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!

We hope all of our families have had a great summer and are as excited as we are to be starting a new school year soon!

I had a great year last year getting to know all of our students and their families. This year, we are looking forward to digging deeper into academics and improving students' learning experiences. We look forward to your help in supporting that work.

A lot of things will remain the same this year. This Welcome to Centennial page is the best place to start for info about our school such as school hours, meals, and more.

And as always we have some changes to announce. Our big news this year is that we will have an assistant principal joining us! Calli Dean was most recently at Maple Elementary but has also been a principal at the high school level. Prior to being a principal, she was a special education teacher and behavior specialist. Please help me in welcoming her to our school. She is looking forward to meeting all of you and your students!

Read on for more info. Remember, if you have any questions, you can always call our office and speak with Deb. Our office is open until 4 p.m. each day.

Don Hakala, Principal

Aug 20: Office re-opens

Aug 21: Popsicles on the Playground (site: Centennial playground)

Aug 24: Project Hope supply giveaway

Aug 30: Class lists posted behind the reader board, 4 p.m.

Sep 3: Bring student medications

Sep 3: Meet the Teacher (grades 1–5), 5–5:30 p.m. in the classroom, 5:30–6 p.m. popsicles on the playground

Sep 4: Grades 1-5 and kinders A-L start school

Sep 5: Kinders M-Z start

Sep 6: Kinders stay home, kinder class lists posted on the reader board at 4 p.m.

Sep 9: All students

Sep 10: PTO Meeting, 6 p.m. (Meet & Greet begins at 5:30)

Sep 13: Centennial Carnival, 5:30 p.m.

Sep 27: Early Release (all students released at 12:30, after lunch)

Oct 3: Open House, 4:30–5:30 p.m.

Oct 4: Jog-A-Thon

With the retirement of the amazing Mrs. Gabbard, this year we are welcoming Anya Petroff-Howarth as our new music teacher! Also, Mr. Lomica has taken a job with another district, and we are welcoming Keaton Lovendahl as our new fifth-grade teacher in Room 18. Also new in Room 8, Mrs. Eugenio is now teaching at another school, and we welcome Elizabeth Erwin teaching first grade. Our school psychologist, Tiffany Beattie, has been reassigned to a different district role, and we welcome Claire Ridgeway in her place.

• Finalized class lists for students in 1st – 5th grade will be posted at 4:00 on Friday, Aug. 30 in the on the new PTO bulletin board behind the Centennial sign.
• Finalized class lists for kindergarten students will be posted at 4:00 on Friday, Sept. 6th in the same location.

School starts for grades 1–5 on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 8:35 a.m.

Incoming kinders will join us on a staggered start schedule. Your kinder will not be assigned a classroom teacher the first day. Rather, they will have the opportunity to interact with each of the kindergarten teachers, and other staff members, during the day. After meeting the students, teachers will be better able to form class lists that are based on the children’s academic and social needs.

• Students with last names beginning with A–L will come to school ONLY on Wednesday, Sept. 4 that first week.
• Students with M–Z will come ONLY on Thursday, Sept. 5.
• Kinders have Friday off while teachers make class lists and prep for students.
• We will post class lists behind the reader board on Friday at 4.

ALL students will then come to school on Monday, Sept. 9.

We have moved to an online registration process. You can access this site from the Springfield School district website. If you have a returning student, this process ensures all of your information is up to date and that we have correct contact information for you.

If you need to get us paperwork, please bring it by the office or take a picture and email it to Ms. Deb at deb.jolda@springfield.k12.or.us. Proof of address is required. 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.

Please call with any questions about the registration process!

And please, if you know your student will not be returning to Centennial and haven't told us yet, please let us know ASAP!

Again this year, visitors will not be allowed during school hours. However, families and community members are welcome to volunteer! All past volunteers will need to re-apply this year. Please use this link from the district website to access the online form and submit information for a background check. Once approved, please check with your child's teacher and/or the school about volunteer opportunities. The school library is one great suggestion. Ms Hodgin always needs help shelving books!

You can find school supplies for each grade level here. Upper grade students can disregard the item about a change of clothing. Water bottles are essential. If you need help with supplies, please let us know! Mrs. Gifford in the Family Center begins the new year on Sept. 3. During the school year, Mrs. Gifford is always available for assistance with resources, including clothing and supplies. You can always text her directly with questions at 541-321-0394. (Note: Kinders can bring their supplies on their first day of school.)

Be sure to download the the 24-25 academic calendar.

Early release days are scheduled 1–2 Fridays per month. They are NOT every other week. Please make a note of these days on your personal calendar.

Please note there is a change for parent-teacher conferences this year. Conferences will be held during Fall Break (Thanksgiving). There will be no school that week. Parent teacher conferences will be scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov. 26–27).

Families who live a mile or more away from school, OR who live on the south side of Centennial, are eligible for the bus. You must register to be added to the route. Kinder registration has the additional step of adding the names of those authorized to pick them up at the bus stop. Authorized siblings in 3rd grade or higher are eligible. Be aware that the bus driver will NOT drop a kinder if there is no authorized person to pick up.

Be aware that you will need to enter the student's ID number for grades 1 through 5. Older students will know that this is also their six-digit "lunch number." If your child does not know this number, you can call our office starting on August 20 or send an email to Deb.

School hours are 8:35–2:50 daily.

• Breakfast doors open by the cafeteria at 8:00 a.m.

• Classroom doors open for students at 8:25.
  

• Students not eating breakfast will line up quietly in the gym.

• If your child arrives after 8:35, please have them stop by the office window to check in.

Appointments/early dismissal: Please try to schedule appointments outside of school hours or on early release days if possible. If you need to pick up your child early from school, leave yourself plenty of time and give us a call before you arrive.

We take school attendance very seriously. Please try to be sure your student arrives at school before 8:35. Students who arrive late will miss out on valuable learning time and may be disruptive to the class. If your student will be absent, please let us know by calling the office or emailing Deb before 9 a.m. if possible.

Please keep students who are sick and exhibiting any serious symptoms home. Please follow these general guidelines. Generally speaking, students with the following symptoms should stay home: fever higher than 101.3, uncontrolled cough, diarrhea or vomiting. If your child develops any of these symptoms while at school, we will contact you and your child will need to be picked up. Please be sure we have up-to-date contact information for you and your emergency contacts.

Student medications at school: If your child needs to take medication at school, please know that ANY medication, including over-the-counter meds, must be checked in with our health aide. Mrs. Quigley starts back on Sept. 3, and this will be a great day to bring in your student's medications. She will be available after lunch on that day.

Healthy breakfast and lunch options are served to all students for free. School menus are posted on the district website each month. Be aware there may be modifications on a given day for a variety of reasons. If your student has food allergies, please be sure to talk with our health aide. The menus can also be configured to flag ingredients of concern. And of course, students are always welcome to bring their lunch from home.

Classroom snacks: We ask that families follow the district's guidelines for healthy whole class snacks and treats for birthdays and other special occasions. Also, be sure to check with your child's teacher about their personal preferences or guidelines. Any food brought in to share with the class needs to be store bought. While we will not monitor individual student snacks from home, we do hope that we can have your support by providing healthy snacks and lunches for your children at school. If you want more information visit the Nutrition Services page.

Although we do not have a strict dress code, please make sure your child is dressed ready for school each day. Students need appropriate shoes to run and play in, so high heels and flip flops should be saved for home. Student clothing should be comfortable for daily activities and physical education, and free of any images of drugs, alcohol, or weapons. Recess is held outside rain or shine, so please be sure your student is dressed appropriately for the weather.

All students are issued a device to use for schoolwork. Many of our students have devices at home from last school year. Those who do not will have them checked out to them during the first couple weeks of school. Remember, devices will often be going back and forth from home to school. Please help your child set up a routine to take care of their device at home and charge it every night. All school-issued devices are to be used ONLY for schoolwork.

Cell phones: Many students have cell phones to be able to communicate with their families. We ask that cell phones be kept in students' backpacks during the school day. Students not following this direction will have their device confiscated.

Our website is a solid place to look for information such as menus. Facebook will be your best bet for quick updates and photos. We also frequently send information via email, so be sure to check your email frequently. Many teachers use the SeeSaw app to communicate via phone. Your child's teacher will send you an invitation to join their classroom SeeSaw community, and it's a great way to communicate directlly with the teacher.

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 - 541-744-6383. We are always happy to help!