March 2025 e-News

This month’s focus is Cooperation. One way to think about Cooperation is “working together to reach shared goals.” We all experience situations in which we must work with others to accomplish a goal or task in our life. This month, students will be discussing tools and strategies they can use when working with a friend or someone new. For additional information regarding CharacterStrong, including our middle school monthly traits, please visit our CharacterStrong & Social Emotional Learning website.

• March 1-31 - Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Irish American Heritage Month, Music in Our Schools Month, Women’s History Month, and Youth Art Month

• March 2 - NEA’s Read Across America Day

• March 2-8 - School Social Worker Appreciation Week

• March 3-7 - School Breakfast Week

• March 7 - Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day

• March 7 - Employee Appreciation Day

• March 14 - Pi Day

• March 20 - World Behavior Analysis Day

• March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day

No School
District offices will also be closed.

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.

Grades K-6 - Second Trimester Grades Available in PowerSchool

Report card information for grades K-6 will be available no later than March 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). If you would like additional information about the Standards-Based Report Cards being used in grades K-4, please check out the Family Guide posted on our website.

Future Educator Open House

Join us at the Administration Center between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. for our Annual Future Educator Open House. Scroll down for additional information about the event.

Spring PIAA Sports Begin

• Cedar Cliff Athletic Schedules
• Red Land Athletic Schedules

West Shore Honors Band Festival

Hosted by Red Land High School

Festival will take place throughout the day with a free concert at 4 p.m.

SAT Testing at Red Land
Testing is in the morning. Please see your guidance counselor for the exact time.

Daylight Saving Time Begins

Bus Evacuation Drills

West Shore Honors Orchestra Festival

Hosted by Red Land High School

Festival will take place throughout the day with a free concert at 4 p.m.

West Shore Jazz Festival
Hosted by Red Land High School
Festival begins at 5 p.m.

West Shore JROTC Military Ball
Hosted by Red Land High School
Dancing will take place from 6-10 p.m.

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, March 13, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 20, 6:30 p.m.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Curriculum - Wednesday, March 12, 4:30 p.m.

Finance - Thursday, March 13, 4:30 p.m.

Transportation - Tuesday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m.

Policy - Thursday, March 20, 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

Presented by Red Land High School

Remaining Performances -March 1 at 7 p.m., March 2 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults, and $15 for all tickets purchased at the door. Click here to purchase your tickets.

Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults, and $15 for all tickets purchased at the door. Click here to purchase your tickets.

Presented by Allen Middle School

March 7 at 7 p.m.

March 8 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children under 12

Tickets may be purchased at the door.

General Admission Seating.

Presented by Cedar Cliff High School

March 12 at 4 p.m. - Free Senior Citizen Matinee

March 13, 14, and 15 at 7 p.m.

March 16 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults, and $15 for all tickets purchased at the door. Click here to purchase your tickets.

March 14 ONLY - Live stream available for $20. Click here for more information.

Presented by Crossroads Middle School Musical

March 21 & 22 at 7 p.m.

March 23 at 1 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students.

Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Cedar Cliff High School Senior Rayna Johnson has advanced from Semifinalist to Finalist in the prestigious 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program! More than 1.3 million students from approximately 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. Only the top 15,000 students in the country are named Finalists.

In February, members of West Shore Percussion competed in shows at Lower Dauphin and Eastern York High Schools. The competitions, sponsored by the Keystone Indoor Drill Association (KIDA), included judging on music, visuals and effects. Remarkably, West Shore Percussion brought home first place honors from BOTH events, including earning the highest score received by any scholastic group so far this season at the competition at Eastern York.

March is Youth Art Month, a nationally recognized celebration of the contributions of young people to the arts. Again, this school year, the West Shore School District, in partnership with Lamar Advertising and the District’s Partners in Education, will be showcasing student art on 18 billboards placed throughout West Shore and our neighboring communities. Congratulations to this year's featured artists.

• Callan Murphy, Allen Middle School
  
• Gabriella Berio-Minter, Cedar Cliff High School
• Gwyn Edwards, Cedar Cliff High School
• Valerie Kull, Cedar Cliff High School
• James Washburn, Crossroads Middle School
• Carmen Huegel, Fishing Creek Elementary School
• Jameson Pearson, Fairview Intermediate School
• Alejandro Martinez-King, Highland Elementary School
• Emerson Wagner, Hillside Elementary School
• Christian Shumberger, Newberry Elementary School
• Milo Simcoe, New Cumberland Middle School
• Chloe Mika, Old Trail Intermediate School
• Avianna Misiti, Red Land High School
• Abigail Hayward, Red Land High School
• Liliana Farina, Red Land High School
• Elizabeth Huppman, Red Mill Elementary School
• Avery Orth, Rossmoyne Elementary School
• Rose Grillo, Washington Heights Elementary School

Prom season will be here soon! To make our upcoming events affordable and enjoyable for all, Cedar Cliff and Red Land High Schools are hosting prom dress donation drives! If you have a party dress, formal gown, suit, shoes or other accessories that you would be willing to donate, please drop your items off during school hours at Cedar Cliff or Red Land's main office. Items will then be offered to students at no cost during Prom Boutiques at each high school.

Cedar Cliff will be hosting its 6th Annual Prom Boutique on Thursday, March 27th from 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. in the Counseling Office. Red Land will be hosting their event on Wednesday, March 26th from 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Join us at our Annual Future Educator Open House on Monday, March 3 between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to take the first step toward a rewarding career as an educator in our District. During the Open House, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the options available for obtaining your teaching certification and meet with representatives from local universities and organizations. All are welcome to attend; however, this event will be particularly valuable to current or future high school graduates, individuals in the process of obtaining a degree, and college graduates with a degree in a non-education area. Click here for more details.

Beyond stress and anxiety, there are heightened concerns about the rates of suicide, self-harm, depression and school violence among American students. Instructively, half of all behavioral and mental health challenges emerge during or before adolescence, and about one in six students will experience a significant mental health challenge during their school years. As a result, prevention and early intervention for mental health issues among youth are especially important within the scope of public education.

The West Shore School District will began administering behavioral health screenings at the end of February and will continue into March for 7th and 9th grades only, staggering between schools. You may find additional information on the Student Services section of the website.

At its meeting on February 13, the Board approved an academic calendar for the 2025-2026 school year with a start date for students of Tuesday, August 26, 2025 and an end date of Friday, June 5, 2026. To download the complete calendar, please click here.

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 primary school, and enjoy a day with future classmates.

Please Note: The 2025-2026 registration portal is open for kindergarten only at this time. Enrollments for next school year for students entering grades 1 through 12 will be accepted in April.

In addition to our electronic newsletter, this month all West Shore residents will be receiving a printed newsletter in their home mailboxes.

Be on the lookout for the Spring 2025 issue of Points of Pride for special community stories, 2025-2026 budget, cyber charter and federal funding and more.

We realize many of our families utilize Medicaid and wanted to pass on some 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 Coverage. 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.

• 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.
• 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.