September 2025 e-News

We’re excited to kick off the new school year by talking about Respect. One way to think about respect is "seeing value in all people and things & treating them with care." Many people feel respected in different ways and we hope this month inspires discussions with your family about what respect means to you and how you can practice it together. For additional information regarding CharacterStrong, including our middle school monthly traits, please visit our CharacterStrong & Social Emotional Learning website.

• SEPTEMBER - Suicide Prevention Month
• September 7-13 - Arts in Education Week
• September 8 - International Literacy Day
  
• September 11 - 9-11 Remembrance Day
• September 15 thru October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month
• September 19 - IT Professional Day
• September 23 - International Day of Sign Languages
• September 26 - Human Resources Professional Day

NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

Physical Activity & Nutrition Advisory Council
Administration Center, 3:30 p.m.

High School Student Advisory Council
Administration Center, 8:15 a.m.

Middle School Student Advisory Council
Administration Center, 8:15 a.m.

Remote Learning Day
Teachers will provide asynchronous work for students equal to a half day of instruction. Student work may be completed that day or anytime over the weekend and submitted the next day school is in session. Students will NOT attend virtual sessions and all students will be marked present unless reported as absent. In the event of an absence, families should follow regular procedures for absence notification and the standard make-up procedures will apply.

All too often, drivers are distracted or not paying attention and drive into school zones too quickly — even though warning signs and flashing lights let them know they’re approaching a school zone. For the safety of our students, it is critical drivers practice safe driving habits when traveling near school zones, bus stops, pedestrian crossings, and in the pick up/drop off line.

Know the speed limit, put down your phone, watch for students, and stop for our buses. If you stay alert and focused, and follow bus safety laws, you can keep yourself and our children safe this school year!

For primary and intermediate schools, the youngest child in your family should have brought home a printed copy of the District's Calendar & Family Guide for 2025-2026. Copies are available in the middle and high school offices while supplies last. You may find a downloadable PDF version on the District website. Click here.

In addition to District events and cycle days, the publication contains resources and contact information for District departments and schools.

Our Transportation Department has made great strides in reducing the number of first week issues this school year, and the majority of students have experienced reliable service. We thank families for their patience as we've navigated the first days of the 2025-2026 school year. Please read below for additional updates.

For students who registered after August 18, bus assignments may not yet be finalized. Families should continue to plan for alternate transportation as needed, with routes expected to be updated in the coming week.

Once all students who registered after August 18 have been assigned their regular stop locations, the Transportation Department will begin reviewing Transportation Exception Requests. We appreciate your patience as our staff works to carefully process and respond to each request.

If you have already contacted the Transportation Department but have not yet received a reply, please be assured that your message has been received and is being addressed in the order it was received. For the most accurate and up-to-date transportation details, families are encouraged to check PowerSchool regularly.

We’re thrilled to share that starting this school year, all students in Grades K–12 will have a District-issued iPad!

• Grades K–2- iPads in rugged protective cases.
• Grades 3–12- iPads in rugged keyboard cases.
  
  

This initiative ensures a consistent learning experience across all grade levels and supports curriculum planning and online testing—including this year’s state assessments that are required to be online.

Students in grades 3, 10, 11, and 12 have received new 10th generation iPads. Please note that these devices do not have a traditional headphone jack.

If your family chooses to purchase headphones for personal use, compatible options include:

• USB-C headphones
• USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter (for older headphones)
• Bluetooth headphones

In the next two weeks, the District will send out more information about exciting new features, including:

GoGuardian Parent: A powerful tool that gives families control over iPad use at home. You’ll be able to:

• Pause internet access
• Set time limits or schedules for internet access
• Block specific websites, except websites required for curricular use
• View your student’s browsing activity
• View the top 5 sites and documents used

Responsible iPad Use Lesson: All students will participate in an interactive lesson within the first three weeks of school focused on caring for and using their iPads responsibly. These lessons will also be shared with families to review together, as caring for these devices is a shared responsibility between students, families, and the District.

Stay Tuned

Please keep an eye out for our upcoming communication with more details.

Cedar Cliff High School

September 26 - Colts vs. Chambersburg, West Shore Stadium

September 27 - Homecoming Dance from 7-10 p.m.

Red Land H.S.

October 10 - Patriots vs. Shippensburg, West Shore Stadium

October 11 - Homecoming Dance from 7-10 p.m.

Home Football Game Procedures and West Shore Stadium Bag Policy Information

We will continue to offer a healthy breakfast and lunch to students during the school day, but have returned to the previous system of collecting applications for households that wish to apply for free or reduced-price lunches. We still offer all students one free breakfast per day regardless of their family’s economic status. We will charge for additional breakfasts and all lunch servings. You may find additional information regarding the update here.

Monies may be deposited into your student's account ahead of time. More information can be found below under 'Depositing Money in Your Student's Account.'

Parents who believe their child would qualify for free/reduced lunches are asked to fill out the proper paperwork through LINQ Connect or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS). Your child will still receive free breakfast regardless of paperwork status. You may find links to those pages at https://www.wssd.k12.pa.us/FreeandReducedMeals.aspx.

Additionally, the District is partnering with a new vendor, Aramark Nutrition, for school meals. Please visit https://www.wssd.k12.pa.us/menus.aspx for updated menu options.

All schools are using LINQ Connect (formerly known as TITAN), for student breakfasts and lunches. This system allows parents to monitor their student’s account balance, view meal purchases, and make online payments. There is no charge to monitor student account information; however, a convenience fee will be charged by LINQ Connect when used to add funds. If parents prefer not to use the online service to deposit funds, money may be added to student accounts by sending cash or checks made payable to “West Shore Cafeteria Fund” to school with students. Unfortunately, monies cannot be accepted by the cashier at lunch time. Click here for more information or to set up an account.

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. These opportunities may be based on qualification for free/reduced lunches. Families are encouraged to submit their application within the first two weeks of school.

Thank you to all of the parents/guardians for submitting photos for our annual First Day Video! We loved seeing the excitement and smiles as students and staff began the 2025–2026 school year.

We’re currently putting together our First Day video, which will feature the photos submitted. The video will be released no later than Friday, September 5—be sure to check back on the District website and our social media pages to view it. When uploaded, or to view previous years, you may click here.

We appreciate your participation and look forward to celebrating the start of a great year together!

Many of our families utilize Medicaid for health coverage. The section below includes information about renewing your benefits (something that must be done each year).

The West Shore School District has partnered with Highmark Wholecare to offer free help sessions who may be applying for or renewing Medicaid. These sessions will take place at 10AM to Noon, with no appointment necessary, as follows:

• Cedar Cliff High School - First Wednesday of the Month
• Red Land High School - Second Wednesday of the Month

To find your renewal date, visit dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or use the free myCOMPASS PA mobile app. If you want to renew by phone, call 1-866-550-4355. If interested, additional information can be found below from Highmark.

Meetings are held at the Administration Center and are open to the public. For those unable to join us in person, Board Meetings and Board Committee Meetings are also livestreamed.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Facilities - Wednesday, September 10, 4:30 p.m.

Finance - Thursday, September 11, 4:30 p.m.

Policy - Thursday, September 18, 4:30 p.m.

Transportation - Wednesday, September 24, 5 p.m.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Thursday, September 11, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 18, 6:30 p.m.

Related Links

• In Person and Electronic Public Comment Guidelines
• Watch Board Meetings Online - Board meetings are streamed live and archived for viewing after the meeting.
• Board Agendas - published 24 hours before the meeting
  
• Board Minutes - posted after Board approval

• Annual Notices - Numerous federal laws require school districts to provide students, parents, and/or the public with notices.

• Care Solace - Care Solace assists individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their services may be accessed by students, staff and their families at no cost to you, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, and in 200+ languages. To utilize Care Solace, call 1-888-515-0595 or visit www.caresolace.com/westshore.

• Employment Opportunities - We have a variety of open positions perfect for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers interested in working a schedule similar to our students.
• Transportation Exception Request - May be used to request a bus stop different from the assigned stop associated with the child’s residence provided the alternative stop is in the same school attendance area as the child’s school.
  
• Free and Reduced Price Meal Application Information - Families who may qualify are encouraged to apply for free or low cost meals this school year.
  
• Electronic Absence Submission - If your child will not be in school for the day due to illness or doctor/dentist appointment, you can submit their absence electronically through PowerSchool.
  
• Volunteer Clearance Policy & Procedures - Adults wishing to volunteer in our schools are required to complete the Volunteer Application Process before being approved to do so.
• Technology Help Center - Contains videos, resources, FAQs, and guides on using SeeSaw, Schoology, PowerSchool, iPads, Chromebooks, and more.
  

• Damage, Loss, Theft of District Technology Devices and Chargers - Information related to device expectations and repair costs.