Back to School Information
Happy September, dear Centennial Park families!
Welcome back to our returning students and families, and a huge welcome to CPark for those of you joining us this year! I have missed seeing you all, and am so excited that we get to be together again starting next week. This email has a lot of information in it, so please read through it, and be sure to call (604-853-9148) or email (centennialpark@abbyschools.ca) if you have any questions!
First Day of School
Tuesday, September 6th is the first day of school! Children are here 8:38-11:38. Please be here to pick your child up on time.
Wednesday, September 7th is our first FULL day of school, and children are here from 8:38am-2:38pm.
Parking
We are fortunate that the church next door to our school allows us to use their parking lot on school days! Please park there to drop off and pick up your children, as the school parking lot is only for staff and those families requiring the handicapped parking space. There is a pathway from the church parking lot to our playground, so it’s very convenient! Some families also park behind the school field and walk across the field. If you do so, please just be aware of the crosswalk and the signage on that road.
Staffing Announcements
We have a number of new staff joining us this school year! We are so excited to welcome them, and I know (from being new myself last year) how welcoming this amazing community is.
Ms. Corinne Wood is our new office clerical! She will be the smiling face you see when you come to the front doors, and the friendly voice you hear when you give us a call. Welcome, Ms. Wood!
This year we will also be welcoming:
Ms. Aparna Gupta (English grade 3)
Ms. Christie Remillard (English grade 2)
Ms. Jacilyn Coyle (English K/1)
Ms. Katie Ledger and Ms. Dawn Wauthy (English Kindergarten)
Mme. Barbara Lafresnaye (French grade 4/5)
Ms. Elena Miller (ELL)
Ms. Jacqueline Stasiuk (library technician)
Ms. Nadine Kitchekeesik (Indigenous Support Worker).
We are so thrilled to have each of these amazing staff members join our CPark team! And of course we’re thrilled to welcome back our returning staff:
Ms. Tracy Peters (Education Assistant)
Ms. Ann Marie Morgado (Education Assistant)
Ms. Lorena Valasquez (Education Assistant)
Ms. Manveen Grewal (Education Assistant)
Ms. Ranjini Govind (Education Assistant)
Ms. Donna Klemets (Youth Care Worker)
Mme. Shannon Hildebrandt (French Kindergarten)
Mme. Bharuttee Deehoo (French grade 2/3)
Ms. Heather Johnson (English grade 1)
Ms. Gurpreet Banga (English grade 4)
Ms. Moriah Nelson (English grade 5)
Mme. Danielle Petrie (Library Learning Commons and ELL)
Mme. Nicole Longpré (Learning Support Services)
Mr. Bobby Bhambra (Physical and Health Education)
Ms. Chelsea Scott (School Counselor)
Ms. Hilary Scott (Speech and Language Pathologist)
And our amazing custodians, Ms. Charanjit Ahuja and Ms. Gurpreet Rangrhoo!
We don’t yet have staffing for our French grade ½ position this year (as Ms. Byrne is still on maternity leave with her baby!), but I will be letting those families know who the new teacher is as soon as I know!
School Supplies
Your child only needs a snack on Tuesday. Their teacher will let them (and you!) know when they would like school supplies brought in. If you have pre-ordered school supplies, they have arrived and will be delivered to students as teachers are ready for them.
Please see our website for more information on school supplies: https://centennialpark.abbyschools.ca/parents-students/school-supplies
Kindergarten Students
Kindergarten parents should have received a letter informing them of their interview times for the first week and the gradual entry that follows. If you need additional information or if you did not receive an email from us, please call the office at 604-853-9148.
Bell Schedule – starting Wednesday, September 7th
8:28-8:38 – outside supervision (please do not drop off students before this time)
8:38 – first bell
8:40-10:30 – learning time
10:30-10:45 – recess (outside if at all possible; dress them for the weather!)
10:45-12:05 – learning time
12:05-12:25 – lunch eating period
12:25-12:53 – outside play time
12:53-2:38 – learning time
2:38 – school ends
2:38-2:48 – outside supervision (please ensure students are picked up during this time)
Class Lists
Enrolment is always fluid at this time of year, and we do our very best to create accurate and up to date class lists before the start of school. However, please be aware that there are often last minute enrolment changes that may alter what is posted before school. That said, we know how exciting it is to see your potential class as soon as possible, and so we will be posting the class lists on Friday, September 2nd on the doors of the school (front and side doors by the playground) at 3:30pm.
Playground
Speaking of the playground, if you have been by the building lately you will see that we have most of our new playground in already! However, the company putting it in is waiting on some parts, so there will be a fence around the new part of the playground for the first week or so of school. We’ll certainly all be looking forward to using it once it’s finally ready!
Health and Safety
Our CPark community has worked hard to take care of each other and keep each other safe and healthy over the past few years. Covid is still a presence in our community (as well as the usual colds and flu), so please keep the following precautions in mind:
- If your child is sick, please keep them home. We know this is tough to do sometimes, but if they are sick at school we will be calling to send them home. It is hard to concentrate and work when feeling ill, and we are also very aware of keeping the rest of our community healthy.
- Masks do not need to be worn at school, but please know that we completely respect the wishes of those families who do prefer that their child wear a mask while at school!
- As it is good practice at any time, we will continue to be diligent with handwashing, and there is hand sanitizer available in every classroom. Our custodians carefully clean commonly used surfaces every day.
Our front door will be unlocked on school days between 8:15 and 3:00. Please ALWAYS check in at the office when you come in, and we will be happy to help you. Please DO NOT knock on outside classroom doors during the day, as classes are in session and we don’t want to interrupt!
New Students
If you are new to our school, WELCOME! Please take some time to familiarize yourself with our school website: https://centennialpark.abbyschools.ca. While there, please register on School Cash Online, as this is our online platform for all student costs throughout the school year. Please check School Cash Online for setup and login information: https://www.schoolcashonline.com.
WE’LL SEE YOU ON TUESDAY!
Sincerely,
Ms. Kari Petzold
Principal, École Centennial Park Elementary School
604-853-9148