May and June 2025 e-News

Get ready for some fun as we focus on Creativity this month! One way to think about Creativity is “using your imagination to create something new or solve a problem.” Opportunities to be Creative are all around us and we look forward to exploring those this month. For additional information regarding CharacterStrong, including our middle school monthly traits, please visit our CharacterStrong & Social Emotional Learning website.

• May 1-31- Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Military Appreciation Month, Better Hearing and Speech Month, Foster Care Month, and Physical Fitness & Sports Month

• May 1 - School Principal’s Day
• May 1-7 - Physical Education & Sports Week
• May 2 - School Lunch Hero Day
• May 5-9 - Teacher Appreciation Week (we celebrate all staff this week!)
• May 7 - School Nurse Day
• May 9 - School Communicator Appreciation Day
• May 11 - Mother's Day
• May 14 - Receptionist’s Day
• May 18 - Speech Language Pathologist Day
• May 26 - Memorial Day
  
  
• June 1-30 - Caribbean American Heritage Month, Pride Month, and Internet Safety Month
• June 14 - Flag Day
• June 15 - Father's Day
• June 19 - Juneteenth

Scheduled 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 Zoom 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.

No School

District offices will also be closed on Monday, May 26.

Cumberland Perry Area Career & Technical Center's Last Day

Early Dismissal/Last Day for Students

Middle and High School students will be dismissed at 10:45 a.m.

Intermediate students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m.

Primary (K-4) students will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m.

Afternoon kindergarten and KAP will not be held on the last day.

Lunch will not be served.

End of the Year Grades Available in PowerSchool

Report card information for grades K-12 will be available no later than June 20, in PowerSchool. To view and print grades in the traditional report card style, please click the "Report Cards" tab on the left after logging into the PowerSchool website (not available in the app).

Tuesday, May 6

English Language Department Picnic, 5-7 p.m.

Hosted by Roof Park

May 10, 2025, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

110 Old Willow Mill Road, Mechanicsburg
The fourth annual Cumberland-Perry Area Career Technical Center Community Day sale showcases carpentry builds and plants of all types for visitors to purchase. If interested, please join a valued District partner for the event.

Thursday, May 22, 2025, 5-8:30 p.m.
Cedar Cliff High School

West Shore Aquaponics is celebrating its fifth anniversary with an open house for the entire community. Join the group for tours, seed bomb making, plant sales, and food, rain or shine! Attendees can learn how to make your own mushroom kits, participate in planting pots in "funky mugs," peruse the homemade soap/chapstick sale and much more. Visit @WestShoreAquaponics on Instagram for more information.

Tuesday, June 10, 5:15 p.m.

Cedar Cliff High School Cafeteria

Formal invitations will be sent in May to our retirees and honored guests.

Saturday, May 3
Cedar Cliff High School

Cedar Cliff High School - Saturday, May 3, 6-10 p.m., Penn Harris Hotel

Red Land High School - Saturday, May 10, 6-10 p.m., Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel

Red Land High School - Friday, May 9, 11:30 a.m.

Cedar Cliff High School will not be hosting a Military & Career Signing Day this year.

Cedar Cliff High School - Monday, May 19, Festival from 6-9 p.m., Free Concert at 7 p.m.

Red Land High School - Tuesday, May 27, Festival from 5-8 p.m., Free Concert at 7 p.m.

Monday, May 20

Details will be shared by CPACTC with families of seniors.

Friday, June 6, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex

Red Land High School, 3 p.m.

Cedar Cliff High School, 6:30 p.m.

Parking is free and all are welcome to join us. We will also broadcast both ceremonies live. Details about the live stream, including links and system requirements, will be available on our website closer to graduation.

In the last several months, conversations have intensified regarding potential renovations to the West Shore Natatorium. To capture the impact of the facility, we have now shared a special two-part video series. Part 2 (above) details the proposed renovations and explore the vital life-saving courses the Natatorium offers. Part 1 focused on the personal stories of a few community members, sharing what the facility has meant to them over the years. For many, it’s more than just a pool—it’s a place where lifelong skills are learned and where safety is a top priority.

We are offering online summer remediation and acceleration courses to families this year. Credit Acceleration courses will run from June 2 - July 23 and Credit Recovery course from June 18 - July 23. This year, there will be associated costs with credit recovery and credit acceleration. Interested students must complete all requested information on the online application to register. Click here for more details about this year's offerings.

Monday, June 9, through Friday, August 8, all District schools and the Administration Center will be open Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays. In addition, District offices and meal location sites will be closed July 3-4 in honor of Independence Day. Due to summer trainings and staff vacation time, hours at the individual schools will vary each day. Please contact the building prior to your visit to confirm someone will be available to assist you.

We are once again offering a free summer meals! From June 16 through August 14, all kids up to age 18 can receive free breakfast and lunch regardless of their family’s economic status or school district of residence.

Locations: Cedar Cliff High School, Old Trail Intermediate School, Hillside and Washington Heights Elementary Schools

Days: Monday through Thursday (closed Fridays)

Times: Breakfast from 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. and Lunch from 11 a.m. - noon

Available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from July 1-24 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for students in our Special Education program. Additional details and registration information will be sent to eligible families.

All 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.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Thursday, May 8, 6:30 p.m. - Adoption of Proposed Budget

Thursday, May 15, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 12, 6:30 p.m. - Adoption of Final Budget

Thursday, June 19, 6:30 p.m.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Facilities - Wednesday, May 7, 4:30 p.m.

Finance - Thursday, May 8, 4:30 p.m.

Transportation - Tuesday, May 13, 5:00 p.m.

Policy - Thursday, May 15, 4:30 p.m.

Finance - Thursday, June 12, 4:30 p.m.

Transportation - Tuesday, June 17, 5:00 p.m.

Curriculum - Wednesday, June 18, 4:30 p.m.

Policy - Thursday, June 19, 4:30 p.m.

Related Links

• In Person and Electronic Public Comment Guidelines - last updated in February
• Watch Board Meetings & Committee Meetings Online - Meetings are streamed live and archived for viewing following the meeting
• Board Agendas - published 24 hours before the meeting
  
• Board Minutes - posted after Board approval
• 2025-2026 Budget Development - presentations made to the Board during the budget development process

Cedar Cliff High School's Academic WorldQuest team and their advisor, Angela Kamps, represented the state of Pennsylvania and The World Affairs Council of Harrisburg at the National Academic WorldQuest competition in Washington D.C. Students tested their knowledge of world affairs against the top teams in the nation and brought home the national championship! For winning the competition, the team earned an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey, courtesy of Turkish Airlines. Congratulations to (L to R) Mrs. Kamps, Rory Gannon, Rayna Johnson, Jackson Kane, and Timothy Valentine.

Shout out to our Employees of the Third Quarter - Michael Gallagher, Emotional Support teacher at Cedar Cliff High School, and New Cumberland Middle School Secretary - Laura Santos! Through their actions and dedication, these West Shore employees have supported the District’s pledge to inspire, engage, and empower students. Thank you Michael and Laura!

We are excited to share that Red Land High School junior Dylan Beaman participated in the annual PMEA All-State Festival in April. Out of thousands of musicians across Pennsylvania, Dylan earned a seat in the top 660 that performed this year in the Poconos. Congratulations to Dylan for the honor, and we are so proud of the time and dedication it took to reach this milestone.

The donation, which was raised through Giant's Feeding School Kids Round Up program, will go a long way toward helping us eliminate childhood hunger. The District was initially awarded $6,823.23 from Giant, but received an additional $5,000 to continue funding our backpack program -- bringing the grand total to $11,823.23! Now in its fifth year, The GIANT Company’s Feeding School Kids initiative has supported public school districts in addressing childhood hunger throughout the communities it serves. Thank you to those who made this possible!

The Board of Directors approved the 2025-2026 school calendar at the meeting of the Board on February 13, 2025. You may view the file by clicking this link.

Kindergarten registration has begun for the 2025-2026 school year. If you have a child who will be joining us in August 2025 for kindergarten, please visit the District’s registration page for directions on how to complete the enrollment process.

We do not have a deadline for registering for kindergarten; however, by enrolling early, parents help us with staffing and class sizes to ensure a smooth start to the school year. Additionally, once registered we will have your contact information to invite your family to our Camp Kindergarten event where parents and children get to meet staff members, tour their elementary school, and enjoy a day with future classmates.

Pennsylvania is continuing its program to provide food assistance to children and families during the summer - SUN Bucks. This is federal child nutrition program is aimed at keeping kids fed during the summer months. Eligible children will receive an EBT card that can be used to purchase groceries. The benefit amount for summer of 2025 is $40 per summer month per child ($120 total). Payments will be made by mid-July. Qualifying families who already receive SNAP benefits will see the benefit added to their SNAP card. The application for SUN Bucks will likely not be available until later this summer. Parents who want to ensure their child is signed up should consider applying for a benefit that automatically enrolls their child into SUN Bucks such as SNAP or Free and Reduced Price Meals (which is separate from the District's 2024-2025 ability to provide free meals). For updating information, please visit the Pennsylvania Sun Bucks Family Resources page.

• 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.