We are thrilled to officially kick off the 2026 - 2027 school year! Staff have been busy preparing for our students' return to school. You will notice nods to this year's theme, “Make your mark on the world” throughout the building. I have no doubt it is going to be a fantastic year and I can’t wait to see where new learning takes our students .
As you are aware, the Olympia School District’s enrollment has been declining as has much of the state. Centennial has been impacted by this reduction in enrollment and there have been a few changes to our instructional staff. Here are the updates:
- Welcome to Mrs. Morrison, our new School Counselor
- Ms. Stafford - returns to 1st grade
- Mrs. Thies - returns to 3rd grade
- Mrs. Rutzick - 3rd grade
- Mrs. Slater, Teacher Librarian will be supporting Madison Elementary Monday and Tuesday mornings
- Loss of Assistant Principal support
Earlier this month, all OSD teachers and administrators will spend the day focused on learning more about implementation of Restorative Practices and Professional Learning Communities. Restorative Practices build and strengthen relationships, foster a sense of belonging, address harm when it occurs along with repairing those relationships. Professional Learning Communities allows time for our staff to collaboratively analyze student data, share instructional best practices and design lessons to meet our students where they are. Additionally, we will begin implementing some AVID instructional strategies (student collaboration and note-taking) in alignment with district initiatives.
It’s been a wonderful, busy summer and I am really looking forward to seeing all of you and hearing about your summer adventures! See you soon and let’s get learning!
Mrs. Ritter
Morning Drop off Reminders
We know the drop off line can get quite long, especially the first few weeks of school. As a reminder, if you plan to drop off your student in the morning rather than send them on the bus, please make sure to follow the drop off line flow and pull forward to maximize all of the space.Thank you for remaining in your car. If your student needs help getting out of the car, please park and walk them in. Ideally students would exit from the right side of the car so they do not have to walk between cars. If you park in the bus area, please be sure to walk along the fence line or use the sidewalks and cross walk. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding so that we can keep the line moving and get everyone where they need to be safely.
Electronics and Toys at School
We are asking for your help in keeping electronics and toys at home. We ask that all smart devices, including cell phones and smart watches, be kept inside student backpacks and in airplane mode or turned off during the instructional day. If students need to get in touch with a family member during the school day, they can come and use the office to call or use the phone in their classroom.
