Central Community Newsletter

Greetings Central Families!

Welcome back to all of our returning students and families, and a special welcome to the new families who joined our community over the summer. I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to our incoming Kindergarten cohort, the Class of 2039. We are thrilled to have you as part of the Central Community School family.

What an exciting start to the school year! The first week flew by. Our students in Grades 1-5 spent the week in grade-level groupings, participating in a variety of engaging activities and rotations led by both enrolling and non-enrolling staff. Meanwhile, our Kindergarten students and their families took part in welcoming conversations and enjoyed their first partial day on Friday. It has been wonderful to see so much excitement, energy, and enthusiasm throughout the building.

A heartfelt thank you to our PAC for hosting a coffee meet-and-greet on the first day of school. Opportunities like these help strengthen the connections that make our school community so special. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved, please stop by the PAC bulletin board located just outside the gymnasium. Contact information is posted there, and the PAC would be happy to answer any questions.

Looking ahead to this week, families in Grades 1-5 should have received an email yesterday regarding class placements. If you have not seen it, please check your junk or spam folder, as bulk emails are sent through our MyEducation BC student information system. I also recommend adjusting your email settings to ensure future school communications arrive directly in your inbox.

Class placement is a thoughtful and complex process that begins as early as late April. Our staff carefully considers many factors to create balanced learning environments where every student has the opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We appreciate your trust and support as we work to set each child up for success.

Each month, I will publish the Central Newsletter, which will be available on our school website under the Newsletter section. The newsletter will highlight the learning, events, and accomplishments from the month, while also sharing upcoming opportunities and important information. To help reduce the number of emails families receive and make it easier to find information in one place, I will continue updating the newsletter throughout the month as new information becomes available.

In addition, I will send out a Week-at-a-Glance (WAG) every Sunday. This communication will provide a brief overview of important updates and a snapshot of the week ahead. Families can also access upcoming events through the Calendar section of our school website. Each Week-at-a-Glance will include a link to the current newsletter for easy reference.

Our staff is excited to begin another year of learning and growth alongside your children. We believe every student brings unique talents, strengths, and perspectives that enrich our school community. We look forward to building meaningful relationships, supporting each learner, and celebrating successes together throughout the year.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to connect with your child's classroom teacher or our office staff. We are here to help and support your family in any way we can.

We look forward to a year filled with learning, growth, connection, and joyful experiences. Wishing all of our students and families a wonderful, successful, and memorable school year ahead!

Sincerely,
Shawn O'Brien
Principal, Central Community School

Feedback is always appreciated. I can be contacted at sobrien@sd43.bc.ca

Emergency Release Form / Student Verification Forms

Emergency Release Forms and Student Verification Forms will be sent home on Monday, September 14. Please complete and return them by Friday, September 18.

This information is essential to help keep your child safe and to ensure we have up-to-date contact information, especially in the event of an emergency. Please note that this form is different from your child's regular pick-up arrangements. It is used only for emergency release situations.

Medical Alert Forms

If your child has a medical condition or alert that you would like the school to be aware of, please contact Ms. Hein at central@sd43.bc.ca to complete a Medical Alert Form.

Please remember that all medications, including Tylenol and Advil, must be stored in the school office. A Medication Administration Form must be completed and signed by both a parent or legal guardian and a physician before medication can be administered at school.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the office.

School Policies and Procedures Forms

School Policies and Procedures Forms are available online through School Cash Online and must be completed by Friday, September 18.

Please log in and complete the required forms at your earliest convenience using the following link:

https://www.schoolcashonline.com/

Volunteer Drivers and Field Trip Volunteers

Looking ahead, we encourage parents and guardians who have the flexibility to volunteer on field trips or serve as volunteer drivers to complete the required paperwork.

Having these forms completed in advance greatly supports our teachers as they plan off-site learning opportunities throughout the year. To ensure student safety, we are required to maintain specific adult-to-student supervision ratios while off campus.

We truly appreciate having volunteer drivers available to help transport students to events at other schools and to support field trips. While buses are a wonderful option, they do come with a significant cost.

If you are interested in volunteering, please visit the office to have the necessary forms added to your School Cash Online account or to receive a paper copy.

Thank you in advance for your support. Your willingness to volunteer helps create valuable learning experiences for our students.

Central is proud to offer an amazing before-school breakfast program for our students. On most days, breakfast is served outdoors near the swings. On particularly wet days, we will move the program indoors and open the gym.

Our Breakfast Program Coordinator, Amy Jones, and her dedicated team of volunteers prepare nutritious and fun breakfast options each morning for students.

Beginning at 8:15 a.m., students are welcome to line up outside, where they will be greeted by staff members and invited to enjoy a healthy breakfast. Past menu items have included yogurt parfaits, cereal, blended smoothies, waffles, and chicken nuggets.

We ask that students help keep our school grounds clean by separating compostable items from garbage and using the appropriate bins provided.

The breakfast program is also a wonderful opportunity for students and families to connect with one another and start the day in a positive way!

Please see below links from Fraser Health

1. Back to School Letter

2. Digital Consent Letter

4. Wildfire Smoke

Our absent report tool which is located on our public website: https://www.sd43.bc.ca/central can we used to log an absence, a scheduled late arrival, early pick up request, report a vacation timeline or other. Please use this tool to log these changes to your students attendance. A report goes to directly to the office staff and helps with daily attendance and knowing where our students are.

Absences:

If your child will be absent/ late for any reason, please send an absence report https://www.sd43.bc.ca/central phone the office at 604-941.0355 or email Ms. Hein at central@sd43.bc.ca before 8:40am a.m. We have an answering machine to pick up the messages if you call before 8:00 a.m. or you can fill out the absence report on the school website.

Lates:

If your child is late – please come with them to the office to check in and pick up a Welcome Slip to take to their classroom teacher.

Picking up Early:

If you are picking up your child earlier than the regular dismissal time, please come to the office when you arrive to sign your child out of the building, and we will call them down to meet you. Please do not go directly to their classroom. This can disrupt learning and the class may be in another area of the building.

We need to make sure they have been signed in or out for safety reasons. Please do not email a staff member directly about an absence. The office must be informed central@sd43.bc.ca

Recess and lunch are important parts of the school day. They give students time to have a snack, get a drink, spend time with friends, and enjoy some fresh air and movement. While we may occasionally call an inside day due to extreme weather, families and students should expect that we will go outside even when it’s rainy.

When students are outside for recess and lunch, it’s important for them to remain outdoors, as this is where supervision takes place. If your child needs to use the washroom, they may come in through the courtyard door and use the washroom located just outside the gymnasium.

Thank you for sending your child with proper footwear, a jacket, and an umbrella if needed. We also appreciate families who send a change of clothes in their child’s backpack—sometimes those puddles are deeper than they look!

School Cash Online is the platform School District 43 uses to collect various forms and payments. Central will be using this platform more this year for field trip and fee collection. We will also be posting other forms throughout the year as the come up. This may include permission forms for field trips or school wide initiatives.

Please keep an eye out in your email in box as the office staff will be sending out a reminder on how to create your account.

https://sd43.schoolcashonline.com/

If you have any questions please email the office to stop by after classes have settled in for the day.

For families that have yet to secure their school supplies stop on by the office as the school has purchased some additional kits.

Stop by the office to pick up and order form. Payment can be in cash or online (preferred). If you would like to pay online please see Ms. Hein in the office and she will add it to your school cash online account.

Kindergarten families will continue to order supplies in bulk through School Cash Online: https://sd43.schoolcashonline.com/ Further communication will come out.

The Cities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody are once again offering the Get Active! And Stay Active! Program for Grade 5 and 6 students. The Grade 5 Get Active! pass provides free access to all drop-in activities throughout the school year while the Grade 6 Stay Active! pass offers 12 free admissions to drop-in swimming, skating, and gym activities. Passes are valid from Sept. 8, 2026, to Sept. 7, 2027.

The attached verification letter is required for registration. Grade 5 and 6 students must take this letter to the recreation services location that serves their home address, with their birth certificate and proof of residency (phone, hydro, cable or gas bill or Property Tax Notice. Driver’s license and PO Boxes are not acceptable).

Grade 5 Get Active! Letter 2026-2027

• Coquitlam residents register at Coquitlam Recreation locations

• Port Coquitlam residents register at Port Coquitlam Recreation locations

• Port Moody, Anmore & Belcarra residents register at the Port Moody Recreation Centre

Families can find more details or apply for the passes based on their municipality:

• Coquitlam: Learn more | Apply here

• Port Moody: Learn more

• Port Coquitlam: Learn more

We are pleased to announce that our school will once again be participating in the Fruit and Vegetable Program. As part of this province-wide healthy living initiative, one of the program's goals is to encourage healthy eating by providing fresh B.C. fruits and vegetables to students during classroom time.

Over the course of 13 weeks, students will receive fresh produce that has been prepared, washed, and is ready to enjoy, all at no cost to families.

If, for any reason, you do not wish your child to participate in this program, please inform the school office.

Over the coming months, families of Kindergarten and Grade 4 students will have an opportunity to participate in two important provincial initiatives led by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care. We strongly encourage participation, as the information gathered helps schools, districts, and the ministry better understand and support student learning and well-being.

The Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CHQ) is completed by families of Kindergarten students and provides valuable information about children's early learning experiences and development prior to entering school. The survey helps educators and policymakers better understand children's strengths and needs as they begin their educational journey.

Students in Grade 4 will participate in the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA), a provincial assessment that measures literacy and numeracy skills. The FSA provides information about student learning in relation to provincial curriculum expectations and helps support continuous improvement in schools and across the education system.

Additional information, timelines, and participation details for both the CHQ and FSA will be shared with families in the coming weeks.

Registration opens on Saturday September 12th, 2026 @ 9:00am

Program dates: Monday September 28, 2026 - Friday November 20, 2026

* Programs will NOT run on Pro-D Days, and Holidays*

Please contact our Community Development Facilitator Neelo Nurani at nnurani@sd43.bc.ca or over the phone at 778 879 3193

You are invited to the Central Community School open house.

When: Thursday September 24th

Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm

The school will be open for students and families to get more familiar with the building while doing a fun scavenger hunt.

The Central PAC will also have a station so parents can meet this years executive and get more information about what our PAC does and some of their ideas and initiatives.

We look forward to seeing you!

We will be hosting our Terry Fox Run on Friday October 2nd. More information on how families can donate to follow. Stay tuned

Please print out and put on your fridge. Reminder that we have two school based professional development days that may be different than other schools across the district.

Monday February 1st, 2027 & Friday June 4th, 2027

Please see below image of the 2026.2027 bell schedule for your records.

Central Community School Contact

Principal: Shawn O'Brien

Email: sobrien@sd43.bc.ca

Office email: central@sd43.bc.ca

Website: Central Community School

Address: 2260 Central Avenue Port Coquitlam

Phone: 604.941.0355