Centennial Connection Feb 25, 2024

Dear Centennial PS Families -

What a great week at Centennial! Even though it was a short 4 day week following the Family Day holiday, there was so much learning and fun! We had classes at Gould Lake Outdoor Education Centre, cooking in honour of Lunar New Year (the dumplings smelled fabulous!), guest speakers and presenters including Engineers in Residence in a few classes, DPA (daily physical activity) leaders from Queen's, a visit from school supervisor Stephanie Sartor, a surprise "gig" in each class with singer/songwriter Gary Rasberry, as well as lots of engagement in literacy, numeracy and science using the snow and outdoors for learning. It has been a great week! Check out the many photos below!

We are already thinking ahead to next year. Do you have a child starting Kindergarten in September 2024? Our Transition to Kindergarten process is soon to begin. For a tip sheet on preparing for Kindergarten from Kids Inclusive at KHSC, see this link.

For families with students with special educational needs, we are offering a virtual workshop on Wednesday March 6th from 9:00am until 12pm, with the agenda found here. For more information including how to participate, see the T2K website here: https://sites.google.com/limestone.on.ca/t2k2024/home?authuser=0

This coming week is Kindness Week at Centennial PS. Each day we will have a particular focus; self, family, others, planet, community. On Wednesday everyone is encouraged to wear pink in support of the Boys & Girls Club Pink Shirt Day. Check out the details of Kindness Week below.

We hope everyone is having a great weekend! Don't forget hot lunch orders are due by noon on Sunday for the following week although orders an be placed well in advance. As always, thank you for your support!

- Deborah Thompson, Principal & Centennial PS Staff

February is Black History Month

February 26 - March 1 - Kindness Week @ Centennial

February 29th - Kindergarten Trip to Loyalist Gymnastics (Lalonde/Sharpe & Evans/El Haj Kinders)

March is Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

March 7th - Gambling Workshop for Grade 6 class (YMCA)

March 11-15th - March Break

**Monday, April 8th PA Day (Changed from April 12th due to solar eclipse!)** No school for students.

Thanks to a grant from the LDSB, any parent/guardian who gets a CPIC to volunteer at the school or attend a field trip can have the cost of the CPIC reimbursed. Just bring in your receipt and the school will reimburse you. Anyone volunteering needs to ensure that a CPIC with Vulnerable Sector Screening is obtained at the office prior to participating in school activities such as field trips. CPICs can be obtained through the City of Kingston Police website at: https://www.kingstonpolice.ca/en/services-and-reporting/background-check.aspx

Girls Inc. Limestone’s FREE 2024 March Break Camp for girls+ in grades 4 to 8 is open for registration!

Girls Inc. Limestone’s FREE 2024 March Break Camp for girls+ in grades 4 to 8 is open for registration!

Join us from March 11 to 15 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Strong, Smart and Bold activities for all participants! Girls+ in grades 7 & 8 can also sign up for additional small-group Junior Leader programming to identify, learn, and practice their leadership skills!

This year’s camp will be located at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, 20 Cranbrook Street, Kingston.

Register now! Click HERE to download a package from our website.

Camps fill up quickly, so please register soon. For more information or help signing up, please contact Program Coordinator Andrea Martin at andreamartin@girlsinclimestone.ca or call 613-433-6252.

Welcome to Kindergarten! This is an exciting time for both you and your student. Kindergarten is a wonderful experience and your student’s next phase on their journey of learning.

We are now accepting new student registrations for this September 2024. If your student is four or five by the end of December, now is the time to register.

Kindergarten offers a wonderful new world of learning and growing. We learn how to read, how to write and we make new friends. At École James R. Henderson Public School, we offer both French Immersion and English Kindergarten programs that help children get the best possible start in school. Your student will be challenged and encouraged to do their very best.

In Kindergarten classrooms, a teacher and an early childhood educator work together as a team. This partnership helps to create a nurturing learning environment; giving every student the opportunity to learn in the way that is best suited to their individual strengths and needs. Our caring team of educators is with them every step of the way!

In Limestone, students can begin French Immersion in Year 1 Kindergarten, Year 2 Kindergarten or Grade 1. The French Immersion program is designed for students who are learning French as an additional language. The program is an inclusive environment for rich language development and designed for students who do not speak French at home. Parents and guardians are not expected to be French speaking themselves. There is nothing extra that you need to do to prepare your student for French Immersion. All students are welcome!

We are excited to announce that Limestone District School Board will now be accepting applications for open boundary Kindergarten registrations for the upcoming school year. LDSB encourages students to attend their area school, but we understand selecting the right educational setting for your new student is a significant decision.

In accordance with Board policy, by default, students will be enrolled in the school designated within their boundary area, based on their home address.

Students may be permitted to attend any school within the board when there is available student space, upon submission and approval of the proper application. The Board will not be held responsible for the provision of any transportation for students outside of their regular school boundary area.

We typically welcome new families to orientation events in May of each year. We will share more about these opportunities soon.

We want everyone to see themselves in Limestone. You can feel confident your student will be cared for in a safe and inclusive environment.

We are committed to supporting you every step of the way. Our dedicated staff are here to assist you throughout this process. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact the school.

Let’s embark on this exciting educational journey together! We look forward to meeting you.

Now that winter has arrived, there are a few reminders to share with you regarding inclement weather.

- if bus transportation is cancelled in the morning, it is cancelled all day (no PM bus pick up)

- the school generally remains open and parents are welcome to bring their children to school and bring them to the school yard at 8:50am. Please note that there is no supervision before 8:50am

- students must be picked up at 3:25pm. There is no supervision after school hours

- hot lunches are automatically cancelled and accounts credited for all inclement weather days

- all student absences are to be submitted using the School Messenger App or the Safe Arrival 800 number (see below for more details) even if transportation is cancelled

Tri-Board Student Transportation Services and the LDSB senior staff make the decision about bus cancellations. Tri-Board sends out alerts, as does the LDSB. Centennial PS sends emails to parents/guardians and will re-tweet information. These decisions are usually made by 6:30am.

Just a friendly reminder that students need to have indoor shoes. Students cannot wear wet boots into classrooms or the gym as it is a slipping/safety hazard. If you need help with indoor shoes please contact the school office.

Please mark your calendars for the School Council meeting dates. Meeting begin at 6:30pm and are 90 minutes in length. Child care for school aged children is provided for those who register by the Sunday before. If you require childcare, please notify the council of your need by emailing councilcentennialps@gmail.com

All parents and guardians are welcome to attend!

Monday April 8th

Monday May 13th

Monday June 3rd

The School Council is also organizing a Bottle Drive, another Family Games Night, and an end of year Family Barbecue. Stay tuned for more details!

Since the start of the pandemic, we have noticed a marked increase in the number of student absences.

When children miss a day they miss important literacy and math learning, and can fall behind on lessons that build from day to day. Students who are regularly late, even if it is only 10 minutes, often miss critical reading instruction, which often happens first thing in the morning.

We know that children need to stay home when they are sick, and the rules for staying home have changed throughout the pandemic. The most recent guidelines on staying home can be found beneath the chart below. Please contact the school if you need support with attendance issues. Let's work together and get every student here every day!

Please help us spread the word! The parking lot is for staff only. Parents/guardians are welcome to park in designated locations on Norman Rogers and on neighbouring streets. Please help to keep all students, staff and families safe by ensuring the parking lot remains for staff only, including at drop off and pick up. Thank you for your help!

We have had some "near misses". Please DO NOT enter the bus lane or the staff parking lot, and please do not use the exit as an entrance. Parking is available on neighbouring streets. Thank you for your help!

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.

LunchBox is looking at more varied choices for hot lunches moving forward, and those will be reflected in the menu options, if it is possible.

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

Due to the prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergies, we do ask that all parents refrain from sending products that may contain nuts to school, even if there is not a specific nut allergy in your child's classroom. We appreciate your efforts and support to ensure that all of our students are safe at school. If your child has any allergies or medical conditions of which the school is not aware, please inform your child's teacher immediately, so that we can ensure that we have all of the information required to keep children safe at school. If in doubt about ingredients, please do not send to school. Thank you for your help to keep all 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, stuffies, Pokemon cards

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.

School Day is an online platform that families can use for providing permission and payment for school events.

Each returning family has a School Day account that you would have used last year. The user name and password you used last year continues to be active for this year.

Families new to Centennial will receive a paper information sheet this week with a unique user name and password (which you can change). Please keep this information handy as we use School Day for various permission forms, school trips, consents and payments.

Returning families who are not sure of their School Day information can contact the school office and a new form can be sent home to you.

Please note that we are not able to accept verbal or written permission generally and that School Day is to be used. Cash and cheques cannot be accepted at the school due to safe money handling procedures and as such, the much more secure method of School Day is used.

This platform may be new to some families (and to us too!) and we are here to work through the process together. Don't hesitate to reach out to the office if you are experiencing any challenges.

Some students may bring a cell phone to school as a way to communicate with parents before the school day begins and after the school day ends. When students bring a cell phone to school they place it in the lockbox that each teacher (grade 3/4 to 6) has in their classroom and it remains locked for the day.

Should a student need to make contact with home throughout the day, they are welcome to let their teacher know and the school can either contact home or the student can use the phone in the main office.

We have devices at school such as ipads and chromebooks that are available for student learning, and as such, cell phones are not needed during the school day. At recess students play and have time for social interaction face to face.

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. There is a new function in Safe Arrival if your child is going to be late.

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