The Colt Connection

Adolescence is a time of significant change, and while some mood swings and stress are normal, persistent struggles could be signs of a deeper issue. With mental health concerns rising among teenagers, it is crucial to recognize the warning signs and seek help when needed.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 1 in 5 adolescents experience a mental health disorder, with anxiety and depression being the most common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reports that suicide is a leading cause of death among young people, underscoring the importance of early intervention.

While every teenager experiences ups and downs, prolonged or extreme behavioral changes may indicate a mental health concern. Here are some key signs to watch for:

Emotional Changes:

• Persistent sadness, irritability, or mood swings
• Feelings of hopelessness or excessive worry
• Increased sensitivity to rejection or failure

Behavioral Changes:

• Withdrawal from family, friends, or activities they once enjoyed
• Changes in sleep patterns—insomnia or excessive sleeping
• Decline in academic performance or loss of interest in schoolwork
• Sudden changes in appetite or weight
• Increased secrecy or avoidance of social interactions

Physical Symptoms:

• Frequent headaches, stomachaches, or unexplained aches and pains
• Fatigue or low energy levels despite adequate rest
• Self-harm behaviors (e.g., cutting, burning, or excessive risk-taking)

Alarming Signs That Require Immediate Attention:

• Talking about death or expressing suicidal thoughts
• Giving away possessions or saying goodbyes
• Extreme mood swings, reckless behavior, or aggression

What Parents Can Do

1. Open Communication: Foster a supportive environment where your teen feels safe discussing their feelings.
2. Stay Engaged: Be involved in their academic and social lives to recognize any drastic changes.
3. Encourage Healthy Habits: Ensure they get proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise, which can positively impact mental health.
4. Seek Professional Help: If signs persist, consult a school counselor, pediatrician, or mental health professional.
5. Model Coping Strategies: Teach stress-management techniques like mindfulness, journaling, or relaxation exercises.

Resources for Support

• Care Solace: a FREE service available to WSSD students and their families. Care Solace will quickly and confidentially find available mental health and substance use providers matched to your needs. 1 (888) 515 – 0595 or www.caresolace.com/westshore
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 988 for immediate help
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free support
• Your School Counselor or Local Mental Health Services

Recognizing the signs early and seeking help can make a significant difference in your teen’s well-being. If you need more information or if you just want to talk about raising teens, please email me at kfillgrove@wssd.k12.pa.us. Together, we can create a supportive community that prioritizes mental health and helps our students thrive.

On March 19th, Cedar Cliff Senior Jackson Kane, and Junior Kaori Wolfe spent the day as "guest pages" for Representative Sheryl Delozier at the State Capitol. Kaori and Jack got an up close look at how the state legislature works, and also got some one-on-one time with Rep. Delozier and her staff. The students reported that they learned a lot and enjoyed the day. They were recognized on the floor of the PA House and received certificates. Thank you to Representative Delozier of the 88th District, and her staff, for accommodating our students and giving them a day they won't forget.

Cedar Cliff High School Speech Team member, John Hartman, a junior, competed at the PA High School Speech League State Championships, held at Bloomsburg University on March 21st and 22nd. Hartman, competing at states for the first time, participated in the Persuasive Speech category. Though he did not win a spot on the podium, the experience proved to be a valuable learning opportunity. He gained insight into high-level competition, which will help to improve his speaking abilities, and he learned the importance of preparation and adaptability. This experience will undoubtedly help him grow as a speaker, prepare him for future competitions, and give him the confidence to make a strong run at the 2026 PA High School Speech League State Championships. Good job, John.

Cedar Cliff students enjoyed a great day of competition testing their knowledge of world affairs against other regional high school teams at the Academic WorldQuest competition, sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg. Since November, Mrs. Kamps, CCHS Advisor, has been working with the student teams to prepare for the competition. Each team consists of up to four students.

Teams prepared by reading curated articles on ten different categories of world affairs, which included: Space and National Security, Music and Globalization, and Borders and Boundaries, to name a few. All of the students expanded their knowledge of issues that impact our world. We are very proud that Cedar Cliff brought home first place for the fourth consecutive year! Cumberland Valley took second, and Carlisle took third.

These four amazing and hard-working students (CCHS Team: Cedar Cliff Varsity - Rory Gannon (captain), Rayna Johnson, Timothy Valentine, and Jackson Kane) took first place at the regional competition and will now advance to represent Cedar Cliff and the state of Pennsylvania at the National Academic WorldQuest competition in Washington D.C., which is scheduled for April 27-28. Thanks to the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg and Dr. Joyce Davis for the sponsorship of this competition. Mrs. Kamps, CCHS advisor, is elated that this is the fourth consecutive year that Cedar Cliff has won first place and will once again advance to the national stage to compete against high school teams from across our nation! Go Colts!

Early in the morning on Saturday, March 22, students from Cedar Cliff traveled to Millersville University for the regional Science Olympiad competition. Vying for a spot at the state-level tournament, the Cedar Cliff team competed against local schools including Hershey, Red Land, Central York, and Cumberland Valley.

Founded twenty-six years ago to bolster student interest in the sciences, Science Olympiad is a team-based national STEM contest incorporating a variety of skills and ideas. Like the actual Olympics, team placement is determined by over 20 individual events covering topics ranging from engineering to biology. While Cedar Cliff did not qualify for states, the team finished eighth out of twenty-two schools and medaled in several individual events.

These medals included a second place in “Helicopter,” where students built and flew a band-powered model helicopter; a third place in “Air Trajectory,” where students built an air-powered cannon and shot a projectile; third in “Bungee Drop,” where students engineered a device to safely drop a weight; fourth in “Wind Power,” where students designed a windmill; and fourth in “Microbe Mission,” where students completed a microbiology-centered test. The team maintained a fun atmosphere throughout the day, with celebrations during the award ceremony.

If you like science, the team might be for you: contact Mr. Moore if you have an interest in joining.

Phones and technology can sometimes be a distraction for students here at Cedar Cliff, but the PE department is flipping the script and using technology to enhance our students’ learning! By incorporating music, videos, and student-recorded form checks, we’re creating an interactive and more engaging learning environment.

Students are encouraged to film their lifts in weight training classes to analyze technique and make adjustments as needed, promoting both safety and efficiency in their training. Additionally, we utilize workout videos to guide Well/Fit students through a variety of fitness routines to provide visual demonstrations and expand their depth of fitness concepts. Students also love to play music during their training in the weight room, with themed days like “Mash-Up Monday” and “Throwback Thursday”.

One of our most exciting tech-integrated activities was our March Madness Workout Challenge. While watching live tournament action, students performed exercises based on in-game events—10 squats for every three-pointer, burpees for a turnover, and so on. This not only kept students engaged but also reinforced the connection between sports and movement. By blending technology with fitness, we’re making classes more effective, interactive, and enjoyable here at the Cliff!

For the second year in a row, student interns from Aquaponics have mentored the Life Skills students here at CC with a chick hatching project. Interns gather eggs and help the students care for them for 28 days, in which time they monitor the temperature and humidity. As the hatch date approaches, the anticipation can be felt in the air! Once the chicks are hatched, the students work together to make sure the babies are fed, watered, handled and kept clean. These chicks will serve as members of our future flock outside the school. All of the students involved come away with not only the skills necessary to care for another living thing, but also an appreciation for our food and where it comes from.

The CCHS Administration and ELD Team recently celebrated some of our brightest English Learners with a fun-filled ice cream party! Over 40 students were honored for their performance in the classroom, showcasing impressive grades, excellent attendance, and positive behavior. We had the pleasure of sharing over 100 ice cream sundaes with our students and their families, as well as some of their teachers. Thank you to Mr. Kaminski, Mr. Hokenbrough, and Mr. Moore for joining us. We look forward to many more opportunities to engage with our non-English-speaking families and support their students' educational journeys.

Mrs. Klemunes’ AP Biology class has been cultivating two species of flowers, Alaska Mix Nasturtium and Empress of India Nasturtium, in the tower gardens provided by the aquaponics program (thanks Mr. Weaver!) for the past three months. We plan to selectively breed certain traits of each flower together to form a hybrid offspring through cross pollination once there are blooming flowers present on both towers. Selective breeding, or artificial selection, is the process where humans intentionally breed organisms with specific desirable traits to produce offspring with those traits, aiming to improve or modify characteristics over time. By taking the pollen of one flower species and using it to pollinate the other species, we hope to produce offspring that display changes in color, shape, size, or even resistance to specific environmental stresses.

Caring for these flowers has been both tedious and rewarding. There have been many trials and errors, such as learning to adjust the level of light for the plants, as we began the experiment with only one light for each tower garden, but we currently have eight lamps total, and regulating the ratio of water to nutrients in the water reservoir. Most recently, we have been making great efforts to keep the plants healthy and well-equipped to bloom by pruning the leaves and maintaining high water levels to ensure proper growth.

Check back in Mrs. Klemunes’ room later in April to see if we successfully cross-pollinated the flowers!

The Colts Multi-Cultural Club recently hosted Mrs. Boitumelo and Mrs. Smith of the AFS Intercultural Study Program. Mrs. Boitumelo was kind enough to give a presentation on the life and culture of her native South Africa for club members. Students learned about the daily life and traditions of South Africans, including some of the languages, sports, music, and what school is like there. It was a really informative and interesting presentation, and the club would like to thank Mrs. Boitumelo and Mrs. Smith again for sharing their time with us.

Prom will be May 3, 2025 at the Penn Harris from 6 - 10 pm.

Tickets will be sold starting on 4/15/25 through 4/25/25 during the 4s (10:30 - 12:40) in the concourse. Tickets are non-refundable. A price will be available soon. If students are not meeting the attendance and behavior requirements set in February, they will not be allowed to attend prom.

Any students wanting to bring a guest who does not go to Cedar Cliff MUST fill out a guest form and have it approved prior to purchasing tickets. Guest forms can be located outside of rooms 130 and 132. The form can also be accessed online.

Congratulations to the CC JROTC Color Guard, who won 1st place in the Color Guard/Honor Guard category at this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade in York. The JROTC has marched in the York St. Pat's Parade for many years, and are consistently recognized by the judges in their category. If you see any of these cadets, be sure to congratulate them on a job well done.

At the conclusion of their high school career, the Cedar Cliff Class of 2025 will have had the opportunity to earn in excess of 1662 college credits without ever leaving the walls of Cedar Cliff!

Through our College in the High School agreements with Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg University and Penn College Cedar Cliff offers its students 12 stand-alone college courses. Additionally, Harrisburg University offers college credits to students enrolled in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Statistics, AP Calculus and Advanced Agriculture.

We also offer a robust Advanced Placement (AP) Program curriculum. Cedar Cliff currently offers 14 AP courses. AP courses are rigorous high school courses. At the conclusion of each AP course students have the option of taking the AP exam which many colleges will convert into college credits when a student matriculates after their high school graduation.

Cedar Cliff also offers Dual Enrollment credits to students who choose to take classes on neighboring college campuses. This agreement allows students to count the college courses they are taking toward both their high school diploma and their future college degree. If you would like more information about these opportunities, please reach out to one of the Cedar Cliff School Counselors.

This was the 7th year of the Prom Boutique, spear headed by Jen Crager, 10th grade counselor, and supported by the rest of the counseling department. This year, 31 students took part and walked away with a free prom dress! Thank you to everyone who participated by donating or organizing this yearly event.

West Shore Indoor Percussion is in the midst of a historic season. Performances of their show titled "Stuck" have received 1st place at each competition they've attended! This includes wins at the WGI Regional Competition in Richmond Virginia as well as at the Mid Atlantic Percussion Society show at North Penn HS against 16 other units.

The Honors Band and Honors Orchestra festivals both took place in March where students from across the district came together for a day of making music together. The high school band enjoyed working with guest conductor Dr. Chris Cicconi from James Madison University. Honors Chorus is April 1st.

Cedar Cliff Wind Ensemble participated in a professional development workshop for teachers on the remote learning day on 3/17 by demonstrating leadership concepts found in ensemble music.

Riley Emig represented Cedar Cliff at PMEA Region V Choir and Scarlett Treher went to PMEA Region V Orchestra.

Lady Colts Spotlight (LCS) is a student created organization solely focusing on female teams and their talented athletes at Cedar Cliff. Started by project manager Jenna Sadowski in late January, the project has now grown with members spanning over three grades. LCS covers all in season girls' sports and is mainly Instagram based (@ladycoltsspotlight). When asked, Jenna made it a point to say she didn’t do this alone. She is greatly helped by Athletic Director John Kosydar, and of course, her team. Jackie McCarren, Laila Brown, Paige Wehnert, Chase Mansberger, Rian Turner, Jocelyn Lockard, and Lucy Avona are all founding members of the organization and active members of it. Lady Colts Spotlight has grown from a small passion project to a community loved page, growing engagement in Cedar Cliff girl’s sports and extra recognition for the talented female athletes.

April is the Month of the Military Child, a time to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of children in military families. Purple represents all branches of the military, symbolizing our unity and support. On Thursday, April 10th, we invite all students, staff, and district residents to participate in Purple Up! Day by wearing purple.

Let’s come together as a community to show our appreciation and encouragement for our military-connected students. Wear your purple proudly on April 10th and help spread awareness!

In addition to our electronic newsletter, all West Shore School District members should be receiving the latest edition of Points of Pride in their home mailboxes.

The Spring 2025 edition includes: 2025-2026 Budget Development, Stories of the West Shore Natatorium, a breakdown of how the District utilizes federal funding, the Auditor General's performance audit of cyber charter schools, and much more.

To view the edition online, click here.

APRIL

• 1 - West Shore Honors Chorus Festival, 4pm (at RLHS)
• 7 - 3rd Marking Period Grades Available
• 17 - Remote Learning Day
• 18 - No School
• 21 - No School
• 23 - Special Education Department Parent Engagement Series, 6pm (at CCHS)
• 25 - Progress Reports Due
• 26 - West Shore Relays, 9am - 5pm

MAY

• 3 - SAT Testing at CCHS
• 3 - Prom, 6 pm
• 6 - Teacher Appreciation Day
• 6 - Senior Awards Night, 6:30 pm (invite only)
• 8 - JROTC Battalion Awards, 9 am
• 8 - Band Concert, 8pm
• 9 - West Shore Military and Career Signing Day, 9 am
• 15 - Biology and Algebra Keystone Exams
• 15 - Chorus Concert, 7 pm
• 19 - Literature Keystone Exam, Part 1
• 19 - Living Arts Festival, 6 to 9 pm/Concert, 7 pm
• 20 - Literature Keystone Exam, Part 2
• 23 - Remote Learning Day
• 26 - No School