“We are Crew, Not Passengers”
Welcome to Centennial - A School for Expeditionary Learning!
I am very excited to share with you all the amazing things happening at Centennial.
This is our second year as an Expeditionary Learning School. Expeditionary Learning is a researched based technique, proven to support active engagement of students with one another and the world around them. Many schools across the U.S. implementing this model are outperforming their districts and states. The EL model nurtures critical thinking, employs inquiry and real-life problem solving, sets high social and academic expectations, encourages perseverance, and utilizes opportunities which support cooperation and trust. EL schools are exemplary, and are in high demand. Centennial is very proud to say that we are the first neighborhood school in DPS to implement the EL model!
Here are some of the other great things we have to support the achievement of all our students and make Centennial the best learning environment it can be.
• In 2014 Centennial kicked-off an Extended Learning Time plan that provides an additional 300 hours of student engagement time throughout the school year. We have added an hour to the end of each school day, reduced the number of non-student contact days during the year, and partnered with over 20 outside providers for “Enrichment Wednesdays”. Every Wednesday afternoon our entire school participates in enrichment activities such as dance, art, soccer, cooking, technology and science, martial arts, and yoga. This allows our teaching staff more collaborative planning time.
• Centennial has five full-time Electives teachers: Art, Music, PE, Science and Spanish. Students in grades ECE-5 have access to these elective programs.
• We continue to build school-wide structures to support students and teachers with our Community Circles, Habits of Scholarship and “Students of the WoRLD.” Students of the WoRLD are ones who have Wonder, show Respect, act Responsibly, and demonstrate Leadership and Determination.
• Playworks is here every day teaching students recess games in an effort to support our school community to build a safe recess environment where students can be engaged in age appropriate, structured play.
• City Year volunteers are at Centennial, helping with mentoring, tutoring and community engagement.
• Centennial has partnered with Metro Volunteers to implement a School Service Program, a community volunteerism program.
• Centennial offers before/after school programs to students in grades K-5 through a 21st Century Grant.
We are truly excited that you have chosen to become part of the Centennial community.
Sincerely,
Laura Munro
Principal
