CHS News

Congratulations to Madame Doff on being awarded a Small Grant from the American Association of Teachers of French!

The money will be used to support National French Week (November 4 - 10) at CHS. This year's theme is "Find Your Inspiration".

• September 7 - Labor Day: Schools and Offices Closed
• September 8 - ARL Back to School Night, 6:30 PM
• September 8 - CHS PTSA General Meeting, 6:30 PM
• September 9 - Senior College Parent Night at CHS, 6:30 PM
• September 17 & 18 - Underclass Picture Day
• September 21 - Yom Kippur: Schools and Offices Closed
• September 30 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early, Staff Professional Day
• October 4 - 5th Annual Emily Scott Memorial Walk
• October 6 - Maryland Winds, 7:30 PM
• October 10 - HOMECOMING - PTSA Pancake Breakfast (8 - 11 AM), Parade (10:15 - 11:15 AM), Game (12 PM), Dance (7 - 10 PM). TICKET INFORMATION BELOW
• October 12 - Choir Concert, 7 PM
• October 13 - CHS PTSA General Meeting, 6:30 PM
• October 14 - PSAT Day (Grades 10,11); 9th Grade Field Day: Senior College Day - writing workshop at CHS, college visits off campus
• October 16 - School Closed for Students
• October 27 - End of First Quarter
• October 28 - School Closed for Students
• October 29 - Fall Theatre Production: Failure: A Love Story - Opening Preview, 7 PM
• November 1- Fall Theatre Production: Failure: A Love Story, 2 PM
• November 3 - Election Day; Schools and Offices Closed
• November 5 - Fall Theatre Production: Failure: A Love Story, 7 PM
• November 6 - Fall Theatre Production: Failure: A Love Story, 7 PM
• November 7 - Fall Theatre Production: Failure: A Love Story, 2 & 7 PM
• November 10 - Underclass Picture Retake Day
• November 13 - ASVAB Exam

• Link to HCPSS Calendar for 2026-27

CHS Athletic Calendar

HOPE TO SEE YOU AT A GAME/MEET!

Theatre Tech Interest Meeting 2:45-5PM

Varsity Football Home Opener v HaHS 6PM

Saturday, September 5

XC @ Top of the Hill at RHHS

Monday, September 7

Labor Day - Schools & Offices Closed

Tuesday, September 8

Golf v MRHS @ Waverly 3:10PM

XC @ MHHS

JV/V Girls Soccer @ WLHS 4/5:30PM

FR/JV/V Volleyball Home Opener v GHS 4/5/6PM

JV/V Field Hockey @ Chesapeake HS 4:30/6PM

Girls Flag Football Home Opener v HaHS 4:30PM

JV Football Home Opener v HaHS 6PM

Wednesday, September 9

Girls Basketball Interest Meeting during Eagle Time (sign up!)

JV/V Boys Soccer Home Opener v WLHS 4/5:30PM

Girls Flag Football v GHS and AHS @ Troy Park 4/5PM

Thursday, September 10

Allied Soccer Home Opener v AHS 3PM

FR/JV/V Volleyball v GPHS 4/5/6PM

V Football @ MHHS 6PM

Saturday, September 12

SAT Day!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK…

Auditions for the fall play have wrapped up this week, and now practices begin. We’re looking forward to seeing their hard work when Failure: A Love Story opens at the end of October!

Pre-season has ended and we can’t wait to see you in the stands for all our

Home Openers this upcoming week!

ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES NEWS

BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR JV/V AND FLAG FOOTBALL THROUGH GOFAN

Tickets are $5 (including the $1 Service Fee) and may be purchased online or by using a credit card at the gate. No cash is accepted.

GAME DAY OPERATIONS

Calling all students who want to be part of the athletic management team…

If you're interested in the behind-the-scenes operations of athletic events, Game Day Operations is for you! The CHS Athletic Program is looking for responsible students interested in running the game clock, checking in tickets, announcing the games, and setting up and breaking down after events. Complete the application to join our team!

Service hours may be requested for this position.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Last year we were able to coordinate with our incredible Performing Arts Team to bring live student performances of the National Anthem to several of our varsity games. I’d love to continue this again this year, and see if we can make it a regular part of Centennial athletic events! If you’re interested in auditioning, please complete this form.

Reach out to Centennial's Athletics & Activities Manager, Mrs. Clark, if you have any questions! You can reach her at rebecca_clark@hcpss.org

Let’s Go, Eagles!!

Follow your favorite teams on Fan Hudl

Parents/guardians must verify and/or update emergency information for each child every school year.

Keeping your Family File up-to-date is crucial, so please prioritize updating it as soon as possible.

Follow these instructions:

Family File User Guide - https://www.hcpss.org/f/connect/family-file-quick-reference.pdf

Family File Guía del Usuario - https://www.hcpss.org/f/connect/family-file-quick-reference-spanish.pdf

HCPSS 가족 파일 (비상 연락 서식) 작성하기 - https://www.hcpss.org/f/connect/family-file-quick-reference-korean.pdf

家庭档案 - 用户指南 - https://www.hcpss.org/f/connect/family-file-quick-reference-chinese.pdf

Homecoming is Saturday, October 10, 2026!

Join the Centennial High School community for a full day of Homecoming activities!

8:00–11:00 AM – CHS PTSA Pancake Breakfast
Start the day with the CHS PTSA Pancake Breakfast! Tickets may be purchased in advance online, with a limited number also available at the door. Visit the CHS PTSA website for tickets and information.

10:15–11:15 AM – Homecoming Parade
Come out and cheer on the Eagles during the Homecoming Parade! The parade will exit the CHS bus loop and turn left onto Centennial Lane toward Century Drive, turn right on Century Drive, turn right on Maxine Street, turn right onto Centennial Lane, and then turn left back into the CHS bus loop.

Please note that streets and cross streets along the parade route may be temporarily closed for the safety of parade participants. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

12:00 PM – Homecoming Football Game
Cheer on the Eagles at the Homecoming football game! Purchase tickets online at gofan.co.

7:00–10:00 PM – Homecoming Dance
CHS students can finish the day at the Homecoming Dance! The dance is for CHS students only. Ticket information and purchasing will be available through the CHS website.

Join us on Saturday, Oct 10th, from 8-11 AM for the Homecoming Pancake Breakfast!

All you can eat pancakes, sausage, drinks, and fruit!

Tickets are $15 for those age 12 and over, $10 for those age 6-11, and free for those age 5 and under.

Show your school spirit and rep your class -- CHS Class Shirts & Sweatshirts have been part of the CHS tradition for almost 20 years! Get yours in time for Homecoming 2026!

This year we will be offering:

• Class T-shirt - $15
• Class Long-Sleeve T - $20
• Class Crew Sweatshirt - $25
• Class Hoodie - $30

Colors: Seniors - Red; Juniors - White; Sophomores - Blue; Freshman - Black

Order today using this link: https://centennialclassshirts.itemorder.com/shop/sale/.

The order deadline is midnight on September 13th.

Thanks to a continued partnership between HCPSS, Howard County Government, and Regional Transportation Agency (RTA), all HCPSS middle and high school students have access to free RTA bus passes through summer 2027. Students have full access to the RTA system and are not limited to transportation to and from schools or to school-related activities.

If your child is interested, they can visit Student Services to request a free pass. To obtain the free student bus pass, students must agree to: ​

• Provide name/student ID, address, and grade to school staff​

• Maintain possession of the pass ​

• Not transfer or share the pass with others​

• Abide by Howard County Public School System rules while on-board.

Note: If the pass is lost or misplaced, only one replacement pass will be provided to the student.

Howard County government and the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland also have a digital bus pass program, enabling students to access free RTA bus passes directly from their phones or smart devices using a mobile app. Students who do not have access to a smart phone may still receive a free, printed bus pass from their school office.

For more information on RTA and detailed schedule information, please call 1-800-270-9553 or visit Transit RTA.

Students and Parents/Guardians:

The 2025-2026 yearbooks will be available for pick up on Saturday, October 10, during our Homecoming Day celebrations.

If you paid for the book to be shipped to your house, you should have already received your yearbook.

Any and all questions about the 2025-2026 yearbook distribution should be emailed directly to Mr. VanWestervelt, our yearbook advisor, at rus_vanwestervelt@hcpss.org.

Fall Athletic Pictures will be on 9/14. Coaches will let their teams know which date their team is assigned.

See the attached flier for the QR code to order pictures.

Be prepared for underclass picture days on September 17 & 18!

Parents of Seniors planning to apply to college are invited to join us on Wednesday, September 9th, at 6:30 PM in the auditorium to hear about the college application process used at CHS.

We are very excited to take over as the class sponsors for this incoming freshman class. We just wrapped up sponsoring the graduating Class of 2026, our third group of seniors, and know how much hard work this will take. Fundraising must start now in order to ensure a great four years for the incoming freshman class, and we are asking for your help!

The following incentives are being offered to those that are willing to help kick the fundraising off to start the 2026-2027 school year:

• A donation of $50 earns a Class of 2030 t-shirt

• A $100 donation earns a Class of 2030 sweatshirt

• A $150 donation earns both the Class of 2030 t-shirt and sweatshirt

• NEW THIS YEAR!!! A $250 donation earns the Class of 2030 t-shirt, sweatshirt AND a Prom ticket for Junior Prom!!!!

To donate, please complete the attached form and return it to Lizz Engle or Colin Moe, the Class of 2030 sponsors. You may send it by mail to Centennial High School Attn: Lizz Engle/Colin Moe or drop it off in the front office, with your check for donation. You may also make donations online via credit card. Please note there is a processing fee charged by the payment system.

To donate online:

1. Visit chs.hcpss.org

2. Scroll to the bottom and click “online payment” under Essential Applications

3. Sign in or create an account

4. Select Class of 2030 Donation and enter the amount you’d like to donate. Please put your size for t-shirt or sweatshirt in the comment box!

5. Click submit (we will receive an email confirmation with your donation)

Emily Scott was a 2018 graduate of Centennial High School in the Academic Life Skills class. For the past four years, the Emily Scott Memorial Scholarship committee has hosted a walk at Centennial High School to raise funds to give out scholarships to graduating HCPSS seniors.

Registration is open now! The event will cost $20 per registrant. The $20 price will guarantee a t-shirt for the walk up until Monday, September 14th, 2026 at 11:59pm. After September 14th, a t-shirt will not be guaranteed as our vendor needs a few weeks to fulfill our order.

The link to register is located here. If you are registering more than one participant for the walk, please make sure you add each walker to your cart. Once you add registrants to your cart, you will check them all out at the end. Please add the name of each walker to the “description box” in order to expedite the process when distributing shirts at the event.

If you have any questions please reach out to us at emilyscottmemorialscholarship@gmail.com.

HCPSS Seeks Advisory Committee Members by Sept. 11.

HCPSS is seeking community members to serve on curriculum advisory committees, which provide a forum to share ideas and support continuous academic excellence. Interested stakeholders should submit an online interest form by September 11.

Please click here for more information and to submit your application.

Parents/Guardians - We need your help!

In an effort to begin to expose students to the wide range of careers in today's society, we are looking for in-person speakers to partner with us to engage students. We also want to leverage the resources within our own community.

If you are interested in helping to broaden student exposure through your career journey, please take a few minutes to complete this form.

We’re looking for careers that students can access from any of the post high school pathways (Military, Job, 2yr/4yr, Trade school, Apprenticeship). Thank you.

Ms. Clearfield, Career Readiness Advisor and Ms. Kochanski, Career Coach

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal. HCPSS Policy 9460 prohibits bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, including hate/bias incidents, and intimidation.

HCPSS recently launched a new Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, or Intimidation (BCHI) Reporting Form that allows students, staff, and families to easily and confidentially report concerns. The BCHI Reporting Form should be used to report known or suspected incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, intimidation, and hate/bias incidents. These may include physical aggression, threats, retaliation, teasing or name-calling, rumors, exclusion, threatening gestures, online/social media behavior, or conduct related to a student's identity or characteristics.

What happens after you report?

The school will address any immediate safety concerns. The targeted student's parent/guardian will be notified as soon as possible and an administrator will begin the investigation within two school days. Both families will receive written notice of the outcome within 15 calendar days, excluding extenuating circumstances.

A Note About Cyberbullying

In today's digital world, bullying can extend beyond the school day. Cyberbullying can occur through social media, text messages, group chats, gaming platforms, apps, and other digital spaces. Online behavior that occurs outside of school may still require school intervention when it has a connection to the school setting and impacts a student's safety or educational environment. Families are encouraged to talk regularly with their children about responsible online behavior and to save screenshots, messages, posts, or other evidence when concerns arise.

Not sure if it's bullying? Please still tell us. Peer conflict or other concerning behavior may not meet the definition of bullying but may still require school support and follow-up. Students and families do not need to decide whether something “counts” as bullying before asking for help.

For additional information or to submit a report, visit the HCPSS Stop Bullying website or review HCPSS Policy 9460.

Attention Seniors!

Get your Class of 2027 spirit wear HERE! Red is your class color so make sure to represent your last year at CHS!

Sales end September 10th, and orders should be delivered prior to homecoming!

Senior Portraits are available through Legacy Studios. Photo session are available at our school on the following dates:

• November 4
• November 5
• November 6
• December 2

Please go to www.seniors.legacystudios.com to book your appointment today (make sure you select "Centennial High School - Ellicott City" when you type in your name in the search bar).

Numerous packages are available, so please review all of your options!

Questions? Please contact Mr. VanWestervelt (VW), CHS yearbook sponsor, directly at rus_vanwestervelt@hcpss.org.

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming College Visits

Admission representatives from the following colleges will be in Student Services at CHS on the days listed below. Seniors and juniors may sign up for the visits in Naviance (click on COLLEGES and then VISITS, and click "SIGN UP" for visit). Passes will be given to student during Period 1 the day of the visit.

Thursday, September 10

• 8:15 AM – Brown University
• 9:10 AM – Washington University in St. Louis

Friday, September 11

• 1:10 PM – The University of Tennessee

1. Apply for Financial Aide

The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals.

Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility.

2. Update Your Medication Forms

Students who require medication to be administered during the school day need to have new forms (dated on or after July 1st) completed for this fall. For your convenience, you can find these forms on-line at the HCPSS website. Medical Forms.

3. Parking Permits

Permission for students to drive and park vehicles on school system property is a privilege. Parking spaces for students at Centennial High School are limited. Accordingly, in order to be granted this privilege, applications for parking permits will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis in priority order: 1) Seniors; 2) Students enrolled in Work Study/Intern Mentor Programs; and, 3) Juniors.

Permits will be issued in this order through the end of the third week of school. Beginning September 18th, remaining permits will be issued in the order applications are received. Permits will not be reserved for students who do not yet have a valid Maryland Driver's License. Students ARE NOT required by the school system to attend a ‘Safe Driving’ presentation this school year.

To apply for your permit:

• Login to HCPSS.me.
• Complete the application packet and save as a pdf.
• Take a photo of your driver’s license.
• Follow this link to submit the online application. The information collected through the online application is required by HCPSS.
• Your submission will be reviewed, and you will be notified via email once it is accepted.

For questions about applying for a parking permit at CHS please contact Jill Cipriano at jill_cipriano@hcpss.org.

Skyward Theatre is back and ready to showcase our students in performances and productions on the stage! Check out the Newsletter from Skyward Theatre — Centennial's Theatre program — for information about shows, auditions, merch, and more!

Here is the link to our August Newsletter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17CZhQ3vS-nRaFjxscOdDxD3XNxUtGZJaYtYpEZit1a0/edit?usp=sharing

Keep current on news and events throughout the school year by checking the CHS website: https://chs.hcpss.org. We have added an A to Z Reference Guide to the website as your one-stop information finder: attendance policies, parking permit applications, food and nutrition services, student technology support, and much more.

HCPSS is seeking community members to serve on curriculum advisory committees, which provide a forum to share ideas and support continuous academic excellence. Interested stakeholders should submit an online interest form by September 11.

Please click here for more information and to submit your application.

Know what's happening in Howard County. Sign up for HC DrugFree's free newsletter at tinyurl.com/HCDFNews or follow us on social media to get updates on events as well as information to keep your family safe and informed:

• Facebook: facebook.com/HCdrugfree
• X: twitter.com/chdrugfree
• LinkedIn:linkedin.com/company/ch-drugfree

• Centennial High School’s website is a great source of information at https://chs.hcpss.org.
• Instagram @CentennialHS
• Facebook @www.facebook.com/chs.hcpss.org
• Read the Wingspan, CHS student newspaper
• CHS PTSA https://sites.google.com/chs-ptsa.org/chs-ptsa/home; CHS Boosters https://www.centennialboostersonline.com/.
• CHS Friends of Music http://www.centennialmusic.org/
• Register to receive school system updates and alerts at https://www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/, click on Subscribe and select Centennial High School.