Dear Centennial Parents,
I hope you're enjoying a summer filled with rest, fun, and special memories! These moments with your children are precious and seem to fly by all too quickly. As my own son returns home from college and my daughter stays busy with high school activities, I’m reminded just how quickly time passes and how meaningful these summer memories truly are.
Summer is also a wonderful time to work on the non-academic skills that build confidence and independence in our students—skills like tying shoes, opening lunch containers, or getting in and out of the car without assistance. These small milestones go a long way in helping children feel capable and ready for school success.
Here at Centennial, our front office is already in full swing, preparing for the upcoming year. I’m thrilled to share that we are fully staffed for 2025—a milestone not many campuses can celebrate right now. Hiring the very best educators is one of the most important parts of my role as a principal. Every child deserves an excellent education, and that starts with having a highly qualified teacher in every classroom. The strong home-school partnership we have at Centennial is a major reason we’re able to attract and retain such high-caliber staff. Thank you for the many ways you support our school community.
One especially meaningful way parents support our staff is by serving as substitutes on campus. When teachers are out for training, family emergencies, or illness, having trusted and familiar faces in the classroom makes a big difference. We’ve been fortunate to have many parents—and even grandparents—step into this role. If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a substitute teacher in Plano ISD, please visit https://www.pisd.edu/Page/5529. If you decide to apply, feel free to email me directly, and I’ll be happy to help move your application through the process.
We are also excited to welcome a new Assistant Principal to our team—Ms. Rebekah Sutton. Please be sure to say hello and introduce your family to her as the school year begins!
We can’t wait to welcome back our returning Comets and meet our newest ones this August. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer and all the memories still to be made.
Warmly,
Sara Stewart
Principal, Centennial Elementary
25-26 Annual registration for returning students and Kindergarten students who have already enrolled is available now!
Plano ISD uses Skyward Family Access to enroll and maintain student records.
- Complete/update your child's emergency information in Skyward Family Access - https://www.pisd.edu/annualregistration
- Register for an account here - https://parentportal.pisd.edu/SubmitPortalRegistration
- Need help? - https://www.pisd.edu/FamilyAccessHelp
As we prepare for the start of the 2025–2026 school year, we want to make you aware of a new state law that affects student use of personal communication devices on campus.
House Bill 1481 (revision of Texas Education Code 37.082), recently passed by the 89th Texas Legislature and signed into law by the Governor, requires all public school districts in Texas to adopt a policy prohibiting the use of personal communication devices during school hours.
If you have questions or would like to review the full House Bill 1481, you may access it here.
The Dads of Great Students WATCH D.O.G.S.® program is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement organizations designed and developed by educators, experts, and parent & guardian volunteers over more than two decades.
Fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, uncles, and other father figures serve on campus for one day or many each year under the leadership of a program coordinator and the guidance of a school principal or designated administrator. Our program speaks directly to those caregivers and guardians who are statistically less likely to come onto campus to volunteer. We have brought millions of volunteers onto campuses who use our model, tools, and support.
There are two primary goals of the WATCH D.O.G.S. program:
- To provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.
- To provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security and reduce bullying.
Membership is free and such a fun way to be a part of your child's day. Membership is a two part process:
- Complete a volunteer application and background check
- Sign up for a volunteer slot via special link, which will be available August 22nd, after the WATCH DOGS kick off meeting (Info below).
- Returning WATCH DOGS need to also complete these forms
Questions? Please contact Abeezar Shipchandler, watchdogs@centennialpta.net
Plano ISD meal prices and menu information can be found on the Food and Nutritional Services (FANS) website.
Meal Benefits
Families who may qualify for meal benefits are encouraged to complete a federal meal application for free and reduced-price meals. The 2025-26 meal application may be completed through School Café by logging in to your account, or by creating a new account.
Meal Payments
Online payments are accepted through SchoolCafé. Cash and checks are also accepted during the school day at your child's campus.
Get the App!
The SchoolCafé apps for both iOS and Android are now available for download. They're free to install and they make your favorite features even easier to use. Download the SchoolCafé app today.
AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schoolcaf%C3%A9/id1134802301
GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.schoolcafe.app&pli=1
Welcome to the wonderful world of reading! For the 40 Book Challenge you may use books located at the Centennial Library or the Plano Public Library. Fill out the attached form and turn it in to the Librarian by Friday April 10, 2026 by 3:00pm.
Late logs WILL NOT be accepted. The summary should be one or two sentences in the student’s own handwriting.
Summary Examples:
Good – “A boy and his dad write postcards to each other while the boy is at summer camp” Poor – “I really like this book.” “This book is good”
2025-26 Centennial Elementary Reading Challenges
To keep kids motivated, Centennial students can participate in one or more of our fun reading challenges:
40 Book Challenge – A yearlong challenge that encourages students to read a wide variety of books
25-26 LITTLE MAVERICKS READING LIST
The 25-26 Little Mavericks Reading List is a recommended reading list of graphic novels designed for children in grades K-5.
These books were selected by public and school librarians who are members of the Texas Library Association’s Children’s Round Table, which promotes services to children and young people.
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25-26 TEXAS BLUEBONNETS BOOK LIST
25-26 Texas Bluebonnets Book List is one of the most distinguished children’s literature lists in the country.
This prestigious list is composed of titles from creative, talented and diverse authors. The titles on the list offer students in third through sixth grades quality fiction and nonfiction literature to be read for pleasure.
The primary goals of the TBA list are to introduce children to a variety of quality books, develop critical reading skills, and honor and encourage authors.
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25-26 2X2 READING LIST
These beautifully illustrated, often humorous and instructive volumes are the best of recent books meant for children 2 years old to grade two. Librarians serving on the Texas Library Association Children’s Round Table 2X2 Committee read hundreds of books before narrowing the list to these selected 20.
The 25-26 2x2 Reading List can be read to small children, as well as read by young readers. The list was developed to give parents, caregivers and teachers a curated list of quality books. These are excellent books for reading during story time at the library or school, at bedtime with a parent or grandparent or for fun at any time.
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