Century Primary Family Newsletter

It is with profound sadness that I share heartbreaking news with you. Over the winter break, we lost a cherished member of our school family, Amayalee Nunez, a first-grader in Mrs. Willison's class. Amayalee touched the lives of so many with her bright spirit and joyful presence. She had a smile, hug, and hello for everyone and her memory will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

During times like this, we are reminded of the strength of our community and the importance of coming together to support one another. Please know that our hearts are with Amayalee's family and we ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

In the days and weeks ahead, we will provide opportunities for our students and staff to process the loss and express their feelings. Counselors will be available to anyone who needs support, and we encourage you to reach out if your child has questions or needs someone to talk to.

Amayalee's classmates will honor and celebrate her life by planting a tree this spring.

Thank you for being a part of our caring and compassionate community. Together, we will honor Amayalee's memory and support each other through this difficult time. If you have questions or need support, please reach out to me (jill.olson@k12.nd.us), our school counselor, Julie McCann (julie.mccann@k12.nd.us), or student success advisor, Alissa Parsons (alissa.parsons@gospoilers.org) or reach us at 701.352.1930.

With deepest sympathy,

Dr. Jill Olson

January marks the beginning of a new year, making it a natural time for reflection and setting goals. Elementary students are returning from a holiday break and can benefit from a reset on classroom expectations and personal accountability. Focusing on responsibility helps students understand the importance of owning their actions, completing tasks, and contributing positively to their environments. It sets the tone for the remainder of the school year by emphasizing the value of being reliable and making good choices. Your child will be learning more about responsibility this month at school.

A Simple Way for Parents and Care Givers to Promote Responsibility at Home
Parents and care givers can encourage responsibility by assigning their child an age-appropriate household chore, such as feeding a pet, setting the table, or tidying their room. Consistently expecting the child to complete the task and offering praise when it is done well reinforces accountability and builds self-confidence. Additionally, creating a visual chore chart or checklist can help children track their responsibilities and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Thursday, January 2

• School reconvenes

Thursday, January 9

• Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Friday, January 10

• End of Quarter 2

Friday, January 17

• Quarter 2 Student Assembly Today

Thursday, January 30

• No School - Teacher Professional Development

Friday, January 31

• No School - Winter Break

Monday, February 3

• National School Counseling Day! (Mrs. McCann)

Tuesday, February 4

• Student Success Support Staff Appreciation Day! (Mrs. Bjorneby and Mrs. Parsons)

Friday, February 21

• Selective Preschool Screening Day (please call the school at 701.352.1930 if you have a child, ages 3 or 4, you would like to have screened).

Friday, February 28

• No School - Professional Development Day

Friday, March 7

• No School

Thursday, March 20

• World Down Syndrome Day

Friday, March 21

• No School - Professional Development

Thursday, March 27

• Quarter 3 Student Assembly Today
• 3:45-7:15 pm Parent/Teacher Conferences

Friday, March 28

• No School

Wednesday, April 2

• Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day!
• World Autism Day

Thursday, April 10

• 4:00-6:00 pm Family Carnival at the Centennial Center

Thursday, April 17

• No School - Professional Development

Friday, April 18

• No School

Monday, April 21

• No School

Tuesday, April 22

• Bus Driver Appreciation Day!
• Earth Day!

Wednesday, April 23

• Administrative Professionals Day! (Mrs. Kellie Carignan)

Thursday, May 1

• No Kindergarten today - K roundup activities in preschool today

Friday, May 2

• Lunch Hero Day!
• 1:30 pm Hello Kindergarten Meeting in the PAC for families with a child entering kindergarten this fall

May 5-9, 2025

• Teacher Appreciation Week!

Wednesday, May 7

• School Nurse Day! (Mrs. Leanne Campbell)

Wednesday, May 14

• 9:00 am Kindergarten + Senior Walk-Through

Friday, May 16

• National Speech Language Pathologist Day!
• 12:30-3:00 pm Primary Field Day

Tuesday, May 20

• 9:30 am Morning Preschool Program in the PAC
• 1:30 pm Afternoon Preschool Program in the PAC

Wednesday, May 21

• 12:30 pm Kindergarten Graduation in the PAC

• 11:00 am School Dismisses - Have a Great Summer!

Are you interested in becoming a licensed substitute teacher in ND or learning more about it?

There are a couple of ways to qualify:

1. Official transcript documenting a minimum of 48 semester hours of college coursework.

2. ESPB has partnered with Frontline to provide online training to individuals with less than 48 credits of college education who are interested in substitute teaching.

Check out the following link for more information! We would love to have you join our amazing team of substitute teachers!

https://www.nd.gov/espb/sites/www/files/documents/One-Pagers/Substitute-License-Requirements-and-Application.pdf

Principal: Dr. Jill Olson

Address: 1542 School Road, Grafton, ND 58237

Telephone: 701.352.1930

Email: jill.olson@k12.nd.us

Website: www.gospoilers.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CenturyGrafton

Instagram: grafton_century_elementary