Centennial Blue Jays

Email: deb.jolda@springfield.k12.or.us
Website: centennial.springfield.k12.or.us
Location: 1315 Aspen Street, Springfield, OR, USA
Phone: 541-744-6383
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CentennialBlueJays

Greetings, Blue Jay Families!

I'm very thankful this month to be at this amazing school, with such fantastic students, families and staff. Every day gets better and better!

Last month was a really busy month. We want to thank everyone for their generosity during the Jog-A-Thon. We know the kids had a great time. Stay tuned for all the details and prizes, coming soon!

This month, we are continuing to focus on learning The Blue Jay Way. I want to encourage all of our families to please try to get your students to school on time every day. We really appreciate that so many of you are calling in when your kiddos will be out.

Don Hakala, Principal

Nov 2: Walking School Bus continues!

Nov 7: PTO Meeting, 6 p.m.

Nov 9: Walking School Bus

Nov 10: No School, Veterans Day

Nov 14: Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

Nov 16:

• Walking School Bus
• Pizza Fundraiser

Nov 17: Early release: 12:30 - Patriotic Day

Nov 22: Rivalry Day (not an early release day)

Nov 23-24: No School, Thanksgiving

Nov 27: Book Fair starts

Nov 30: No School, Grading Day

Nov 31–Dec 1: No School, Conferences

Hey folks, we still have a lot of class photos leftover from last year. Because we only got them on the very last day of school, we have no way to track who may have gotten them and who didn't. If you would like your kiddo's class photo from last year, please just come to the window and let me know!

• Our lost & found is overflowing! Please look through the slideshow for missing items, or stop by after school. (Please just check in with the office first.)
• Encourage your children to look in the courtyard Lost & Found for missing items.
• Unclaimed items will be given to a charitable agency at the end of this month!
• To prevent the loss of personal items, please mark your student's personal belongings with a permanent ink pen – particularly lunch boxes, jackets, sweaters, hats, backpacks, and sweatshirts.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up at the end of November.

• Please save those dates on your calendar.
• The schedule for most teachers will again be Thurs, Nov. 30, from 8 to 8 and Fri, Dec. 1, from 8 to 12.
• Parents will soon be able to sign up themselves up using the PTCFast app.
• In-person conferences are preferred if possible, but virtual conferences will again be available upon request.
• Stay tuned for more information from your child's teacher about how to schedule!

OBOB is a great program for students who love to read, and it also inspires kids to read things they wouldn't normally read. There are 16 books chosen each year, and teams compete to answer questions from the books. The books are always really good. Teams are forming now! Read more about how it works here! The winning team from our school will go on to compete in the regional tournament. Contact our fabulous librarian, Madi Hodgin, if you're interested in coaching a team.

Our families have been doing a great job this year calling to let us know if their student will be out for the day. We also want to remind everyone of the importance of being on time. Being a few minutes late can be embarrassing to a kiddo, as well as disruptive to the class. Some classes have morning meetings, for example, to set the tone for the day. Students who are chronically late may be missing out on important instruction or information. Thank you for caring!

Walking School Bus continues every Thursday morning, led by our Safe Routes to School Coordinator.

• The route starts at 7:45 at the upper end of Mill St, and families are encouraged to join us along the route.
• All should arrive at school with plenty of time to get breakfast.
• There will be cool prizes available for those who participate.

We'd love to have parent volunteers join in! If you're already on our volunteer list, you can sign up with SRTS here. Need to sign up to volunteer? Do it here.

• Wordcrafters: Find out about their Fantastic Fiction contest and their Write Club for Youth for students 9 and up.
• Rose Children's Theater: They are presenting The Addams Family at the Wildish Theater this month. Click here for more info or to purchase tickets.

Families, we encourage all of you to take part in this fantastic, free resource from our partners at the Riverview Center for Growth! The classes are 8 weeks long, online, and are no charge for any parent, guardian or caregiver. All children are different, and families today have more challenges than ever to help their kids be successful. The folks at Riverview can help. Check it out!

• Just a reminder that if you still need to get us paperwork, please either bring it by the office (Ms. Deb would love to chat with you) or take a picture and email it to her at deb.jolda@springfield.k12.or.us.
• Proof of address is required for every student.
• Can't remember what we need? Give us a call!
• If you have special circumstances, just let Ms. Deb know and we can work with you.
• We also need any custodial paperwork, as well as birth certificates and immunization info for kinders.
• If you need to update your contact info or emergency contacts, just call the office.

Student LTD bus passes are available for free from the office upon request. If your student had a pass last year, it should have automatically renewed this year. Questions? Ask Ms. Deb!

• Families, it's getting cold out there.
• Please remember that the doors open at 8 a.m. each morning.
• There is no supervision available for students before 8 a.m.

Centennial has an outstanding PTO! We really appreciate all they do to support our staff and students at CES! We would love to have you participate with this group. Meetings are generally held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. Child care is always available, and they offer a light meal. You can visit their new website at www.cespto.org.

How to support our school:

• You can always get blue bags from the school office. This is an easy way to support the PTO through donations of bottles and cans. Just bring the bag to the Springfield Bottle Drop Redemption Center, scan the PTO bar code, and toss your bag.
• Watch for upcoming fundraisers, and in the meantime, volunteer!

CALL US! We are always happy to help.