Mission: Centennial Elementary, in partnership with our families and community, will establish a nurturing environment dedicated to ensuring the success of all students in a technologically advanced global society.
School Website
2008 Bond Projects
History
School Focus
Achieving Academic Success
What Makes Centennial Unique
Before/After School Activities
Feeder Pattern
Centennial Elementary School
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Grades: Preschool - 5th |
Keith Liddle, Principal |
School Website
Centennial Elementary School maintains a separate school web site [http://centenniales.stvrain.k12.co.us]. The school's web site makes it easier to communicate news and information to parents. Please visit the web site for more detailed information and events concerning Centennial Elementary School.
In addition to the separate school web site, an overview of Centennial Elementary School is provided [below]. A similar summary is provided for each school within the District to make it easier to find the same information for each of the District's schools.
2008 Bond Projects
Thanks to the community, the passage of the 2008 Bond will provide funds for building repairs and infrastructure upgrades.
History
Centennial Elementary is located in the Neighbors Point subdivision in Firestone, opening in August 2008. It is the first elementary school in the country to have the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (M.E.S.A.) program as part of the curriculum for all students during the school day, rather than an after school program for a few students. The mascot is the Husky and was named by the students and staff who opened the school.
School Focus
The school’s focus is Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (M.E.S.A.) – At the elementary level, M.E.S.A.’s focus is on helping students see mathematics and science as interesting, engaging subjects in which they can be competent. Students learn to work together in groups with hands-on activities that are designed to help them build math and science as well as literacy skills.
To reach theses goals, the Centennial staff supports and maintains a Professional Learning Community focused on grade level and cross-grade level collaboration to enable staff to create instructional programs that meet the needs of diverse learners. School improvement programs are data driven with committees looking at assessment data to determine the needs of the school and then developing programs to meet those needs.
Achieving Academic Success
To achieve academic success for all students, several opportunities have been designed that include:
- M.E.S.A. classes for every student with specialized instruction in physical, life, and space science, working in collaboration with organizations such as the Thorne Ecological Institute, Colorado M.E.S.A., N.A.S.A., Ball Aerospace, the University of Colorado Science and Engineering Departments, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, to name a few.
- Strong literacy support in the form of small group reading instruction to meet the needs of those students who are reading below grade level.
- Math clustering for all students by pre-assessing for each unit of study and then clustered according to individual needs. A web-based computer tutorial program called SkillsTutor is available to use in and out of school to help students understand what happens in math functions as well as fact families.
- A strong Specials Program (Art, Music, and Physical Education) that features collaborative and integrated units of inquiry. Evening showcase presentations in the gym for each grade level allow students to demonstrate skills they have acquired in their classes.
- Positive Behavior Support (P.B.S.) is used to meet students’ social, emotional, and academic needs. Students earn a Husky T.R.A.C.K. by exemplifying characteristics of Trusts, Respect, Attitude, Cooperation, and Keeping Safe. Each staff member has a goal of giving five positives for every negative.
- Reading and Math Enrichment to address high achieving student needs.
What Makes Centennial Unique
Centennial’s M.E.S.A. program is led by the 2009 Amgen award winner Helen Douglass, who was named one of 34 teachers across the United States and Canada for their excellence in science instruction in their schools. Each student receives instruction in a weekly lab with collaboration with local universities, companies, and organizations with science, engineering, or math focuses.
A positive, caring staff, administration, and community whose focus is to help each child reach high standards academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Students earn individual and class recognition by “Keeping on Track” in our school-wide Positive Behavior Support (P.B.S.) program.
A Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) that strives to enrich the student experience through communication and involvement. The PTO funds a variety of projects including field trips, social activities, positive behavior incentives, and academic classroom needs.
Kindergarten is offered in a half day program and an all day program. Both programs run Monday through Friday. The half day program is available in an AM and a PM section. There is no fee for the half day program. The full day program has a tuition for half of the day and details can be found on the Centennial Elementary School website.
A tuition-based preschool for three and four year olds is offered for special need students and typical peers.
A Significantly Impaired Emotional Disability (S.I.E.D.) program is housed at Centennial, as well as services for students who have individualized education plans to meet their special needs.
Students participate on Odyssey of the Mind teams as they prepare for regional, state, and world competition. Enrichment classes are provided weekly for students identified performing above grade level.
A web based program called SkillsTutor is available to all students to use at school and home to improve skills in reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, math, language, science, and information skills.
Centennial has 21st century technology in every classroom. Each room is equipped with a Promethean interactive whiteboard, an interactive slate to provide flexibility for the teacher, a document camera, student response system (clicker) for every child, microphone for the teacher, four speakers so students can hear clearly in all areas of the classroom, wireless capability, big screen viewing of cable TV, DVD, and VHS platforms, as well as live student video announcements every morning.
Before/After School Activities
Husky Club: a before (7:00 – 8:55) and after (3:35 – 6:00) school child care program that provides a fun, convenient, and safe place for students in kindergarten through fifth grades
Community Schools: encompasses a variety of activities that include physical skills, art, music, literacy, math, science, second language, and technology.
Husky Howlers: a show choir for grades 3-5 that represents Centennial at local events.
Odyssey of the Mind: teams of students who prepare for academic regional, state, and world competitions.
Feeder Pattern
Students leaving Centennial Elementary School will attend Coal Ridge Middle School and then move on to Mead High School.
