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Superintendent's Update

January 31, 2025

Superintendent's Update January 31, 2025

Centennial School District | January 31, 2025

Dear Centennial Colleagues, Students, Families and Community,

This past month, we have been focusing attention on building out the Profile of a Centennial Graduate. As a Centennial graduate myself, I know firsthand how a strong educational foundation shapes the opportunities and choices available to us after graduation. That’s why our efforts to define and integrate this work into the learning experiences for our students is so meaningful to me – both as an educator and as someone who once walked the same hallways as our students today.


In this month’s update, you’ll find more details about how we are bringing the Profile of a Graduate to life, including updates from our recent Parent and Community Forum, our Design Retreat, and upcoming opportunities for staff to engage in this work.


Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this process so far. Your insight and collaboration are helping us ensure that each Centennial graduate is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in their future endeavors.

Black History Month

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. It is also known as African-American History Month.


President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month each year to celebrating Black history.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month

Graphic for CTE month featuring a yellow shield and blue ribbon, with words "Celebrate Today, Own Tomorrow"

Career and Technical Education Month is a public awareness campaign hosted by the Association for Career & Technical Education and sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, that takes place each February to celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE), the accomplishments of CTE programs, and the importance of CTE for all students of all ages.


Centennial School District proudly provides on-ground and virtual CTE pathways to approximately 1,000 students in over 30 CTE classes, with coursework that covers a variety of fields including culinary/hospitality, computers and technology, manufacturing, and business and marketing.

Graphic reading "Preparing Every Student for Their Future" and "Goal 5," with background image of a road leading to a mountain

The power of CTE at Centennial extends beyond theoretical knowledge, focusing on practical applications that equip students with employable skills. Collaborative efforts among students in these programs result in a vibrant learning community where creativity and innovation thrive.


These programs' hands-on learning experiences engage students and contribute to higher retention rates and academic success for our students. CTE programs at Centennial play a crucial role in shaping the future workforce with well-prepared, skilled graduates ready to tackle the challenges of the professional world.

Presidents Day - Monday, February 17

Monday, February 17, all Centennial School District schools and offices will be closed in observance of Presidents Day. Classes resume and offices reopen on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Welcome to our new Facilities Director Bryan VanDyke!

We are pleased to welcome Bryan VanDyke as our District's incoming Facilities Director!


Bryan brings a wealth of Facilities experience -- most recently as the Facilities Manager at Gaston School District -- as well as commercial experience as a carpenter, project manager, and contractor.


In his spare time, Bryan enjoys boating, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, and exploring the trails 4-wheeling. Bryan also cherishes going on adventures with his wife and creating special memories with their four kids and five wonderful grandchildren.

Bryan will start his new role on Monday, February 3, 2025 and is looking forward to supporting Facilities work across our District.

Profile of a Graduate Updates

This week marked an exciting milestone in our journey to bring the Profile of a Graduate to life in Centennial.


Parent & Community Forum

On Thursday evening, we hosted a Parent and Community Forum, bringing together families, educators, and community members to continue shaping this important work. The discussion was engaging and thoughtful, with participants sharing their perspectives on the essential competencies our students need for success.


To provide further context on this work, we have created a short video that outlines the Profile of a Graduate and its role in guiding our instructional approach moving forward. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch it and reflect on how this vision connects to the learning experiences of our students.

Centennial School District - Profile of a Graduate

Design Retreat

Earlier this month, more than 40 students, staff, parents, families, and community partners gathered for a two-day Design Retreat to continue the development of our Profile of a Graduate. Building on the foundation established in our Roadmap ’27 Strategic Plan, this retreat focused on translating our vision into action. We explored how these competencies will be integrated across grade levels, ensuring that every student—whether in kindergarten or high school—has opportunities to develop and demonstrate key skills in meaningful ways. Participants worked collaboratively to draft an instructional vision, plan for demonstrations of learning, and develop a Draft Progression Matrix that outlines how students will grow in these competencies over time.


Following the retreat, our administrative team reviewed the draft products and provided input, ensuring that school leaders have the tools to engage their staff in this process.


Staff Engagement

In the coming month, staff will have the opportunity to participate in sessions at their school sites, providing input on how the Profile of a Graduate translates into classrooms.


These sessions will focus on:

  • Building awareness of the Profile’s essential elements,

  • Considering grade-level applications through a Profile Quality Matrix,

  • Exploring instructional approaches that foster these competencies, and

  • Reflecting on our own practice and providing feedback to refine our shared vision.


These sessions are essential to ensuring that the Profile of a Graduate moves from a vision to a reality in every classroom, shaping how we teach and how students learn.


To learn more about our Profile of a Graduate, please click the link below.

Budget Committee Work Session

On January 22, 2025, the CSD Budget Committee met in a work session to receive an update on Oregon statewide K-12 education budget conditions, the District's current year-to-date budget, and projections that will impact the 2025-2026 annual District budget. Additionally, the Committee reviewed budget priorities as they align with the goals of the Roadmap '27 Strategic Plan. While no action was taken at this work session, the Committee's review of this information was an important first step in preparing to review and approve the 2025-2026 District budget.


The Budget Committee is composed of both members of the School Board as well as seven additional community volunteers, with roles and responsibilities prescribed by Oregon Budget Law. Each year, the Budget Committee reviews the proposed budget and shares their feedback with District leadership, as well as provides District leadership with direction on budget priorities. After hearing feedback from the public, the Budget Committee approves the budget if they believe it accurately represents the needed priorities, after which the budget is sent to the Board of Directors for final adoption.


The Budget Committee will continue their work later this spring on April 23, 2025, where they will receive the Superintendent's budget message and the proposed 2025-2026 budget. We encourage members of the community to participate by attending this spring's budget meetings on April 23, 2025 (delivery and description of the budget) and May 28, 2025 (final budget presentation). There will also be an opportunity for attendees to provide public comment at the May 28th meeting for the Committee's consideration.


To watch the video recording of the January 22, 2025 Budget Committee work session, please click the link below.
James Owens
Centennial School District Superintendent