November 2022

November 2022

 

Message from the Principal:

Hello Families ~

I feel comfortable in saying that we have officially settled into the 2022-2023 school year and we are starting to enjoy some of our more “normal” student activities. Here are a few highlights:

Star Striders at recess has been a big hit, especially with the incredible weather we had earlier in the school year. Lots of students are logging laps and collecting feet for their necklaces. Thank you to our volunteers for coming in to punch running cards.

 

Several 4th and 5th graders have been elected by their peers to serve as Student Council Members. This group of student leaders will help to plan events and make positive contributions to our school. I am super excited to work with this group of 21 students. You may already have seen them in action during our Walk and Roll Event. They will also be partnering with South Sound Reading Foundation to collect and donate gently used books for the “Thanks for giving book drive”. The book drive will run from November 16th - 30th. Thank you in advance for donating any gently used books that could use a new home.

 

Additionally, many of our 4th and 5th graders have recently started serving as Peer Mentors in Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Cunning’s classrooms. It is wonderful to see new friendships forming and students supporting each other. If you have a 4th or 5th grader, be sure to ask them about their work as a Peer Mentor!

 

We were able to have our Booster Club Sponsored Fall Social on October 21st. This was such a fun evening of games, snacks and catching up with our community. I think it is fair to say the line for cotton candy was worth it. A big thank you to our awesome Booster Club!

 

Friday Sing is back in the house. For those of you that are newer to Centennial, this is a monthly, whole school sing along (and sometimes dance party) type assembly.

 

And lastly …. CISPUS is back!!!! We are excited to announce that we will be offering an outdoor education experience this spring, 2023, for our 5th grade students. For this school year, our students will be attending CISPUS, located in Randle, WA. The Olympia School District is fortunate to have many outdoor education venues available and will be exploring other possible Puget Sound locations for future years.
We have already begun the planning for this year's program at CISPUS, and out school will be sending out more information as it becomes available. Centennial Elementary will be attending CISPUS March 14-17. We will provide more information about the outdoor education experience as it becomes available. We look forward to another great year of providing a wonderful outdoor education program.

Looking forward to a fantastic year! And as always, thank you for sharing your kiddos with us!

~Principal Ritter

 

Pumpkin Fund Run Update

THANK YOU to our families for your generous support of the ASB Pumpkin Fund Run. We collected over $10,000 in donations! This money will be used to support cultural, athletic, social & recreational activities at school that will benefit our students. And a HUGE thank you to Rutledge Farms for their donation of nearly 200 pumpkins toward our school “pumpkin patch”, enabling every student to take one home.

 

Veterans Day Program

Our Veterans Day assembly is scheduled for Thursday, November 10th at 1:30. Visitors are welcome; however, space is limited.

 

Taproot Theatre – Assembly

We’re so excited to have Taproot Theater back live and in person to present “Allies from Outer Space”! They will be here on Monday, November 21st. This will be an assembly that will address the subjects of bullying behavior, accepting differences & using technology responsibly. Teachers will talk to their students about the story behind the play prior to the assembly.

Resource Fair

On Saturday, 11/19, OSD Family Liaisons are hosting a district-wide resource fair for families. Come by the Garfield Elementary School Gym anytime between 10am - 2pm to be connected with community resources, services, and organizations - and enter a chance to win raffle prizes, including grocery store gift cards! Translation services will be available, food will be provided, and children of all ages are welcome to attend.

Health Room News

Do you have any gently used, boy athletic type pants? The Health Room can use some. All sizes needed. Please nothing that requires a button or snap.

Thank you for continuing to keep your student home if they are feeling under the weather. Don’t forget to call our attendance line to excuse them: 360-596-8303
Please continue to send in those health room forms! They are so helpful to have in case of an emergency. If you can’t find your form, please let us know in the front office. We’ll be happy to get on to your student’s teacher to send home. Thank you!

School Emergency Procedures

To protect our students and staff. Our school performs various safety drills throughout the year, which are practiced on a monthly basis.
• Lockdown
• Fire Drill/Evacuation
• Shelter-in Place
• Earthquake
During an emergency event the school district will make every effort to provide information to parents and guardians of our students. This information is sent to you based on the contacts you have provided the school, which is why it’s incredibly important that your contact information is always updated and correct in Skyward Family Access.

Emergency Kits

Families don’t forget to either make your own emergency kit for your child to have at school or purchase one of the CES Booster Club’s Emergency Kits for $10.00, in the school office. There are instructions as to what to include in the kit if you make your own.
To purchase through the Booster Club:
https://www.centennialboosterclub.org/purchase/emergency-kit


Walk ‘n’ Roll

Hey Centennial Stars, it’s time to Walk ‘n’ Roll to School! Intercity Transit’s Walk N Roll program invites all students and families to join Centennial in walking or rolling to school and having a fun autumn morning on November 9th.
To make yourself more visible in the rainy weather, remember to always wear bright or reflective clothing when you walk or roll to school!
Students who walk or roll to school get a prize!

Centennial is Walking ‘n’ Rolling to school all year long! Save the dates.

Nov. 9
Dec. 14
Jan. 11
Feb. 8
March 8
April 12
May 10 - National Bike to School Day
June 14

Remember to vote!

Ballots for the November 8, 2022 General Election have been sent to registered voters and
must be mailed or dropped off in postage-free ballot drop boxes by Election Day to be counted.

While there are no Olympia School District measures or candidates on the November 8 election
ballot, our district regularly shares election information with the community, including how to
register to vote and a reminder to vote on Election Day.

Ballot drop boxes are open 24 hours a day during elections and will continue to accept ballots
until 8 p.m. on Election Day. For a list of drop box locations in the Olympia School District, visit
the Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division website.

District seeks feedback on two new board policies

We invite families and community members to provide feedback about two new board policies that went before the Olympia School Board for first reading last month and will likely return for second reading in December.

Please review the following two new policies and procedures and share any feedback by November 18, 2022:

Language Access Policy 4218 focuses on increasing language access in public schools. It
supports the district’s commitments to improving meaningful, two-way communication and promoting access to district programs, services and activities for students and their families. The policy and procedure references oral interpretation and written translation and calls for a formalized Language Access Plan and annual self-assessment of the plan beginning in the 2023-24 school year. You can see a copy of the policy and procedure on the Board Policy Review page.

Effective Communication Policy 4217 is focused on serving families/community members who request assistive listening, vision or speech aids or services for school district meetings, programs, activities or events. A copy of the policy and procedure, as wells as a form for requesting the aids/services, is also posted on the Board Policy Review page.

To provide feedback, please email [email protected]

Happy Thanksgiving

Enjoy the day with family and friends. No School November 23-25

Upcoming Events

10/31 – Pajama Day
11/2 – Picture Make Up Day!
11/2 – Complete update of Student Information Forms for 2022-23 in Family Access
11/8 – Election Day!
11/9 – Walk ‘n’ Roll to school
11/10 – Veterans Day Assembly @ 1:30
11/11 - Veterans Day-No School
11/15 – Booster Club Meeting @ 7:00
11/16- Book drive begins
11/19 – Resource Fair @ Garfield Elementary 10-2
11/21 - Taproot Theater Assembly
11/23-25 - Thanksgiving Break
 


OSD 2019-20 Notice of Nondiscrimination

The Olympia School District will provide equal educational opportunity and treatment for all students in all aspects of the academic and activities program without discrimination based on race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The district will provide equal access to school facilities to the Boy Scouts of America and all other designated youth groups listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society. District programs will be free from sexual harassment. Auxiliary aids and services will be provided upon request to individuals with disabilities.

 

The following people have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies, reports of alleged sexual harassment, concerns about compliance, and/or grievance procedures: