February Newsletter

What a great start to the year!

We came back from winter break and started off with rewarding our students that participated in the Hot Chocolate Reading Challenge! I saw many of our families participating in the PTO Chick-Fil-A night and we kicked off our Spirit Wear sale this past month as well!

Our students have been very busy doing many middle of the year assessments, so don't hesitate to ask your child about how they did or even reach out to their teacher to check on their progress.

Looking forward to a great February!

Here are some important dates for February and March:

• February 3 - PTO meeting 6:30 pm (Library)
• February 5-6 - 4th Grade Academic Bowl
• February 7 - National Read Aloud Day - All classrooms will have guest readers
• February 13 - Valentine's Day parties
• February 14 - Remote Learning Day
• February 17 - NO SCHOOL
• February 21 - Grade 3 Field Trip - Whitaker Center
• March 3 - PTO meeting 6:30 pm (Library)
• March 7 - End of Trimester 2
• March 10 - PTO Skating Party
• March 14 - NO SCHOOL
• March 17 - Remote Learning Day
• March 20 - Report Cards Live in PowerSchool
• March 21 - PTO Talent Show
• April 7 - Open House/PTO Meeting

If you're looking for a flexible and rewarding part-time position, the West Shore School District is actively looking for additional substitute teachers for the remainder of the school year. Whether you are a parent/guardian looking for more ways to stay connected or know someone in your family and friend circles who may be interested, please contact us! The Emergency Permit process allows candidates with a Bachelor's Degree in any field to serve as a Substitute Teacher. The District Partners with Substitute Teacher Service (STS) to fill needs within the District throughout the year. You may click this link for more information.https://www.wssd.k12.pa.us/Employment.aspx

We've got spirit yes we do, we've got spirit how 'bout you?!!?! Show YOUR Eagle Pride by purchasing an apparel item. Shop NEVER closes and is always accepting orders (which can be dropped off in the office with Ms. Shaw or Mrs. Ebersole). Need an order form? Stop by the office or click here to print from home. Don't forget... if you spend over $50, you will receive a FREE spirit grab bag (while supplies last) AND when you place a new order, you can choose any apparel item(s) with our previous logo for 50% off! (Please either email the PTO or check on our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date current inventory list).

Come skate with us!!! Monday, March 10th from 5:30-7:30 pm. Support the Washington Heights PTO, which in turn supports our kiddos to go on field trips, new playground equipment, and so much more! Entry is $5 per person and rentals (quads, inlines and skate mates) start at $3-remember CASH ONLY! If you forget cash, there is an ATM in the lobby. Snack bar will also be open! We will have our spirit shop open AND will be accepting apparel orders for our new logo (payment due at time of ordering which can be cash, check, Venmo or CashApp)!

Stay in-the-know with your PTO! For upcoming events, join our private Facebook Group here or check out our linktr.ee! Questions, comments or want to help out? E-mail us at whpto1@gmail.com.

Want to support our school while doing nothing? US TOO! How does it work? It's SIMPLE. Just buy a gift card and we get up to 30% of all sales and it costs you nothing! You can select a digital card OR choose to get it shipped in the mail (for a small fee). Great for gifts, great for holidays and great for everyday use. Click/tap the link and head over to RaiseRight(TM) and start your shopping today. And don't forget to share with friends, family & neighbors all year long!

Inclement Weather Information: https://www.wssd.k12.pa.us/InclementWeatherInformation.aspx

Remote Learning Day Schedules (new schedule this year): https://filecabinet9.eschoolview.com/EB01A4D9-7855-4D61-B011-88305D2A1159/1cbfff22-0383-45d4-b6e6-48676a664c98.pdf

This school year, we are partnering with New Hope Ministries to provide food for families in need over the weekend. If you are interested in this program or have any questions, please contact our counselor, Mr. Connell at JConnell@wssd.k12.pa.us or contact him via Seesaw.

That's right, every student eats for free this year at West Shore. This is made possible by Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program, which allows schools in low-income areas to provide meals at no cost to families.

Every school year, a variety of supportive opportunities are available for students based on household income. These include, but are not limited to: fee waivers for participation in after-school activities, e-rate funds that offset the cost of access to technology resources, along with additional state and federal grant funding for programs and resources to support students. Historically, the District used the Free and Reduced Meal Application to gather this data, but because the District is participating in CEP (free meals for all students) we need to use a separate application.

If you think you qualify for supports, please check out this link for more information.

This month our focus is: Honesty.

Honesty is being truthful in what you say and what you do. I hope you take the time to talk with your child about our focus word during the month of February. I look forward to seeing our students practicing honesty this month and every month!

West Shore CharacterStrong