September 2023
Message from the Principal:
Hello Centennial families!
Now that all of our kindergarten students are on campus I feel like school has officially begun and it has been such a wonderful start! The addition of our “kinders” brings me so much joy. Boy are they cute!
As I start my tenth year as principal here at Centennial, I feel so fortunate to be part of such a supportive, student focused community. Thank you in advance for all of the work you do behind the scenes to support your student and our school. We are “Wild about Learning” this year and looking forward to another great year.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. And as always, thank you for sharing your students with us.
Your very proud, Principal, Mrs. Ritter
Meet our new Family Liaison!
Hi families. My name is Annika Nicholas and I am the new Family Liaison here at Centennial Elementary! While I am only in the building on Tuesdays, I am accessible 5 days a week. If you are looking to connect about family support and/or community resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I love heard from you and am excited to work with Centennial families! Please save my contact information so you can easily reach me.
Family Needs Assessment - How Can I Help?
OSD Resources for Families
Contact Information:
Work Phone: (360) 596-8517
Work cell: (253) 235-3422
Work Email: [email protected]
Lunch Menu
The OSD Food Service Department only offers the school menu online. Please refer to the OSD website or CES website for the link to the menu. Food Services is back to charging for meals.
Breakfast $2 / Lunch $3.10. Payments can be made through the OSD payment portal, or Megan Green can take payment in the front office via cash/check/card.
**Free & Reduced applications can be found on Skyward Family Access (see the last page for directions), or hard copies are available here at the school.
Booster Club News
On Sunday, October 8th , if you want to plan for an easy lunch or dinner, the Booster Club has a fundraiser set with MOD pizza that day. Stop in, grab some pizza and help raise money to support our school. Interested in helping with the Booster Club? Reach out to Amy Hill, president: [email protected]
Spirit Week at Centennial – October 9 -12
Monday 10/9– I’m So Sleepy: PJ & bed head hair day
Tuesday 10/10 – Wear Centennial Spirit Gear (red, white or blue clothing is great too!)
Wednesday 10/11 – Let’s Get Physical: favorite activity or sport
Thursday 10/12 – Wear orange…..it’s Pumpkin Fund Day!
Welcome back Volunteers!
We are so excited to be able to welcome our volunteers back! Please be patient as we settle
into the school year; there will be volunteer opportunities that crop up. To volunteer, you must
sign up every year. Please visit the OSD Volunteer page for more information. If your student’s
teacher is not listed, please don’t worry, just leave it blank. You can still come in!
Wednesday Collaboration Days
Starting yesterday, on September 13, 2022 we began our 50 Minute Early Release on every Wednesday. Wednesday school hours will be 8:00 a.m. – 1:25 P.M. (During Conference Week in October and March we will be dismissing at 11:05 a.m.)
Arrival at Centennial
Please remember that there is no staff supervision for students before 7:45 a.m. Students should not be dropped off prior to that time, unless they’re eating breakfast. This includes being dropped off early to the playfield. If a parent is supervising their child on the playfield, then this is the only exception to the policy.
Pumpkin Fund Run Thursday, October 12
Your classroom teacher will let you know when their track time is scheduled closer to the event. This is an annual ASB fundraiser for Centennial. Don’t forget to wear orange that day! More info to come on this.
Centennial Star Striders
You should have received communication from our PE teacher, Mrs. Draper, about the recess running club she is starting this year, called Centennial Star Striders. Students will be able to run, jog, or walk laps around the grass field during their recess times. Seven laps around the field is two miles. Students can try to complete 100 miles during the school year! It will be a great addition to outdoor recess. However, she does need help keeping track of laps as we do not have the staff to do it ourselves.
Recess times:
4th /5th /Cunning: 8:55-9:10am
Kinder/1 st /Campbell: 9:20-9:35am
2 nd grade: 9:40-9:55am
Kinder/1 st /Campbell: 10:55-11:10am
2 nd /3 rd grade: 11:35-11:50am
4 th /5 th grade: 12:15-12:30pm
3 rd grade: 1:25-1:40pm
For recesses that do not have a parent volunteer, the recess running club will not be offered. In order to volunteer at Centennial, you will need to have completed the volunteer application. If you are able to volunteer with this program during the month of September, please use the link below to sign-up through ‘Sign-Up Genius’. I will send out a new volunteer sign-up each month.
September Star Striders Volunteer Sign Up Link
Please Update your Student’s Information in Skyward
Student Enrollment Information**
Student Health Information
Student Right’s Handbook (Acknowledgement page and Military page)
**Please do NOT add parents/guardians to emergency contacts. We will always call those numbers first. Thank you
Walk N Roll
The cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater and Thurston County proclaim October 2023 Walk to School Month and October 11th is National Walk & Roll to School Day! Students can join in the celebration by taking the Youth Walk Challenge!
All Thurston County youth can participate by walking ten days during the month of October. Participants can walk to school, to the park, to a friend’s house or just walk for fun and exercise. Participants record the minutes walked each day, then email their completed challenge to [email protected]. We will mail all participants a small prize and enter them in a drawing for the grand prize. Participants who include a photo of themselves walking will receive
a bonus prize.
After School Change in Plans?
Please write a note or call the front office (360-596-8300) so we can be sure we get your child to the correct place after school. We do need to hear from parents/guardians regarding any changes. Thank you!
Attendance and Phone Calls
Please be aware if your child is not in school for an approved reason (see the OSD 2023/24 Handbook), you will get an automated phone call from School Messenger alerting you that your child is absent, even if you have contacted the school office regarding the absence. Please bring a note from your doctor or dentist when returning to school after your medical appointment.
When leaving a message on the absence line (596-8303) please be specific regarding the reason for the absence.
Upcoming Dates
9/15 - Individual Picture Day
9/20 - Early Release Wednesday @ 1:25
10/9-12 - Spirit Week
10/11 – Walk N Roll to school
10/12 - Pumpkin Fund Run
10/13 - No School – Teacher In-Service Day
10/23-27 – Book fair
10/23-27 - Conference Week – School Dismissed at 11:05 a.m.
DIRECTIONS FOR FREE & REDUCED APPLICATION VIA SKYWARD
Login to your Skyward Family Access account and follow these steps:
1. Click “Food Service” on the left-hand side menu.
2. Along the top of the page, click the drop-down box next to “All Students” and select a student from your household – you will only need to fill out one application for your
household.
3. Click the “Applications” link located along the top of this new page.
4. Click the “Add Application” link.
5. Follow the prompts to complete and submit your application.
Having problems with the online form? Contact the office and we’ll send a paper application home!
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:
- Autumn Lara, Executive Director of Elementary Education, [email protected] (360)596-8534
- Ken Turcotte, Section 504 and ADA Coordinator, [email protected], (360) 596-7530
- Pat Cusack, Director of College and Career Readiness, [email protected], (360) 596-6102
- Scott Niemann, Title IX Officer and Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, [email protected], (360) 596-6185. All four individuals may also be contacted at 111 Bethel Street N.E., Olympia, WA, 98506.