Contributing writer for The Canyon Weekly
Students will be back in the building Tuesday, and Scio schools are busy preparing for the upcoming school year.
During Kindergarten Jumpstart week, Aug. 22-26, Centennial Elementary hosted a barbecue for more than 100 kindergartners and their families, with Glenda Tate as “grillmaster and super volunteer,” Principal Kimberlee Roth said.
The school also held an open house on Aug. 31 to let families to see classrooms, drop off supplies and meet teachers. Kona Ice offered free treats to celebrate.
“It’s an honor to serve as Centennial’s principal again this year,” Roth said. “Our staff just participated in a three-day retreat to carefully plan and ensure a smooth start to the year. Together, our goal is to make sure that each day every child feels connected, is being challenged by new learning experiences, and has the support of our caring staff.
“We are excited to see our students return and to meet our new families!” she added. “This year we look forward to partnering with families to ensure the success of all students. Centennial has always had strong support from the community, and we have carefully planned many new opportunities to increase this involvement.”
Roth suggests perusing school and district websites to look for current information about Scio’s school community.
Newly hired Jacob Alburn, Scio Middle School principal, is working hard to acclimate himself to the community.
“I’m meeting as many stakeholders as possible,” he said, “and will continue to meet more as the school year begins.”
Alburn is also eager that construction at the school finish as quickly as possible to get the campus ready to welcome students and staff. Changes to the school include seismic upgrades and many new staff, he said.
“We are welcoming students to be part of our school community as we continue to meet in person together,” he said. “There seems to be some eagerness to this school year!”
Alburn said he is “extremely excited” to welcome staff and students back to the building.
“The students and families I have met with have greeted me warmly and expressed their enthusiasm for the upcoming school year. I can’t wait for us to begin our school year together.”
Other district schools opening on Tuesday are Santiam Canyon, North Santiam, Lourdes Charter School and Willamette Connections Academy. Contact individual schools for more information. The Scio district website is https://scio.k12.or.us.
