Centennial Newsletter 08.14.25

Ian O’Brien is a seasoned educator with over 20 years of teaching experience across Higher Education, K-12, and Museum Education. For the past 11 years, he taught art (K-5) for Lewisville ISD before coming to Plano and joining Centennial Elementary. In addition to working as a public-school teacher and college professor, Ian continues to serve as an adjunct educator at the Meadows Museum at SMU for over 15 years.

Ian is excited about the opportunity to continue to work with elementary school students at Centennial by helping students grow artistically and helping support what students learn in their classroom and relating it to what they do in the art room.

Ian holds two degrees from the University of North Texas in Drawing/Painting and Art Education, as well as an MFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His artistic achievements include curating local and national art exhibitions, exhibiting his work in over 30 venues across Texas, winning awards in juried exhibitions, and continuing his studio practice in mixed media installation.

Ian’s hobbies include 3D Printing, watching sports (Go Mavs), and traveling nationally and internationally with his wife Malinda (who is also an artist and works as a Graphic Designer).

Hello Centennial families!

My name is Isabel McAteer, and I am thrilled to join the amazing Comet community as a 4th grade teacher! I have been passionate about education for as long as I can remember, and I am excited to bring that dedication into the classroom here. My teaching philosophy centers around creating a well-rounded learning experience for students where I support them academically, socially, and emotionally, both inside and outside the classroom. I’m especially enthusiastic about building relationships with students, families, and colleagues, as we work together to make this school year a meaningful and successful one! Outside the classroom I enjoy running, playing sports, reading, traveling, and trying new restaurants. After attending Baylor University for both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, I also enjoy cheering on the Baylor Bears. I am looking forward to getting involved in the school community, finding new ways to grow, and being a part of what makes Centennial such a special place!

Hello! My name is Erin Clapp, and I’m thrilled to join the staff at Centennial Elementary as a Dyslexia Support Teacher. I grew up in both New Orleans and Houston and earned my degree in Education and Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University. This year marks my 25th year in education, and I’ve had the privilege of teaching in Texas, North Carolina, Germany, and Korea. I’m also a proud mom of three amazing children—all graduates of PISD—and we share a love of travel and adventure.

Hello Centennial Families!

My name is Cynthia (Cindy) Howard, and I am so excited to be joining the amazing staff at Centennial Elementary this upcoming school year! You will find me in First Grade.

I celebrated my 10th year living in Texas this June. While it still feels like it was just yesterday, the move was one of the best things I’d done – especially because I have family here that I am very close to. Before moving here, I lived in Norman, OK.

Needless to say, I am an OU Grad (Go Sooners!). I received both my Bachelor’s in Education and Master’s in Reading there. It was a great experience, and on a beautiful campus.

I have 19 years in education under my belt. I have been a classroom teacher, a literacy resource specialist, an instructional coach, and a substitute teacher. I subbed for 5 years in Plano before finally settling down to teach permanently. Before coming to Centennial, I was at Davis Elementary for 6 years. I taught 4th grade for 3 years and 1st grade for the other 3 years. With the closure of Davis, I feel blessed that the first grade position at Centennial opened up and I get to continue to work in a field I am passionate about.

I am truly looking forward to this upcoming school year and being a part of the Centennial Elementary family!

Hello, Centennial Family! My name is Mireya Romero, and I am excited to be joining the Centennial team as a PE Assistant this year. I am a proud graduate of Plano West and I have previously worked at Rasor Elementary. I am looking forward to working with the Centennial community! Go Comets!

Hi Centennial families! I’m so excited to be joining the team as a Resource Teacher. I’m passionate about helping all students reach their full potential by providing the support and encouragement they need to succeed. One of my core values is respecting the dignity of every child, and I strive to ensure each student feels seen, heard, and supported.

I enjoy meeting new people and building strong connections with students, families, and colleagues. I love having meaningful conversations, watching sunsets, and going on hikes in my free time.. I’m also a proud mom of two beautiful daughters and feel grateful for the support of my family and friends. I can't wait to learn and grow with my students and am looking forward to a wonderful year filled with lasting relationships.

One quote that continues to inspire me as an educator is: “Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them.” That’s the kind of teacher I strive to be every single day.

Jill is our President Elect for this school year. In this role she will learn all the responsibilities of PTA president and will serve as PTA president for the 26-27 school year.

Jill has previously served on PTA for the past 3 years. She grew up in the Dallas area. She taught at a Plano Elementary school for years until she had kids and stayed home to be with them. Currently she works at St. Andrew Methodist Church on the Welcome Team doing the events for the church. Jill is married to Bryan and together they have Adalyn, who is in 3rd grade, and Hudson who is in 2nd grade. Being a part of the Centennial community is such a blessing and Jill is excited to help lead the PTA.

"I feel so blessed to be a part of this PTA and the Centennial family. I have enjoyed working with so many people who have the same goal in mind. I am really looking forward to another great year at Centennial Elementary!"

Dear Centennial Families,

We wanted to share that after-school enrichment classes will not be offered this semester. We’re taking this time to review and improve the program so we can provide an even better experience for students in the future.

We need someone to serve as our Enrichment Chair to coordinate the program. Without this role filled, it’s not possible to run the classes.

If you’re interested in helping us make this possible, especially by taking on the chair position, please reach out, president@centennialpta.net. Your support can make all the difference!

Let's look forward to bringing Enrichment back in the near future with an updated program we’re excited to share.

- Centennial PTA

The Plano Public Library is here to support learners! We have five locations throughout the city and many resources that can be accessed from home including:

- Libby: downloadable e-books, audiobooks, and magazines

- Kanopy: streaming movies and shows for all ages

- Learning Express Library for test prep

All of these services are completely free, visit planolibrary.org to register for a card.

Also, visit our online calendar to find free events for all ages including our celebration of all things STEAM coming this fall!

Stay in-touch by following the Plano Public Library on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

To keep kids motivated, Centennial students can participate in one or more of our fun reading challenges:

• 40 Book Challenge: Yearlong challenge that encourages students to read a wide variety of books

• Little Maverick: Reading list of graphic novels designed for children in grades K-5.

• Texas 2 x 2: Beautifully illustrated, often humorous and instructive volumes are the best of recent books meant for children 2 years old to grade two.

• Texas Bluebonnet: The titles on the list offer students in third through sixth grades quality fiction and nonfiction literature to be read for pleasure.