CHMS Message

Good evening Clifton Heights MS families,

We hope that everyone is having a great week!

Reminder, Thursdays are 1:00 dismissal days.

Asynchronous Work Calendar

Please note the TRANSLATE feature in the top right of the screen.

We will hold our next H&S Meeting virtually on Thursday, November 12th at 6:00pm. We would love to build a team of families and staff members dedicated to providing the best to our deserving students. It takes a village!

A Google Meet link will be included in next week's message.

CHMS’ Procedure for Excessive Lates (5 or more):

In the event a student has 5 or more lates within a 10 day period will result in a detention, if they are late all 10 days, they will receive 2 detentions. These detentions will be held after school 2:40 - 3:30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or before school on Thursdays starting at 7:15 am and ending at 7:55 am. Students will spend this time making up missed assignments.

This procedure affects lates starting today, November 4th. If your child gets detention, they will be notified by their grade level team. There will be a minimum of 24 hours of notice of detention. Your child’s grade level team or the Registrar will reach out to you via Talking Points and/or email regarding the detentions.

School Bus Information:

• If your child takes the school bus home, there is a late school bus that runs at 4:00, they are eligible to take this school bus.

• If your student is late because the school bus did not come, or did not stop at its usual stop, or the school bus was late, it is an excused late.

• If your child takes a school bus and they missed the school bus it is an unexcused late.

Dear Upper Darby School District Families,

The Upper Darby School District is committed to keeping our families and community informed about the ongoing exploration of Act 80/Section 133 and its potential implications for our schools, students, and staff.

Since January 2024, the District has discussed the possibility of exploring Section 133/Act 80 through numerous public forums and opportunities for engagement. These discussions have included information about instructional hours at each school level, required school days, and other relevant considerations.

Information has been shared through Superintendent’s Reports, District-Wide Home and School Association (HSA) Meetings, individual school HSA Meetings, Morning Coffee Conversations, Board Committee Meetings, and Regular Board Meetings.

In November 2025, the District held a public discussion regarding approval to form a committee to explore this topic. In December 2025, an invitation to participate in the committee was shared with our school community through the Wednesday Folder. The committee formation process was also revisited during the Superintendent’s Report in January 2026.

Most recently, the District provided an update in August 2026. Community engagement has continued into the fall through meetings with school communities and staff, Districtwide HSA Meetings offered during morning and evening hours, and Districtwide staff question-and-answer sessions. Act 80/Section 133 has been addressed with staff on multiple occasions as part of these ongoing conversations.

Following a recent District-Wide HSA Meeting, a parent expressed interest in receiving an email summarizing the District’s ongoing discussions and providing access to information shared publicly, including the District’s presentation available through BoardDocs. In response to this feedback, we are sharing this overview to help families access information about the topic and revisit materials presented during public meetings.

Review the District’s BoardDocs presentation:

https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/udar/Board.nsf/pfiles/DX5THG77724B/$file/Act%2080%20Exploration%20Committee%20Update%20Board%20Presentation%20082526.pdf

Join the Act 80 Exploration Committee

As a follow-up to the invitation shared in December 2025, the Upper Darby School District is seeking additional parents and community members to join the ongoing Act 80 Exploration Committee, led by Dr. John Council, Assistant Superintendent of Recruitment, Retention, and Culture.

Your input is essential to ensuring that family needs, childcare considerations, student experiences, and community perspectives are included in the exploration process. We encourage interested parents and community members to participate and share their perspectives as the District continues this work.

If you are interested in participating, please click the link below and provide your contact information.

https://forms.gle/hmoKNPzedd6doRui9

Current Status of the Act 80 Exploration

The Act 80 Exploration Committee is part of the District’s ongoing exploration and information-gathering process. No decision has been made regarding the implementation of Act 80/Section 133. The purpose of this process is to examine the relevant considerations, gather input, and ensure that family needs, childcare considerations, student experiences, and community perspectives are taken into account as the District explores this option.

Future Updates

The District remains committed to transparency, open communication, and meaningful opportunities for our community to stay informed and engaged as we continue exploring this topic. We appreciate the interest our families and community members have demonstrated and encourage continued participation in these important conversations. We will keep you up to date as the exploration process continues and will provide an update at the March 2027 Board Committee meeting.

Other Considerations — AI and Screen Time

As artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology continue to shape education, the District is examining their impact on teaching and learning. While these tools can personalize instruction and address students’ diverse learning needs, it is equally important to consider their effects on student well-being and social development. The District seeks to balance meaningful, age-appropriate technology use with hands-on learning, discussion, collaboration, and movement.

To guide this work, the District has established a committee led by Dr. Christine Kelley, Director of Curriculum, and Daniel Kitchen, Director of Technology. The committee’s findings will inform the work of the Act 80 Exploration Committee. Please contact Dr. Kelley at ckelley@upperdarbysd.org if you are interested in joining the AI & Screentime Committee.

Thank you for your continued engagement and partnership in supporting our students and the Upper Darby School District community.

Sincerely,
Dr. Daniel McGarry
Superintendent of Schools

A huge thank you to Ms. Schwegler for putting together our newsletter! Check it out the great things happening at CHMS!

Registration is open for Winter and Spring Sports. Please click all sports your child is interested in playing. They can sign up for multiple sports at one time.

https://cliftonheightsmiddle.upperdarbysd.org/athetlics-clubs/athletics

Winter Sports- Boys and Girls Basketball, Wrestling, and Cheerleading

Spring Sports- Baseball, Softball, Boys and Girls Lacrosse, Boys and Girls Track

Please email Athletic Director - bkearns@upperdarbysd.org with any questions

Safety is our top priority for our students and community. Please assist us in reminding our students that aggressive or violent behavior is not acceptable. As such, it will not be tolerated in our building and will be dealt with accordingly.

As we work through the year, we ask for your support in the shared responsibility of enforcing and rewarding appropriate behavior and safety. At CHMS we review our behavioral expectations with students on a daily basis and reward our students for meeting or exceeding these expectations. This includes the walk to and from school.

Please take the time to discuss expectations for safety and respect with your child. Our children are a reflection of us and our community. We as adults have the responsibility to make sure our community is a safe place for all. I appreciate your attention and commitment to making CHMS a better place everyday!

The district is hiring Crossing Guards. Please apply using the link below or reach out to our Director of Public Safety, Anthony Vaughn at avaughn@upperdarbysd.org if you are interested.

Crossing Guard Employment

We will have public safety staff stationed around the property to assist students in crossing street. Please remind your student to only cross streets at a crosswalk and not in the middle of the street.

There has been a change to Policy 237, Electronic Communication Devices. We are asking middle school students to prepare by practicing restraint as it pertains to cell phone use incrementally for the remainder of the summer.

Please continue to speak with your student regarding this policy and the importance of following this. Encourage your student to keep their phone secured in their bag or in their locker and off for the day.

Home Access Center (HAC) is your portal to your student's education. Check and update contact information . See real time attendance and grades . Check homeroom assignments and class schedules ... all you need to do is log in to get started! Click HERE to access HAC.

The HAC Parent Manual can assist you with login and updating information. We utilize this information to contact you as needed regarding your student, so please be sure the information is accurate and up to date. If you have any problems with login please email HAC Support email - parentportal@upperdarbysd.org

Clifton Heights Middle School takes bullying allegations very seriously. It is important that you communicate instances of alleged bullying to your grade level administration for a proper investigation. Please also review Policy 249 Bullying/Cyber Bullying.

As part of the Upper Darby School District’s Emergency Preparedness Plan and the Emergency Communications Plan, CrisisGo allows parents to receive emergency school safety alerts from the school district and individual school buildings. District parents can download the CrisisGo app onto their mobile device and to create a free account. Parents will then need to subscribe to the school(s) of choice and to the District group.

Click on the link to learn how to subscribe: UDSD Parents - CrisisGo Subscription Flyer.

We encourage secondary school students to receive up-to-date communication about emergency notifications as well. Students can click on the link to learn how to subscribe: UDSD Students - CrisisGo Subscription Flyer

Please review with your children the safety terminology we will be using in our emergency communications: Lock-In, Lock-Out, Lockdown, Evacuation FAQ for Families. We will review these terms and the emergency preparedness plan with students throughout the school year.

Please note that the District will continue to communicate emergency lockdown alerts and updates through CrisisGo, ParentLink emails and social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

We feel that it is important to remind our parents and students of the Safe2Say Something program. The Upper Darby School District takes the safety and security of our staff and students very seriously and recognizes that the uncertainties and pressures that students and families have faced the uncertainty of a pandemic has clearly demonstrated that the mental health of students as a priority. The Safe2Say Something system teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and say something, using our anonymous reporting system. Safe2Say Something is also a way to anonymously report unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal activities in any school in Pennsylvania.

For anyone who is feeling unsure or unsafe, please remember that there is help and it is okay to ask for help.

Find below additional information outlining the Safe2Say Something PA Program:

Safe2Say Something PA Program

https://www.upperdarbysd.org/departments12/safety-security/safe2say-something

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best,

William Rogers

Principal of CHMS