Centennial Family Update - Sept 21, 2025
Dear Families,
At Centennial, we are deeply committed to the success, safety, and well-being of all students. We have both new and returning staff who are invested in working with families for their child's academic progress and life-learning. We welcome and invite families to use appropriate channels of communication to bring forward concerns and work together as partners in education. We can make significant strides, address concerns, and use a solution-focused approach when both home and school are provided with information and offered the opportunity to intervene and support as necessary. School is for academics and so much more as we learn life together; building independence, age-appropriate social skills, relational respect and boundaries, and how to take care of each other. We are excited to meet you at this week's Open House & BBQ, a wonderful opportunity to see your student's classroom and the learning environment we enjoy together every day!
This week is International Week of Deaf People and Concussion Awareness Week. We will be raising awareness for both by sharing daily announcements and sharing information with staff, students, and families.
We have had a great turnout for our Grade 3-6 Running Club. Students have been working to build their endurance for upcoming cross-country meets. We celebrate all levels of achievement and getting students outside and moving their bodies for both their physical health and mental well-being.
Along with our three fire drills this fall, we will be conducting an emergency protocol drill in advance of our third fire drill. The drill combines a lockdown where students and staff stay in secure locked locations, a hold and secure (emergency situation outside where everyone is brought indoors) and shelter in place (environmental or weather-related situation outside and everyone stays indoors). These processes will be explained to students. Thank you for reassuring your student that emergency protocol drills are important to practice in the event of an emergency.
The City of Kingston is engaging with families regarding early years programming in the city and Frontenac County. The link to the engagement survey is HERE and is open until September 30.
This Week's Events at Centennial
Monday, September 22nd (Day 4)
- International Week of Deaf People
- Concussion Awareness Week
Tuesday, September 23rd (Day 5)
- Second Fall Fire Drill @ 2:00
Wednesday, September 24th (Day 1)
- RUNNING CLUB
Thursday, September 25th (Day 2)
- Emergency Procedures: Third Fire Drill + Lockdown (am) w/ Shelter in Place & Hold & Secure to follow
Friday, September 26th (Day 3)
- Terry Fox Walk/Run Event @ 2:00 pm (families welcome)
- Wear RED or WHITE for Canadian Cancer Awareness!
- RUNNING CLUB
OPEN HOUSE & FAMILY BBQ - WEDNESDAY, SEPT 24th 4:30-6:00
We are excited to welcome students and their families to our Open House and Family BBQ on Wednesday, September 24th, from 4:30-6:00. Classrooms will be open, as well as the gymnasium and other learning spaces, to share the places that your student learns every day! The Lions Club has generously offered to run a cash BBQ that will offer food and refreshments (hamburgers, hot dogs, vegetarian and halal options). Staff will head out to the pavement area at 5:30 to join families and end the evening with an opportunity to build positive connections as a Centennial community. A friendly reminder that our staff would like to see and interact with all families, detailed progress inquiries should be reserved for individual parent interviews.
SAC Meeting & Elections - Wednesday, Oct 1st @ 6:30
We need you! The School Advisory Council is a great way to get involved in the happenings at the school and offer your voice as a member of our school community. All meetings are open to families, we invite you to come and check it out, listen in, and see what kind of opportunities there are to help out. Please access this nomination form to express your interest in an elected position, or even just to offer your time as a volunteer for various events or initiatives. We provide a safe and welcoming space for all to join as they can.
There are opportunities to suit whatever your interest may be and to accommodate the amount of time you are able to commit. Many of our Council members work outside of the home and can only commit time in the evenings. We would love to chat with you if you would like more information.
CENTENNIAL SAC NOMINATION AND VOLUNTEER FORM
New members bring new ideas, different perspectives and our school community as a whole will be better represented. Please complete this form if you are interested or know someone interested in running for an Elected Council, coordinator or committee position. For all position details please see the nomination form.
Benefits of being a Council member:
• When families are connected with the school, their children often experience greater success
• You will be “in the know” about what is happening, and able to share thinking as part of team.
• You will tap into a network, meet other parents and build rapport with school staff
• You can be part of making positive change
• Your voice will be heard
• You can share your skills and help build a strong school community
• You will have FUN!
Nominations are due by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, September 30th
Formal Elections will be held at our meeting on October 1st @ 6:30 at the school.
You are able to do a self-nomination. If you nominate someone else, please ensure they are aware and agreeable to the nomination.
Cross Country Meet @ Fort Henry - Oct 16th
Running Club practices are held from 1:05-1:45 on Days 1 & 3. Runners meet staff and assemble in front of the school. After warm-up on the grassy hill across the street, student are encouraged to run the full route to prepare for race day. To qualify for the cross country team students needs to be able to run the minimum distance for their age group without stopping. Accessing the hill will provide great training for all the grass and hills at Fort Henry! Our remaining practice days are:
Sept. 24, Sept. 26
Oct. 1, Oct. 3
Oct. 8, Oct. 10
Oct. 14
Centennial Terry Fox Event: Friday, September 25th @ 2:30 pm
Families are welcome to join us for our event on Friday at 2:00 pm. We will meet on the back pavement and head out into the community for our 1km walk/run. TOONIES FOR TERRY - Students are encouraged to bring a Toonie for Terry to drop in our donation bucket on Friday.
Families can also make a monetary donations for cancer research directly to at our OPEN HOUSE or on the Terry Fox Foundation website go to: CENTENNIAL PS - TERRY FOX DONATION LINK. Click DONATE and see how close we are to our goal of $500!
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Important Information:
Dismissal @ 3:25 pm
The end of the day is a very busy time for schools. Staff are providing reminders to students, helping them organize homebags, and various transitions are happening throughout the school. Early pick-ups should be done before 3:00. If you are attempting to pick your child up between 3:00-3:25 for urgent or special circumstances, we will do our best, but anticipate that wait times to retrieve students are significantly longer. Your patience is appreciated.
A reminder that for safety and supervision reasons, families should wait for the final bell at 3:25 p.m. before entering the school yard. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us ensure a smooth and safe end to the school day for everyone.
Indoor Shoes
Our gym floor is waxed so that it is ready for programming and play. However, we already have lots of scuffs on our floor. We ask that families provide their students with indoor and outdoor shoes. Non-marking soles are a must when accessing the gym. Proper footwear is required to prevent injury in the physical education program. Thank you for preparing your student for success!
BINGO FUNDRAISING FOR CENTENNIAL PS - Please consider Volunteering!
BINGO - PLAY Charitable Gaming Association helps to support many community organizations in Kingston. Centennial PS is so fortunate to be included in the list of organizations that benefits from our BINGO partnership to support school initiatives. Bingo funds at Centennial are used to offset the cost of field trips to ensure they are accessible for all families, bring in guest speakers and special events, support technology renewal, purchase consumable playground materials, and provide enriching learning activities for students.
Many of our staff commit their time outside of school hours as they know how valuable these funds are. Please consider volunteering to help make sure that Bingo funds continue to support our school community. Interested individuals can contact the main office to express interest and learn more about how offering a few hours of your time can make a big difference for Centennial!
