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A Message from our Principal

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State of Education in Peoria Unified School District and Centennial High School

As the Arizona State Board of Education collaborates to develop the new state assessment, there are questions as to what will take place for our schools. While there are some unknowns with the recent changes, what we can confi-dently say for our student’s future education is: Peoria Unified School District has many people working at the state

level in many areas surrounding the education standards and the new state assessment, AzMERIT.

The College and Career Ready Standards adopted by the Arizona School Board are clear sets of goals which students should know and be able to do at each grade level. These standards are aligned to the ex- pectations of colleges, workforce training programs and employers.

We are committed to these standards and have aligned our curriculum to them. The standards ensure our students will graduate from high school prepared to take credit bearing courses in two or four- year college programs or enter the workforce.

Centennial will continue with high standards that are consistent with clear expectations to ensure that all students have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life upon grad- uation.

The state test, AzMERIT, is designed to measure student achievement in the state standards as the exam is aligned to the breadth and depth of the Language and Math standards.

Centennial High School will continue to prepare our students for post-secondary success as we believe in quality education. Our staff cultivates a cul-ture of achievement that provides opportunity for all students. This culture is reflected in our graduation rate at 97%, a .5% drop out rate, as well as numer-ous honors, advanced placement and dual enrollment courses. Each day our teachers will provide quality instruction as we utilize best practices for literate young adults that fulfill their potential and shape our future. With the end of the semester near, our students need to focus on the standards as they prepare for their course assessments. Persevere, as our academic press is more important now than ever. Students: Good luck as you prepare for final exams; finish strong! As we begin next semester, I urge you to reflect on your actions, strive to be the type of per-son you are proud of and continue to pursue Coyote Pride! On behalf of staff and administration, we wish you a very happy holiday season.

Christine Lopezlira Principal

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From the Desk of … Brett Palmer, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director

From the Desk of ... Holly Medina, Assistant Principal

December is the month for end of course assessments/final exams. All classes will be in exam mode. What does this

mean? It means that it is very important for students to be in attendance and prepared to do well on their course assess-

ments. Please be aware that some courses have multiple strands to their final exam. For example, in World Languages

students are tested in listening, speaking, writing and reading. This might require testing to start at the beginning of De-

cember. All classes are scheduled for final exams on December 17th and 18th. If you have any questions or concerns

about end of course assessments, please feel free to contact your student’s teachers. We wish all our students good

luck as they enter the testing season for end of course assessments/final exams.

Final Exam Schedule

Dec 17 (Wednesday) Final exams for Periods 1 & 2 Period 1 7:20 – 8:45 Period 2 8:55 – 10:20 10:20 dismissal Dec 18 (Thursday) Final exams for Periods 3/4 & 5 Period 3/4 7:20 – 8:45 Period 5 8:55 – 10:20 10:20 dismissal Dec 19 (Friday) Teacher Work day – No School for Students

Dear Coyote Fans,

Centennial just finished up a successful fall sports season, highlighted by the football team winning the Division II State

Championship, and we are now in full swing for winter sports! I encourage all of you to come out and watch the following

sports:

Boys & Girls Basketball

Boys & Girls Soccer

Boys Wrestling

We have some exciting games and tournaments this season and would love to see you there supporting our teams. Please be

sure to visit our athletic website on the school site, as it is packed with all kinds of information and schedules!

Speaking of supporting your Coyotes, please don’t forget to support our student-athletes via tax credit! The Arizona State

Public School Tax Credit Law allows taxpayers a Tax Credit of up to $400 for those filing personal taxes as “married filing

jointly” or $200 for those filing “head of household” or “single” if they contribute to extracurricular activities. An extracurric-

ular activity is an optional, non-credit educational or competitive activity that supplements the education program of the

school and requires a fee for students to participate. Please visit the site to donate online and designate Centennial Athletics!

https://secure.peoriaud.k12.az.us/TaxCredit/

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From the Desk of… Cindy Maas, Assistant Principal

Hello Coyotes,

I hope you are staying healthy this holiday season! I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that any student

that is not up to date with their immunizations or signed an exemption form for various reasons poses the risk of fac-

ing a forced exclusion from school for extended periods of time if there ever is an outbreak of the diseases. An out-

break is one case or more. So if one student or staff member comes down with measles and your child does not have

the proper vaccines, he/she will be forced to miss at least 26 days of school according to the Maricopa County De-

partment of Public Health guidelines.

Also, the nurse’s office is planning on starting the freshmen hearing testing in late January. Please let me know if

you do not want your child tested. The entire process, including rescreening for failed first attempts, will take sev-

eral weeks. Referral letters for failed screenings after two attempts will be sent home after the

screening.

Thank you,

Lisa Alexander, RN, BSN

lialexander@peoriaud.k12.az.us

Special Message From Nurse Lisa

Attendance Matters

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! Students who miss 10 days or more in any semester length class

or five (5) days or more in any nine (9) week class will lose credit for those classes.

That’s right! According to ARS 15-803b, students must attend school 90% of the time for each assigned

class in order to receive credit for that class. The Student Handbook outlines the attendance policy which

can helps parents and students understand the difference between excused absences and unexcused ab-

sences, the consequences for excessive absenteeism, and how to avoid a truancy citation.

In event your child receives notice of loss of credit, he/she will be expected to continue attending class

and doing the work. Upon receipt of the notice, parents can request an appeal of the loss of credit. During

the appeal process, the parent and student may be required to appear before a committee to discuss the

reasons for the absences and determine whether or not credit will be granted. Only students who are pass-

ing the course may appeal for credit.

Parents can use ParentVue to monitor student attendance and grades as well as communicate with teach-

ers about student progress.

CENTENNIAL IS A CLOSED CAMPUS

Students may not leave campus during the school day except with written parent permission for purposes

such as a doctor or dentist visit or other official appointment that cannot be scheduled after school hours.

Students may not drive or walk off campus for lunch.

During lunch, students are expected to remain in authorized lunch locations such as the cafeteria, snack

bar, Hungry Coyote, and outdoor areas enclosed by gates. Areas such as the sports fields, buildings, and

hallways are off limits. Students found in these areas are subject to disciplinary action.

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us on

Centennial Internship Program

What is the Internship Program?

The Centennial Internship Program teaches career skill building, resume and cover letter writing, and interviewing skills through hands-on experience. Students obtain an internship placement and complete 100 hours of off-campus experience in the career field of their choice.

Who can take Internship?

Seniors on campus can take Internship as an elective choice and receive school credit for having an Internship placement!

How do I take Internship?

At Junior class registration, mark Professional Internship as your elective choice. You can also make an appointment with your counselor.

Additional questions ?

Please contact the Internship Coordinator, Mrs. Susan Leon at suleon@peoriaud.k12.az.us or 623-412-4400.

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Happy Holidays,

Although the holiday season is full of love and good-will toward man, some only see opportunity. The streets, stores and parking lots will be full soon so please be careful.

While out and about, be aware of your environment and scan the area from time to time. Avoid concentrating so hard on shopping that you fail to keep track of your surroundings, others near you, or your personal property. If you must shop in the evening, shop with a friend.

Always lock your vehicle and if you must leave valuable items in your car while you’re out, place the items out of sight before reaching your destination. If you drive an SUV or other vehicle without a trunk, place the items on the floor and cover them with a blanket. Try to park in well-lit areas whenever possible or close to the store as many have surveil-lance cameras but most have limited coverage.

If you prefer to shop online, consider using pre-paid credit cards or PayPal for online purchases; avoid using a debit card. This protects your personal credit card information and reduces the risk of fraud. Check your statements even more frequently this time of year and report any discrepancies to the issuer immediately.

Don't advertise what gifts you’ve received by putting the big empty boxes out on trash day. Break the boxes down and stuff them in the trash can or take them to the dump yourself.

Wishing you Happy Holidays and all the best in the New Year.

Ofc. Dave Fernandez #7727

School Resource Officer

GUIDANCE CORNER

This semester has flown by and we have been busy meeting with the entire

student body in various settings to review transcripts, go over graduation requirements,

talk about college and career plans and for the 1st time ever, we held a one day school-

wide registration. Please ask your students for the information that they have received

from their counselors and please make sure that they have turned in their

ECAP/registration paperwork for the 2015-2016 school year (the due date was Novem-

ber 21st). You can also find all of this information and more on the guidance page of

Centennial’s website.

As the semester comes to a close, encourage your students to finish strong by

studying for their final exams, turning in missing work and talking with their teachers

if they are struggling in any of their classes. Just a reminder, if they don't meet compe-

tency in a class, it will either be put back in their schedule for next semester (if there is

room in the class), or they will have the opportunity to make up that credit in other set-

tings. Your student's counselor can go over those options with you.

When we return on January 5th, your student will need to pick up their 2nd

semester schedule in the cafeteria before school starts (6:50am). The schedule will be

on a colored sheet of paper and will be their "ticket" into their classrooms.

Have a wonderful holiday break with family and friends and we will see you in 2015!

CeHS Guidance Department

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STUDENT DIRECTED ONE-ACTS

WILL BE ON DECEMBER 12TH IN

THE CeHS AUDITORIUM

ADMISSION:$5.00

REMINDER: WE DO NOT

ACCEPT HOLIDAY DELIVERIES

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BOYS SOCCER

DEC. 1&2 Goldwater Tourney Peoria

DEC. 9 Boulder Creek Home

DEC. 15 Sandra Day Away

DEC. 16 Prescott Away

DEC. 19-23 Liberty Tourney TBD

GIRLS SOCCER

DEC. 1-6 Tourney of Champs Horizon

DEC. 9 Boulder Creek Away

DEC. 12 Liberty Home

DEC. 15 Sandra Day Home

DEC. 29-JAN 1 AZ Soccer Showcase

BOYS BASKETBALL

DEC. 2 CACTUS AWAY

DEC. 5 LA JOYA AWAY

DEC. 9 SUNRISE MTN. HOME

DEC.11 MESA HS HOME

DEC. 16 IRONWOOD HOME

DEC. 26, 27, 29, 30 Judy Dixon Tourney

TBD

GIRLS BASKETBALL

DEC. 2 COCONINO HOME

DEC. 8 SUNNYSLOPE HOME

DEC.10 ALHAMBRA AWAY

DEC. 12 WESTWOOD HOME

DEC. 16 IRONWOOD AWAY

DEC. 18 SUNNYSLOPE HOME

WRESTLING

DEC. 6 (JV;FR) Sierra Linda Tourney SLHS

DEC. 9 (FR) SMHS, SUNN, La Jolla La Jolla H.S.

DEC. 10 (V;JV) Hayden, Chavez Cesar Chavez H.S.

DEC. 11 (V) Sandra Day O’Connor SDO H.S.

DEC. 18 (V;JV) Alhambra & Willow Canyon W.C. H.S.

DEC. 19 (FR) All district schools Ironwood H.S.

DEC. 19-20 (V) Moon Valley Invite Moon Valley H.S.

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STUDENT COUNCIL

SOUNDS OF THE SEASONS

We’re so excited for this upcoming holiday

season. We can't wait to share with the

student body and staff all the wonderful

things we have in store for you and

our community . We are adopting

less fortunate families in and around our

community by providing them with

a dinner, canned food and other necessities,

as well as gifts for each member of the family.

In order to fund this event, we’re continuing the

tradition of the annual Penny War! The students and staff collect coins and

compete against each other’s classes. Each family ‘s gift’s will be hand

delivered to their house by members of our staff and student body. For all

of us involved, we truly believe this is one of the most rewarding

Experiences of the entire year. HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM STUDENT

COUNCIL!