About a year ago, Cedar Cliff was notified by the Department of Education that it would be classified as a TSI school. This is a “designation … for schools where student performance is below established thresholds” and serves as an early warning of performance trends for at-risk sub-groups. Analyzing the performance of all subgroups in achievement, growth, graduation rate, and English Language (EL) Proficiency, the state calculations determine a school’s status. In addition, the state looks at attendance and career standards to make its decisions on designations. Click here to learn more about designations

For us at CC, performance for several of our subgroups including special education and English Language learners where identified. As a result of our TSI designation, PDE requires schools “to develop and implement School Improvement Plans and get approval from the local Board of Education for the 2024-2025 school year. This plan was presented and approved by the Board in August. But we didn’t wait until this fall to make changes.

Beginning in February, with the support of central office administrators, we began to explore root causes of our poor performance in order to develop the plan mentioned above and also identify changes that we could make right away. We immediately began talking to our entire staff and laid out strategies that we could implement that would positively influence performance. We started meeting with our Special Education team looking at attendance, performance, and behavior for each student on their caseload. We repeated this process with our EL staff. We celebrated with students in these subgroups who were doing well. We started providing select students’ additional instruction as preparation for the Keystone Exams during the day in flex. We asked all staff, especially those non-tested subjects, to encourage testers to do their best. We held after school Keystone preparation sessions for all students. We had dozens of conversations with teachers about increasing student engagement. Looking back, we did a lot.

At the same time, we began meeting with staff, student, and parent groups to identify root causes of our poor performance using the PA Essential Practices Self-Assessment Guide. These are 17 practices, identified in research, that when implemented will lead to high performance. We looked at what we were doing well, what we weren’t doing well, and identified barriers to performance. We had to take a good look in the mirror and after thorough and honest reflection and assessment, we found a need to focus our TSI plan on three practices: develop a student-centered support system, create a culture of high expectations for success for all, and upgrade collaborative planning. These three items form the basis for the majority of our TSI plan. This fall, we have begun to address each of them. We also found that walking distance and our communication with non-English speaking homes were barriers to performance. More on those in coming articles.

So, what?

Well, some good news. The strategies that we put in place right away had a positive influence on our performance in most of our sub-groups. In the near future, as further explanation of school performance emerges, you will see that some improvements are significant. This fall, we are continuing use these strategies. Essentially, we improved before we implemented our plan!

Also, we will be conducting Keystone Retests in December. If your student is one taking an exam, you can help their performance by getting them a good night sleep the night before the tests, having breakfast the day of the test (reminder we have free breakfast at CC), and encouraging them to try to do their best. You have an essential roll. Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Finally, we are in this together. Our TSI plan is a work in progress and will be made better by feedback. If you would like to know more or have ideas yourself, I’d love to talk. Email me at kfillgrove@wssd.k12.pa.us or call the school at (717) 737 – 8654.

The video below, is our Board Presentation about our TSI Plan. It starts at minute 59.

Positive school culture is important in increasing school attendance and academic performance. Through DETAILS (Cedar Cliff's behavioral expectations, as well as the backbone to our PBIS program) we are making our school culture stronger! We want our students to feel recognized for doing well. So through DETAILS tickets, students names are entered into various raffle drawings that are held throughout each month. Each quarter, we will then hold school events. This past quarter was a pep rally where students played musical chairs, competed in group "crab walk" races and watched some teachers participate in a costumed obstacle course! It's all in the DETAILS at Cedar Cliff!

We will be administering the Winter Wave Keystones for Algebra on December 12th and 13th. On the testing days, classes will run on a 2.5-hour delay modified schedule (displayed). All student testers need to be present at 7:32AM. Buses will still run their normal AM schedule (no buses for 2.5 hour delay).

The Keystone Exam is an important milestone that assesses your child’s understanding of key academic subjects and helps gauge their readiness for future challenges. It is also one of the pathways for graduating. You play a vital role in supporting them as they prepare for this state test!

We urge you to speak with your child about the importance of these assessments. We will also be emphasizing this with the students and have taken additional steps to provide an environment conducive to testing. Please assist us by ensuring your child is adequately prepared on the test dates by:

• Arriving to school on time: Punctuality ensures they start their day calmly and ready.
• Getting a good night’s rest: A well-rested mind is sharper and better focused.
• Eating a healthy breakfast: A nutritious meal fuels their brain and keeps their energy levels steady

Additionally, encourage your child to stay organized and confident. Practicing key topics, minimizing distractions, and providing reassurance can greatly enhance their preparation. Your involvement can make a big difference in their performance and overall test experience. Thank you for being a supportive partner in their success!

Monday December 16th -Wednesday December 18th 2024

During the last week of November, Mrs. Kaitlyn Nye and Mrs. Carley Wolfe had the exciting opportunity to attend the National Council of Teachers of English in Boston, MA. The theme of this year’s conference was Heart, Hope, and Humanity. During their time there, they had the privilege of attending three Keynote Addresses from Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, SNL Actress Kate McKinnon, and Lawyer/Activist Bryan Stevenson. Additionally, Mrs. Nye and Mrs. Wolfe attended sessions on: Connecting Past and Present Literature, the Literary Canon, Students’ Out-of-School Literacies, AI Usage, a True Crime Genre Course, Book-Banning, and the Power of Stories in the Classroom. Mrs. Nye and Mrs. Wolfe returned to Cedar Cliff with their tool belts filled with resources for their everyday pedagogy as well as tips and tricks for supporting a positive classroom and school environment for students and teachers alike. This conference will provide the Cedar Cliff English Department with a plethora of resources to continue investing in students.

One of Cedar Cliff’s best kept secrets is that we are partnered with The Link 4 Youth and the Peiffer Memorial Arboretum and Nature Preserve in order to offer beginner level mountain biking. This partnership allows for our students that take our Outdoor Adventure Education class (offered to students in 10th,11th and 12th grade) the opportunity to mountain bike right in our own community. The idea for the trail started in 2019 when Mr. Mellott was introduced to David Peiffer (Cedar Cliff alumni and owner of the Memorial Arboretum). David’s land is just on the other side of interstate 83 and spans all the way from The Link 4 Youth all the way down to the creek. David was clear in his first meeting with Mr. Mellott that he had a vision of his property being used in an educational way and that is when Mr. Mellott pitched the idea for mountain biking trails. This had not been an initial use that David would have thought of, but he quickly came on board with the idea and the benefits it could have.

David wanted to ensure that it provided something educational and not just for riding. This is why the trail is a memorial trail that leads you to the crash site of a pilot not typically recognized for her incredible accomplishments, Evelyn Sharp, also known as Sharpie. Evelyn was born and raised in Nebraska where she learned how to fly at the young age of 13. She quickly honed her skill and by the time she was a young adult she was a flight instructor for the United States Military and was responsible for flying large cargo across the country. Shortly after the war, she was flying out of New Cumberland when suddenly one of her engines failed. Typically, if you have an engine fail and are forced to do an emergency landing, you never turn to the same side as the failed engine. Once Evelyn knew she was going to have to attempt an emergency landing she did not want to turn to the side of her good engine because it would have taken her directly into homes in New Cumberland. In order to keep others safe, she turned the wrong way intentionally to land in what at the time was a farm field. Making this choice saved the lives of others but unfortunately she lost her own life at the young age of 24.

The Evelyn Sharp Memorial Mountain Biking trail is a three way collaboration between Cedar Cliff, The Link 4 Youth, and David’s Memorial Arboretum and Nature Preserve. All of these groups have close ties to Cedar Cliff with David being an Alumni and The Link 4 Youth is the home base for Medard’s House. This is a faith based youth center to honor a former student from Cedar Cliff that unexpectedly passed away in a hunting accident. Medard loved the outdoors more than anything, it can be said with confidence that he would have greatly enjoyed this trail.

Students that take the OAE course get a half day once a year to ride the mountain bikes over to the trail to ride, for many using brand new skills, and visit the crash site of Evelyn Sharp. Then they get to walk on original carriage trails that lead to a spring out on the property that was built in 1776. After enjoying both historic sites, the students ride back to The Link 4 Youth where a campfire is built and the students get the opportunity to cook food over the fire and enjoy their trip until it is time to return to Cedar Cliff. We are lucky to have such strong connections within the Cedar Cliff community to provide our students with educational experiences like this.

Cedar Cliff offers a myriad of clubs and activities for students. One club that has been particularly active this year is the Colts Multicultural Club (CMCC). They meet weekly and can be seen all over the school actively engaging in activities that highlight the rich diversity found at CC.

So far this year, they had a welcome celebration where members came together to celebrate the cultures and traditions represented at CC. They recently celebrated Diwali with food and activities. Butterflies for grief awareness were hung in the cafeteria by CMCC members and students had a great time posing for polaroids during homecoming. Their most recent meeting featured a language exchange where students shared phrases in over 12 languages including Arabic, Tagalog, Korean, Igbo, ASL, Urdu, Bosnian, and Somali.

The club balances both having fun with discussions of serious topics impacting the world. Looking forward to the spring, CMCC is planning the 4th annual Diversity Art Gallery and the 2nd annual Culture Day. All students of the CC community are invited to engage and celebrate with CMCC members. If you want to see what the club is doing, check out their Instagram @colts_multiculture_club.

These three words define the culture of our Cedar Cliff Athletic Programs. These are the ideals that we want our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and others associated with our programs to embody.

What does it mean to be noble? Being noble is defined as having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals. We believe athletics teach us valuable life lessons and develop the character needed for our students to become young men and women that contribute to society in a meaningful way.

Being humble is a trait we want our student-athletes to represent on and off the competition surface. A humble athlete has tremendous influence including being a positive role model for their peers and younger athletes, by creating a support system for their teammates, by being willing to accept and grow from criticism and tough performances and by learning how to win and lose with grace.

Finally, we strive for excellence in all we do. Excellence in our practice, excellence in being a teammate, excellence in competition and excellence in the classroom.

Noble, Humble and Excellent. Cedar Cliff student-athletes strive to make these words part of their habits in being a Colt. This is what the culture of Cedar Cliff Athletics is all about in sport and in life. With Colt Pride…..

Winter season is upon us and students have the opportunity to participate in basketball, cheer, wrestling, bocce, swimming and diving. The Colts are ready to showcase their talent and ability on the court, mat and pool. Come support your Cedar Cliff Colts all winter long.

Home Openers:

• Girls Basketball- Friday, December 6th vs Susquehanna Township
• Wrestling- Thursday, December 12th vs State College
• Boys Basketball- Friday, December 13th vs Lower Dauphin
• Swimming and Diving- Friday/Saturday December 13th/14th as they host the Zach Peiffer Memorial Invitational
• Bocce- Wednesday January 8th vs Red Land

To view schedules go to: https://arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=3551

We want to remind students and community members to please be safe near and around the crosswalk areas by Cedar Cliff and the food establishments on Carlisle Road. Seniors and eligible Juniors enjoy Open Campus privileges from 10:30-12:44. Walkers, please don’t jaywalk, and drivers, please drive slowly and look for pedestrians crossing. We care about the safety of our students and community members. Questions about Open Campus may be directed to Mrs. Rizzardo or Mr. Gensler.

December

• Dec 7 - SAT Testing
• Dec 12 & 13 - Winter Keystone Testing
• Dec 17 - Mosaic Concert
• Dec 23 - 31 - No School

January

• Jan 1 - No School
• Jan 17 - End of the Second Marking Period
• Jan 20 - No School
• Jan 22 - High School Course Selection Night