Dear McDonald Parents/Guardians:

Beginning on January 13, 2025, the Centennial School District will begin the annual WIDA ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State) testing window for our English Learners (ELs). The WIDA ACCESS is a PDE mandated and federally reported assessment of English Language Proficiency (ELP). The families of our English learners will receive an email communication regarding the assessment from our Supervisor of Teaching & Learning, Althea Tomlinson.

The WIDA ACCESS assessment is an important tool that guides the individualized instruction of our English learners. If you have any questions about the assessment, you can reach out directly to your child’s English Language Development (ELD) teacher.

Here are some things you can do to help your child prepare for the WIDA ACCESS:

• Be sure your child/children are receiving an adequate amount of sleep during the testing dates

• Be sure your child/children eat breakfast each morning before testing

• Be sure your child/children bring their school issued electronic device to school every day fully charged

• Encourage your child to do their very best on the assessment

Dear McDonald Families,

We are so excited to share the creative work happening in our Kindergarten classrooms! Our talented Kindergarten Bulldogs are currently working on a wonderful art project: self-portraits!

In this hands-on activity, the students are using simple shapes as the foundation of their portraits. They are then incorporating details to make their artwork unique and expressive. Once their sketches are complete, they are adding vibrant paint and paint sticks to bring their creations to life with bright, bold colors.

The focus of this project is to help students embrace their individuality and express themselves through art. It's been truly inspiring to see the way each child has brought their personality and creativity into their self-portrait. We are so proud of their efforts and the amazing artists they are becoming!

Be sure to ask your child about their artwork — we are certain they will be excited to share their process and final creation with you!

Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement of our young artists. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Dear McDonald Families,

What a wonderful Sunday it was! And what an intense football game! We hope you enjoyed the weekend with your loved ones. We also want to extend our thanks to the Home and School Association for organizing the fantastic Girls Night Out event this past Friday. It looked like such a great time, and we hope everyone had a blast!

We’d also like to celebrate our Golden Spoon winners this month: Congratulations to Mrs. Garrahan and Ms. Haberle’s kindergarten homerooms! They had a wonderful lunch with Mr. Van Buren, their teachers, and their monitors, and me to celebrate how well they consistently follow the Four Be’s Plus One. Keep up the great work

1. Cell Phones and Smart Watches Reminder:
As we continue to prioritize a focused and productive learning environment for all students, please remember that cell phones and smart watches are not permitted in classrooms. These devices must be turned off and kept securely in students' backpacks during the school day. This includes all personal technology, which should remain out of sight and in backpacks until students leave for the day. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in ensuring a distraction-free environment for everyone.

2. Device Readiness for Testing:
January is a crucial month for student assessments, and we want to ensure every student is well-prepared. As part of this, it is important that each student brings their charged device to school every day. Please make sure devices are fully charged and packed in your child’s backpack so they are ready for testing. With the winter weather upon us, we understand that things may get a little more hectic, but we appreciate your support in ensuring students bring their devices to school and back home safely.

Best regards,

Dr. Diana Garaitonandia

Dear McDonald Families,

For the month of January, our school will be conducting a very special service project. We will be creating Get Well Bags for patients who are diagnosed with cancer. Throughout the months of December and January we will be collecting items to put into these goody bags. Each grade has been assigned an item which can be found below. For ease and convenience, there is also an Amazon Wishlist with the requested items. Items can be ordered directly from the link below or can be purchased when you are out and about shopping. We ask that all items be brought into school by Monday, January 13th. All bags will be assembled and delivered during our Week of Service, January 20th-24th.

Thank you for all of your help and support with this service project as it is a great way

for students to learn about service, and represent our wonderful school!

Best Regards,

The McDonald Elementary School Outreach Project Team

___________________________________________________________________ Item Collection

Kindergarten: Chapstick/Hard Candy

First Grade: Body Lotion (no bigger than 8oz)/Hand Sanitizer (travel size) Second Grade: Puzzle Books (no bigger than 7x9)

Third Grade: Blankets (no bigger than 40in x 50in)

Fourth Grade: Snacks/Granola Bars

Fifth Grade: Gatorade Bottles (12oz bottles)

MLK Day of Service Amazon List

January 15- HSA meeting 7:00 pm

January 20- No School

School Links:

Student Registration

Employment at CSD

CSD Weekly Update Archive

Food & Nutrition (Menus)

District eFolder (Community Flyers)
Student and Staff Wellness

Start Your Career at Centennial!

Please spread the word that Centennial School District is hiring:

If you know anyone who would be interested in these positions, please have them apply. We offer competitive rates, excellent perks, and benefits, including a pension. For questions, please call 215-441-6000, Ext. 11034.

Please check out our employment website for a complete list of vacancies. https://www.centennialsd.org/employment

Open Opportunities:

• Bus Drivers

• Bus Mechanic
• Paraeducators (Instructional Assistants/ Personal Care Assistants)
• Cafeteria/ Recess Monitors
• Athletic Coaches
• Long Term Subs
• Special Education Teachers
• AND MORE!!!

Looking for help with your application? Want to talk to someone in HR about open positions? Join us for our next Walk-In Wednesday, August 14, 2024 from 8am-12pm.

Principal: Dr. Diana Garaitonandia, x16001 - garadi@centennialsd.org

Assistant Principal: Mr. VanBuren, x16002 - vanbmi@centennialsd.org

Email: info@centennialsd.org
Website: https://mces.centennialsd.org/
Location: 666 Reeves Lane, Warminster, PA, USA
Phone: 215-441-6157
Facebook: www.facebook.com/McDonaldElementaryCSD