Quick Facts
- Our school welcomes approximately 300 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 each year.
- We offer full-day bilingual Kindergarten, the English program with Core French (Grades 1-6), Middle French Immersion (Grades 4-6), Special Education, Physical Support (Grades 1-8), and a Language Learning Disabilities Class (1-3).
- Centennial Public School offers both a breakfast and lunch program.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide every child an equal opportunity to learn. We encourage success in a safe and nurturing environment.
Registration
Interested in registering your child at our school? Contact us or visit the OCDSB Registration page for more information.
About Our School
Centennial Public School is located at the southwest edge of Ottawa’s downtown district. Our school is often referred to as being in “the heart of the city” and a “special place”. Our mascot is the Chameleon; we adapt well to change and celebrate our differences
At Centennial PS, the well-being of our students within their school community, and a clear sense of belonging, provide the foundation which supports our goal of academic excellence for our students, helping them to become well-rounded and engaged citizens of the 21st century. The teaching and learning taking place at Centennial are characterized by a child-centered approach that provides an opportunity for all students to develop their individual abilities to their full potential. The school community believes that parents and staff must work as partners if students are going to be successful.
Our School Community
Students
Centennial is privileged to have a very diverse population. Many of our students are new to Canada and we are very proud of our successful MulitLingual Learner (MLL) support model that provides both cultural and linguistic support to our English Language Learners. The children and their families come from over 30 different countries and speak at least 40 different languages in their homes.
Staff
Centennial’s staff is highly qualified, trained, and motivated professionals who work extremely hard to provide our students with the very best learning environment possible. Both French and English teachers, educational assistants, early childhood educators, administrative and support staff, as well as casual staff contribute a wide range of expertise to the education of our students. They are committed to ongoing professional learning, as well as providing workshops and courses for their colleagues, parents and the community. A number of our teachers take on the role of Associate Teacher for Faculty of Education students as well as supervisors for secondary and post-secondary cooperative education students.
Parents/Guardians and Community Volunteers
Centennial’s School Council is composed of committed and dedicated parents, school staff, and community members. Centennial welcomes volunteers, parents and community members adding to the community of culture within our school. Centennial works closely with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Centretown Community Health Centre, and Mothercraft. Centennial PS sends out a monthly newsletter in order to ensure all community members and families are up to date with the wonderful things happening within our school/community.
Programs and Supports
We offer the following programs:
- Full-day Bilingual Kindergarten (JK-SK): 50% English instruction and 50% French instruction.
- English Program with Core French/System Special Education Programs (Grades 1-8): Instruction in the English language in all subject areas, as well as instruction in French through Core French (40 minutes daily).
- Middle French Immersion (Grades 4-6): Students receive 66% of instruction in French.
Both students and teachers in our regular classes are supported by our English as a Second Language (ESL), Learning Support (LST), and Learning Resource (LRT) teachers. The student support is provided within the classroom and/or on a withdrawal basis according to the needs of the students. Educational assessments are completed on an as-needed basis.
The following supports are also available to students and families:
- Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) is available to provide support to teachers, students and parents. We also have the support of a School Resource Officer,
- Public Health Nurse
- Psychologist
- Social Worker
- Speech and Language Pathologist
- Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Blind and Low Vision on an as-needed basis.
- Speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nursing staff from Champlain Community Care Access (CCAC) support individual students as needed.
- Breakfast Program
Centennial also offers the following programs:
- Two Physical Support Program (PSP) classes. PSP students study at Centennial until the end of Grade 8 and then move on to high school.
- One Primary Language Learning Disability (LLD) class. LLD students return to their home school at the end of Grade 3 or move on to another Junior program.
Facilities, Learning Tools, and Activities
Centennial is a unique facility that was designed to meet the needs of all students. Our wide doorways, hallways and large washrooms provide the opportunity for mobility and independence for all Centennial children.
A unique feature of the school is a swimming pool that is used by our PSP students for aquatic therapy and by all other classes for swimming lessons which are a part of our physical education program.
We are proud of our library, our literacy/numeracy resource room, our technology (i.e. Smartboards), computer lab, and accessible play structure.
Activities
- We have an ongoing relationship with ONFE supporter of our breakfast programs.
- We have clubs to support inquiry based learning and grow passion for STEM.
- We hold an annual Centennial Potluck in September for the entire community.
- We have arts clubs including pokemon, dance and drama.
- We have a wide variety of sports teams including soccer, basketball, track, cross country, pickleball, and ultimate.
Activities are planned throughout the year to enrich the regular school program. For more details, visit our Teams and Clubs page.
Equity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Education
At Centennial:
- We hold annual French Language Plays, inviting parents and the community into the school.
- We host leadership clubs based on anti-oppression, anti-racism and human rights. We recognize that this is ongoing work embedded in daily learning throughout the year.
- We have a Butterfly garden at the side of the school; within the garden is an indigenous sharing circle.
- We host Paralympic athletes and our PSP classes participated in para sport.
- We have a wide variety of in school and out of school support available including: MultiLingual Learner Lead, Indigenous Lead, Tech Lead, Learning Support Staff, Multicultural Liaison Officers (MLOs), Curriculum coach support and others.
Our school is committed to ensuring that each student, staff and family know that they matter within our community and that everyone feels safe and welcome.
Our School
