Centennial Connection April 7, 24

Dear Centennial PS Families -

We have had a great week with lots of learning about the solar eclipse. Some classes had guest speakers, other had workshops, some made pinhole cameras, and all educators have done a great job of including learning about the eclipse into their lessons. All students were sent home with a pair of glasses and a safety information sheet this week. That information is duplicated below for your reference. We are looking forward to being back together on Tuesday to engage in discussion and hear about the experiences our students have this weekend. As a reminder, there is no school for students on Monday as it is a PA Day.

On Monday, educators will be engaged in a variety of learning including professional learning focused on mathematics, literacy, equity education, and special education. This learning helps support the learning in the classroom where we want all students to achieve and succeed.

The list of upcoming events listed below is growing! Please refer to the list each week in the Centennial Connection as it is likely to change as more events are added or as dates are altered. Spring is such an exciting time of learning in school with many skills being consolidated and some special events.

This week the boys' and girls' basketball teams hosted home games after school. What spectacular athletic events! The Centennial Comets showed so much grit - lots of perseverance, skill development, great attitudes and lots of fun! Many thanks to the community members and parents/guardians who support the team and have attended some games. They are such fun to watch!

We hope all families have a great weekend and a very special eclipse day on Monday! We also wish all families celebrating Eid this week, a very happy time of celebration and hope! See you on Tuesday!

-Deborah Thompson, Principal & Centennial PS Staff

PS - There are lots of photos throughout this edition of the Centennial Connection - scroll down to see them all!

Solar Eclipse Safety Information:

The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8 will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In the KFL&A area, the eclipse process is expected to start at approximately 2:09 p.m. and end with the full re-emergence of the sun at 4:34 p.m. In the Kingston and Napanee areas, the sun will be fully blocked between 3:22 p.m. and 3:25 p.m. (the exact time will depend on your location). Not all areas in the KFL&A region will experience a total solar eclipse.

Here are some tips to help your family enjoy the event safely:

• Looking at the sun without proper eye protection can cause permanent vision damage. Solar eclipse glasses that meet international standard ISO 12312-2 are needed to safely view the eclipse.
• Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, will not protect your eyes.
• When using eclipse glasses, ensure they are not scratched or damaged.
• Don’t use a regular camera or phone lens to view the eclipse. It can hurt your eyes and your device.
• It is important to supervise children during solar viewing activities to ensure they don’t look at the sun without proper protection.
• Trained Queen’s University Eclipse Ambassadors will be present at viewing sites in the Kingston area to facilitate safe viewing of the eclipse. An eclipse viewing event will be held in Napanee at the Strathcona Paper Centre soccer field.
• Traffic congestion is anticipated on April 8 due to the number of expected visitors. Choose a viewing location close to your home or plan to use active transportation.
• Kingston Transit will be free on April 8 to support travel to eclipse viewing sites and reduce traffic congestion.

Where can I get solar eclipse glasses?

• Queen’s University is providing solar eclipse viewing glasses to school students across our region (distributed this week) and a limited supply to Kingston Frontenac Public Libraries.
• Tourism Kingston has solar eclipse glasses for purchase.
• The Lennox and Addington Library system will be running “Engage with the eclipse” workshops leading up to the eclipse with participants receiving free solar eclipse glasses. Registration for the sessions is required.
• If purchasing solar eclipse viewers online, please do so through an approved supplier.

What if I don’t have solar eclipse glasses?

• If appropriate eye protection is not available, alternate viewing strategies should be considered, such as an eclipse box or watching a Live stream.
• If you or your child experience any vision changes after the eclipse, contact your optometrist promptly. You can also contact 811 to get health advice from a registered nurse.

For more information, visit kflaph.ca/SolarEclipse.

April is Autism Acceptance Month and Sikh Heritage Month

April 8th - PA Day

April 8th - Solar Eclipse

April 9 - Swim to Survive starts for Mr Traver's Grade 3 class

April 10 - Eid Al-Fitr

April 10 - International Day of Pink

April 11 - Swim to Survive starts for Grade 3 students in Ms Rosser, Ms VandenAssem & Ms Duncan's classes

April 13 - Vaisakhi

April 15 - School Council

April 17-18 - Yom HaShoah

April 21 to May 2 - Ridvan

April 22 - Earth Day

April 22-30 - Passover

April 22-23 - Rocks & Rings

April 26 - Gr 3/4. 5, 5/6 & 6 to Grand Theatre

April 27th - School Council bottle drive

May 1 - LCVI Road Race

Week of May 6th - Mental Health week and Education week

May 8 to June 12th - EQAO

May 11th - Science Rendezvous at Slush Puppie Place

May 13th - School Council

May 17th - International day against transphobia, biphobia & homophobia

May 16th - School Council Games Night & Book Sale

May 20th - Victoria Day (school closed)

May 23 - Vesak day

May 27th - Regional Track & Field Meet

May 28th - Red Shirt Day (for National Accessibility Week)

May 31st - PA Day (no school for students)

June 3 - School Council

June 5 - Welcome to Kindergarten (after school for students who will be in JK in September 2024)

June 11 - Grade 6s to Calvin Park

June 12 - School Council Barbecue & Fun Fair

June 18 - CPS Primary Track & Field (1-3)

June 19 - CPS Junior Track & Field (4-6)

June 20 - Rain date for either of the track dates for CPS

June 24 - Kindergarten Celebration (PM)

June 25 - Kindergarten Celebration raindate

June 26 - Report cards go home

June 28 - PA Day

After school road race training started last week. Practices are from 3:25 to 4:15 for students in grade three to six on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday

Students who participated in the recess practices over the past two weeks, who demonstrated the ability to engage in all fitness activities were given a permission form to take home to their families last week. The permission form included a QR code that should be used to registered your child(ren) in running club.

Practices will run during the month of April to prepare for the LCVI Road Race on May 1, 2024.

Student who are fasting for Ramadan are welcome to join the practices after Eid.

Should you have any questions please contact Ms. Byers at byersc@limestone.on.ca

Thanks to a grant from the LDSB, any parent/guardian who gets a CPIC to volunteer at the school or attend a field trip can have the cost of the CPIC reimbursed. Just bring in your receipt and the school will reimburse you. Anyone volunteering needs to ensure that a CPIC with Vulnerable Sector Screening is obtained at the office prior to participating in school activities such as field trips. CPICs can be obtained through the City of Kingston Police website at: https://www.kingstonpolice.ca/en/services-and-reporting/background-check.aspx

Welcome to Kindergarten! This is an exciting time for both you and your student. Kindergarten is a wonderful experience and your student’s next phase on their journey of learning.

We are now accepting new student registrations for this September 2024. If your student is four or five by the end of December, now is the time to register.

Kindergarten offers a wonderful new world of learning and growing. We learn how to read, how to write and we make new friends. At École James R. Henderson Public School, we offer both French Immersion and English Kindergarten programs that help children get the best possible start in school. Your student will be challenged and encouraged to do their very best.

In Kindergarten classrooms, a teacher and an early childhood educator work together as a team. This partnership helps to create a nurturing learning environment; giving every student the opportunity to learn in the way that is best suited to their individual strengths and needs. Our caring team of educators is with them every step of the way!

In Limestone, students can begin French Immersion in Year 1 Kindergarten, Year 2 Kindergarten or Grade 1. The French Immersion program is designed for students who are learning French as an additional language. The program is an inclusive environment for rich language development and designed for students who do not speak French at home. Parents and guardians are not expected to be French speaking themselves. There is nothing extra that you need to do to prepare your student for French Immersion. All students are welcome!

We are excited to announce that Limestone District School Board will now be accepting applications for open boundary Kindergarten registrations for the upcoming school year. LDSB encourages students to attend their area school, but we understand selecting the right educational setting for your new student is a significant decision.

In accordance with Board policy, by default, students will be enrolled in the school designated within their boundary area, based on their home address.

Students may be permitted to attend any school within the board when there is available student space, upon submission and approval of the proper application. The Board will not be held responsible for the provision of any transportation for students outside of their regular school boundary area.

We typically welcome new families to orientation events in June of each year. We will share more about these opportunities soon.

We want everyone to see themselves in Limestone. You can feel confident your student will be cared for in a safe and inclusive environment.

We are committed to supporting you every step of the way. Our dedicated staff are here to assist you throughout this process. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact the school.

Let’s embark on this exciting educational journey together! We look forward to meeting you.

Please mark your calendars for the School Council meeting dates. Meeting begin at 6:30pm and are 90 minutes in length. Child care for school aged children is provided for those who register by the Sunday before. If you require childcare, please notify the council of your need by emailing councilcentennialps@gmail.com

All parents and guardians are welcome to attend!

Monday April 15th

Monday May 13th

Monday June 3rd

The School Council is also organizing a Bottle Drive, another Family Games Night, and an end of year Family Barbecue. Stay tuned for more details!

Since the start of the pandemic, we have noticed a marked increase in the number of student absences.

When children miss a day they miss important literacy and math learning, and can fall behind on lessons that build from day to day. Students who are regularly late, even if it is only 10 minutes, often miss critical reading instruction, which often happens first thing in the morning.

We know that children need to stay home when they are sick, and the rules for staying home have changed throughout the pandemic. The most recent guidelines on staying home can be found beneath the chart below. Please contact the school if you need support with attendance issues. Let's work together and get every student here every day!

Please help us spread the word! The parking lot is for staff only. Parents/guardians are welcome to park in designated locations on Norman Rogers and on neighbouring streets. Please help to keep all students, staff and families safe by ensuring the parking lot remains for staff only, including at drop off and pick up. Thank you for your help!

We have had some "near misses". Please DO NOT enter the bus lane or the staff parking lot, and please do not use the exit as an entrance. Parking is available on neighbouring streets. Thank you for your help!

Once again this year we are using LunchBox to provide families with some options for hot lunch, should they wish to participate. Orders are due by NOON on Sunday for orders being delivered the following week.

Just a reminder that should buses be cancelled, hot lunches are also cancelled and credit will be provided to account.

LunchBox is looking at more varied choices for hot lunches moving forward, and those will be reflected in the menu options, if it is possible.

To create an account and order hot lunches, use the guide below and linked here: Get The Guide

Due to the prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergies, we do ask that all parents refrain from sending products that may contain nuts to school, even if there is not a specific nut allergy in your child's classroom. We appreciate your efforts and support to ensure that all of our students are safe at school. If your child has any allergies or medical conditions of which the school is not aware, please inform your child's teacher immediately, so that we can ensure that we have all of the information required to keep children safe at school. If in doubt about ingredients, please do not send to school. Thank you for your help to keep all students safe!

All school supplies that students need for their learning and work will be provided by Centennial Public School. Sometimes students prefer to have their own pencil case with pencils/markers, but it is not a requirement.

Students do need to come to school with:

- Indoor, non-marking athletic type of shoes

- Water bottle with child's name clearly marked (we have bottle filling stations, not fountains)

- Nut-free snacks and lunch

Please label all items!

Sometimes students want to bring items to school to show friends, or have things stored in backpacks that need to remain at home. This is just a reminder that students should not bring the following items to school:

- items of value (sentimental or monetary)

- any kind of weapon (for example, a Swiss Army knife)

- any kind of toy that could be a replica weapon (for example, a toy gun)

- electronics of any kind

- jewelry

- make-up

- anything scented

- anything with nuts (please ensure all lunches and snacks are nut-free)

- toys, stuffies, Pokemon cards

Thank you for keeping these items at home. Sometimes a quick check of a backpack can ensure that treasures do not come to school. Thank you for understanding that we are not responsible for lost, broken or stolen personal items.

School Day is an online platform that families can use for providing permission and payment for school events.

Each returning family has a School Day account that you would have used last year. The user name and password you used last year continues to be active for this year.

Families new to Centennial will receive a paper information sheet this week with a unique user name and password (which you can change). Please keep this information handy as we use School Day for various permission forms, school trips, consents and payments.

Returning families who are not sure of their School Day information can contact the school office and a new form can be sent home to you.

Please note that we are not able to accept verbal or written permission generally and that School Day is to be used. Cash and cheques cannot be accepted at the school due to safe money handling procedures and as such, the much more secure method of School Day is used.

This platform may be new to some families (and to us too!) and we are here to work through the process together. Don't hesitate to reach out to the office if you are experiencing any challenges.

Some students may bring a cell phone to school as a way to communicate with parents before the school day begins and after the school day ends. When students bring a cell phone to school they place it in the lockbox that each teacher (grade 3/4 to 6) has in their classroom and it remains locked for the day.

Should a student need to make contact with home throughout the day, they are welcome to let their teacher know and the school can either contact home or the student can use the phone in the main office.

We have devices at school such as ipads and chromebooks that are available for student learning, and as such, cell phones are not needed during the school day. At recess students play and have time for social interaction face to face.

Please see the link below for more information and to self identify, if you wish.

https://ldsb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9U2iaUl9GIFILb0

Do you need a way to label your things that stay labelled? Do you need a way to show what's yours? Need a way to label your child's things so they don't get lost or mixed up? Support Centennial Public School Council by purchasing through the link. The school receives 20% of your purchase! All funds raised go to support School Council initiatives including student activities. Thank you!

http://www.oliverslabels.com/Centennial

Want to look spiffy and show off your pride in being a Centennial PS Comet? Check out all of the clothing and accessories available at the Centennial Public School e-store at: https://specialtytrophies.ca/centennialps/

Please use the Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence; do not call the school to report an absence. If you child is going to be absent from learning, please ensure you use the Safe Arrival system to report the absence. There is a new function in Safe Arrival if your child is going to be late.

How to report your absence:

1. Toll-free telephone

• Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.

2. School Messenger App

• 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.
• 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, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
• Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.

3. SchoolMessenger SafeArrival Website Portal

• Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
• 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, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
• Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.

Stay Up To Date! Please check the following regularly...

Centennial PS Twitter https://twitter.com/centennial_ldsb?lang=en

Centennial PS Website https://centennial.limestone.on.ca/

LDSB Website https://www.limestone.on.ca/

LDSB Twitter https://twitter.com/LimestoneDSB

LDSB Facebook https://tinyurl.com/wbhjtku

LDSB Instagram https://instagram.com/limestonedsb?igshid=1epyma6c0g5qd

"We treat others the way we want to be treated"

"Show Up! Stand Up! Never Give Up!"

Email: cente@limestone.on.ca
Website: https://centennial.limestone.on.ca
Location: 120 Norman Rogers Dr, Kingston, ON K7M 2R2
Phone: 613.546.5517
Twitter: @Centennial_LDSB