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Lebanon School District
Monthly Superintendent Update
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Information for our Cedar Families
May 2024
This communication includes information and updates for parents and guardians in the Lebanon School District.
This document can be translated! Este documento puede traducirse!
If you need a translated version of our newsletter, open the online version by clicking the "view in browser" link provided at the top of the email. Scroll to the top of the newsletter, and select the translate option to view the newsletter in any language.
i necesita una versión traducida de nuestro boletín, abra la versión en línea haciendo clic en el enlace "ver en el navegador" que se encuentra en la parte superior del correo electrónico. Desplácese hasta la parte superior del boletín y seleccione la opción de traducción para verlo en cualquier idioma.
إذا كنت بحاجة إلى نسخة مترجمة من نشرتنا الإخبارية، افتح النسخة الإلكترونية من خلال النقر على رابط "عرض في المتصفح" الموجود في أعلى الرسالة الإخبارية. مرر إلى أعلى النشرة الإخبارية، وحدد خيار الترجمة لعرض النشرة الإخبارية بأي لغة.
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 6 - May 10
As Teacher Appreciation Week begins on May 6, we want to take a moment to extend our deepest gratitude to our teachers and staff for their dedication, passion, and commitment to our students.
Every day, they guide our students, ignite a love for learning, and foster a supportive classroom environment. During this special week, we want to express our sincere appreciation to them as their hard work and dedication are the heart and soul of our district.
Please encourage your children to thank their teachers as they make a difference every single day!
With Pride,
Nicole L. Malinoski, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
Monthly Moment - Highlighting the Arts & Teacher Appreciation Week
Take a few minutes and watch our monthly video highlighting our district's commitment to the arts and celebrating some of our students' favorite teachers!!
News from Around the District
Behind every student’s school meal, there’s a School Lunch Hero worth recognizing. During the annual celebration of School Lunch Hero Day (#SLHD24), we come together and acknowledge all that these team members do for every child who comes through the cafeteria.
As a district, we will celebrate our lunch heroes by dressing as the Super Heroes on May 3 to celebrate our group of dedicated employees.
Students of the Month
Every month, the district honors two high school students as Rotary Students of the Month. Rotary is the world’s oldest service club. Its motto is "Service Above Self” and its mission includes providing service to others, promoting integrity, and advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace. The Rotary Club of Lebanon supports the service to the youth in our community and local education by recognizing outstanding students from all six county schools and the Lebanon Career and Technology Center. In addition, it awards scholarships at graduation to outstanding senior students.
Congratulations to Nicole Gonzalez Ramirez and Colin Johnsen who were honored as our April Rotary Students of the Month !
Making a Difference - Poetry Contest
Five Harding elementary students won second place in the Making a Difference of Lebanon PA Poetry Contest.
Congratulations to:
- 4th grade: Randy St Fleur Caraballo, Bryden Medrano, Irvin Cruz Taveras
- 5th grade: Daineshka Osorio Reyes, Perla Rivas Hombla
2024 Elementary Envirothon
On April 16th and 18th, 18 fourth and fifth graders from all five elementary schools participated in the Envirothon field experience and competition.
We are thrilled to report that our teams performed admirably! Two teams, Fisher Four and Southwest Skunkers, secured spots in the Blue ribbon group, ranking among the top 10 out of 33 teams.
Additionally, our other two teams, Southeast Snappers and Houck Hellbenders, achieved success in the red ribbon group, placing in the top 20 out of 33 teams.
Their outstanding performance reflects positively on the Lebanon School District, and we couldn't be more proud of our students!
Elementary STEM Teacher of the Year
Our very own Mr. Matthew Lash was selected as the 2023-2024 Elementary STEM Teacher of the Year for Lancaster-Lebanon on behalf of IU13 and Lancaster County STEM Alliance.
This award is truly an outstanding achievement of Mr. Lash's, acknowledging his dedication and commitment to STEM education in the Lebanon School District.
Congratulations to Matt on this well-deserved recognition!
Lebanon County Educational Honor Society Inductees
The Lebanon County Educational Honor Society is comprised of active and retired educators from Lebanon County. Eight Lebanon School District educators were recently inducted into the Lebanon County Educational Honor Society at the 62nd annual banquet held on April 18, 2024.
Congratulations to:
- Ashley Bailey
- Randi Kelly
- Rachel Foster
- Tiffani Rhen
- Nicole Kafferlin
- Molly Lucas
- Marci Soliday
- Dean Dochterman
Robert Okonak, Lebanon School District Board of School Director's president & former Cedar administrator, was also recognized as Educator of the Year!
Congratulations to all on making us Cedar Proud!
Cedars ARE Career Day!
Cedar Supporters, we are looking for help! Lebanon Middle School is looking for professionals to speak with about their career with our Lebanon Middle School students on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Please view this letter for more information and contact the Lebanon Middle School office ASAP if you know of anyone who is willing and able to open our students’ eyes to future career pathways!
Portrait of a Cedar
As part of the district's comprehensive plan, a group of stakeholders created our Portrait of a Graduate project, we have titled our Portrait of a Cedar. The Portrait of a Cedar project involved crafting a comprehensive vision of the skills, knowledge, and attributes that students should possess upon graduation. It included input from various stakeholders, such as educators, parents, students, and community members, and we identified essential competencies beyond academic content.
Our competencies include: Leader, Creative, Adaptable, Empathetic, Communicator, Critical Thinker and Personally Responsible.
The last part of our design phrase is to identify a logo. Please vote for your top choice below!
LMS's Musical - Frozen. Jr.
Kudos to the cast, crew, and director's of our Middle School's performance of Frozen, Jr. The incredible talent displayed by our students was amazing and we are so proud of their performances!
Lebanon Junior High Update
As winter yields to the warmth of spring, our Junior High building project flourishes. We're currently navigating the final stages of construction, aiming for substantial completion by June. The exterior of our building is truly beginning to blossom, with freshly laid asphalt, solid concrete structures, and vibrant landscaping.
Currently, all potential sinkholes have been addressed, and the basins are now smoothly progressing towards substantial completion. The athletic track is nearing readiness, undergoing meticulous checks and adjustments before our athletes can utilize the facility. The addition of our CEDARS logo is slated for the upcoming weeks, seamlessly integrated into the project timeline.
Continuous dialogue with the construction team fuels our progress, with turnover expected within 1-2 weeks. Internally, our efforts span a multitude of areas: from establishing infrastructure to installing gym flooring, classroom and hallway fixtures, hanging drywall, applying paint, and fine-tuning electrical and plumbing elements. Each day, a dedicated workforce of 50-75 individuals ensures the creation of a top-tier facility designed to endure for generations.
As we approach the finish line, anticipation mounts! We eagerly await the unveiling of the completed masterpiece. Our gratitude extends to our exceptional prime contractors, whose unwavering commitment reflects the pride they take in enhancing our district.
Harding Elementary - Mural and Planter Boxes
If you are in the neighborhood of Harding Elementary, we invite you to witness the stunning progress of our latest mural, a collaborative masterpiece crafted by the incredible artistic talents of two Art teachers, alongside the creative energy of our fifth grade students:
- Jordan Polanco
- Daniela Quinones
- Keira Bowman
- Aubrey Gonzalez
- Shannyelis Otero Rosa
- Abigail Rodriguez De Leon
- Nyla Armstrong
- Channing Miller-price
- Elijah Starry
- Gisselle Correa Vargas
- Jordan Crawford-Barlow
Anticipated completion is just a few weeks away! Additionally, keep an eye out for the flourishing greenery in our planter boxes, through the help of Mr. Lash. Our students can hardly wait to share the final results with our community!
Less Testing, More Learning
Last month we shared that a group of Cedar educators met with state representatives discussing reform to the PSSA & Keystone tests. Recently, Governor Shapiro announced reform for testing beginning in 2026 including alternative ways to lessen the burden of standardized testing while still complying with federal mandates.
A brief summary includes:
PDE will begin implementing a two-year phased plan to migrate all PSSA and Keystone testing online for the 2026 administration. (Paper and pencil assessments will still be available where circumstances require.)
Once test administration has moved fully online, PDE will adopt Technology-Enhanced Item (TEI) question types that better match how students learn in the classroom. TEIs allow students to answer questions using methods they are already familiar with (e.g., drag-and-drop, sorting, graphic manipulation) and use in the classroom on a daily basis rather than answer time-consuming multiple-choice and essay questions that don’t match how students learn.
Also, PDE will develop a free, optional benchmark assessment tool for schools, which is tailored to Pennsylvania standardized tests. This Pennsylvania-specific tool will be made available to all schools to use if they choose at no cost. Benchmarking helps educators better understand whether students are on track to succeed on the end-of-year exams.
The Governor states these changes will save Pennsylvania millions of dollars, reduce the burden on students, families, and teachers, shorten the amount of time students spend taking tests and teachers spend administering them, and ensure schools get results faster so they can address learning gaps and give students the tailored support they need to succeed.
2024-25 School Calendar
Our Board of School Directors approved the 2024-25 school calendar at their March business meeting. Information for next year's calendar includes:
- Dec 2, 2024
School is in session (Monday after Thanksgiving)
January 2 and 3, 2025
Extended Winter Break for our families
Act 80 Days for Staff
January 20, 2025
- Martin Luther King Day
- No School, Not a Snow Make-Up Day
- Half Days for Professional Development
- January 17, 2025 (PM)
- May 22, 2025 (PM)
New Student Registration
If you need to register a new student in the Lebanon School District, please refer to the information linked here.
Welcome to our Cedar Family!
During the month of April we welcomed the following staff members to our family:
- Marvin Gray, LTS Itinerant Learning Support Teacher, Lebanon Middle School
- Jennifer Montero, Registration/Child Accounting Secretary, District Office
- Tyler Pritchett, LTS Health/Physical Education Teacher, Lebanon High School
- Brett Sylve, Building Substitute, Lebanon Middle School
- Rodney Weber, AEDY Support Paraprofessional, Lebanon High School
Superintendent of Schools
Lebanon School District