and brainpower! 🧡🖤#BengalStrong #ScholarsBowl #CCCMS
Don’t let the size fool you—Mrs. Brown’s PAWS may be small, but they bring BIG energy, BIG smiles, and BIG fun every single day! 💥
This awesome group shows what it means to be Bengal Strong through their kindness, teamwork, and positive attitudes. Whether they’re working together in class or teaming up with Ms. Mellies’s PAWS for their Friday Family Fun Challenges, they always bring the excitement and support each other every step of the way. 🙌
Their ability to connect, collaborate, and create a fun environment for everyone around them makes them truly stand out. They prove that it’s not about how many are in your group—it’s about the heart you bring to it. ❤️🐾
👏 Let’s hear it for Mrs. Brown’s PAWS—your energy, teamwork, and school spirit make our school a better place! Keep being AMAZING! 🧡🖤 #BengalStrong #PAWSSpotlight #HabitsInAction
Tonight, we celebrate an exciting milestone for our 8th-grade Bengals as they begin preparing for their next chapter!
Join us for 8th Grade Enrollment & Information Night
📍 CCCHS Auditorium
🗓️ Tonight
⏰ 6:00 PM
While our 8th graders still have about 8 weeks left with us at CCCMS, tonight is the first step in their transition to becoming Clay Center Tigers. It’s a chance to start looking ahead while still making the most of their final weeks as Bengals. 🧡🖤
We are so proud of this group and all they’ve accomplished—and we’re not done yet! Let’s finish the year strong together and get excited about what’s ahead.
Once a Bengal, always a Bengal… the journey is just beginning! 🐾🐅
#BengalPride #FutureTigers #OneStepCloser #CCCMS #CCCHS
🌟 Bengal Strong Habits in Action Spotlight: Our Incredible Paraprofessionals! 🌟
Today we celebrate a group of everyday heroes who make a huge impact in our building—our AMAZING Bengal Paras! 🧡🖤
Happy National Paraprofessional Appreciation Day to the individuals who go above and beyond for our students and staff each and every day. Whether they’re supporting learning in the classroom, building meaningful relationships, stepping in wherever needed, or being that steady, encouraging presence for our kiddos—our paras truly do it all.
They are patient.
They are flexible.
They are compassionate.
They are difference-makers.
Our school is stronger because of the care, dedication, and positivity they bring into our halls. They help create an environment where every student feels supported, valued, and capable of success—and that’s what Bengal Strong is all about! 🐾
👏 Please join us in thanking our phenomenal paraprofessionals today and every day! We appreciate you more than words can say!
👇 Check out their bios below and help us celebrate each of these outstanding individuals! 👇
Denise Beutler moved to Clay Center 20 years ago and began working for USD 379 at that time. She is in her 10th year as a Para at CCCMS. She and her husband have 3 grown children, 3 in-law kids, and 6 precious grandchildren.
Nicole Kennison relocated to Clay Center from Colorado in 2010. She began her career in 2016 as a paraprofessional for USD 379. Nicole is the mother of three sons—AJ, who is currently a Senior (soaking in his last year then off to college); Marcus, a Sophomore; and RJ, who is in the eighth grade. She enjoys spending time with her boys and her significant other, Brian, and her parents. On the weekends, you can find her working at The Rex.
Sally Chestnut is in her eighth year working at CCCMS as a para. She is married to a farmer, has three grown daughters, and one granddaughter, Charlotte.
Shannon Appleby has worked for USD 379 for 4 years. She was previously in the medical field for 30 years. She is married to Corey Appleby and is a mother of 5, Kade, Vance, Abby, Ian, and Johanna Appleby. And a grandmother of 8. She and her family like to go camping. Two of her boys are into demolition derby.
Kelly Stewart moved back into the community with her husband and 3 kids in 2024. This is her 2nd year as a para at CCCMS.
Leann Schreefer is a wonderful addition to our CCCMS paraprofessional team, joining us from Wakefield while we are short-handed. We are incredibly fortunate to have her—Leann brings a kind, caring presence to our building and quickly makes a positive impact on both students and staff. Her willingness to step in and support wherever needed truly reflects the Bengal Strong spirit!
Join us tonight for our CCCMS Spring Vocal Concert!
📅 Monday, March 30th
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 CCCMS Commons Area
Come support our talented students as they share an evening of music centered around “Storms and Sunshine.” You won’t want to miss it!
🎤 Student Reminder:
Please report to Room 114 by 6:40 PM and be dressed in nice clothes.
Let’s pack the Commons and cheer on our Bengals! 🐾
It’s a busy week at CCCMS—check out what’s happening!
🎶 Monday (30): Spring Choir Concert in the CCCMS Commons @ 7 PM
📚 Wednesday (1):
• 7th Grade Pre-Enrollment during class
• 8th Grade Enrollment Night @ CCCHS Auditorium, 6 PM
• National Paraprofessional Appreciation Day ❤️
👉 Huge shoutout to our 6 amazing paras—we appreciate everything you do for our students every single day!
✏️ Thursday (2):
• 6th Grade Pre-Enrollment during class
• YLINK Creativity Club @ 3:20 PM
• Scholar’s Bowl NCKL Tournament in Marysville @ 4:30 PM
🎉 Friday (3): NO SCHOOL
📖 Saturday (4): National School Librarian Day
👉 Shoutout to our awesome librarian (here Tuesday & Thursday mornings!) and our amazing Library Aide who keeps things running smoothly every day—we appreciate you!
👀 Looking Ahead:
• 4/17 – 11:45 AM Dismissal
• 5/21 – 11:45 AM Dismissal (Last Day of School!)
Let’s have a great week, Bengals! 🧡🖤
#BengalSTRONG
Congratulations to our Varsity Bengal Scholars Bowl Team on an outstanding 2nd place finish at last night’s home meet! 👏🐾
Your hard work, quick thinking, and teamwork were on full display, and we are so proud of the way you represented our school. Keep that momentum going, as the season wraps up next Thursday at NCKL in Marysville!
🧡🖤 #BengalStrong #ScholarsBowl #HardWorkPaysOff
Hello from the “Laniacs,” Mr. JD Lane’s PAWS class!
We are an energetic bunch this year! We will be saying goodbye to our three 8th graders, who have been incredible leaders for all three years at CCCMS.
This spring, we have been blessed to have Ms. Sum join our class as a KSU student-teacher. She has been an awesome addition to our class!
We’re looking forward to the warmer spring weather and hopefully getting outside more. We love our PAWS Challenge Days and have even added a few new games to our repertoire!
Right now, we’re on track to meet our goal of having every classmate earn all A’s, B’s, or C’s for the quarter—way to go, Laniacs!
Oh… and we definitely love our Pancake Days! 🥞
Go Bengals!! 🐅🧡🖤
🧠✨ Scholars Bowl Tonight! Let’s Go, CCCMS! ✨🧠
CCCMS is hosting our league Scholars Bowl meet TODAY at 4:30 PM—and we’d love to see you there! It’s a great (and quick!) opportunity to come cheer on our amazing students as they show off their knowledge and teamwork.
📍 Students: Please head to Ms. Mellies’s room after school before the competition begins to help set up.
📅 Looking Ahead:
Our final meet of the season will be the NCKL Meet in Marysville on April 2nd at 4:30 PM.
💬 Coach Mellies shared:
"It has been a wonderful season, and I truly appreciate all the parents for allowing your students to be part of it!"
Let’s pack the room and support our Scholars Bowl team! 🧡🖤 #CCCMS #BengalStrong
Hey Clay Center families! Just a friendly 😄 reminder that Pre-K through 8th Grade yearbook orders are due THIS Wednesday, 3/25!
For just $23, your student can hold onto all the laughs, friendships, and unforgettable moments from this school year. Trust us… this is one “story” they’ll want to reread for years to come! 📖🧡🖤
This year’s theme, “Write Your Own Story,” has a fun scrapbook-style feel—packed with memories, milestones, and maybe even a few surprise moments! ✂️📸
⏳ Don’t wait until it’s the “one that got away!”
📅 Order by Wednesday, 3/25
💵 Cost: $23
Let’s make sure every student has their story saved forever! 🐾📘
We hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break and had time to relax and recharge! We’re excited to welcome our students and staff back for another great week at CCCMS. Here’s what’s happening:
📅 Monday (23)
• Classes Resume
• KITE Testing Window Opens
📅 Wednesday (25)
• Yearbook Order Forms Due — don’t miss your chance to secure this year’s memories!
📅 Thursday (26)
• Scholar’s Bowl @ Clay Center – 4:30 PM 🧠
📅 Friday (27)
• 🍩 Donut Day
• Hero Mile Practice @ 1:45 PM
📌 Planning Ahead:
• No School – April 3rd
Let’s finish the spring semester #BengalSTRONG! 🐅
There will be no school Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20 as students and staff enjoy a well-deserved break. We hope everyone takes this time to relax, recharge, and spend time with family and friends!
While we’re away, we also want to recognize Social Worker Appreciation Day on Wednesday, March 18 and thank the amazing individuals who support the well-being of our students every day. We appreciate all you do!
📅 Planning Ahead:
Yearbook order forms are due March 25, so make sure to get those turned in when we return. You won’t want to miss capturing this year’s memories!
Enjoy your break, Bengals — we’ll see you back soon!
#BengalSTRONG 🐅🧡
Today we are celebrating Azure for truly Being the Standard! 👏
Azure noticed a fellow student who was struggling and stepped up to help without hesitation. The amazing part? She isn’t even playing the same instrument! 🎶 Azure quickly learned what she needed to know on the fly so she could guide and support her peer. Her patience, kindness, and willingness to help made a big difference and showed what teamwork is all about. Because of her support, they were able to succeed together — now that’s a WIN! 🏆 Way to go, Azure! Thank you for showing what it means to lift others up and help everyone succeed. 🐾🧡 #BeTheStandard #BengalStrong #HabitsInAction
This week we are excited to recognize Mrs. McDonald’s PAWS class for showing what it truly means to be Bengal Strong! 🐾
Mrs. McDonald's PAWS group includes natural leaders who help guide the team and keep everyone focused. The students are kind and respectful, creating a positive environment where ideas and thoughts can be shared. They enjoy challenging other PAWS classes and interacting with other groups. In addition, the artists in the group bring creativity and unique ideas to the projects worked on together. They are a great group! 😊
Middle school leaders and first-grade students worked together in small groups rotating through activities like castle ball, basketball, gaga ball, soccer, and a “chill room” for drawing and art. Throughout the activities, students practiced teamwork, sportsmanship, and building a sense of community.
KAY (Kansas Association for Youth), directed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, is a character-building, leadership, and service organization unique to Kansas schools. Learn more: https://www.kshsaa.org/react/activity/main/KAY #celebrate379
MONDAY (9)
📚 8th Grade Upward Bound Presentation during PAWS
🏃♂️ 7th–8th Grade Track Practice Begins – 3:20 PM
WEDNESDAY (11)
🌊 Mothership Pop-Up during lunch
🎨 YLink Art Club – 3:20–4:20 PM in the CCCMS Commons
📖 Site Council Meeting – 4:30 PM in the Bengal Library
📘 Yearbook Order Forms should be coming home with students today—keep an eye out!
FRIDAY (13)
⏰ 11:45 AM Early Dismissal
📆 End of Quarter 3 & Start of Spring Break!
🔜 Planning Ahead:
🌴 Spring Break – No School: March 16–22
📘 Yearbook Orders Due: March 25
Let’s finish the quarter Bengal STRONG and head into break on a high note! 🐅🧡🖤
#BengalSTRONG #CCCMSBengals #BengalWeeklyActivities
Today we’re proud to recognize Austin Mowery for demonstrating one of the 7 Habits standards: Be Proactive! 👏
Austin was nominated because he consistently sets the tone for kindness and positivity at CCCMS. He is one of the most friendly and well-mannered students around, always leading the charge when it comes to being kind to others. Austin is polite and respectful, and his attitude is truly a breath of fresh air each and every day.
What really makes Austin stand out is the way he makes everyone around him feel valued and included. That kind of leadership and character is exactly what Be the Standard is all about.
👏 Great job, Austin! Keep leading by example and showing what Bengal Strong habits look like in action! 🐅🧡🖤
Our CCCMS Varsity Scholars Bowl team put their knowledge to the test last night at the League Tournament in Clifton-Clyde, competing against 7 other talented teams — and they brought home an impressive 3rd place finish out of 8 teams! 🎉👏
These Bengals showed off their quick thinking, teamwork, and academic excellence all evening long. Scholars Bowl isn’t easy — it takes lightning-fast recall, confidence on the buzzer, and a whole lot of brain power — and our team proved they can compete with the best! 💡⚡
A huge shoutout to Head Coach McKinley Mellies and Assistant Coach Nicole Kennison for guiding our team to success this season! 🙌 We are so proud of the hard work and dedication these students have put in all season. Way to represent CCCMS and finish the league tournament strong! 🐅🧡🖤
📅 Looking Ahead:
• March 26th – CCCMS will host our home meet (come out and support our scholars — the public is welcome to attend!)
• April 2nd – NCKL Tournament in Marysville, which will wrap up our Scholars Bowl season.
Help us congratulate our Varsity Scholars! 👏
#BengalPride #BrainyBengals #ScholarsBowl
