Hello STEM Families. Memorial Day has passed, and we are now in the Final Weeks of the 2023-24 School Year! Don't forget the CUSD Spring Concert is tomorrow night at CHS, and Decision Day for Seniors is Thursday. Although there is a lot going on, please remind your Student to Focus on Academics over the next two weeks. Finally, congratulations to the State Champions - our Lady Clipper 4x400 Relay Team!

Our Lady Clipper 4x400 Relay Team won Gold at the PIAA Track & Field Championships, breaking the school record and leaving their competition in the dust. Congratulations to A'Lasia Mosley, Damira Allen, JaNaisa Dearry, Daleeah Alexander, and Coach Shake Allen!

An incident occurred today which provided a reminder of the importance of safety and vigilance. A STEM Student was approached by a stranger in a vehicle while walking to school this morning. She reported the incident to a Staff member, and we at STEM immediately alerted Law Enforcement, as well as other Schools and CUSD Central Office. Please see the letter below from Dr. Mumin regarding the incident. While this was a disturbing event, sharing information and being alert makes the community safer.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Subject: Community Alert

Dear Chester Upland School District Parents and Families –

This morning, we were informed of an incident involving one of our students. While walking to school, a female student was approached by a stranger who asked her to get into a car. The student had a brief exchange with the individual but wisely continued on her way to school. Upon arrival, she reported the incident to school officials, who immediately notified the police.

We take incidents like this very seriously and are working closely with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of our students. We encourage all families to have a conversation with their scholars about the importance of staying alert and the potential dangers of interacting with strangers.

If any situation makes your child feel uncomfortable while on their way to or from school, they should immediately alert a trusted adult or school officials. Additionally, we ask parents to notify school officials if your child brings a situation like this to your attention.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued partnership in keeping our school community safe.

Sincerely,

Latrice N. Mumin, Ed. D., MBA

Interim Superintendent of Schools, Chester Upland School District

Let's congratulate our Students of the Month!

8th Grade: Saaniya Madison & Alonte Smith

9th Grade: Joseph Pollard & Yaxiel Rodriguez-Pinero

10th Grade: Yuriza Coronado & Andy Lopez

12th Grade: Zionna Stansbury & Angel Lawson

SPRING TESTING IS COMPLETE! Thank you to our Students, Staff and Parents for working together to ensure is was a success. Having seen the progress our Students made throughout the year, and watching their effort on the exams, I am confident we will again have very positive results to report!

PSSA Exams (All 8th Grade Students) - COMPLETE

April 23-25 & April 30-May 2

NOCTI Exams (12th Grade CTE Students) - COMPLETE

April 23-25

AP Exams (Students in AP Classes) - COMPLETE

May 7: AP Geography

May 8: AP Literature

May 9: AP Psychology

Keystone Literature (All 10th Grade Students) - COMPLETE

May 14-15

Keystone Algebra & Biology (All 9th Grade Students) - COMPLETE

May 16-17: Algebra

May 20-21: Biology

All 9th, 10th and 11th Grade Students should have completed Course Selection. Our Counselors are now hard at work creating Student Schedules, with the goal of having them complete before Students leave for Summer Break.

Students will be receiving notice in the coming weeks if they will be required to attend Summer Credit Recovery. Students who fail core academic courses (Math, English, Science, Social Studies) are required to attend Summer Credit Recovery. Those who do not successfully complete Credit Recovery may not be invited to return to STEM for the 2024-25 School Year.

Save the Following Important Dates:

Friday, May 31: Final Grades Due for Seniors

Thursday, June 6: Half-Day for Students

Friday, June 7: Final Grades Due for Grades 8-11; Half-Day for Students

Wednesday, June 12: 8th Grade Promotion

Thursday, June 13: Graduation; No School for Students in Grades 8-11

Friday, June 14: Final Day of School for Students

We are getting closer to celebrating our newest class of CUSD Graduates. Families of Seniors, your Student received the 2024 Graduation Information Sheet. This sheet contains critical details about Graduation and other year-end events. Be sure to ask your Student to see the sheet if you haven't already, or email Principal Bell to receive a copy.

This year, the Decision Day ceremony will be held this Thursday, May 30. Please contact Mr. Franklin (efranklin@chesteruplandsd.org) for more information.

The annual CUSD Spring Concert will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, May 29 at 5:30 in the Auditorium at CHS. There will be many performers by CUSD Students of all ages. We hope to see you there!

We were also treated to a show here at STEM on Friday. Led by Mr. Woodlin, Ms. Sparks, and Mr. Mayrant, Student Performers took the stage to sing, dance and perform for their classmates. It was a great way to head into the Holiday Weekend!

The Admissions Period for the 2024-25 School Year is now open. Use the link below to begin an application. All Students who reside within the boundaries of the Chester Upland School District and are entering Grades 9-12 next year are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Additional information regarding the application and Admissions Process are available at the link below.

2024-25 New Student Application

Hello Parents,

Allergy season is here, and I want to give a few suggestions and reminders for everyone who suffers from allergies. Due to high pollen count this time of year, allergy symptoms are high. Remember, some classrooms will have windows open when the classroom temperatures allow. I am not able to give allergy medicine so here are a few things that can help minimize your child's discomfort:

1. PLEASE GIVE ALLERGY MEDICINE AT HOME!

1. Allergy medication should be taken daily, once a day. Taking medication (Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, etc.) in the evenings will cause less drowsiness while in school and help with the discomfort of symptoms such as sneezing, itchy throat, itchy eyes, watery eyes, stuffy or runny nose, dry cough, etc.

2. If your child requires eye drops or nasal spray to be given in school, even over-the-counter medication, a written prescription from your physician is required, along with medication in its original unopened package.

3. If your child's allergies trigger Asthma symptoms and your child requires an as-needed inhaler, please make sure that I am aware, and that your child has their prescribed inhaler on them.

4. Benadryl is not given for allergies.

1. Benadryl is given for an allergy reaction (respiratory distress, hives, rash, etc.), not for allergy symptoms. If a student is given Benadryl, that student MUST be picked up within 25-30 minutes.

Also, please remind students to carry bottles of water. The building can get hot as the temperature outside rise. Staying hydrated is key.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thank You,

Nurse Dale

Vaping carries short and long term health risks for adolescents and we are committed to reducing our Students exposure to these dangers. Over the past few weeks, we have had an increasing number of Students in possession of, and using vapes. Possessing a vape is a violation of the School Code of Conduct, and we will continue to issue consequences for Students who break the rules. Even greater consequences are in place for those who are found to be distributing these devices to other Students. Heightened security measures are in place at this time in order for us to reduce Student use of vapes.

We are also asking for assistance from Parents. Often when we catch a Student with a vape, Parents are surprised to learn their Student has been engaged in this activity. The reality is that young people across this area can easily obtain these items, and are using them far more frequently than Parents often realize. Speaking with your Child about this can prevent them from finding themselves in trouble, and more importantly reduce the likelihood they engage in this unhealthy activity.

It is critical that our Office have the most up to date contact information for you and your Student, and we are only aware of changes if we are notified. If any of the below information has changed since your Student enrolled at STEM, please reach out to Ms. Jones (yjones@chesteruplandsd.org) and Ms. Dixon (ldixon@chesteruplandsd.org) as soon as possible.

Phone Number

Address

Email Address

Emergency Contacts

Email: bbell@chesteruplandsd.org
Website: https://www.chesteruplandsd.org/sas
Location: 1100 West 10th Street, Chester, PA, USA
Phone: 610-447-3650