Let's Talk
At Cedar Cliff, we believe that strong communication between home and school is essential for fostering student success. When families and educators work together, our students benefit in countless ways. Academic performance improves, students feel more supported and motivated, and a strong sense of community grows within the school. Open and effective communication creates a partnership that helps us better understand and address the needs of every student.
However, we also recognize that achieving effective communication requires effort and intentionality, especially when our school community is as diverse as ours. Over the past few months, we have been investigating methods of support for our student population designated as English Learners (ELs). We’ve found that English is not the primary language spoken at home in as many as one in eleven of our households. We have begun meeting with parents and guardians whose primary language is not English looking to better understand the challenges they face in staying connected with our school. These conversations have been eye-opening and have helped us recognize areas where we need to improve.
Some of the key takeaways from these discussions include:
1. Language Barriers: Many families have shared that they struggle to access information because our communications are not consistently available in their preferred language.
2. Technology Gaps: Some families find it difficult to navigate our digital platforms, which can create additional barriers to staying informed.
3. Personal Connection: Parents have expressed a strong desire for more opportunities to connect directly with teachers and school staff, ensuring their voices are heard.
We are grateful to these families for their honesty and willingness to share their experiences. Their input is invaluable as we work towards building a school community where every family feels connected and empowered to support their child’s education.
While finding solutions for improving communication to our ELs has been a priority, we want to improve communication for all of our families. If you have stories or suggestions, please contact me at kfillgrove@wssd.k12.pa.us.
When we work together, we're all on the same team, and that benefits everyone. We're committed to finding new and better ways to reach all of our families, no matter what language they speak at home. Thank you for partnering with us in this important endeavor. Together, we can ensure that every student has the tools they need to thrive.
What's Up in Construction Tech
Construction Tech students are performing inspections on their classmates modular framing builds. Students have spent most of the 2nd marking period building their modular builds, one nail at a time, from the floor joists to the ridge board. Student inspections are then performed to see if their hard work would be given a "Pass", so that way they can move on to the next phase of the construction process.
Trip to the Farm Show
In January, Cedar Cliff journalism and art students had the unique opportunity to dive into the heart of Pennsylvania’s agricultural world at the 2025 PA Farm Show in Harrisburg, PA. Armed with notebooks, cameras, and sketch pads, students captured real-life action as they explored the agricultural show. From bustling livestock exhibitions to behind-the-scenes farm-to-table stories, students were crafting compelling narratives while creating vivid sketches and taking photographs that depicted authentic, behind-the-scenes look at farm life in Pennsylvania. It was a firsthand experience of rural life in action, offering a unique blend of storytelling and visual art for the students to experience. This immersive trip has provided students with a deeper appreciation for agriculture and inspired them to share their experiences through both written and visual storytelling.
JROTC was Busy!
Cedar Cliff High School's JROTC program had a busy January. First, they had guest speaker, Col Frank Hancock, former JROTC Senior Army Instructor, come and visit on January 10th. He is now with Time Travelers Trunk and spoke with the Cadets about the Cold War. Then on January 16th, the CCHS JRTOC Color Guard presented the colors at the WSSD Board Meeting. Finally, on Saturday, January 25th, our JROTC had a Drill Competition at Cumberland Valley Middle School.
Behavioral Health Screenings for 9th Grade
Beyond stress and anxiety, there are heightened concerns about the rates of suicide, self-harm, depression and school violence among American students. 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 begin administering the behavioral health screenings at the end of February and into March for 7th and 9th grades only, staggering between schools. Parents and guardians will receive additional information and opt-out reminders before the screenings are administered.
Ski Club
The West Shore Ski Club is once again running here at The Cliff. There are currently four schools in the district (CCHS, RLHS, Crossroads MS and Old Trail) participating and we hope to grow that for next year. The ski season has started so students who have an EPIC pass and equipment can join. The district offers a free Ski Bus that runs every Wednesday to and from the mountain. The Ski Club currently has 28 students, but we can always have more! Any students who are interested need to see Mr. Burnham in room 12 for details.
