October 2024 e-News

One way to define 'Responsibility' is “taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.” Many of us have seen people practice 'Responsibility' in ways that have inspired us. We hope this month inspires discussions with your family about what it means to be responsible. For additional information regarding CharacterStrong, including our middle school monthly traits, please visit our CharacterStrong & Social Emotional Learning website.

• OCTOBER: Bullying Prevention Month, Careers in Construction Month, Disability History and Awareness Month, Down Syndrome Awareness Month , Filipino-American History Month, Italian-American Heritage Month, Polish-American Heritage Month, Principals Appreciation Month and Walk and Bike to School Month
• September 15 thru October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month
• October 2 - School Custodian and Buildings & Grounds Appreciation Day
• October 5 - World Teachers Day
• October 6 - Instructional Coach Appreciation Day
• October 6-12 - Fire Prevention Week
• October 9 - Walk and Bike to School Day
• October 14 - Indigenous Peoples Day/Columbus Day
• October 14-18 - School Lunch Week
• October 16 - Boss’ Day
• October 16 - West Shore Unity Day/Stop Bullying Day (additional information below)
• October 20-26 - Teen Driver Safety Week
• October 21-25 - School Bus Safety Week
• October 23-31 - Red RIbbon Week/Drug-Free America Week
• October 26 - National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (additional information below)

Scheduled Remote Learning Day
Monday, October 14
Teachers will provide asynchronous work for students equal to a half day of instruction. Student work may be completed that day and submitted the next day school is in session. Students will NOT attend Zoom sessions and all students will be marked present unless reported as absent. In the event of an absence, families should follow regular procedures for absence notification and the standard make-up procedures will apply.

First Marking Period Ends: Grades 7-12
Friday, November 1

Students will begin their second marking period courses on Monday, November 4. Report card information for grades 7-12 will be available no later than November 18, in PowerSchool. To view and print grades in the traditional report card style, please click the "Report Cards" tab on the left after logging into the PowerSchool website (not available in the app).

College & More Fair

Thursday, October 3, 5-7 p.m., Cedar Cliff H.S.

Students attending Cedar Cliff and Red Land are invited to come meet with representatives from colleges, universities, trade schools, technical schools, and specialty schools.

West Shore Unity Day

Wednesday, October 16

Unity Day was started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and provides us with an opportunity to stand united against bullying and in support of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. On Wednesday, October 16, all West Shore students, teachers, administrators, secretaries, bus drivers, food service staff, parents, and community members are invited to get involved and wear the color orange. Thank you in advance for participating!

West Shore Foundation 9th Annual Gala

Saturday, October 19, 6-10 p.m., West Shore Country Club

For more details, please visit the Foundation's website.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Saturday, October 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Crossroads Middle School

Now is the time to clean your medicine cabinets. Thanks to our partners, the York Opioid Collaborative and Fairview Township Police Department, all varieties of prescription or over the counter medication, vitamins, and pet medications (tablets, capsules, liquids, creams, inhalants, etc.) will be accepted for disposal during this FREE drive thru event.

Red Land H.S.

October 4 - Patriots vs. Hershey, West Shore Stadium

October 5 - Homecoming Dance from 7-10 p.m.

Cedar Cliff H.S.

October 11 - Colts v. Carlisle, West Shore Stadium

October 12 - Homecoming Dance from 7-10 p.m.

Home Football Game Procedures and West Shore Stadium Bag Policy Information

Now one month after their inaugural First Day of School, we look back on the ribbon cuttings for Fairview Intermediate and Old Trail Intermediate School. You can view an abridged version of each opening on the West Shore School District's YouTube page.

Fairview Intermediate School
Old Trail Intermediate School

The West Shore School District is honored to have one National Merit Semi-Finalist moving on in the competition, as well as SIX National Merit Commended Students in this year's senior class.

Congratulations to Rayna Johnson of Cedar Cliff High School! Of more than 1.3 million students who took the PSAT last year, less than 1% were named Semi-finalists.

Eloise Billus, LJ Brtalik, Rachel Gannon, Jackson Kane, Tim Valentine and Owen Wagner join the latest Commended Students. All are among the top 4% of the country's brightest seniors.
We are #WestShoreProud of them and the dedication to their educational endeavors!

Congratulations to our Employees of the Quarter, Mrs. Kristene Dormuth & Mrs. Nicole Fenton

On September 19, the Board recognized our Employees of the Summer Quarter: Kristene Dormuth, Operations Secretary at the Administration Center for Education, and Allen Middle School Teacher Nicole Fenton. Through their actions and dedication, these West Shore employees have supported the District’s pledge to inspire, engage, and empower students. Congratulations!

As you may know, the West Shore School District was ecstatic in being able to expand our Free Meals program to all District schools this year. We believe we are seeing the benefits.

When compared to the same time period in 2023, the District has provided nearly 30,000 more meals to our students in the first four weeks of school. That's an increase of nearly 38%! This proves as a testament to us for the need and for our excitement to better serve our students each and every day.

If you haven't yet seen the Annual First Day Video for the 2024-25 school year, please view it here! We were so pleased to feature 572 children, 72 staff members, 10 dogs, and 2 cats this year. Thank you to those who sent in photos!

On Thursday, November 7 2024, the District will hold its annual Middle School Career Awareness Fair for eighth grade students. The event is open to students at all three middle schools and our virtual learning academy, and will be hosted by Allen Middle School. As students start to think about high school and their future after graduation, it is important for them to be exposed to different career possibilities. The fair provides students with the opportunity to learn about a variety of careers and speak to individuals working in them. If your business would be interested in participating in the event, please click here for details on how to register.

Our transportation department continues the hard work in resolving any outstanding issues parents may be facing. You may find the most recent statement as of this newsletter from Dr. Stoltz, Superintendent of Schools, here. (Newsletter published Monday, September 30th -- a more recent statement may be available on the WSSD website.)

Our bus drivers are the first to greet students each day and the last member of our team to see them before they return home. We have an amazing group of drivers already, but desperately need more caring individuals to join us! First Student, our transportation contractor, is currently offering:

• $22.05 per hour
• $3,000 Sign-on Bonus for fully licensed bus drivesr
• $2,000 Sign-on Bonus for new bus drivers
• $1,000 Sign-on Bonus for van drivers
• Paid CDL Training
• Child Ride-Along Program
• Flexible Schedules

Interested individuals should contact First Student at 717-938-8788 or apply online.

The West Shore School District is also hiring for additional positions in the following categories:

• Food Service (highly customized shifts may be permitted)
• School Nurse
• Maintenance/Custodial

If you are interested in obtaining more information regarding any of these positions, please click here.

Renewing Your Medicaid Benefits

We realize many of our families utilize Medicaid and wanted to pass on some information about renewing your benefits (something that must be done each year).

The West Shore School District has partnered with Highmark Wholecare to offer free help sessions who may be applying for or renewing Medicaid Coverage. These sessions will take place at 10AM to Noon, with no appointment necessary, as follows:

• Cedar Cliff High School - First Wednesday of the Month
• Red Land High School - Second Wednesday of the Month

To find your renewal date, visit dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or use the free myCOMPASS PA mobile app. If you want to renew by phone, call 1-866-550-4355. If interested, additional information can be found below from Highmark.

CHIP is short for Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program - Pennsylvania's program to provide health insurance to uninsured children. There are a lot of reasons kids might not have health insurance - maybe their parents lost a job, maybe their parents don't have health insurance at work or maybe it just costs too much. Whatever the reason, CHIP may be able to help.

Please navigate to this website http://www.chipcoverspakids.com/ or call 1-800-986-KIDS for more information.

Meetings are held at the Administration Center and are open to the public.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Facilities - Wednesday, October 9, 4:30 p.m.

Finance - Thursday, October 10, 4:30 p.m.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Thursday, October 10, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 17, 6:30 p.m.

Related Links

• In Person and Electronic Public Comment Guidelines
• Watch Board Meetings Online - Board meetings are streamed live and archived for viewing after the meeting.
• Board Agendas - published 24 hours before the meeting
  
• Board Minutes - posted after Board approval

• Annual Notices - Numerous federal laws require school districts to provide students, parents, and/or the public with notices.

• Care Solace - Care Solace assists individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their services may be accessed by students, staff and their families at no cost to you, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, and in 200+ languages. To utilize Care Solace, call 1-888-515-0595 or visit www.caresolace.com/westshore.

• Employment Opportunities - We have a variety of open positions perfect for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers interested in working a schedule similar to our students.
• Transportation Exception Request - May be used to request a bus stop different from the assigned stop associated with the child’s residence provided the alternative stop is in the same school attendance area as the child’s school.
• Electronic Absence Submission - If your child will not be in school for the day due to illness or doctor/dentist appointment, you can submit their absence electronically through PowerSchool.
  
• Volunteer Clearance Policy & Procedures - Adults wishing to volunteer in our schools are required to complete the Volunteer Application Process before being approved to do so.
• Technology Help Center - Contains videos, resources, FAQs, and guides on using SeeSaw, Schoology, PowerSchool, iPads, Chromebooks, and more.
  

• Damage, Loss, Theft of District Technology Devices and Chargers - Information related to device expectations and repair costs.