CB West High School

The 1st Annual Future Ready Conference will be held on Friday, March 1, 2024

Juniors and Seniors! Come join us for a day at the Upper Bucks Campus of Bucks County Community College to learn about careers and soft skills that will help prepare you for your future in this ever-changing environment.

District transportation will be provided to and from the Upper Bucks County Community College. Buses will leave your school between 9:00 and 9:30 and will return between 2:00 and 2:30, in time for afternoon transportation. We will have staff chaperones supporting students at the event.

Please fill out your permission slip here, print a copy, and drop it off at the Student Services Office at your school (At South the first floor Student Services Office is recommended.) Students will have the opportunity to sign up for sessions to gain information about certificate programs, short term training programs, programs requiring an Associate’s Degree, professional skills, and more.

Please make your program choices here by signing in with your CBSD email address and selecting the four sessions you would like to attend. You will need to make one entry for each of the four sessions by clicking on each of the four tabs at the top of the form.

Please have all selections made and permission slips to Student Services by Friday, February 16th . For questions, please contact Lori Bagnick at lbagnick@cbsd.org

The Community Wellness Fair will feature over 60 vendors, each offering a diverse range of services tailored for kids, teens, and families. This is a unique opportunity for you to engage directly with providers, gaining insights into the various resources available to support your well-being.

Highlighted Services:

• Mental Health: Explore information about counseling services, mental health resources, and strategies for emotional well-being.
• Behavioral Health: Learn about available treatments, interventions, and support systems for behavioral health.
• General Wellness: Discover a variety of wellness services and options, from fitness programs to nutrition guidance.

Congratulations to the 15 musicians who will represent CB West in the 2024 Bucks County Music Educators Association (BCMEA) Festival. They will travel to Pennridge HS next month to join students from across Bucks County to prepare and perform together.

We are very proud of their hard work and musicianship.

CB West Athletics will be holding our second National Letter of Intent Signing celebration of the 2023-24 school year on Wednesday February 21, 2024, at 2pm in the CB West Gymnasium. All eligible senior athletes committing to Division I, II, or III colleges should register via the link below by Monday February 19th.

Winter 2023 National Letter of Intent Signing

Is your student looking for an exciting opportunity this summer? The Division of Child Neurology at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will run it's annual Neurology High School Scholars Program beginning this July!

The High School Scholars program offers the opportunity for three to four high school students to complete a five-week paid internship ($1,000 stipend). The internship involves working closely with a neurologist/neuroscientist on a basic science or clinical research project, and shadowing physicians in clinic. Work hours will be determined between the student and mentor based on project need. At the end of the five weeks, students will be expected to prepare a poster presentation outlining their project results.

Orientation for the internship is scheduled for Friday, July 5, 2024. The internship runs from Monday, July 8th to August 15, 2024. Families and friends are encouraged to attend.

The application will open on February 2, 2024, and will close on March 1, 2024. No extensions will be given.

The link to the application and more details about the program can be found here:

www.chop.edu/pages/neurology-high-school-scholars-program

If you haven’t already done so, please visit the Balfour website below, to order your student's cap and gown by February 25, 2024, to avoid late fees.

https://www.buildagrad.com/cbw

Upon entering your order information, please be sure to select “Spring 2024 Commencement” and that you choose a specific package. Students have the option to choose black or gold. Make sure you have your student ID and credit card information ready when placing your order. A late fee will be charged on all orders placed after February 25, 2024. No orders will be accepted after April 25, 2024.

All orders will be sent to CB West. A date and time for student pickup will be determined and communicated later this spring.

PreACT (10th Grade)

The PreACT will be offered to CB West 10th grade students on March 16th, 2024. College bound 10th grade students are encouraged to take the PreACT to gain exposure to the ACT, an exam many colleges use when making admissions decisions. Registration closes on Feb 25th, please do not delay signing up if your student plans on taking this exam- exams may not be available after registration closes.

Visit the Student Services Testing Page for registration information: https://www.cbsd.org/Page/1002.

COLLEGE PLANNING PRESENTATION (11TH Grade)

The Student Services Department will be hosting an evening presentation for students and parents on February 29th at 6pm in the CB West auditorium. Topics will include several aspects of college planning, including narrowing the list of prospective schools and admissions. We hope to see you there!

Program Planning for the 2024-2025 School Year:

Please visit the Program Planning Website for up-to-date information, resources, and links for students and parents regarding course registration for the 24-25 school year. Current CB West students will watch a live stream presentation during extended Advisories on Thursday, January 11th. Counselors will review the program planning timeline, process, required credits and course suggestions for students.

• Tuesday, February 6- Fri, March 15: Sophomore and Junior counselors will meet with each student to review requests, prerequisites, graduation credits, and will address all questions and concerns with students. Counselors will contact students to schedule appointments during this time.

• Friday, March 15 Verification of course requests will be available on the student portal. Students and parents should review courses for accuracy and must notify their counselor immediately regarding any final changes to their course requests.

• Wednesday, March 20 All changes to requests must be submitted to a counselor by this date. No changes will be allowed for the 2024-25 school year unless it is due to a level change supported by the recommending teacher or a failure to meet a prerequisite.

College Applications

Seniors, please be aware due to the snow days, mid-year reports will not be available until February 15.

Career Training at Bucks County Community College

Have a Senior who is exploring non-college pathways after high school? Bucks County Community College offers FREE training programs in several different fields. Visit the BCCC Workforce Development page for more information: https://www.bucks.edu/workforcedevelopment/.

FINANCIAL AID

• The FAFSA (link) is the primary way to access need based financial aid for colleges. Students seeking need-based scholarships and student loans to help pay for college should plan to complete the FAFSA, which is now open.

• Some colleges and universities will require the CSS Profile and the FAFSA for need-based aid consideration. This requirement should be listed on the college’s website, but you should also check the list of schools requiring the CSS Profile on the College Board website (link).

Upcoming Financial Aid Sessions

• Need specific help with filling out the FAFSA? On February 21st 6-7pm and April 9th 6-7pm PHEAA Access Partners will present a Line-by-Line Overview of the 2024-25 FAFSA Process to guide students and families through a step-by-step process of filing the FAFSA and PA State Grant applications.

• By late winter, many students will receive financial aid packages from colleges, but it can be overwhelming to understand how to compare those packages. On Wednesday, March 20th 6-7pm PHEAA Access Partners Amy Sawdey and Wendy Dunlap will present Understanding and Comparing Financial Aid Offers which provides information on the steps students should take after completing the FAFSA. They will discuss the financial aid process, strategies to review and understand financial aid offers from colleges, and how to compare several types of aid.

AP Exams:

• Students will join their AP Classroom account with their teachers for the Spring semester.

• On Monday, February 5, the My Payments Plus System will open for all Spring semester AP exams. Students must go to My Payments Plus (set up an account if you don’t already have one) to register and pay for any Spring AP exam that they wish to take in May of 2024.

• The MPP system will remain open for registration and payment of Spring exams until March 4, 2024.

College Admissions Exams - See the CB West Student Services “testing page” for suggested college admissions exam plans: https://www.cbsd.org/Page/1002. Current Juniors should plan to take the SAT/ACT after completing Algebra 2.

In anticipation of the grade level realignment for the 2025-2026 school year, the district extends an open invitation to parents, guardians, students, and community members to provide their questions and feedback here. We greatly value your input as it plays a vital role in our decision-making process, ensuring that our choices are in the best interest of our entire community. To learn more about this initiative, please visit our website: www.cbsd.org/cbrealign.

Click HERE for the full list of meeting dates and times

Click HERE to join the link for the CB West Parent Council Meetings

Don’t forget to reserve your child an Antler yearbook for this school year - books can be reserved until April 30th. After that, they will only be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For the past five years, we have had an increase in the demand for yearbooks, so be sure to order your yearbook online at www.jostens.com .

Please click on the link to read the informational letter regarding attendance. This information can also be found on our website.

English language version

Russian language version

Spanish language version

Ukranian language version

Link to English video: https://vimeo.com/748146211

Link to Spanish video: https://vimeo.com/748143109

Click HERE for frequently asked questions

Laptop Breakage

We have seen a rise in the amount of screen breaks for student laptops. Our policy covers for 2 broken screens per device. If your child’s laptop screen breaks 3 times, we will be required to send you an invoice for the repair and labor. The current cost for this is $200. Please remind your child to care for their laptops. Some simple steps to assist are:

• Use two hands when holding or moving the device.
• Use clean hands while using the laptop or iPad.
• Use only the provided digital pen or finger on the screen.
• Use only the power adapter that came with the device.
• Use a microfiber cloth to clean the screen.
• Keep device stored in the provided case. This includes traveling through the hallways, on buses, or anytime the device is not being utilized.
• Make sure nothing is on the keyboard, close the lid, and remove all cables if any are plugged into the laptop. Place laptop in your bag carefully.
• Be careful when placing your case on the floor. Keep the device off the floor so screens do not get stepped on by others.

Our goal each day is make sure that all students, faculty, buses, and drivers exit our school campus safely. To ensure that safety, we are requesting that you please reinforce safe driving habits with your student driver. There have been several vehicle accidents that may have been prevented through safer driving practices.

• Drivers should maintain a speed of 15 MPH or less while driving on MacFarlane and in the school zone area.
• Drivers are to stop for pedestrians entering the crossing areas.
• Drivers are not to change lanes on MacFarlane
• Drivers should not be using electronic devices while driving.
• Drivers/Students should not be yelling from one vehicle to the next or getting out of one vehicle to get in another.
• Please try to limit the number of passengers in the car with your student. This will assist in being more attentive while driving.

Thank you for your assistance !

* ANYTIME you come or go from CB West during the school day you MUST check in with attendance.

• ANYTIME you leave school for early dismissal we MUST hear from a PARENT or GUARDIAN via phone or the portal.
• PARENTS or GUARDIANS can put early dismissals, late arrivals, absences, and vacation time in the portal.
• Absences and tardies can be excused for valid reasons with a note, a phone call, or through the portal by PARENTS or GUARDIANS ONLY.
• PARENTS or GUARDIANS have three days to excuse absences or tardies. (Exceptions may be made)
• Students are NOT PERMITTED to leave for lunch during Lunch & Learn.

Announcements

Bell Schedules

Seniors - Class of 2024

Juniors - Class of 2025

Sophomores - Class of 2026

MBIT Information

CHIP is Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program for uninsured children and teens up to age 19.

Click on the link for more information about CHIP.

Click on the link for the online application.