An Important School Update

***Centennial Academy Staff - Please note the message below that has been shared with our Centennial Academy Parents and Board Members.

February 15, 2018

Dear Centennial Academy parents,

We learned today of an unfortunate incident that occurred at the school yesterday involving an Upper Academy teacher and then several of our Upper Academy scholars. Inappropriate digital photos of an Upper Academy teacher were inadvertently found by and distributed to 6th - 8th grade scholars. I know you understand that because of our obligation to ensure confidentiality, we are not able to disclose the specifics of the incident broadly.

Because of the seriousness and nature of the incident, we had all 6th - 8th grade scholars attend a Digital Citizenship Informational Assembly led by our Student Life Department. Additionally, our counseling team has reminded scholars of the ongoing counseling support available and encouraged scholars to see any of the counselors for a private discussion if needed. Parents please also encourage your scholars to contact the counselors, if you should notice a particular need for that kind of support for your child.

The teacher in question has been placed on administrative leave while school officials work with appropriate authorities, including the Department of Children & Families and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, in order for them to conduct their own investigation, as deemed necessary. As in all cases, Centennial Academy will follow the guidelines of the ethics board at the conclusion of the investigation.

In the meantime, a certified long-term substitute teacher will immediately take over the class during the investigation process. We will continue to inform the Centennial Academy community of further personnel updates and any pertinent information related to the on-going investigation as appropriate and as they become available. Our aim continues to be to maintain a high-quality educational experience for the scholars during this transition.

While it is certainly unfortunate that this situation has occurred, we are thankful that we have the strength of our school community and of our Student Life Department, in particular, to come together in support of our scholars during such a time.

Sincerely,

Carol Santos

Head of School