Centennial Connection Oct 30, 2022

Dear Centennial Families -

We have had another great week! We started off with a Professional Activity Day full of learning for staff. We concentrated on the Science of Reading, engaged in some equity work, and delved into what accommodations and modifications are and how they can be used to support student learning. It was a great day!

This week we also had students in various classes go on field trips, to the downtown Farmer's Market, and to Elbow Lake. Other classes engaged in hands on experiential learning, such as the cooking the Grade 3/4 class did. It smelled incredible! (Check out some photos below!)

We also had a terrific time at the Family Fun Halloween Dance on Wednesday and we are so grateful to the School Council for organizing it!

A reminder that we are moving to the online School Day permissions and payment system. If you have not yet registered, please do so using the unique login code you received. If you aren't sure what yours is, please contact the school.

We have a number of high school co-op and college and university placement students at Centennial and we love having them in the school. While they are engaging in a lot of learning about what happens in a classroom and school, we are also learning from them and are enjoying having them at Centennial PS.

A reminder that tomorrow is Black and Orange Day at Centennial PS. Staff and students are encouraged to wear orange and black. Costumes and accessories such as masks and weapons and face paint, are all to remain at home and not come to school. This will help to make Halloween evening for families who celebrate, a less stressful event as costumes and accessories haven't gone missing. Thank you for your help!

We have been enjoying terrific weather and it looks like a great week ahead. A reminder that we do go outside even if it is raining lightly, so having a rain jacket packed is a great idea.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and we are looking forward to seeing students back again tomorrow!

- Deborah Thompson & Centennial PS Staff

Upcoming Dates

Monday October 31

Black & Orange Day

*This is Holocaust Awareness Week

Tuesday November 1

Wednesday November 2

Dental Screening JK to Grade 3

Thursday November 3

Dental Screening JK to Grade 3

Friday November 4

Last day for Dieleman's fundraising

Photo Retake Day

Deadline for Early Expressions Referral (see infographic below)

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday November 9 - Frontenacs Game Day - several classes attending

Thursday November 10 - Agnes Etherington visit for several classes

Friday November 11 - Remembrance Day

Wednesday November 16th - Before & After School Program Closed for the day

Friday November 18 - Progress Reports & Kindergarten Communication of Learning sent home

Friday November 25th - PA Day (no school for students)

NOVEMBER

November is Indigenous Education Month and Hindu Heritage Month

November 6th - 12th: Treaties Recognition Week
November 13th - 19th: Transgender Awareness Week
November 20th-26th: Bullying Awareness Week

Fundraising - This is the last week!

You can shop online! Just go to https://www.dfscanada.com/ and click on "Online Shopping" and register to shop. The School ID number is 7947.

Catalogues have gone home and many families have already started participating! Thank you! Dieleman's fundraiser will help raise funds for various school initiatives including providing support for student experiences as well as enhanced technology for students.

Dieleman's is a catalogue fundraiser where families (and friends and coworkers, etc.) can order items online. Delivery is either directly to home or to the school for pick up. The fundraiser will start this week with catalogues coming home with every student. Some items for purchase include cards and wrap, gift items, chocolate, dip mixes, kitchen gadgets, etc.

Families are welcome and encouraged to participate in the fundraiser as you are able. All proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to support students at Centennial PS.

The last day for orders is Friday November 4th.

School Photos

We have inquired with the School Photo provider, Edge Imaging, and student proof sheets should be arriving early this week. The company apologizes for an unforeseen delay. We will send these home as soon as we get them.

For any student who missed photo day or who would prefer retakes, the retake day is Friday November 4.

Indigenous Self Identification

Please see the link below for more information and to self identify, if you wish.

https://ldsb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9U2iaUl9GIFILb0


Seeing how roots form	Growing a mushroom	Sprouts ready for harvest

Seeing how roots form

Growing a mushroom

Sprouts ready for harvest

Family Fun Halloween Dance - It Was Terrific!

Hats off to the parent/guardian volunteers and the amazing School Council for organizing and hosting the Family Fun Halloween Dance on Wednesday. It was so well attended! Thank you families for the donations for the bake sale/treat table and for coming to the school and having fun! Staff, students, and families had a great time dancing to the terrific tunes of DJ Chris Shawn, who generously donated his time and talents for the event. THANK YOU!

Check out the pictures below - there were some great costumes and everyone had fun! Thank you to the incredible Centennial PS community!

Parking Lot

We are continuing to grow with more students and staff at Centennial PS and as such, we need to have the parking lots spaces available for staff. As we have part time staff who arrive throughout the day, we are kindly requesting that families and visitors do not park in the school lot. Please park on Norman Rogers or on one of the neighbouring streets if you need to stop by the school. Thank you so much for your help!

School Day - SIGN UP!

Very shortly we will not be using paper permission forms or accepting cash. SCHOOL DAY WILL BE THE ONLY FORM OF PERMISSION AND PAYMENT - SIGN UP TODAY!

If you aren't sure how to sign up, please contact the school office.

Yard & Nutrition Break Supervisors

We have a terrific team of yard and nutrition break supervisors at Centennial PS but we are in need of some folks who would be able to work on a call-in basis. If you have an hour or 2 that you would be able to work, please let us know! These are paid positions. A CPIC with vulnerable sector screening is required. Please contact the school to find out more and to express your interest! cente@limestone.on.ca

Olivers 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!

http://www.oliverslabels.com/Centennial

School Website

The school website (https://centennial.limestone.on.ca/) has all of the Centennial Connection editions if you want/need to go back to anything!

E-Store

Want to look spiffy and show off your pride in being a Centennial PS Comet? Check out all of the clothing and accessories available at the Centennial Public School e-store at: https://specialtytrophies.ca/centennialps/

Students, Illness & Masking

A reminder for staff, students, and visitors in our schools to continue to self-screen every day before attending school using the COVID-19 school and childcare screening tool. Staff and students should stay home when sick. In addition, for a total of 10-days after the start of any illness symptom or positive Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), students and staff are expected to wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings (including schools and childcare, unless under two years old) and avoid non-essential activities where mask removal is necessary. Public Health continues to encourage people to mask in indoor, congregate settings like schools. We continue to work very closely with KFL&A Public Health as it relates to health and safety, and absences due to illness. KFL&A Public Health has created a helpful resource for school and childcare screening for families to use. If COVID-19 protocols change, they will be communicated directly with families and updated on Limestone’s COVID-19 Protocol Update webpage.

Tutoring Supports Available

LDSB will be offering virtual learning support for students in Grades 1-10 this Fall. Virtual literacy support will be available to students in Grades 1-3 and virtual Homework Help will be offered to Grade 4-10 students. After-school drop-in sessions will be offered through MS Teams to students in specific grades from Monday to Thursday each week until December 2022. Please continue to check your school website and the LDSB website for more details and information about this program.

In addition, TVO continues to provide curriculum-based, free digital learning resources for all Ontarians this year. This brochure provides an overview of TVO’s Digital Learning Resources (2022). Included in the resources available are:

Mathify Online Math Tutoring for Grades 4-12 https://www.tvomathify.com/students

Free 1:1 online math tutoring support with Ontario Certified Teachers. Available Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 9:00 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 3:00 to 9:00 pm. Students/families can sign up, select a tutor and start immediately

TVO Learn https://tvolearn.com/

Over 2,100 curriculum-aligned, grade and subject-specific learning activities from Kindergarten to Grade 8 (including for the new Science and Technology curriculum
Grade 9 to 12 searchable high school content for over 140 secondary school courses

Safe Arrival - How Do I Report An Absence?

Please use the Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence; do not call the school to report an absence. If you child is going to be absent from learning, please ensure you use the Safe Arrival system to report the absence. If your child will be late, please report a full day absence and then we will sign them in when they arrive. You cannot indicate a half day 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.

3. SchoolMessenger SafeArrival Website Portal

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.