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Superintendent's Update December 6, 2024
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Dear Centennial Colleagues, Students, Families and Community,
December is here, bringing shorter days, colder weather, and the excitement of winter traditions. With just a couple of weeks until winter break, there’s a sense of anticipation for the holidays and reflection as we approach the end of the calendar year. Let’s finish 2024 strong, celebrating the hard work and progress we’ve made while preparing for the opportunities the new year will bring.
Roadmap ’27: Sharing Our Full Strategic Plan
As we continue to make strides in the journey outlined in Roadmap '27, I’m excited to share that tangible copies of our District’s Strategic Plan will soon be arriving at schools for all staff. While Roadmap ‘27 officially launched in Fall 2023, bringing this plan to life required time and collaboration to ensure that every component reflects our collective vision.
Each staff member will receive the full 27-page plan and a copy of our Year 2 priority actions. These documents are intended to serve as guidance for our shared work, connecting each of us to the goals and aspirations of our District.
For our families, students, and community members, Roadmap ‘27 is readily accessible on the District website, and physical copies are available in school offices.
I encourage everyone to explore these resources as a source of inspiration and alignment in support of our students.
Supporting Every Student Through Uncertain Times
Centennial School District remains committed to establishing learning environments where each student belongs and can thrive. We exist in an ever-evolving socio-political landscape, one that demands we uphold our shared values with steadfast resolve, prioritizing equity, fostering belonging, and affirming the belief in the limitless potential of each student.
Since the November election, some in our community have expressed uncertainty and concern about what potential changes may mean for them or those they care about. I want to take this opportunity to affirm the work of schools in building a sense of community, culture, and belonging that serves each student in our District.
As public school educators, it is our responsibility to ensure each student is free to learn in an environment that is safe, respectful, supportive, and inclusive. We aim to support our staff in these efforts, while also partnering with families to honor the diverse experiences and perspectives of all members of our community. As we continue in this work, we remain focused on the meeting the needs of students. If your child or family is in need of additional supports or resources at any time, please contact your child's school for assistance.
Looking Ahead
With the start of 2025 just around the corner, there is much to look forward to as our school year continues. One example of this will be upcoming work to further develop our Profile of a Graduate -- including a future public forum where all members of the community will be invited to share your perspective on what it truly means to be a graduate of the Centennial School District. Please watch for more information about that work in future newsletters.
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Don't forget! Schools will be closed December 23-January 6, with classes resuming on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. We wish all of our students, staff, and families a safe and happy Winter Break!
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For students to be successful, it is crucial to provide our youngest learners with opportunities to develop foundational literacy skills that support lifelong learning. Even before they can read, our Kindergarten students participate in classroom activities that help to develop their literacy skills. Providing literacy learning in our Kindergarten classrooms happens in a number of ways, and may look like:
- Using storybooks during morning meetings to build vocabulary and comprehension skills
- Creating literacy-rich environments with labeled objects, word walls, and interactive centers where students explore letters and sounds
- Providing play-based learning activities that include reading and writing (for example, writing menus or reading signs)
- Facilitating transitions and routines, such as letter naming or practicing sight words, provide consistent opportunities to reinforce literacy in meaningful ways
As part of our ongoing focus on literacy this school year, we are excited to announce the addition of new Early Literacy Educational Assistants (EAs), with funding provided by the Early Literacy Grant. Each Kindergarten classroom in the District will have one part-time EA assigned who will empower Kindergarten students in their literacy journey by providing targeted, individualized support within the classroom.
These staff will receive specific training on the topic of literacy, and will work in collaboration with Kindergarten teachers to provide targeted literacy learning opportunities that align with the teacher's academic plan. The EAs will work with Kindergarten students one-on-one and in small groups, with the goal of building confident, enthusiastic learners prepared for future academic success.
We are currently in the process of hiring for these new positions, and hope to have them join our Kindergarten classrooms in January.
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On Thursday, December 5, Centennial held our Fall Data Summit, the first of our three Data Summits for the 2024-2025 school year. This process, a critical part of the work within Roadmap ‘27, is conducted to monitor the impact of our strategies on student learning, allowing us to adjust and improve instructional practices and systems.
During the Data Summit, representative school leadership team members engaged in a structured reflective process that involved the review and analysis of student data and professional practices aligned to School Improvement Plans and the Roadmap ‘27 goals.
Teams identified strengths and areas of need, followed by the development of a responsive action plan. The intent is to review the impact of that action plan during the Winter Data Summit, scheduled in March. In the coming weeks, each team’s respective staff will conduct follow-up engagement using similar processes at their own school sites, ensuring the relevance of this data review work at all schools.
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This past month, we held collaborative work sessions with the Maintenance, Custodial, and Transportation Departments. These twice-yearly meetings are an evolution of listening sessions from prior years, shifting toward collaborative problem-solving. Employees from our District Operations Departments now work alongside their Department Director, the Director of Business & Operations, and Superintendent Owens to co-construct solutions to some of the challenges they have identified in their day-to-day work.
For the Maintenance and Custodial Departments, this was their first joint work session, a productive step forward given the interconnected nature of their responsibilities. It’s been rewarding to see staff embracing these sessions, coming prepared with ideas to share on improving their work and our collective impact.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue these sessions with other departments, including Dining Services and our Information Technology Center (ITC), as we strive to strengthen collaboration and find innovative solutions together.
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Maintenance and Custodial Departments Staff |
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Transportation Department Staff |
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Subbing is not just for teachers. We also need Educational Assistants, Custodians, Clerical, and Dining Services substitutes. We need a large substitute pool to ensure that our positions can be fully filled on a daily basis. Subbing is a great way to get some experience and determine if you are interested in working directly for the District. You can choose which positions you will pick up, which schools, and which days you will work. To become a sub for Centennial School District, apply with ESS, our sub services contractor, by submitting an online application through their application portal. ESS can also be reached by calling 503-208-7454.
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Please note that the Centennial High School Student Health Center will be closed December 23-January 3 during our Winter Break.
If your child is in need of medical attention during the Winter Break, they can be seen at no cost at the Parkrose Student Health Center, located at 12003 NE Shaver St, Portland. The Parkrose Student Health Center will be open 7:45am to 3:45 pm Monday-Friday, except closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25) and closed on New Year's Day (Wednesday, January 1).
To make an appointment at the Parkrose Student Health Center during Winter Break, please call 503-988-3392.
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James Owens
Centennial School District Superintendent
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