California R-1 Elementary School

Join Central Missouri Community Action for a Spanish-Speaking Family Application & Resource Event this Friday, May 1st from 3:00–5:30 PM at 414 W Patrick St.!

Our goal is to support families by providing applications, enrollment assistance, and program information in Spanish. Families will have access to a wide range of free resources and can get help completing applications.

✨ Free event
✨ Community resources
✨ Help with applications
✨ Activities for kids
✨ Food pantry, job opportunities & more
✨ Raffles and giveaways

¡Ayúdenos a compartir este evento!

Acompáñenos a nuestra Feria de Recursos y Solicitudes para Familias de Habla Hispana este viernes 1 de mayo de 3:00 a 5:30 PM en 414 W Patrick St..

Nuestro objetivo es apoyar a las familias ofreciendo solicitudes, asistencia con inscripciones e información de programas en español. Las familias podrán acceder a una variedad de recursos gratuitos y recibir ayuda para completar solicitudes.

✨ Evento gratis
✨ Recursos comunitarios
✨ Ayuda con solicitudes
✨ Actividades para niños
✨ Despensa de comida, oportunidades de empleo y más
✨ Rifas y regalos

Each month, First Student donates a gift card to a student receiving the MVP Award at the elementary school—and this month’s winner is Isabella!

Way to go, Isabella! We are so proud of you! 👏

A big thank you to First Student for supporting our students and helping us celebrate their hard work and achievements! 💙🐴

📣🏕️ Pinto Summer Cheer Camp! 🏕️📣

Get ready for an exciting summer of spirit and fun! The CMS cheerleaders are hosting the Pinto Summer Cheer Camp for students entering grades K–5 for the 2026–2027 school year.

📅 Dates: July 30–31
📍 Location: California Elementary Gym

⏰ Camp Times:
• Grades 3–5: 9:00–11:00 AM
• Grades K–2: 12:00–2:00 PM

✨ Camp Includes:
• Cheer practice & mini routine
• Fun games & spirit activities
• Camp t-shirt
• Parent performance at the end of each session (final day!)

👟 Please wear athletic shoes and bring a water bottle.

💲 Cost: $30 per child
📅 Register by: May 15, 2026

📌 Drop forms and payment at the Elementary or Middle School office.

📧 Questions? Contact Coach Connell at alisha.connell@californiak12.org

Get ready to cheer, learn, and have fun—it’s a great day to be a Pinto! 💙🐴

DEADLINES ARE COMING! 🏀 Boys Basketball Camp 2026 🏀

📅 Camp Schedule:
Grades 3–5
• May 11–14
• 3:00–4:30 PM
• Location: CMS
⏰ Deadline to guarantee a camp shirt: May 1

Grades 6–7
• May 26–29
• 10:00–11:30 AM
• Location: High School
⏰ Deadline: May 15

Grades 8–11
• May 26–29
• 8:00–10:00 AM
• Location: High School
⏰ Deadline: May 15
💲 Cost: $30
(Make checks payable to: Boys Basketball Booster Club)
📬 Registration Info:
• Elementary & Middle School students: Return form and payment to your school office
• High School students: Return form and payment to Coach Kliethermes or the HS office
📧 Questions? Contact:
brandon.kliethermes@californiak12.org
trey.porter@californiak12.org
Don’t miss out—sign up today and get ready for a great camp! 💪🐴

📚✏️ Save the Date! ✏️📚
The 17th Annual Moniteau County Back to School Fair is coming soon! 🎉
Hosted by the Moniteau County Alliance for Kids, this event is open to all students attending school in Moniteau County.
📍 Location: California High School parking lot (drive-thru event)
📅 Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00–6:00 PM
🚗 Details:
Drive through and receive FREE school supplies and materials to help your student start the year off right!
⚠️ No pre-registration required
📌 Be sure to watch for signs the day of the event!

⚽️ 2026 Lady Pintos Girls Soccer Camp ⚽️

Get ready for a fun-filled week of skill-building, teamwork, and Lady Pintos pride! 💙🤍

📅 When:
Monday & Tuesday – June 8–9
Thursday & Friday – June 11–12

👧 Who: Girls entering FALL 2026
• Elementary (1st–4th Grade): 3:30–5:00 PM
• Middle School (5th–8th Grade): 5:30–7:00 PM

📍 Where: Riley Field at California High School

💲 Cost: $40
Checks payable to: Lady Pintos Soccer

👕 Early Sign-Up Perk:
Register by May 21, 2026 to guarantee your camp T-shirt!

📬 Mail Registration To:
Lady Pintos Soccer
PO Box 325
California, MO 65018

📝 Sign Up Here:
https://forms.gle/2FS1p4G3BkhqjacV6

Our Pinto baseball team knocked it out of the park with their Little Pintos Baseball Camp! ⚾️💙

Our elementary students had an unforgettable experience—getting the chance to take the field before last night’s home game, be part of the opening festivities, and enjoy a free snack and drink! 🍿🥤

The smiles said it all… these kiddos had an absolute blast and loved every minute of camp. Thank you to our players and coaches for creating such a fun and memorable opportunity for our future Pintos! 🙌

🌎♻️ Pre-K is learning how to keep our Earth safe!

Our Pre-K students have been exploring ways to take care of the planet by learning about recycling and proper trash disposal. Last week, they had some very special visitors from the local trash company, who showed them a garbage truck and even a street sweeper—such an exciting hands-on experience!

To wrap up their learning, students got creative by making their very own garbage truck crafts. 🚛💚

We love seeing our youngest learners taking steps to care for the world around them! #EarthDay #FutureLeaders

April’s Character Trait of the Month was Courage, and we had some incredibly brave Pintos to celebrate! 💪💙

Shoutout to our awesome MVPs:

Matilda Strein
Samantha Mosqueda-Ambriz
Luis Acevedo Escobar

Hadley Blair
Jensen Moss
Isabella Lemus Barajas
Harper Watts
Kyson Simmons

Jionni Bravo Tapia
Carter Furcinite
Victor Sintas
Ellie Gerlt
Axel Mallicoat

Daenerys Vega
Haylee Maddox
Arthur Goans
Skylar Branch
Hunter Zimmerman

Jett Coffelt
Corbin Griggs
Harper Dent
Inga McGill
CJ Kunze

Lucas Connell
Erin Baker
Julian Castro
Ava Lepper
Emerson Rooney

Sebastian Corona

We are so proud of these students for showing courage each and every day. Keep leading the way, Pintos! 👏✨

Our 3rd graders are diving into the world of Greek mythology and art! 🏺✨

Students are creating their own myth-inspired stories through unique vase designs. Using oil pastels and tempera paint, they made scratch art by layering colors and then carefully scratching their designs into the dried paint.

We love seeing their creativity come to life in such a fun and meaningful way! 🎨

The Elementary PTO is giving back in a big way! 👏📚

Teachers who attended 2 out of 4 PTO meetings were awarded classroom grants for supplies of their choosing—and the PTO made it happen by purchasing those items!

Shoutout to Mrs. Biggs, Ms. Walters, Ms. Muri, Mrs. Reichel, Mrs. Barlow, and Mrs. Medlin for showing up and supporting the PTO! 🎉

A huge THANK YOU to our PTO for investing in our students and classrooms. Your support truly makes a difference! 💙✨ #PintoPride

🏃‍♂️ 37th Annual Lions Club Track Meet 🏃‍♀️

The 37th Annual Lions Club Track Meet will take place on May 1st at the high school, beginning at 9:00 AM. Events and the awards ceremony are expected to wrap up around 2:00–2:30 PM.

Track meet papers for 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students were sent home today. Please note that the permission slips include incorrect dates.

To clarify:
The track meet is on May 1st, and the permission slip covers transportation for students riding the bus to the high school on April 27th, 28th, and May 1st.

Welcome to the Pinto Family!
We’re excited to welcome our new elementary preschool teacher, Emma Rice, to the team! We’re so glad to have you with us and can’t wait to see the great things you’ll do with our students. 💙🐴

🏀 California Pinto Boys Basketball Camp 🏀
Get ready to hit the court this summer, Pintos! This is a great opportunity to build skills, compete, and have fun with our high school coaches and players.
📅 Camp Dates & Times by Grade:
Current Grades 3–5
🗓 May 11–14
⏰ 3:00–4:30 PM
📍 CMS
Current Grades 6–7
🗓 May 26–29
⏰ 10:00–11:30 AM
📍 High School
Current Grades 8–11
🗓 May 26–29
⏰ 8:00–10:00 AM
📍 High School
💲 Cost: $30
✔️ Make checks payable to: Boys Basketball Booster Club
📩 Questions? Contact:
brandon.kliethermes@californiak12.org
trey.porter@californiak12.org
📌 Registration Info:
• Elementary & Middle School: Return form + payment to Elem or MS Office
• High School: Return form + payment to Coach Kliethermes or HS Office

Our PK students are officially published, authors! ✍️📚 They walked the red carpet and proudly read their very own pages—what a fun and special moment! We are so proud of their hard work and creativity! ❤️👏

Get ready for some summer fun! 🥎☀️

2026 California Softball Youth Camp is here! Open to this year’s 1st–5th graders (next year’s 2nd–6th graders), this is a great opportunity for young athletes to learn new skills, build confidence, and have fun on the field!

💲 Cost: $25.00
➡️ Checks payable to: California High School

👕 Early Sign-Up Bonus: Register early to receive a camp t-shirt!
📅 Deadline for guaranteed t-shirt: May 15, 2026

📬 Turn in forms to your school or mail to:
Attention: Ashley Anderson
11608 East Railroad
Centertown, MO 65023

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Multiple campers? Each additional camper is just $20.00!

⚠️ Walk-ups are welcome the day of camp, but t-shirts are only guaranteed for those registered by the deadline!

Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to grow your game—it’s always a great day to be a Pinto! 💙

The California community has demonstrated its strong commitment to local education with the passage of Proposition S.A.F.E. in the recent election. Your investment in our schools makes a meaningful difference. This result reflects a shared priority to provide safe, high-quality learning environments for all students. Proposition S.A.F.E. outlines a series of improvements and long-term plans aimed at enhancing safety and modernizing district facilities. Work will begin in summer 2026 with several key upgrades, including roofing improvements, HVAC system updates, installation of a new playground, new furniture for the high school, and tile floor renovations

Additional improvements are scheduled for fall 2026, when turf replacement projects will take place. Looking further ahead, the district plans to break ground in winter 2026 and spring 2027 on a new facility, expanded classroom spaces, and improved building connections. All renovation work will be completed before construction on the new facility begins. These efforts are part of a broader vision to maintain safe, modern, and effective learning environments. As central pillars of the community, local schools play a critical role in preparing students for the future.

We would like to express great appreciation for the community’s trust and support, noting that the passage of Proposition S.A.F.E. marks an important step forward for students and the community as a whole.

We want to extend a sincere thank-you to everyone who ran in the Missouri municipal election for the School Board on April 7th. Your willingness to serve our community is truly appreciated.
We are pleased to announce that the following candidates have been re-elected and will continue serving on the School Board:
• David Cook
• Tony Haile
• Jan Trachsel
Congratulations to each of you, and thank you for your continued dedication to our schools and students.
We also want to thank our community for your ongoing support of the school district. It is a great day to be a Pinto!

🎉 It’s School Counselor Week, and we are so excited to celebrate our amazing counselors! 🎉

Our counselors work tirelessly to support students, families, and staff, and they make a lasting impact on our schools every single day. We truly could not be more blessed to have such an incredible group of counselors serving our school community. 💙

We’re excited to kick off the week by spotlighting our Elementary K–2 Counselor, Mrs. Sarah Russell! 🌟
Mrs. Russell has been a part of the California family for 8 years, and her dedication, kindness, and commitment to our students shine through in all she does.

📖 Read more about Mrs. Russell below as we celebrate her and the other counselors this week!