The STEM Weekly Stream

Hello STEM Families and welcome to this week's newsletter. March got off to a great start here at STEM. The STEM Showcase on Wednesday was a fantastic event, and our students were amazing. We closed last week with a Pep Rally on Friday afternoon, and the Clippers kept up the momentum by winning the District Championship on Saturday at Temple. Our Middle School won the Attendance Wars and will be rewarded with a party this Thursday afternoon. Please read for even more important information is in this newsletter, including reminders about upcoming Asynchronous Days. Finally, be sure to read the message from Dr. Parkinson regarding changes to the CUSD masking guidelines that will take effect Monday, March 14.

Chester Upland schools will be closed to students on the following days:

Friday, March 11: Asynchronous Day - Students remain at home and must check Google Classroom for assignments

Monday, March 14: Schools Closed for Teacher In-Service

Friday, March 25: Asynchronous Day - Students remain at home and must check Google Classroom for assignments

The STEM Showcase and Awards Ceremony is an annual event at STEM to celebrate African American History Month. Our audience was treated to many fantastic performances by our talented students.

Thank you to Ms. Merto, Ms. Turner-Wright, Ms. Hargadon, Ms. Thomson, Ms. Dixon, Ms. Sparks, Mr. Sylvester, T3 Media, guest DJ Diddy George Gray, and everyone who made this event successful.

Also, we appreciate the support of the families, students, and community members who came out to attend. Our performers were grateful for your presence!

We have just three weeks remaining in the 3rd Marking Period. On Friday, March 25, grades will close and the quarter will come to an end. We need students to understand time is running out and they must act now to improve their grades.

The HAC is where you will find your student's report cards and interim reports. Not only that, visiting the HAC will allow you to check your student's grades and attendance on a daily basis.

If you do not have your HAC set up yet, email Ms. Misha Memon (mmemon@chesteruplandsd.org). She will reply with your username, password and a link to the log in page.

Families of 9th Grade students will soon be receiving communication from their teachers. We are becoming concerned with a drop in grades that has occurred during the third marking period for many students. Additional individualized communication will also be going out to families whose students are in danger of failing multiple courses. This will include a reminder that students must maintain acceptable grades and attendance in order to remain at STEM.

Please help us help your 9th graders use the remainder of the year to solidify their academic standing. By checking Home Access Center frequently, you can stay up to date, and assist in holding your student accountable for their performance.

7th and 8th Grade were victorious in the Attendance Wars, and will receive a party during 4th period this Thursday. They earned this reward by having the highest percentage of on-time and present attendance during 1st period from February 22 through March 4.

Although the contest is over, we still need to stress the importance of attending school every day. Missing multiple classes per week makes it extremely difficult for students to keep up in their classses.

On Friday afternoon, we held a Pep Rally at STEM to celebrate our Winter Sports athletes and encourage the Clippers Boys Basketball Team ahead of the District Final. Our Courtyard was filled with Orange & Black, and the positive energy carried over to the game!

Despite trailing by three points with less than ten seconds remaining, the Clippers are once again the District One Champs. Congratulations to the players, Coach Taylor and his staff, and the entire Chester community who support our student-athletes.

Tickets are on sale now for the first round of the State Playoffs against Exeter Township High School on Tuesday night at Chester High. Tip-off will be at 7:00 PM. Please note that tickets must be purchased through the PIAA website (link below). Availability is limited, so those who wish to attend are encouraged to purchase their tickets ASAP.

Click here to purchase tickets

Please see this message from Superintendent Parkinson regarding a change to the requirement to wear masks inside Chester Upland School District buildings.

Beginning Monday, March 14, masks will become optional for students and staff. Masks will continue to be available; and students, staff and guests may continue wearing them if they so choose.

Dr. Parkinson's letter outlines the current COVID-19 trends which were the basis for this change.

Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and your family from serious cases of Covid. Additionally, the more students who become vaccinated, the more likely we are to stay in school without any returns to remote learning.

The vaccination numbers have been climbing here in Chester. Thank you to all who participated in the vaccination clinic events that were held in CUSD in January and February. Vaccines continue to be available and free at many locations in the city. Check out the Vaccination Calendar for more information!

This week, we will be visiting Widener Partnership (Tuesday), Toby Farms (Wednesday), and CCCS Aston (Thursday) to meet with prospective students. If you have students at those schools, please ask them about the presentation and keep in mind our application will be available on April 1, 2022.

New student applicants will be evaluated based primarily on their report card grades from this year (2021-22). Other considerations include transcript history (for applicants already in high school), attendance, teacher recommendations, essay, and discipline. Make sure to remind prospective students to ensure their application is top-notch.

Finally, please be aware that current STEM 8th Graders must re-apply for admission into 9th Grade. Application requirements and criteria are the same as for students applying from other schools.

Dr. Thomas Butler from Crozer Health visited STEM on Wednesday, February 2. He met with 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students to speak about his experience becoming a doctor, and encourage them to participate in the ID STEM Summer Program at Crozer Hospital.

During the week of June 27, students have the opportunity to get up close experience with medical professions by attending the program at Crozer. Families, please contact Mr. Bell for more information. There are limited spots, so please reserve soon!

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