Dear Centennial High School Community,
I want to share how proud I am of the staff and students of Centennial High School. The Remembrance Day Ceremonies this morning were truly exceptional. They were poignant, emotional. Our student emcees, musicians, vocalists, technical crew, ushers and colour guard were terrific, as was our piper – student teacher Thomas Farquharson from the University of Calgary.
Once again, several Coyote alumni joined our Symphonic Band, led as always by Gloria Laurendeau – whose vision and heart have been at the core of our Remembrance Day ceremonies for many years. Staff member Nicole Nielsen shared the captivating and inspiring story of her grandfather’s experience during the Second World War, and of the importance of honouring the legacy of those who have served. The musical pieces, soloists, speakers, slide presentations – all of it together was just beautiful.
Once again this year, dozens of community members joined us as guests this morning, including several veterans. It is a humbling experience to stand, lump in throat, while being thanked by seniors and veterans for allowing them to be guests in our school. I am exceptionally grateful for how much care our school community puts into this important event, and I am honoured to teach in a school where students recognize the gravity of certain events – always carrying themselves with maturity and respect when it matters most.
On behalf of the staff and students of Centennial High School, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all of our veterans and to those serving in the Canadian Forces. Thank you as well to the dedicated care workers who support our seniors in residences throughout the community. Thank you for ensuring that our most senior community members were able to be here in person – to experience the beautiful music, song, and sentiments of our students and staff.
Please read on for some important updates:
Dinner Theatre Pre-Ticket Sale Sign-Up (Deadline Tomorrow!)
- We hope to offer a Dinner Theatre experience for The Play That Goes Wrong on Wednesday, December 11
- Dinner will be at 5:00pm, followed by the 7:00pm performance
- Tickets for the full Dinner Theatre Experience (dinner and the show) are $25
- For this event to go ahead we need to pre-book 50 tickets by tomorrow (Friday, November 8)
- Please fill out this google form if you would like to sign up for Dinner Theatre tickets: https://forms.gle/gVjY8Qa2x36hrNTk9
- Once we confirm that the Dinner Theatre event will proceed, ticket payment details will be provided via email after November 14
Donations to our Centennial Book Sale
- Students from the Centennial Book Club and Green Earth Club are eagerly seeking your gently used books for an upcoming sale in December
- You can drop off your books in the designated donation boxes during the month of November
- Please do not bring textbooks, parenting books, or inappropriate materials
- Book sales will take place the first two weeks of December during lunch and before each performance of the school play
- All proceeds from this book sale will go towards supporting the Centennial Brown Bag Breakfast and Lunch program, which supports students experiencing food insecurity
Tomorrow is the CBE System Indigenous Education Professional Learning Day
· There are no classes tomorrow (Friday, November 8), as it is a Non-Instruction Day
· Centennial staff will be engaging in important learning tomorrow, as we continue to move forward in the name of Truth and Reconciliation
· We also wish to acknowledge and honour the memory of Murray Sinclair, who passed away on Monday, November 4
· Murray Sinclair, a former senator and the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba, was an extraordinary advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples
· Mr. Sinclair’s work chairing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has led to great awareness and change throughout Canada, including helping to inform and inspire the values of the Calgary Board of Education
Remembrance Day & Fall Break
· Monday, November 11 is Remembrance Day – the school is closed
· Tuesday and Wednesday (November 12 & 13), the school is also closed due to the CBE Fall Break
· Classes resume on Thursday, November 14
Thank You Coaches
· Our Fall Athletic season wrapped up last night
· We want to congratulate all Coyote Fall athletes for their contributions to our school community through sport
· A huge thank you to all of our coaches – teachers, support staff, community volunteers – without YOU so selflessly volunteering countless hours of your time, there would be no high school athletics.
Thank you for reading. All of us at Centennial wish our students a restful and rejuvenating Fall Break, and all of you reading a fantastic weekend.
Sincerely,
Joe Sturgeon
Principal
Centennial High School