Superintendent's Update

Earlier this month, we welcomed Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education, to Pleasant Valley Elementary (picture below). Her visit affirmed the strong work taking place in our schools to strengthen student engagement, improve attendance, and build a deeper sense of belonging. Staff at Pleasant Valley shared clear examples of how these efforts are being woven into daily routines and classroom practices. These are the kinds of actions that bring Roadmap '27 to life across our District.

Thank you for continuing to make Centennial a place where students are seen, supported, and inspired to thrive.

October is National Principals Month, and we are so grateful for the amazing principals that lead in each of our Centennial schools! Their dedication, passion, and commitment shape the educational experiences of our students and foster positive school cultures. These leaders navigate challenges with grace and create environments where every student can thrive.

This month, please join us in recognizing and thanking our fantastic school principals. Thank you for all that you do!

We are pleased to announce the selection of our new Transportation Director Suzanne Cummings, who started in the role this past summer.

Prior to starting this new role, Suzanne served as Assistant Director in our Transportation Department, and also has previous experience as a bus driver, dispatcher, driver trainer, training and safety lead, and business owner. In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys hiking, gardening and dabbling in Improv and Stand Up Comedy. She has been married for 23 years and her son is a senior at the University of Oregon this fall.

Suzanne is excited to bring her leadership experience and background in student transportation into this new role, and looks forward to continuing her work with our Transportation Department team as well as the entire Centennial community of students, staff, and families.

In recognition of the National School Lunch Program, which serves lunch to nearly 30 million children each day, all Centennial schools will celebrate National School Lunch Week October 13-17, 2025.

This year's theme, "Taste the World: Your School Lunch Passport," highlights the importance of a healthy school lunch to a student's success, both in and out of the classroom. School lunches offer students fruits and vegetables, whole grains and milk, and meet federal nutrition standards limiting fat, calories and sodium in all meals. Additionally, all Centennial School District students are eligible to eat both breakfast and lunch at school free of charge, every day!

For more information on National School Lunch Week, visit https://schoolnutrition.org/nslw/. To preview our October school lunch menus, click the link below.

The Student Rights and Responsibility Handbook has been updated for 2025-26 and is now available on our website at the link below. Printed copies of the handbook can also be requested at your school office. The handbook provides information about a variety of our District's policies and practices, including rules related to student conduct, health and wellness, special programs, and more.

Prior to the opening of the new building, CTC was the only program in the Centennial School District to be housed in a rental space (rather than a District-owned facility). Funded by the Board Reserve Fund for one-time capital improvements, the building has undergone substantial renovations designed to best support CTC students, including moving walls, creating multiple instruction spaces, all new flooring, ceilings, lighting, ventilation, fire life safety systems, and life skill teaching areas.

With this work complete, we look forward to this new CTC building serving students and families in our community for many years to come.

The entire Centennial community is invited to be a part of this year's Centennial School District Homecoming celebration, happening on October 3, 2025.

This year's festivities will kick off with the annual Homecoming Parade at 5pm -- please see the map below for this year's parade route, starting from Centennial Middle School. After the parade, there will be tailgating booths at the Centennial High School stadium selling a variety of snacks and treats, so don't miss out!

All of the fun leads up to the Homecoming Game at 7pm, which will include a fantastic fireworks show. We hope to see you there as we cheer on our Eagles athletes!

The Centennial School District is looking to fill a vacancy on its Budget Committee. The Committee is composed of 14 members (seven school board members and seven District community members appointed by the Board) and their responsibility is to review financial information at Budget Committee meetings beginning in January 2026 through May 2028. Committee members may also be invited to attend additional Board Work Sessions that include relevant budget information. Residents within the District may apply for this vacancy.

The Board of Directors is asking interested applicants to complete the application and return it to the office of Business Services by Thursday, October 16, 2025. You can find the application and more information here: https://www.csd28j.org/29083_4

The Food for Families food pantry is open for the 2025-26 school year. Operating out of a retired Centennial school bus located in the south parking lot at Centennial High School, this pantry provides food resources at no cost to our community.

Upcoming food distributions at the Food for Families bus will be held on:

• Wednesday, October 8 - 4:00-5:00pm
• Wednesday, October 22 - 4:00-5:00pm
• Wednesday, November 12 - 4:00-5:00pm
• Wednesday, November 26 - 4:00-5:00pm
• Wednesday, December 10 - 4:00-5:00pm

For more information about Food for Families, visit www.food4families.net/.

As we shared with you last month, the Closet to Closet clothing shop is now open for the current school year. Closet to Closet is a clothing shop for Centennial students located at Centennial High School that provides access to new and gently used clothing. The Closet is run by the Centennial Educational Foundation. All items are provided at no cost to students, and students may select up to ten free items per visit. Students bring a voucher from their school counselor or principal to shop at the Closet, and may shop 4 times per school year.

Closet to Closet has been able to expand their weekly schedule of open hours, thanks to volunteer students at Centennial High School, as well as volunteers from the community. The new weekly hours are:

• Tuesdays 11:25am-12:30pm and 2:30pm-4:30pm
• Thursdays 9:30am-10:30am and 11:25am-12:30pm

For a printable calendar of the Closet to Closet schedule, please click the link below.