Cara Burgess Tyson

Since 1727, the Centennial community has valued educational excellence and innovation. Our district is rich in history, which is due both to its location in historic Bucks County and a continued commitment to educational excellence and innovation. In 1727, Mr. William Tennent founded Log College, a humble log structure, in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Log College was Pennsylvania's first college and one of the oldest in America. Its first graduates founded Princeton University and 130 other colleges and universities. An historic monument marks the site, and the current Log College Middle School sits adjacent to the location. Mr. William Tennent led "The Great Awakening", an educational enlightenment that occurred and spread throughout the colonies. Through the years, many significant innovations originated in this community and have impacted the rich learning environments in our schools. John Fitch (1743-1798) invented the steamboat in Warminster, with the first successful trial run on the Delaware River in 1787. The craft was propelled by a rack of canoe-like paddles on either side of the boat. The birthplace of the American Space Program began at the Johnsville Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, which housed the Centrifuge where astronauts John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, and Scott Carpenter were trained. Carpenter was a visitor and speaker at Centennial's 40th Anniversary of its Planetarium and Special Experience Room in April, 2009. A new Centrifuge Space & Science Museum is now open on the site. Our Planetarium and Special Experience Room now also includes a 21st Century Learning Lab that provides our students with state of the art technology experiences. Centennial is a key partner in planning educational programming and exhibits. Our students are the future, and we excitedly anticipate the amazing accomplishments that will grow from our commitment to providing them the best educational experience.