April Newsletter

Here are some important dates for April and May:

• April 4 - Spring Pictures
• April 7 - Open House/PTO Meeting/Charlotte's Web Celebration
• April 14 - Yearbook Order Deadline
• April 14 - Kindergarten - Hands On House
• April 14-16 - Book Fair
• April 17 - Remote Learning Day
• April 18 and 21 - NO SCHOOL
• April 22-24 - ELA PSSA (3rd and 4th Grade)
• April 24 - Grade 1 - Aquaponics Field Trip
• April 24 - Grateful Goat Washington Heights Night 5-8 pm
• April 29-30 - Math PSSA (3rd and 4th Grade)
• May 5 - Grade 2 Field Trip - Paulus' Farm
• May 5 - PTO Meeting 6:30 pm
• May 14 - Grade 4 Field Trip - Washington DC
• May 15 - Grade 1 - Negley Park
• May 23 - Remote Learning Day
• May 26 - NO SCHOOL
• May 29 - Grade 4 Move Up Day
• May 30 - Kindergarten - Negley Park

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.

New Hope Ministries:

Summer Day Camp

Children who have completed Kindergarten - 5th Grade are invited to come to a day camp. Some of the activities we will participate in throughout the camp are: Bible Stories, Service Projects, Crafts, Field Trips, Swimming, and Visiting a New Hope Center. If you have parents that are interested in this camp, please email Gina Staton gstaton@nhm-pa.net.

Academic Credit Recovery Scholarships
We provide scholarships for middle school and high school students that need financial assistance to take a credit recovery course. If the student receives financial assistance from us, they are required to come to one of our centers to complete the course. If your school district is interested in participating in this program, please let me know by May 1, 2025. Please note that space is limited.

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

Our 3rd and 4th graders will be taking the PSSAs in April. The dates of the tests are:

ELA - April 22, 23, 24

Math - April 29, 30

4/1-30 Please remember to link your Weis Bonus Card and shop RaiseRight all year long to earn funds for our PTO. SPIRIT SHOP IS OPEN ALL YEAR LONG. Stop by the office for an order form or email whpto1@gmail.com. Visit https://linktr.ee/whpto or join our private Facebook group "whpto1" to stay the most up-to-date on all PTO events!

4/7 OPEN HOUSE--East Coast Mini Donuts & Ice Cream Trucks from 5:15-7:30pm. Also 'Tissue Drive' for a chance to win a W.H. Eagles "Swag Bag"

4/7 PTO Meeting in library at 7pm

4/11-16 Scholastic Book Fair during the day during scheduled class time and also in the evenings during bingo

4/15 Story Time with Mrs. Zimmerman & Friends and Book Bingo 6-7pm

4/16 Book Bingo BASH 6-7:30pm

4/22-24 Neighborhood Tree Project Sapling Delivery

4/24 Spirit Night at Grateful Goat 5-8pm

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.

Courage is choosing what is helpful, right and kind - even when it is hard or scary. I hope you take the time to talk with your child about our focus word during the month of April. I look forward to seeing our students practicing Courage this month and every month!

West Shore Character Strong