CSD Insider
Centennial School District Newsletter January 2018
In This Edition
District Updates & Happenings
District Operations
Inside Schools & Programs
From Our Students
Announcements
District Updates & Happenings
William Tennent High School Hosts a Summit on Peace and Social Justice
Students participated in breakout sessions facilitated by educators and other volunteers. In these sessions, the students discussed the current culture and climate in their communities and the country. The students developed ways in which they, as leaders, could make a difference. Ideas such as contacting local legislators, using social media to start a positive conversation, and make personal connections with people are ways in which everyone can begin to promote social justice.
The Summit closed with two remarks from Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub and Pennsylvania Executive Deputy Attorney General Robert Reed. Both Weintraub and Reed reinforced the message about working together to eliminate discrimination and divisive rhetoric. "The language of hate is to divide and create fear, and it's one of the symptoms of hate," said Weintraub.
The Warminster Tax Office Has Moved
A Message from the Centennial Education Foundation
The Centennial Education Foundation (CEF) is a 501c3 tax-exempt, non-profit organization committed to providing enriching educational opportunities, programs and projects for students in the Centennial School District. CEF is independent of the School District.
The mission of CEF is to secure resources from individuals, corporations, community organizations and other foundations to be distributed in support of programs that benefit students in the Centennial School District. Since 1997, their grant programs have impacted the educational needs of thousands of students!
The Foundation relies solely on your donations. Every dollar contributed is fully tax deductible! Every dollar raised and invested will be used locally! Your contribution helps guarantee the future of Centennial students and community.
There are three easy ways to support CEF. Amazonsmile and ShopRite (shop at home) are two ways to contribute to CEF. In addition, CEF is sponsoring its March Jackpot calendar.
Help us help students succeed by giving the gift of education. Thank you for your support.
Staying in Touch with Centennial School District and Your School
It is important for parents and guardians to update their contact information (telephone number, cell phone number, and e-mail address) in Skyward Family Access to ensure that eAlert e-mails, text message alerts, and voice recorded messages reach them.
EAlert e-mail is the main method of communicating pertinent information to students and their families. Text message alerts and voice-recorded messages are used for emergency notifications as well as for school absence notifications. Parents and guardians can opt into receiving text message alerts. For more information about Skyward Family Access, follow this link: http://www.centennialsd.org/Page/8401
To stay up-to-date with various events and news about the schools and the District, the community can follow the District on these social media sites:
To watch School Board meetings, student-developed videos, and other events, tune into the District's cable channel: CSD-TV on Channel 36 (Verizon) and Channel 28 (Comcast).
School Board meetings are live-streamed and can be accessed via the District website the evening of the meetings. Board Meetings live-streaming
District Operations
Kindergarten Registration for 2018-19 Is Now Open
The Centennial School District is now accepting registrations for incoming Kindergarten students for the 2018-19 school year. Students must be five years of age on or before August 31 to register for Kindergarten. In order to register a student, the following documents are required:
· A birth certificate
· Immunization records
· Four proofs of residency
Parents/guardians can register a student online or in-person. For more information about the registration process, visit http://www.centennialsd.org/Page/101 or call the Registrar at 215-441-6000, Ext. 11046.
Absence Notes Made Easy- Email Your Child's Absence Notes
Parents and guardians are now able to email student absence excuse notes to the school's attendance office. Emailing an excuse note is a convenient way to ensure that a student's absence can be reconciled as a legal and excused absence. If a parent or guardian has a note from a medical professional, it can also be emailed to the attendance office along with the student's name, grade, student ID number, or homeroom teacher. All schools will continue to accept written absence excuse notes.
Emailed absence excuse notes should include the following information:
· The student's name
· The student's grade
· The student's ID number or homeroom teacher
· The date(s) of the absence
· A reason for the absence
· A contact telephone or cell phone number of parent or guardian submitting the excuse note
Parents and guardians will receive an email from the attendance office secretary confirming that the student's absence note was received by the school.
Each school has a unique email address for accepting student absence excuse notes:
Davis Elementary School
McDonald Elementary School
Willow Dale Elementary School
Klinger Middle School
Log College Middle School
William Tennent High School
Future Ready
The Centennial School District made the Future Ready School pledge in 2016. Since that point, the Future Ready Committee has developed a three-year plan to prepare students for the 21st century.
Future Ready is a network of innovative schools committed to reshaping education.
Future Ready schools value personalized learning, the dynamic use of technology, and collaborative leadership. Educators in Future Ready schools are encouraged to challenge the many assumptions behind the current structure of schooling and to reshape learning for our children who are born to an ever changing and increasingly connected global community. Click here for even more information.
Learning Isn't Just a Game
Many teachers use these educational games in the classroom. Students can work at their own pace and at an appropriate level of difficulty. For the teacher, educational games help to reinforce skill mastery. For the student, they are an enjoyable way to practice skills. What if the principles behind how games work is applied to how teachers structure other learning?
In the 2016-17 school year, Willow Dale Elementary School began to use Khan Academy as one of the tools to provide extra support to students in math. But unlike other resources teachers use, Mr. Connor Corey introduced it to the students in a way that sparked student excitement. Mr. Corey applied the rewards-based system that students are familiar with from online games and console games to Khan Academy. Just as a student earns a virtual reward for completing a level on a game, the students received incentives for achieving goals with Khan Academy. Students began the program at the Kindergarten level and worked up to their current grade level, and in many cases, past that level. Along the way, if students had not mastered a skill, they had the chance to learn and master that skill to move to the next level. Students had individual goals to achieve in the program. To demonstrate their success, they received rewards such as bracelets, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. As students "level-up", the rewards became more prominent. These included recognition assemblies and challenges where the teachers or principals would undergo spirited contests and challenges in front of the students. Other students would see their peers with these bracelets, t-shirts, and sweatshirts, and this helped to motivate them to earn their rewards.
Willow Dale Elementary School experienced an increase in their 2017 PSSA scores. The use of Khan Academy did play a factor in the scores, but it was not the only factor. What teachers saw in their students was a drive to succeed. Students were working on Khan Academy at home, by choice at recess, and during other independent work times. Students were developing the habits of mind that breed success. Practice, determination, growth mindset all played a role in their academic achievement. Teachers reinforced this habit in their classrooms in other subjects. It was not Khan Academy by itself; it was a team of teachers who found a way to make learning rewarding throughout the day.
This school year, the Khan Academy implementation at Davis Elementary School, McDonald Elementary School, and Klinger Middle School included the same principles that began at Willow Dale Elementary School. The rewards and incentives are tailored to meet the interests and ages of the students, but the fundamentals are the same. It takes teachers reinforcing and celebrating student success to work.
While it is unlikely that Khan Academy will disappear anytime soon, like any resource teachers use, it always comes down to how it is used with the students. The education market is flooded with more resources than ever before, and many of these are technology-based resources. Developments in programming and software design and research in how children learn is more robust than ever before. Teachers today know more about the biology, psychology, and sociology of learning than their predecessors from 30 years ago. One thing still holds true and will remain true well into the 21st century; when teachers can connect students' interests and motivators with the content, they learn.
Khan Academy is a nonprofit, open education resource. The online program is free to users, and donors fund it. In ten years, Khan Academy has expanded its program to include world language instruction, and it officially partnered with the College Board for SAT and Advanced Placement Course preparation.
Inside Schools & Programs
Can You Fix My Chromebook?
This year, William Tennent students were given Chromebooks. These devices give all students the same opportunity to access school resources and platforms such as Khan Academy, Canvas, Naviance, and Skyward. Using these tools, students can improve their communication with teachers and personalize their education. As a result of the implementation of Chromebooks, an internship called the Chromebook Help Desk was created.
The Help Desk is a place for students who are having Chromebook problems to speak to fellow peers who help them figure out the problem. Using a ticket system, Help Desk interns document issues with Chromebooks and give out Loaners, allowing the student in need to smoothly go on with his or her day while keeping around the clock access to technology.
This experience doesn’t only help students with their Chromebooks. The interns at the Help Desk often have some free time when they aren’t helping with the Chromebooks. This creates an opening where interns can work towards a certification. Interns are given a menu of options, ranging from Help Desk certification, to Web Design, to an Apple certification. These opportunities give the interns the ability to enhance their knowledge of technology and gives them an advantage in the professional world.
Mrs. Husted, the IT Site Technician at William Tennent High School supervises and supports the new team of Help Desk Interns. She comments, “Our Chromebook Student Help Desk is a wonderful resource for our students. This knowledgeable and helpful group of students is able to troubleshoot and resolve basic hardware issues, providing answers to many "how to" questions. They have researched to find solutions to problems and share what they have learned with the entire team”. The creation of these Help Desk positions has offered real-world work experience and training for the interns. Mrs. Husted is pleased with how the program is developing. “This experience has been a great learning opportunity for all involved. We strive to provide excellent customer service with a smile, and they are doing a great job!”
When asked about what they think about the Help Desk, interns generally have the same response. Senior Help Desk Intern, Jake Gampa explains, “I like working with computers. I enjoy the problem solving aspect and I enjoy working with the customers. The responsibility is nice, and it’s always nice to be the person people go to when they have a problem.” Sometimes students expect a quick solution to their problem. Another intern, Valerie Pendrak admits, “Our job is harder than it looks. We don’t just plug [the Chromebook] in and it works. It takes problem solving to figure out what the issue is.”
As a Help Desk intern myself, I have also experienced this problem-solving process first hand. As interns, we have to figure out whether a Chromebook not turning on is a battery issue, think of a solution, log all of the information, and give the student a working Chromebook all in a few minute interaction. However, just as Jake and Valerie mentioned, this makes us grow as problem-solvers and grants us the privilege of wandering the halls of Tennent with the recognition as Chromebook Helpers.
Victoria Alanis
Grade 12
William Tennent High School
Davis Elementary School's Day of Service
On January 15, the Davis family came together as a school community to collect donations for their 3rd Annual Day of Service. The collected items were delivered to the Trevose Fire Station for transport to the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory. The mission of Cradles Crayons is to provide every child with the essential items they need to feel valued.
In addition, the Davis family made over 200 breakfast bags for the organization Aid for Friends. Aid for Friends helps to alleviate the hunger and loneliness of homebound individuals. The volunteers also made cards that were inserted into each bag in hopes of spreading a little sunshine to our homebound friends.
It felt good to give back to those in need.
Log College Middle School Student Advances to the PA Geography Bee
On Tuesday, January 16, Log College Middle School held its annual Geography Bee. Twelve students advanced to the school wide competition. The National Geographic Society sponsors this Geography Bee each year. They supply the questions for the school bee, and the school finalist takes a state exam online. This year's winner, Sanjeev Pandith, a 6th grade student, will take the exam for qualification in the Pennsylvania State Contest. If Sanjeev qualifies, Sanjeev will represent Log College at the state level in April in Harrisburg. Eighth grader Matthew Carden came in second, and 7th grader Jackson Barlow came in third. Congratulations to all participants!
The National Geographic Society has a tremendous website with many geography games, maps, and challenges. If you enjoy geography yourself or want to check it out with your child, log onto their website at www.nationalgeographic.com.
The Elementary School Inspire Future Scientists
McDonald Elementary School students are getting excited about science. In each grade level, students learn about the life sciences, physical science, and earth and space science. The process students use to learn science involves the scientific method rooted in inquiry and hands-on experiments. Students begin by asking a question, building background knowledge, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis in an experiment, analyzing the results, and communicating what they learned. These foundations in science knowledge and scientific thinking are the cornerstone to their learning in middle school and high school.
On November 30 and December 7, the McDonald Elementary School fourth graders in Mrs. Sweeney's classroom collaborated with biology teachers from William Tennent High School, Mr. Jayo and Mr. Beal, on an experiment to see where bacteria is growing in our fourth grade hallway. The students experienced each step of the scientific method, including an experiment on the second day.
The students Mrs. Ward's second grade classroom developed “how-to” paragraphs in language arts and a hands-on lab on solids and liquids in science. The students made fluffy slime by combining solids and liquids, and they wrote “how-to” paragraphs to describe the process.
At Davis Elementary School, first graders had an amazing time learning about weather during a special assembly from the Franklin Institute. Thanks to a generous gift from the Home and School Association, the children played active roles in demonstrating how hot air rises and how thunderstorms, clouds, and even tornadoes form.
See these future meteorologists at work!
Learning to Be Good Citizens
As part of the social studies unit on good citizens, first graders at Davis Elementary School learned how service projects are a wonderful way to show the community how much they care. The students discussed how children can make a difference and brainstormed ways they could help the community. The students decided to help the needy animals of the community by collecting new and gently used items for a local animal rescue called Wags.
The pictures tell the story. It is evident how much initiative the first graders took in this effort. Mrs. Dyer, the Wags consult and Davis parent, came to pick up the items and could not believe the amount they had collected. The hard work of Davis' first graders and generosity of the families shows their Dolphin Pride!
From Our Students
Klinger Middle School Band Performs in Washington, D.C.
On October 2, the Klinger 7th and 8th grade band went to Washington D.C. to perform for the veterans in honor of their service. Students took a bus, escorted by the police, in order to get to D.C. in a safe and quick matter. Before the performance, the students and staff rambled around Washington D.C. exploring the different sites that make our country what it is. After the students finished examining the nation’s capital and purchased souvenirs, everyone strolled back to the bus and unloaded their instruments. Afterwards, it was time to perform for all the veterans and people roaming by. The veterans seemed like they enjoyed the performance extremely well. Lastly, we loaded everything back on the bus and managed our way back to Parx Casino. This was a pleasure to attend and perform for the veterans. We hope that the Centennial and Klinger staff will let us do it next year.
Ava Madnick and Natalie Shiloni
Grade 7
Klinger Middle School
Community Connections
We would like to encourage people to shop locally and support businesses within the Centennial School District. Each month, we will recognize a local business, talk about what makes them outstanding in our humble opinion, and we will encourage you to submit nominations for future articles. To be considered for review in our monthly electronic newsletter the business must be within the boundaries of the Centennial School District, provide superior business services, and be accessible to all citizens in the region. Please submit your recommendations through our District Electronic Suggestion Box!
ShopRite's Shop from Home Fundraiser
Announcements
Internet Essentials from Comcast
Your family may qualify for affordable Internet access and a low-cost computer. Please see the brochure below for details. To learn more or to apply, call 1-855-846-8376 or visit InternetEssentials.com.
Follow Us on Facebook
Employment Opportunities
Current employment opportunities are posted regularly on the Centennial School District website. Follow this link to learn more about current administrative, teaching, and support staff positions: www.centennialsd.org/jobs
District Calendar
To stay in touch with District events, follow this link to the Centennial School District calendar: http://www.centennialsd.org/Page/2
Centennial School District
District Administration
Dr. David Baugh, Superintendent
Dr. Jennifer Polinchock, Assistant Superintendent
Mr. Christopher Berdnik, Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Percell Whittaker, Director of Pupil Services
Mr. AJ Juliani, Director of Technology and Innovation
Ms. Hannah Messner, Director of Human Resources
Ms. Catherine Perkins, Director of Teaching and Learning
Mr. Robert Whartenby, Director of Facilities/Assistant Business Administrator for Operations
Board of School Director
Dr. Andrew Pollock, President
Mr. David Shafter, Vice President
Mr. Charles Kleinschmidt, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Steven Adams
Ms. Mary Alice Brancato
Mr. Andrew Dixon
Mr. Flemming Godiksen
Mr. Mark B. Miller
Ms. Tara Pellegrino
Principals
Dr. Dennis Best, William Tennent High School
Mr. Travis Bloom, Klinger Middle School
Mr. Andrew Doster, Log College Middle School
Ms. Shawanna Coles, Davis Elementary School
Mr. Ernesto Ortiz, McDonald Elementary School
Ms. Michelle Burkholder, Willow Dale Elementary School
Email: csdpr@centennialsd.org
Website: www.centennialsd.org
Location: 48 Swan Way, Warminster, PA 18974
Phone: 215-441-6000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/csdinfo
Twitter: @Centennial_SD