#ThisIsCheltenham
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Welcome to this week's edition of the CSD News Share! For updates throughout the week, visit cheltenham.org or the Cheltenham School District Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. To update your contact information, visit cheltenham.org/updatemyinfo. If you know someone who would like to receive the weekly news share, direct them to the eNEWS icon at cheltenham.org to register.
Have a great week!
CHS Alumna and "The Voice" Contestant Nila Anthony Visits Myers Elementary
CHS alumna Nila Anthony, known as Nariyella from “The Voice,” visited her alma mater, Myers Elementary, last week. She toured the school, visited with past teachers, and sang for some of the classes. Anthony sang Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" and Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All.” Then some of the kindergarten students sang for her.
"Starbooks" at Wyncote
Wyncote students spent time this week visiting "Starbooks" Cafe during their library rotation as a fun way to create interest in summer reading. Students were greeted at the door of the "cafe" by the owner who handed each student a menu. Students were asked to review the books they were "tasting." Each table in the "cafe" was covered in books loaned to the library from Cheltenham Township Library System. This partnership was created to entice children to come to the Elkins Park Library to find the books and similar stories. The room was transformed with lights, flowers, tablecloths, candles, and cafe music.
Glenside Community Comes Together for GE’s Kindergarten Community Fair
Nearly 25 “community helper” organizations exhibited the tools of their trades Friday morning at Glenside’s second annual Kindergarten Community Fair. Over 100 kindergarteners and their families explored fire trucks and police cars, played with puppies, ate ice cream, and filled potholes as they circled the fair and learned about the people who make Glenside a community. The helpers brought essential supplies, tools, trucks, vehicles and giveaways for students and their families to enjoy. Read more> | View photos>
EP Sixth Graders Return to PEEC
For the first time since the pandemic hit, Elkins Park sixth graders made a memorable trip to the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) last week where they applied all they have learned in various classroom activities to real world, hand-on experiences. Students canoed, hiked, went orienteering, studied pond ecology, ate s’mores, and so much more! Thank you to the PEEC staff, parent/guardian volunteers and the EP staff for helping make this trip a success. PEEC has been an amazing 26-year tradition at Elkins Park, and the staff can't wait to go back. Photos>
CHS Track and Field Competes at States
Congratulations to the boys and girls track and field teams for a strong showing at the AAA state championship last week at Shippensburg University. The relays really shined with the girls 4x100M relay of Kendall Nelson, Michelle Korsah , Mariah Winfield, Kira Murray (47.69), and 4x400M relay of Liana Williams, Murray, Korsah and Eyota Bey (3:51.45) finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. The boys 4x400M relay of Jordan Sowell, Ke'Nai Massiah, Traeon Bradsher and Nathan Hoffman took fourth (3:19.81). Individually, Korsah (pictured) took fifth in the 100M hurdles (14.79), Murray (12.37) and Winfield (12.50) took seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 100M finals, and Sowell finished seventh in the triple jump with a leap of 44-9.5. In all, 15 team members qualified for the state championship meet.
Student Completes MCIU Transition Program
Congratulations to Cheltenham SD graduate Ahmari Canada (seen here with his mother) who celebrated completion of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit’s (MCIU) transition program at an event at the MCIU on Thursday, May 25. Canada was one of 16 graduates from nine school districts. The transition experience provides students the opportunity to develop workplace-appropriate social skills, and career acquisition and retention skills by participating in a variety of occupational-type experiences in community-based placements. These experiences are individually designed to provide students with hands-on occupational-type tasks in a business setting. Students receive periodic support from a transition teacher in addition to daily job coach support.
Post Prom Is Back
After a three-year hiatus, CHS recently continued its annual Post Prom party tradition of nearly 40 years. The event, which had a "wanderlust" theme, received help from more than 100 parents/guardians who transformed the school in just nine hours before the event. More than 250 seniors enjoyed Wawa hoagies, ramen noodle cups, Fill-A-Bagel, and cereal bars, participating in watercolor painting, cornhole, coloring, movie-watching, and more. The Post Prom Party Committee thanks everyone who donated time, money, and support to make the event a success.
CBK Track and Field Shines at County Middle School Championships
The Cedarbrook boys and girls track and field teams recently competed in the Montgomery County Athletic Association Middle School Championships at Plymouth-Whitemarsh and came away with some great performances. Photos> | Read more>
Picture of the week
A sweet bay magnolia tree was planted and a plaque installed near the flagpole entrance to the high school Wednesday in honor of Elijah Milano, a senior who passed away in October. Milano’s family (pictured), friends, classmates and teachers were present at the dedication, which featured songs Milano wrote and performed. The inscription on the plaque reads, “Elijah Borne Milano … The Brightest Star” and features musical notes. Driven by Milano’s friends and supported by his family, the ceremony came about after weeks of discussing how to honor Milano’s life. Quiet and reserved with a passion for writing and performing music, Milano came to CHS as a junior and made a positive impact on those around him. Photos>
Calendar Reminders
Thursday, June 8 - Commencement
- Gates open: 8:30 a.m.
- Ceremony begins: 9:30 a.m.
- Students in grades 9-11 will be asynchronous
Monday, June 12 - Move Up Ceremonies
- K-4: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.; EP: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; CBK: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 13 - Final Student Day
- Schools dismiss at the following times: CHS, 9:45 a.m.; CBK, 10:30 a.m.; EP, 11 a.m.; K-4, 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 14 - Professional Development Day No. 8
- No school
Thursday, June 15 - Final Staff Day
- No school
Cheltenham School District Calendar> | 2022-23 Academic Calendar> | CHS Athletics Calendar>
Policy Committee - May 2023
With co-chair Zachary Epps presiding, the Policy Committee convened for its monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 23 in person and via video conferencing. Old business included Policy and Administrative Regulation (AR) 130 Homework, which will be presented for adoption at the June legislative meeting. New business included three items for discussion which will be presented at the June board meeting as a first read: Policy and AR 210 Use of Medications (2016); Policy and AR 122 Extracurricular and Cocurricular Activities (2017); and Policy 123 Student Athletes (2017).
Since 2020, the committee has made great progress in addressing the district’s policies. Since 2020, 136 of the district’s policies have been reviewed. The policy manual has been slimmed down from more than 300 policies to 193, thanks to collapsing three sections of employee policies into one. The average “Last Review Date” of all 193 Policies is August 23, 2000; and no policies have a “Last Review Date” of more than 10 years ago, with the exception of Policy 126 (Class Size), about which administration is not yet ready to bring forward a recommendation. Since the committee has reached the policy maintenance phase, it recommended its May meeting be the last of the 2022-2023 school year, with meetings resuming in August 2023. The Policy Committee will consider meeting every other month or five times during the 2023-24 school year. Slide deck>
Facilities and Finance Committees
Committee meetings will be held in person at the Administration Building, and will be available at cheltenham.org/zoom. The agenda and presentation will be available prior to the meeting at https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/ctsd/Board.nsf/Public.
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023, 07:00 PM
2000 Ashbourne Road, Elkins Park, PA, USA
Educational Affairs Committee
Topic: 2022-2023 Year in Review | Comprehensive review of the school year. Committee meetings will be held in person at the Administration Building, and will be available at cheltenham.org/zoom. The agenda and presentation will be available prior to the meeting at https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/ctsd/Board.nsf/Public.
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2023, 07:00 PM
2000 Ashbourne Road, Elkins Park, PA, USA
Policy Committee
Committee meetings will be held in person at the Administration Building, and will be available at cheltenham.org/zoom. The agenda and presentation will be available prior to the meeting at https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/ctsd/Board.nsf/Public.