Dear Centennial High School Community,

We are now three days into Semester 2, with lots going on in the ever-complex world of high school.  Please read below for several important updates.

Short Survey to Share Your Voice!

• Please consider offering your feedback on the School Development Plan, Budget and Fees at Centennial High School by completing a 10 – 15 minute survey
• The survey can be accessed at this link: Centennial High School Planning Engagement Survey
• The survey is open now, and closes March 3

Yearbooks – Purchase Deadline February 14

• The Yearbook Club is looking for photos of Centennial sporting events or other photos that capture student life!
• If you have any photos that you would like to share with Yearbook, please upload them to the following link using your child's @educbe.ca email account: https://forms.gle/3r7oqJcGapegawK2A  
• Yearbooks cost $50, and the deadline to purchase one is February 14
• You can purchase a 2023/2024 yearbook through your MyCBE account: https://sis.cbe.ab.ca/public/home.html

Black History Month

• February is Black History Month
• Our school community, led by our Elevate Diversity club, continues to meaningfully promote diversity at CHS
• Please join us in honouring the legacy of Black Canadians

Call Out for Casino Volunteers

• As you may know, casino funds have become vital supports to school programming
• Our next casino night is Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino
• Please consider signing up for a shift to support our Athletics, Music, and overall programming
• You can sign up for a shift at this link: Casino Volunteer Sign Up

Debate Club off to a Great Start!

• A big congratulations to the students of our brand new debate club!
• Even though a new club at Centennial, our debaters have already competed and are racking up wins and accolades!
• Thank you Ms. Tay for creating and supporting another great opportunity for Centennial students

Textbook/Library Book Return

• Please remind your child to return all Semester 1 textbooks and library books to the Learning Commons asap
• Students cannot sign out new books until they have returned all outstanding ones

 

As I sign off and wish you a fantastic weekend, I would like to share some thoughts.  This is my 25^th year as a teacher.  As I tell every student teacher who ever walks into Centennial, I have not once – not ever – resented or regretted the fact that I “have to” go to work.  Yes, in over two decades I have seen and experienced a significant amount of hatred, and I have witnessed intense sadness and unspeakable tragedy.  Students have been mocked because they practice a faith, or because of what faith they practice, or because they don’t practice a faith at all.  They have been teased because of learning disabilities.  They have been body shamed, bullied, excluded.  Students and staff have been labelled and ostracized because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or just for the way they choose to be in this world.  Individuals and groups have been racialized.  I have seen prejudice and racism reveal themselves in awful, discriminatory ways.

AND, I have seen great moments of beauty, kindness, hope.  These moments happen every single day – with far more frequency than the terrible things.  John F. Kennedy once stated that he was “an idealist without illusions”.  I feel similarly.  I recognize that we are facing significant challenges in our world, as we always have.  These are not easy times.  Still, I believe in our students, our greater community, and our future.  In every school I have ever worked in the vast majority of students, parents and guardians have been extraordinarily thoughtful, generous, compassionate people.  And I am proud to say that in each of these schools the vast majority of my colleagues have done and continue to do their absolute best – each and every day – to help every single human being in our community feel safe, supported, and celebrated.  That is an essential element of public education.  At Centennial High School, we will always be here for all students, and for our greater community, as we work to help this remarkable generation of kids make the world a better place.

 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Joe Sturgeon

Principal Centennial High School