Centennial Family Update: Mar 30-April 2
WEEK AHEAD
Monday, March 30
- School Council meeting @ 6:30 in the library - all are welcome!
Tuesday, March 31
Wednesday, April 1
- Lunch is Ready: Bento Boxes
Thursday, April 2
- World Autism Awareness Day - students are invited to wear multi-colour outfits!
Friday, April 3 and Monday April 6
- GOOD FRIDAY & EASTER MONDAY - NO SCHOOL
Dear Families,
It is truly starting to feel like spring! Classes have been engaging in many different experiential opportunities with visits to Cataraqui Conservation area for Maple Madness, community walks to see the change of seasons in the community, visits to local playgrounds, the library, Museum of Health Care, the Kingston Symphony Project, and the Kingston Regional Science Fair. Getting out to explore and experience the opportunities helps students to develop an understanding of their local community and all it has to offer!
SAVE YOUR STUFF! The ECO-FAIR is Coming!
Spring is often a season when household cleaning and organizing is a popular weekend activity as we put away shovels and bring out bikes and scooters. As part of the upcoming Eco-Fair, our School Council has planned for a clothing and small item swap for our families. Please save any clothing or footwear that your family has outgrown for this event. We will start collecting donations on Monday April 27th at the school in preparation for the event.
Autism Awareness Day - We All Shine Differently
On Thursday April 2nd, Centennial will celebrate World Autism Day. Everyday we engage in conversations around the importance of differences and celebrating our individual strengths.
For April 2nd, we encourage students to wear LOTS of different colours in their outfits, tye-dye or rainbows welcome too! We will focus growing awareness and including friends who may think, learn, or experience the world differently. Autism Ontario is also fundraising and families can get involved by donating here.
Together, we are stronger! We want all Comets to know:
- We all have unique strengths!
- Different brains think in different ways (that's okay!).
- Inclusion means celebrating every kind of strength.
Grade 6 Celebration of Learning - Save the Date
We are also pleased to announce our Grade 6 Celebration of Learning date. This will take place after school in the Centennial gymnasium on Wednesday June 24th. More details will be shared closer to the celebration date.
Public Health Southeast
Each month, Public Health Southeast focuses on an important topic to share with families. This month, they are focusing on protecting children from harmful substances. As a reminder:
• Store all substances out of sight and reach in locked cabinets or containers.
• Keep substances in their original packaging and away from food and drinks.
• Close child-resistant packaging tightly.
• Dispose of unused medications safely at a pharmacy
child-resistant
Webinars for Parents - School Mental Health Ontario
Supporting Your Child’s Well-Being, a free webinar series created with parents/caregivers, for parents/caregivers. Each session will dive into important mental health and substance use health topics identified by families in Ontario - guided by subject matter experts who offer practical, evidence-informed strategies.
Series dates and topics:
April 10 | 12 - 1 p.m. - Conversations about vaping
May 7 | 7 - 8 p.m. - Conversations about body image. English language session with simultaneous French interpretation.
June 5 | 12 - 1 p.m. - Conversations about anxiety
For full details on speakers and topics: SMH-ON | By Your Side Free Webinars | Blog
Can't make all dates? No problem! Select one or more of the sessions when you sign up.
Attendance Reminder
As a reminder, attendance is important and is a key indicator of student success. We are always interested in working with families where attendance is low to find creative strategies to overcome barriers. Please reach out if we can support in any way.
Kindergarten Registration
It's already that time of the year! We are delighted to let families know that our Kindergarten registration process is underway for 2026/2027. See here for more information. Please spread the word about the great things happening at Centennial. We saw increased Kinder enrolment last year and want to keep this going!
Hot Lunch Reminder
As a reminder, if you haven't yet, be sure to order hot lunch through https://www.lunchboxorders.net. We are offering pizza Tuesdays and Thursdays. Money raised from hot lunch goes directly back into our school community to support athletics, learning materials, student initiatives and more. Orders are due Sunday at noon for the following week.
School Council
The next School Council meeting is on Monday March 30th at 6:30 in the library. Free childcare will be available.
Your Centennial Team
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS
Support is available in the community for families who may be looking for additional support for their student(s). Please see some of the available resources below.
Reaching out to a trusted adult, family member, friend, or support professional can also make a meaningful difference when someone is struggling. Encouraging help-seeking and connection can be an important protective factor for students.
- Kids Help Phone – Call or text 988 for 24/7 support across Canada
- Kids Help Phone – Text CONNECT to 686868 or access live chat at kidshelpphone.ca
- Maltby Centre (March 17 Kingston Walk-in Clinic; March 18 Sydenham Walk-in Clinic)
- One Stop Talk – Call 1-855-416-8255 or connect online
- Resolve Counselling Services in Kingston and Napanee
- One Roof Kingston (ages 12 to 25)
- Lennox and Addington Youth Hub (ages 10 to 24)
- In an emergency, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department
EXCITING NEWS!!! Centennial School Clothing has a new look! Orders can be delivered directly to Centennial. Check it out!
Ministry Resources for Reading and Math
There are many resources available to support your student’s learning in math and literacy, offering engaging activities that make learning both fun and effective for students and families. To explore these tools, visit Limestone’s Online Learning Resources and Tutoring webpage.
Host an International Student – Be a Part of Kingston’s Global Community
Limestone is proud of our long tradition of hosting students from other countries. The demand for Kingston, and Canada, as a learning destination is rapidly growing. Students from over 15 different countries are here now staying with great homestay families in Limestone. Our International Education team is looking for more families to become homestay hosts to international students.
We currently have 19 students on our waiting list that have applied to Limestone for 2026-2027 and need a home. They range from one semester to one-year stays and are from Germany, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Slovakia, Czechia, Italy, and Denmark.
Host families will be paid a tax-free monthly stipend to host students. All students in the program attend local intermediate or secondary schools and range in age from 12 to 17 years of age. Our International Education team works hard to make a great match for your family, that can last a lifetime.
Families can learn more by visiting internationaled.limestone.on.ca or phoning the International Education offices at 613-544-7745, ext. 288.
Family Literacy First aims to bring parents and children together to practice family literacy through free online resources. The program offers resources in different languages, including English, French, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, and Arabic, so families can learn together in their first language, or practice a second or third language. Resources include stories, games, and activities that you can engage in with your child to build literacy skills, grow confidence and offer connection time with your child. See the RESOURCES PAGE HERE
Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to a child’s development, improving a child’s literacy skills dramatically, and can help a parent improve their skills as well.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT MY STUDENT AT HOME?
CHECK OUT THESE FAMILY RESOURCES!
UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION ON NORMAN ROGERS DRIVE
The project website includes a general overview of the project scope, as well as maps to show existing and proposed conditions.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Registration forKindergarten in Limestone is now open! If your student was born in 2022, now is the time to register your new student to start school this September.
Kindergarten is a wonderful new world of learning and growing and a very exciting time for both you and your student. We learn how to read, how to write and we make so many new friends. Our educator teams of a teacher and early childhood educator, help us along the way. You can feel confident your child will be cared for within safe and inclusive environments. Discover Kindergarten in Limestone and learn more about our Kindergarten program, resources, and tips to help your new student prepare for school.
Centennial School Council Update:
Reminder About Parking Areas
As the weather changes, more families may choose to drive to and from school. Please remember that stopping in school bus loading zones or no-stopping areas can result in high parking fines. Bylaw encourages families to respect posted signage and use alternative locations for pick-up and drop-off.
CENTENNIAL SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS - Slides for Family reference to review with your students.
How Can I get Information From the School?
LDSB schools and school board use School Messenger to send key messages, alerts, and general communication to families. Winston uses this platform and will continue to use our Centennial Family Update to provide updates to families. These newsletters are where we will share school-specific information and highlights of student work and events in the building and is generated on our school website.
SchoolMessenger App: Download the SchoolMessenger App to stay connected. 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. *New families will be able to create their account after the first day of attendance.
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.
Ontario Ministry of Education Human Development and Sexual Health Information
As part of LDSB's commitment to ongoing transparency and communication with families, please follow the link to Form 325-D on the LDSB website. It outlines the Human Development and Sexual Health curriculum expectations for Grades 1-8. Families can request to have their child or children exempted from instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health expectations by completing and returning an exemption form for each child (Form 325-B) five school days before the start of instruction. Prior to instruction, your child's classroom teacher will inform parents/guardians when the expectations related to the Human Development and Sexual Health expectations in Strand D will be covered. For a more detailed overview of this process, please refer to Administrative Procedure 325: Exemption From Human Development and Sexual Health Instruction (listed under the Policies and Procedures section of the LDSB website), or contact the school.
Human Development and Sexual Health Expectations by Grade
Please find below a list of Human Development and Sexual Health Expectations by Grade as outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education, 2019. The Ministry of Education provides additional information about Human Development and Sexual Health on its website at: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/health.html
Human Development and Sexual Health Expectations by Grade
Request for Exemption from Instruction in Human Development & Sexual Health
Classroom teachers will be sending home a letter (Form 235-A). Form 325-A is a formal notification to families indicating when instruction related to Human Development and Sexual Health will occur.
School Mental Health Ontario Resources
School Mental Health Ontario offers a variety of free resources for educators, students, and families. To stay updated with the latest information, resources, and research, families can visit the SMHO website. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page, click on "Connect with Us," and enter your contact information.
Upcoming Dates
March
- Monday, March 16 - Friday, March 20 - March Break Holiday
April
- Friday, April 3 - Good Friday Holiday
- Monday, April 6 - Easter Monday Holiday
- Friday, April 17 - PA Day
May
- Monday, May 18 - Victoria Day Holiday
- Friday, May 29 - PA Day
June
- Friday, June 26 - PA Day
Ministry and Board Resources for Math and Literacy
There are many resources available designed to support your children’s learning in math and literacy, offering engaging activities that can make learning fun and effective for students and families. Visit Limestone’s Online Learning Resources and Tutoring webpage to learn more.
Attendance Matters!
We continue to emphasize the importance of regular attendance when students are healthy enough to attend. We will continue regular reach-outs for these families with regular absenteeism to develop plans to support.
KLF&A Public Health Childhood Illnesses and Exclusion
Unsure when to keep your child home when they are unwell? The KFL&A Public Health guidelines have changed and include different symptoms since Covid. Vomiting and diarrhea remain 48 hours symptom free. Other childhood illness exclusions can be found here:
https://www.kflaph.ca/en/health-topics/common-childhood-illnesses.aspx
School Day Schedule
Time | Activity/learning block |
|---|---|
8:50 to 9:05 a.m. | Supervision begins on the yard |
9:05 to 10:45 a.m. | 100-minute learning block |
10:45 to 11:25 a.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
11:25 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
1:05 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. | Recess and nutrition break |
1:45 to 3:25 p.m. | 100-minute learning block |
2025-2026 LDSB School Year Calendar
A PDF version of the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar is available online.
