The Holiday Season is approaching and there is a great opportunity for STEM Students to give back to the Chester Community. On December 21st from 9:30am-12:30pm, The Boys and Girls Club of Chester is looking for volunteers to put to together Holiday Food Baskets. All Students who attend will get community service hours for their confirmed attendance. There will be a sign up sheet posted in the Maker Space on Guidance Counselor Hudson's Door.

We will celebrate the Students who received Honor Roll and/or Perfect Attendance on Tuesday, December 17th at 8:30am. The Celebration will take place in the STEM Auditorium. Parents/Guardians are welcome to come and celebrate with Your Student.

We are pleased to announce the National Honor Society will be back at STEM this year! Please keep an eye out for upcoming meetings and membership requirements. There will be an information meeting upon return from Fall Break

There will be 2 sessions of the Winter Concert on Thursday, December 19th:

Session 1 will be from 8:00am-9:00am and be for the 9th and 10th Grade Students to view the

performance

Session 2 will be from 9:00am-10:00am and be for the 11th and 12th Grade Students to view the

performance

Parents/Guardians are welcome to attend one of the performances

Dear Parents,

We would like to inform you that the 12th-grade students held a Town Hall on December 12, 2024, to address attendance, behavior, and work completion expectations in each classroom. Moving forward, all 12th-grade students will be held accountable to the following standards:

● 80% classroom seat time: Students are expected to maintain consistent attendance.

● Timely assignment completion: All assignments must be submitted by their deadlines.

● Fostering a positive environment: Students are expected to contribute to a respectful and productive atmosphere.

If these expectations are not met—such as in cases of skipping class, unlawful absences, or negative behavior—your student will be required to attend a parent meeting with Mr. Brown, Ms. Sgro, and Ms. Barnes. During this meeting, we will discuss the unmet expectations and the necessary steps for improvement. Please note that failure to adhere to these standards may result in the loss of participation privileges in senior events.

Thank you for your support in helping our seniors finish the year on a positive and successful note.

As part of the STEM Morning Arrival Process, Students are not allowed to go to the Store once they get off the bus or dropped off on campus. This is a safety concern for our students. Breakfast is provided in the building. We are asking for your support in enforcing this procedure.

December 17 Honor Roll/Perfect Attendance Celebration

December 18 Chester Upland School District Winter Concert 5:00pm at Chester High School

December 19 Winter Break 1/2 Day for Students 10:30am dismissal

December 20-January 1 Winter Break Schools Closed

January 2 Staff In-Service No Students

January 3 Staff In-Service No Students

January 6 Students return

After the start of the New Year, a drama program will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays in Afterschool. This program is open to STEM Students at will be held at Chester High School. Stay tuned for more information.

The Students Achieve 21st Century After-School Program started on November 4th, 2024. The following programs will be available to students:

• Homework Help
• Academic Enrichment
• Credit Recovery
• E-Sports
• Sports
• FREE snack for all students in attendance
• Transportation

Please access the links below to complete an application.

English:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctHhVe-zZ4T02LRhnh_AfpHajPnAW0kbMZ20tpOSHRIOsoxw/viewform

Spanish: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmzNABBQlXgXMq4airBGHpi7WbHSnDstu8XXNSN737YDWvPw/viewform

Below are list of individuals to support our students in various aspects, including mental health and wellness, college and career readiness, social workers, guidance counselors, art therapists and drug and alcohol education/counseling.

Please reach out to STEM Guidance Team for any more information:

Brittney Hudson bhudson@chesteruplandsd.org

Sharay Barnes Sbarnes@chesteruplandsd.org

Jane Hawkins jhawkins@chesteruplandsd.org

Brittney Hudson, Gr. 9 and Gr. 10 Counselor

Sharay Barnes, Gr. 11 and Gr. 12 Counselor

Jane Hawkins, Social Worker

Edward Franklin, College and Career Readiness Counselor

Amanda Sommerville, Art Therapist (Grant funded)

Cosmi Konzelman, Substance Abuse Counselor (Grant funded)

Cassandra Mosley, Family Engagement Specialist (Grant funded)

Michelle Galdames Henry, EU Counseling Intern (Grant funded)

Afiya Dolloway, EU Counseling Intern (Grant funded)

Danielle Morgan, EU Intern Supervisor, (Grant funded)

Julanne Labrum, Socio-Emotional Learning Coach

Please reach out if you are having difficulty creating a PowerSchool Parent/Guardian Account.

Creating PowerSchool Parent Account

Follow the steps below to create your Parent Account:

1. Go to cusd.powerschool.com/public

2. Click "Create Account" and fill in your information under Parent Account Details

3. Scroll down to "Link Students to Account"

4. Enter your Student's name. Enter your Student's ID number for Access ID. Enter your Student's ID number again for Access Password

5. Repeat to add additional Students

6. Scroll all the way down and Click Enter

7. Check your email from Chester Upland School District for a link to confirm your account. Be sure to check your Junk and/or Spam folder for this email.

After you have confirmed your account, you can sign in and check your student's grades through the website cusd.powerschool.com/public. If you want to download the PowerSchool App, follow the steps below:

1. Search for the PowerSchool app on Apple Store or Google Play

2. Download the App

3. When opening the app, enter the District Code: PLLL

4. Sign in using the Username and Password you created

Please reach out with any questions. We encourage you to have regular conversations with your student about their progress and learning. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to the opportunity to continue to partner for your student’s success!

Seat Time and Denial of Credit

To obtain academic credit for a course, students must be in attendance and have their attendance recorded at least 90% of the time that a class is scheduled. Failure to attend at least 90% of the scheduled classes of any one credit course or half-credit course may result in a denial of credit for that course. Please reach out to the Guidance Office at STEM Academy High School for further information.

Congratulations Lady Clipper 4x200 who took first place in the relay and made it to the State Championship Meet.

Congratulations to Damira Allen who placed 1st in the 60 meters and advised to the State Championship Meet.

Congratulations to Niya Jefferies who placed first in High Jump and advanced to the State Championship Meet.

Chester dropped to 3-2 after coming up short, 46-48, against the Downingtown West Whippets. Senior Dallas Thompson led the way with a team high of 13 points but attempt to win the game rimmed out as time expired. Freshman Zahir Clayton had the second double digit came of his young career with 10 points.

From the start you could tell this was a game of opposites, Chester was David and Downingtown West was Goliath. The Clippers' production came from their backcourt while the Whippets relied on their frontcourt. Chester's guard was responsible for 10 of their 13 first quarter points while Downingtown got 10 of their 12 points from inside the paint. The Clippers held a slim 13-12 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Chester backcourt continued to carry the load in the second quarter. Dallas led the way with six points, Zahir added 5 points with Kristian Chambers and Paul Lindsay II each dropping two points. This accounted for 15 of the Clippers 17 points in the quarter. Downingtown received another six points from their big man and another 6 points off two treys. Chester held a 30-24 margin at the intermission.

The Clippers went cold in the third quarter connecting on only two jump shots. Forwards Nymeer Madison and Ra'Shaad Dorsey picked up the slack recording 6 points which keep Chester close. Meanwhile Downingtown continued with what was working - the inside game - where they scored 9 of their 11 points. Chester's lead was now 40-35 entering the final 8 minutes of play.

Downingtown took advantage of consecutive defensive miscues by Chester to open the fourth quarter and drained consecutive treys to recapture the lead 41-40. It was their first lead since the second quarter when they led 20-17. After trailing 40-43, Dallas scored off a steal and later Dorsey scored on a putback to tie the game at 44 with 2:55 to play. The Clippers misfired on a couple possessions until Kristian scored getting the Clippers within one, 46-47, with 14.6 seconds remaining in the contest. The Whippets uncharacteristically only made 1 of 2 free throws and did not secure the rebound on their next possession. During the contest, the Whippets went a 14 of 17 from the free throw line.

Chester hauled in the rebound and raced to half court calling timeout with 3 seconds left on the clock. Out of the timeout, the Clippers got the look they wanted in the hands of the man they wanted but unfortunately, they did not get the results they wanted.

Game Recap courtesy of Coach Terry Thomas

Congratulations to the Chester Lady Clippers on their Weekend Success!

The Lady Clippers are off to a 4-1 start this 2024-2025 season after their win over Mt. Pleasant High School in Wilmington, Delaware.

The game was one of 7 played Saturday at the Winter showcase Classic Tournament.

Congratulations to Ja'Mya Muhammad who was named game MVP

Game information courtesy of Coach Tiffany Richardson

Student attendance will be a major area of focus at STEM and throughout CUSD this year. In order for our students to achieve at the highest level, they need to be on time and in all their classes each day. We need all students and families to be aware of these guidelines and work together to ensure we have a great year. PLEASE REMIND YOUR STUDENT TO GET A LATE PASS BEFORE GOING TO CLASS SO ATTENDANCE CAN BE RECORDED CORRECTLY.

1st Period begins promptly at 7:30a.m. Students are allowed to begin entering the building at 7:10a.m. and are encouraged to go to the Cafeteria to get breakfast.

All students must enter the school building no later than 7:35 a.m.

Students will be marked tardy if they are not in class by 7:45 a.m.

Students will not be admitted into their classroom after 7:45 without a late note signed by the Front Office.

Students will not be allowed inside the building after 8:00 a.m. without a parent or guardian to sign them in.

Students will be reminded of these rules in all classes. We appreciate the support of families helping to improve student attendance this year!

According to teachers, parents, and even students themselves, it is clear that the biggest distraction to learning is their phones. We cannot expect teaching and learning to occur when phones are in the hands of students during their classes. Therefore, students will not be permitted to have cell phones in the classroom this year.

· Students will be required to put their phones away during the school day

· Students will be permitted to access their phones at lunch and return the phones to their bag before returning to class

· Headphones/earbuds/Airpods may not be worn in school

Students who choose not to adhere to these rules will be subject to escalating consequences.

This will be an adjustment for our students, but certainly a positive one. We appreciate the support of our Families to make this happen!