Clay Center Community Middle School

🎉 Be The Standard – Call of the Day! 🎉

Today we’re celebrating two Bengals who truly set the standard of Bengal Strong — Owen Pfizenmaier and Coyer Canfield! 🐾

During ELA, these two showed incredible leadership by welcoming a new student with genuine kindness and teamwork. They invited the student to join them during the novel study, caught them up on the story, and helped them navigate the assignment — all without being asked or prompted by an adult.

Owen and Coyer showed what Habit 1 and Habit 6 look like in action. Their willingness to step up, include others, and lead by example is exactly what being Bengal Strong is all about. 🧡🖤

Way to Be The Standard, boys!

🏀 LADY BENGAL BASKETBALL GAME DAY! 🧡🖤

Our Lady Bengals are back on the court today—both teams suiting up and ready to dominate!

🔥 8th Grade Girls Basketball
vs Susan B. Anthony
📍 Manhattan
⏱️ 3:30 PM Tip-off

🔥 7th Grade Girls Basketball
vs Susan B. Anthony
📍 HOME – CCCMS Gym
⏱️ 4:30 PM Tip-off

🎟 Admission for the Home Game:
• $5 Adults
• $3 Kids
• Bengals FREE!

Let’s bring the heat on the hardwood—defense locked in, offense pushing the pace, and Bengal pride loud and strong! Whether you're traveling to Manhattan or filling the CCCMS stands, let’s cheer our Lady Bengals on to victory!

#BengalSTRONG 🐾 #LadyBengals #GameDay #FullCourtEnergy 🏀

🏀 GAME DAY, LADY BENGALS! 🐾🔥

Our 7th & 8th Grade Lady Bengals are hittin’ the road and heading to Chapman today to tip off at 4:30 PM!

Let’s show Chapman what Bengal basketball is all about — grit, teamwork, and that never-quit mentality.

Go get those W’s, Lady Bengals! 🧡🏀🐾

🎉 This Week’s Bengal Activities! 🐾
Check out what’s happening around CCCMS this week — let’s show up, cheer loud, and stay Bengal Strong! 🧡🖤

MONDAY, Dec 8
🏀 7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball vs Chapman @ Chapman – 4:30 PM

TUESDAY, Dec 9
🏀 8th Grade Girls Basketball vs Susan B. Anthony @ Manhattan – 3:30 PM
🏀 7th Grade Girls Basketball vs Susan B. Anthony @ HOME – 4:30 PM

THURSDAY, Dec 11
🎸 Rock Band Informances in the CCCMS Commons – 6:00 PM

SATURDAY, Dec 13
🤼‍♂️ 7th/8th Grade Boys Wrestling – NCKL @ Marysville, 2:00 PM

📅 COMING UP!
✨ Dec 19 – 11:45 AM Dismissal (End of Quarter 2)
❄️ Dec 20 – Jan 4 – NO SCHOOL (Winter Break!)
📘 Jan 5 – Classes Resume

Let’s make it a great week, Bengals! 🐾💪 #BengalSTRONG #GoBengals

🎉 Bengal Strong Habits in Action Spotlight – Mr. Last’s PAWS! 🎉

If you’ve ever walked past Mr. Last’s PAWS in the morning, you already know one thing… this crew brings the ENERGY! 😄🐾

This ornery, fun-loving group is famous for keeping their teachers on their toes—especially with their legendary pranks on other PAWS classes. You never quite know what they’re plotting next!

They’re also the kings of the breakfast potluck, rolling in with morning feasts that could fuel an entire jungle of Bengals. 🥞🍳

Competitive? Absolutely. This PAWS loves a challenge and never backs down from going head-to-head with other groups. And quiet? Well… let’s just say that’s not their strongest habit—but their enthusiasm makes mornings brighter for everyone around them. 🤣

Their high-energy spirit matches their leader perfectly—Mr. Last wouldn’t have it any other way. 💥

🐅 Way to go, Mr. Last’s PAWS! Keeping the Bengal Strong habits alive with fun, teamwork, and just the right amount of mischief!

Mrs. Schooley is continuing retired Industrial Arts teacher Mr. Conner’s tradition of making cutting boards. Students use maple, cherry, ash, walnut, and oak to create them! #celebrate379

Mr. Higgins' 6th grade social studies students have recently started a unit on the history and geography of China. Earlier this week, they were examining all of China's rivers. #celebrate379

🎉 BENGAL SPORTS DAY! 🎉
Let’s crank up the energy, Bengal Family — it’s a BIG day for our athletes!

🤼‍♂️ 7th & 8th Grade Boys Wrestling
Our Bengal wrestlers hit the mats at home at 4:00 PM as they take on Abilene and Marysville!
Come pack the stands and bring the roar — every takedown, every pin, every battle counts!
🏷️ Admission: $5 adults | $3 kids | Bengals are FREE!

🏀 7th & 8th Grade Lady Bengal Basketball
Our Lady Bengals are hitting the road to Marysville!
Tip-off is 4:30 PM — time to bring that full-court Bengal mentality and light up the scoreboard!
Let’s go, ladies! Box out, drive strong, and shoot with confidence! 🔥

🐅 Let’s show our athletes ALL the love today — on the mats and on the court.
#BengalPride #GoBengals #OnTheMat #OnTheCourt #StrongerTogether

🌊 Why Are Our Oceans Salty? Ask a 6th Grader! 🌊

This week, 6th graders in Mr. Walsh’s science class explored why Earth’s oceans are full of salt by mixing naturally occurring minerals like sodium chloride and calcium chloride with different liquids.

They were amazed to see how water can dissolve just about anything it touches, and they even dug into how human activity can change our environment. #celebrate379

🏀🖤GAME DAY, BENGALS! 🧡🏀
Come pack the gym and bring the energy—it’s Lady Bengal Basketball at home tonight!

🔥 8th Grade — CCCMS Gym
🔥 7th Grade — District Gym
⏰ Tip-off at 4:30 PM!

Admission:
⭐ $5 Adults
⭐ $3 Kids
⭐ BENGALS GET IN FREE — so come support your classmates and make some noise!

Let’s fill the stands, bring the hype, and show our Lady Bengals what true Bengal Pride looks like! 🐾🖤🧡
Let’s go Bengals! 🏀🔥

🎉 Bengal Strong Habits in Action Spotlight 🎉
Special Education Department Edition

Today, on National Special Education Day, we want to shine a huge spotlight on our incredible Special Education team! 💙🧡 These educators embody what it means to be Bengal Strong—showing patience, compassion, creativity, and unwavering dedication to every student, every single day.

We are beyond lucky to have such an amazing, caring, and talented group serving our school community. Their impact is powerful, their hearts are huge, and the work they do matters more than words can say. 🐾

Below is a look into their personal world—what inspires them, drives them, and helps make them the truly remarkable humans they are. 🌟

Dee Brown is in her fourth year at USD379. Her first year was at the high school. Prior to this, she was in Belleville for 8 years as a 6th-8th grade Special Education teacher. She started her teaching career in Concordia in 2007 at The Learning Center. She has 5 sons, four wonderful daughter-in-laws and 6 grandchildren. She lives in Concordia with her two dogs and one cat.

Brandon Pigorsch started with USD 379 in 2009. He has been working in Special education since 2012. Spent 4 years in the Army on active duty before attending college on a wrestling scholarship. He has an amazing family (wife and 3 children) that he loves spending time with. He enjoys the outdoors-camping, golfing, disc golfing, and hiking. He loves attending concerts and sporting events. His favorite sport is wrestling, and his favorite NFL team is the Las Vegas Raiders. He coaches Middle school football and wrestling, and he is also the head Boys and girls wrestling coach at CCCHS, along with being an assistant boys golf coach.

Alisha Brownell began working as a para at CCCHS in 2016. She began teaching at CCCMS in 2019. She was born and raised in Clay Center. She is married, has two boys, three dogs, and a bearded dragon. She coaches middle school boys and girls wrestling. She enjoys drinking coffee and reading books.

Mary Mellon has been teaching in the USD 379 district ever since she graduated from college. She started as a 6th-grade teacher at McKinley and transitioned to Special Education with a Master's in Gifted Education. She is a died-in-the-wool KU Jayhawk fan (Rock Chalk) and Chiefs (She lived through all the “Chefs” and “Chumps” years) Kingdom supporter. She has had the privilege of teaching or providing services in all the 379 and Twin Lakes Educational Cooperative (TLEC) schools. It is one of her most rewarding experiences when she has the opportunity to watch the students she has served grow and mature over multiple years. Some even from Kindergarten through High School.

Please join us in celebrating and appreciating our Special Education team today and every day!
Happy National Special Education Day! 💙🧡🐾

🧡🖤 Happy Thanksgiving Break, Bengal Family! 🖤🧡

Wishing all of our CCCMS students, staff, and families a safe, restful, and gratitude-filled break! Enjoy the time with your loved ones, recharge, and come back ready to finish the semester strong. 🦃✨

📅 No School November 26–28
📚 Classes resume December 1st

Have a wonderful break, Bengals—stay safe, stay thankful, and as always… Go Bengals! 🐾🧡

Celebrating the Thanksgiving season, and the fact that we are so thankful for our well-behaved students, the Bus Barn decided to pick 2 winners for the November “School Bus Behavior Campaign Award”.

Tymber Charbonneau from the Dolphin bus was awarded gifts from Ray’s Apple Market, Wall’s True Value Hardware, Tasty Pastry Bakery, and Ferguson Rexall Drugs. Tymber is pictured with her bus driver Tom Kidwell.

Jase Ferguson from the Butterfly bus was awarded gifts from Season’s Best Country Kitchen, The Bomber Grind, Ferguson Rexall Drugs, and Ray’s Apple Market. Jase is pictured with his bus driver Edna Gonser. #celebrate379

🏆 BENGAL BATTLE CHAMPIONS! 🐅 Our Bengal wrestling team came out on top at the Bengal Battle today! Every athlete fought hard, stayed focused, and showed just how much they’ve grown since the start of the season. The improvement, determination, and teamwork on the mat were incredible to watch. A huge thank-you to all the teams who came out and participated in the Bengal Battle—your energy and competition made the event outstanding. 🤝🔥 Proud of this group and excited for what’s ahead—keep that momentum going! 💪 #BengalWrestling #BengalBattle #Champions #HardWorkPaysOff

🔥🐾 BENGAL BATTLE TODAY! 🐾🔥

Rise and shine, Bengal Fam — it’s tournament day! Our Bengal Wrestlers are hitting the mats at 9 AM in the CCCHS gym, ready to grapple, scramble, takedown, and pin their way to victory!

Bring that Bengal energy and pack the stands as our athletes go head-to-head in one of the toughest showdowns of the season. Your cheers help fuel every shot, every escape, and every last-second reversal!

🎟 Admission:
• Adults: $5
• Kids: $3
• Bengals get in FREE to support your classmates!

Let’s turn CCCHS into a roaring arena and show everyone what Bengal pride looks like.
💪🐯 Let’s get ready to RUMBLE, Bengals!

🌟 Be The Standard: Call of the Day 🌟
Shoutout to Bri Langvardt for leading by example every single day! 💪✨ Bri’s conscientious attitude toward her schoolwork and peers, paired with her unwavering integrity, shows that true leadership doesn’t have to be loud—it can be gracious, steady, and powerful.
Bri, you are the kind of person who makes our community stronger just by being who you are. A future world-changer? Absolutely! 🌍💖
#BeTheStandard #BengalPride #KindnessInAction #FutureWorldChanger

🎉 Bengal Activity Night is TONIGHT! 🎉
CCCMS Parents & Students — we’re excited to kick off our very first Bengal Activity Night tonight from 5:30–7:00 p.m.!

🎟 Admission: $5
🍿 Concessions: Additional cost
🎶 Activities: Live DJ • Basketball • Volleyball • Gaga Ball
📵 Reminder: Cell phones will be collected at the door and returned as students leave.

We can’t wait for a fun evening of music, games, and Bengal spirit! 🧡🐾

Eligibility Reminders (from the Student Handbook):
To attend Bengal Activity Night, students must:
✔️ Be CCCMS students with no ISS, bus-discipline slip, or OSS in the last 30 days
✔️ Have all detentions served by the end of the day before the activity
❌ Students with 3+ detentions or non-socials in the last 30 days are not eligible
❌ Students currently on a behavior-management plan may not attend
📚 Students must attend at least four class periods today to participate
🚪 Students who leave during the event cannot be readmitted
📞 If a student must leave early, a parent must be contacted
🚫 Sponsors may ask a student to leave for inappropriate behavior

Let’s make it a great night, Bengals!

🌟 Bengal Strong Habits in Action – Science Department Spotlight! 🌟
This week, we’re blasting off into the world of inquiry, discovery, and pure scientific awesomeness as we celebrate our incredible CCCMS Science Teachers! 🔬⚗️🧬

From guiding our 6th graders through foundational investigations…
to helping our 7th graders hypothesize, test, and rethink…
to pushing our 8th graders to analyze, question, and think like real scientists…
our Science team brings the spark that keeps curiosity alive. ✨

They model collaboration, problem-solving, exploration, and critical thinking every single day. Whether they’re prepping lab materials, crafting hands-on experiments, analyzing data with students, or teaching safety procedures like the pros they are — their commitment keeps our Bengals learning, growing, and ready to take on the world. 🌍💡

We appreciate everything they do behind the scenes and in the classroom to make science come alive for our Bengals!

👉 Keep scrolling to check out each teacher’s personal bio and get a fun peek into their life outside the lab!

Jason Walsh is in his third year of teaching Science at CCCMS. Before teaching in this district, he taught 6th-grade Special Education Math and Language Arts at Fort Riley Middle School. He grew up near Albuquerque, New Mexico, and joined the Army after high school.

Greg Kalivoda is a CCCHS graduate, Class of 1981. He has been teaching for 36 years. Teaching Physical Education and Science in Goddard, Paola, and Clay Center since 2000. His wife of 23 years is Shannon Kalivoda (Miltonvale HS-1988), sons William (M.S. ESU 2025, BS 2023, CCCHS 2018), Garett (Sgt. USMC, CCCHS 2022), and Hayden (Central Mechanical Construction, CCCHS 2025) make their home in Miltonvale, KS. He enjoys hunting, shooting, and fishing year-round, as well as spending time with his wife, boys, and brothers. Summers are spent working with his hands, remodeling residential projects, and traveling with his family. He bleeds Yankee Blue (since '77), K-State Purple (Class of 1985), and Tiger Wrestling!

Mrs. Cari Pfizenmaier is teaching eighth-grade Physical Science this year at CCCMS. This is her 30th year of teaching. Over the years, she has taught everything from Pre-K to 8th grade. Mrs. Pfizenmaier and her husband, Todd, live west of Clay Center on a farm with three of their four children. Mrs. Pfizenmaier’s favorite pastime outside of school is working on the farm with her family.
Together, these outstanding educators bring passion, experience, and real-world knowledge to our halls every day—making our Science Department a true Bengal Strong force of learning, leadership, and inspiration.