Welcome to the Centennial HS PTSA Website

Revolutionary Classroom Campaign

Classrooms have looked suspiciously the same for 200 years. Together, we can change that. Visit A Revolutionary Classroom to learn more!

Proctors Needed for AP Exams

Advanced Placement exams will take place in May, and several volunteers are needed. Each exam time will vary, but the average time will be 3.5 hrs. We would like to schedule volunteers for 4 hr. shifts but if you are only able to be there for 2 hrs., we can schedule some split shifts. Report time for the 8:00 a.m. exams will be 7:30 a.m., and report time for the 12:00 p.m. exams will be 11:30 a.m. All of the exams below will be in the Band Room at CHS. Please contact Ellen Rickles if you can help. See Volunteering Tab for more details.

Senior Parents: FAFSA Now Available

ALL College-Bound Seniors Should Complete for Financial Aid Opportunities!! The Office of Federal Student Aid recently released the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2013-14 academic year. Completing the new FAFSA is the first step in accessing more than $150 billion available in federal student aid, including grants, loans, and work-study funds. In addition, many states and colleges use FAFSA data to determine student eligibility for state and institution-based aid. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa.

Recent blog post outlines five reasons to complete the FAFSA and provide answers to the top three questions about the FAFSA.

PTSA Senior Volunteer Scholarship Opportunity!

Each year the Centennial High School PTSA offers several $500 scholarships recognizing exceptional dedication to volunteerism among the senior class students. These scholarships will be awarded to up to eight students who best exemplify the PTSA's ideals of outstanding commitment of service to others in our school, community and world. Applications are due Monday, April 8th, 2012. For more information and details on how to apply, see details on the Senior Page.

Driver's Education is Now Optional

For those who don't want their student to have the minimum state-required training, simply wait until your student is 17, and driver's education is no longer required to get their license.

If your student wants to drive when they're 16, they must satisfy the absolute minimum requirements by completing the first half of driver training which focuses on what the lines and signs mean, and how to operate the vehicle. It requires 76 hours of training, broken down as follows: 30 hours of DDS classroom, 6 hours of DDS behind the wheel, and 40 hours of parent-supervised driving.

For those who want their student to have more than the minimum required training, they may complete the second half of driver training which prepares them for life or death driving situation by practicing how to maximize on braking and maneuverability without losing control of the vehicle or themselves. It requires 8 hours training broken down as follows: 3 hours classroom and 5 hours behind the wheel.

The Accident Avoidance Workshops offers this training, all of which counts towards the 40 hour Joshua's Law requirement. Additionally, they provide an additional 20 exercises to work on with your student, each addressing a critical area of new-driver development, which is NOT covered in driver's ed, that will help accumulate the 40 hours mentioned above.

The Workshops are coming right to Centennial High School this April. Click here for more information and for a complete schedule, or call 770-262-7009. If you are ready to register you may click here.

A-1 Driving School Course

A-1 Driving School, a CHS Business Partner, is offering a Drivers Education/Joshua's Law Course after school at CHS on March 12-14 and on March 19-21, from 4:00 to 7:20 p.m.

The cost of the 30 hour course is $125. For the 30 hour course and 6 hours of driving lessons the price is $349. You can enroll for the course by calling (770) 603-3320 or visiting A-1's website www.a1drivingschools.com. See the flyer for more details.

PTSA Co-Presidents' Letter

Welcome back to CHS for the second semester! We've got lots of exciting things planned for the winter and spring, but one of the keys is identifying new volunteers to take leadership roles in the PTSA for next year (2013-14). You will vote on the Nominating Committee during the (mercifully short) General PTSA meeting which will be held at 6:15 p.m. in the CHS Cafeteria, prior to the Dual Enrollment meeting which takes place there on AP Night. There will be plenty of opportunities available for you to get involved, so stay tuned for more information in email blasts and on our website.

If you haven't had a chance to join our PTSA before winter break, please take a moment now to do so. Our membership numbers are down from last year and we suspect that some of you believe you joined online, but may have forgotten. If you aren't sure if you have joined, drop Karen an email and she'll let you know. Membership funds (our only large fundraiser) are vital for us to provide all the programs that benefit our students throughout the year.

Thanks so much for your continued involvement at CHS. Together, we will make a difference! --Best wishes, Karen LeCates & Rebekah Lignugaris, PTSA Co-Presidents !

Laptop Computer Loan Program

Is a new laptop computer on your student's holiday list? If you end up with a surplus laptop, please consider donating that machine to the CHS Media Center. Many CHS students don't have a computer at home and can't always get their schoolwork done on the computers at school during the hours that the computer labs are open, given their busy school, work, and extracurricular schedules. With the help of the CHS community, the Media Center would like to put together a program that would allow students to check out laptop computers. (Students would need to get parental permission and agree to pay a fee if the computer is lost, just like they would if they were checking out a book and didn't return it.) As teachers add more technological assignments, computer access is becoming ever more important for our students.

We can put your old computers to good use! Consider businesses or friends/family that may have laptops to donate as well. For more information and to make donations, please contact Marie Yelvington, Yelvington@fultonschools.org.

PTSA Nominating Committee Announcement

The CHS PTSA By-Laws require us to elect an ad hoc committee of three PTSA members (and one alternate) who will be charged with recommending a slate of officers for the 2013-2014 CHS PTSA Board. This ad hoc committee will be elected at the General PTSA meeting held immediately prior to AP Night (tentatively scheduled for January 30) and will formally present their slate at the April General PTA meeting. Any CHS PTSA member who is interested in serving on this committee should contact one of this year's PTSA co-Presidents, Karen LeCates (678-644-1101; karenlecates@gmail.com) or Rebekah Lignugaris (404-234-3917; rebekahlig@gmail.com) by December 7, 2012.

Congratulations 2012 Reflections Winners!

The following Reflection entries will advance to the North Fulton County Council. These entries will be judged against other North Fulton County high schools and the winners will advance to the district level. Elisa Watanabe - Literature, 12th grade
Gina Matarazzo - Film Production, 12th grade
Nick Sheridan - Photography, 12th grade (two entries)
Daniella Rodriguez - Literature,11th grade
Chase Rosenberg - Literature, 12th grade
Katherine Tuggle - Visual Arts, 11th grade Congratulations! If you have any questions, please contact Richard Raeside, PTSA Vice President, Academic Enrichment, rraeside@comcast.net.

CHS PTSA Mini Grants Announced for 2012-2013

The Mini Grant Committee met in October and reviewed a record number of applications. Congratulations to everyone! Below are the proposals that will be funded this year. We are excited about these programs and how they will enhance learning for all of our students. If you have any questions regarding the Mini Grant Program, please contact Jackie Parks, PTSA Mini Grant Chairperson, parksg@bellsouth.net.

1. Book of the Month Raffle 2. "The Economist" Magazine 3. Science Calculators 4. ESOL Visual Aid Materials 5. Turnitin.com 6. Walsh Algebra Program 7. DBQ Project/World History 8. BCL Workshop 9. Science IPAD

$300.00 $388.80 $308.00 $100.00 $2,302.50 $2,272.00 $550.00 $300.00 $500.00

10. "MacBeth" Presentation 11. AP Human Geography Guide 12. Literacy Recovery Curriculum 13. International Night 14. Breman Museum Trip 15. New Student Program 16. "The Week" Magazine 17. LGPE Chorus Event 18. "The Hobbit"

$400.00 $839.16 $350.00 $300.00 $84.00 $150.00 $392.27 $400.00 $60.00

Planning to travel? Check this first.

If you are planning to travel during the school year, please review your child's attendance record first. Fulton County Schools' attendance policy (online and in your child's agenda) clearly outlines the accepted excuses for absences and what a parent may do if s/he anticipates an absence that is not listed. Please note that in order to have any planned absence excused, a letter from the parent must be submitted to the principal PRIOR to the planned absence. The principal may or may not approve the absence. As well, if your child has missed 10 or more total days of school this year, you may be asked to provide medical notes for additional absences to be considered excused (in accordance with Fulton County's attendance policy). Please reconsider scheduling your family travel/vacation time to coincide with school breaks and avoid missed class time whenever possible. Thank you for your assistance in keeping your student in class for instruction.

Testing and Educational Reference Center

Centennial's awesome test prep database, Testing and Educational Reference Center (TERC), is loaded with information on colleges, technical schools, practice entrance exams, and certification and professional license exams that show students what to expect and how to prepare for - and excel at - the next level. Plus, the resume builder and virtual career library makes TERC perfect for job seekers by providing specific examples and tips for the job search.

Those aiming toward college can find books and practice tests geared to CLEP, FCAT, SAT, ACT, PSAT, in addition to an extensive scholarship search database. Career-oriented test prep includes online practice tests for information technology, law programs, nursing programs, Air Force officer qualifying, military flight aptitude, and civil service and licensure exams. Users will find high-school test prep for GED, AP, ISEE, COOP, SSAT and more also. Go to chshub, click on media center, then click on the test preparation button. You will see the link to TERC. The password for home use is knights. Questions? Contact Marie Yelvington, CHS Media Specialist, yelvinton@fultonschools.org

New School Website!

Please note the CHS has a new website! Bookmark the site now so you can stay current with activities all year: http://school.fultonschools.org/hs/centennial/Pages/default.aspx

Stay Informed!

New this year, we will be sending information to families using the school's phone and email system School Messenger. School Messenger relies on communication information from your student's profile with Fulton County Schools. Please check the validity of this data on Home Access. You may update your email address on Home Access, but for other data updates, please contact the school's data clerk.