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THE OBSERVER YOUR DISTRICT COMMUNITY NEWS Preparing for Success in the 21st Century Centennial teaches knowledge and RISING TO CHALLENGES National Honor Society (NHS) skills necessary for success in the AND OPPORTUNITIES recognizes students’ accomplish- 21st century. Here’s a snapshot of College Board’s Advanced ments. More than just an honor inside and outside-the-classroom Placement Program (AP) helps roll, NHS honors students who have opportunities that challenge prepare students for college. demonstrated excellence in the areas knowledge and reward excellence: Rigorous college-level courses are of scholarship, leadership, community offered to prepare students for service and character. Seventy-five SOLVING REAL-WORLD juniors and seniors were inducted CHALLENGES Project Lead the Way leads NONPROFIT ORG. POSTAGE U.S. PAID CIRCLE PINES, MN 8 PERMIT NO. students to career exploration. In a Project Lead the Way class- “ Whether students gain AP exam credit or not, they room students solve real-world are guaranteed to build the skills required to succeed challenges by using science, technology, engineering and in any post-secondary environment.” mathematics to explore, design, build and put ideas to the test. Kelly Flohaug, Centennial High School Teacher, AP Microeconomics “By introducing Project Lead the Way, we are opening more doors for students to possible careers in success on AP Exams, allowing these fields,” said Scott Johnson, students to earn college credit, in January, for a total of 137 students Director of Teaching and Learning. advanced placement, or both. in Centennial’s chapter. The program is underway at the In 2013, 538 students took 772 Middle School and will begin at AP exams. Joseph Bourdage (12) Students continue to learn past the High School this fall. and Peter Winegar (’13) were the school day in Knowledge named National AP Scholars, Bowl (KB). One of many after- Future Problem Solving Program with an average score of 4.94. school activity choices at the develops critical thinking skills. Middle School, KB is an interdisci- DISTRICT OFFICE DISTRICT ROAD NORTH 4707 CIRCLE PINES MN 55014 Students in fourth through twelfth Seniors demonstrate outstanding plinary academic competition that grades put their problem solving potential for academic success promotes academic achievement skills to the test at the Regional through the National Merit and rewards excellence. Students Bowl held at Rice Lake Elementary. Scholarship Program. Commended “train” to compete in KB competi- Two hundred students, from 15 students, Collin Bornhoft, Julia tions where students’ recall and schools, competed to solve Debuhr, Daniel Gentilini, Michael problem solving abilities, critical problems relating to “Surveillance Nardecchia, Joshua Nelson and thinking skills and teamwork skills Society.” Five of the seven Centen- Anna Nordin, are among the top are tested. Questions are typical nial teams, plus one individual, 5% of more than 1.5 million of middle grades and secondary qualified to compete at the State students who have taken the educational programs. Centennial Bowl in March. SAT/National Merit Scholarship took first place out of 49 teams Qualifying Test. at the Metro Grand Finale Meet this winter. MARCH ISSUE | 2014 ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN BEGINS FALL 2014 OPT-IN TO RECEIVE INFORMATION BY TEXT CALL FOR CENTENNIAL HALL You can subscribe to the Testing Twitter feed by Following @ISD12Testing. Centennial will provide all day kindergarten, every day and If you want to be notified of emergency, weather-related school closing information and important OF FAME NOMINATIONS at no cost to parents, for the 2014-2015 school year. If you announcements from the District by text on your wireless device, the District must have your cell phone Recognize an outstanding graduate or community member See the District website to read tweets and have registration questions, please contact Margaret Boyd at number(s), and you must indicate your willingness to receive messages. Log on to Parent Portal to for their outstanding accomplishments or impact on the view a timeline of when results are available 763.792.6006. See www.isd12.org for more information. verify numbers the District has on file. District. Nomination information will be posted online at www.isd12.org/academics-activities/ after April 1 at www.isd12.org. teaching-learning/assessments. You will not receive messages by text until you opt-in with School Messenger. Text one of these words, subscribe, optin, yes to 68453. Repeat this process for all wireless numbers the District has on file. A registration confirmation message will be sent to you by the SchoolMessenger Notification Center. DISTRICT OFFICE 4707 North Road | Circle Pines | MN 55014 | 763.792.6000 INSIDE CENTENNIAL school news from the superintendent from We hope you enjoy the new format of The Observer. Find news TACKLING HUNGER FOOD DRIVE CONTINUES WITH on our schools, students, staff and Fourth grade students researched GOAL OF 3,000 ITEMS DONATED community support, all with a new local organizations to learn what Over the past five months students, look. We also modified the logo they are doing to address hunger, staff and families of Blue Heron and added a tagline that describes then came up with their own have donated 1,000 food shelf the educational experience at solutions: a walk for hunger, items. The goal is to collect 3,000 Centennial: a three-day food drive and hot items for individuals in the Centennial chocolate stand. The project community, a drive organized Connect. Achieve. Prepare. was part of the 21st century by the student council. The class where the focus is on community is welcome to drop As you read through the news, communication, collaboration, off non-perishable items in the see examples of how our students creativity and critical thinking. school office, or if you know of connect with each other and in a Blue Heron student, send your their communities. Read about Students explore the world in the Passport Club. Fifth grader Lokeng Moua items with the child to school. how our students, at all levels, is tested on geography knowledge. In achieve, are challenged inside January, 69 students were proficient in and outside the classroom, and naming and locating 25 countries and five world capitals. how Centennial students prepare for the future as they solve real world problems. AROUND THE WORLD School Board Members Karen The Passport Club is helping 500 Lodico and Suzy Guthmueller students in grades one through and I gave a presentation on five better understand the world branding and marketing to a and what goes on within the nearly standing room-only audience at 200 independent nations. Teachers the annual Minnesota School Board introduce maps and countries to Association in January. We shared their students at the beginning with our peers the importance of Rice Lake Elementary students walk of the month and challenge the for hunger to raise awareness. They students (and families!) to learn communicating, telling the story also collected 1,000 pounds of food about the wonderful things that and raised $539 to help fight hunger locations and pronunciations of in our communities. the world’s countries and capitals. go on in our schools. CHANGE A LIFE…DONATE! The Passport Club is funded by Do you want to change someone’s In order to continue to prepare Centennial Gifted Services and the life? Well, you can! All you have to our students for success, a Centerville Parent Organization. do is donate. Mr. Gutbrod’s 5th Grade comprehensive facility study is Thanks to all the volunteers Class is working with the Circle-Lex underway to develop a long-term who help make this a rewarding Lions Club to collect and donate plan for our schools. This study is experience for the students. CHILDREN’S IMAGINATIONS no longer used eyeglasses. We are in concert with our strategic plan GET FIRED UP! trying to help people in developing to move the District forward, to countries who can’t afford and need better educate our students and Students at Centennial Elementary eyeglasses. You can donate now to continue creating those great assembled for the Mad Science to the end of the 2013-2014 school stories about Centennial. Fire and Ice scientific demonstra- tions. Mad Science is a unique, year. If you choose to change a life, GOLDEN LAKE RAISES FUNDS please send your donation to Blue Thanks to Centennial families, hands-on science experience for FOR ITS MENTOR PROGRAM Heron Elementary, c/o Mr. Gutbrod’s students and the community children that are as entertaining as Mentors and mentees at Golden 5th Grade Class. One pair of eye- for all that you do. they are educational. The assembly was paid for by Target Take Charge Lake Elementary were in the com- glasses is the ticket to change a munity packing groceries to raise life. We appreciate everyone who Brian Dietz of Education donations. funds for MWorks, which includes can donate. We hope you can help Superintendent of Schools 125 mentor/mentee relationships. change a life this year! Thank you. - Written by Claire Peloquin This project, in its 21st year with Mr. Gotbrod, has resulted in the recycling of thousands of pairs of eyeglasses. Just last year our Lions club turned in almost 900 pairs of glasses from his class as well as from a number of recycle locations at area businesses. Thanks to Claire for writing this and for the support of Centennial Schools so this program will continue to improve the lives of people in underdevel- oped countries. - Circle Pines-Lexington Lions Club Scientists use dry ice to shower Centennial Elementary students with Mentors and mentees paired up to bag clouds and extinguish fire in the Mad groceries at Cub Foods. Monies raised Science Fire and Ice demonstrations. will support the Golden Lake Elementary mentor program and activities designed to give kids a boost of self-confidence.