School Update - October 6

Dear Centennial High School Community,

Today we wrapped up Spirit Week, with themed days organized by our Leadership program to enhance school spirit.  Also this week, our Broadcast Journalism class shared the third “Yotes Social” episode of the year, informing and entertaining our school. Today the Senior Football team held a mini pep rally, ahead of their big game tonight, and many classes made it outside to enjoy this beautiful autumn weather.  It is great to see our new students beginning to feel at home here at Centennial. 

Ahead of Thanksgiving Weekend we wanted to provide you with some very important updates (below), including information on booking Student Progress Conferences.  Please remember that Monday, October 9 is Thanksgiving Day, so the school will be closed.

Student Progress Conferences – October 19 & 20

  • Student Progress Conferences will be in person on Thursday, October 19 (4:30 – 8:00pm) and online via Microsoft Teams Friday, October 20 (9:00am – 1:00pm)
  • Parents/Guardians will be able to book appointments beginning Monday, October 9 @ 8:00am and will close on Thursday, October 19 at 7:00am
  • *Bookings can be made through your myCBE account (select Book and Manage Meeting Times)
  • If you do not yet have a myCBE account instructions for creating one are below in this Messenger
  • *Note that October 9 is not a school day, but bookings will open then

Donate your books to the Centennial Book Sale!

  • The Centennial Book Club is eagerly seeking your gently used books for an upcoming sale in December
  • You can drop off your books in the designated donation boxes from October 15 to November 15, including during Student Progress Conferences!
  • The proceeds from this book sale will go towards supporting the Centennial breakfast and lunch program, which helps students experiencing food insecurity
  • Your book donations can make a meaningful difference – please consider supporting this worthy cause

Fees Link

Student Demographic Verifications & Annual Authorization Forms

  • If you have not yet signed up for a Parent PowerSchool/myCBE account, please do so as soon as possible
  • This is an essential tool to view report cards, attendance, mark updates, book Student Progress Conferences, etc. 
  • This account is also used to access SchoolEngage, which is where Student Demographic Verifications and Annual Authorization forms must be completed for every student annually (please ensure that you have updated these forms for your child(ren) for this current school year)
  • If you do not have a MyCBE account, on the myCBE page click on Create a myCBE Account
  • For online help refer to myCBE - Creating an Account, which includes instructions and an instructional video

Outcomes-Based Assessment

As many of you are aware, the Calgary Board of Education has been working for years on updating reporting and assessment practices at the high school level.  This school year all CBE high schools are implementing Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA) practices for at least some Grade 10 courses.  This message is to share details about what that means at Centennial.

Teachers have always taught and assessed the curricular outcomes of courses they teach, and at Centennial our assessment practices have historically been accurate, rigorous and thoughtful.  Our implementation of OBA will not change the standard of excellence we maintain.  Rather, the CBE-wide OBA mandate is intended to continue to advance student voice in their learning and understanding, as well as clarity for students regarding areas of strength, areas of growth, and strategies to move their learning to the next level.

We have been very intentional and measured as we proceed towards OBA implementation at Centennial.  Our Learning Leaders and larger teaching staff have engaged with administration for years, quietly and diligently forging plans to ensure that the changes in ways some course grades are calculated is clear and fair.  It is important to us, and to our school community, that change involving assessment is logical and well-communicated.  We believe we are in a good place and that the transition we are embarking upon will be successful. 

At Centennial High School, the courses currently implementing OBA are English 10-1, Math 10-C, Science 10, and Social Studies 10-1.  If your child is in any of these classes this semester, you will have received (or will receive) a School Messenger from their teacher explaining OBA and what it means in the context of that specific class.

Information About Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA)

What is OBA?

  • Outcomes-Based Assessment measures a student’s performance of key course Outcomes.  An Outcome describes what a student is expected to know and be able to do within a particular course.  OBA means that students will receive assessment information that allows them to track their achievement on specific course Outcomes while still providing an overall percentage grade for the course. 

Why is OBA used? 

  • Outcomes-based assessment encourages students to take an active role in their learning, which increases engagement and motivation
  • OBA provides students with opportunities to develop, demonstrate, check and refine their understand of learning outcomes
  • OBA enables teachers to assess a student’s understanding and achievement of curricular Outcomes in a more focused and less task-related manner

How do I access my child’s assessment information?

  • MyCBE provides a variety of information about how your child is doing, including day-to-day assignment and task information (which may include rubrics, task descriptions, individual student feedback and/or assignment grades)
  • MyCBE also provides overall course achievement information (which is still reported using percentage grades)

To help get a better understanding of outcomes-based assessment and what this means for your child, the CBE provides a number of resources, including:

We will have many conversations about assessment with you, your child and teachers over time.  Please speak to your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns about your child’s learning. 


Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.  I would like to express my gratitude to each of you for entrusting your children in our school, and for working alongside us as we seek to make the world a better place.

Sincerely, 

Joe Sturgeon - Principal