Centennial Community:
I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. As you are already aware, our school system has spent these months in work groups to address what school will look like for the school year 2020-21 in consideration of the global pandemic, and in the past two weeks, many important decisions have been made. This message is dedicated entirely to covering a number of logistical details.
SCHOOL CALENDAR: To begin, the school system calendar, including start dates and school closings for holidays have been adjusted. The first student day has been pushed back to September 8, 2020. Please take some time to review the adjusted calendar and to make adjustments to your travel plans accordingly. In particular, take a look at the dates for spring break as well as the last possible day for the school year.
SCHOOL SCHEDULE and STUDENT COURSE REQUESTS: Schools will operate virtually for Semester 1 following a 4x4 semester schedule. This scheduling format will allow students to enroll in eight courses as opposed to the seven they usually take in the traditional schedule. In a 4x4, students take four courses each semester. Full credit courses are taken every day for two quarters. Half credit courses will be taken and completed in a quarter.
To fill student schedules, we have added courses in consideration of the following factors:
Student participation in a performance group (band, chorus, orchestra, theater, dance). These students will see they will now earn double credit for their courses and will take the courses for the full year.
Students enrolled in an ARL program will be enrolled in those courses year long.
Students who require additional support in core content areas may have been scheduled to take a tutorial course.
Students who were signed up to be student assistants have had that request removed as this will not be an option for the coming school year.
Students who had alternate requests for the same course, but a different level of rigor, had one of those two course requests removed.
Students will be able to view their current course requests at some point this week - I will email you as soon as you are able to access that feature. If you see a discrepancy in the requests listed, we will need you to immediately submit a course change request using the Centennial High School Course Request Change Form SY 2020-2021. Please note, students MUST BE LOGGED IN TO THEIR HCPSS EMAIL ACCOUNT TO ACCESS, COMPLETE, AND SUBMIT THE FORM. Requests for access to the form from email addresses that are not HCPSS accounts will not be accepted.
The 4x4 schedule presents us with the opportunity to offer courses that had to be cancelled due to limited enrollment and to open sections of other courses that were at capacity. Expanded elective selections at CHS include, but are not limited to, the following:
Academic Seminar (1 credit) [Focus on organization, study skills, and academic support. Not for students w/IEPs] (1 credit)
African American History (.5 credit)
African American Literature (.5 credit)
AP Mastery Seminar (1 credit) [Review course, not weighted.]
AP Seminar (.5 credit) [Review course, not weighted. Offered Q4.]
Astronomy (1 credit)
Environmental Science (1 credit)
European History (1 credit)
German 1 (1 credit)
Law and the Citizen (.5 credit)
Marine Science (1credit)
Women's Studies (.5 credit)
World Religions (.5 credit)
Release Time - Dual Enrollment/College (1 or more credits - must be enrolled one or more CHS course per semester)
Release Time - Other (1 or more credits depending on grade level - must be enrolled in 2 courses per semester).
Other
Students may also want to schedule time for study and work completion. Therefore, we will offer a study course first semester and an AP test prep course second semester. These two course offerings are non-weighted, although attendance and grades will count toward total GPA. Students who select one of these courses should be able to work independently in a structured setting. Additional tutorials and math/language arts seminars are provided for goal/content specific needs and students can register for these courses in consultation with a counselor; these courses are helpful for students who may need continuous math or English Language Arts instruction over the course of a full-year. If you are interested in a specific content seminar course, please reach out to your counselor as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
ATHLETICS: Many of you have asked about athletics and extra-curricular activities as well as the SAT administration scheduled for August. At this time, HCPSS is hoping to communicate these changes any day now. I know this delay has been frustrating, but decisions about athletics are outside of the control of each individual high school.
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION: High School Orientation for the new school year will be held virtually on Thursday, September 3 in the morning. Specific times will be sent to you in mid-August.
REFUNDS: At this point, we believe we have refunded all monies due to be returned to families that have been requested by our staff as a result of the school closure. If you are still waiting for a refund, please contact the teacher in charge of the event you paid for to inquire about the status of your refund. Please be aware that several refund checks that we mailed this month were returned undeliverable. So, if you have moved, please contact our registrar to update your home address.
MATERIALS COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION: Our last big hurdle before school opens in September will be textbook returns. Once student schedules are finalized, issuing a new set of textbooks will need to be coordinated, although some digital sources may supplement instruction in the upcoming school year. If you've used any of the extra time at home for cleaning, hopefully, you and your student have located and put aside all school materials so the turn-in will be an easy check-off with no fees for lost items. Canvas will still be the primary vehicle for instructional materials, assignments, calendar and grades so every student should be able to fully utilize this platform.
TECHNOLOGY REQUESTS: As we move into August, the school system will be sending out instructions for requesting technology (laptops and/or hotspots) for families in need. We will send you an update as soon as the system begins accepting requests for the fall term. For more information about technology and internet access, please visit: https://help.hcpss.org/technology/ or contact a member of our front office staff.
CLASS OF 2020: Please continue to celebrate the Class of 2020 as they begin a post-secondary journey that for many of them is different from the traditional college drop-off. We will be coordinating with representatives of that class to ensure we are able to deliver on our promise for an eventual in-person celebration. We will also be holding diploma cover pick-up dates over the next two weeks. Email will be sent directly to our newly graduated class directly with those dates.
Now more than ever, we need to ensure the members of our community are observing best practices for the safety and well being of our Eagle families and friends. Physical distancing, use of face masks, and fastidious sanitary practices are factors that may become the ‘new normal’ as we move from virtual learning to hybrid and face-to-face environments. They also may be the factors that tip the scale toward student and staff reunification.
As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me or any other member of our staff. We are here to help you as we navigate these adjustments together.
Well wishes,
Cindy Dillon, Principal