CSD Insider
Centennial School District Newsletter June 2016
In This Edition
District Updates & Happenings
Centennial School Director Spotlight Series
District Operations
Inside Schools & Programs
Announcements
District Updates & Happenings
William Tennent High School 2016 Graduation
The Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2016 will be held on Wednesday, June 15, beginning at 4:30 p.m. with a rain date of Thursday, June 16, at 4:30 p.m. A frequently asked questions guide has been created to assist students and their families in preparing for this wonderful event. Should you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Assistant Principal Ryan Mulford at (215) 441-6181, Extension 12002.
Middle Bucks Institute of Technology Senior Recognition
On Thursday, June 2, 2016, William Tennent High School hosted the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology Senior Recognition Ceremony. Two hundred and twenty-four seniors from the four sending school districts, Centennial, Central Bucks, Council Rock, and New Hope-Solebury were recognized for their accomplishments in the twenty-two programs offered at Middle Bucks. These seniors will graduate with their respective high school in June.
William Tennent High School had 167 students in grades 10 through 12 attend Middle Bucks this past school year. Fifty-six of these students are seniors who were recognized at the ceremony.
CSD School Director Spotlight Series
Michael Hartline, Centennial School Director
As a parent with one child in fourth grade and two children who are alumni of William Tennent High School, Mr. Hartline is keenly interested in the quality of educational programming for all students. He strongly believes that creating programs that emphasize STEM and STEAM, while positioning students for the 21st century with skills that they will need after graduation, is paramount. "Our kids are able to go out into the world and tackle problems because of the comprehensive academic background obtained at Tennent and district schools to make them successful leaders," stated Mr. Hartline. "The most rewarding aspect of being a Centennial School Director is watching students progress and mature."
Mr. Hartline, a member of the Finance and Operations Committee, works closely with Administration and other Centennial School Directors to implement cost saving measures wherever possible without compromising the quality of the educational program. Additionally, he is a member of the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit #22 Board of Directors and has served as its board president since 2011. This position has afforded Mr. Hartline the opportunity to recognize the importance of the intermediate unit in providing services, such as special education supports and Head Start programming.
Being a Centennial School Director is a serious time commitment; however, Mr. Hartline believes that it is time well-spent serving the community. He is impressed by District students' willingness to share their energies and abilities for the good of others. "The level of care that our students have for their fellow students is unreal," Mr. Hartline explained. Citing student-led events such as Pink Out, Teal Out, Black and White, tutoring programs, "You just don't see that in other districts at the same scale." Moreover, Mr. Hartline celebrates the 1,000 plus students who participate in the Fine Arts Festival.
He commends the District faculty and staff for their commitment and dedication. "Teachers really promote the students," commented Mr. Hartline, "and they notice a student's proclivity toward a talent and encourage the student to use it." This, he believes, is reflected by the number of students who attend Middle Bucks Institute of Technology as a springboard for productive careers.
As a parent in the District with a desire to be fiscally-minded, Mr. Hartline strives to continue to build educational programming for all children, just as he does for his own. He is pleased to see the STEM and STEAM initiatives beginning to flourish and for bringing in talented outside professionals to share their expertise with students and faculty. Mr. Hartline looks forward, most assuredly, to the District's future continued growth and advancement.
District Operations
Construction on New Administration Center Begins in June
The Swan Way property was formerly a call center. The existing layout has a large open space in the center of the building with smaller offices bordering the perimeter of the building. The District plans to renovate the building by using most of the existing offices and by adding modular workstations for administrative staff. In addition, the District will update the existing HVAC units, plumbing, and lighting units to be more energy efficient.
Construction on the new Centennial School District Administrative Center will begin in June 2016. The renovation project should be completed by late October 2016.
New Breakfast and Lunch Prices for the 2016-2017 School Year
The new breakfast and lunch prices will be as follows:
Breakfast
Elementary Schools $1.25
Middle Schools $1.50
High School $1.75
Lunch
Elementary Schools $2.60
Middle Schools $2.75
High School $3.00
The Food Service Department uses Skyward, the same student information system parents/guardians can access to check their child’s grades and progress. Once logged into Skyward through the Family Portal, parents/guardians can click on the “Food Service” tab to see student balances along with daily purchases.
A parent/guardian can make deposits to their child's account in the following ways:
- Check, cash, or money orders can be given directly to the cafeteria.
- Use E-Funds for Schools to make an online payment.
E-Funds for Schools is an easy way to make a one-time deposit, set up reoccurring payments, and/or receive balance notifications.
To open an E-Funds for Schools account, follow this link: https://eps.mvpbanking.com/cgi-bin/efs/login.pl?access=55703
Centennial School District Will Make Automated Attendance Calls
Beginning Wednesday, June 8, 2016, the Centennial School District will use the automated phone call feature in School Messenger to make attendance calls. We would like to try out this feature now so that we can measure effectiveness in order to provide the best possible service for students' return on August 30 for the 2016-2017 school year.
If your child is absent from school, you will be notified via a voice message that will come to the primary number listed in Skyward. In addition, an e-mail will be sent to the first e-mail address listed in Skyward. Elementary school calls will be made at 10:00 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. for afternoon kindergarten. Middle school calls will be made at 11:00 a.m. High school calls will be made at 10:45 a.m. and at 2:30 p.m. for morning Middle Bucks Institute of Technology students.
Parents and guardians should update the primary, or first, phone number and e-mail in Skyward to receive the automated phone calls and e-mails. If an automated call is made and you believe it to be in error, the contact information for your child’s attendance office will be included in the message.
Parents and guardians are reminded that all absences require an excuse note within three days of the absence.
Inside Schools & Programs
Big Summer Read at William Tennent High School
Many reports warn of “Summer Brain Drain” for students. Students lose, on average, 2.5 months of learning over the summer. Numerous studies have shown that the most effective way to combat summer slide and to increase academic achievement is simple: read over the summer.
- The number of books read during the summer is consistently related to academic gains. (Heyns 1978)
- Students who read independently become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not. (Stanovich and Cunningham 1993)
- Time, choice, and response are necessary parts of a literacy program if students are to develop enthusiasm for reading. (Atwell 1987)
However, “Summer Reading Assignments” can have a contrary effect on students. The books assigned are often not the sort of books anyone would take to the beach to enjoy, and the chores associated with summer reading dampen students’ enthusiasm like a summer thunderstorm.
Led by Reading Specialist Nancy Linville, Librarian Janemarie Cloutier, and English Teacher Molly Leahy, with the enthusiastic support of principal Dr. Dennis Best, the WTHS Big Summer Read offers a different approach. Instead of making reading over the summer an onerous task, we invite students to read with us. Open to participants in all grades and academic backgrounds, with the emphasis on reading and enjoying a good book, our program is inspired by Penn Literacy Network and our own experiences of connecting students with good books. A 2015 article in School Library Journal advised just such a “flipped” approach to summer reading.
The WTHS Big Summer Read is a variation of a One Book-One School program; many universities now begin freshman orientation with a common reading experience. The idea builds community and helps establish a foundation for the academic year.
WTHS staff members enthusiastically participate in our shared summer reading as well. We have multiple copies of our selected title(s) available for students, thanks to generous grants from the Centennial Education Foundation, the Centennial Education Association, and the Kyle Quinn Memorial Foundation.
At the end of the summer, we host a book club-like lunch in the WTHS Library, with staff members facilitating informal small group discussions. We offer some kind of reward for students who read the books and participate in the discussions, perhaps some form of extra credit points, movie passes, or book-related giveaways.
For our pilot in 2014, we had 150 students who participated, as well as 40 staff members. In 2015, our numbers were even greater, and we had our first contact with an author. Matthew Quick, author of Boy 21 (and Silver Linings Playbook), sent us a box of autographed books to award to students.
Want to read along with the WTHS Big Summer Read this summer? Our selected titles are The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. More information can be found on the WTHS Library webpage.
Conversing about Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children over pizza
Spotlight on Davis Elementary School
PIE Club at Davis
Davis Elementary School is excited to announce PIE Club. PIE stands for Plant-it-Earth. Approximately 100 students participated in PIE this year as well as 25 staff members. The PIE club helps to make Davis even more beautiful. They clean out the flower beds around the building. Plant new flowers and shrubs. They make sure everything has water and is growing steadily. Next year, with the help of the Boy Scouts, they hope to build flower beds around the outside of some classrooms to possibly grow a flower or vegetable garden. They would like to start a compost pile to develop rich soil for future planting. The PIE Club is always looking for new ideas on how to make Davis beautiful.
Keeping Davis Safe with Safeties
Davis Safeties are an essential part of the after school dismissal procedures. They walk groups of children to their buses, cars, and walker destinations. Safeties are made up of 5th graders only, and in order to be a safety, you must be recommended by your teachers. Safeties must also be responsible, caring, and reliable. They take this important job very seriously. A new group of safeties will be inducted at an all-school assembly, and the current Davis Safeties will hand over their belts to the new group of safeties. It is an exciting time for our students and staff to recognize the outstanding job our school is doing on a daily basis.
Davis Fitness Club
An amazing club started by Ms. Heather Cowdrick is the Davis Fitness Club also known as Fitness Frenzy. After school once a week, 4th and/or 5th grader students meet in the gym with their sneakers and workout gear. Sometimes they do yoga, sometimes they lift light weights, sometimes they follow a workout tape, and other times they might just stretch. Davis knows how important exercise is to our health and hopes to grow this club to include even more students next year. Exercising not only helps your body stay healthy, it is also good exercise for your brain.
Spring Sports Wrap-Up
Varsity Baseball – Varsity baseball finished with overall record of 9-10 and a SOL National Conference record of 7-7.
- Paul McElroy (outfield) and Ryan Lucas (pitcher) were named to the SOL All League First Team.
- Greg Delgado (3rd base) and Nick Cataldi (1st base) were named to the SOL All League Second Team.
JV Baseball – Finished the season with a record of 8-7
9th Grade Baseball – Finished the season with a record of 7-7.
Varsity Softball – Finished the season with a conference record of 8-6.
Suburban One All League Recipients include:
- Jackie Heim (short stop) – 2nd Team
- Jocelyn Flores (2nd base) – 2nd Team
- Marissa Govan (2nd base) – 2nd Team
- Kalisi Taufalele (pitcher) – Honorable Mention
JV Softball – Finished the season with a record of 10-8.
Boys Tennis - The boys varsity tennis team had an overall record of 6-9 and a conference record of 1-5. SOL
All League recipients included:
- John Starr (Honorable Mention)
- Dave Archut and Tyler Goldsman (1st Team Doubles)
- Jason Woeger and Ian Doherty (Honorable Mention Doubles)
Boys Volleyball – Finished the season with a conference record of 8-4. The team advanced to the second round of District 1 playoffs.
- Jake Milnazik and Will Towle received SOL All League First Team
- Brendan Carter and Hunter Reid earned SOL All League 3rd Team.
Track and Field
Suburban One All League Recipients:
- Girls 4x4 – Lynne O’Connor, Anna Lauer, Lauren Gugger, Lauriel Krouse – Honorable Mention
- Girls 4x1 – Lauriel Krouse, Lauren Gugger, Jessie Betz, Emma Brodhag – 3rd Team
- Girls Long Jump – Emma Brodhag – 2nd Team
- Girls Triple Jump – Emma Brodhag – 1st Team
- Girls High Jump – Miranda Laskey – 1st Team
- Boys 300 Meter Hurdles – Stephen Testa – 1st Team
- Boys 4x800 Meter – Christian Craig, Andrew Duddleston, Renato Vizcaro, Matt Kraus – Honorable Mention
- Boys 200 Meter Dash – Stephen Testa – 2nd Team
- Boys 800 Meter – Matt Kraus – 3rd Team
- Boys Pole Vault – William Lee – 2nd Team
- Boys Pole Vault – Randy Showmaker – 3rd Team
- Boys Long Jump – Stephen Testa – 3rd Team
- Boys Javelin Throw – Tom Hinks – 3rd Team
P.I.A.A. Championships –Stephen Testa finished in 2nd place in the 300M Hurdles
School-aged Immunization Update
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has proposed changes to the immunization requirements for all students. These proposed changes are awaiting legislative approval.
Should the immunization requirements go into effect, all students must be up-to-date on all required immunizations. If a student is missing one dose of a multi-dose vaccine, he/she may be excluded from attending school if there is not physician documentation to support their immunization status.
An additional vaccination is included in the proposed changes to the immunization requirements. Middle school or high school-aged students will be required to have completed all single dose vaccines, which include Tdap and Meningitis.
Parents are encouraged to check their child’s school immunization record by logging onto the district website www.centennialsd.org and accessing Skyward or by consulting with your child’s physician or school nurse.
To assist you in obtaining full immunization status, the Department of Health is offering back-to-school immunization clinics by appointment only. Call 1-877-PA-HEALTH for clinic dates and locations.
Announcements
Internet Essentials from Comcast
Your family may qualify for affordable Internet access and a low-cost computer. Please see the attached brochure for details. To learn more or to apply, call 1-855-846-8376 or visit InternetEssentials.com.
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Camp Invention Comes to Centennial School District for Summer 2016
This summer, the Centennial School District will offer Camp Invention for students entering Grade 1 through Grade 6. Camp Invention will be held at William Tennent High School for two weeks, July 18 to July 22 and July 25 to July 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost of the camp is $220 per week.
Students will be able to participate in STEM and STEAM activities that are hands-on and educational. For more information about Camp Invention, visit www.campinvention.org or contact Ms. Michelle Bisacquino at (215) 441-6000, Extension 11006, or bisami@centennialsd.org.
Centennial Education Foundation Announcements
Golf Outing
The Centennial Education Foundation is sponsoring a golf outing on Monday, June 20, 2016, at Spring Mill Country Club. Proceeds will be used to support grants to the District. For more information, please contact Mr. Robert Schrader at schrro@centennialsd.org or 215-441-6000, Ext. 11008.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
Ms. Judith Hengst, Director of Special Education
Director of Technology T.B.D.
Ms. Hannah Messner, Director of Human Resources
Ms. Catherine Perkins, Director of Teaching and Learning
Mr. Timothy Trzaska, Director of Operations
Board of School Directors
Mr. Charles Kleinschmidt, President
Mr. David Shafter, Vice President
Ms. Kati Driban, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Steven Adams
Mr. Michael Hartline
Mr. Mark B. Miller
Ms. Dana Morgan
Dr. Andrew Pollock
Ms. Jane Schrader Lynch
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