Centennial Connection Oct 22, 2023

Dear Centennial Families -

We have been enjoying the beautiful fall weather with the bright sun and cooler temperatures. Students go outside for 2 recesses each day, even if it is lightly raining, and students should come prepared to be outdoors. Having gloves/mitts, a hat and extra socks in a backpack is helpful. We are fortunate to have so many terrific outdoor spaces around the school including Rodden Park and Mowat Woods and we use these spaces regularly.

Congratulations to the 3 cross country runners who represented the school at the District Cross Country finals earlier this week. Way to go Evander, Ethan and Will! Many thanks to the coaches for volunteering to train and support student athletics. Thank you to all families for your support!

Each week we include a reminder about items that should come to school and should stay at home (see below). We are asking that families please review this. We have students bringing items from home that are causing distraction at school, especially as should these items get broken or lost we are not responsible for them. Please keep personal and precious items at home. Pokemon cards, stuffed animals, jewelry and electronics, for example, are not needed at school. Thank you for your help with this.

On Monday the Centennial PS staff engaged in some professional learning at our staff meeting. We spent time digging deeper into the new Language curriculum (https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/elementary-language), hearing from our local Public Health Nurse, and further developing the Student Achievement Plan for Centennial PS. This plan will be shared with the School Council and made available to parents/guardians once it is finalized. Our goal is to support students to acquire skills needed for success in school and in life.

Students with Individual Education Plans had these plans sent home on October 18th. Parents/guardians are asked to please review and sign the back page and return it to the school. IEPs are reviewed frequently by classroom teachers and are updated to reflect current goals and progress as well as adding any new pertinent information. If you have questions about your child's IEP or progress, please contact your child's teacher.

Just a friendly reminder that we are continuing to collect socks for Socktober, and we are fundraising through the Dieleman's catalogue and online orders. Thank you for supporting as you are able.

On Wednesday we are looking forward to welcoming families to the school for the Family Halloween Dance. Families are welcome to wear school appropriate costumes (no masks, no weapons) and come prepared for a fun time! More information is below. Many thanks to the School Council for organizing!

We wish all families a happy weekend!

-Deborah Thompson, Principal & Centennial PS Staff

October is Women's History Month, Latin-American Heritage Month, Islamic History Month, Learning Disabilities Awareness Month

Upcoming Events:

Monday October 23rd - Grade 6s (Girard) to Grand Theatre

Wednesday October 25th - School Council Halloween Family Dance

Friday October 27th - PA Day

November

Indigenous Heritage Month, Hindu Heritage Month

Thursday November 2nd - Blair & Girard classes to Gould Lake

Satuday Noveber 4th - Clocks fall back (enjoy the extra hour of sleep!)

Monday Novebmer 6th - Photo Retake & Class Photo Day

Thursday November 9th - Remembrance Day Assembly

Friday November 10th - PA Day

Friday November 17th - Progress Reports go home

Friday November 17th - Bus Safety Presentations

Friday November 24th - Pink Shirt Day

The Centennial School Council is hosting a Family Halloween Dance on Wednesday October 25th. All families are welcome and encouraged to attend. This fundraiser for the School Council is open to all families. Students must be accompanied by an adult and school-appropriate costumes are welcome (no weapons, no masks).

The Council is also looking for donations of baked goods and treats to sell at the Treat Table. If you are able to contribute, please contact councilcentennialps@gmail.com

Please note that the Halloween Dance is a fundraiser for the School Council. It is a cash only event.

We hope to see many Centennial PS families there!

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!

The Indigenous Education Team is offering Kanyen'kéha (Mohawk language) programming for students in K-8. This programming will be made available to self-identified Indigenous students, virtually, through Microsoft Teams with Tahnee Bennett (Six Nations of the Grand River) who is a proficient language speaker and teacher. Programming will be two times a week, for an hour on Monday's and Tuesday's. This is not in lieu of, but in addition to French as the programming time may not align with your student(s) French period or your student(s) may be in French immersion. Students will be provided with self-guided activities and learning opportunities in Kanyen'kéha to do, during their French period. The Indigenous Education Team has asked that this opportunity be provided to self-identified Kanyen'kehá:ka (Mohawk Nation) students, first.

We invite Indigenous families to send us an email to let us know if you'd like your student(s) enrolled in this opportunity and to share what nation you identify with (ex: Mohawk, Anishinabek, Cree, etc.). Please note that the team is working diligently to be able to provide Anishinaabemowin and Cree opportunities this year, too, once they secure language instructors for these programs.

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.

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 November 13th

Monday January 15th

Monday February 12th

Monday April 8th

Monday May 13th

Monday June 3rd

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!

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. We are trying out pasta from Boston Pizza on Thursdays - please log in to see dates, costs and ordering information.

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

Part of the curriculum includes instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health. Parents and guardians can choose to have their child or children exempted from this instruction.

In advance of any Human Development and Sexual Health topics being taught, educators will provide information, including dates of instruction and topics of instruction, to families. Teachers will also provide the exemption form should a family with to have their child exempted from topics covered in the curriculum. The deadline for the exemption request will be five school days before the start of instruction.

A full list of those topics can be found by clicking: Human Development & Sexual Health Expectations by Grade

The full Administrative Procedure can be viewed by clicking: Administrative Procedures AP 325

All of the information and forms related to Human Development & Sexual Health are available on the LDSB website.

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.

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. This week we had some folks using the exit of the parking lot to enter and there were some near collisions.

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!

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