The Principal Chronicles

As we get through the winter months, let's hope that weather gets better soon. A huge thank you to all the families for the wonderful Valentine's Day Celebrations, the students had a wonderful time. We are observing of Black History Month and preparing for Read Across America Week activities.

Here are some highlights from this Newsletter:

• Upcoming Events
• PSSA Testing
• Evergreen After School Club
• PTA Updates

Thank you for your continued support for our schools!

Erin Eisenman

Principal

Evergreen After School Club is an after-school and summer program that serves K-8 students and their families in Indiana County. The program is open to all students, regardless of a student’s intellectual or physical abilities or income levels. Students benefit from a trained professional staff of approximately 60 individuals (many of whom have backgrounds in education) in a caring atmosphere; their goal is not only to provide a safe place for children to go after school but also to provide educational opportunities and assistance.

The program is housed directly in the students’ schools; this configuration further enhances and encourages the collaborative efforts between Evergreen staff and the school district staff. Additionally, Evergreen regularly surveys the students’ teachers and administration to gather information on how the students are doing with their attendance, grades, state assessment tests, their behavior, and participation during the school day to build this relationship further. Evergreen After School Club provides homework assistance, educational instruction, and recreation. The program encompasses many components, including a STEAM curriculum, physical fitness, health education, the arts, and social-emotional learning.

The annual Pennsylvania System School Assessment is a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment which provides students, parents, educators and citizens with an understanding of student and school performance related to the attainment of proficiency of the academic standards. These standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology identify what a student should know and be able to do at varying grade levels. School districts possess the freedom to design curriculum and instruction to ensure that students meet or exceed the standards' expectations.

Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 is assessed in English Language Arts and Math. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 5 and 8 is assessed in science.

Individual student scores, provided only to their respective schools, can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, and school scores provide information to schools and districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning.

In compliance with §4.51(a)(4) of the PA School Code the State Board of Education approved, "specific criteria for advanced, proficient, basic and below basic levels of performance."

This year Eisenhower will be administering the PSSA test online. Students will take the PSSA tests in April and May.

There are many advantages to taking the PSSA online:

• Increases student engagement in the assessment process.
• Enables students to interact with the tests using built-in features, including highlighters, calculators, and review tools.
• Students have opportunities to develop a level of comfort by practicing the utilization of these tools prior to taking any test.
• Allows students to start testing more quickly because of the opportunities to become familiar with the testing tools and that test directions are shorter than with paper tests.
• Makes assessments more accessible for diverse student populations. • Enables a more authentic expression of modern writing than handwritten essays, and for many students, typing is less fatiguing than handwriting.
• Provides a consistent testing engine across all Pennsylvania testing programs (PSSA, Keystone Exams, and Classroom Diagnostic Tools).

In an era of cell phones, smartphones and other electronic devices which can easily photograph and instantly share photographs, confidential and secure test materials can be easily compromised. Not only is it expensive to replace a compromised test item, the material contained in the PSSA and Keystone Exams is copyrighted property of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Copying or duplicating the material from the assessment, including the taking of a photograph of secure assessment material, is a violation of the federal Copyright Act. Penalties for violations of the Copyright Act may include the cost of replacing the compromised test item(s) or fines of no less than $750 up to $30,000 for a single violation (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.).

In order to ensure reliable test results and to avoid the cost of replacing test items, the Department of Education requires schools to set rules and take certain steps to protect test materials. Electronic devices such as but not limited to cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, E-readers, Nooks, Kindles, iPods, tablets, camera-ready devices, and any other electronic device which can be used to photograph or duplicate test materials, access the internet and/or communicate with others during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams are not permitted in any testing site. Please speak with your child and let him or her know that the possession and/or use of a cell phone or other electronic device during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams will result in consequences.

You will be contacted by the school if your child is discovered using and/or having a cell phone or other unapproved electronic device in his or her possession during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams. Students who ignore this directive will be subject to the school’s discipline policy and the Department of Education’s requirement that the student’s test will not be scored and the student will be required to retake the entire exam. The electronic device will be held by school staff, and the device’s stored photographs and other functions will be examined with your permission. You may request to be present when the electronic device is examined. If a photograph of the PSSA or Keystone Exam is discovered or if permission to search other functions of the electronic device is refused, the device will be held by the school staff.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education holds the copyright to all material contained within the PSSA and Keystone Exams, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will be contacted and further action may be taken. If, after testing is complete and test materials have been returned, it is discovered that a student used and/or had a cell phone or other unapproved electronic device in his or her possession during the administration of the test, the school’s discipline policy will be followed and the student’s test will not be scored.

Please contact your child's school with any other questions.

Yes. First, a parent or guardian must contact the school to preview the assessment(s). You will be sent a letter from the building principal with details of the dates and times to schedule an appointment to view the test(s). Second, a confidentiality agreement must be signed before viewing. No copies of the assessment can be made, taking of notes, copying of any materials or electronic devices can be used while viewing the assessment(s). If after viewing the assessment(s) a parent or guardian determines their religious beliefs conflict with the exams, they may opt their child out of the assessment by writing a letter to the Superintendent. The letter needs to state their objection to the assessment(s) due to their religious beliefs.

Thank you to the PTA for organizing such love-ly parties for our classes!

On February 17, Enrichment students visited the Indiana Gazette for a short educational field trip to see how a newspaper is made from start to finish. During the visit, students learned about manufacturing processes and sustainability, helping them better understand how everyday products are created. This experience supported our STEM Design Challenge participants by allowing them to see real-world applications of their classroom research on manufacturing.

The trip also benefited students participating in the WQED Writers Contest, as they observed how articles are researched, written, edited, and produced. Seeing the professional writing and editing process firsthand strengthened students’ understanding of these important skills. The students had a wonderful time, and we extend a sincere thank-you to everyone at the Indiana Gazette for making this meaningful experience possible.

On February 17, we took some time out of our day to learn about and celebrate the Chinese New Year. We watched some videos about Chinese New Year and the Chinese Zodiac signs. Since it is the year of the horse, we learned how to write the Chinese character for horse and drew cartoon horses. As is a tradition for the holiday, each student received a red envelope with a little gift - in this case, a few Dwight Dollars. 😊

With this year being the Winter Olympics, we took full advantage of the festivities to enhance our learning. Students had opportunities to learn about different events, play themed activities, and our halls were turned into our very own "Olympic Village." Additionally, each homeroom had the opportunity to earn one of the five colored rings as a PBIS reward. If they earned all five, they could participate in the Eisenhower Olympics, a PBIS rewards assembly on February 20. Students competed in various events to see which homeroom would come out on top. Congratulations to Ms. Soles' homeroom in fourth grade and Mr. McCunn's homeroom in fifth grade for taking home the gold!

For an extra special treat, check out this performance of the Star-Spangled Banner by Mr. Kemerer, Mr. Saylor, Mr. Sheeran, and our student teacher Mr. Zimmerman, which opened our ceremonies!

Eisenhower celebrated African American History Month with a special event highlighting African Americans’ history and accomplishments. On February 23, volunteers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s clubs and departments and community centers, and local businesses visited our classrooms as guest readers. These volunteers read books that shared the stories and rich heritage of the African American community to strengthen their knowledge and create community ties in an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity.

The guests read stories and shared their wealth of knowledge and experiences with our students. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved, including the students, teachers, and readers. This event continued a partnership between these volunteers and our schools, allowing us to have this event in future years.

A HUGE thanks to Zipporah Prescott, Charles Simelton, Octavia Trice, Anajah Sutton Fisher, Erika Jackson, Felicia Daniel, Quintina Thomas, Dr. Adam Jones, Abubukar Wahab, Samira Boulker, Anala Major, Bryant Pinder, Lael Jenkins, Leslie Coates, and Donovan Daniel who generously volunteered their time to contribute to this event!

Students from Eisenhower Elementary participated in the THAD Competition for 5th-9th grade hosted by ARIN IU28. THAD is a day of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity (the “Four Cs” of 21st century skills) where teams of students compete in fun and lighthearted challenges that encourage them to “Think Hard And Different.” Eisenhower students formed 3 teams that faced 15 challenges achieving 4 First Place awards and 1 Second Place finish. Special thanks to our High School Helpers Elle Griffith, Keylee Gunnarsson, and Brayden Stevens who moderated 3 challenge stations at the event.

Our school Read-A-Thon begins on Monday March 9, 2026 and is sure to be a fun and exciting event. We understand that your time is valuable. We also know that providing the best education for your child is important. That's why we are encouraging everyone to activate their student's Read-A-Thon account as soon as possible. The instructions are straightforward, making it quick and hassle-free, and it should take less than 5 minutes of your time.

Watch a short video to see how to sign up your reader: https://youtu.be/12tmuXH8zCg

This account will serve as a hub for recording and monitoring your child's progress as a Reader in the event, and for you to share their Read-A-Thon message with friends and family. Use the link below to activate your student's Reader account:

https://www.read-a-thon.com/readers/r/323832393738/1?utm=email

Thank you so much for your participation and support. Together, we can make this Read-A-Thon an amazing experience for our young readers!

Believe it or not, we are already looking ahead to next year! Please see below for information regarding all district move up nights.

Thursday, May 7

Kindergarten Registration - 4:30-6:30pm @ East Pike Elementary

East Pike & Ben Franklin Elementary Step Up Nights - 5:00-7:00pm

Eisenhower Elementary Step Up Night - 5:00-7:00pm (identical 1-hr presentations at 5 pm & 6pm)

Tuesday, May 12

Junior High, incoming 6th graders - 6:00-8:00pm

February 27

Read Across America Kick Off Assembly (with Texas Roadhouse!)

March 2-6

School Breakfast Week

Read Across America Week

March 6

Snow Make Up Day - see you in school!

March 9

Committee Work Sessions (Academic/Extra Curricular & Policy & Personnel) - 5:30pm

Regular School Board Meeting - 7:30pm

March 9-20

Indiana Area School District Read-A-Thon

March 16

Committee Work Session (if needed)

March 19

PTA Show & Snack

March 20

No School for Students - Data Day

March 23

Snow Make Up Day - see you in school!

Committee Work Session (Buildings/Grounds & Transportation/Audit & Finance Committee - 5:30pm

Special School Board Meeting - 7:30pm

*To attend Committee or Board Meetings virtually or in-person,

please visit www.iasd.cc for more information!

We know life can be full of changes. If your contact information should change, be sure to be proactive and take steps to stay in the loop! We would like to offer the following reminders:

You can always update your contact information in the parent portal, which will allow you to continue to receive notifications (if you are signed up for them) specific to your child(ren).

For the BrightArrow mass notification system, you must contact the school to change your contact information. You may add an additional email address or phone number from the BrightArrow section of the parent portal, but you can not change existing information from there. You must contact the school.

We take communication with our families and stakeholders very seriously. We hope you are enjoying our monthly e-newsletters which are packed with valuable and interesting information. The calendar and “upcoming events” section on the district website are another great resource to see what events and meetings are taking place around the district. You can even subscribe and import events directly into your personal calendar!

Stay connected! We are all in this together!

Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 1460 School Street, Indiana, PA 15701
Phone: 724-463-8566
Facebook: Facebook.com/indianaareaschooldistrict