Centennial Connection Oct 1, 2023
An update for families from Centennial Public School
Dear Centennial Families -
We started this week with a Professional Activity Day. Staff engaged in learning about several new initiatives from the Ministry of Education, including the development of a Student Achievement Plan. More information about this will be shared with families in the coming months. Staff also engaged in some training including about the concussion protocol, health & safety training, and various policies. It was a good day to help focus the ministry's direction and what that will look like at Centennial. As always, student achievement and well-being is at the centre of our discussions and plans.
Huge congratulations to the Centennial community for smashing our fundraising goal for the Terry Fox Foundation! We had hoped to raise $800 and to date we have collected 1,036.25. Way to go Comets! Many thanks to Mrs Beardall for spearheading this initiative and to all staff, students, families and community members for supporting this worthwhile cause!
In October we are turning our attention to another worthwhile cause in our community, "Socktober". Throughout the month of October we will be collecting donations of new socks that will be donated to Socks Kingston, a local organization that collects socks and distributes them to agencies who support those in need, including St. Vincent de Paul Society, Kingston Interval House, Kingston Youth Shelter, In From the Cold, Kingston Street Mission, and Martha's Table. If you are able to donate, all donations are gratefully accepted. If you are a family who needs socks or support of any kind, please do not hesitate to reach out to the school office in confidence.
As well, this week Data Verification Forms were sent home with each student. Please read carefully, sign and return even if there are no changes. As well, we sent home a number of form such as the "Acceptable Use Notification Agreement" (the appropriate use of Board and/or personal technology) via School Day. Please read and sign these forms through School Day. If you have not yet signed up for School Day or need assistance, please contact the school office for your unique activation code.
We continue to engage in fun and interesting learning activities including having classes participate in field trips, making use of our school forest and Mowat Woods, having guest speakers in and using virtual platforms to engage with students in other locations, using technology to enhance our learning, engaging in STEM and STEAM activities, and course, having fun along the way! Students and staff are settling into routines and it is great to see so much learning happening in every classroom. Check out the many photos below!
This week we also recognized Truth & Reconciliation Week, knowing that the National Truth and Reconciliation Day took place yesterday on September 30th. LDSB schools recognized this important day with Orange Shirt Day on Friday. Centennial staff took time this week to engage in activities to learn about the history of residential schools and engage in meaningful and age appropriate discussions about the effects of residential schools, the ongoing impact, and the legacy they have left behind. Many thanks to the staff and community for all of your efforts to honour this day.
We hope everyone enjoys the sunshine this weekend! See you tomorrow!
-Deborah Thompson, Principal & Centennial PS Staff
Upcoming Dates
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday October 3 - School Photo Day
Tuesday Ocotber 3 - Kindergarten Fire Presentations today
Tuesday October 3- Stephanie Sartor, School Supervisor, visiting Centennial
Wednesday October 4 - Blue Marble presentation for Grade 6
Thursday October 5 - World Educators Day!
Monday October 9th - Thanksgiving
Week of October 16-20th - Brave Education Workshops for Grades 1-6
Wednesday October 18th - IEPs must go home today for students who have them
Friday October 27th - PA Day
Friday November 10th - PA Day
Friday November 17th - Progress Reports go home
Friday November 17th - Bus Safety Presentations
Friday December 22nd - Last day of school before December holidays
Hot Lunch
Just a reminder that should buses be cancelled, hot lunches are also cancelled and credit will be provided to account.
LunchBox is looking at more varied choices for hot lunches moving forward, and those will be reflected in the menu options, if it is possible.
To create an account and order hot lunches, use the guide below and linked here: Get The Guide
Videos and Photos
PA Day Learning
Kidsport Kingston
Kidsport provides grants to help cover the costs of registration fees so that all kids aged 18 and under in Kingston can play a season of sport in the community or school athletics.
The Kingston chapter accepts applications and administers grants of up to $250 per child/year, for kids who live in Kingston, or in one of the other communities they serve. Applications are to be directly submitted to the Kingston Kidsport website.
Recess Fun!
Human Development & Sexual Health Curriculum
Part of the curriculum includes instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health. Parents and guardians can choose to have their child or children exempted from this instruction.
In advance of any Human Development and Sexual Health topics being taught, educators will provide information, including dates of instruction and topics of instruction, to families. Teachers will also provide the exemption form should a family with to have their child exempted from topics covered in the curriculum. The deadline for the exemption request will be five school days before the start of instruction.
A full list of those topics can be found by clicking: Human Development & Sexual Health Expectations by Grade
The full Administrative Procedure can be viewed by clicking: Administrative Procedures AP 325
All of the information and forms related to Human Development & Sexual Health are available on the LDSB website.
So much fun at the apple orchard - Kindergarten and Grade 3/4 students making great memories!
School Day
Each returning family has a School Day account that you would have used last year. The user name and password you used last year continues to be active for this year.
Families new to Centennial will receive a paper information sheet this week with a unique user name and password (which you can change). Please keep this information handy as we use School Day for various permission forms, school trips, consents and payments.
Returning families who are not sure of their School Day information can contact the school office and a new form can be sent home to you.
Please note that we are not able to accept verbal or written permission generally and that School Day is to be used. Cash and cheques cannot be accepted at the school due to safe money handling procedures and as such, the much more secure method of School Day is used.
This platform may be new to some families (and to us too!) and we are here to work through the process together. Don't hesitate to reach out to the office if you are experiencing any challenges.
Grade 5 Recount Writing
Butterflies in Kindergarten
Safety in the Parking Lot
Please help to keep all students, staff and families safe by ensuring the parking lot remains for staff only, including at drop off and pick up. Thank you for your help!
Watercolour artwork from Grade 3 students
School Rules
- Keep our hands to ourselves
- Keep our feet on the ground
- Use kind words
We will be reinforcing these throughout the year. So far Centennial Comets are doing a great job!
Great job on the Fire Evacuation practices this week! We got out quietly and quickly!
Cell Phone Use
Should a student need to make contact with home throughout the day, they are welcome to let their teacher know and the school can either contact home or the student can use the phone in the main office.
We have devices at school such as ipads and chromebooks that are available for student learning, and as such, cell phones are not needed during the school day. At recess students play and have time for social interaction face to face.
Dot Day Art in Grade 1
What Do I Need To Bring? What Should Stay At Home?
All school supplies that students need for their learning and work will be provided by Centennial Public School. Sometimes students prefer to have their own pencil case with pencils/markers, but it is not a requirement.
Students do need to come to school with:
- Indoor, non-marking athletic type of shoes
- Water bottle with child's name clearly marked (we have bottle filling stations, not fountains)
- Nut-free snacks and lunch
Please label all items!
- items of value (sentimental or monetary)
- any kind of weapon (for example, a Swiss Army knife)
- any kind of toy that could be a replica weapon (for example, a toy gun)
- electronics of any kind
- jewelry
- make-up
- anything scented
- anything with nuts (please ensure all lunches and snacks are nut-free)
- toys and stuffies
Thank you for keeping these items at home. Sometimes a quick check of a backpack can ensure that treasures do not come to school. Thank you for understanding that we are not responsible for lost, broken or stolen personal items.
Indigenous Self-Identification
Please see the link below for more information and to self identify, if you wish.
Oliver's Labels
Do you need a way to label your things that stay labelled? Do you need a way to show what's yours? Need a way to label your child's things so they don't get lost or mixed up? Support Centennial Public School Council by purchasing through the link. The school receives 20% of your purchase! All funds raised go to support School Council initiatives including student activities. Thank you!
E-Store
Safe Arrival - How Do I Report An Absence?
How to report your absence:
1. Toll-free telephone
- Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.
2. School Messenger App
- Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
- Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
- The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
- Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.
Stay Up To Date!
Stay Up To Date! Please check the following regularly...
Centennial PS Twitter https://twitter.com/centennial_ldsb?lang=en
Centennial PS Website https://centennial.limestone.on.ca/
LDSB Website https://www.limestone.on.ca/
LDSB Twitter https://twitter.com/LimestoneDSB
LDSB Facebook https://tinyurl.com/wbhjtku
LDSB Instagram https://instagram.com/limestonedsb?igshid=1epyma6c0g5qd
Centennial Public School
"Show Up! Stand Up! Never Give Up!"
Email: cente@limestone.on.ca
Website: https://centennial.limestone.on.ca
Location: 120 Norman Rogers Dr, Kingston, ON K7M 2R2
Phone: 613.546.5517
Twitter: @Centennial_LDSB