Dear Centralia Community,

There's a phrase woven into the fabric of this place: "Once an Orphan, always an Orphan." It's more than a slogan. It's the truth we live—the belief that Centralia shapes you, claims you, and welcomes you back no matter how far you travel or how long you're gone.

In this Winter issue of Spirit of CHS, you'll see that truth reflected in every story. Bobby Brenneisen—Coach B—arrived straight out of college assuming it was temporary, and now he can't picture being anywhere else. Bill Alli spent years away before realizing, "This is my hometown," and returned to coach wrestling alongside his son Ben, passing down lessons about discipline, humility, and the way wrestling humbles you into working harder. The Bratton brothers—KyMariyon, KaiVeric, and Kenny—understand the weight of example, carrying themselves with maturity because they know younger students are watching.

You'll meet Bailee Tomlianovich—Coach T—who played softball here, returned to teach PE, and now leads our staff wellness initiative with a new weight room that gives teachers the same reset button she relies on at 3:45 a.m. You'll read about Jordan Wiley, a multi-instrumentalist who nearly walked away from music before his father reminded him, "You have something so special," and who now carries bassoon, trombone, bass — along with his dream of studying genetics — toward Eastern Illinois University.

You'll discover the work of Brittany Huff and Joe Fatheree, our instructional coaches teaching above the line—building AI systems for synthetic patient interviews, constrained writing feedback bots, and mock employment prep while keeping the irreplaceable human element at the center. You'll meet CEO students Grant Davis and Ben Wangler creating entrepreneurial opportunities through 40:31 Athletics and Mushroom Clones. You'll travel with Kalani Aydt and CHS Travelers to Spain, Italy, France, and Monaco, where students like Aurora Amason and Lorren Niederhofer learned that the world is both bigger and more welcoming than they imagined.

You'll feel the steady presence of Mindy Goewey at the Annex, managing sixty students with IEPs and forty staff members while coordinating everything from five in the morning. And you'll understand why Becky Brooks and Shannon Shipley transformed Stop Tripping into Power Hour—because, as they remind us, we're all at risk of struggling, and every student deserves support without stigma.

What holds these stories together is community. Board President Mike Neudecker—son of educators—serves because he wants every student to succeed. Our stability matters. Our resources matter. And our belief in these young people matters most of all.

Thank you for being Orphans with us. Thank you for showing up, investing, and believing in what we're building together.

With pride,

Dr. Chuck Lane

Superintendent, Centralia High School