Thank you for your support for our very first BLM@School Event! We all learned a lot and have plans to improve our efforts going forward. This past week, we gathered feedback from teachers, students and families. Based on staff and family input, we will improve our communication of what BLM@School looks like in practice. In addition, we may consider spreading out this work throughout the year and thinking about how we can celebrate other marginalized groups as well. These two weeks were particularly impactful for our students, so we’ll let them “share” what BLM@School Week meant to them:
“We had deep conversations about treating other people with respect.”
“We liked seeing [BLM@School] in art and science. In art, we drew famous Black activists, in science, we learned a lot about Black scientists.”
“We had to step out of our comfort zone. Some people knew a lot about it, some people didn’t.”
“I have been bullied before because of my skin color…Before BLM@School, some kids didn’t want to play with me, and now they do. I noticed a change -- I have new friends, and more respect.”
“I loved that our school did [BLM@School Week] and it was a good thing to do to make kids more aware of this.”
In addition, here are some examples of what BLM@School Week looked like in classrooms – in-person and virtual, ECE-5th grade. We will continue to add to this document to celebrate our awesome work.
A reminder to all 3rd – 5th grade families: The deadline for parents to opt your student out of CMAS electronically via Parent Portal is Friday, 2/26. We are highly encouraging families to make opt out decisions by the 2/26 date, however, if you decide after 2/26 that you want to opt your student out please contact your classroom teacher and Laura/Emily as it must be done by school staff after 2/26. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year there is no penalty to students or to our school to opt out. If you choose to opt out after 2/26 you may, but it must be done on paper. Please reach out with questions!
Thanks,
Emily and Laura
News from the library ...
Last week LeUyen Pham visited our students in grades K-3 and shared her new book,
Inside/Outside. She shared her ideas and how she came to publish it during the pandemic and where the inspiration came for all of her illustration. Student enjoyed her engaging talk and had fun learning how to draw a cat just like LeUyen.
Upcoming Events
Charise Mericle Harper will be visiting Centennial students in grades 3-5 virtually on Tuesday, February 23. Charise is celebrating her newly released book, So Embarrassing: Awkward Moments and How to Get Through Them and is ready to share her craft with the students. It is a graphic novel that turns embarrassment into something hilarious – and normal.
This is a great opportunity for students to hear from an author and illustrator as they talk about their book and their craft. A HUGE thank you to the Book Bar for giving out students this opportunity.
If you would like to order this hilarious graphic novel click on this link. 25% of the sales are donated to the Centennial LIbrary!
Technology Updates/Reminder
A few things to keep in mind if your child is using a school issued chromebook.
Have your child charge their chromebook every night.
Wipe down your child's chrome using a disinfectant wipe or a slightly damp cloth.
Completely shut down the device each evening. This will help update the chromebook when they are turned on at school.
Remember that the school issued Chromebooks are for educational purposes. When games and youtube are on their device it causes the device to run slower.
Please return any library books you have at home from last March.
Thank you for your support!
Read On,
~Cindy
Updates from the Science Lab!
Fourth & Fifth: Students continue the work of systems engineers, trying to determine the cause of blackouts in the fictional town of Ergstown. They have spent time researching energy sources and are now learning how those sources are converted into usable electrical energy. Scroll down to the blue section of this website to learn more about source converters.https://sites.google.com/dpsk12.net/caselscienceexpeditions/4-5/energy-conversions?authuser=1
Second & Third Grade: We are continuing the work of wildlife biologists as we learn about traits and inheritance. Students are using digital and paper models to grow their understanding of how offspring gain traits using special instructions (inherited genes). Keep exploring wildlife biologists at work or read more from our Handbook of Traits books: https://sites.google.com/dpsk12.net/caselscienceexpeditions/2-3/frogs?authuser=1
Kindergarten & First Grade: Students have been introduced to a weather and sunlight mystery: Why do playgrounds have different temperatures? Through modeling and spending time outdoors, students are exploring how sunlight affects surfaces. Please keep exploringweather together: https://sites.google.com/dpsk12.net/caselscienceexpeditions/k-1/weather?authuser=1
Your enrichment teachers have created lessons for you and your ECE-4 student. Here are the links to the lessons and please reach out with any questions:
MONDAY: PE and Dance with Mrs. Marcely (shari_marcely@dpsk12.org)
TUESDAY:Art with Miss Katie(Katie_McGowan@dpsk12.org)
THURSDAY: Science with Miss Michelle(michelle_morton@dpsk12.org)
Friday, February 26th
Non-Student Contact Day
Families, Please Join Us For An Equity Conversation! The next Equity Book Club virtual gathering will be Wednesday, February 24th, 6-7:30pm. We will be discussing chapters 13-15 of How To Be An Antiracist.
Please come if you have done the reading, or not.
We welcome NEW participants. We are a very casual and easy going group.
Contact nicole_tembrock@dpsk12.org if you have questions.
BookBar is doing a Spanish Storytime and a French Storytime virtually. You can RSVP to the email address on the flyesr or use this link for either storytime.
WOW – our school made such an incredible impact through Kids Heart Challenge this year!!
This is the last call to donate to help us save lives! Donations are due this Friday, 2/19/2021. If that date has passed and you still have donations, please turn them in as soon as possible.
We are so proud to celebrate all you’ve done:
58 families took the heart-healthy challenge and joined our team online this year!
Our donation count is up to $6292.59 to the American Heart Association, thanks to your support!! See below for some of the incredible things your donations help fund.
22 students earned their TIME TO PIE by raising $100 or more! Incredible!
We set out to complete the mission and we could not have achieved it without you. THANK YOU for taking action to help us save lives!
(SPY TIP: Scan or click the QR code below to access the Kids Heart Challenge app, where you can scan your check donations to turn them in virtually!)
Did you know? If you work for a company that matches donations, you can make a personal donation and they will match it – THAT’S DOUBLE THE DONATION! How’s that for making a difference? For more information, click here or visit www.matchinggifts.com/aha.
When you support the American Heart Association, it’s evident in communities like yours. Explore the AHA’s Impact Map here to see how your support makes a difference across the country and in the places your loved ones call home. Here are a few highlights:
13.6% reduction in deaths from stroke
$4.6 Billion invested in research funding
15.1% reduction in deaths from heart disease
Over 19 Million people benefiting from a quality care initiative for high blood pressure
22 million people trained in CPR each year
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CENTENNIAL!
Log on to Parent Portal today and become an academic partner in your student’s learning.
Have login questions? Ask Stacy in the front office.
