Central School is proud to be one of Glen Rock's landmarks since its opening in 1922. Today, our K-5 school provides a safe, nurturing learning environment in which our 336 students always come first. Students, teachers, parents, and the entire Glen Rock community partner together each day in their efforts toward Central's School's mission:
"To develop students into leaders who have a love of learning, strive for excellence in the classroom, are guided by strong values and ethics, and seek to improve the condition of the world.”
At Central School, we are dedicated to delivering instruction that is both rigorous and responsive to the developmental needs of all our students in order to fully prepare them for the challenges of the future. Our exceptional faculty of teachers is committed to providing our learners with a high-quality education through the use of the best instructional practices, engaging curriculum, and the latest educational technology. Children are taught language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science in kindergarten through fifth grade. In keeping with our belief in the education of the whole child, Central School students also receive weekly instruction in Spanish, visual arts, music, library, and physical education. We provide specialized support to our students, as necessary, through programs like Gifted and Talented, English as a Second Language, basic skills instruction, collaborative classrooms, special education classes, and speech therapy. A wide variety of extra-curricular activities enrich student life at Central School including Student Council, Early Morning Chorus, Math Club, Environmental Club, Character Education Club, and Safety Patrol.
Another one of Central School’s greatest assets is the tremendous level of support provided for our students by our Home and School Association (HSA) and the extended Glen Rock community. The HSA works hard to enrich the lives of our students both in and out of the classroom through hosting events such as the STEM Fair, the Book Fair, Bingo Night, the Fun Fair, and the bi-annual Auction. Donations from the HSA have provided Central School with an upgrade to the sound and visual system in our auditorium, new risers for our choral and music concerts, laptops, and most recently a SMART TV for our media center! Finally, because of the HSA, students in all grades are able to enjoy and learn from wonderful assembly programs such as the Circus and Lead U.
I am very proud to be the principal of Central School, a community that is wholeheartedly dedicated to helping every student maximize his or her potential. I am confident that as we move forward, we will continue to build on our tradition of excellence which has been fostered here for nearly a century.
I invite you to explore the contents of our homepage and to feel free to contact me at any time with questions, concerns, or comments. I look forward to a terrific 2017-2018 school year!
Mrs. Krista LaCroix
Central School
Central School has been one of the community’s landmarks since its founding in the 1920’s. With a building addition in 2002, our K-5 school is a vibrant learning community now offering the 313 students an instructional program which strikes the balance between the very best traditional practices and cutting-edge instruction. In a partnership which benefits our students, Central’s faculty, parents, and the extended community strive together to foster a safe, nurturing learning environment where children always come first. Each day Central School strives towards its mission “to develop students into leaders who have a love of learning, strive for excellence in the classroom, are guided by strong values and ethics, and seek to improve the condition of the world.”
Central School’s academic performance is very high when compared to schools across the state, outperforming 97% of schools statewide and meeting 100% of our performance targets. Central School has the honor of being recognized as a Rewards School in the State of New Jersey.
At Central, we involve children in Glen Rock’s rigorous, relevant, and developmental approach to learning in order to best meet the challenges of the future. Children are taught language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science on a continuum from kindergarten through Grade 5. Central School values the education of the whole child, and students are involved in art, music, library, and physical education on a regular basis. We provide support, as necessary, through the Gifted and Talented program, speech, basic skills instruction, a special needs program, and ESL. A wide variety of extra-curricular activities enrich student life at Central School including Student Council, Math Club, Environmental Club, Character Education Club, and Safety Patrol.
Our faculty distinguishes themselves by their unsurpassed professionalism and a commitment to excellent practice. In staff development, special emphasis has been placed on the areas of language arts, mathematics, character education, and technology which relate directly to school and district initiatives. At the classroom level, teachers work diligently to plan hands-on, challenging, and age-appropriate learning activities, which actively engage students. All classes in grades one through five have ceiling-mounted LCD projectors, Interwrite Boards and ELMOs and utilize this technology on a daily basis, most recently with the implementation of Rosetta Stone.
One of Central’s greatest assets is the tremendous level of support provided for our students by the HSA (Home and School Association) and the extended community. The HSA generously seeks to enrich the lives of students both in and out of the classroom. The Science Fair, the Book Fair, Bingo Night, a Fun Fair and much more are all made possible by our parents. The HSA fundraising also benefits the students through donations such as upgrading the sound and visual system in out auditorium, new risers for our choral and music concerts, laptops and whiteboards. Another important role of the HSA is organizing enriching assemblies for the whole school. Last year, assemblies were held on a variety of exciting topics.
Central School is a dynamic learning community. Moving forward, we will continue to build on the tradition of excellence which has been fostered at Central School for nearly a century.