CSD Insider
Centennial School District Newsletter June 2017
In This Edition
Superintendent's Corner
District Updates & Happenings
District Operations
Inside Schools & Programs
Letters from Students
Announcements
Superintendent's Corner
A Message from Dr. Baugh
Dear Colleagues, Friends and Family of the Centennial School District,
In these first weeks of June, I marvel at how fast the year has gone. If ever there was a year where it felt like drinking out of the proverbial fire hose- this was it.
Celebrating the recent William Tennent High School Graduation was cause for reflection. After many years under the Centennial banner, well over 400 of our newly-minted alumni are launching military careers, continuing their academic journeys, or joining the labor force. Exciting times indeed. At the other end of the education spectrum, a team of educators and parents met frequently and designed and launched next year’s full day Kindergarten. We are truly excited to be able to offer this wonderful educational opportunity to the families of our district. In thirteen years it will be amazing to see where these youngsters go.
Another team of educators has been working on our technology. This team, with no new monies added to the budget, re-purposed a number of expenditures and is launching a one-one laptop initiative next year grades 6-12. At the younger grade levels, we are going with a two-to-one technology initiative. It is so exciting to see students and teachers collaborating with one another within the schools and school to school. At one point I was watching a peer editing project third graders. What was really remarkable was that it was a class at McDonald working remotely with a class at Davis. The kids were loving it, and their writing was improving dramatically. In short, next year’s freshman class will be the first class at William Tennent to have their own personal computing device for all four years of high school. Sixth grade will have their own personal computing devices for the next seven years!
Yet another team has been working hard to re-visit grading practices. We are intending to launch consistent, fair, and meaningful grading guidelines across the district for next year. Based on the work of this team an A in Algebra at Klinger will mean the same as an A in Algebra from Log College or William Tennent. This will have a huge impact as it will help us support all our students in their educational journey.
While this is a lot of big project work, what is most important, is that this district is working hard to meet each youngster where he or she is and take that youngster forward. We know that education is a vital tool to helping our kids improve their lives. The year has been full and robust as we have worked to meet the challenges facing our kids and our community. We are continuing to strive to increase our communications as well as our opportunities and our passion for learning with our students. We appreciate you joining us on the journey, and we look forward to seeing our students back in August.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Administrative Team and indeed the entire district, we wish you a safe, interesting and wonderful summer.
All the best,
Dave
District Updates & Happenings
Centennial School District's Hashtag #teamCSD
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick Visits the District Art Show
Required School Immunization Changes for the 2017-18 School Year
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has revised the immunization requirements for students. These new requirements go into effect at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. Parents/guardians must have all immunizations completed within the first five days of school. Prior to the 2017-18 school year, parents/guardians had eight months to ensure their children had the required immunizations. Students who do not have the required immunizations by the fifth day of school and who do not have an exemption for the immunizations may be excluded from school.
The required immunizations for all students in Grades Kindergarten through 12 are:
- 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (1 dose on or after 4th birthday) DTaP
- 4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given) IPV
- 2 doses of measles, mumps and rubella MMR
- 3 doses of hepatitis B Hep B
- 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) or evidence of immunity (History of chickenpox or antibody titer)
Students in Grades 7 through 12 are required to have these additional immunizations:
- 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap)
- 2 doses meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4)
(first dose prior to entering Grade 7; second dose by age 16 or prior to entering Grade 12)
The immunizations are required to attend school. Students can obtain an exemption for the immunizations for the following reasons: 1) medical reasons, 2) religious beliefs, or 3) philosophical/strong moral and ethical convictions. Students attending school under these exemptions may be excluded from school should there be an outbreak of any of these diseases.
If the student is in the middle of a dosage series, and it is too soon for the next dose, the parent/guardian must provide the school nurse with a plan for immunizations that is signed by a health care provider within the first five days. This is considered a medical certificate that is required by the state. If the student has incomplete immunizations and no medical plan, the student will be excluded from school.
Parents/guardians may check a student’s school immunization record by logging onto the Skyward parent portal through the school district website at www.centennialsd.org or by consulting with the student's healthcare provider.
Six Alumni Inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame
On May 8, six alumni became part of the Centennial School District Academic Hall of Fame. Nominated by their former classmates, family, friends, and members of the Centennial community, these distinguished individuals were recognized for their academic achievements and personal accomplishments in the fields of communication and business.
Below, each inductee is listed with the credentials and accomplishments that were made after graduating from William Tennent High School:
Eugene A. Woods- Class of 1982
- President & CEO of Carolinas HealthCare System
- Chair-Elect of American Hospital Association
- President & COO of Christus Health
- CEO of Saint Joseph's Health System
- Senior Vice President of Catholic Health Initiatives
- COO of Washington Hospital Center
- Awarded Senior Executive of the Year by the national Association of Health Services executives
- Awarded Top 100 Chief Operating Officers by Becker Professional Education
- Three- time recipient –Top-25 Minority executives in the nation
- “100 Most Influential” by Modern Healthcare
- Alumni of the Year —Pennsylvania State University
- Current Board Chairman of the American Hospital Association
Bernie O' Neill- Class of 1971
- Currently in his 8th term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Majority Chairman of the Pennsylvania House Finance Committee
- Senior Member of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee
- Serves on Pennsylvania House Committee, House Caucuses and various commissions/boards
- Main Focus: Improving education, reforming school funding, advancing opportunities for individuals with disabilities, child welfare, animal welfare, protecting the welfare of our military men/woman and municipal officers as well as victims of crimes.
- Special Education teacher William Tennent High School for 25 years where he also advised numerous clubs and coached ice hockey, football softball and soccer.
PATRICIA NESSIM NASSHORN – Class of 1974
- Co-founder of Vencerx Therapeutics-focused on rare diseases
- Co-founder of Vanda Pharmaceuticals-focused on psychiatric disorders
- President of Unipath Diagnostics, a Unilever Company focused on in-home fertility testing
- President of Direct Access Diagnostics, a Johnson & Johnson Company focused on in-home HIV testing
- Holds a Masters of Business Administration from Temple University
Carol McPhillips Roberts – Class of 1977
- CFO of International Paper
- Named top CFO for five consecutive years by Institutional Investor
- Senior Vice President leading the largest business unit
- First Female Mill Manager in company history
- Member of the Board of Directors for Alcoa and VF Corporations
- Holds a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering form Yale University
- Serves on Yale University's President’s University Council
- Recipient of the Yale University Athletic Department’s George H.W. Bush Lifetime Achievement Award
ANDREW G.W. CHUNG – Class of 1995
- Founder and Managing partner of 1955 Capital-leader in U.S.-China cross border collaboration in innovative technology
- General partner at Khosla Ventures-focused on building transformative companies in the area of sustainable energy
- Invited by the U.S. Ambassador to China as a special advisor to a historic U.S.-China Presidential trade mission.
- Lightspeed Venture Partners– helped build one of the industries most successful cleantech portfolios and helped develop the firms practice areas in education and genomics
- Leading voice in sustainable technology-U.S.-China . Keynoted at the White House, Swiss Economic Forum, The Milken Institute Global Conference
- Serves on the White House Round table on advanced manufacturing and advises federal and state government officials on energy policy
- Founding Chairperson of the Cleantech Board of The Indus Entrepreneurs Group
- Serves on the Advisory Board for the Wharton Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership
- Holds a Bachelors of Science in mathematics from Harvard University
- Holds a Masters in Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
STEVE CAPUS – Class of 1981
- Executive producer of the “ CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley”
- Executive editor of CBS News
- “CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley” has been honored with seven Edward R. Murrow Awards, two Emmys and a George Polk award under his direction
- Spearheaded the development of special news series –focusing on investigative journalism– Emmy award winning series “Challenge Academy”
- President of “NBC Nightly News”
- Executive Producer of “NBC Nightly News” with Tom Brokov and Brian Williams
- Recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award
- Recipient of the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award
- Several Emmy Awards
- National Association of Black Journalists’ Ida B. Wells Award
- Member of the Council on Foreign Affairs
- Serves on the Newseum Board of Trustees in Washington
Steve Capus
Andrew G. W. Chung
Carol McPhillips Roberts
Patricia Nessim Nasshorn
Bernie O'Neill
Eugene A. Woods
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 E-Alert e-mails, text message alerts, and voice recorded messages reach them.
E-Alert 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 lived-streamed and can be accessed via the District website the evening of the meetings. Board Meetings live-streaming
District Operations
Kindergarten Registration Is Open
Registration for incoming Kindergarten students for the 2017-18 school year is underway. Students must be five years of age on or before August 31st to register for Kindergarten. In order to register a student, the following documents are required:
- A birth certificate
- Immunization records
- Four proofs of residency
One of the four proofs of residency must be a mortgage statement, deed, agreement of sale, or lease. The three additional proofs of residency may include a utility bill, tax bill, telephone bill, or employee pay stub. Parents/guardians may also provide a report card from a preschool program, but this is not required to register for Kindergarten.
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. 11035.
Summer Feeding Program
Inside Schools & Programs
William Tennent High School Says Good-Bye to Class of 2017
In these last few weeks of school, seniors also focus on the here and now. From the Senior Prom to their last finals, many students begin to feel like the thirteen years they have known for over two-thirds of their lives is coming to an end. The routines of school that include the 7:30 a.m. late bell and the 2:17 p.m. dismissal bell will give way to new routines that they will create on their own. The friends and classmates they have known for years, or only recently met in a class or activity, may not be the people they see on a daily basis.
Commencement truly begins at Night of Reflections on the eve of graduation. Wearing their gowns, members of the senior class came together, one last time and for one final night, to celebrate the memories and the emotion of the moment through video and music. Seniors nominated faculty speakers who used their favorite song lyrics as springboards to the life lessons they have learned. The objective of this final lesson was about being a good person, true to yourself, and grateful to those who support you. Students performed in front of their classmates for a final time, and four years of pictures and video clips captured their transformation into young men and women. In the end, each student received a rose and said a final good-bye to the administrators and teachers who had watched their journey.
On June 9, the seniors gathered at the William Tennent High School stadium and completed their final transformation into the class of 2017. For the two school directors who addressed the class at the commencement ceremony, this was a special moment. Mrs. Jane Schrader Lynch spoke to the graduating seniors, among whom was her grandson. Ms. Kati Driban, as school board president, spoke to the classmates and friends of her son who was also among the graduating seniors. Superintendent Baugh spoke to the students about the possibilities that lay ahead in their future, and Principal Best commented on how much the students had accomplished. After the certification of graduation, and the turning of the tassels led by Senior Class President Jessica Lopez, four hundred and twenty students graduated from William Tennent High School.
The Willow Dale Elementary School Growth Lab Dedication
On a picturesque Friday afternoon in early June, the Willow Dale Growth Lab was dedicated to the community as the final event to a three-year process in the making. The outdoor classroom space/lab was the idea of Mr. Mike Scancella, teacher of the gifted, and Mrs. Mary Ellen Hopkin, elementary teacher. Together, with the support of Dr. Donnelly, Willow Dale principal, they wrote a grant to CEF for this construction of this new space. Mr. Bob Schrader, Executive Director of the Centennial Education Foundation, was integral in securing additional funding for this unique opportunity. The Burpee Foundation stepped up and provided more than half of the almost $11,000 that the structure required for construction. In coordination with the Centennial School District, and with support of the Board of School Directors and Superintendent Dr. David Baugh, the growth lab was built during the 2016-2017 school year. As a culminating event for the Willow Dale class of 2017, the first fifth graders to have walked the halls of the "new" Willow Dale since their kindergarten year, the dedication ceremony not only included their presence, but also included the dedication of their class gift: a flag pole and a custom Willow Dale Elementary school flag. Additionally, a flag donated by Representative Bernie O'Neill, flown over the Capitol in Harrisburg, will adorn the outdoor space for years to come.
William Tennent High School Spring Sports Wrap Up
The spring athletics season at William Tennent High School consisted of multiple highlights and outstanding achievements by the student athletes.
On April 26, 2017, 22 senior student athletes were recognized for their decision to participate collegiate athletics next year. Click here to read the full article.
Two of William Tennent’s sports journalists had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the NFL draft and interview NFL legends. Click here to read about Ben Medland’s (’17) experience at the 2017 NFL Draft.
990AM Radio and The High School Sports Show provided a platform for students to promote themselves and their teams while discussing trends and topics of high school athletics.
March 2017 - Matt Kraus (’17), Marissa Govan (’17) and Coach Deanna Myers discussed College Preparation Exams
April 2017 – Devon Fithian (’19), Andrew Gresley (’18), and Grant Greisler (ATC) explained the importance of nutrition as an athlete.
May 2017 – Brandon Layer (’18), Elizabeth Layer (’20), Sarah Melio (’18) and Sean Bragen (’18) stressed the importance of routine in interscholastic athletics.
Individual Accomplishments- SOL All League Recipients
Softball
Marissa Govan – Honorable Mention, 2nd base
Kate Clark – Honorable Mention, Outfield
Cassidy Hubmaster – Honorable Mention, Outfield
Hannah Reimel – Honorable Mention, Short Stop
Emily Curtis – 3rd Team, DP
Brianna Koonce – 3rd Team, 3rd Base
Caitlyn Mitros – 2nd Team, Outfield
Dylan Mannon – Honorable Mention, Catcher
Cole Browne – Honorable Mention, Short Stop
CJ Goodz – Honorable Mention, Outfield
Danny Goodz – Honorable Mention, D Player
Matt Hartenstein – 3rd Team, Outfield
Chris Sliwka – 2nd Team, Pitcher
Greg Delgado – 1st Team, 3rd Base
Joe Ferrell – 3rd Team
Brendan Carter – 2nd Team
Lauren Gugger, Danielle Scott, Lynne O’Connor, Olivia Miller – Honorable Mention, 4x400m Relay
Emma Brodhag – Honorable Mention, Triple Jump
Matt Kraus – Honorable Mention, 800m
Markeith Baxter – Honorable Mention, Long Jump
Christian Craig, Matt Kraus, Jake Ringers, Renato Vizcara – 3rd Team, 4x800m Relay
Ryan Thomas – 3rd Team, High Jump
Christian Craig – 2nd Team, 800m
Randy Showmaker – 1st Team, Pole Vault
Yash Patel and Ian Doherty – 3rd Team, Doubles
Team Performance Highlights
Boys Volleyball and Boys Tennis competed in a strong field of SOL Teams throughout the season. The young programs showed tremendous growth throughout their seasons and showed tremendous perseverance and grit.
Track and Field made continuous strides throughout the season and many individual PRs were achieved. Having strong performances at the District 1 Championships, three athletes advanced to the PIAA State Championships.
As we begin preparation for the 2017-2018 athletic year, stay up to date with schedules and team information at www.williamtennentpanthers.com.
Willow Dale Elementary School Career Day
#girlSTEM Delaware Valley University
On May 18, Log College sent fourteen 8th grade young ladies to the 6th annual #girlSTEM conference at Delaware Valley University. #girlSTEM is geared toward middle-to-high school girls who may want to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, or math. The girls participated in interactive seminars delivered by professional women working in the STEM field. The workshops were hands on, and allowed open discussions for the girls to ask questions. This was a very valuable experience to our girls as companies like PECO put on demonstrations that had the girls make a model pipelines that they were permitted to take home. We are very proud of how the girls represented our school and wish them luck in their future STEM careers!
McDonald Elementary School Becomes a Rain Forest
The accompanying movie was made by Ms. Morrison for all to enjoy.
Flexible Seating in the Library Encourages Reading
The District's three elementary schools recently acquired a facelift to some of their working space. In each building, teacher-librarians, with the help of the Office of Teaching and Learning and Technology and Innovation, received materials to create an updated makerspace, a place where teachers and students can go to access their creativity and create. Through the process, students will thoughtfully design, question and redesign. In addition to the makerspace, each library was provided with flexible seating options. At Willow Dale, teacher-librarians Mrs. Joanne Brown and Mrs. Lauren Zucker created a space where students actively select their style of seating to engage in some independent reading. The students think the new space is "awesome" and "helpful". Each school's team of teachers and administrators is looking forward to continuing to find ways to enhance the learning environment for all of our boys and girls.
Camp Invention Returns for the Summer of 2017
Camp Invention is a different type of camp experience for students. Working in groups, students will create inventions to solve problems, using their creativity and problem-solving skills. Students will use what they have learned in science, technology, engineering, and math in a whole new, and fun, way.
For more information, visit http://campinvention.org/
Letters from Students
A Poet’s First Showcase
As an aspiring author still in school, I struggle to find the perfect balance between my homework and my passion for writing. Even now, it's 2:00 in the morning, and this is the first chance I've gotten to actually sit down and write. However, my lack of time has not lessened my desire to write. This year’s addition of Tennent Teens Write Night gave students like me a chance to showcase our work in a productive and meaningful manner that will encourage us to keep writing and showcasing our skills. Several student authors, including myself, took the brave step and performed our work aloud in front of a crowd of peers, and ever-eager parents awaiting to hear the words of their child's work. Tennent Teens Write Night gave me a chance to break out of my shell and show my work to the public, something that I've never done before. The teachers who put it all together made the night flow seamlessly and ultimately made it enjoyable for everyone involved. The turnout was unbelievable as there were several more participants than expected; hopefully, next year, there will be more students willing to come forward and share their work. I know I'll be there again, even if it means more late-night writing.
William Tennent High School
Devyn Cobb
Grade 11
Tennent Teens Take Over Barnes and Noble
This year’s very first annual Tennent Teens Writer Showcase Night, held on Monday, May 22nd, was a total success. As a volunteer at the event, my role was to greet people and direct them to the location of the showcase. My English teacher, Mrs. Christine coordinated the celebration, and she encouraged her students to get involved. My friend and I decided to attend, not knowing we too would be inspired.
Barnes and Noble in Willow Grove hosted our showcase night, creating a perfect atmosphere. Being surrounded by books and having the inspiration of authors all around really emphasized the point of the night, spotlighting the works of William Tennent’s own student writers. As the students who were both spectating and presenting came in with their families, the attendance grew significantly. More and more chairs had to be added. Everyone was excited, waiting to see their friend or child read their writing; over fifty supportive audience members welcomed each writer who took the microphone.
As students presented their beautiful work, I got some serious inspiration. There were thoughtful poems read, and I saw a side of a few friends that I had never seen before, and wouldn’t have seen, if it weren’t for this night dedicated to writing. Everyone was so comfortable going up to the podium and reading; they were in their element. The whole night flowed perfectly. There was a comfortable, homey vibe all around that I’m positive everyone felt. I personally am not the most confident in my writing abilities, but I thought while watching and listening to everyone read that I wouldn’t have had any problem going up and presenting something of mine. In fact, I sort of regretted not presenting in the first place. Because I saw my peers present their writing, I’ve been inspired to present my work next year.
This new annual tradition is an amazing opportunity for our school. I strongly encourage everyone to participate, either by just listening or by showcasing their own work. I hope to see you there next year!
William Tennent High School
Erona Shurdhiqi
Grade 10
Announcements
CEF Golf Outing
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
ShopRite's Shop at Home Fundraiser
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
Ms. Judith Hengst, Director of Special Education
Mr. AJ Juliani, Director of Technology and Innovation
Ms. Hannah Messner, Director of Human Resources
Ms. Catherine Perkins, Director of Teaching and Learning
Board of School Directors
Ms. Kati Driban, President
Mr. Michael Hartline, Vice President
Mr. Mark B. Miller, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Steven Adams
Mr. Charles Kleinschmidt
Ms. Jane Schrader Lynch
Ms. Dana Morgan
Dr. Andrew Pollock
Mr. David Shafter
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. Michael VanBuren, McDonald Elementary School
Dr. Michael Donnelly, Willow Dale Elementary School
Email: csdpr@centennialsd.org
Website: www.centennialsd.org
Location: 433 Centennial Road, Warminster, PA 18974
Phone: 215-441-6000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/csdinfo
Twitter: @Centennial_SD