Centennial Connection May 4 2025

Dear Centennial PS Families,

We are back up and running with almost all of the LDSB networks! We have missed the last couple of weeks of regular Centennial Connection communication and we are so glad to share lots with you in this edition! A huge thanks to families, students and staff for your patience and flexibility as the board navigated the cyber incident over the last couple of weeks. Platforms such as Safe Arrival (for attendance/absences) and our regular school phone line are all back up and working! If you need to call the school please use the regular school number of 613.546.5517. While having the network outage was challenging, the staff and students are to be commended for embracing a low-tech and no-tech environment - they navigated it beautifully! Many thanks to the ITS department for their tireless work to get us up and running!

Especially at this time of year there are a number of activities and outings for students. The most important part of student participation is always the permission form from parents/guardians on School Day. Financial concerns should never be a reason a child doesn't participate and the school can offer some financial assistance for families who require it. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the school in confidence should you require support. We want all students to participate!

This coming week is the School Council Creativity Night on Thursday from 5:30-7:30pm! We hope as many families as possible can attend. Please see more information below as there are some activities that require a sign up. Many thanks to the School Council for applying for and receiving a PRO Grant in order to provide this opportunity for Centennial families.

Many student athletes are also participating in a variety of sporting events this week as well. Good luck to all runners who are participating in the LCVI Road Race, as well as the Girls' and Boys' Basketball teams who are playing in end of season tournaments at Queen's University. A huge thanks to the staff who volunteer their time to coach! It has been a great season for the runners and the basketball players and we wish everyone well as they represent Centennial PS this coming week!

Over the next few students, families of students in Grades 3 and 6 will receive an emailed letter from the school outlining the provincial assessments that will take place later on in May and early June. The EQAO assessments provide important information to families and to the province about how a student is meeting curriculum expectations at the time of writing of the assessment. Results from these provincial assessments are sent home in October when they are received from EQAO.

The planning for next year is under way! Kindergarten registrations are open and we are welcoming those who have children who will be 4 years old by December 31, 2025 are invited to register. This can be done line by clicking on the Registration Link. We are looking forward to welcoming new kindergarten families to Centennial at the Discover Kindergarten event on June 4th.

Although we will not have class list information ready until the end of August/early September, we do start this lengthy process of creating class organizations in June. At Centennial we take class placements very seriously and engage with many resources to establish the best placement for each child. Meetings are held with teachers, support staff, administration and school-level supports throughout the next few months as we develop class lists that are all tentative until at least the middle of September. We welcome parent/guardian feedback, if they feel there is information essential to their child’s success that we may not already know. We would like to note that requests for specific class placements are not guaranteed, but are one piece of data used when we create the best arrangement for each child. Kindly note that we will be receiving information about class placements from parents/guardians until Wednesday June 4th. To provide information please email the school directly. All requests and information are needed in writing to cente@limestone.on.ca.

We are starting the initial stages of organizing the school for next year with the elementary staffing process and EA allocation process underway. More information will be shared with you as it becomes available. We do know of some retirements already for next year as well as some staff who have been on leave returning to CPS. In July I will be taking on the role of System Principal, Educational Services and will not be back at Centennial in the fall. It is bittersweet that I share this with you as I love the Centennial school community. When the principal placements and announcements are made, we will share that with you. Centennial Public School is truly a wonderful place and anyone who has the privilege of serving the students and community here is very lucky indeed. As other staff changes are determined we will communicate that with families.

We continue to update the calendar of events - there is so much going on! Centennial is a great place to be! Thank you for sharing your children with us!

-Deborah Thompson, Principal and Centennial PS Staff

PS - Scroll down to see important information and lots of photos!

Tuesday May 6th - Byers Gr 4 trip to Farm with Penpals

Tuesday May 6th - Travers Gr 3 trip to Frontenac Park with Penpals

Wednesday May 7th - LCVI Road Race

Thursday May 8th - Girls Basketball Tournament at Queens

Thursday May 8th - Family Creativity Night (see details below - all welcome!)

Friday May 9th - Boys Basketball Tournament at Queens

Monday May 12 - Gary Rasberry event with Gr 5 and 5/6 (Cahill & Girard)

Monday May 12 - School Council Meeting 6:30-8:00 pm

Wednesday May 14th - Indigenous Teachings with Gillianne Mundell for Gr 4 Byers & Gr 5/6 Girard

Friday May 14 - Queen's Sports Day trip for Gr 5 Cahill

Tuesday May 20 - Centennial Track & Field Day Grades 3-6 (tentative)

Wednesday May 21 - Centennial Track & Field Day Grades 3-6 Raindate (tentative)

Thursday May 22 - Farndon/Aylesworth Kinders to Miller Museum

Friday May 23 - Girard Gr 5/6 Penpal visit to Lord Strathcona

Friday May 23 - Lalonde/Sharpe Kinders and Evans Gr 1 to Calvin Park library

Tuesday May 27 - Region 3 Track & Field at Invista

Thursday May 29 - Farndon/Aylesworth Kinders to Stories in the Square

Friday May 30 - PA Day - no school for students

Tuesday June 3 - District Track & Field (for qualifying athletes only) at Invista

Wednesday June 4 - Discover Kindergarten (after school for new kinder families for Sept 2025)

Thursday, June 5th - RKY Camp Grade 4/5, 5, 5/6, 6 (Natalizio, Cahill, Girard, Hawkes)

Thursday June 5 - Farndon/Aylesworth Kinders to Stories in the Square

Friday June 6th - RKY Camp Grade 4/5, 5, 5/6, 6 (Natalizio, Cahill, Girard, Hawkes)

Tuesday June 10 - School Council Funfair and BBQ (time TBD)

Wednesday June 11 - Grade 6 visit to Calvin Park

Wednesday June 11 - Natalizio Gr 4/5 to Queen's Sports Day

Friday June 13 - Vangelatos/Hodgson Kinder and Farndon/Aylesworth Kinder to Little Cat Creek

Wednesday June 18 - Byers Gr 4 Penpals trip to Splash Pad & Marine Museum

Thursday June 19th - Byers Gr 4 Penpals trip to Splash Pad & Marine Museum (raindate)

Monday June 23 - Kindergarten Celebration for all Kinder classes & families - 2pm

Tuesday June 24 - Kindergarten Celebration Raindate - 2pm

Wednesday June 25th - Term 2 Achievement Reports & Communications of Learning go home

Wednesday June 25 - Grade 6 Celebration (after school - time TBD)

Thursday June 26th - Last day of school for students

Friday June 27th - PA Day

The Centennial School Council is looking forward to hosting the Centennial Family Creativity Night on May 8th from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the school.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to engage in a variety of fun and creative activities for all ages!

Please use the following link to sign up for this event. Link to sign-up: https://forms.gle/6HAyAZPCwWwWYjmr7

Families interested in following the hard work of our School Council, please follow the link to their Facebook Page.

Also, any questions or ideas please contact the School Council using their updated email address:

ldsbcentennialpscouncil@gmail.com

8:50-9:05am - Supervision on yard

9:05-10:45am – 100 minute block of learning

10:45-11:25am – Recess & Nutrition Break

11:25-1:05pm – 100 minute block of learning

1:05-1:45pm – Recess & Nutrition Break

1:45-3:25pm – 100 minute block of learning

3:25pm - Dismissal

Families are reminded that items of value (monetary and sentimental) are to be left at home. As well, toys, costumes, masks, anything that could be used as a weapon, make up and anything scented should not be coming to school. Thank you for your help with this!

Click Here for a list of KFL&A exclusions. As a reminder, children should stay home until they have no fever and their symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if they have gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and/or diarrhea). Once symptoms start improving, they are encouraged to return to school, if they are well enough to do so.

Hot Lunch - Orders Due by Sunday Noon

Once again this year we are using LunchBox to provide families with some options for hot lunch, should they wish to participate. Orders are due by NOON on Sunday for orders being delivered the following week.

Just a reminder that should buses be cancelled, hot lunches are also cancelled and credit will be provided to account.

To create an account and order hot lunches, use the guide below and linked here: Get The Guide

Just a reminder that if you are bringing your child to school or picking up, that there is no parking on the north side of Norman Rogers Drive. Last week we were out reminding parents and guardians of this. Cars that are parked on the north side are subject to a ticket and we don't want you to get one! Please park on the south side of Norman Rogers to the east or west of the school. There is no parking in front of the school as that is a bus loading zone.

The parking lot is for staff only. Please do not drive into or through the parking lot. Walkers are encouraged not to walk through the parking lot, for safety reasons.

There are many places to park on neighbouring streets that only take a few moments to walk to the school from. Thank you for your help with this important safety matter.

We will be working hard to promote regular attendance, at Centennial and all across the Limestone District School Board. We will be sharing information about how to set up healthy habits and we will be reaching out to families as attendance concerns arise. We want to work with you to promote regular attendance at school. If there is a way we can help you, please let us know!

We have experienced significant growth in our school population, including staff. As such, we are kindly requesting that parents and guardians do not park in the school parking lot at any time during the hours of 8am and 4pm.. We have some part time staff who arrive at various times throughout the day and they need to be able to park and get into the school to begin teaching on time. Please note that there is one entrance and one exit to the parking lot to ensure safety and flow of traffic.

Please also do not park directly in front of the school as that is a bus loading zone. There are parking spaces available along Norman Rogers drive to the east and west of the school, and along a number of side streets close to the school.

Thank you for helping to ensure that students can arrive safely to school. There are crossing guards on both Johnson Street and Norman Rogers Drive to help families cross these busy road ways. We appreciate their hard work!

Students go outside for 2 recess breaks, and sometimes are outside with their class for various learning activities. Students are encouraged to wear sunscreen during the warmer months, and have a sun hat outdoors.

We go outside for recess rain or shine and as such, students should come to school prepared to go outside even if it is lightly raining. In the event of heavy rain we will remain indoors, but we try to be outside for recess whenever possible.

Students have the opportunity to eat twice during the day at school. Lunches and snacks must be nut free please. This includes no peanut butter or nutella, or any kind of granola bar with nuts in it.

A reminder that Centennial participates in "Boomerang Lunch" which means that everything a child brings to school in their lunch bag, is returned home at the end of the day. In this way, parents/guardians can easily see what a child has or hasn't eaten in a day. Wrappers, containers, etc., will be sent home.

School Board Policy states that participation on school sports teams (both elementary and secondary) is conditional on obtaining at least the basic student accident insurance coverage for the student or proof of external private coverage through your family plan. The cost of basic coverage is approximately $17.00 per year. This covers the student while attending school during the school day. The time spent by students participating in school-sponsored teams is considered part of the school day, even if the games and/or practices are held outside of the regular school hours. It is recommended that all parents consider this program. Visit www.insuremykids.com to get this inexpensive and highly recommended insurance.

Throughout the year, we may ask for parent/guardian volunteers on school trips or for various classroom and school activities. The wait time for obtaining a CPIC (background check with vulnerable sector screening) can be lengthy. As such, if you think you would be willing to assist with a trip or school event in the future, please consider obtaining a CPIC with vulnerable sector screening completed, beforehand.

To get a Vulnerable Sector Check you may be required to provide a letter from the school indicating that you will be volunteering. We can send this to you! Just email us at cente@limestone.on.ca and we are happy to provide you with the letter.

Link to City of Kingston Police Check Request Here

Students will have 2 recesses and 2 nutrition breaks. Recess is outside on a particular yard (we will flip/flop the space each day so students in Grades 1-6 have the opportunity to play on both parts of the yard each day). All staff will be wearing safety vests so they are easily recognizable. Nutrition breaks happen in classrooms.

We have several students with life-threatening allergies. A reminder that our school is nut aware: please ensure that your child's snacks and lunch do not contain any nut products. Classroom teachers will communicate any additional food allergies that families will need to be aware of. Thank you for your support in keeping all of our students safe!

All school supplies that students need for their learning and work will be provided by Centennial Public School. Sometimes students prefer to have their own pencil case with pencils/markers, but it is not a requirement.

Students do need to come to school with:

- Indoor, non-marking athletic type of shoes

- Water bottle with child's name clearly marked (we have bottle filling stations, not fountains)

- Nut-free snacks and lunch

Please label all items!

Sometimes students want to bring items to school to show friends, or have things stored in backpacks that need to remain at home. This is just a reminder that students should not bring the following items to school:

- items of value (sentimental or monetary)

- any kind of weapon (for example, a Swiss Army knife)

- any kind of toy that could be a replica weapon (for example, a toy gun)

- electronics of any kind

- jewelry

- make-up

- anything scented

- anything with nuts (please ensure all lunches and snacks are nut-free)

- toys and stuffies

Thank you for keeping these items at home. Sometimes a quick check of a backpack can ensure that treasures do not come to school. Thank you for understanding that we are not responsible for lost, broken or stolen personal items.

Students are to come onto the school yard between 8:50am and 9:05am each morning. Families are reminded that they are not to arrive earlier than 8:50am as there is no supervision on the yard before that time. Parents/guardians who drive students must park on the street as there is no/limited parking in the school parking lot. Please note that there is no entrance on the west side of the school. That is for pedestrians only.

Student pick up happens at the exterior doors of the school at 3:25pm.

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

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

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

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/

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.

Stay Up To Date! Please check the following regularly...

Centennial PS Twitter https://twitter.com/centennial_ldsb?lang=en

Centennial PS Website https://centennial.limestone.on.ca/

LDSB Website https://www.limestone.on.ca/

LDSB Twitter https://twitter.com/LimestoneDSB

LDSB Facebook https://tinyurl.com/wbhjtku

LDSB Instagram https://instagram.com/limestonedsb?igshid=1epyma6c0g5qd

"We treat others the way we want to be treated"

"Show Up! Stand Up! Never Give Up!"

Email: cente@limestone.on.ca
Website: https://centennial.limestone.on.ca
Location: 120 Norman Rogers Dr, Kingston, ON K7M 2R2
Phone: 613.546.5517
Twitter: @Centennial_LDSB