Civic Memorial High School

We invite you to attend the CMHS Open House/Meet the Teacher Night on Thursday, August 21, 2025.

This event will occur in the CMHS Commons from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. On this night, you will have the opportunity to meet your child's teachers.

At 5:45 p.m. in the auditorium, CMHS counselors will present to the parents or guardians of 11th and 12th-grade students on how they can support their students as they prepare for post-secondary readiness. 

Subject: Exciting Scholarship Opportunities for CMHS Students!

Dear Families,

We are excited to share an incredible opportunity for our students at Civic Memorial High School! Once again, we are partnering with VU Scholarships, a program designed to connect students’ academic accomplishments with real scholarship opportunities from colleges, universities, and post-secondary institutions across the country.

The VU Scholarships Program helps students discover scholarships they may qualify for—sometimes from schools they had never even considered! From there, it’s up to each student to decide if they’d like to take the next step and apply to a partner institution.

Here’s how it works:
With your consent, CMHS will securely provide student data (such as GPA and ACT scores) to VU Scholarships.
Students will then receive a personalized letter explaining how the program works.
Each letter contains a unique QR code that links directly to the scholarships and schools matched to your student’s academic profile.
You and your student can explore these opportunities together and discuss which options may be the best fit.

Why this matters:
VU Scholarships gives students access to opportunities that may not have been on their radar.
It empowers students to make informed decisions about their future after high school.
It provides a head start in navigating scholarships, admissions, and financial aid.

Please note: these are not direct scholarship awards. Students will still need to meet deadlines and requirements for each institution—but this program makes it much easier to know what’s possible.

We are thrilled for our Eagles to explore what’s out there and take the next step toward building their future! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. To learn more, visit the VU Scholarships parent page at www.vuscholarships.com/parent.

Let’s get excited about the doors this partnership will open for our students!

Hard Work - Pays Off,

Mr. Newell Newell

CLICK HERE TO OPT-IN VU SCHOLARSHIPS

Strategy Club 

Do you like Dungeons & Dragons, Magic The Gathering, Pokémon, or board games of all kinds? Then come be a part of Strategy Club! Our first meeting will be on Monday, August 25th after school in Mr. C’s Room – Room 203 in the English Hallway.

Purple and Gold Friday

Don’t forget that we have our first purple and gold day this Friday. The first hour that is the most spirited wins donuts for breakfast! 

Media Club and The Eaglet:

Media Club and the Eaglet will have our first meeting this Wednesday at 2:05 in Mr. Kalker's room 237.   Anyone interested in video, radio, and media production!  

Do you like tcamera's microphones and editing equipment? 

Want to make content for the district social media pages? Come to our meeting this Wednesday in Kalker's room.

Debate Club:

The Debate Club will have its first meeting this Friday, right after school, in Mr. Kalker's Room 237. 

Do you like to argue, but don't like losing? 

Want to improve those argumentation skills! 

Come to the Debate Club this Friday after school! 

FBLA 

There will be ​​an informational meeting for FBLA this Wednesday at 2:05 in room 216.

Phones and Earbuds:

Please remember to keep phones and earbuds put away.

Class Officers:

Any freshmen interested in running for class officer can pick up an application on the bulletin board outside room 215.  Applications are due Friday, 8/22. If you have any questions, see Mrs. Hawkins in room 215.

Club Fair 

Student Council is hosting a club fair on Friday, 8/22, during lunch hours in the auxiliary gym hallway.  If you are looking for a new activity, want to get involved in high school, and would like to meet new people, then joining a club is a great choice! Stop by during lunch and learn about the many exciting clubs offered.

Hoco T-Shirts 

Have an idea for your HOCO class color day t-shirt?  Ideas are being accepted this week.  Email your ideas to your class officers.  Freshmen email ideas to Mrs. Hawkins @ jhawkins@bethalto.org.

🎶 Fight Song Fun!

Fight Song Friday this week is the football team! 💜💛🦅

What an incredible start to the school year! The halls of Civic Memorial are alive with energy, laughter, and the buzz of learning. It’s truly inspiring to see our students engaged in their classes and reconnecting with friends and teachers.

We’d like to give a big shout-out to our Eagles—they’ve made this first week a success! Please take a moment at home to let your student know how proud you are of the way they’ve started the year.

One of our focus areas this year goes beyond academics—we’re helping students strengthen life skills that will serve them well in school, at home, and in their future careers. This includes simple but powerful habits like greeting others with a friendly “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!” and practicing other respectful, everyday communication skills.

These small gestures make a big difference in creating a welcoming, connected school community—and we’re excited to see our students rise to the challenge.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12YRqioXK1xYOWBfZltXYUskyhoGNcaJd/view?usp=sharing

🎮 E-Sports Meeting – Friday!

Check your email 📧 for all the important dates! Don’t miss your chance to join the team and show off your skills! 🏆👾

🔍 Where’s Waldo?

Emeryson Olmstead was the winner of Where’s Waldo! As a result, Mrs. Wallace gets a gift card and her class gets donuts. Mrs. Wallace, please let me know when is best! 

This week’s feature teacher is Mr. Walters! If you find him, your 1st hour class wins 🍩 donuts, and your teacher gets a 🎁 gift card!

🎯 Bethalto Claybuster Trap Team

Interested? Contact SRO Shank to get started! 🎯🔫

🎨 Senior Parking Spot Chalk Night – Sunday, 5:00–8:00 PM!

Before you start:

1️⃣ Sign up for a spot online 🖥️

2️⃣ Pay any past fees 💵

3️⃣ Check in at the back of the Commons 🏫

Then… create your masterpiece! 🎨🖌️

Theater Fest

Anyone interested in the theater fest should go to the meeting on the 19th in the auditorium after school.

Students New To CMHS Today:

If you have a student on their first day, please send them to the commons now to retrieve their laptops from their lockers.

📸 Picture Day – Friday!

Today is picture day! Please do not wear green – the camera crew uses a green screen! 💚🚫

🎶 Fight Song Fun!

Today’s Fight Song Friday is with FreshMentors! 💜💛🦅

CMHS: School picture day is scheduled for Friday! Please avoid wearing green on this day because Jostens uses a green screen. #GoEagles

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hZC2-WdfYYgxR3FIWyK2cyKR79-zCGrE/view

🎮 E-Sports Meeting – Friday!

Check your email 📧 for all the important dates! Don’t miss your chance to join the team and show off your skills! 🏆👾

🔍 Where’s Waldo?

This week’s feature teacher is Mr. Walters! If you find him, your 1st hour class wins 🍩 donuts, and your teacher gets a 🎁 gift card!

✅ Turn in your answer to your 1st hour teacher

⏰ You must search on your own time!

🎯 Bethalto Claybuster Trap Team

Interested? Contact SRO Shank to get started! 🎯🔫

🎨 Senior Parking Spot Chalk Night – Sunday, 5:00–8:00 PM!

Before you start:

1️⃣ Sign up for a spot online 🖥️

2️⃣ Pay any past fees 💵

3️⃣ Check in at the back of the Commons 🏫

Then… create your masterpiece! 🎨🖌️

🎶 Fight Song Fun!

Our first fight song of the year will be led by the Freshmentors – watch and learn how it’s done! 💜💛🦅

📸 Picture Day – Friday!

Please do not wear green – the camera crew uses a green screen! 💚🚫

Announcements for August 13, 2025

Welcome back to the 25/26 school year! 

Students, the PLC schedule for today has been sent to your email if you need to reference the times.

Students who need lunch can sign up for a grab-and-go lunch during their 2nd hour class today.

Teachers, this is a reminder to follow along with the beginning-of-the-year slideshow that was shared with you this morning. 

Your first task is to distribute those schedules. Students, if you have a scheduling error, please fill out the form.  Students should follow their schedule until they are called down by their school counselor. Do not send the student to the counseling office. 

If you have a student without a schedule, please send them to the main office. 

Mark your calendars for upcoming Esports events:

Friday, August 15 – All Team Meeting 🗓️

Monday, August 18 – Fortnite Tryouts 🔫

Tuesday, August 19 – Marvel Rivals Tryouts 🦸‍♂️

Wednesday, August 20 – Mario Kart 8 Tryouts 🏎️

Thursday, August 21 – Super Smash Bros Tryouts 🥊

Friday, August 22 – Brawl Stars Tryouts 💥

Don’t miss your chance to join the team and show off your skills!

Students, we will be playing a game of Where's Waldo. Our feature teacher is Mr. Walters. If you find him, your first hour class will receive donuts, and your first hour teacher will get a gift card. You must turn in the feature teacher to your first hour teacher. Also, you must look at your own time. 

Our first fight song will be with Mrs. Clark’s class to show us how it is done.

Don’t forget that picture day is on Friday; please do not wear green.

Hey CMHS Families!

Tomorrow—Wednesday, August 13—is the big day! We’re so excited to welcome our students back to Civic Memorial for another amazing year! 🎉

Here’s what you need to know to make the first day a smooth one:

🕖 Doors open at 6:50 AM – Come early, get settled, and start the year off right.

🚗 Student drivers – Reminder: Parking is open and first-come, first-parked!

📋 Don’t know your schedule? No worries! We’ve got you. First hour classes will be posted in the CMHS Commons. Students can grab their official schedule from their first hour teacher (except freshmen—yours were handed out at orientation).

🕧 It’s a PLC day! That means early dismissal:

• 12:36 PM for car riders (lunch-to-go starts at this time)
  
  

• 1:10 PM for bus riders (after Grab-N-Go lunches)
  
  

For some, it’s the first first day of high school. For others, it’s the last. Either way—it’s a day to remember. Take the pictures. Soak it all in. And don’t forget to tag Civic Memorial High School when you post those first day photos—we’d love to see them! 📸💜💛

Let’s make it a great year. Hard work pays off—so let’s get after it.

GO EAGLES! 🦅💪

CMHS: On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., students in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades are invited to tour the building. Students should access their schedules on PowerSchool before arrival. This is an excellent opportunity to walk through the building before opening day. Students need to enter through the main office doors. 

August 6, 2025 

CMHS Friends,

Student schedules for the 2025–2026 school year will be available in PowerSchool beginning Thursday, August 7, 2025, around noon. Please read the following reminders carefully as you review your student’s first-semester schedule:

• Only first-semester schedules will be visible at this time. Second-semester schedules are still being finalized and will be released later.

• If students have forgotten their PowerSchool passwords, they will need to view schedules through the Parent Portal. Please do not contact the school asking for this login information.  

• Schedule changes were due by April 1, 2025. No changes will be made at this time unless there is a clear scheduling error.

• We do not adjust schedules based on teacher preference or lunch period requests. This helps us balance class sizes and serve all students effectively.

• Counselors worked to place students in their top seven requested courses. If a course could not be scheduled due to a conflict, backup selections were used.

• If a course you requested does not appear, it may be scheduled for the second semester. Any counselor-known issues with second-semester schedules will be handled throughout the fall semester. 

• Freshmen will receive a printed schedule during orientation. Students in grades 10–12 will receive their printed schedules on the first day of school in their first-period class, a list of which will be posted in the Commons.

• If you notice a potential error—such as two classes in the same period, a missing period, or placement in a class already completed—please have your student email their school counselor. Allow up to 48 hours for a response due to the high volume of inquiries.

School Counselor Contact Information:

Students with the last name A-G: Mrs. Anita Steinmann (asteinmann@bethalto.org) 

Students with the last name H-O: Ms. Andrea Powers (apowers@bethalto.org) 

Students with the last name L-Z: Mrs. Laurie Rombach (lrombach@bethalto.org) 

Hard Work - Pays Off,

Mr. Justin Newell

Principal 

Civic Memorial High School

📣 The Eagle Apparel Store is BACK! 🦅💜💛
You asked—we delivered! Check out our exclusive Comfort Colors shirts, perfect for showing off your Eagle pride in style.

https://backtoschoolcm25.itemorder.com/

🧢🎒👕 Also in stock:
✔️ Book bags
✔️ Hats
✔️ Crew necks
✔️ And more must-have gear!

🔥 PLUS—we brought back a throwback Eagle design you’re going to love!

🛒 Don’t wait—place your orders now and rep CMHS with pride!

#EaglePride #CMHSSpirit #ComfortColors #ThrowbackEagle #CMHSApparel

CMHS Friends,

Welcome back to another exciting year at Civic Memorial High School! As we reopen our doors for the first day of school on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, we look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces and warmly welcoming new members to our school community. We are thrilled to embark on this new academic journey with your children and look forward to a year filled with growth, learning, and memorable experiences. Our dedicated staff is committed to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment where every student can thrive and reach their full potential.

On the first day of school, we will follow a PLC schedule. Student drivers, car riders, and walkers will be dismissed at 12:36 PM, while bus riders will be dismissed at 1:00 PM.

A strong partnership between home and school is essential for our students' success. We encourage you to stay involved, stay informed, and reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. Together, we can ensure that this year is not only productive but also enjoyable for everyone involved.

Each day, we will work towards meeting our mission “to cultivate high levels of learning in an environment of mutual respect to prepare all students for post-secondary readiness in a diverse society.”

Click Here To View Welcome Back Information and Procedures

Hard Work - Pays Off,

Mr. Justin Newell

Eagles,

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration, welcome to the Civic Memorial family! We are excited to invite you to our Freshman/New Student Orientation, an event designed by our student leaders, the FreshMentors, to help both students and parents navigate the transition to high school.

We recognize that moving from middle school to high school is both exciting and challenging. Our goal is to ensure every student starts strong by learning the ins and outs of CMHS, including our culture, expectations, and the many resources available. This orientation is a crucial first step in establishing a solid foundation for success over the next four years.

Students will have the opportunity to walk through their class schedules, explore the building, and connect with upperclassmen who are here to support them. This helps reduce first-day jitters and builds confidence.

Orientation Schedule

Student Orientation – Monday, August 11, 2025 (5:00 PM - 7:30 PM)

👉 Click here or visit the CMHS website to view your student’s assigned session and group.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xBnBa61uWEDEvzMosyQKgRvXsnnIb9R4zWvpdWfRBqY/edit?usp=sharing

• Drop-off is at the back of the building near the main gym.

• Students should arrive 15 minutes before their assigned session.

• Please ensure your student knows their assigned group in advance.

• No supplies are needed.

Parent/Guardian Orientation – Monday, August 11, 2025
6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. | CMHS Auditorium

We'll cover general procedures, expectations, and other important information. Bring your questions and we’ll be ready to answer them! 

Hard Work - Pays Off,

Mr. Newell