Students

Centennial Arts Academy

Our Mission is to INSPIRE, NURTURE, CHALLENGE, PREPARE

As ONE CENTENNIAL, we will inspire, nurture, challenge, and prepare our students as we educate them to be successful in a 21st century global society.

Our Beliefs

We believe that the collaborative actions of students, parents, community, and the school system are determining factors in the success of our students.

We believe that high expectations for everyone drive success.

We believe that continuous learning occurs best in a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment.

Our Vision

Our students will think critically, act compassionately, work meaningfully, choose wisely, and live joyfully.

Student Motto

I respect myself and others.

I am responsible for my actions.

I treat others as I like to be treated.

I work hard to achieve my goals.

ONE Gainesville District Behavior Expectations:

Ready, Respectful, Responsible, Role Model

If a student would like to celebrate a birthday with his/her class, the parent should coordinate the event with the teacher.  Parents may bring/send the birthday snack to be had at lunch. This minimizes loss of instructional time. Invitations to private birthday parties may be distributed at school only if the entire class is invited. Classroom “Herd” (formerly known as PTA) representatives for each classroom assume responsibility in planning and providing refreshments and favors for classroom parties. 

Please report immediately any change in the home address, telephone number, or emergency contact information to the front office.

When students are withdrawing from Centennial, parents/guardians must complete a withdrawal form in the front office. A copy will be provided to the parent to take to the new school. Library books, consumable English and math books, and the school agenda must be returned before records are forwarded to the next school.

Early dismissal is not encouraged; however, if a parent must take a child out of school during regular school hours, they should send a note in the morning to the teacher stating the reason for checkout.  This allows the teacher time to give the child homework assignments and keeps disruptions to a minimum.  At checkout, parents must sign their children out in the office and present proof of identification.  All parents should be directed to the front office to check out his/her child.  Parents should try to schedule dental and medical appointments after the school day. 

 

Clothing items found in the building or on the grounds that are unclaimed will be placed in the hallway near the gym.  Money, eyeglasses, keys or other items of value will be kept in the school office.  Please label all clothing, lunchboxes, etc. with the child’s first and last name so lost items can be returned to the proper owners.  At the end of each month, unclaimed items will be donated.

The media center is open to students each day from 7:50 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. Students must receive permission from their teachers before coming to the media center to check out or return books.  All students may check out one book at a time.  Students may visit the media center no more than one time each day.  All books are due back to the media center within one week.  Students cannot check out books until an overdue book is returned or paid for if lost.  Centennial sponsors two book fairs each school year, one in the fall and another in the spring. The proceeds from the book fairs support our reading incentive programs as well as other special media events. All classes are assigned a time to visit each book fair.  When the time for the book fair draws near, teachers include in their parent letter the time his or her class is scheduled to visit.  There is a time when students can revisit the book fair if needed.

If you would like to paint the rock to recognize a student birthday, please sign up in the front office. There is a calendar that is available on a first come, first served basis. If you reserve the rock, it may be painted after 4pm on the day before you wish to have your message displayed.

Centennial's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a part of the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the United States.  Its membership includes the parents of students attending Centennial and the Centennial faculty and staff members.

Centennial is a PBIS school. PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. At Centennial we like to celebrate positive behaviors! We focus on students who are demonstrating the 4 R’s, Ready, Respectful, Responsible, Role Models. Students can receive Golden Ticket slips, have their name placed on the Principal’s 200 Club wall. Students will be taught what the 4 R’s look like in different areas of the school and on the bus and will receive special prizes and fun days throughout the year to celebrate their attendance, behavior, and academics. At Centennial……. We Teach With Heart!

The school day for students begins promptly at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:15 p.m.  Students arriving before 7:00 a.m. will report to the lunchroom for breakfast or to their designated waiting areas. Students arriving in the classroom after 7:40 are counted tardy.   If a student comes to school late, the parent must come in with the student to check in with the front office to receive a tardy slip. Afternoon announcements begin at 2:15,  after which students are dismissed as car riders or bus riders.  Any car rider not picked up by 2:45 will wait in the front office for their parents to come inside and pick them up. Since faculty meetings, study groups, and after-school activities begin at 2:45, it is essential teachers on afternoon car duty are not late for any scheduled activity.

Gainesville City Schools became a Special Provision II district SY 2012. Currently all students eat at no cost for breakfast and lunch due to our Special Provision II status. For students who bring their lunch, milk may be purchased for $0.35.  Adults and

visitors may purchase meals from the cafeteria at the cost of $4.00 for breakfast and $5.00 for lunch.  Contact School Nutrition Director Penny Fowler at penny.fowler@gcssk12.net or 770-536-5275 for additional information.

Meal Charges

The School Nutrition Department is required to have a charge policy. No student or Adult charges will be allowed at any school site.

Adult Meals

All adult and guest meals are to be paid by the individual in advance or at the time the meal is selected. Portion sizes for adults must not exceed portions required for high school students. Adults wishing to purchase larger portions may choose to buy two meals. Beverages other than milk may incur an additional cost set by the School Nutrition Program (SNP).

Parent involvement is welcomed and appreciated at Centennial.  Board policy states that all visitors, including parents and guardians, must sign the visitor’s register in the office upon entering the school and wear a visitor’s badge. Teachers are asked to send parents back to the office if they arrive without a visitor’s badge. To protect precious instruction time, teachers ask that you contact them prior to your visit. We encourage parents and students to say their morning good-byes in the front office or lobby as opposed to walking the child to the classroom. The instructional day begins at 7:30. 

The Gainesville City Board of Education and Gainesville Police Department employ school resource officers jointly. Their main purpose is to assist in providing a safe and secure learning environment for students, teachers and staff. They are an excellent resource for teachers, parents/guardians and students in dealing with individual problems or questions with respect to delinquency prevention and the law. Consistent with board policy and legal requirements, school resource officers also provide law enforcement support when needed.

While considering the role of the School Resource Officers, the Gainesville City School System also employs a group of armed individuals who are stationed at each of the district’s nine campuses. These individuals provide a presence at each campus in an effort to deter any potential intruder.

Gainesville City School System has a centralized registration process and does not register students at individual schools. Registration and the required list of documents needed are available online at www.GCSSK12.net. Gainesville City

Schools require the parent or guardian to provide proof of residency in the district unless the student is homeless. The student must live with the authorized person(s) who resides within the school district. The district also offers tuition-based enrollment to non-residents. If you are newly enrolling, you must apply for non-resident tuition enrollment

at the School Board Office only. GCSS does not offer tuition-based enrollment for Pre-K.

Proof of Residency -

Gainesville City Schools requires the parent or guardian to provide 2 proofs of residency in the district at the time a student is initially enrolled in a school. Proof of residency may be verified by presenting one from each column below (must include address), and a picture ID of the enrolling parent/guardian.

 

 

Present One of the following:              AND	One of the following:
Non-contingent sales contract	Current gas bill (within last 30 days)
Current lease/rental agreement	Current water bill (within last 30 days)
Most recent income tax return or IRS Form 1099	Current electric bill (within last 30 days)
Current paycheck stub	Cable/Internet bill (with service address)
Current warranty or quit claim deed
Current home purchase agreement
Current homeowner’s insurance policy

 

 

Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by one of the following authorized individuals

● Parent (natural or adopted)

● Legal guardian or other person legally entitled to act on behalf of the child

● Foster parents appointed by a state agency

● Sponsor for an approved International Exchange Program.

 

The person who is enrolling a student should provide one of the following acceptable forms of identification for purposes of enrollment:

▪ A driver’s license

▪ A state identification card

▪ A passport

When a student’;s family is residing in the home or apartment of another individual, the following is necessary for enrollment:

● A notarized affidavit signed by the individual with whom the student’s parent/guardian is residing verifying that enrolling parent/guardian is residing in that home or apartment. This affidavit must be approved, notarized and witnessed at the time of initial registration at the School Board Office or at one of the Gainesville City School System locations during the renewal period.

● Proof of residency documents for that individual with whom parent/guardian is residing (See Proof of Residency documents above)

● All affidavits must be renewed annually, and proof of residency must be provided at the time of the renewal.

 

For your convenience, registration is available online at https://www.gcssk12.net/students- parents/student-registration-enrollment. If you have any questions while filling out the application please contact Gainesville City Schools at 770-536-5275. Proof of residence is subject to investigation. Students enrolled under false information are illegally enrolled and will be withdrawn from school. Also, knowingly and willfully providing false information regarding proof of residence violates state law and may subject one to fine and /or imprisonment (O.C.G.A. 16-10-20).

Student Medications

Whenever it is necessary for a child to take medication at school, the guidelines listed below must be followed:

Prescription medications must be brought to school in the original prescription container labeled with the student’s name, date prescribed, instructions for administering, name of drug, name of issuing health care provider, expiration date, and route medication is to be given. Non-prescription medication (over-the-counter medications) must be brought to school in the original container along with a written parental request that includes parent contact phone number and directions for administering that states the frequency, dose, and length of administration. The school dispenses medication only as directed on the original prescription labeled container. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to complete the required forms for administering medication at school and to notify the school of any changes in medication, dosage, time or administration, or any pertinent data.  A new “Medication Administration Request” and a new original prescription container must be provided indicating any changes.

It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to deliver all medication to the school nurse or other designated school personnel.  Medication received at school in unlabeled bottles, pills in ziplock bags or aluminum foil will not be administered.

During the Open House, the Student Transportation Information Sheet was provided for you to fill out. The Transportation Department will have a table set up in the lunchroom to give bus route schedules.  The telephone number for the Transportation Department is 770-536-8312.  Parents should use this number if they have any bus transportation concerns.

Students who will be car riders need to be dropped off ONLY in the front of the building.  Students may only be dropped off in the lane closest to the school building. Students may not be dropped off in the back of the school or in the outside drive-through lane at any time.

***Any changes in a student’s normal dismissal procedure must be made in writing by the parent/guardian BEFORE 2:10. If a student will be riding a different bus, they must obtain a bus pass in the front office. Please send written notification of changes to the teacher.***

Car rider students will be assigned a car rider number. This number should be displayed clearly in the front window of the vehicle.  Any child not picked-up by 2:45 will be taken to the front office, and parents will need to come into the building to collect their child.

The purpose of this regulation is to define the acceptable and unacceptable use of technology resources for the Gainesville City School System, whether the user is authorized or unauthorized, and to eliminate any expectation of personal privacy when accessing technology resources provided by the Gainesville City Board of Education. This regulation applies whether accessing resources on Gainesville City School System property or from remote locations, regardless of source. These regulations shall incorporate Board Policy IFBG by reference hereto.

Responsible Use

The purpose of district devices, networks, and/or network resources including the Internet and electronic communication, is to support adopted curricula by providing access to unique and current information resources. User access must be consistent with the approved educational objectives of the Gainesville City School System. Use of district devices for commercial activities including product advertisement and political lobbying is expressly prohibited. By accessing any Gainesville City School System technology resource, every user agrees to comply completely with district policies and guidelines and practice acceptable and responsible use of technology as follows:

                 Use for educational purposes and activities.

                 Keep personal information private, including phone numbers, mailing address, and user password.

                 Always show respect for all users when using technology including social media.

                 Acknowledge the ideas and work of others.

                 Follow written and oral instructions.

                 Report immediately inappropriate use of technology.

Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) – The ability of students or staff to utilize personal technologies as tools for learning, instruction, and work. BYOT is subject to the availability of district wireless infrastructure. The use or non-use of personal devices shall be determined by the principal at each school where BYOT is available.

 

Definitions

Acceptable Use – All instructional usage for students for research, instruction and training, presentation, communication, and other areas that fulfill the requirements of the current Georgia curriculum standards or the Gainesville City School System approved curriculum. For operational and administrative use, all technology use should be work related.

Educational purpose is defined as activities that instruct and/or support the delivery of instruction and are integral to the teaching and learning process.

Infrastructure – Cabling, electronics, hardware, software, and anything else that connects to or has use of the Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN) or the Internet.

Personal use is defined as using a device, communication tool, or software designed for social interaction when the primary purpose of its use is not educational in nature.

Student, as defined by the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators (1.2.c), is “any individual enrolled in the state’s public or private schools from preschool through grade 12 or any individual under the age of 18. For the purposes of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct for Educators, the enrollment period for a graduating student ends on August 31 of the year of graduation.”

Technology Resources – Hardware, software, network, peripherals, and infrastructure.

Unacceptable Use – Any usage does not fulfill the requirements of the current Georgia curriculum standards or Gainesville City School System approved curriculum. For operational and administrative use, any technology use that is not work related.

Unauthorized Users – Anyone else other than authorized technology personnel or those authorized by the technology department.

User or Users – Includes all users such as students, teachers, administrators, clerical and support staff, parents, vendors, guest users. Violations of any of the provisions listed in this policy may result in the discontinuation or restricting of a person’s access to any of the Gainesville City School System technology resources as deemed necessary by the Superintendent or his/her designee. Additional disciplinary action and/or legal prosecution may also be applied. The Gainesville City School System will fully cooperate with local, state, and federal officials in any investigation of illegal activities performed on any portion of the school system’s technology. For students, disciplinary action will be based on the severity of the offense. The Student Conduct Behavior Code, policy JD, will be followed, provided however, violations of law will be reported to the appropriate authority for prosecution.

 

Electronic Hardware/Software Acceptable Use

1. No one has ownership or rights of any of the technology resources of the Gainesville City School System, except the Board of Education. All uses of said resources are restricted as herein provided.

2. All technology purchases must be evaluated and approved by a representative from the Department of Information Technology and approved by the Chief Technology to ensure compatibility and data security. All vendors must sign the Gainesville City Schools Data Privacy Addendum (See Exhibit). Any exceptions to signing the addendum must be approved by the Gainesville City Schools Cybersecurity Team.

3. No Gainesville City School System technology resource can be used for personal gain.

4. User logins and passwords provided by the technology department determine the rights to network resources. Passwords must be kept confidential and must not be shared by anyone.

5. All computers and peripherals such as printers, scanners, etc. as well as software should only be repaired, installed, or updated by Gainesville City School System Department of Information Technology Personnel, other personnel authorized by the Department of Information Technology, or by vendors authorized by Department of Information Technology. Any type of cabling, repairing, or adjusting of any equipment that deals with the local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) shall only be completed by members of the Department of Information Technology. Only cabling issued by the Department of Information Technology should be used to attach any device to the school system’s network. No personally owned cables should be used to attach devices to the school system’s network.

6. The Gainesville City School System allows personal devices to be used to wirelessly access the Internet, provided these devices use the GCSS public network and therefore are going through the school system’s Internet filter. The use or non-use of personal devices shall be determined by the principal at each school where BYOT is available.If personal devices are used within the district, it shall be at the owners’ risk. The school system will not be responsible for any damage or loss of any hardware, software, or any work created on these devices. The user will be responsible for attaching their personal devices to the wireless network. This applies to students, Gainesville City School System employees and guests.

7. Technical support will not be provided for devices that are not the property of the Gainesville City School System.

8. There are distinctions between the wired and the wireless networks. For protection of the GCSS network, personal devices will only be allowed to access the Internet through the GCSS Public network. Personal devices are not allowed to connect to the district’s wired network.

9. The Children’s Internet Protection Act requires that all Internet access within the Gainesville City School System is filtered. Any attempt to bypass this filter, whether through the school system’s supplied computers or an individual’s own personal devices, will be a violation of this regulation and will be subject to disciplinary action.

10. Copyright laws will be strictly followed. Only properly licensed software, approved by the Chief Technology Officer, will be installed on any computer or server within the Gainesville City School System. No software purchased by the school system shall be loaded on any personal device unless allowed by the End User License Agreement (EULA) and approved by the Chief Technology Officer or his/her designee. Donation of software will be limited and will only be accepted through written approval of the Chief Technology Officer.

11. No personally owned software will be installed on any Gainesville City School System computer or server.

12. No user will download or upload any files that might violate copyright laws.

13. Storage space allocated to users is considered property of the Gainesville City School System and is therefore subject to supervision and control by the school system.

14. If any hardware or software is intentionally damaged by a user, that user will be responsible for its repair or replacement.

15. General access to the network and devices is allowed for general administrative and instructional purposes only. Personal use should be limited.

16. Each user is allowed access to specific resources determined by their role within the district.

17. User logins and passwords are vital for data security and therefore may not be shared. Logins and passwords shall only be used by the person to whom they are assigned. No one should be allowed to login or access any network resource or any application with another user’s login and password.

18. Administrator accounts and passwords will be limited to use by staff members that are identified by the Chief Technology Officer.  Sharing of these accounts or passwords by any staff member may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

19. Student access to workstations should be monitored by adults authorized by the Gainesville City School System at all times.

20. Network data closets are to be locked and general access is to be denied if possible. Network data closets are not to be used as additional storage areas without approval from the Chief Technology Officer.

21. Equipment or applications may be removed, installed, or upgraded as is required by the Department of Information Technology.

22. No one shall remove or move Gainesville City School System owned technology hardware, including computers, phones, and printers, from room to room or school to school. To ensure accurate inventory, a member of the Department of Information Technology will complete all technology-related moves.

23. No devices such as protocol analyzers or any other type of “sniffing devices” are allowed on any LAN or the WAN of the Gainesville City School System without the approval of the Gainesville City School System Department of Information Technology.

24. No user will attempt to circumvent the security measures that have been placed on any computer or network.

Internet and Intranet Usage

1. Use of the Internet is a privilege and is NOT a right. Any misuse of this privilege could result in the termination of computer access.

2. The Internet will be filtered to attempt to keep students from accessing pornographic, hate, or other undesirable sites. Any attempt to bypass this Internet filter, either through use of Gainesville City School System owned technology or through personal devices is a violation of this regulation and may result in disciplinary action.

3. Parents and staff must be aware that students have access to the Internet from all school system computers. Teachers must use good judgment and closely supervise their student’s use of the Internet. The School System uses filtering software to help prevent student access to inappropriate websites. However, it is impossible to block access to all objectionable material. If a student decides to behave in an irresponsible manner, they may be able to access sites that contain materials that are inappropriate for children or are not commensurate with community standards of decency. They should not be permitted to access sites unrelated to their assignment and should not be allowed to access games or other sites that could infect the computer with “Spyware.” Staff may have less filtered access to the Internet. They must be especially careful to review materials before displaying them to students.