Superintendent's Update

As we enter November, we are now two months into the school year. During October, I had the opportunity to visit classrooms throughout our District and am inspired by the engagement and positive culture taking root across our schools.

This month also brings Veterans Day, a time to honor those who have served our country. I extend deep gratitude to our veterans for their service and sacrifices. We are grateful for their contributions to our country and community.

As we approach the holiday season, we recognize that this time may hold different meanings and traditions for each of us. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving, or use this season for reflection, rest, or connection, I hope this season is meaningful to you. I am grateful for our diverse Centennial community, for our dedicated staff, supportive School Board, and engaged families who support our students’ learning and growth.

Thank you for your commitment to making Centennial a place where every student feels valued and supported.

November is National Native American Heritage Month. The month provides an opportunity to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people.

Centennial School District celebrates Veterans Day on Monday, November 11 to honor all military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. We thank all Veterans for their service, and in particular those across our Centennial community.

All schools and district buildings will be closed November 28 and 29 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Our newest Board Director William Mohring was sworn in for Position 6 – At-Large by the Centennial School District Board of Directors on October 9, 2024, for a term serving through June 2025.

As the owner and principal broker of Mohring Realty Group, Mohring has demonstrated a strong focus on excellent customer service, building long-term relationships, continuous personal and team development, and a commitment to fostering a diverse and culturally rich environment. Additionally, his active participation in local events and support for small businesses showcase his dedication to his community and his desire to create a vibrant and inclusive environment for all.

Mohring resides in SE Portland with his wife and two young children, and in his free time enjoys traveling, gardening, and volunteering for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and his neighborhood association.

Welcome Director Mohring to the Centennial School District's Board of Directors!

Amy Schroeder has been selected as the new Student Services Administrator, and assumed her role on October 21, 2024.

Amy comes to Centennial with 25 years of experience in education. Most recently, Amy has served as the Director of Student Services in the Hillsboro School District. Before that role, she served in various other positions in the Hillsboro School District, including Dean of Students at Glencoe High School and Behavior Specialist at North Plains Elementary School. Amy additionally served in various Behavior Specialist roles within the David Douglas School District.

Amy will be working closely with outgoing Student Services Administrator Ann Riddle, who will retire from her role on December 31, 2024, to ensure a smooth transition for the Student Services Department. She is excited to join the Centennial School District community and looks forward to getting to know the staff, students, and families.

Mairi Scott-Aguirre will serve as the Interim Director of Human Resources for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year, and began working in this role on October 14, 2024.

Mairi previously retired from our District in 2022 after serving for seven years as Principal of Centennial High School. Since that time, she has continued to support CSD in a variety of key leadership roles, including serving as Interim Principal at Parklane Elementary in the 2023-24 school year.

In her new role, Mairi will be addressing crucial needs that are essential to supporting staff and ensuring effective operations for our District. We're confident her experience and steady leadership will provide needed continuity, and we are grateful to her for stepping into this interim role.

The State School Board created the Oregon State Seal of Biliteracy (OSSB) to recognize and value the native language(s) students speak and bring to their English academic studies, to value language programs in schools, and to encourage students in the study of languages. This award recognizes student proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in two or more languages. A Seal of Multiliteracy (OSSM) has also been added to the program, to honor student proficiency in three or more languages.

The Centennial School District is proud to offer our students the opportunity to earn the OSSB/OSSM. There are several ways CSD students can demonstrate the proficiency required to receive the biliteracy/multiliteracy seal and also earn different levels of credit for their graduation requirements, including scoring a Level 6 or higher on the STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) assessment or demonstrating proficiency on another qualifying language assessment. In 2023-24, 64 Centennial High School students earned a total of 170 credits through completion of the STAMP assessment, with 20 students earning the maximum of 4 credits.

Centennial High School also offers the Spanish for Heritage Speakers program, with coursework designed specifically to develop Spanish language proficiency for heritage and native Spanish speakers. Information on this program, including course descriptions, can be found here.

Additionally, students participating in the Portland State University (PSU) Challenge Program can participate in the Portfolio option, providing the ability to demonstrate bilingual language proficiency while earning college credit for their work at Centennial High School. More details about the PSU Challenge Program can be found here.

For more information about the Oregon Seal of Biliteracy/Seal of Multiliteracy option at Centennial High School, please visit the link below.

Centennial High School is offering a free Heritage Language Test. If your student is interested in testing in their home language and earning credit for their knowledge, they can register for this test using this QR code (or by contacting their school counselor).

Students can earn up to 4 credits for their performance on this test. The first test date for this year is November 19 (sign up due by November 12). Testing occurs once per trimester. Contact your school counselor if you have questions about this testing opportunity.

In June 2023, the State Board of Education adopted the first Oregon Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Framework and Standards that represent K-12 SEL expectations for students. The Framework and Standards went into effect for Oregon K-12 school districts on July 1, 2024.

Oregon’s Transformative SEL Framework is intended to enact ORS 329.045 and strengthen equity-focused school cultures that support student and adult well-being. Oregon’s vision for Transformative SEL provides an intentional focus on the elements of teaching, learning, and cultivating supportive classroom cultures that moves beyond following a curriculum or adding a program. For this reason, there is no requirement that schools/districts purchase stand-alone curriculums or programs within the Framework.

SEL is at the center of how humans learn and thrive. At its core, SEL is about recognizing learning as both a social and an emotional process. While there are many definitions for SEL, the one most cited in the research is from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), which states "[SEL is] an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions." SEL is already a key component of teaching and learning in many places across Oregon and has been in Centennial for many years.

As we implement the new state standards, this year we are focusing on building awareness, organizing and strengthening our plans, while increasing adult capacity across our system. We will continue to share examples of this work with you throughout the school year.

With the colder winter months just around the corner, we want to remind families and staff of the procedures used by our District when inclement weather occurs.

The Centennial School District maintains a preparedness plan for the monitoring of inclement weather and potential weather-related impacts on school operations, including our facilities as well as road safety for transportation. As these impacts are evaluated, there may be changes to the school schedule such as a school closure, a delayed start to the school day, or an early dismissal. Snow routes for our school buses will also be used when road conditions are deemed unsafe by our Transportation Department staff.

When inclement weather causes changes such as these, we will notify our staff and families using multiple methods:

• ParentSquare messaging (text, email, app notifications and/or voicemail). If you need assistance registering for the ParentSquare app, please contact your school office.
• Centennial School District website: www.csd28j.org
• Social Media (Facebook: CentennialSD28j / Instagram: centennial_schools)
• Flash Alert notifies local news stations. Individuals can subscribe to receive FlashAlert updates for Centennial School District here: http://www.flashalert.net/id/centennialsd

Parents/caregivers , if your email address or phone number has changed in the last year please contact your school office to make sure we have your up-to-date contact information.

Don't miss this year's Eagle Expo on Thursday, November 14, 5:30-7:30pm at Centennial High School. The Eagle Expo is the culminating event for all graduating CHS Seniors to share their portfolio presentations about their future plans. Community members are invited to join us for this event, as well as to share feedback with our Seniors as they prepare for their next steps after high school. We hope to see you there!

Our District’s Dining Services Department is seeking feedback from families about the dietary needs of students in our school. This information will help our Dining Services team to develop strategies to better meet the dietary needs of students in the future.

Your feedback is important! Please complete the Dining Services Dietary Needs Assessment Survey found at the link below.

Free flu shots or other needed vaccines are now available at no cost for all Multnomah County K-12 students (ages 5-18). Appointments can be made at our very own Centennial High School Student Health Center, or any of the other eight locations across Multnomah County (see the image below for locations and phone numbers). No insurance required -- call today for your appointment!