April 2024 e-News

We are excited to focus on Courage this month! Courage is choosing what is helpful, right, and kind - even when it’s hard or scary. Many of us have seen people practice Courage in ways that have inspired us. This month students will discuss how Courage can help them reach their goals. For additional information regarding CharacterStrong, including our middle school monthly traits, please visit our CharacterStrong & Social Emotional Learning website.

• April 1-30 - Arab Heritage Month, Autism Acceptance Month, Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, Celebrate Diversity Month, Occupational Therapy Month, Poetry Month, School Library Month, and Child Abuse Prevention Month

• April 1-5 - National Assistant Principals Week

• April 2 - World Autism Acceptance Day

• April 3 - Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

• April 4 - School Librarian Appreciation Day

• April 7-13 - National Library Week

• April 18 - Purple Up! For Military Kids - On this day, everyone is invited to wear purple to show support and thank military children for their strength and sacrifices.
  

• April 22-26 - Public School Volunteer Recognition Week
  

• April 22 - Earth Day

• April 23 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

• April 24 - Administrative Professionals’ Day

No School

District offices will also be closed on Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1.

Grades 6-12 - Third Quarter Grades Available in PowerSchool

Report card information for grades 6-12 will be available no later than April 8, 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).

Solar Eclipse, Between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

We will follow our regular schedule on Monday, April 8. Please assist us by reinforcing safety precautions with your students at home. Click here to refer to the message sent on March 28 from Dr. Stoltz, Superintendent.

West Shore Honors Chorus Festival

Hosted by Cedar Cliff High School

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

Cedar Cliff JROTC Blood Drive

Cedar Cliff High School, 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Cedar Cliff's JROTC is hosting a Blood Drive to benefit the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank. Register in the Cedar Cliff lobby before entering the Bloodmobile. ID is required. Donors will receive a t-shirt and buy 1, get 1 free pizza certificate.

Monty Python's Spamalot

Presented by New Cumberland Middle School

April 12 and April 13, 7 p.m.

April 14, 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for Students and Seniors 65+

Tickets may be purchased at the door.

General Admission Seating.

Cedar Cliff High School mini-THON

Event will begin at 4 p.m. and last thru 10 p.m.

West Shore Special Olympics

West Shore Stadium, During School Day

This is always such an awesome day for our District! We look forward to cheering on our Special Olympic athletes alongside their families. More details will be shared with participants prior to the event.

Title I, II, and IV DAC Meeting & Student Showcase

Hosted by Highland Elementary, 6 p.m.

Community Supports Expo

Special Education Department Parent Engagement Series

Hosted by Central Penn College, 6:30-8 p.m.

For parents with students attending West Shore, Cumberland Valley, East Pennsboro and Camp Hill School Districts.

Come speak with representative from these and other organizations: Arc of Cumberland & Perry Counties, Arc of York County, Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training Collaborative (ASERT), Include Me, Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (MH/IDD), and Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Please register if you plan to attend - https://bit.ly/CommunitySupportsExpo-2024

Anti-Racism & Diversity Art Gallery, Competition and Silent Auction

Cedar Cliff High School, 5-8 p.m.

Cedar Cliff High School's Colts Anti-Racist Alliance (CARA) is once again hosting an Anti-Racism & Diversity Art Gallery, Competition and Silent Auction! All high school students in Central PA are invited to participate and have their work showcased. Pieces will be judged on relation to theme, impact, and technical skill with prizes awarded to the winners. The deadline for entries is Friday, April 19. For more details, visit: https://bit.ly/CARA-ArtGallery2024

West Shore Relays

West Shore Stadium, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

National Prescription Take Back Day

Hosted by Crossroads Middle School, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.,

The District is partnering with the York Opioid Collaborative and Fairview Township Police Department to host this drive thru event. All varieties of medication (tablets, capsules, liquids, creams, inhalants, etc.) will be accepted for disposal.

Friday, May 17, 6-8 p.m.

Hosted by Roof Park, 599 Lewisberry Road, New Cumberland

Sponsored and Organized by the Fairview Elementary PTO

The community is invited to join students and staff at Roof Park as we prepare to say goodbye to Fairview Elementary. Due to limited parking on the Fairview campus, there will be a shuttle from the park to Fairview for anyone interested in visiting the school. Other activities planned include food trucks, live music, balloon art, face painting, yard pong, inflatables, and more.

Prints of Fairview Elementary can be purchased for $25 at the event with proceeds benefiting the Fairview Elementary PTO. Please email fairviewptowssd@gmail.com if you are interested but unable to attend the event to make your purchase in person.

Cedar Cliff High School - Saturday, May 11, 6-10 p.m., Penn Harris Hotel

Red Land High School - Saturday, May 18, 6-10 p.m., Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel

Thanks to community donations each high school has free gowns and formal attire available for students. Please contact your child's school for details about their prom boutiques.

Friday, June 7, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex

Cedar Cliff High School, 3 p.m.

Red Land 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.

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, April 11, 6:30 p.m.

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

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

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

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

• 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
• 2024-2025 Budget Development - presentations made to the Board during the budget development process

On March 20, the 2024 Sodexo Future Chefs Culinary Challenge was held at Allen Middle School. This year’s future chef finalists were (left to right):

• Quinn Duong, Second Grade, Rossmoyne Elementary
• Farah Lakmil, Fourth Grade, Hillside Elementary
• Noah Loukili, Third Grade, Fishing Creek Elementary
  
• Margaret Knepp, Third Grade, Fairview Elementary
  
• Mesandi Adikari, Third Grade, Highland Elementary
  
• Vivienne Vedder, Third Grade, Newberry Elementary

And the winner of the 2024 Sodexo Future Chefs Culinary Challenge was...Mesandi Adikari and her mixed fried rice. Mesandi will now go on to the regional and possibly national competition. Kudos are also extended to our second place winner Farah Lakmil and third place finisher Vivienne Vedder. All this year’s chefs should be proud.

Special thanks to our Food Services Department and our Future Chef judges Judy Crocenzi, Dorothy Horn, FOX43's Andrea Michaels and 2016 Future Chef Winner Emma Dice.

Two very deserving West Shore initiatives were honored today by the Shippensburg University School Study Council as Exemplary Programs.

• District Assistive Technology Team: Evaluating Student Assistive Technology Needs - Received by Megan Gettz, Special Education Dept. IME; Carrie Livingston, Teacher of Visually Impaired; and Kristen Peters, Director of Special Education.
• Introduction to Algebra for Newcomers: Supporting Math and Language Skills of English Learners - Received by Whitney Sementelli, Cedar Cliff High School English Language Development Teacher.
  

Thank you to all involved in bringing these innovative - and award winning - programs to West Shore.

Cedar Cliff High School brought home first and second place wins at the Academic WorldQuest competition sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg. The first place team will now represent Pennsylvania at the national competition in Washington D.C. Congratulations and best wishes to all this year’s participants.

• First Place Team: Caleb Masshardt (captain), Rory Gannon, Rayna Johnson, and Jackson Kane.
• Second Place Team: Linda Alghobari (captain), Ayesha Nasir, Nicholas Ulkoski, and Tim Valentine.

The following students also participated in the competition: Eloise Billus, William Gannon, Mikayla Gay, Cade Griva, Eliot Horn, Zachary Kuhns, Nicholas Olmsted, and Valerie Weigner.

At the Science Olympiad Competition hosted by Millersville University, out of 26 high schools attending, Red Land High School earned four medals and finished eighth overall while Cedar Cliff brought home five medals and finished ninth overall. Congratulations to both teams!

With the addition of the intermediate schools, we will be shifting student arrival and dismissal times for next school year.

• Elementary Schools (Grades K-4) - 8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Intermediate Schools (Grades 5-6) - 8:10 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.
• Middle Schools (Grades 7-8) - 7:32 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.
• High Schools (Grades 9-12) - 7:32 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.

At its meeting on February 15, the Board approved an academic calendar for the 2024-2025 school year with a start date for students of Tuesday, September 3, 2024 and an end date of Friday, June 6, 2025. To download the complete calendar, please click here.

Kindergarten registration has begun for the 2024-2025 school year. If you have a child who will be joining us in August 2024 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.

Please Note: The 2024-2025 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.

Masks created by West Shore students will be among the 1,000+ masks featured in this exhibit taking place at the Susquehanna Art Museum through May 19. For more details, download the flier below.

PennDOT has invited students in West Shore to participate in their annual National School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest. After receiving the entries, PennDOT will select a First, Second, and Third Place winning poster for each division. The winners will be invited to an awards ceremony in Harrisburg, tentatively to be held at the Governor’s Residence. For more details about the contest, download the poster contest guidelines below.

• 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.