CSD Insider
Centennial School District Newsletter 2019-20, Volume 1
IN THIS EDITION
Superintendent's Corner
Celebrating Centennial
District Updates & Happenings
District Operations
Inside Schools & Programs
From Our Students
Upcoming Important Dates
Community Connections
Announcements
Superintendent's Corner
Excellence in Education: Bright Spots Shine in Centennial
As school districts across the region settle into the core business of educating America’s future, it is important to recognize some great things about our public schools. The public school system educates 90% of the students in this great country and does it better and at higher levels than it ever has.
In 1950, only 34% of the population had a high school degree. That number rose to 89% in 2016. For every major racial and ethnic group in the U.S., student achievement is higher today than it was in the 1970s. Public schools have increased graduation rates and improved student outcomes in the face of high levels of student poverty and meager support for families. Almost 25% of America’s children live in relative poverty compared to many of the countries we are routinely compared with. Countries like Finland, Norway, and the United Kingdom have extremely high levels of spending on family benefits as a percentage of gross domestic products.
In Centennial School District, there is much to celebrate. One reason to celebrate is having a strong foundation. Something we have come to recognize is that it takes continuity for success to occur. This is why we are launching a new section to this newsletter entitled "Celebrating Centennial." We want to recognize the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students when they represent us and what is best about Centennial.
The research is clear; continuity and expertise matter, and districts across the Commonwealth are recognizing their unsung heroes this month. Taking a moment to appreciate the folks who have worked to provide us with a strong foundation is always a good use of time.
Thank you!
Dr. David Baugh
Superintendent of Schools
Celebrating Centennial
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association Recognizes Five Centennial School District School Directors
In their years on the School Board, they have contributed to successfully leading the District through some challenging times addressing leadership changes, a massive modernization of the school district's facilities and transportation as well as meeting the needs of countless children and families. After years of focus on construction and preparing school buildings for the 21st century, they are now firmly leading an academics-first platform. In school districts around the Commonwealth, the forward progress is coming at the local level. School Districts with an involved School Board experience higher student outcomes (Iowa Lighthouse Inquiry).
The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials Recognizes Robert Whartenby and His Team
Larry Hannon Jr. Places Third in the International Bus Driver Safety Competition
District Updates & Happenings
ESL Field Trip to iFly
Every summer in July, the Centennial School District provides their English Language Learners (ELL) with a two week camp. This camp allows approximately 90-100 students, with 18 native languages, the opportunity to collaborate, discover, and celebrate their diversity. For the past three years, Mr. Conor Corey, Log College Middle School teacher, has worked alongside Assistant Superintendent Dr. Polinchock in creating and organizing the project based thematic curriculums used within each year’s camp. This focus on project based learning crosses all language barriers and provides the opportunity for every child to participate and feel valued.
For the 2019 ELL Summer Camp, the thematic curriculum was based on “Flight and Wind Energy.” Throughout this two week camp, the students created water rockets, windmills, parachutes, etc. Each project was then redesigned to maximize the use of wind or minimize gravitational pull. Year after year, it has been demonstrated that English Language Learners have no barriers to understanding. Watching the students communicate across so many languages to create, analyze, redesign, and present, is something that keeps teachers loving their profession.
At the conclusion of this camp, the students were given the opportunity to attend a full day at iFLY in King of Prussia. This day consisted of various STEM lessons including a flight and wind tunnel demonstration; however, the most memorable part of the day was when each student had the chance to take flight. The children were given the opportunity to enter the indoor skydiving tunnel and fly for 30 seconds. This was an amazing sight. Although there were a noticeable amount of nervousness about the experience, the excitement took over as the children’s smiles and laughter crossed all languages. Mr. Corey is thankful to the Centennial School District for the value they place on ELL inclusion and the opportunity to coordinate this camp each year.
Centennial School District's Book Mobile 2019
The program is cocoirndated by Mrs. Lauren Zucker, Willow Dale Elementary librarian, with the support of all the schools' librarians.
CSD's Apollo 11 50th Anniversary at The Fuge
The Apollo 11 anniversary celebration was coordinated by high school seniors who selected this event as their Senior Experience. Each year, seniors in good standing have the opportunity to complete an internship program in the final weeks of school. The Senior Experience program is in its second year, and it has proven to be a rewarding and enriching experience for the students.
The Centennial School District would like to recognize these graduates who participated in the Apollo 11 event for their Senior Experience: Victoria Buterbaugh, Marius Cobani, Morgan Cooper-Drew, Isabella DeMarco, Matthew Farre, Hailey Fox, Sarah Glass, Jaymarie Gonzalez, Charles Green, Kristin Hansen, Amanda Kerr, David Kriner, Katie Landgrebe, Monica Lorean, Ian McGorrey, Mark Meade, Lars Midthasssel, Emily Miller, Kellie O'Brien, Victoria Orlik, Julia Paley, Yash Patel, Paulo Salamanca, Jaden Schane, Alana Shapiro, Erona Shurdhiqi, Ben Steele, Cecily Stover, Justin Tiongson, Dakota Wherrity, Melissa Wolfgang, and Abigail Yost
Congressmen Fitzpatrick and Boyle Speak at a Forum on Special Education Funding
The forum included a panel from PSBA, Centennial School District, and the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. Each participant on the panel spoke to the need for fully funding IDEA since the mandated costs for special education impact local school districts' budgets. In Pennsylvania, the Act 1 index sets a cap on the tax increases school districts can make. This leaves school districts to look at other programs and services to reduce or cut in order to have enough local funding for special education. Superintendent David Baugh and School Director Mark B. Miller spoke to this impact in the Centennial School District as panelists in the forum.
Centennial School District Calendar 2019-2020
The Centennial School District calendar for 2019-20 reflects adjustments to the new trimesters in the elementary schools. Here are the highlights:
- There are two, scheduled two-hour delays, November 1, 2019 and February 5, 2020.
- Elementary and secondary conferences will be on December 19 and 20, 2019. The conference dates were moved to the end of the first trimester for the elementary schools.
- The second elementary conference date will be March 20, 2020 after the conclusion of the second trimester.
Follow this link to the 2019-20 Calendar
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
PAYK12 Cafeteria Accounts
Centennial School District is using a new on-line payment service this year, PayK12. Cafeteria payments can be paid on-line through PayK12.
Log into Skyward Family Access and look for the Food Service link on the left-hand navigation bar. Click the Make a Payment tab to be redirected to the PayK12’s website. The attached file will show you screen shots of the process.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's cafeteria account or need help navigating the system, please contact the Department of Food and Nutrition Services at 215-441-6000, Ext. 11023 or 11015.
Family Trips Scheduled During the School Year
To view the policy and the request forms, follow these links:
Absence Notes Made Easy - E-mail Your Child's Absence Notes
Parents and guardians are able to e-mail student absence notes to the school's attendance office. E-mailing an absence 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 e-mailed 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 notes.
E-mailed absence 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 absence note
Parents and guardians will receive an e-mail from the attendance office secretary confirming that the student's absence note was received by the school.
Each school has a unique e-mail address for accepting student absence notes.
Davis Elementary School
McDonald Elementary School
Willow Dale Elementary School
Klinger Middle School
Log College Middle School
William Tennent High School
Public Participation in School Board Meetings
For Regular School Board Meetings (Second Tuesday of the Month)
- Community comments will be taken at the beginning and end of the School Board meeting.
- The participant must be a resident or taxpayer of the Centennial School District.
- The participant must complete a Resident Participant Card and submit it to the Board President or Board Secretary to be recognized.
- The participant will be asked to give his/her name and address prior to addressing the School Board.
- The participant will have 3 minutes to make his/her comments. If the participant requires additional time, the participant should contact the Superintendent prior to the School Board meeting.
- Community comments will be taken during the presentation of an agenda item as presented within the Committee.
- The participant must be a resident or taxpayer of the Centennial School District.
- The participant must complete a Resident Participant Card and submit it to the Board President or Board Secretary to be recognized.
- The participant will be asked to give his/her name and address prior to addressing the School Board.
- The participant will have 3 minutes to make his/her comments. If the participant requires additional time, the participant should contact the Superintendent prior to the School Board meeting.
INSIDE SCHOOLS & PROGRAMS
William Tennent High School Gymnasium Renovations
During this summer, the William Tennent High School gymnasium received a beautiful renovation. The gymnasium is now a point of pride for all physical education classes and after school athletics. The gymnasium received new bleachers, wall padding, dividers and backboards. Come out and support our indoor William Tennent athletic programs and see all the upgrades.
Log College Middle School Opening Events
On September 20th, the 6th grade students participated in the annual 6th Grade Bingo night. This night offered plenty of fun for our newest addition to Log. Thank you to all the teachers and parents who helped make this a great night for our 6th graders!.
Club sign-up is currently underway. Students have the opportunity to join many different after school activities offered throughout the year. There is something for everyone- Kindness Club, Drama Club, Art Club, Dungeons and Dragons, and more. Additional offerings will be available throughout the year.
The Home & School Association is an organization dedicated to supporting Log College students. Information about this valuable parent/teacher group is available on the Parent & Student’s tab on Log’s homepage. Here you will find dates for meetings and events, committee descriptions, fundraising information, and more. Any support you can give to this organization is greatly appreciated.
Klinger Middle School - One Book, One School - Refugee
Thanks to a generous grant from the Centennial Education Foundation, every Klinger Middle School student and staff member received a copy of Refugee by Alan Gratz. Klinger's staff members read the book this summer and then planned for our One Book, One School initiative. The novel tells the escape stories of three children from different countries and in different decades. Klinger started things off with an exciting whole-school assembly where student readers introduced everyone to the book, and then teachers distributed a book to every student. Students are reading the book for the first six weeks in their English classes. Other teachers are using the book in their classes as there are curricular connections across all subjects.
The school is about to begin a school-wide UNICEF fundraiser for refugees and have started collecting supplies for Welcoming the Stranger. Welcoming the Stranger is an educational non-profit that offers free classes in English as a Second Language (ESL), computer skills, and United States citizenship exam preparation to adult immigrants and refugees in the Philadelphia metro region. This novel is touching staff and students alike and all are enjoying the rich conversations and any ideas that our students are sharing.
This One Book, One School project is uniting the Klinger community, promoting literacy, and engaging all of us to think beyond our own worlds. Some of the magic moments so far include: students expressing awe and appreciation for getting their own copy of the book that they can keep, hearing students say they never really liked reading before, but now they do because they love this book and want to read to find out what happens next, and most importantly, seeing how students are tying this novel to our Kindness focus. Of all the character traits we teach, Kindness is the one they focus on the most at Klinger. Students have embodied the spirit of “Everybody is Somebody,” connecting the stories of Refugee with Kindness.
While we are all eager to finish the book and see how the three stories connect, we also look forward to continuing using the themes of the novel throughout the year. What we learn about understanding others, how we treat one another, and how we can help those in need are life lessons that will carry on at Klinger and in the lives of all the Klinger family this year and beyond.
Welcome to Our Newest Bulldogs
Let's Go, Jake!
To follow Jake on his adventures and see how the students took Jake along on their adventures, visit Centennial Jake at https://www.facebook.com/CentennialJake or follow him on Instagram at @centennialjake
Log College Middle School Upcoming Events
The Home & School Association will hold the annual Fall Dance for all Log students on Friday, October 25th. Forms for attendance can be found on the Home & School tab.
The annual “Take a Veteran to School Day” will be held in the morning on Monday, November 11th. This is a day when students and staff can invite Veterans to Log College for a recognition assembly and reception. Forms for students to invite veterans will be distributed in Social Studies classes.
Home & School
The Home & School Association is an organization dedicated to supporting our students. Information about this valuable parent/teacher group is available on the Parents & Students tab on Log’s homepage. Here you will find dates for meetings and events, committee descriptions, fundraising information, and more. Any support you can give to this organization is greatly appreciated!
McDonald 5th Grade Team Building
FROM OUR STUDENTS
The Tennent Plague
The new school year brings to mind freshly sharpened pencils, football games, and crisp new notebooks; the new year really brings a chorus of sneezes, a concert of coughs, and tissues overflowing in trash cans. A new strain of the common cold has been circulating around William Tennent following the first few weeks of school. Students refer to this affliction as the “Tennent Plague.” The Tennent Plague began to spread very quickly with cases as early as the first days of school. As September comes to an end, the Plague is still infesting the hallways of William Tennent. Over the course of this month, even some younger siblings have acted as vectors of the Tennent Plague and carried it over to the middle and elementary schools after catching it from their older siblings.
Junior Moira Rice recently contracted the Tennent Plague and complained about her symptoms, “I have a sore throat, runny and stuffy nose, bad headache, you know, typical cold symptoms.” This disease doesn’t just attack upperclassmen, even new student, ninth grader, Lindsay Goldberg, couldn’t believe the Plague’s reach, “Everybody in the school has been getting sick. We’re all getting it! It’s crazy how fast it spreads. I had a really bad headache, my nose was running and I have a cough that still won’t go away!”
Avoiding the Tennent Plague seems almost impossible if you attend William Tennent, but there are some common sense steps that you can take to try your best to beat it:
Avoid contact with infected students
Support your immune system with Vitamin C
Try not to touch your nose, eyes, or mouth
Wash your hands after using stuff sick people could have used
If you do get the Tennent Plague, you should try to spare the rest of us and just stay home. If you are stressing about the work you’d miss and must come into school, there are several things you can do to prevent the spread of your cold:
Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough
Avoid close contact with other people
Disinfect surfaces or objects other people may touch
Wash your hands a lot throughout the day
Going back to school is hard enough, and sharing germs adds to the exhaustion of the back-to-school season. We all love to make new friends and learn new things together, but please, for all of our sakes, keep your germs to yourself!
Nick Cosenza, 11th grade
New Course Helps Students Relax
Starting this year, students can choose to take a physical education course called Mind, Body, and Health, taught by Mrs. Reach and Mr. Shapiro. The Physical Education Department created this class for multiple reasons. Mrs. Reach explained “We noticed that a lot of people are completely tuned in to their devices and that’s becoming a large problem not only in your age group but in all age groups. We wanted to have a course that allowed people to completely power off and then try to get back to the basics, gain better self-awareness, self-actualization and also be able to choose activities that are alternatives to activities we are more familiar with such as watching TV.” To learn more about what students do in this course, below is the synopsis of the brand new class.
The course is meant to introduce students to many relaxation techniques while teaching different types of physical activities such as Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi. Aside from the intriguing content learned in the course, students are excited about having Mind, Body, & Health count as a physical education credit that fulfills graduation requirements. Sarah Zurmuhl, a current junior, spoke about the course. “I like that it’s very relaxing and that it’s different than any other gym class and we see how to connect your mental health to your physical health.”
Overall, this class is a wonderful alternative for students who aren’t enthusiastic about physical education. It gives them a way to stay fit, but helps connect their mental and physical health together in a way that is fun for all. Mrs. Reach explained that she had seen an increase in participation because of this class and that people are excited to learn more about their body and mind through this course. The relaxation and stress-relieving techniques used in the course are showing results and making a huge impact on our school’s community. Students can find a time to think more deeply and connect to many internal feelings they typically would not in a standard subject class. Finally, a class that won’t add stress!
Kayla McEachern and Natalie Chubb, 11th grade
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
Please refer to the district calendar on our website for more information.
October 2019
- October 9 - All Schools and Offices Closed (Yom Kippur)
- October 21-25 National School Bus Safety Week
- November 1- Two-hour Delay
- November 5- All Schools Closed In-service Day
- November 11- Early Dismissal In-service Day
- November 18 - 22 American Education Week
- November 28 & 29- All Schools and Offices Closed (Thanksgiving)
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Scoops with the Supe
On August 15, Centennial Education Foundation (CEF) hosted a fundraiser at Uncle Mike’s Homemade Ice Cream in Warminster. I had a super strong right arm after scooping hundreds of scoops of ice cream! Joining me was Mr. Rob Rothman teacher at Davis, and Blake Meritz, Logan Meritz, and Dan Bragen from CEF. Also from CEF was Mr. Bob Phillips, CEF Board President as well as Centennial School Board members Mr. Chuck Kleinschmidt and Dr. Andrew Pollock. The event was a huge success; $1,000.00 was raised for the Centennial Education Association. A great big thank you to Mr. Mike Mathis from Uncle Mike’s! Uncle Mike's was recently recognized by USA Today for the best homemade ice cream in PA.
There is a saying that is common in some circles: Think globally, act locally. As part of the Centennial Community, we would like to recognize excellence at the local level. This monthly series will recognize an outstanding local business.
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!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CEF Presents Dueling Pianos at The Fuge in Warminster
Tickets are $35 which includes a buffet dinner, non-alcoholic beverages, Dueling Pianos, the band Bonehead and FREE BABYSITTING FOR CSD FACULTY AND STAFF! There will be a cash bar, raffle tickets and silent auction items.
Fall 2019 Planetarium Shows
Tickets are available for our upcoming planetarium shows. Please check our website for updates.
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 Social Media
Instagram: @Centennialsd
Twitter: @Centennial_SD
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 opportunities: 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. Tom Greenwood, Business Administrator
Mrs. Virginia Fredericksen Director of Human Resources
Mrs. Melissa Bolden, Acting Director of Pupil Services
Mr. Anthony Gabriele, Director Learning and Innovation
Mr. Robert Whartenby, Director of Facilities/Assistant Business Administrator for Operations
Board of School Directors
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
Hon. Bernie O'Neill
Principals
Dr. Dennis Best, William Tennent High School
Mr. Martin Hayes, Klinger Middle School
Mr. Patrick Golderer, Log College Middle School
Mr. Andrew Doster, Davis Elementary School
Mr. Ernesto Ortiz, McDonald Elementary School
Dr. Cathy Perkins, 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